William Stanyhurst was a Belgian Jesuit of Irish parentage. He was a prolific author of Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 religious works, one of which, Dei immortalis in corpore mortali patientis historia, was widely popular, and was translated into many languages.

Life

He was the son of Richard Stanyhurst

Richard Stanyhurst

Richard Stanyhurst was an Irish alchemist, translator, poet and historian, born in Dublin.His father, James Stanyhurst, was recorder of the city, and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons in 1557, 1560 and 1568. Richard was sent in 1563 to University College, Oxford, and took his degree five years...

, and was born at Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

. After studying there, he entered the Society of Jesus at Mechelen

Mechelen

Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...

 on 25 September 1617. He chiefly resided at Brussels, and preached in both English and Dutch. He died in Belgium on 10 January 1663.

Works

He was a voluminous writer of religious works, many of which enjoyed a European vogue. His Dei Immortalis in corpore mortali patientis Historia, which appeared at Antwerp in 1660, was repeatedly reprinted, both in the original Latin and in French, Spanish, Flemish, Dutch, German, Polish, and Hungarian translations. His Veteris Hominis . . . quatuor novissima metamorphosis et novi genesis, dedicated to James van Baerlant, Antwerp, 1661 (Prague, 1700; Vienna, 1766), was translated into French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Others of his works, all of which passed through many editions, are:

• Album Marianum, describing God's beneficence to Austria (Louvain, 1641);
• Regio mortis sive Domus infelicis aeternitatis (Antwerp, 1652);
• Quotidiana Christiani Militis tessera (Antwerp, 1661) - parts of this reappeared in Selectissima moralis Christianae praecepta harmonicis metris ac rythmis expressa (Antwerp, 1662);
• Ecclesia Militans, Antwerp.