LAMBECIUS, or Lambeck, Peter, one of the first bibliographers of Germany, was born at Hamburg, on the 13th of April 1628. He was the son of Heino Lambeck, a good arithmetician, who published several works, and of a sister of Lucas Holstein, called in Latin Holstenius. After he had completed his early studies, his uncle counselled him to visit the most celebrated schools, and generously undertook to bear the expense of his travels. He set out from Hamburg at the close of the year 1645, and stopped some time at Amsterdam, where he attended the prelections of Vossius and of Baerle, to whom his uncle had recommended him. He then visited Leyden, and other principal cities in the Low Countries; after which he proceeded to Paris, where he resided a year with Cardinal Barberini, who, out of consideration for Holstenius, showed him every attention, and introduced him to many of the most learned men of the time. At length, in 1647, he rejoined his uncle at Rome. Ho’stenius received him in the kindest manner; but he soon had occasion to appreciate the character of his nephew, which exhibited a singular mixture of pride and baseness, and, at the end of two years, they separated in mutual dislike. Lambecius quitted Rome in 1649, studied law for a short period at Toulouse, and then revisited Paris, where he occupied himself in collecting materials for his history of Hamburg, to which place he returned in 1651. Some time after his return to his own country, he was appointed professor of history in the college of Hamburg, and commenced his prelections by a discourse De Historiarum cum coeteris Studiis conjunctione, which confirmed the favourable opinion that had been formed of his talents. In 1659, he succeeded Joachim Jungius in the rectorship, and, by his zeal for the prosperity of the school, proved himself worthy of this promotion. But his religious principles began to be suspected; and as it seems certain that, during his travels, he had secretly abjured Lutheranism, he became exposed to every species of annoyance in consequence. Sensible that he could not preserve his situation, and desirous to make some provision for the future, he married an old maid whom he believed to be wealthy; but finding himself deceived, he fled from Hamburg, fifteen days after this ridiculous marriage, with the resolution never again to return thither. He took his departure upon the 14th of April 1662, and proceeded to Vienna, where he met with a flattering reception from the Emperor Leopold, to whom he had the honour of presenting his first work, being the Prodromus Historice Literariae. In May he left Vienna for Italy, and, on reaching Venice, sent to the senate of Hamburg a formal resignation of his appointments as rector and professor. On his arrival at Rome, he introduced himself to Christina, queen of Sweden, who kindly endeavoured to console him for the persecutions he had experienced at the hands of the Protestant theologians. He there also solemnly abjured the errors in which he had been educated, and returned to Vienna, which he reached in the month of September. The emperor immediately conferred on him the title of historiographer, with the situation of sub-librarian; and some months afterwards, on the demise of Mathias Manchter, he became principal keeper of the imperial library. He immediately set about arranging in the best order the vast collection confided to his care; he removed the manuscripts from an obscure corner, where they had been abandoned to neglect and decay, classed them, and commenced a catalogue of this part of the collection. He made two journeys, one to Innspruck, and another to Baden, whence he brought back a large quantity of rare books and manuscripts, with which he enriched the imperial library, to which his own was afterwards added. Lambecius, being naturally frugal, lodged with an advocate named Strellmayer, who managed all his affairs, and whom, in return, he made his heir. He died at Vienna in the month of April 1680, at the very time when he was pre-paving[7:13:33] to prosecute his labours with the greatest vigour. His works are, 1. Prodromus Lucubrationum criticarum in A. Gellii Noctes Atticas, Paris, 1647, in 8vo; 2. Animad-versioncs ad Codini Origines Constantinopolitanas, Paris, 1655, in folio; 3. Origines Hamburgenses, sive rerum Ham-burgensium libri duo, Hamburg, 1652-1661, in two vols. 4to; 4. Prodromus Historiae Literariae, ibid. 1659, in folio; 5.a Collection of Discourses pronounced in the Gymnasium of Hamburg; 6. Commentarii de Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi, Vienna, 1665-1679, in eight vols. folio. Bayle has devoted to Lambecius an article in his Dictionary, and Niceron has inserted the life of this bibliographer in his Mémoires. (λ.)