LUDOLF, or Leutholf, Hiob (1624-1704), a learned Orientalist, was born at Erfurt on June 15, 1624. At an early age he manifested a passion for the acquisition of foreign tongues; and after exhausting the imperfect educational resources of his native place he went in 1645 to Leyden, where for upwards of a year he was the pupil of Erpenius, Golius, and other linguists. Having received an appointment as tutor, he afterwards travelled in France (where he became acquainted with Bochart at Caen) and in England, and in 1649 he was commissioned by the Swedish ambassador at the French court to go to Rome in quest of certain papers which had been lost, and which Queen Christina wished to recover. In this mission he was unsuccessful, but while in Italy he became acquainted with four Abyssinians, from whom he acquired his knowledge (at that time unique) of Ethiopie. In 1652 he entered the diplomatic service of the duke of Saxe-Gotha; in this he continued (acting also for some time as tutor to the young princes) until 1678, when he retired to Frankfort-on-the-Main. At the conferences held there in 1681 and 1682 he held a commission to act for the dukes of Saxony. In 1683 he visited England to promote a cherished scheme for establishing trade with Abyssinia, but his efforts were unsuccessful, chiefly through the bigotry of the authorities of the Coptic Church. Returning to Frankfort in 1684, he gave himself wholly to literary work, which he continued almost to his death on April 8, 1704. In 1690 he had the honour to be appointed president of the “Collegium Imperiale Historicum.”...