The history of this man is involved in some obscurity, yet enough is
known to show that he was a person of wonderful endowments, and great
eccentricity of life and character.
In the year 1674, the celebrated Dutch poet, Antonides Vander Goes,
being in Zealand, happened to be in company with a young gentleman, who
spoke of the wonderful genius of his language master. Vander Goes
expressed a desire to see him, and while they were talking upon the
subject, the extraordinary man entered. He was a little, sallow dumpling
of a fellow, with fiery eyes, and nimble, fidgety motions; he was withal
a sight to see for the raggedness of his garments.
The strange man soon showed that he was drunk, and shortly after took
his leave. But in a subsequent interview with the Dutch poet, he fully
justified the character his pupil had given him. His great talent lay in
being able with almost miraculous quickness, to turn any written theme
into Latin or Greek verse. Upon being put to the trial, by Vander Goes,
he succeeded, to the admiration of all present.
The poet had just shown him his verses, and asked his opinion of them.
Beronicius read them twice, praised them, and said, "What should hinder
me from turning them into Latin instantly?" The company viewed him with
curiosity, and encouraged him by saying, "Well, pray let us see what you
can do." In the meantime, the man appeared to be startled. He trembled
from head to foot, as if possessed. However, he selected an epigram from
the poems, and asked the precise meaning of two or three Dutch words, of
which he did not clearly understand the force, and requested that he
might be allowed to Latinize the name of _Hare_, which occurred in the
poem, in some manner so as not to lose the pun. They agreed; and he
immediately said, "I have already found it,--I shall call him
_Dasypus_," which signifies an animal with rough legs, and is likewise
taken by the Greeks for a hare. "Now, read a couple of lines at a time
to me, and I shall give them in Latin," said he;--upon which a poet
named Buizero, began to read to him, and Beronicius burst out in the
following verses:--
Egregia Dasypus referens virtute leonem
In bello, adversus Britonas super aequora gesto,
Impavidus pelago stetit, aggrediente molossum.
Agmine quem tandem glans ferrea misit ad astra,
Vindictae cupidum violato jure profundi.
Advena, quisquis ades, Zelandae encomia gentis
Ista refer, lepores demta quod pelle leonem,
Assumant, quotquot nostro versantur in orbe.
Epitaphium Herois Adriani de Haze, ex Belgico versum.
When the poet had finished, he laughed till his sides shook; at the same
time he was jeering and pointing at the company, who appeared surprised
at his having, contrary to their expectations, acquitted himself so
well; everybody highly praised him, which elated him so much that he
scratched his head three or four times; and fixing his fiery eyes on
the ground, repeated without hesitation, the same epigram in Greek
verse, calling out, "There ye have it in Greek." Every one was
astonished, which set him a-laughing and jeering for a quarter of an
hour.
The Greek he repeated so rapidly, that no one could write from his
recitation. John Frederick Gymnick, professor of the Greek language at
Duisburgh, who was one of the auditors, said that he esteemed the Greek
version as superior to the Latin. Beronicius was afterwards examined in
various ways, and gave such proofs of his wonderful learning, as amazed
all the audience.
This singular genius spoke several languages so perfectly, that each
might have passed for his mother tongue; especially Italian, French, and
English. But Greek was his favorite, and he used it as correctly and as
fluently as if he had always spoken it. He knew by heart the whole of
Horace and Virgil, the greatest part of Cicero, and both the Plinys; and
would immediately, if a line were mentioned, repeat the whole passage,
and tell the exact work, volume, chapter, and verse, of all these, and
many more, especially poets. The works of Juvenal were so interwoven
with his brain, that he retained every word.
Of the Greek poets, he had Homer strongly imprinted on his memory,
together with some of the comedies of Aristophanes; he could directly
turn to any line required, and repeat the whole contiguous passage. His
Latin was full of words selected from the most celebrated writers.
The reader will probably be desirous of knowing to what country
Beronicius belonged; but this is a secret he never would disclose. When
he was asked what was his native land, he always answered, "that the
country of every one, was that in which he could live most comfortably."
It was well known that he had wandered about many years in France,
England, and the Netherlands, carrying his whole property with him. He
was sometimes told that he deserved to be a professor in a college;--but
his reply was, that he could have no pleasure in such a worm-like life.
Strange to say, this eccentric being gained his living chiefly by
sweeping chimneys, grinding knives and scissors, and other mean
occupations. But his chief delight was in pursuing the profession of a
juggler, mountebank, or merry-andrew, among the lowest rabble. He never
gave himself any concern about his food or raiment; for it was equal to
him whether he was dressed like a nobleman or a beggar. His hours of
relaxation from his studies were chiefly spent in paltry wine-houses,
with the meanest company, where he would sometimes remain a whole week,
or more, drinking without rest or intermission.
His miserable death afforded reason to believe that he perished whilst
intoxicated, for he was found dead at Middleburgh, drowned and smothered
in mud, which circumstance is alluded to in the epitaph which the before
named poet, Buizero, wrote upon him, and which was as follows:--
Here lies a wonderful genius,
He lived and died like a beast;
He was a most uncommon satyr--
He lived in wine, and died in water.
This is all that is known of Beronicius. The poet, Vander Goes, often
witnessed the display of his talents, and he says that he could at once
render the newspapers into Greek and Latin verse. Professor John de
Raay, who was living at the time of Beronicius's death, which occurred
in 1676, saw and affirms the same wonderful fact.
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