320 F E R 
equations, born at Bologna, in 1521. He ftudied the ma¬ 
thematics under the celebrated Cardan, who, having had 
a problem propofed to him for folution, gave it as an ex- 
ercife of ingenuity to his pupil. While engaged in woiIc¬ 
ing it, he happily difcovered a new method of analyfis, 
which is precifely that of biquadratics. His mafter, who 
gave this method in the thirty-ninth chapter of his alge¬ 
bra, has honeflly affigned it to its real inventor, and in 
different parts of his works has furniftied the few notices 
we have of Ferrari, who, as he left no works behind him, 
would othervvife, mold probably, have remained unknown 
to pofterity. Montucla, in his fir ft volume Dc Progrejfu 
Mathefeos, has explained this method, and defended Ferrari 
againft thofe writers who have endeavoured to rob him 
of the honour of this difcovery. He was prpfeffor of 
mathematics at Bologna, where he died, in 1565, before 
he had completed his forty-fifth year. 
FERRA'RI, or Ferra'rius (Francis Bernardin), a 
learned Italian writer in ecclefiaftical antiquities, born at 
Milan, in 1577. He appears to have been educated in 
his native city, where he fo greatly diftinguilhed hirnfelf 
by his progrefs in the different branches of facred and 
profane literature, that he attracted the notice and regard 
of Frederic Borrorheo, archbilhop of Milan. When his 
patron had projected the formation of a grand library at 
Milan, he appointed Ferrari to travel through different 
parts of Europe, to purchafe the bed books and manu¬ 
scripts for that collection. With this defign he vifited 
Spain and Italy, and procured a vaft number of valuable 
works, which laid the foundation of the Ambrofian li¬ 
brary, afterwards of fo much celebrity in the literacy 
world. After his return, he was created a dodtor of the 
Ambrofian college at Milan, and appointed librarian of 
the new inftitution. About the year 1638, he was nomi¬ 
nated director of the college of nobles at Padua ; but his 
flute of health would not permit him to retain that fitua- 
tion longer than two years, when he returned to Milan, 
and died in 1669, at ninety.two years of age. The prin¬ 
cipal of his works are, 1. De Antiqyo Ecclejiajlicaram Epijlo- 
larum Generc, lib. iii. Milan, 1613, q.to. 2. De Ritu Sacra- 
nnn Eccl. Cathol. Concionum, lib. iii. Milan, 1620, 4to. which 
was afterwards reprinted at Utrecht, in 1692, with a pre¬ 
face by John George Grseyius; and, 3. De Ritu Vcterum 
Acclamationibus & Plaufu, lib. vii. Milan, 1627, 4to. which 
is reprinted in the fixth volume of Grasvius’s Roman 
Antiquities. 
FERRA'RI (John Baptift), an Italian jefuit, native 
©f Siena; who applied hirnfelf ad vantageoufly to the fludy 
of the oriental languages. In 1622, he pufclilhed at Rome 
a Syriac dictionary, under the title of A r omencla/or. Syriacus , 
&c. 4to. The-principal objeCt of the author in under¬ 
taking it was, to furniih biblical fchplars with a true ex¬ 
planation of fucli Syriac words as occur in the fcriptures; 
1 for which pivrpofe he availed hirnfelf of the aflifiance of 
feveral learned Maronites, in fixing the fenfe of fuch terms 
tis are peculiarly difficult and obfcure. Ferrari alfo pub- 
lifiied at Rente, Flora, feu de Florum Cultura, lib. iv. 1633, 
4to. ; and an Italian edition, of the fame in 1638, 4to. ; 
and alfo, - Hfpcridcs, five de Mdlorum Aurco/um Cultura & Ufa, 
lib. iv. 1646; folio, tie died in 1655. 
FERRA'RI (Ottaviano), a learned Italian, born at 
Milan in 1518. After a courfe of fludy in the principal 
univerlities of Italy, he was made profeffor of moral phi- 
lofophy in the Canobian college, which poll he occupied 
eighteen years. He was afterwards profeffor at Padua ; 
and finally, returning to Milan, he died there in 1586. 
