Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/401

Matriculation Books. 389 Leipzig in the days of F. A. Wolff and G. Hermann. Who does not know, at the present day, an Englishman that has studied chemistry in the little university of Giessen ? To the present day remains the intellectual connection between Ghent and Brazil, once united under the Austrian sceptre. Young Brazilians, who wish to study in Europe prefer, to the present day, the now Belgian university. To return to names. As the family name became hereditary, so frequently became the profession, and even the same Christian names in the same family. Of this I had occasion to trace a remarkable instance. On the opening of the Queen's College at Belfast, a number of pictures were presented to the College by its architect, Mr. Lynn. Amongst these was the portrait of a clergyman with the inscription Georgius Buchan- anus. For nearly half a century had the picture hung in the library, now the examination-hall of the college, when it was found necessary to entrust it to a restorer. Then it was dis- covered that three inscriptions had been painted over, a slight alteration made in the portrait by giving to the likeness a skull- cap, and by writing over one of the effaced inscriptions the name of George Buchanan. But instead of this appeared in plain letters the name of the Vir Reverendus Johannes Carolus, pastoris ad Sanctum Wilhelmum. Furthermore are given the dates of the principal events in his life. Annus Nativitatis, 1544, inchoati ministerii 1570, emeritus 1623. From these dates I traced the family, who bore the German name of Caroli, through three generations by the aid of the matriculation books. The first name is that of Mauritius Carolus, who is called Lutheri commensalis. He was the first Lutheran superin- tendent of Meiningen. His sons were Gabriel, Johannes and Nathaniel, all Lutheran ministers. Nathaniel became famous as an archaeologist, his life is to be found in Ersch and Gruber. Gabriel was the black sheep of the family. Even when enter- ing college, he appears on the Frankfurt Register as pauper, probably having spent the matriculation-fee. He held sub- sequently various scholastic and clerical offices in Thuringia, but as the record has it: male ve gesta abiit in Marchiam Brandeburgensem. Here we find him as pastor at Boitzenburg with a numerous family. The eldest son is called after his distinguished grandfather Moritz, another one after his learned uncle Nathaniel, a third one after his father Gabriel, and a fourth one Samuel. All these I traced in the Registers of the