Torrentius (Van Der Beken), Laevinus

Torrentius (Van Der Beken), Laevinus a Flemish Roman Catholic divine, was born at Ghent in 1525. Educated first at Lonvain, he went thence to Bologna, in order to study civil law and antiquities. There he so distinguished himself by his skill in polite literature, especially poetry, that he became known to the literati of Europe. He took holy orders, and was at length raised to the bishopric of Antwerp, Hence he was translated to the metropolitan church of Mechlin, where he died, in 1595. Torrentius founded a college of Jesuits at Louvain, to which he left his library, coins, etc. Besides Latin Poems (Antwerp, 1594; printed by Plantin), he wrote Commentaries upon Suetonius (1592) and Horace (1608, 4to).