These qualifications, with an unwearied industry to reach the bottom of every subject of discussion, and a habit of speaking, attracted great attention to him, very
These qualifications, with an unwearied industry to reach the bottom of every subject of discussion, and a habit of speaking, attracted great attention to him, very soon after his coming into parliament for the town of Berwick, in 1734. He was one of the most active members of the opposition of that period; and on the secession of Mr. Pulteney, afterwards earl of Bath, in 1739, he took the decided lead in it; but his career in the House of Commons was stopped by his succession to the peerage, on the death of his father, in 1740. On which occasion sir Robert Walpole said to an intimate and confidential friend, that an event had occurred which had rid him of the opponent by far the most troublesome to him in the House.
o placed his bust among the worthies at Stowe lord Cornbury, sir William Wyndham, lord Chesterfield, and Mr. Pope and notwithstanding an essential difference of opinion
When the circumstances here alluded to are considered,
it will not be thought surprising that the society of his
lordship, anil his correspondence, should have been sought
by some of the most distinguished characters of the time:
he lived in close intimacy with lord Cobham, who placed
his bust among the worthies at Stowe lord Cornbury, sir
William Wyndham, lord Chesterfield, and Mr. Pope
and notwithstanding an essential difference of opinion from
lord Bolingbroke on some very important points, he was
so attracted by his most extraordinary talents, as to form
an intimate friendship with him, which continued to the
death of the viscount, although with a short temporary
interruption to it, owing to the part which lord Marchmont
took in vindicating, rather or extenuating, the conduct of
Pope, respecting the printing of lord Bolingbroke’s “Patriot King.
” Of this affair we have taken some notice in
our account of Mallet; and shall be able to throw additional
light on it when we come to the article of Pope, from lord
Marchmont’s account, with which we have been favoured.
The points on which lord Marchmont and lord Bolingbroke differed, were occasionally the subject of
The points on which lord Marchmont and lord Bolingbroke differed, were occasionally the subject of conversation between them; respecting which there was certainly
some change in the mind of lord Bolingbroke, towards the
close of his life. This is proved beyond the possibility of
contradiction by the author of a recent publication, of
which we have already availed ourselves. The evidence
is clear as to the “Essays
” having been written and addressed to lord Marchmont; and it is equally certain, they
are not among the works of his lordship, as edited by Mr.
Mallet, to whose care the whole was intrusted, in consequence of a decided influence he acquired over his lordship, not long previous to his death. How little either of
fame or fortune accrued to Mallet from this advantage, we
have already noticed in our account of him.
uchess of Marlborough, in a very remarkable manner*, with whom he lived in the most friendly habits, and was appointed by her grace one of her executors, with a large
Lord Marchinont was also distinguished by Sarah duchess of Marlborough, in a very remarkable manner*, with whom he lived in the most friendly habits, and was appointed by her grace one of her executors, with a large legacy, and named in the succession to a part of her great estate, on failure of certain heirs of her body (excluding the duke of Marlborough) on whom she entailed the whole; the discharge of which trust fell principally on the earl.
x in public business till 1747, when he was appointed first lord commissioner of police in Scotland; and had no opportunity of rendering himself conspicuous in polir
After his lordship’s accession to the peerage in 1740, he did not mix in public business till 1747, when he was appointed first lord commissioner of police in Scotland; and had no opportunity of rendering himself conspicuous in polir tical life until 1750, when he was elected one of the sixteen peers, in the room of the earl of Crawford. From this time he took a very active share in most of the important debates that occurred, which led to his being appointed keeper of the great seal of Scotland in 1764 (on the death of the duke of Athol), the office substituted for that of lord chancellor. The last political act of his life, was the vote he gave on Mr. Fox’s India bill; on which occasion he was the first peer who went below the bar as a non-content.
luded in the list of the sixteen representative peers of Scotland. He then sold his house in London, and retired to a small place in Hertfordshire, that had belonged
In the new parliament which met in the spring of 1784, after the dissolution subsequent to the rejection of that famous measure, he was not included in the list of the sixteen representative peers of Scotland. He then sold his house in London, and retired to a small place in Hertfordshire, that had belonged to the father of the countess, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his life, never having quitted it for a single day. He read incessantly in the library which he built for the reception of his books from London, and for the most valuable of those from Marchmont house in Berwickshire, except during a few hours that he allotted for his daily exercise on horseback, and for making improvements that were constantly going on in his small domain near Hemel Hempstead. The visits he made were almost exclusively in a morning, and to his nearest neighbours only.
is distinguished nobleman. The notes he left behind him on almost every eminent author of antiquity, and on the most useful publications in modern times, afford an unequivocal
It may be truly said, that there have been few men in any age, who read more deeply than this distinguished nobleman. The notes he left behind him on almost every eminent author of antiquity, and on the most useful publications in modern times, afford an unequivocal proof of this. He was never himself an author; but it is to him the public are indebted for the publication of the records of parliament, from very nearly the earliest period of that assembly meeting, which have thrown most useful light on our constitutional history. The famous survey of all the counties in England made under the authority of William the Conqueror, called Domesday Book, was printed at the same time. The earl died at his house in Hertfordshire, January 10, 1794.
d German critic, was born at Arnheim, a town of Gueldres, in 1548. His father, who was a man of rank and learning, observing in him a more than ordinary inclination
, a learned German critic,
was born at Arnheim, a town of Gueldres, in 1548. His
father, who was a man of rank and learning, observing in
him a more than ordinary inclination for books, took particular care of his education. He had him taught at home
the elements of the Latin tongue, and then sent him to
school at Deventer, where he learned the Greek under
Noviomagus. Marcilius, having made a great progress in
both languages, was removed thence to the university of
Louvain, where he applied himself to philosophy and civil
law; and, having finished his studies, went to Paris, and
thence to Toulouse, where he taught polite literature many
years. Returning to Paris, he taught rhetoric in 1578, in
the college of Grassins, and afterwards read lectures in several other colleges successively. In 1602, he was made
royal professor of the Latin tongue, and the belles lettres:
and died March 15, 1617. Though he was not a critic of
the first rank, yet he did not deserve the contemptuous
treatment which Scaliger has given him. He published an
edition in Greek and Latin of “Pythagoras’s Golden
Verses,
” at Paris, Historia Strenarum,
” Lusu’s de Nemine,
” &c. and some poems and orations.
in the second century of the church, was born at Sinope, a city of Paphlagonia, upon the Euxine sea, and had for his father the bishop of that city. Eusebius calls him
, a heretic, who lived in the second century
of the church, was born at Sinope, a city of Paphlagonia,
upon the Euxine sea, and had for his father the bishop of
that city. Eusebius calls him 5 votumg, the mariner; and
Tertullian, more than once, Ponticus Nauclerus. Whether he acquired this name from having learned the art of
sailing in his youth, or from being born in a sea-port town,
ecclesiastical antiquity has not told us. At first he professed continency, and betook himself to an ascetic life;
but, having so far forgotten himself as to debauch a young
lady, he was excommunicated by his father, who was so
rigid an observer of the discipline of the church, that he
could never be induced, by all his prayers and vows of
repentance, to re-admithim into the communion of the
faithful. This exposed him so much to the scoffs and
insults of his countrymen, that he privily withdrew himself,
and went to Rome, hoping to gain admittance there. But
his case being known, he was again unsuccessful, which so
irritated him, that he became a disciple of Cerdo, and espoused the opinions of that famous heretic. The most
accurate chronologers have not agreed as to the precise
time when Marcion went to Rome; but the learned Cave,
after considering their reasons, determines it, and with the
greatest appearance of probability, to the year 127; and
supposes further, that he began to appear at the head of
his sect, and to propagate his doctrines publicly, about the
year 130. Indeed it could not well be later, because his
opinions were dispersed far and wide in the reign of Adrian;
and Clemens Alexandrinus, speaking of the heretics who
lived under that emperor, mentions Basilides, Valentinus,
and Marcion, who, he says, “conversed along with them,
as a junior among seniors:
” and Basilides died in the
year 134.
rines of this heretic were, many of them, the same with those which were afterwards adopted by Manes and his followers; that, for instance, of two co-eternal, and independent
The doctrines of this heretic were, many of them, the
same with those which were afterwards adopted by Manes
and his followers; that, for instance, of two co-eternal,
and independent principles, jDne the author of all good,
the other of all evil. In other to support and propagate
this principle more successfully, he is said to have applied
himself to the study of philosophy, that of the stoics especially. Marcion likewise taught, as Manes did after him, that
the God of the Old Testament was the evil principle; that
he was an imperious tyrannical being, who imposed the
hardest laws upon the Jews, and injuriously restrained
Adam from touching the best tree in Paradise; and that
the serpent was a nobler being than he, for encouraging
him to eat of its fruit: on which account, as Theodoret
tells us upon his own knowledge, the Marcionites worshipped a brazen serpent, which they always kept shut up in
an ark. He taught, that Christ came down from heaven to
free us from the yoke, which this being had put upon us;
that Christ, however, was not clothed with real flesh and
blood, but only appeared to the senses to be so, and that
his sufferings were nothing more than appearance; that
when Christ descended into hell, and preached the Gospel there, he brought the followers of Cain, the inhabitants of Sodom, and other wicked people, who were converted from the error of their ways, back with him to heaven; but that he left Noah, Abraham, and the other
patriarchs, who would not listen to his preaching, but trusted
too much to their own righteousness, fast bound in that
horrible dungeon; that there would be no resurrection of
the body, but only of the soul, &c. &c. He rejected the
law and the prophets, as being written tinder the inspiration of the evil god. He rejected also four epistles of St.
Paul, together with all the gospels, except that of St. Luke;
out of which, and the rest of St. Paul’s epistles, he composed, for the use of his followers, two books, which he
persuaded them were of divine authority calling one
“Evangelium,
” and the other “Apostolicon.
” Such is
the account given in Irenaeus, in Tertullian’s five books
against Marcion, and in Epiphanius.
While Marcion was at Rome, he happened to meet Polycarp of Smyrna: and upon asking that bishop, “whether he acknowledged him for a
While Marcion was at Rome, he happened to meet
Polycarp of Smyrna: and upon asking that bishop, “whether he acknowledged him for a brother?
” “I acknowledge you,
” says Polycarp, “for the first-born of Satan.
”
Tertullian relates that Marcion at length repented of all
his errors, and would have testified his repentance in public, provided they would have admitted him again into the
church. This was agreed to, upon condition that he would
bring back all those whom he had seduced from it; which
before he could effect, he died. The precise time of his
death cannot be collected from antiquity, any more than
that of his going to Rome. It is certain, that he lived after
Antoninus Pius began to reign; for, although his heresy
had spread a great way under Adrian, yet, by his extraordinary vigilance and activity, it spread much further under
Antoninus Pius. His first apology for the Christians was
presented to Antoninus Pius about the year 140; and Justin Martyr tells us there, in express terms, that “Marcion
of Pontus was then living, and taught his disciples at
Rome.
”
, an eminent protestant divine, was born at Sneck in Friesland, in 1655, and became professor of divinity at Franeker, and professor of divinity
, an eminent protestant divine, was born at Sneck in Friesland, in 1655,
and became professor of divinity at Franeker, and professor
of divinity and ecclesiastical history at Groningen, whence
in 1689 he was removed to the same office at Leyden, and
died there, Jan. 30, 1731. His first publication was an
inaugural dissertation in 1676, “De augmento scientiac
theologicae.
” He afterwards derived great reputation from
his “Disputationes duodecim de Sibyllinis carminibus,
”
Franeker, 1682, 8vo, written in opposition to the sentiments of Crasset. 2. “Compendium theologiae,
” Amst.
Exercitationes Biblicae,
” published at
different times, amounting to eight volumes. 4. “Exercitationes miseellaneae.
” These turn on various disputed
passages in the holy Scriptures, concerning which he combats the opinions of the Roman catholics, Socinians, &c.
A selection from his works was published at Groningen in
1748, 2 vols. 4to. In the Museum library are two of his
orations, one on the agreement between the old and new
errors of popery, Groningen, 16S3; the other on the reverence due to the sacred Scriptures, Leyden, 1689, both
in 41O.
, was a principal magistrate of the Chatelet under Louis XIV. who reposed great confidence in him, and gave him a considerable pension. He was employed in several
, was a principal magistrate of the Chatelet under Louis XIV. who reposed great confidence in him, and gave him a considerable pension. He was employed in several important affairs, particularly during the scarcity of corn in 1693, 1700, 1709, and 1710. He received a free gift of 300,000 livres, arising from the ninth part of the increased prices of admission to the public amusements, exhibited at the Hotel Dieu in Paris; but this sum did not increase his fortune, for he liberally employed it all in the expences attendant on the gratuitous functions of his office, the commissions with which he was entrusted, and the completion of his great work. He died April 15, 1723, aged near 82. This worthy magistrate established his fame by a most laborious treatise on the police, in 3 vols. folio, to which another author, M. le Clerc du Brillet, has since added a fourth. They contain a history of the French police, the privileges of the magistrates, the laws on that subject, &c. The two first volumes had supplements, which, in the edition of 1722, were thrown into the body of the work. The third volume was printed in 1719, and the fourth in 1738, and not reprinted. There is a valuable plate of the water-conduits of Paris, which is wanting in some copies.
