A NEW AND GENERAL

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

CAAB, or CAB-BEN-ZÓHAIR, a distinguished Ara

bian poet, was one of the rabbis among those Arabians who had embraced Judaism, Mahomet, irritated by a satirical poem which Caab had written against him and his new sect, made war on the Jewish Arabian tribes, in hopes of seizing him and putting him to death. Caab, however, contrived to escape his fury, until Mahomet had made himself master of Arabia, when he had the art to be reconciled to him, turned Mahometan, and altered his poem by inserting the name of Abubeker wherever that of Mahomet occurred; and as these concessions did not seem to effect a complete reconciliation, he wrote a poem in favour of one of his mistresses, which was so successful that Maho→ met received him into friendship, and bestowed on him his own mantle, which the caliph Moavias purchased when he came to the throne, and it became the dress of his successors on state occasions. Caab is also said to have had a considerable hand in drawing up the Alcoran. According to Herbelot he died in the first year of the hegira, or A. C. 622. An edition of his poem in praise of Mahomet was published under the title "Caab Ben-Zohair carmen panegyricum in laudem Mohammedis, &c." Leyden, 1748, 4to, with an eloge by Albert Scultens. '

CABANIS (PETER JOHN GEORGE), a French physician of considerable eminence, the son of Mons. Cabanis, an able agriculturist, was born about 1756; and in his youth 1 D'Herbelot.-Moreri-Prideaux's Life of Mahomet, p. 103. edit. 4th, 1708, 8vo.

shewed much taste for scientific as well as polite literature, which he pursued with success; although having caught the revolutionary phrensy, his studies became interrupted by his political engagements. He is said, however, to have had no hand in any of the excesses which arose out of the fury of contending parties. He was connected with Mirabeau, and attended him in his professional capacity on his death-bed. He was also one of the Council of Five Hundred; and it was in consequence of a motion made by him, that the Directory was dissolved. His principles, however, do not appear to have been much more steady and consistent than those of his brethren. He published, 1. "Observations sur les Hopitaux," Paris, 1790, Svo. 2. " Journal de la maladie et de la mort de Mirabeau," ibid. 1791, 8vo. 3. "Travail sur l'education publique," a posthumous work of Mirabeau, edited by Cabanis, 1791, 8vo. 4. "Melanges de Litterature Allemande," 1796, 8vo. 5. "Du degre de certitude de la medecine," 1797, 8vo, republished in 1802, with the addition of the first two articles in this list. 6. "Quelques considerations sur l'organization sociale en generale," &c. 1799, 12mo. 7. "Des rapports du physique et du morale de l'homme,' 1803, 2 vols. 8vo, reprinted with additions in 1804. On the merit of this work the French critics are divided; we may, however, form some idea of it from the circumstance of its having been praised by the philosophers, and censured by the divines. 8. "Coup d'œil sur les revolutions et la reforme de la medicine," 1803. 9. "Observations sur les affections Catarrhales," &c. 1807. He wrote also some curious articles in the "Magazin Encyclopedique ;" and in the Moniteur for 1799 are many of his speeches in the legislative body. He was connected, we are told, with a great part of the writers and philosophers who contributed to enlighten the eighteenth century. During his last years he inhabited a country-house at Auteuil, bequeathed him by his friend madame Helvetius. He died at Meulan, May 5, 1808; and was at the time of his death a member of the institute, of the philomatic society, and of the medical society.1

CABASILAS (NILUS), archbishop of Thessalonica in the fourteenth century, under the empire of the Andronicus's, wrote two treatises against the Latins; the first to prove that the division between the Greek and Latin churches is owing in a great measure to the conduct of the Pope, who

Dict. Hist.

