Nachtigall

Nachtigall (Latin Luscinius), OTTOMAR, a Roman Catholic polemic, was born at Strasburg about 1487. After having studied belles-lettres and jurisprudence at the universities of Paris, Louvain, Padua, and Vienna, he visited a large part of Europe, particularly Hungary and Italy, and even some parts of Asia. During this time he was in holy orders. On his return to Germany he preached in different places, among others at Augsburg, where he joined the famous Geiler of Kaisersberg. In 1514 he returned to his native town, where for several years he gave lessons in Greek, a language in which he excelled, in the convent of St. Ulric at Augsburg. In 1528 he was removed from his chair, on account of his sermons against the doctrines of Luther. The following year he established himself at Freiburg, in Brisgau, where he continued to preach against the Reformed doctrines. He died about 1535. Nachtigall was renowned among his contemporaries for his extensive and varied learning, and was very satirical, Erasmus and Hutten being the special subjects of his satire. The following are his works, Carmen heroicum Grcecumn quo J. Geileri Kaisersbergii obitum decantat

(Strasburg, 1510, 4to): — Institutiones musicae (Strasburg, 1515 and 1536, 4to; Augsburg, 1542, 4to): — Progymnasmata Graecae litteratures (Strasburg, 1517 and 1523, 4to): — Grunnius sophista, sive Pelagus humanae miseriae, quo docetur utrius natura ad virtuten et felicitatem propius accedat, hominis an bruti animantis (Strasburg, 1522, 8vo; see Schelhorn, Amaenitates litterarice, volume 10): — Evangelica Historia, e Graeco versa (Augsburg, 1523, 4to). Nachtigall himself finished a German translation of this version of the Gospels, which in some respects may be compared to a concordance, under the title Joci et sales (Augsburg, 1524, 8vo; Frankfort, 1602, 8vo). Nachtigall has also made a German translation of the Psalms of David (Augsburg, 1524, 4to), and published editions of classical writers. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.; Schelhorn, Amanitates litterariae, 6:455: Nictron, Memoires volume 32; Rotermund's Supplement to Jocher's Allgem. Gelehrten-Lexikon, s.v. (J.H.W.)