, was a counsellor in the parliament of Dijon, deeply versed in literature and history, and esteemed almost as elegant a writer in Latin as
, was a counsellor in the parliament of Dijon, deeply versed in literature and history,
and esteemed almost as elegant a writer in Latin as the
president de Thou, whom he had made his model. He
died May 16, 1687, after having published several works,
of which the most known is, his “Commentarius de Bello
Burgundico.
” This makes a part of his “Historicorum
Burgundise conspectus,
” published in 4to, in Huberti Langueti vita,
” published by J. P.
Ludwig, at Halle, 170O, 12D1O.
, a miscellaneous French writer, was born at Paris, Aug. 15, 1750, and was bred up to the bar, which he quitted for the more general
, a miscellaneous
French writer, was born at Paris, Aug. 15, 1750, and was
bred up to the bar, which he quitted for the more general
pursuits of literature. He became librarian to the Mazarine college, and from time to time published a great many
works, on various subjects of polite literature, criticism,
manners, poetry, &c. most of which shew considerable genius and learning, and all were well received by the public. His very amiable private character appears to have
procured him many friends and much respect, although his
principles were not always sound, his person had little to
recommend it, and an impediment in his speech rendered
his conversation somewhat painful. He retired to the
country about the close of his life, as he said, “that he
might enjoy the sun more at his ease.
” He died at Montrouge, Jan. 18, 1805. His principal works are: 1. “De
Bergeries,
” Le Temple de Hymen,
”
Bibliotheque des Amans,
” Tombeau de J. J. Rousseau,
” Le
Livre de tous les ages,
” Fcagmens d'un
poeme moral sur Dieu, ou, Nouvelle Lucrece,
” L‘age d’or,
” Prophetic d'Arlamek,
” 12mo.
9. “Livre echappe
” au deluge,“1784, 12mo, a collection
of psalms in the orie'ntal style, of which the moral is pure;
but we are told it afforded his enemies a pretence to get
him dismissed from his office of librarian to the Mazarine
college. 10.
” Recueil des poetes moralistes Franais r “1784, 2 vols. 18mo. 11.
” Costumes civils actuels de tous
les peuples,“1784, 4to. 12.
” Tableau de la fable,“1787. 13.
” Paris et la Province, ou Choix des plus beaux
moriumens d'architecture en France,“1787. 14.
” Catechisme de cure 1 Meslier,“1789, 8vo. 15.
” Dictionnaire
d'amour,“1789, 16mo. 16.
” Le Pantheon, ou les figures
de la fable, avec leurs histoires,“1791, 8vo. 17.
” Almanee des honnetes gens,“1788, a publication containing
some impieties, for which he suffered imprisonment. 18.
”Decades tlu cultivateur,“2 vols. 18mo. 19.
” Voyage de
Pythagore,“1798, 16 vols. 8vo, in imitation of the Anacharsis of Barthelemi, but greatly inferior. 20.
” Dictionnaire
des athees," 1800. He was also the author of prefaces
and introductions to various collections of engravings, as
the hjstory of Greece, 1795, 5 vols. 4to, the Florence Museum, 6 vols. 4to, &C.
, de Saint Sorlin, was a man of getiius, and a favourite of cardinal Richelieu, who used to receive him at
, de Saint Sorlin, was a man of
getiius, and a favourite of cardinal Richelieu, who used to
receive him at his retired hours, and unbend his mind by
conversing with him upon gay and delicate subjects. On.
this account, and because he assisted the cardinal in the
tragedies he composed, Bayle used to say, that “he possessed an employment of genius under his eminence;
”
which in French is a pun, as genie means genius and engineers/lip. He was born at Paris in 1595. He has left
us himself a picture of his morals, which is by no means
advantageous; for he owns that, in order to triumph over
the virtue of such women as objected to him the interest
of their salvation, he made no scruple to lead them into
atheistical principles. “I ought,
” says he, “to weep tears
of blood, considering the bad use I have made of my address among the ladies; for I have used nothing but specious falsehoods, malicious subtleties, and infamous treacheries, endeavouring to ruin the souls of those I pretended to love. I studied artful speeches to shake, blind,
and seduce them; and strove to persuade them, that vice
was virtue, or at least a thing natural and indifferent.
”
Marets at length became a visionary and fanatic; dealt in
nothing but inward lights and revelations; and promised
the king of France, upon the strength of some prophecies,
whose meaning be tells us was imparted to him from above,
that he should have the honour of overthrowing the Mahometan empire. “This valiant prince,
” says he, “shall
destroy and expel from their dominions impiety and heresy,
and reform the ecclesiastics, the courts of justice, and the
finances. After this, in common agreement with the king
of Spain, he shall summon together all the princes of
Europe, with the pope, in order to re-unite all the Christians to the true and only catholic religion. After all the
heretics are re-united to the holy see, the king, as’eldest
son of the chu/ch, shall be declared generalissimo of all
the Christians, and, with the joint forces of Christendom,
shall destroy by sea and land the Turkish enapire, and law
of Mahomet, and propagate the faith and dominion of Jesus Christ over the whole earth:
” that is to say, over Persia,
the empire of the great mogul, Tartary, and China.
ave lessened hi& reputation among his countrymen, as the charge of inquisitor was bestowed upon him: and he showed himself very active in bringing about the extirpation
These absurdities do not appear to have lessened hi&
reputation among his countrymen, as the charge of inquisitor was bestowed upon him: and he showed himself very
active in bringing about the extirpation of Jansenism. He
had been a member of the French academy from its first
establishment, and was always esteemed one of its principal ornaments. He wrote several dramatic pieces, which
were received with great applause, especially that entitled
“Les Visionaires.
” He attempted an epic poem, entitled
“Clovis,
” which cost him several years’ labour; and he
was of opinion, that it would have cost him a good many
more to have finished it, if Providence had not destined
his pen for works of devotion, and on that account afforded
him supernatural assistance. This we learn from the preface of his “Delices de l'Esprit,
” in which he professes
that he dare not say in how short a time he had finished
the nine remaining books of that poem, and retouched the
rest. He also very seriously boasts, that “God, in his
infinite goodness, had sent him the key of the treasure,
contained in the Apocalypse, which was known but to few
before him;
” and that, “by the command of God, he was
to levy an army of 144,000 men, part of which he had
already enlisted, to make war upon the impious and the
Jansenists.
” He died in 1676, aged eighty-one.
, though the author thought so highly of it, as we have already seen, is wholly destitute of genius, and its memory is preserved more by a severe epigram of Boileau
His works are thus enumerated: 1. “A Paraphrase of
the Psalms of David.
” 2. “The Tomb of Card. Richelieu,
” an ode. 3. “The Service to the Virgin,
” turned
into verse. 4. “The Christian Virtues,
” a poem in eight
cantos. 5. The four books, “On the Imitation of Jesus
Christ,
” Clovis,
” or France converted, an epic poem
in twenty-six books, The Conquest of
Franche Comte,
” and some other poems not worth enumerating. Besides these works in verse, he published in
prose, 8. “Les Delices de l'Esprit,
” a fanatical and
incomprehensible work above-mentioned, which was best criticized by a person who said, that at the head of the Errata
should be put, “for Delices, read Delires;
” instead of
delights of the mind, ravings of it. 9. “Avis du St. Esprit an Roi,
” still more extravagant if possible than the
former. 10. “Several Romances, and among them one
entitled
” Ariane,“or Ariadne, at once dull and indecent.
11.
” La Verit6 des Fables," 1648, 2 vols. 8vo. 12. A
dissertation on Poets, in which the author ventures to attack the maxims of Aristotle and Horace. Some writings
against the satires of Boileau, and several against the Jansenists, complete the list. His countrymen now consider
the verses of Des Marets as low, drawling, and incorrect;
his prose, as disgraced by a species of bombast which renders it more intolerable than his poetry.
His niece, Mary Dupre', was born at Paris, and educated by her uncle. She was endowed with a happy genius and
His niece, Mary Dupre', was born at Paris, and educated by her uncle. She was endowed with a happy genius and a retentive memory. After reading most of the principal French authors, she learnt Latin, and went through Cicero, Ovid, Quintus Curtius, and Justin. With these books she made herself so familiarly acquainted, that her uncle proceeded to teach her the Greek language, the arts of rhetoric and versification, and philosophy; not that scholastic philosophy which is made up of sophistry and ridiculous subtleties, but a system drawn from the purer sources of sense and nature. She studied Descartes with such application, that she got the surname of la Cartesienne. She likewise made very agreeable verses in her own language, and acquired a thorough knowledge of the Italian. She held a friendly and literary correspondence with several of the learned her contemporaries, as also with the mademoiselles de Scudefi and de la Vigne. The answers of Isis to Climene, that is to mademoiselle de la Vigne, in the select pieces of poetry published by father Bouhours, are by this ingenious and learned lady.
cardy, in 1599. At thirteen he was sent to Paris, where he made great advances in the belles lettres and philosophy; and three years after to Saumur, where he studied
, a celebrated divine of the reformed church, was born at Oisemond in Picardy, in 1599. At thirteen he was sent to Paris, where he made great advances in the belles lettres and philosophy; and three years after to Saumur, where he studied divinity under Gomarus, and Hebrew under Ludovicus Capellus. He returned to his father in 1618, and afterwards went to Geneva, to finish his course of divinity. The year following he went to Paris, and, by the advice of M. Durand, applied immediately for admission to the holy ministry, to the synod of Charenton, in March 1620, who received him, and settled him in the church of Laon. But his ministerial functions here were soon disturbed; for, the governor of La Fere’s wife having changed her religion, wrote him a letter in vindication of her conduct, and sent him a pamphlet containing the history of her conversion. His answer to this lady’s letter provoked his adversaries to such a degree, that a Jesuit was supposed to have suborned an assassin, who stabbed him deeply, but, as it happened, not mortally, with a knife into his breast. This induced Des Marets to leave Laon, and go to Falaise in 1624. He afterwards accepted a call to the church of Sedan; and soon after took the degree of doctor in divinity at Leyden, in July 1625. Having made a short visit to England, he returned to Sedan. In 1640, he had an invitation to a professorship at Franeker; and to another at Groningen, in 1642. This last he accepted; and from that time to his death, rendered such services to that university, that it was reckoned one of the most flourishing in the Netherlands. The magistrates of Berne, well informed of his abilities and learning, offered him, in 1661, the professor of divinity’s chair at Lausanne; and, in 1663, the university of Leyden invited him to a like professorship there. He accepted of this last, but died before he could take possession of it, at Groningen, May 18, the same year.
vine may be found at the end of his ' System of Divinity.“They are mostly of the controversial kind, and now seldom inquired after. He designed to collect all his works
A chronological table of the works of this celebrated
divine may be found at the end of his ' System of Divinity.“They are mostly of the controversial kind, and
now seldom inquired after. He designed to collect all his
works into a body, as well those which had been already
published, as those which were in manuscript. He revised
and augmented them for that purpose, and had materials
for four volumes in folio; but his death prevented the execution of that project. The first volume was to have contained all those works which he had published before his
being settled at Groningen. The second, his
” Opera theologica didactica.“The third, his
” Opera theologica polemica.“The title of the fourth was to have been
” Impietas triumphata.“Its contents were to have been the
” Hydra Socinianismi expugnata,“the
” Biga fanaticorum
eversa,“and the
” Fabula Praeadamitaruru refutata" three
works which had been printed at different times. Marets’s
system of divinity was found to be so methodical, that they
made use of it at other academies; and indeed this author’s
reputation procured him so much authority in foreign
countries as well as his own, that a person in Germany,
who published some reflections on him, received orders to
suppress his book.
, queen of Navarre, and sister to Francis I. of France, celebrated as an author yet
, queen of Navarre, and sister
to Francis I. of France, celebrated as an author yet more
than for her rank, was born at Angouleme, April 11, 1492;
being the daughter of Charles of Orleans, duke of Angouleme, and Louisa of Savoy. In 1509 she married Charles
the last duke of Alen^on, who died at Lyons, after the
battle of Pavia, in 1525. The widow, inconsolable at once
for the loss of her husband, and the captivity of her beloved brother, removed to Madrid, to attend the latter
during his illness. She was there of the greatest service
to her brother, by her firmness obliging Charles and his
ministers to treat him as his rank demanded. His love and
gratitude were equal to her merits, and he warmly promoted her marriage with Henry d‘Albret, king of Navarre.
The offspring of this marriage was Joan d’Albret, mother
of Henry IV. Margaret filled the character of a queen
with exemplary goodness; encouraging arts, agriculture,
and learning, and advancing by every means the prosperity
of the kingdom. She died at the castle of Odos, in Bigorre, Dec. 2, 1549. She had conversed with protestant
ministers, and had the sagacity to perceive the justness of
their reasonings; and their opinions were countenanced
by her in a little work entitled “Le Miroir de l'Ame pecheresse,
” published in Heptameron,
” or,
Novels of the queen of Navarre, Les Marguerites de la Marguerite
des Princesses;
” a collection of her productions, formed
by John de la Haye, her valet de chambre, and published
at Lyons, in 1547, 8vo; a very rare edition, as is that of
1554. In this collection there are four mysteries, or sacred
comedies, and two farces, according to the taste of the
times. A long poem entitled “The Triumph of the
Lamb,
” and “The Complaints of a Prisoner,
” apparently
intended for Francis I.