He wrote an introduClion to ..the ariftotelic philofopliy, 
entitled De DiJ'ciplina Encyclica ; printed by Manutius in 
1560. Another work of his, De Sermonibus Exoterici 1,1515, 
treats on the exoteric books of Ariftotle. His molt valua¬ 
ble work is, De Origine Romanorum ; a great part of which 
is devoted to the -detection of the forgeries of Annins of 
Viterbo. It was printed by Graevius, in his firft volume 
■ of Roman. Antiquities. Ferrari alfo tranflated Athenaeus 
into Latin, and wrote notes upon-Ariftotie, 
•F E R 
FERRA'RI (Ottavio), an eminent antiquarian, of the 
fame family with the preceding, and nephew of the learned 
Bernardino Ferrari, born at Milan in 1607. His literary 
reputation was fo early eftablifhed, that foon after he had 
completed his twentieth year, he-vvas deftined by cardinal 
Frederic Borromeo to the profefTorfhip of eloquence in 
his Ambrofian college. In 1634 fie was called to occupy 
the fame chair in the univerfity of Padua, to which was 
foon.after added that of Greek; and it was chiefly through 
his means that this feminary was reftored to its ancient 
fplendour. The city of Milan, moreover, appointed him 
its hiftoriographer, and he compoled eight books of its 
hiftory ; but the want of neceffary documents, together 
with the fear of offending the lioufe of Auftria, caufed 
him to leave this work unpubliflied. He is principally 
efteemed as an antiquary, in which capacity he made him- 
felf known by feveral learned works. Tliefe are, De Re 
Vejliaria , 1642, feveral times edited ; to which he after¬ 
wards added AnaleEla, on the fame fubjeCt, againft Rube- 
nius, and differtations De Lucernis Sepulchrahbus Veterum, 
De Pantomipiis & Mimis, De 'Balneis & Gladiatoribus : Elec- 
torum lib. ii. 1679; often reprinted, and much admired for 
erudition: Origines Lingua Italica, 1676. He died in 1684. 
FERRA'RI (Philip), an Italian monk, of the order of 
Servites, born at Orvillo. He acquired conliderable repu¬ 
tation for his knowledge of the learned languages, theolo¬ 
gy, the belles-lettres, and particularly of the mathematics, 
which he taught with great fuccefs, for forty-eight years, 
in the univerfity of Pavia. By his abilities and character 
he recommended hirnfelf to the efieem of popes Clement 
VIII. Paul V. andUrban VIII. 'and obtained the honour of 
being twice elected general and twice vice-general of his 
order, lie was the author.6f Typographia in Martyrologiv.m 
Romanum\ and Epitome Geograp. lib . iv ,fSc. But his prin¬ 
cipal prod action was his I.exicon Geograpkicum, into which 
the mod important parts of his other productions were 
introduced. It was-afterwards republilhed at Paris, by 
the abbe Baudrand,about the year 1670, with additions, 
equal in point of quantity to the whole of the original 
matter. From this edition various impreffions were co¬ 
pied at Padua, Geneva, and Bafil. 
FER.R A-R 1 A, /. [in honour of John Baptijl Ferrarius , 
a learned jefuit ; by whom the firft jfpecies was deferibed, 
and well figured.] In botany, a.genus of the clafs gyiian-. 
dria, order trigynia, natural order of enfatae, (irides, JuJf . ) 
The generic characters are—Calyx : fpathes two, alter¬ 
nate, keeled, involute; each one-flowered. Corolla: pe¬ 
tals fix, oblong, acuminate, revolute, curled and fringed ; 
alternately fmaller. Stamina: filaments threej fitting on 
the ftyle; antherae roundifii, twin, rough, hairy. Pif- 
tillum : germ inferior, roundifii, three-cornered; obtufe; 
ftyle (imple, ereCt; ftignias three, bind, cowled, fringed 
and curled. Pericarpium : eapfule oblong, three-corner¬ 
ed, thicker at the top, three-celled, three-valved. Seeds: 
numerous, roundifh. This genus, according to Thunberg, 
fliould be referred to Moraea.— EJfcntial Char.aEler. One- 
ftyled; fpathes one-flowered ; petals fix, waved and 
curled; ftigmas cowled ; eapfule three-celled, inferior. 
Species. 1. Ferraria undulata, or Cape fqrraria : ftem 
many-flowered. Root tuberous, roundifti, compreffed, 
in fit a p e like that of the Indian corn-flag, but larger, in 
the centre of the upper fide it has a hollow like a navel, 
whence comes out the ftalk; the outer fkin is of a light 
brown colour, the infide is white. It lies inactive every 
other year, and fometimes will remain two years without 
putting out either leaves or fibres. Stem a foot and a 
half high, taper, and about the thicknefs of a man’s little 
finger.' It has lanceolate leaves the whole length, placed 
alternately, and embracing; the lower leaves are from 
four to five inches long, and an inch and a half broad to¬ 
wards their bafe, ending in obtule points ; they are a littie 
keei-(h;t£ed, and of a light-green colour. This is one of 
the molt lingular and beautiful vegetable productions; 
and it is much to be regretted that its flowers are of very 
Ihort duration, opening in the morning, and finally doling 
