Antonius Sanderus (

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, 15 September 1586 –

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, 10 January 1664) was a

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Catholic cleric and historian.

Biography

Sanderus was born "Antoon Sanders", but like all writers and scholars of his time he Latinized his name. Having become master of philosophy at the

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in 1609, he studied theology for some years under Johannes Malderus (Jan van Malderen) at the University of Leuven, and Willem Hessels van Est (Estius) at Douai, and was ordained

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

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. For some years he was engaged in parochial duties, and combated the

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movement in Flanders with great zeal and success. In 1625, he became secretary and

almoner An almoner () is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor. The title ''almoner'' has to some extent fallen out of use in English, but its equivalents in other languages are often used f ...

of Cardinal Alfonso de la Cueva, later becoming

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

and

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. Publication of the first volume of his sumptuously illustrated '' Flandria illustrata'' (1641) nearly bankrupted him, and he was rescued from ruination by an award of 1,000 florins through the Lille Chamber of Accounts. Further such subventions in support of his work followed in 1645, 1651, 1655 and 1662. In 1654, he was appointed

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. After three years, however, he resigned this office to devote himself entirely to scientific, and especially to historical studies. He soon found himself compelled to claim the hospitality of the

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of Afflighem, since he had reduced himself to absolute poverty by the publication of numerous works.

Writings

He combined high intellectual gifts with great zeal, and left behind forty-two printed, and almost as many unprinted, works. The most important are the following: * ''De scriptoribus Flandriae libri III'' (Antwerp, 1624) * ''De Gandavensibus eruditionis fama claris'' (Antwerp 1624) * ''De Brugensibus eruditionis fama claris libri II'' (Antwerp, 1624) * ''Hagiologium Flandriae sive de sanctis eius provinciae liber unus'' (Antwerp, 1625; 2nd ed., Lille, 1639). A general edition of these four works appeared under the title: ''Flandria illustrata'' (2 volumes, Cologne, 1641–44; The Hague, 1726). Of his other works may be mentioned: * ''Lacrymae in funere Alberti Austriaci optimi et clementiss. Belgarum principis'' (

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, 1621) * ''Elogia cardinalium sanctitate, doctrina et armis illustrium'' (Louvain, 1625) * ''Gandavium sive rerum Gandavensium libri VI'' (Brussels, 1627)Gandavum
(1627) on Google Books * ''Bibliotheca belgica manuscripta'' (2 parts, Lille, 1641–3) * ''Chorographia sacra Brabantiae sive celebrium in ea provincia ecclesiarum et coenobiorum descriptio, imaginibus aeneis illustrata'' (Brussels, 1659; The Hague, 1726); this is his chief work.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sander, Anton 1586 births 1664 deaths 17th-century writers in Latin Flemish priests Flemish historians Clergy from Antwerp Old University of Leuven alumni University of Douai alumni Writers from Antwerp