, a French author and journalist, was born in Languedoc, in the diocese of Bezieres.
, a French
author and journalist, was born in Languedoc, in
the diocese of Bezieres. He appeared at Paris about
1715, and espoused the cause of the Jesuits against the
Jansenists; in which business he wrote with so much acrimony, that the court thought themselves obliged to banish
him. He was sent to the isles of Larins, in the Mediterranean, and when these were taken by the Austrians in
1746, his liberty was granted on condition that he would
retire into some religious house. He chose a monastery
of Bernardines, where he died in 1760. His caustic and
satirical disposition rendered him unpleasing in society as
well as in his writings; and it is thought that his banishment and solitude much increased the acrimony of his character. He was concerned in several works, as, 1.“Memoirs
of Marshal Villars,
” 3 vols. 12mo, the two first of which
are written by Villars himself. 2. “The Memoirs of the
Duke of Berwick,
” 2 vols. 12mo. 3. “Memoirs of Tourville,
” 3 vols. 12mo, not much esteemed. 4. “Letters
of Fitz-Moritz.
” 5. Several small tracts, and some pieces
of poetry of no great value.
, a celebrated chemist, was born at Berlin, March 3, 1709. His father was apothecary to the court, and assessor of the college of medicine, and under his care his
, a celebrated chemist, was born at Berlin, March 3, 1709. His father was
apothecary to the court, and assessor of the college of
medicine, and under his care his attention was naturally
turned to the pursuits of chemistry and pharmacy. To
pursue these, his father sent him to study under the celebrated professor Neumann, for five years, and subsequently
under professor Spielmann, at Strasburg. In 1733 he
went to the university of Halle, where be became a pupil
of Hoffmann in the study of medicine, and continued his
chemical pursuits under the direction of Juncker, to which
last science he ultimately devoted his sole attention. He
also studied mineralogy, under Henckel, and the art of
assaying under Susmilch. In the following year he visited
the Hartz mines, and then returned to Berlin, where his
incessant application to chemical labours so materially injured his health, that it was never afterwards vigorous.
In 1738 he was received into the society of sciences, and
furnished some memoirs for the “Miscellanea Berolinensia;
” and when this society was renovated in 1744, as the
royal academy of sciences and belles lettres, he was placed
in the class of experimental philosophy, of which he was
chosen director in 1760. He had also the high gratification of being entrusted with the laboratory of the academy
in 1754, in which he almost lived, absorbed in the study
or practice of his favourite art. He was, nevertheless, a
man of great amenity of temper, and considerable conviviality, when mixing in the society of his friends. He
had been for some years liable to spasmodic affections, and
in 1774, was attacked with apoplexy, which left a paralysis
behind it. He continued, however, to attend the meetings of the academy till the autumn of 1776; after which
his mental and bodily powers gradually declined, and he
died in August, 1782.
Margraf was held in considerable estimation as a chemist, throughout Europe, and had the honour of being elected a member of several learned
Margraf was held in considerable estimation as a chemist, throughout Europe, and had the honour of being elected a member of several learned bodies. All the writings which he produced were published in the Memoirs of the Literary Society of Berlin, before and after its renovation; tut they have been collected and published both in German and French. They contain the details of a great number of processes and analyses, described in clear and simple language. Some of the most important of his discoveries relate to phosphorus and its acid; to the reduction of zinc from calamine; to the fixed and volatile alkalies; to manganese, the Boiognian stone, platina, and the acid of sugar. In short, he is entitled to rank among the more accurate experimentalists who contributed to the advance*ment of the science of chemistry, before the recent luminous improvements which it has gained.
ious Dominican, was born about 1580, at Venice, of the noble family of Pinardi, He taught philosophy and theology for some time, but afterwards refused all offices in
, a laborious Dominican, was born
about 1580, at Venice, of the noble family of Pinardi,
He taught philosophy and theology for some time, but
afterwards refused all offices in his order, that he might be
more at liberty to study. He died 1660, at Venice, aged
eighty, leaving several large theological works, the most
curious among which is entitled “Bibliotheca Interpretum
ad universam summam D. Thomae,
” Declamations,
” in Italian, against the liberties of the Galilean church, which involved the writer in
great troubles, and occasioned him to be twice driven from
Venice.
, a Spanish historian, was born at Talavera, in Castille, in 1537; and entered into the order of Jesuits when he was seventeen. He
, a Spanish historian, was born at
Talavera, in Castille, in 1537; and entered into the order
of Jesuits when he was seventeen. He was one of the
most learned men of his age, an able divine, a considerable master of polite literature, admirably skilled in sacred
and profane history, and a good linguist. In 1561 he was
sent by his superiors to Rome, where he taught divinity,
and received the order of priesthood; and at the end of
four years weut to Sicily, where he continued the same
profession two years more. He came to Paris in 1569,
and read lectures publicly upon Thomas Aquinas for five
years; then returned into Spain, and passed the remainder
of his life at Toledo. He wrote many books in Latin.
His piece “De rnonetse mutatione,
” gave great offence to
the court of Spurn; for Philip III. having altered and emr
based the coin by the advice of the duke of Lerma,
Mariana shewed, with great freedom, the injustice and disadvantage of this project; for which he was put into prison,
and kept there about a year by that minister. But what
made more noise still, was his tract De rege & regis
institutione,“consisting of three books, which he published
to justify James Clement, a young monk, for assassinating
Henry III. of France. In this he argues against passive
obedience and non-resistance; asserts the lawfulness of
resisting
” the powers that be,“where the administration
is tyrannical; and founds his whole argument upon this
principle,
” that the authority of the people is superior to
that of kings." This book of Mariana, though it passed
without censure in Spain and Italy, was burnt at Paris, by
an arret of parliament.
ook that task himself, not as a translator, but as an author, who might assume the liberty of adding and altering, as he found it requisite, upon further inquiry into
But the tiiost considerable by far of all his performances,
is his “History of Spain,
” divided into thirty books. This
he wrote at first in Latin; but, fearing lest some unskilful
pen should sully the reputation of his work by a bad translation of it into Spanish, he undertook that task himself,
not as a translator, but as an author, who might assume the
liberty of adding and altering, as he found it requisite,
upon further inquiry into records and ancient writers.
Vet neither the Latin nor the Spanish came lower down
than the end of the reign of king Ferdinand, grandfather
to the emperor Charles V. where Mariana concluded his
thirty books; not caring to venture nearer his own times,
because he could not speak with the freedom and impartiality of a just historian, of persons who were either alive
themselves, or whose immediate descendants were. At
the instigation of friends, however, he afterwards drew up
a short supplement, in which he brought his history down
to 1621, when king Philip 111. died, and Philip IV. came
to the crown. After his death, F. Ferdinand Camargory
Salcedo, of the order of St. Augustin, carried on another
supplement from 1621, where Mariana left off, to 1649$
inclusive; where F. Basil Voren de Soto, of the regular
clergy took it up, and went on to 1669, being the fifth
year of the reign of Charles II. king of Spain. Gibbon
says that in this work he almost forgets that he is a Jesuit,
to assume the style and spirit of a Roman classic. It is a
work of great research and spirit, although not free from
the prejudices which may be supposed to arise from his
education and profession. The first edition was entitled
“Historiae de rebus Hispaniae, lib.iginti,
” Toleti, Histories
Hispanic<E Appendix, libri scilicet XXI XXX, cum indice,
” Francfort, 1616, fol. There is an edition printed
at the Hague, with the continuations, 1733, 4 vols. in 2,
fol. The best editions in the Spanish are, that of Madrid,
1780, 2 vols. folio, and that with Mariana’s continuation,
ibid. 1794, 10 vols. 8vo. The French have various translations, and the English an indifferent one by capt. Stevens, 1699, fol.
at of his apologist; though this latter offered him his manuscript before he gave it to the printer, and desired him to correct it.”
Mariana’s history did not pass without animadversions in
his own time. A secretary of the constable of Castile,
who calls himself Pedro Mantuana, published “Critical
Remarks
” upon it at Milan, in that Mariana would never cast his eyes upon the work of
his censurer, or on that of his apologist; though this latter
offered him his manuscript before he gave it to the printer,
and desired him to correct it.
”
Besides those already mentioned, he published several other pieces in Latin, theological and historical; among the rest, one entitled “Notes upon the Old
Besides those already mentioned, he published several
other pieces in Latin, theological and historical; among
the rest, one entitled “Notes upon the Old Testament;
”
which father Simon, in his “Critical History,
” says,
and Dupin agrees with him, are very useful for understanding the literal sense of the Scripture, because he
chiefly applies himself to find out the proper signification
of the Hebrew words. It is, however, as the historian of
Spain only that he now deserves to be remembered. He
died at Toledo, in 1624, aged eighty-seven. After his
death, was published in Italian, Latin, and French, another
treatise of his, wherein he discovers the faults in the government of his society; but the Jesuits have thrown doubts
on the authenticity of this work, which have not been altogether removed.
was born at Marseilles in 1697, his family having been originally of Genoa. He was early in orders, and settled at Avignon, where, as a minim, he was much employed
, a writer of several romances or novels much esteemed in France, was born at
Marseilles in 1697, his family having been originally of
Genoa. He was early in orders, and settled at Avignon,
where, as a minim, he was much employed in all the offices
of his order, and preached against the Jews with no little
success. He published some works on pious discipline,
which were much esteemed, and gained him the favour
of pope Clement XIII. From this pontiff he received several marks of honour, and was employed by him to collect
the “Acts of the Martyrs.
” He had composed only two
volumes in 12mo of this work, when he was seized with a
dropsy in the heart, and died April 3, 1767, in his seventieth year. He was much esteemed by all worthy men;
and his novels, as well as his other writings, were calculated to serve the cause of virtue and religion. The principal of his works are 1. “Conduct of Sister Violet, who
died in odour of sanctity, at Avignon,
” 12mo. 2. “Adelaide de Vitzburg, or the pious pensioner,
” 12mo. 3.
“The perfect Nun,
” 12mo. 4. “Virginia, or the Christian Virgin,
” 2 vols. 12mo. 5. “The Lives of the Solitaries of the East,
” 9 vols. 12mo. 6. “Baron Van-Hesden, or the Republic of Unbelievers,
” 5 vols. 12mo. 7.
“Theodule, or the Child of Blessing,
” 16mo. 8. “Farfalla, or the converted Actress,
” 12mo. 9. “Retreat for
a Day in each Month,
” 2 vols. 12mo. 10. “Spiritual
Letters,
”
, a once celebrated Italian poet, was born at Naples in 1569; and made so great a progress in his juvenile studies, that he was
, a once celebrated Italian poet, was born at Naples in 1569; and made so great a progress in his juvenile studies, that he was thought qualified for that of the civil law at thirteen. His father, who was a lawyer, intended him for that profession, as the properest means of advancing him; but Marini had already contracted a taste for poetry, and was so far from relishing the science to which he was put, that he sold his law-books, in order to purchase books of polite literature. This so much irritated his father, that he turned him out of doors, and obliged him to seek for protectors and supporters abroad. Having acquired a reputation for poetry, he happily found in Inico de Guevara, duke of Bovino, a friend who conceived an affection for him, and supported him for three years in his house. The prince of Conca, grand admiral of the kingdom of Naples, next took him into his service, in quality of secretary; and in this situation he continued five or six years; but having assisted a friend in a very delicate intrigue, he was thrown into prison, and very hardly escaped with his life. Thence he retired to Rome, where, after some time spent in suspense and poverty, he became known to Melchior Crescendo, a prelate of great distinction, who patronized him, and provided him with every thing he wanted.
In 1601, he went to Venice, to print some poems which he dedicated to Crescentio; and after making the tour of that part of Italy, returned to Rome.
In 1601, he went to Venice, to print some poems which
he dedicated to Crescentio; and after making the tour of
that part of Italy, returned to Rome. His reputation increased greatly, so as to engage the attention of the cardinal Peter Aldobrandini, who made him his gentleman,
and settled on him a considerable pension. After the
election of pope Paul V. which was in 1605, he accompanied this cardinal to Ravenna, his archbishopric, and
lived with him several years. He then attended him to
Turin, at which court he ingratiated himself by a panegyric
upon the duke Charles Emmanuel; for which this prince
recompensed him with honours, and retained him, when
his patron the cardinal left Piedmont. During his residence here he had a violent dispute, both poetical and
personal, with Gasper Murtola, the duke’s secretary.
Murtola was, or fancied himself, as good a poet as Marini,
and was jealous of Marini’s high favour with the duke, and
therefore took every opportunity to speak ill of him. Marini, by way of revenge, published a sharp sonnet upon
him at Venice, in 1608, under the title of “II nuovo
mondo;
” to which Murtola opposed a satire, containing
an abridged life of Marini. Marini answered in eighty-one
sonnets, named the “Murtolelde:
” to which Murtola replied in a “Marineide,
” consisting of thirty sonnets.
