Henricus Canisius

Canisius, HENRICUS (DE HONDT), canonist and historian, b. at Nymwegen in Geldern and belonged to the same distinguished family as Saint Peter Canisius, who was his uncle; d. September 2, 1610, at Ingolstadt. He studied at the University of Louvain, and in 1590 was appointed professor of canon law at Ingolstadt. He was the author of “Summa Juris Canonici” (Ingolstadt, 1594); “Prelectiones Academicae’ (ib., 1609); “Comment. in lib. III decretalium” (ib., 1629); “De Sponsalibus et Matrimonio” (ib., 1613). A complete edition of his canonical writings appeared at Louvain in 1649 and at Cologne in 1662. The fruits of his labors in the historical field appeared in a work entitled, “Antiquae Lectiones, seu antiqua monumenta ad historiam mediae aetatis illustrandam” (6 vols., Ingolstadt, 1601-1604). In 1608 a seventh volume, a “Promptuarium Ecclesiasticum” was added by way of supplement, The work lacked systematic arrangement, and included much matter of minor value. It was afterwards entirely recast and critically sifted by Basnage, under the title “Thesaurus Monumentorum ecclesiasticorum et historicorum” (7 vols., Antwerp, 1725). Canisius edited for the first time the “Chronica Vietoris Episcop. Tunnunensis et Joannis Episcop. Biclariensis”, and the “Legatio Luitprandi” (Ingolstadt, 1600). We are likewise indebted to him for an edition of the “Historiae miscellae Pauli Diaconi” (ib., 1603).

THOMAS OESTREICH