Hill, Joseph

, an English divine and lexicographer, was born Oct. 1625, at Bromley, near Leeds, where his father, Joshua Hill, was a puritan preacher. He was carefully educated in classical learning, and sent to Cambridge in 1644, where he was admitted of St. John’s college. Jn 1649, he was chosen fellow of Magdalen college, and became a favourite tutor. In 1658 he served the office of senior proctor, and in 1660 kept the act for the degree of bachelor of divinity, and having declared his sentiments in favour of nonconformity, his fellow-collegians erased his name from their books, that he might be enabled to retire without suffering a formal ejectment. He then retired to London, and preached ibr a while at the church

| of Allhallows Barking, but in 1663 went abroad, and, after visiting various parts of the continent, passed three years at the university of Leyden. In 1667 he was invited to be minister of the English church at Mtddleburgh in Zealand, where he continued till 167'5, when his too late publishing his “Defence of the Zealander’s choice,” occasioned the governors of that province to order him to ktave the placre. On his arrival in England, however, and waiting on diaries II. he rewarded him for writing that book with a sinecure of 50/, and, according to Calamy, offered him a bishopric if he would conform. But this being against his principles, he accepted an invitation to the English church at Rotterdam in 1678, where he exercised the office of pastor until his death, Nov. 5, 1707. Mr. Hill was much esteemed as a preacher, and has left one or two specimens of his talents but tie is more noticeable as the editor of Scbreveiius’s Lexicon, which he augmented with 8000 words, and purged of nearly as many faults. He published his edition in 1676, since which it has often been reprinted, sometimes with improvements, and is still a standard book. Mr. Hill had accumulated a very fine library, in which he employed his leisure hours to the last. ¹