But the latter, perceiving that his poems were inferior in
force as well as number to those of his adversary, resolved
to put an end to the quarrel, by destroying him; and accordingly fired a pistol, the ball of which luckily missed
him. Murtola was cast into prison, but saved from punishment at the intercession of Marini, who, nevertheless, soon
found it expedient to quit his present station.
e pension upon him. In 1621 he sent a nephew whom he had with him at Paris, to Rome, about business, and conveyed by him his compliments to cardinal Louis Ludovisio,
He went afterwards to France, where he found a patroness in Mary de Medicis, who settled a handsome pension upon him. In 1621 he sent a nephew whom he had with him at Paris, to Rome, about business, and conveyed by him his compliments to cardinal Louis Ludovisio, nephew to Gregory XV. then the reigning pope; which compliments were so well received by the cardinal, that he wrote to him immediately to return to Rome. Marini complied, and quitted France about the end of 1622; and on his arrival at Rome, was made president of the academy of the Umoristi. Upon the advancement of Urban VIII. to the pontificate, in 1623, he went to Naples, and was chosen president of one of the academies in that city, but soon after conceived an inclination to return to Rome, which he was about to indulge, when he was seized with a complaint which carried him off, in 1625.
Marini had a very lively imagination, but little judgment, and abandoned himself to the way of writing fashionable in those
Marini had a very lively imagination, but little judgment,
and abandoned himself to the way of writing fashionable
in those times, which consisted in points and conceits; so
that he may be justly reckoned among the corruptors of
taste in Italy, as his name and fame, which were very considerable, produced a number of imitators. His works are
numerous, and have been often printed. The principal
of them are, 1. “Strage degii Innocenti,
” a poem on the
slaughter of the Innocents, Venice, Rime,
”
or miscellaneous poems, in three parts. 3. “La Sampogna,
” or the flageolet; La Murtoleide,
”
Letters,
” Adone;
” an heroic poem. This was one of the most popular poems in
the Italian language, little less so than the Aminta of
Tasso, and the Pastor Fido of Guarini and, says Baretti,
“would cope with any one in our Italian, if Marini had
not run away with his overflowing imagination, and if his
language was more correct.
” It has been frequently printed
in Italy, France, and other parts of Europe. One of the
most valued editions is the Elzevir, printed at Amsterdam,
in 1678, in 4 vols. 16mo.
, an eminent French philosopher and mathematician, was born at Dijon, and admitted a member of the
, an eminent French philosopher and mathematician, was born at Dijon, and admitted a member of the academy of sciences of Paris in 1666. His works, however, are better known than his life. He was a good mathematician, and the first French philosopher who applied much to experimental physics. The law of the shock or collision of bodies, the theory of the pressure and motion of fluids, the nature of vision, and of the air, particularly engaged his attention. He carried into his philosophical researches that spirit of scrutiny and investigation so necessary to those who would make any considerable progress in it. He died May 12, 16S4. He communicated a number of curious and valuable papers to the academy of sciences, which were printed in the collection of their Memoirs dated 1666, viz. from volume 1 to volume 10. And all his works were collected into 2 volumes in 4to, and printed at Leyden in 1717.
, a celebrated French writer of the drama and of romance, was born at Paris in 1688. His father was of a good
, a celebrated French writer of the drama and of romance, was
born at Paris in 1688. His father was of a good family in
Normandy; his fortune was considerable, and he spared
nothing in the education of his son, who discovered uncommon talents, and a most amiable disposition. His first
object was the theatre, where he met with the highest
success in comic productions; and these, with the merit of
his other works, procured him a place in the French academy. The great object of both his comedies and romances was, to convey an useful moral under the veil of
wit and sentiment: “my only object,
” says he, “is to
make men more just and more humane;
” and he was as
amiable in his life and conversation as in his writings.
He was compassionate and humane, and a strenuous advocate for morality and religion. To relieve the indigent,
to console the unfortunate, and to succour the oppressed,
were duties which he not only recommended by his writings, but by his own practice and example. He would
frequently ridicule the excessive credulity of infidels in
matters of trivial importance; and once said to lord Bolingbroke, who was of that character, “If you cannot believe, it is not for want of faith.
”
d but little to his literary fame. His prose works, while they display great fertility of invention, and a happy disposition of incidents to excite attention, and to
Marivaux had the misfortune, or rather the imprudence,
to join the party of M. de la Motte, in the famous dispute
concerning the superiority of the ancients to the moderns.
His attachment to the latter produced his travesty of Homer, which contributed but little to his literary fame. His
prose works, while they display great fertility of invention,
and a happy disposition of incidents to excite attention,
and to interest the affections, have been censured for affectation of style, and a refinement that is sometimes too
metaphysical. His “Vie de Marianne,
” and his “Paysan
Parvenu,
” hold the first rank among French romances;
yet, by a fickleness which was natural to him, he left one
of them incomplete to begin the other, and finished neither.
He died at Paris, Feb. 11, 1763, aged seventy-five. His
works consist of, 1. “Pièces de Théâtre,
” 5 vols. 12mo.
2. “Homere travesti,
” 12mo. 3. “Le Spectateur François,
”
2 vols. 12mo rather affected in style, but containing many
fine thoughts. 4. “Le Philosophe indigent,
” 12mo, lively
and instructive. 5. “Vie de Marianne,
” 4 vols. 12mo;
one of the best romances in the French language. 6. “Le
Paysan Parvenu,
” 12mo; more ingenious, perhaps, than
Marianne, but less instructive, and containing some scenes
that ought to have been omitted. 7. “Pharsamon; ou
les nouvelles follies romanesques;
” inferior to the former.
This was republished under the name of “Nouveau Dom
Quichotte.
” The chief objection made to this, and indeed many other writings of Marivaux, is a mixture of metaphysical style, sometimes too refined to be intelligible;
but amends are generally made for this fault, by correct
pictures of the human heart, and sentiments of great truth
and beauty.
127. Many learned moderns are of opinion that Mark belonged to the Valentinian school, but Rhenford and Beausobre say that the Marcosians were Jews, or judaizing Christians;
, or Marcus, the founder of the sect of the
Marcosians, is said to have appeared about the year 160,
or, according to some, about the year 127. Many learned
moderns are of opinion that Mark belonged to the Valentinian school, but Rhenford and Beausobre say that the
Marcosians were Jews, or judaizing Christians; and Grabe
likewise owns that they were of Jewish extract. Irenseus
leads us to imagine that Mark, who was an Asiatic, had
come into Gaul and made many converts there. Nevertheless, learned moderns think that they were only disciples of Mark, who came into that country, where Irenaeus
resided, of whom, in one place, he makes particular mention. Irenaeus represents him as exceedingly skilful in all
magical arts, by means of which he had great success.
Tertullian and Theodoret concur in calling Mark a magician. Irenseus, after giving an account of the magical arts
of Mark, adds, that he had, probably, an assisting daemon,
by which he himself appears to prophesy, and which enabled others, especially women, to prophesy likewise: this
practice favoured his seduction of many females, both in
body and mind, which gained him much wealth. He is
also said to have made use of philters and love-potions, in
order to gain the affections of women; and his disciples
are charged with doing the same. Dr. Lardner suggests
some doubts as to the justice of these accusations; and
indeed there is considerable obscurity in every particular
of his personal history. His followers, called Marcosians,
are said to have placed a great deal of mystery in the
letters of the alphabet, and thought that they were very
useful in finding out the truth. They are charged unjustly with holding two principles, and as if they were
Docetse, and denied the resurrection of the dead; for
which there is no sufficient evidence. They persisted in the
practice of baptism and the eucharist. As to their opinion
concerning Jesus Christ, they seem to have had a notion
of the great dignity and excellence of his person, or his
ineffable generation: and, according to them, he was born
of Mary, a virgin, and the word was in him, When ha
came to the water, the supreme power descended upon
him; and he had in him all fulness; for in him was the
word, the father, truth, the church, and life. They said
that the Christ, or the Spirit, came down upon the man
Jesus. He made known the Father, and destroyed death,
and called himself the Son of Man; for it was the good
pleasure of the Father of all that he should banish ignorance and destroy death: and the acknowledgment of him
is the overthrow of ignorance. From the account of Irenceus, we may infer that the Marcosians believed the facts
recorded in the gospels and that they received most, or
all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. Irenaeus
also says that they had an innumerable multitude of apocryphal and spurious writings, which they had forged: and
that they made use of that fiction concerning the child
Jesus, that when his master bade him say, alpha, the Lord
did so; but when the master called him to say beta, he
answered, “Do you first tell me what is alpha, and then
I will tell you what beta is.
” As this story concerning
alpha and beta is found in the gospel of the infancy of Jesus
Christ, still in being, some are of opinion that this gospel
was composed by the Marcosians.
, an English author, who lived in the reigns of James I. and Charles I. but whose private history is involved in much obscurity,
, an English author, who lived
in the reigns of James I. and Charles I. but whose private
history is involved in much obscurity, was son of Robert
Markham, esq. of Gotham, in the county of Nottingham.
He bore a captain’s commission under Charles I. in the
civil wars, and was accounted a good soldier, as well as a
good scholar. One piece of dramatic poetry which he has
published will shew, says Langbaine, that he sacrificed to
Apollo and the muses, as well as to Mars and Pallas. This
play is extant under under the title of “Herod and Antipater,
” a tragedy, printed in Liebault’s La Maison rustique,
or the country -farm,
” in The English Husbandman, in two
parts,
” Lond. Pleasures of Princes
in the Art of Angling.
” Granger mentions “The whole
Art of Angling,
” be a general
scholar, and seen in all the liberal sciences; as a grammarian, to know how to write or discourse of his art in
true and fitting terms. He should have sweetness in speech
to entice others to delight in an exercise so much laudable.
He should have strength of argument to defend and maintai n his profession against envy and slander,
” &c. Markham
also wrote a tract entitled “Hunger’s prevention, or the
whole Art of Fowling,
” The Soldier’s Accidence and Grammar,
” in
Devereux Vertues tears for the loss of the most Christian
king Henry, third of that name king of France, and the
untimely death of the most noble and heroical Walter
Devereux, who was slain before Roan, in Fraunce,
” a translation from the French, 4to. He was the author also of
“England’s Arcadia, alluding his beginning from sir Philip
Sydney’s ending,
” England’s Parnassus,
” are more numerous than
from any other minor poet. The most remarkable of his
poetical attempts appears to have been entitled “The
Poem of Poems, or Sion’s Muse, contaynyng the diuine
Song of king Salomon, deuided into eight eclogues,
” J the sacred virgin, divine
mistress Elizabeth Sydney, sole daughter of the everadmired sir Philip Sydney.
” Bishop Hall, who was justly
dissatisfied with much of the spiritual poetry with which his
age was overwhelmed, alludes to this piece in his “Satires
”
(B. I. Sat. VIII.); and says that in Markham’s verses Solomon assumes the character of a modern sonneteer, and
celebrates the sacred spouse of Christ with the levities and
in the language of a lover singing the praises of his mistress. For this censure, Marston in his “Certayne Satires
”
(Sat. IV.) endeavours to retort upon Hall.
n much of his poetry, or of his real characier. In the works referred to below are some conjectures, and some information respecting Markham, which place his character
Langbaine is very lavish of his praise of Markharn; but he does not appear to have known much of his poetry, or of his real characier. In the works referred to below are some conjectures, and some information respecting Markham, which place his character rather in an equivocal light. It appears, however, that his works on husbandry, agriculture, &c. were once held in great esteem, and often reprinted. On the records of the stationers’ company is a very extraordinary agreement signed by this author, which probably arose from the booksellers’ knowledge of the value of Markham’s work, and their apprehensions that a new performance on the same subject might be hurtful to the treatises then circulating. It is as follows:
k or books to be printed of the diseases or cures of any cattle, as horse, oxe, cowe, sheepe, swine, and goates, &c. In witnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand the
“Md. That I Gervase Markham, of London, gent, do
promise hereafter never to write any more book or books
to be printed of the diseases or cures of any cattle, as horse,
oxe, cowe, sheepe, swine, and goates, &c. In witnes
whereof I have hereunto sett my hand the 24th day of
Julie, 1617. Gervis Markham.
”
This likewise seems to confirm the opinion of some that he was an author by profession, and one of the earliest on record. Numerous, however, as were this
This likewise seems to confirm the opinion of some that he was an author by profession, and one of the earliest on record. Numerous, however, as were this writer’s works, his memory has not had the fate of being transmitted with any clearness to posterity. The time of his birth, death, and all other particulars regarding him, are utterly unknown.
hildren of the rev. Ralph Markland, M. A. vicar of Childwall, in that county, whose unblemished life and character gave efficacy to the doctrines he preached, and rendered
, M. A. one of the most learned
critics of the eighteenth century, was descended from an
ancient family of that name, seated near Wigan, in Lancashire. He was one of the twelve children of the rev.
Ralph Markland, M. A. vicar of Childwall, in that county,
whose unblemished life and character gave efficacy to the
doctrines he preached, and rendered him an ornament to
the church of which he was a member. He was not, however, the author of a poem, frequently attributed to his
pen, entitled “Pteryplegia, or the art of Shooting Fly-,
ing,
” as it was one of the juvenile productions of his relative, Dr. Abraham Markland, fellow of St. John’s college,
Oxford, and above thirty years master of St. Cross, near
Winchester, of whose life and more important writings
Wood has made some mention.
