Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...

We now return to take up the thread of our story where we dropped
it, at the mention of the names of the children of Carolo (lo) Diodati,
the namesake of the Emperor Charles V. His three daughters allied
themselves, severally, with the families Burlamaqui, Offredi and Pellissari,
all doubtless fellow-exiles with the Diodatis ; and that is all we know of
the female line of Carolo's posterity. Of the sons we are told of the
fortunes of only two, Tlu'odore and Jean. As it is the line of the
former which most nearly concerns us, we speak first of that of Jean.
Rev. JEAN 10 (13) DIODATI was born in Geneva in 1576. His
home was in that city during the whole of his life of seventy-three years,
but his fame and influence were spread over all Europe while he Hved,
and, not being of a nature to perish with the lapse of time, hke the honors
which fell to others of his race, are destined to perpetuity. The main points
in his life, and his principal works, have been often noticed ; yet with less
of hving portraiture of character than could be desired, except in the
recent work of De Bud6, more than once already referred to, which we
shall chiefly follow, therefore, in the sketch here given.
From his youth, when he already manifested great acuteness of mind
and precision of judgment, he was destined for the Christian ministry. His
education was in the Academy of Geneva, under such men as Beza and
Casaubon ;
and
so rapid was his progress that he became a Doctor of
Theology before the age of nineteen, soon after succeeded Casaubon as
Professor of Hebrew, and in the old age of Beza assisted to fill his place.
Already in the year 1603, when he was only twenty-seven years old, he
presented to the Venerable Company of Pastors of Geneva his Italian
version of the Bible, a work which was highly esteemed by his most learned
contemporaries, and has been never yet superseded. The following is an
extract from a letter of Isaac Casaubon acknowledging a copy from the
translator (we translate from the French) :
384