wishes to act independently of an oecumenical council, contrary to the usage of the church: the second is a more direct attack on the infallibility of the Pope, and reduces his primacy to merely a primacy of honour; and he urges many arguments against the assumed power of the pope which are perfectly consistent with the opinions on which the reformers afterwards proceeded. These treatises, Du Pin says, are written with method, perspicuity, and learning. They were at first printed at London in Greek, without date, according to Du Pin, but we have not been able to discover this edition. They were, however, published in English at London, in 1560; or at least the latter of them, under the title "A Treatise containing a declaration of the Pope's usurped primacie; written in Greek above seven hundred yeares since by Nilus archbishop of Thessalonica. Translated by Thomas Gressop, student in Oxford,” 8vo. There are also editions in Greek and Latin at Basil, 1544, Francfort, 1555, and with Salmasius's notes, 1608. Our author also wrote a large work on the procession of the Holy Ghost, in opposition to the Latins."

CABASILAS (NICHOLAS), nephew of the preceding, and successor in the archbishopric of Thessalonica, flourished under the reign of Cantacuzenus, and had all his uncle's prejudices against the Latins. He also wrote "On the procession of the Holy Ghost; and an exposition of the Liturgy," in which he delivers the doctrine of the Greek church concerning the mass; and which was printed in Latin at Venice, in 1545, and at Antwerp in 1560; and in Greek and Latin in the "Bibliotheca Patrum," Paris, 1624. In the same "Bibliotheca," is also included his "Life of Jesus Christ," translated into Latin, and separately printed at Ingolstadt, in 1604. A translation of his work "against Usury," is also contained in the "Bibliotheca." In the sciences of mathematics and astronomy, he is said to have surpassed all his contemporaries."

CABASSOLE (PHILIP DE) was a native of Cavaillon, in Provence, where he became a canon of the cathedral, archdeacon and bishop in 1334. He was also honoured with the rank of chancellor to Sancha, queen of Sicily, by her husband Robert, in 1341, and jointly with that princess was regent during the minority of Joan her grand-daughter.

1 Du Pin.-Leo Allatius in Diatribe de Nilis et eorum scriptis.-Cave, vol. II, 2 lbid.

-Saxii Onomast.

In 1366, he was appointed patriarch of Jerusalem, and had the charge of the bishopric of Marseilles; and at last pope Urban V. raised him to the rank of cardinal, and vicar-general spiritual and temporal in the diocese of Avignon, and while the popes resided at Avignon, Gregory XI. made him superintendant of the papal territory in Italy. He died at Perugia in 1372. He wrote a treatise "De Nugis Curialium," some sermons, and two books on the life and miracles of St. Mary Magdalen. Petrarch was his particular friend, and dedicated to him his treatise on a solitary life; and many of his letters are addressed to him. He is likewise mentioned with high praise by other learned contemporaries.1

CABASSUT (JOHN), of Aix, was a celebrated priest of the oratory, who taught the canon law at Avignon, and died September 25, 1685, at Aix, aged eighty one. His chief works are: "Juris Canonici theoria, et praxis," a new edition of which was published by M. Gibert, 1738, fol. with notes; an "Account of the Ecclesiastical History of the Councils and Canons," in Latin, the best edition of which is 1680, fol. In the edition of 1670, 8vo, are some Dissertations not to be found in that of 1680. Few ecclesiastics have been more praised for excellence of private character than Cabassut.2

CABEL, or KABEL (ADRIAN VANDER), a painter of landscape, sea-ports, and cattle, was born at Ryswick, in 1631, and became a disciple of John Van Goyen, under whose instruction and example he made a rapid progress in his profession, and by whom his name was changed from Vander Touw to Vander Cabel. He copied nature and designed every object before he inserted any in his compositions. His taste in designing animals and figures was formed after that of Castiglione; and in landscape his model was the style of Salvator Rosa. His manner is great, and much after the goût of the Italian school. The touchings of his trees are excellent; his figures and animals are very correct, and marked with spirit. Although his dif ferent pictures have unequal merit, they are all distinguished by the freedom of his hand, and the fine touch of his pencil. In his colouring he was solicitous to imitate the Caracci and Mola; but the beauty of his design and composition is often injured by too dark and deep tone of