Jeremiah was born Oct. 29, 1693, and in 1704 was admitted upon the foundation of Christ’s Hospital,
Jeremiah was born Oct. 29, 1693, and in 1704 was admitted upon the foundation of Christ’s Hospital, London,
whence, in 1710, he was sent to the university of Cambridge, with the usual exhibition of 30l. per annum for
seven years, and admitted of St. Peter’s college. Here
he took the degree of B. A. in 1713, and the following
year appears among the poetical contributors to the “Cambridge Gratulations.
” In The Friar’s Tale,
” from Chaucer,
which is printed in Ogle’s edition of
In 1717 Mr. Markland was chosen fellow of his college, and probably intended to have taken orders; but it soon appeared
In 1717 Mr. Markland was chosen fellow of his college,
and probably intended to have taken orders; but it soon
appeared that from extreme weakness of lungs he could
never have performed the duties of a clergyman, and even
at this time reading a lecture for only one hour in a day
disordered him greatly. He continued, however, for several years as a tutor in St. Peter’s college. He became
first distinguished in the learned world by his “Epistola
Critica ad eruditissimum virum Franciscum Hare, S. T. P.
decanum Vigorniensem, in qua Horatii loca aliquot et aliorum veterum emendantur, Camb. 1723, 8vo. In this,
which at once decided the course of his studies, he gave
many proofs of extensive erudition and critical sagacity.
He appears to have been also at this time employed on
notes and emendations on Propertius, and promised a new
edition of the Thebaid and Achiilaid of Statius, but he
published only an edition of the
” Sylvae," in 1728, 4to,
printed by Mr. Bowyer. In this, probably his first connexion with that learned printer, he gave a proof of the
scrupulous integrity which was conspicuous throughout his
whole life; for, it not being convenient for him to pay Mr.
Bowyer as soon as he wished and intended, he insisted on
adding the interest.
Mr. Markland found the “Sylvae” of Statins in a very corrupt state, obscure in itself, and mangled by its editors; yet, notwithstanding the want of ms
Mr. Markland found the “Sylvae
” of Statins in a very
corrupt state, obscure in itself, and mangled by its editors;
yet, notwithstanding the want of ms copies, of which there
were none in England, he appears to have Accomplished
his task by uncommon felicity of judgment and conjecture.
It is not very easy to comprehend Ernesti’s objection, that
he “sometimes rather indulged his ingenuity and exquisite
learning against the expressed authority of books,
” since
his object was to prove how much those books had failed
in exhibiting a pure text. Of the ancient editions, Mr.
Markland owns his obligations to that of Venice, 1472,
which he found in the duke of Devonshire’s library, and
which is also in lord Spencer’s; and that of Parma, 1473,
belonging to the earl of Sunderland. The “Statius,
” as
well as the “Epistola Critica,
” was dedicated to his friend
bishop Hare.
n of William Strode, esq. of Punsborn in Herts, with whom he continued above two years at his house, and as long abroad in France, Flanders, and Holland. Some time after
After several years residence at St. Peter’s college, he undertook in 1728 the education of William Strode, esq. of Punsborn in Herts, with whom he continued above two years at his house, and as long abroad in France, Flanders, and Holland. Some time after their return, Mr. Strode married, and when his eldest son was about six years old, Mr. Markland undertook the care of his education, and was with him seven years. This pupil, who was afterwards a gentleman of the bed-chamber to his majesty, a man of extensive benevolence and generosity, and always very attentive to Mr. Markland, died in 1800.
After his return from France, Mr. Markland again took up his residence at college, and resumed his learned labours. In 1739 we find Mr. Taylor acknowledging
After his return from France, Mr. Markland again took
up his residence at college, and resumed his learned labours. In 1739 we find Mr. Taylor acknowledging his
obligations to Mr. Markland for the “Conjecturse
”
annexed to his “Orationes et Fragmenta Lysiae,
” an incomparable edition, on which Taylor’s fame may securely
rest. In I have a poor opinion
both of Markland’s and Taylor’s critical abilities.
” Whether this “poor opinion
” proceeded from temper or taste,
we find that it was afterwards adopted by Warburton’s
friend Dr. Kurd, who went a little farther in compliment
to his correspondent, and, somewhat luckily for Mr. Markland, involves himself in a direct contradiction, calling Mr.
Markland, in the same sentence, a “learned man,
” and a
man of “slencjer parts and sense.
” It cannot be too
much regretted that bishop Hurd should have left his
Warburtonian correspondence to be printed, after he had,
in the republication of his own works, professed to recant
many of the harsh opinions of his early days.
Markland residing at Twyford, where, in June of that year, he talks of the gout as an old companion: and at this period of life, it appears that he was twice encouraged
In 1743, we find Mr. Markland residing at Twyford,
where, in June of that year, he talks of the gout as an
old companion: and at this period of life, it appears that
he was twice encouraged to offer himself a candidate for
the Greek professorship; but had either not ambition enough
to aspire to this honour, or had some dislike to the office,
to which, however, abilities like his must have done credit. From 1744 to 1752, his residence was at Uckfield
in Sussex, where he boarded in the house of the schoolmaster under whose care young Mr. Strode had been
placed, and where he first formed an intimacy with the
rev. William Clarke, whose son Edward was placed uncier
his private tuition. In 1745, he published “Remarks on
the Epistles of Cicero to Brutus, and of Brutus to Cicero,
in a letter to a friend. With a dissertation upon four
orations ascribed to Cicero; viz. I. Ad Quirites post rediturn: 2. Post reditum in seriatu 3. Pro domo sua, ad
pontifices 4. De haruspicum responsis To which are
added, some extracts out of the notes of learned men upon
those orations, and observations on them, attempting to
prove them all spurious, and the works of some sophist,
”
8vo. These remarks, which were addressed to Mr. Bowyer,
although very ingenious, brought on the first controversy in
which Mr. Markland was concerned; but in which he was
unwilling to exert himself. He seems to have contented
himself with his own conviction upon the subject, and with
shewing only some contempt of what was offered. “I believe,
” says he, in a letter to Mr. Bowyer, “I shall drop
the affair of these spurious letters, and the orations I mentioned; for, though I am as certain that Cicero was not
the author of them, as I am that you were not, yet I consider that it must be judged of by those who are already
prejudiced on the other side. And how far prejudice will
go, is evident from the subject itself; for nothing else
could have suffered such silly and barbarous stuff as these
Epistles and Orations to pass so long, and through so many
learned men’s hands, for the writings of Cicero; in which
view, I confess, I cannot read them without astonishment
and indignation.
”
A little farther account, however, of this controversy, and its rise, may yet be interesting. In 1741, Mr. Tunstall, public
A little farther account, however, of this controversy,
and its rise, may yet be interesting. In 1741, Mr. Tunstall, public orator of Cambridge, published his doubts on
the authenticity of the letters between Cicero and Brutus
(which Middleton, in his Life of Cicero, had considered as genuine), in a Latin dissertation. This Middleton called
“a frivolous, captious, disingenuous piece of criticism,
”
answered it in English, and published the disputed epistles with a translation. On this, Tunstall, in 1744, published his “Observations on the Epistles, representing several evident marks of forgery in them, in answer to the
late pretences of the Rev. Dr. Conyers Middleton.
” Markland, the following year, published his arguments on the
same side of the question, which called forth a pamphlet,
written by Mr. Ross, afterwards bishop of Exeter, entitled “A Dissertation in which the defence of P. Sylla,
ascribed to M. Tullius Cicero, is clearly proved to be
spurious, after the manner of Mr. Markland; with some introductory Remarks on other writings of the Ancients,
never before suspected.
” It is written in a sarcastic style,
but with a display of learning very inferior to that of the
excellent scholar against whom it was directed, and in a
disposition very dissimilar to the candour and fairness which
accompanied the writings of Markland. It has lately been
discovered that Gray, the celebrated poet, assisted Ross in
his pamphlet, but at the same time does not seem to have
entertained a very high opinion of Ross’s wit. In a manuscript note in the first leaf of his copy of Markland, he
writes: “This book is answered in an ingenious way, but
the irony is not quite transparent.
” Gray’s copy of Markland is now in the possession of his late excellent biographer, the rev. John Mitford, to whom we are indebted for
these particulars. Mr. Mitford adds, that the notes which
Gray has written in this copy “display a familiar knowledge
of the structure of the Latin language, and answer some of
the objections of Markland,
” who had not then learnt the
caution, in verbal criticism and conjectural emendation,
which he well knew how to value when an editor of Euripides.“The only other pamphlet which this controversy
produced was entitled
” A Dissertation in which the observations of a late pamphlet on the writings of the Ancients,
after the manner of Mr. Markland, are clearly answered;
those passages in Tully corrected, on which some of the
objections are founded: with amendments of a few pieces
of criticism in Mr. Markland’s Epistola Critica," Lond.
1746, 8vo. At length Gesner defended the genuineness
of the orations in question, and they were reprinted by Ernest, and are still believed to be part of Cicero’s works.
trode, he first began, to seclude himself from the world. “By this time,” he says, “being grown old, and having moreover long and painful annual fits of the gout, he
In 1748, Mr. Markland contributed some notes to Arnald’s “Commentary on the book of Wisdom,
” which are
noticed at the end of the author’s preface, in the second
edition, 1760. In 1750, he communicated some very judicious remarks on an edition, then printing by Bowyer,
of “Kuster de Verbo medio.
” He was also at this time
employed on his Euripides. In By this time,
” he says,
“being grown old, and having moreover long and painful
annual fits of the gout, he was glad to find, what his inclination and infirmities, which made him unfit for the
world and for company, had for a long time led him to, a
very private place of retirement near Dorking in Surrey.
”
In this pleasant and sequestered spot, in the hamlet of
Milton, he saw little company his walks were almost
coufined to the narrow limits of his garden: and he described
himself, in 1755, to be as much out of the way of hearing, as of getting. “Of this last,
” he adds, “I have now
no desire: the other I should be glad of.
” What first induced him to retire from the world is not known. It has
been supposed to have proceeded from disappointment:
but of what nature is matter of conjecture. There is a
traditionary report, that he once received a munificent proposal from Dr. Mead, to enable him to travel, on a most
liberal plan, in pursuit of such literary matters as should
appear eligible to himself; and that his retirement arose
from a disgust his extreme delicacy occasioned him to take
during the negociation. He was certainly disinterested to
an extreme: and money was never considered by him as a
good, any farther than it enabled him to relieve the necessitous.
rissimi Jeremiae Markland emendationes,” a title which was printed without Mr. Markland’s knowledge, and very contrary to his inclination, as he has written on the margin
In 1756 appeared an edition by Musgrave of the Hippolytus of Euripides, under the title of “Euripidis Hippolytus, ex Mss. Bibliothecse regias Parisiensis emendatus. Variis lectionibus et notis editoris accessere viri
clarissimi Jeremiae Markland emendationes,
” a title which
was printed without Mr. Markland’s knowledge, and very
contrary to his inclination, as he has written on the margin
of his own copy, now in Dr. Burney’s possession; and it
is said that his notes were obtained by a friend, and did
not pass directly from Mr. Markland to Mr. Musgrave, In
1758, he contributed some notes to an edition of seven
plays of Sophocles printed by Mr. Bowyer.
kind ol study being at that time greatly neglected in England. The writer of the notes was then old and infirm; and, having by him several things of the same sort,
In 1760, Mr. Markland printed in quarto, at the expence of his friend William Hall, esq. of the Temple, an
excellent little treatise, under the title of “De Grsecorum quinta declinatione imparisyllabica, et inde formata
Latinorum tertia, quaestio Grammatica,
” 4to. No more
than forty copies having been printed, which were all given
away, it was annexed, in 1763, to an edition of Euripides’s “Supplices Mulieres,
” 4to. This book was published without the editor’s name perhaps owing to the
discouragement shewn to critical learning, as appears from
a memorandum of his own hand-writing in a copy of it, in
which he says, “There were only 250 copies printed, this
kind ol study being at that time greatly neglected in England. The writer of the notes was then old and infirm;
and, having by him several things of the same sort, written many years before, he did not think it w&rth while to
revise them; and was unwilling to leave them behind him.
as they were, in many places not legible to any body but
himself; for which reason he destroyed them. Probably
it will be a long time, if ever, before this sort of learning
will revive in England; in which it is easy to foresee, that
there must be a disturbance in a few years, and all public
disorders are enemies to this sort of literature.
” In the
same dejected tone he speaks, in 1772, of the edition of
Euripides lately published: “The Oxonians, I hear, are
about to publish Euripides in quarto; two volumes, I suppose. Dr. Musgrave helps them with his collections, and
perhaps conjectures. In my opinion, this is no time for
such works; I mean for the undertakers.
”
These melancholy views of literary patronage and support did not hinder Mr. Markland from hazarding his little
These melancholy views of literary patronage and support did not hinder Mr. Markland from hazarding his little
property on the more uncertain issue of a law-suit, into
which he was drawn by the benevolence of his disposition.
His primary object in this affair, which occurred in 1765,
was to support the widow with whom he lodged against
the injustice and oppression of her son, who, taking advantage of maternal weakness, persuaded her to assign
over to him the whole of her property. The consequence
was a law-suit , which, after an enormous expence to Mr.
