MURMELLIUS, JOHANNES. – Dutch humanist, b. at Roermond in 1480, d. in October 1517.
About 1493 he was at the school of the Brethren of the Common Life in Deventer; in 1496 at the University of Cologne, from which he left in 1500 as licentiate in arts; then at Münster, where he became connected with the cathedral school, continuing his studies until he obtained the degree of master in 1501. Owing to disagreements with the rector Kummer, in 1508 he accepted the office of rector at the school of St. Ludger at Münster. In 1513 he became rector of the school at Alkmaar (Netherlands), which flourished greatly under his direction. When in 1517 the city was sacked by the troops of Charles of Guelders, M. fled to Zwolle, where in September 1517 he was rector of the school of Deventer.
M. was a true humanist. His ideal was to introduce everywhere the Latin language in all its purity. To this end he fought against medieval textbooks, such as the Doctrinale of Alexander de Villa Dei, and published 25 manuals, including Opus de verborum compositione (1502), Ex elegiis Tibulli, Propertii et Ovidii selecti versus (1504), Enchiridion Scholasticorum (1505). Several were still in use in the 18th century. Nine collections of his poetry are now known.