Harphius, Henri

Harphius, Henri a Flemish mystic, was born at Erp (whence he is sometimes called also ERPIUS or ER-PEN), in Brabant, towards the beginning of the 15th century. He entered the order of St. Francis, in which he soon became distinguished for his learning, particularly in mystical theology. He attained the highest dignities of the order, and succeeded in restoring the discipline in several convents of gray friars where it had been relaxed. He died at Mechlin Feb. 22,1478. The Franciscans count him among the blessed, yet Bossuet: seems to have considered him only as an enthusiast and visionary. He wrote Le Directoire des Contemnplatis first published in Low Dutch, then in Latin by Blomeven, under the title Directorium aureun Contemplativorum (Cologne, 1513, 8vo, Antw. 1513. 12mo); there are generally three other works of Harphius published with; it: Tractatus de Eliusione Cordis: — Modus legendi rosarium Virginis Marice: — Remedia contra Distractiones. The Directorium aureum was republished with commentaries and corrections (Paris, without date, 12mo; Cologne, 1527, 12mo; 1611, 16mo; 1645, fol.; Antwerp, 1536, 12mo; Cologne, 1555, fol.; Rome, 1585,4to; Brescia, 1601,. 4to; translated into French by Mme. E. B., Paris, 1552, 16mo): — Sermons, etc., with Trois Parties de la Penitence and Triple Avenement de Jesus Christ (these works,. written at first in Flemish, were translated into Latin,. Nuremberg, 1481, 4to; Spire, 1484, 4to): — Speculum aulreum decem Preceptorum Dei, etc. (Mayence, 1474, 4to):: Speculum Perfectionis (Venice, 1524,12mmo; transl. into Italian, 1546, 12mo): — Explicatio succincta et perspicuac Novena Rupium (of Suso), written first in Low Dutch, then transl. into Latin by Surius, and inserted in the Opera omnia of Henry Suso (Cologne, 1533,1555,1588,. and 1615, 12mo; Naples, 1658, 12mo): — De Mortificatione pravorum Affictuums (Cologne, 1604,16mo): — Cantici Canticorum mystica Explicatio (Cologne, 1564, fol.). See Trithemius, De Scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (col. 817);. Bellarmin, De Scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, p. 415; Wadding, Script. Ordinis Minorum, p. 164; Fleury, Hist. Ecclesiastique, vol. 16, lib. 79, p. 5; Quètif and Echard, Script. Ordinis Prcedicatorum, 2, 558; Hoefer, Nouv. Biogr. Géneralé, 23, 439; Dupin, Eccles. Writers, cent. 15