Markland, was decided against the widow; and his whole
fortune, after this event, was expended in relieving the
distresses of the family. Some assistance he appears to have
derived from his friends; but such was his dislike of this
kind of aid, that he could rarely be prevailed upon to accept it. Yet at this time his whole property, exclusive of
his fellowship (about seventy pounds a-year), consisted of
five hundred pounds three per cent, reduced annuities; and
part of the latter we find him cheerfully selling out for
the support of his poor friends, rather than accept any
loan or gift from his friends. He appears indeedabout this
time to have been weaning himself from friendly connections, as well as his customary pursuits. In October of
this year he even declined entering into a correspondence
with his old acquaintance bishop Law, who wished to serve
him, and desires Mr. Bowyer to write to the bishop, that
“Mr. Markland is very old, being within a few days of
seventy-three, with weak eyes and a shaking hand, so
that he can neither read nor write without trouble: that he
has scarce looked into a Greek or Latin book for above
these three years, having given over all literary concerns
and therefore it is your (Mr. Bowyer’s) opinion that he
(the bishop) had much better not write to Mr. Markland,
which will only distress him; but that you are very sure
that he will not now enter into any correspondence of
learning.
” At length, in
h Mr. Markland at one time intended to destroy, from despair of public encouragement, were preserved and given by him to Dr. Heberden, with permission to burn or print
Fortunately for the world of letters, the notes on the
two “Iphigenias,
” which Mr. Markland at one time intended to destroy, from despair of public encouragement,
were preserved and given by him to Dr. Heberden, with
permission to burn or print them as he pleased; but if the
latter, then they should be introduced by a short Latin
dedication to Dr. Heberden, as a testimony of his gratitude
for the many favours he had received from that gentleman.
Dr. Heberden, whose generosity was unbounded, readily
accepted the gift on Mr. Markland’s own conditions, paid
the whole expence of printing, as he had before done that
of the “Supplices Mulieres,
” and in Conjectures on the New Testament.
” Thej T
were written in Kuster’s edition.
et notulas adjecit, Jer. Markland, Coll. D. Petri Cant. Socius.” Of this, the “Supplices Mulieres,” and the “Quaestio grammatica de Gnecorum quinta declinatione im
Contrary to the original intention, his edition of the
“Two Iphigeniae,
” which had been printed in Euripidis Dramata,
Iphigenia in Aulide, et Iphigenia in Tauris; ad codd. Mss.
recensuit, et notulas adjecit, Jer. Markland, Coll. D.
Petri Cant. Socius.
” Of this, the “Supplices Mulieres,
”
and the “Quaestio grammatica de Gnecorum quinta declinatione imparisyllabica,
” &c. an elegant and correct edition has just been published at Oxford, in 8vo and 4to,
under the superintendance of one of the most profound
Greek scholars of the age, Mr. Gaisford of Christ-church.
Repeated attacks of the gout, and an accumulation of infirmities, at length put an end to Mr.
Repeated attacks of the gout, and an accumulation of
infirmities, at length put an end to Mr. Markland’s life, at
Milton-court, July 7, 1776, in the eighty-third year of
his age. His will was short. He bequeathed his books
and papers to Dr. Heberden, and every thing else to Mrs.
Martha Rose, the widow with whom he lived, and whom
he made sole executrix, although he had a sister, Catherine, then living, and not in good circumstances. This is
the more remarkable, as we find in his letters, expressions
of affectionate anxiety for this sister; but he delayed making his will until the year before his death, when his memory and faculties were probably in some degree impaired.
He had formerly entertained hopes of being able to make
some acknowledgment to Christ’s-hospital for his education, and to Peterhouse, from which he had for so many
years received the chief part of his maintenance; but, to
use his own words, “as the providence of God saw fit that
it should be otherwise, he was perfectly satisfied that it
was better it should be as it was.
” Immediately on his
death, his friend Mr. Strode and Mr. Nichols went to Milton-court, to give directions for the funeral, which was
performed, strictly agreeable to his own request, in the
church of Dorking, where a brass plate commemorates his
learning and virtues. Several of his books, with a few
ms notes in them, after the death of Dr. Heberden, were
sold to Mr. Payne; and some of them were purchased by
Mr. Gough, and others are now in the possession of Dr.
Burney, Mr. Heber, Mr. Hibbert, &c. c.
Such are the outlines of the history of this excellent
scholar and critic, concerning whom many additional particulars may be found in our authority. The most conspicuous trait in his character was his singular and unwearied industry. The scholar, who secludes himself from
tlic world for the purposes of study, frequently abandons
himself to desultory reading, or at least is occupied at intervals only, in deep and laborious research. This, however, was not the case with Markland. The years that
successively rolled over his head, in the course of a long
life, constantly found him engaged in his favourite pursuits, collating the classic authors of antiquity, or illustrating the book of Revelation. Of the truth of this remark,
which we borrow from his amiable relative, his correspondence affords sufficient testimony; and the proofs which he
there displays, even after he had passed his eighty-first
year, of vigour and clearness of intellect, are perfectly
astonishing. To this we may add what has recently been
said of iMr. Markland, that “for modesty, candour, literary
honesty, and courteousness to other scholars, he has been
considered as the model which ought to be proposed for the
imitation of every critic.
” With exception to the opinions of
Warburton and Hurd, which were concealed when they
might have been answered, and published when they were
not worth answering, his deep and extensive learning appears,
from the concurrent testimony of his contemporaries and
survivors, to have been at all times most justly appreciated;
and a tribute, of great value, has lately been paid to his
memory by Dr. Burney in tho preface to his “Tentamen
de Metris ahæschylo in Choricis Cantibus adhibitis,
”
where he places him among the “magnanimi heroes
” of
the eighteenth century, Bentley, Dawes, Taylor, Toup,
Tyrwhitt, and Porson.
etted, however, that the splendour of his abilities was obscured by the extreme privacy of his life, and the many peculiarities of his disposition. The latter indeed
It is to be regretted, however, that the splendour of his
abilities was obscured by the extreme privacy of his life,
and the many peculiarities of his disposition. The latter
indeed seem to have been produced by the former, and
that by some circumstances in his early life, which prevented him from making a choice among the learned professions. It is well known that bishop Hare would have
provided for him, if he would have taken orders; but what
his reasons were for dec-lining them, we are not told. It
may be inferred from his correspondence that in maturer
age he had some scruples of the religious kind, but these
do not appear inconsistent with the liberty which many
great and good men have thought consistent with subscription to the formularies of the church. By whatever means
he was prevented from taking orders, it appears to have
been a misfortune to him, as the patrons who were the
best judges of his merit had no means of providing for him
in any other direction. If he ever fancied that he could
make his way through the world by the talents of a mere
scholar employed in writing, we have evidence in his letters that he soon found his mistake, and that in his time
classical criticism was not an article in great demand.
Another reason for his frequent despondency, and love of
retirement, appears to have been his interesting himself too
much in the politics of the time, which he always viewed
through a gloomy medium. We may, however, conclude
this article with the striking and just observation made by
his pupil Mr. Strode, in a letter to Mr. Nichols, that “Do
friend of Mr. Maryland can reflect on his life without great
satisfaction, although, for the further benefit of society,
one might be led to wish some few circumstances of it had
been otherwise.'
”
at he was of Bene't college, in the university of Cambridge, where he took the degree of B. A. 1543, and M. A. 1597; he, however, quitted the academic life, and went
, whom Phillips calls “a kind of second Shakspeare,
” was born, as
Mr. Elfis conjectures with great probability, about 1562.
There is no account extant of his family, but it is well
known, says Baker, that he was of Bene't college, in the
university of Cambridge, where he took the degree of B. A.
1543, and M. A. 1597; he, however, quitted the academic
life, and went on the stage, where he became one of the
most distinguished tragic poets of the age. Thomas Heywood styles him the “best of poets;
” and Draytoa also has
bestowed a high panegyric on him, in the “Censure of
the Poets,
” in these lines
All air and tire, which made his verses clear
h book was ordered to be burnt at Stationers’-hall, 1599, by command of the archbishop of Canterbury and the bishop of London. Before 1598 appeared his translation of
Rape of Helen
” into
English rhyme. He also translated the elegies of Ovid,
which book was ordered to be burnt at Stationers’-hall,
1599, by command of the archbishop of Canterbury and
the bishop of London. Before 1598 appeared his translation of the “Loves of Hero and Leander,
” the elegant
prolusion of an unknown sophist of Alexandria, but commonly ascribed to the ancient Musseus. It was. left unfinished by Marlow’s death; but what was called a second
part, which is nothing more than a continuation from the
Italian, appeared by one Henry Petowe, in 1598. Another
edition was published, with the first book of Lucan, translated also by Marlow, and in blank verse, in 160O. At
length Chapman, the translator of Homer, completed, but
with a striking inequality, Marlow’s unfinished version,
and printed it at London in 1606, 4to. His plays were,
1. “Tamerlane the great Scythian emperor, two parts,
”
ascribed by Phillips erroneously to Newton. 2. “The
rich Jew of Maltha.
” 3. “The Tragical History of the
Life and Death of Dr. John Faustus.
” 4. “Lnst’s Dominion,
” Lond. Abdelazer, or the More’s
Revenge,
” Lond. The Tragedy of King Edward II.
” 6. “The Tragedy of Dido, queen of Carthage,
”
in the composition of which he was assisted by Thomas
Nash, who published it in 1594.
tragedies, says Warton, manifest traces of a just dramatic conception, but they abound with tedious and uninteresting scenes, or with such extravagancies as proceeded
His tragedies, says Warton, manifest traces of a just
dramatic conception, but they abound with tedious and
uninteresting scenes, or with such extravagancies as proceeded from a want of judgment, and those barbarous
ideas of the times, over which it was the peculiar gift of
Shakspeare’s genius alone to triumph and predominate.
As a poet, there is one composition preserved in the collection called “England’s Helicon,
” and often reprinted,
which entitles him to the highest praise. It is that entitled
“The Passionate Shepherd to his Love,
” beginning
“Come live with me, and be my love.
” We can remember the revival of this beautiful pastoral about forty years
ago, with some pleasing music, which made it the fashion
of every theatre, concert, and private party. Sir Walter
Raleigh wrote a reply to this piece.
e told, presuming upon his own little wit, thought proper to practise the most Epicurean indulgence, and openly professed Atheism. He denied God our Saviour; he blasphemed
Marloe’s tragical death is thus related by Wood: “This
Marloe, we are told, presuming upon his own little wit,
thought proper to practise the most Epicurean indulgence,
and openly professed Atheism. He denied God our Saviour; he blasphemed the adorable Trinity; and, as it
was reported, wrote several discourses against it, affirming
our Saviour to be a deceiver, the sacred Scriptures to contain nothing but idle stories, and all religion to be a device of policy and priestcraft. But Marloe came to a very
untimely end, as some have remarked, in consequence of
his execrable blasphemies. It happened, that he fell
deeply in love with a low girl, and had for his rival a fellow in livery, who looked more like a pimp than a lover.
Marloe, fired with jealousy, and having some reason to
believe that his mistress granted the fellow favours, rushed
upon him to stab him with his dagger: but the footman
being quick, avoided the stroke, and catching hold of Marloe' s wrist, stabbed him with his own weapon; and notwithstanding all the assistance of the surgery, he soon after
died of the wound, before the year 1593.
”
found an apologist in Warton, who can seldom conceal his abhorrence of the puritans. “Marlowe’s wit and sprightliness of conversation had often the unhappy effect of
Marloe has found an apologist in Warton, who can
seldom conceal his abhorrence of the puritans. “Marlowe’s
wit and sprightliness of conversation had often the unhappy
effect of tempting him to sport with sacred subjects; more
perhaps from the preposterous ambition of courting the
casual applause of profligate and unprincipled companions,
than from any systematic disbelief of religion. His scepticism, whatever it might be, was construed by the prejudiced and peevish puritans into absolute atheism, and
they took pains to represent the unfortunate catastrophe of
his untimely death, as an immediate judgment from heaven
upon his execrable impiety.
” The story was certainly
current at the time. It occurs not only in Beard’s “Theatre of God’s Judgments,
” but in a work which if we
mistake not preceded it, Vaughan’s “Golden Grove.
”
Vaughan gives the place where the catastrophe happened,
Deptford, and his antagonist’s name, Ingram, and adds,
that Marloe “wrote a book against the Trinitie.
” There
is also in the British Museum (Mss. Harl. 6853, 8vo. fol. 320) “An Account of the blasphemous and damnable
opinions of Christ. Marley and three others who came to a
sudden and fearful end of this life.
”
, an eminent protestant divine of the sixteenth century, and classed among the reformers, was born in the dukedom of Lorrain
, an eminent protestant divine of the sixteenth century, and classed among the reformers, was born in the dukedom of Lorrain in 1506.
He was educated in a monastery of the Augustine friars,
where he made great proficiency in his studies, and appears to have conceived, from the licentious morals of the
friars, a dislike to their religion, which he afterwards
abandoned. Leaving the monastery he pursued his studies
in France, and afterwards at Lausanne, where he made
open profession of the protestant religion, and was admitted
into orders. He was chosen pastor at Vevey. and then at
Rouen in Normandy, where he contributed to the diffusion
of the principles of the reformation. In 1561 he was present at the memorable conference held at Poissy between
Beza and the cardinal of Lorrain, in which he distinguished himself by his ability and zeal in defence of the
protestant cause. The year following the civil wars broke
out in France, and Rouen being besieged and taken,
Montmorency, constable of France, threw Marlorat into
prison, as a seducer of the people. On this charge, of
which no proofs were brought, he was condemned to be
hanged, his head then to be set on a pole on the bridge of
the city, and his goods and inheritance to be confiscated.
