Erasmus Finx (16 November 1627 – 20 December 1694), aka Erasmus Francisci, was a German

polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

, and writer of Christian

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

Life

Finx was born in

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

, the son of a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and received higher education at

Lüneburg Lüneburg, officially the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg and also known in English as Lunenburg, is a town in the German Bundesland (Germany), state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of another Hanseatic League, Hanseatic city, Hambur ...

and

Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

. He studied law and was travelling through Italy, France and the Netherlands afterwards. As of 1657, he worked as a reader at Endter publishing at

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

, where he also published some of his books. He died in Nuremberg. He wrote a large number of books under various pseudonyms (Der Erzählende, Freundlieb Ehrenreich von Kaufleben, Theophil Anti-Scepticus, Der Unpartheyische, Gottlieb Unverrucht, Theophilus Urbinus, and Gottlieb Warmund), and he edited

Johann Weikhard von Valvasor Johann Weikhard Freiherr von Valvasor or Johann Weichard Freiherr von Valvasor (, ) or simply Valvasor (baptised on 28 May 1641 – September or October 1693) was a natural historian and polymath from Carniola, present-day Slovenia, and a Li ...

's ''The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola''.

Works

*''Die geistl. Goldkammer der I. bußfertigen, II. gottverlangenden u. III. jesusverliebten Seelen, deren Geschmeide u. Juwelen durch wehklagende Reuebegierden, gläubige Wünsche u. inbrünstige Seufzer den Liebhabern der Himmelsschätze zuteil werden'', 1664 *''Ost- und West-Indischer wie auch Sinesischer Lust- und Stats-Garten: in drey Haupt-Theile unterschieden...'', Nürnberg 1668 *'' Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen'' (1663-1668) *''Christl. Spazierbüchlein'', 1668 (Pseudonym: Christian Minsicht) *''Die lustige Schaubühne allerhand Curiositäten in einer Sprachhaltung einiger guter Freunde vorgestellet I, 1669'; II, 1674'' *''Erinnerung der Morgenröte oder geistl. Hahnengeschrei an die im Schatten des Todes vertieften Herzen in 63 Aufmunterungen der menschl. Seele z. Buße u. wahrer Bekehrung u. z. Glauben u. gläubigen Wandel'', 1672 *''Deren nach der ewigen u. beständigen Ruhe trachtenden seelenlabende Ruhestunden in den unruhigen Mühen u. Tränen dieser Welt'', 3 Bde., 1676-80 *''Der Wunder=reiche Überzug unserer Nider=Welt oder Erd=umgebende Lufft-Kreys'' Nürnberg 1680 *''Lorbeerkranz der christl. Rittersleute'', 1680 *''Letzte Rechenschaften jeglicher Menschen'', 1681 *''Ehr- u. freudenreiches Wohl der Ewigkeit f. die Verächter der Eitelkeit, in 52 Betrachtungen erwogen'', 1683 *''Der hohe Traur-Saal oder Steigen und Fallen großer Herren. Fürstellend aus allen vier Welt-Theilen, unterschiedlicher hoher Standes-Staats und Glücks-Personen wunderbare und traurige Veränderungen, so in den nechsten anderthalb hundert Jahren ... sich gefüget'' 1665 (Mit 3 Fortsetzungen, Gesamtausgabe Nürnberg: Endter 1669-81) *''Der Höllische Proteus, oder Tausendkünstige Versteller, vermittelst Erzehlung der vielfältigen Bild-Verwechslungen Erscheinender Gespenster, Werffender und poltrender Geister, gespenstischer Vorzeichen der Todes-Fälle, Wie auch Andrer abentheurlicher Händel, arglistiger Possen, und seltsamer Aufzüge dieses verdammten Schauspielers, und, Von theils Gelehrten, für den menschlichen Lebens-Geist irrig-angesehenen Betriegers, (nebenst vorberichtlichem Grund-Beweis der Gewissheit, daß es würcklich Gespenster gebe)'' 2. Aufl., Nürnberg: Endter 1695

References

External links

German biography of Erasmus Francisci

Erasmus Francisci, Editor of Valvasor's The Glory of the Duchy of CarniolaWikisource de: Erasmus Francisci
1627 births 1694 deaths Jurists from Schleswig-Holstein Writers from Lübeck German male writers 17th-century German lawyers {{Germany-writer-stub