RE: On the word length distribution: Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz

[Claus_Anders@xxxxxxxxxxx (Claus Anders)]

Hi everybody,
another interesting matter:
"Spanish ecclesiastic and writer; b. at Madrid, 23 May, 1606; d. at
Vigevano, 8 September, 1682. He was a precocious child, early delving into
serious problems in mathematics and even publishing astronomical tables in
his tenth year. After receiving a superficial education at college, where
his unusual ability brought rapid advancement, this prodigy turned his
attention to the Asiatic languages, especially Chinese. He was received into
the Cistercian Order at the monastery of La Espina, in the Diocese of
Palencia, and after ordination entered upon a singularly varied and
brilliant career. His sermons attracted the favourable attention of the
Infante Ferdinand, Governor of the Low Countries, while he was attached to
the monastery of Dunes in Flanders, and in 1638 he was honoured with the
degree of Doctor of Theology by the University of Louvain. When he was
obliged to leave the Palatinate, the King of Spain made him his envoy to the
court of the Emperor Ferdinand III. He was in turn Abbot of Melrose
(Scotland), Abbot-Superior of the Benedictines of Vienna, and grand-vicar to
the Archbishop of Prague. In 1648, when the Swedes attacked Prague, he armed
and led a band of ecclesiastics who did yeoman service in the defence of the
city. His bravery on this occasion merited for him a collar of gold from the
emperor. Soon after he became Bishop of Konigratz, then Archbishop of
Otranto, and at his death was Bishop of Vigevano.
His books are even more numerous than his titles and his varied
achievements; for, according to Paquot, he published no less than 262 works
on grammar, poetry, oratory, mathematics, astronomy, physics, politics,
canon law, logic, metaphysics, theology and asceticism. But he produced
little that is of permanent value. He loved to defend novel theories, and in
"Theologia moralis ad prima atque clarissima principia reducta" (Louvain,
1643) tried to solve theological problems by mathematical rules. Some of his
moral opinions gained for him from St. Alphonsus Liguori the title of
"Prince of the Laxists"
Look at these key words: Chinese ,Prague, Astrony Grammar etc.
Seemed to be an interesting guy, who would have love the VMS (or did he?)
;-)
Cheers and a Happy New Year
Claus