He accordingly suffered this punishment Oct. 30, 1562, in.
the fifty-sixth year of his age. His works were chiefly
commentaries on the Holy Scriptures: 1. “Genesis, cum
catholica expositione,
” Liber Psalmorum,
et Cantica, &c.
” Jesaise Prophetia,
” Novum Testamentum,
”
n Northamptonshire, about the beginning of January, 1602. He went to school at Thame in Oxfordshire, and was thence removed to Wadham-college, Oxford, as a gentleman-commoner,
, a dramatic writer, was born
of an ancient family at Aynhoe in Northamptonshire, about
the beginning of January, 1602. He went to school at
Thame in Oxfordshire, and was thence removed to
Wadham-college, Oxford, as a gentleman-commoner, and took
his master of arts’ degree in 1624. Wood says, that “he
was a goodly proper gentleman, and had once in his possession seven hundred pounds per annum at least.
” The
whole of this he dissipated, and afterwards went to serve
in the Low Countries. Not being promoted there, after
three campaigns, he returned to England, and was admitted in 1639, by sir John Suckling, into a troop raised for
Charles I. in his expedition against Scotland, but at York
he fell sick, and was obliged to return to London, where
he died the same year. Marmion, although not a voluminous writer, for he produced only four dramas, is considered by the author of the Biographia Dramatica as one
of the best among the dramatic writers of his time. “His
plots are ingenious,
” says that author, “his characters
well drawn, and his language not only easy and dramatic,
but full of lively wit and solid understanding.
” His plays
are, 1 “Holland’s Leaguer, an excellent comedy, as it
hath bin lately and often acted with great applause, by
the high and mighty prince Charles his servants, at the
private house in Salisbury court,
” Holland’s
Leaguer,
” in the same year, from which this drama might
possibly be taken 2. “A fine Companion, acted before
the King and Queen at Whitehall, and sundrie times with
great applause at the private house in Salisbury-court, by
the Prince his servants,
” The Antiquary,
a comedy, acted by her Majesty’s servants at the Cockpit,
”
The Crafty
Merchant, or the Souldier'd Citizen;
” which, as welt
as the rest, was a comedy; but they all state that it was
never printed, and neglect to tell where it is extant in
manuscript. He also published, 5. “Cupid and Psiche;
or an epic poem of Cupid and his Mistress, as it was lately
presented to the Prince Elector.
” Prefixed to this are
complimentary verses, by Richard Brome, Francis Tuckyr,
Thomas N abbes, and Thomas Hey wood. He wrote, be
sides these, several poems, which are scattered in different publications; and Wood says that he left some things
in ms. ready for the press, but what became of them is
not known.
born in 1723, at Bort, a small town in Limosin. His father, who was in very moderate circumstances, and had a very large family, bestowed great pains on this, his eldest
, one of the most distinguished French writers of the eighteenth century, was born in 1723, at Bort, a small town in Limosin. His father, who was in very moderate circumstances, and had a very large family, bestowed great pains on this, his eldest son, and was ably assisted in the cultivation of his talents, by his wife, who appears to have been a woman of superior sense and information. Young Marmoutel first studied the classics and rhetoric in the Jesuits’ college of Mauriac, and at fifteen was placed by his father with a merchant at Clermont. As this, however, was very little to his taste, he applied for admission into the college of Clermont, and having been received into the philosophical class, maintained himself by teaching some of the junior scholars. He afterwards went to Toulouse, and became teacher of philosophy in a seminary of the Bernardines, where his abilities acquired considerable distinction.
a copy of his works. To a young man like Marmontel, nothing ceuld be more gratifying than the praise and kindness of a man of such high rank in the literary world; and
Encouraged by this, he was a candidate for one of theprizes given by the academy of Floreal games at Toulouse; but the ode which he wrote on this occasion being rejected, he sent a copy of it to Voltaire, who not only returned it with high praise, but sent him a copy of his works. To a young man like Marmontel, nothing ceuld be more gratifying than the praise and kindness of a man of such high rank in the literary world; and eager to justify Voltaire’s good opinion, he applied more closely to his studies, and obtained the prizes of several succeeding years. It is much to his honour, that while his reputation increased, and his income became considerable, he devoted the latter to the maintenance of his father’s family.
r employment. His first tragedy, “Denys le Tiran,” indeed, succeeded so well, as to give him a name, and introduce him into the higher circles, but this led him at the
By Voltaire’s advice, he repaired to Paris in 1745 to
try his fortune as a man of letters. His first attempts were
of the dramatic kind, which had various success, but never
enough to render him independent of other employment.
His first tragedy, “Denys le Tiran,
” indeed, succeeded so
well, as to give him a name, and introduce him into the
higher circles, but this led him at the same time into a
course of dissipation of which he afterwards repented, and
which he relinquished, upon being promoted to the place
of secretary to the royal buildings, by the interest of madame Pompadour.
We find him afterwards connected with D'Alembert and Diderot, in the compilation of the Encyclopedie, which is supposed
We find him afterwards connected with D'Alembert and
Diderot, in the compilation of the Encyclopedie, which is
supposed to have had no small share in producing the
French revolution. Of this, too, however, he lived to repent, as his attachments were to the royal cause, although
he held that changes to a certain degree were necessary.
He afterwards became a contributor to the “Mercure
Francois,
” and it was in this publication that he wrote his
“Tales.
” In Mercure/‘ which he very greatly improved but having in a
gay party repeated a satire on the duke D’Aumont, which
was not his own writing, and having refused to give up the
author, he was sent to the Bastille, and lost his situation
in the Mercure. His confinement, however, was short, and
the reputation his
” Tales“acquired in every part of Europe, procured him riches and distinction. After gaming
the prize of the French academy, by his
” Epitre aux
Poetes,“though Thomas and Delille were his competitors,
he was admitted into that academy in 1763, as successor
to Marivaux, and his fame was afterwards completely established by his
” Belisarius,“and his
” Les Incas," both
which acquired an uncommon degree of popularity.
secretary to the French academy, where his employment was to compose eloges on the deceased members, and other pieces to be read in the academy, both in prose and verse.
After the death of D'Alembert in 1783, he was elected perpetual secretary to the French academy, where his employment was to compose eloges on the deceased members, and other pieces to be read in the academy, both in prose and verse. Under the ministry of Lamoignon, keeper of the seals, he was solicited to draw up a memoir on national education, which was a very elaborate composition; but the commencement of the revolution prevented the progress of this undertaking.
ion advanced, be withdrew himself from all share in those proceedings which ended in scenes of blood and violence, and retired to a distant part, where he employed his
As the revolution advanced, be withdrew himself from all share in those proceedings which ended in scenes of blood and violence, and retired to a distant part, where he employed his time in the education of his children, and in the composition of some works which have added considerably to his reputation. In 1797 he was once more called into public life, by being elected a representative in the national assembly; but, after this assembly was dissolved, he again retired to his cottage, where he died of an apoplexy, Dec. 1799, in the seventy-seventh year of his age.
ty-four before he married but this step, there is every reason to think, added much to his felicity, and secured the regular habits of his life. His reputation as a
He was fifty-four before he married but this step,
there is every reason to think, added much to his felicity,
and secured the regular habits of his life. His reputation
as a writer, although it was gradually augmented by his
various publications, his plays, operas, poems, eloges, and
other compositions on miscellaneous subjects, rests now
principally on his “Tales,
” in this country, and on his
Belisarius and Incas on the continent. His “Tales
” have
never been surpassed for lively and characteristic dialogue
and sentiment, and have been such universal favourites,
that there is no European language into which they have
not been translated. They speak, indeed, to the passions
of general nature, but the author’s imagination is not always
under the strictest guidance of his judgment, and they are
not among the books which we should recommend to young
readers. Of this the French themselves appear sensible,
and they are of opinion that the “New Tales,
” which he
wrote at a more advanced period of life, better deserve
the epithet “Moral.
” So valuable, however, have they
appeared to dramatic writers, that they have formed not
only the plot, but much of the dialogue of some very favourite pieces, both on the English and French stage.
Since his decease, his “Life
” written by himself has been
published and translated into English. Of his former works,
the best French edition is that of 1787, 32 vols. 8vo.
38, at Brussels, of noble parents, who were originally of Savoy. He was Calvin’s disciple at Geneva, and appointed ecclesiastical counsellor to Charles Louis, elector
, seigneur du Mont, sainte Aldegonde, by which last name he is recorded by some biographers, was born in 1538, at Brussels, of noble parents,
who were originally of Savoy. He was Calvin’s disciple at
Geneva, and appointed ecclesiastical counsellor to Charles
Louis, elector palatine; but William, prince of Orange,
invited him back again some time after, and employed him
usefully in affairs of the utmost importance. Sainte Aldegonde was afterwards consul at Antwerp, which city he
defended against the duke of Parma, in 1584, and died at
Leyden, December 15, 1598, aged sixty, while he was employed in a Flemish version of the Bible. He left “Controversial Theses,
” Antwerp, 1580, 8vo; “Circular Epistles to the Protestants;
” “Apologies;
” a “Portrait of different Religions,
” in which he ridicules the church of
Rome, Leyden, 1603, and 1605, 2 vols. 8vo; and other
works. Sainte Aldegonde drew up the form of the celebrated confederacy, by which several lords of the Netherlands engaged to oppose the odious tribunal of the inquisition, in 1566.
was the son of Claude de Marolles, a military hero, but entered early into the ecclesiastical state, and by the interest of his father, obtained two abbeys. He early
, an industrious French translator, was born in 1600. He was the son of Claude de
Marolles, a military hero, but entered early into the ecclesiastical state, and by the interest of his father, obtained
two abbeys. He early conceived an extreme ardour for
study, which never abated; for from 1610, when he published a translation of Lucan, to 168 1, the year of his
death, he was constantly employed in writing and printing.
He attached himself, unfortunately, to the translating of
ancient Latin writers; but, being devoid of all classical
taste and spirit, they sunk miserably under his hands, and
especially the poets. If, however, he was not the most
elegant, or even the most faithful of translators, he appears to have been a man of considerable learning, and
discovered all his life a love for the arts. He was one of
the first who paid any attention to the collection of prints,
and formed a series amounting to about an hundred thousand, which made afterwards one of the ornaments of
the king’s cabinet. There are by him translations of
“Plautus,
” “Terence,
” “Lucretius,
” “Catullus,
” “Virgil,
” “Horace,
” “Juvenal,
” “Per&ius,
” “Martial
” (at the head of which Menage wrote “Epigrammes centre Martial
”); also “Statius,
” “Aurelius Victor,
” “Ammianus
Marcellinus,
” “Athena3us,
” &c. He composed “Memoirs of his own Life,
” which were published by the abbe
Goujet, in My verses cost me
very little,
” meaning little trouble. “They cost you quite
as much as they are worth,
” replied Liniere.
ench poet, was born near Caen, in Normandy, in 1463, with a strong inclination to the belles lettres and poetry, which he happily cultivated, although his education
, a French poet, was born near Caen, in Normandy, in 1463, with a strong inclination to the belles lettres and poetry, which he happily cultivated, although his education was much neglected. He was but in low circumstances, when his abilities and good behaviour recommended him to Anne of Bretagne, afterwards queen of France; a princess who greatly encouraged and patronized letters. She shewed a particular regard to Marot, by making him her poet; and by commanding him to attend Louis XII. to Genoa and Venice, that he might draw up a relation of those travels. He was afterwards in the service of Francis I. and died in 1523. He was a tolerable poet, but infinitely exceeded by his son Clement. His poems are to be found in the later editions of the works of Clement Marot.
Querci, about 1496. In his youth he was page to seigneur Nicholas de Neusville, secretary of state; and afterwards to princess Margaret, the king’s sister, and the
, son of the preceding, was born at Cahors, in Querci, about 1496. In his youth he was page to seigneur Nicholas de Neusville, secretary of state; and afterwards to princess Margaret, the king’s sister, and the duke of Alen.con’s wife. He followed the duke to the army in 1521, and was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia. While Francis I. was Charles the Fifth’s’ prisoner in Spain, Marot was imprisoned at the instigation of Dr. Bouchard, who accused him of being a protestant; but in an epistle to that doctor, he assured him that he was orthodox, and a very good catholic. After his release he retired to his old mistress, the duchess of Alen^on, who was then become queen of Navarre, by her marriage with John d'Albret. In 1536 he obtained leave of Francis I. to return; but, being suspected for a follower of the new opinions, he was obliged to make his escape to Geneva, where, whatever his religious principles might be, his moral conduct was highly exceptionable. After remaining here some years, he went into Piedmont, where he died at Turin, in 1544, in his forty-ninth year; and as some say, very poor.
Marot, according to an expression of the sieur de Vauprivas, was the poet of the princes, and the prince of poets, during his time in France. It is agreed
Marot, according to an expression of the sieur de Vauprivas, was the poet of the princes, and the prince of poets, during his time in France. It is agreed on all hands, not only that the French poetry had never before appeared with the charms and beauties with which he adorned it, but that, even during the sixteenth century, there appeared nothing that could be compared with the happy turn, the native graces, and the wit, that was every-where scattered through his works, and which compose what is called the Marotic style. This has had many imitators, particularly La Fontaine and Rousseau. We find, by the judgments which have been collected upon Marot, that the French poets are obliged to him for the rondeau; and that to him they likewise owe, in same measure, the modern form of the sonnet and madrigal, and of some other of the smaller forms of poetry. His works, however, are highly censureable on the score of indecency. The wonder is, that, with such libertine propensities, he should employ his genius on a translation of the Psalms. Of these he first translated thirty, which he obtained a privilege to publish, about 1540, and dedicated them to Francis I. His translation was censured by the faculty of divinity at Paris, who carried matters so far as to make remonstrances and complaints to that monarch. The king, who had a great value for Marot on account of his genius, put them off with delays, testifying how acceptable this specimen was to him, and desiring to see the whole finished. However, after several remonstrances had been made to the king, the publication of them was prohibited; which, as usually happens in such cases, made them sell faster than the printers could work them off. After he had retired to Geneva, he translated twenty more Psalms, which in 1543 were printed there with the other thirty; together with a preface written by Calvin. Marot’s works have been collected and printed several times, and in various beautiful forms. Two of the best editions are those of the Hague, 1700, 2 vols. 12mo; and 1731, 4 vols. 4to.
, a French grammarian of high reputation, was born at Marseilles, July 17, 1676, and entered into the congregation of die oratory, but disgusted
, a French grammarian of high reputation, was born at Marseilles, July 17,
1676, and entered into the congregation of die oratory,
but disgusted at the too great confinement of that institution, soon quitted it, and went to Paris. There he married in 1704, and practised for a time with some success
as an advocate. Ere long, however, we find him quitting
that profession, as not continuing to be advantageous, and
separated from his wife, on finding her temper intolerable.
He then undertook the care of educating pupils in several
great families; among others, that of the president des Maisons, of the Scottish adventurer Law, and the marquis de
Beaufremont. Some of these pupils did great honour to
his care of their principles and learning. Still he was not
fortunate enough to obtain any permanent provision; and
undertook a kind of academy, which did not succeed; and
he was for a considerable time reduced to go about giving
lessons at private houses, and subsisting in a very straitened
and precarious manner. At length, the persons who conducted the Encyclopedia, engaged him to bear a part in
that great work, to which the articles on the subject of
grammar, furnished by him, proved a most important aecession. They are distinguished by a sound and luminous
philosophy, an extent of learning by no means common,
great precision in the rules, and no less accuracy in the
application of them.
He had now struggled for the chief part of his life with
adverse circumstances; when the count de Lauragais,
struck with his merit, and affected by his situation, settled
upon him an annuity of a thousand livres. He died June
11, 1756, at the age of eighty. Du Marsais had been
considered during his life as sceptical, but is said to have
returned to a sense of religion before his death. Several
anecdotes were circulated respecting his indifference to
religion, which materially injured his fortune. It was even
said, that being called upon to educate three brothers in a
great family, he asked the parents in what religion they
would have them brought up? A story of little probability,
but which passed sufficiently current to injure him in the
minds of many respectable persons. His disposition was
mild and equal, his understanding clear and precise; and
his manners had a kind of simplicity which occasioned him
to be called the Fontaine of philosophers. Fontenelle said
of him, “C‘est le nigaud le plus spirituel, & l’homme
d'esprit le plus nigaud que je connoisse,
” that is, “He is
for a simpleton the most ingenious, and for a man of genius the most of a simpleton of any one I know.
” As his
own character was so natural, so also was he an ardent admirer of nature, and an enemy to all affectation; and his
precepts are said to have had great effect in teaching the
celebrated actress le Couvreur, that simple and natural
style of declamation which made her performance so pathetic, and raised her reputation to so great a height.
court of Rome,” 12mo. This esteemed work was undertaken by the desire of the president des Maisons, and was not published till after the death of the author. 2. “Explanation
The principal works of du Marsais are, 1. “An Explanation of the Doctrine of the Gallican church, with respect
to the pretensions of the court of Rome,
” 12mo. This
esteemed work was undertaken by the desire of the president des Maisons, and was not published till after the death
of the author. 2. “Explanation of a reasonable Method
of learning the Latin language,
” A
treatise on Tropes,
” Les veritables Principes de la
Grammaire,
” &c. The Abridgment of Father
Jouvenci'a Mythology,
” disposed according to his method,
Logic,
” or reflections on the operations of the mind; a very short work, in which is
compressed almost the whole art of reasoning. It was reprinted at Paris, in 1762, in 12mo, with the articles which
he furnished for the Encyclopedia. At length, his whole
works were collected by Duchosal and Millon, and published at Paris, 1797, 7 vols. 8vd In 1804 the institute
of France proposed his eloge as a prize essay, and the
prize was gained by Degerando, who published it in 1805.
That prefixed to his works was by D'Alembert, with whom,
as well as with Voltaire, he was at one time too much connected for his reputation.
e, was descended from a Saxon family, formerly seated in Kent, whence his great-grandfather removed; and was born at Hannington, in Wiltshire, Dec. 20, 1638. He received
, an exemplary Irish prelate, was
descended from a Saxon family, formerly seated in Kent,
whence his great-grandfather removed; and was born at
Hannington, in Wiltshire, Dec. 20, 1638. He received
the first rudiments of learning in his native place; and
being there well fitted for the university, was admitted of
Magdalen-hall, in Oxford, in 1654. He became B. A. in
1657, master in 16 60, bachelor of divinity in 1667, and doctor
in 1671. In the mean time he was made fellow of Exetercollege, in 1658; afterwards chaplain to Dr. Seth Ward,
bishop of Exeter, and then to chancellor Hyde, earl of
Clarendon. In 1673, he was appointed principal of
Alban-hall, Oxford, by the duke of Ormond, chancellor
of that university; and executed the duties of his office
with such zeal and judgment, that, according to Wood,
“he made it flourish more than it had done many years
before, or hath since his departure.
” In 1678 he was removed by the interest of Dr. John Fell, together with that
of the duke of Ormond, then lord-lieutenant of Ireland,
to the dignity of provost of Dublin-college. He was
promoted to the bishopric of Leighlin and Ferns in 1683,
translated to the archbishopric of Cashell in 1690, thence
to Dublin in 1699, and then to Armagh in 1703. After
having lived with honour and reputation to himself, and
benefit to mankind in general, he died Nov. 2, 1713, aged
seventy-five, and was buried in a vault in St. Patrick’s
church-yard.
Dr. Marsh appears to have employed the greater part of his life and income in acts of benevolence and utility. While he presided
Dr. Marsh appears to have employed the greater part of
his life and income in acts of benevolence and utility.
While he presided over the see of Dublin, he built a noble
library, and filled it with a choice collection of books;
having for that purpose bought the library of Dr.
Stillingfleet, late bishop of Worcester, to which he added his own
collection; and to make it the more useful to the public,
he settled a handsome provision on a librarian and sublibrarian, to attend it at certain hours. This prelate also
endowed an alms-house at Drogheda, for the reception of
twelve poor clergymen’s widows, to each of whom he assigned a lodging, and 20l. per annum. He likewise repaired, at his own expence, many decayed churches within
his diocese, and hought-in several impropriations, which
he restored to the church. Nor did he confine his good
actions to Ireland only; for he gave a great number of
manuscripts in the oriental languages, chiefly purchased
out of Golius’s collection, to the Bodleian library. He
was a very learned and accomplished man. Besides sacred
and profane literature, he had applied himself to mathematics and natural philosophy: he was deep in the knowledge of languages, especially the oriental; he was also
skilled in music, the theory as well as the practice; and
he frequently, in the earlier part of his life, had concerts
of vocal and instrumental music for his own amusement,
both at Exeter-college and Alban-hall. Dean Swift must
have been under the influence of the most virulent spleen,
when he wrote of such a man as Dr. Marsh, the gross caricature published in his works. As an antidote, we would
recommend a letter from this excellent prelate, published
in “Letters written by eminent persons,
” &c.
“Manuductio ad Logicam,” written by Philip tie Tricu: to which he added the Greek text of Aristotle, and some tables and schemes. With it he printed Gassendus’s small
The few things he published were, 1. “Manuductio ad
Logicam,
” written by Philip tie Tricu: to which he added
the Greek text of Aristotle, and some tables and schemes.
With it he printed Gassendus’s small tract “De demonstratione,
” and illustrated with notes, Oxon. Institutiones logicoe, in usum juventutis academicae,
Dublin, 1681.
” 3. “An introductory essay to the doctrine of sounds, containing some proposals for the improvement of acoustics.
” Presented to the royal society in
Dublin, March 12, 1683, and published in the Philosophical Transactions of the royal society of London. 4. " A
Charge to his clergy of the diocese of Dublin, 1694, 41O.
, a late eminent anatomist and physician, was born in Fifeshire, in 1742, at Park-hill, a large
, a late eminent anatomist and
physician, was born in Fifeshire, in 1742, at Park-hill, a
large farm on the side of the Tay, near Newburgh, held
by his father, Mr. John Marshal, of the earl of Rothes.
His lather had received a classical education himself; and
being desirous that his son should enjoy a similar advantage, sent him first to the grammar-school at Newburgh,
and afterwards tothat of Abernethy, then the most celebrated place of education among the Seceders, of which
religious sect he was a most zealous member. Here he
was regarded as a quick and apt scholar. From his childhood he had taken great delight in rural scenery. One
day, while under the influence of feelings of this kind,
being then about fourteen years old, he told his father that
he wished to leave school, and be a farmer, but he soon
shewed that it had not arisen from any fondness for ordinary country labours. In the following harvest-time, for
instance, having been appointed to follow the reapers, and
bind up the cut corn into sheaves, he would frequently lay
himself down in some shady part of the field, and taking
a book from his pocket, begin to read, -utterly forgetful of
his task. About two years after, however, he resumed his
studies, with the intention of becoming a minister: and
soon after, he was admitted a student of philosophy at
Abernethy; and next became a student of divinity. In
his nineteenth year he went to Glasgow, and divided his time between teaching a school, and attending lectures in
the university. The branches of learning which he chiefly
cultivated were Greek and morals. At the end of two
years passed in this way, he became (through the interest of the celebrated Dr. Reid, to whom his talents and diligence had recommended him), tutor in a gentleman’s family, of the name of Campbell, in the Island of Islay.
He remained here four years, and removed to the university of Edinburgh, with Mr. -Campbell’s son, whom the
following year he carried back to his father. Having
surrendered his charge, he returned to Edinburgh, where
he subsisted himself by reading Greek and Latin privately
with students of the university; in the mean time taking
no recreation, but giving up all his leisure to the acquisition of knowledge. He still considered himself a student
of divinity, in which capacity he delivered two discourses
in the divinity-hall; and from motives of curiosity began in
1769 to attend lectures on medicine. While thus employed, he was chosen1 member of the Speculative society,
where, in the beginning of 1772, he became acquainted
with lord Balgonie, who was so much pleased with the
display which he made of genius and learning in that society,
that he requested they“should read together; and in the
autumn of the following year made a proposal for their
going to the Continent, which was readily accepted.
They travelled slowly through Flanders to Paris, where
they stayed a month, and then proceeded to Tours, where
they resided eight months, in the house of a man of letters,
under whose tuition they strove to acquire a correct knowledge of the French language and government. They became acquainted here with several persons of rank, among
whom were a prince of Rohan, and the dukes of Clioiseul
and Aguilon, at whose seats in the neighbourhood they
were sometimes received as gnests. An acquaintance with
such people would make Marshal feel pain on account of
his want of external accomplishments; and this, probably,
was the reason of his labouring
” to learn to dance and to
fence while he was at Tours, though he was then more
than thirty years old. He returned to England in the
summer of 1774; and proceeded soon after to Edinburgh,
where he resumed the employment of reading Latin and
Greek with young men. Hitherto he seems to have formed
no settled plan of life, but to have bounded his views
almost entirely to the acquisition of knowledge, and a present subsistence. His friends, however, had been induced
to hope that he would at some time be advanced to a professor’s cl; ir and it is possible that he entertained the same
hope himself. In the spring of 1775, this hope appeared
to be strengthened by his being requested by Mr. Stewart,
the professor of humanity at Edinburgh, to officiate for
him, as he was then unwell: Marshal complied, but soon
after appears to have given up all hopes of a professorship,
and studied medicine with a determination to practise it.
In the spring of 1777, he was enabled by the assistance of
a friend, Mr. John Campbell of Edinburgh, to come to
London for professional improvement; and studied anatomy under Dr. W. Hunter, and surgery under Mr. J,
Hunter. After he had been here a twelvemonth, he was
appointed surgeon to the S3rd, or Glasgow regiment,
through the interest of the earl of Leverv, the father of his
late pupil, lord Balgonie. The first year after was passed
with his regiment, in Scotland. In the following he accompanied it to Jersey, where he remained with it almost
constantly till the conclusion of the war in the beginning
of 1783, when it was disbanded. In this situation he
enjoyed, almost for the first time, the pleasures best suited
to a man of independent mind. His income was more than
sufficient for his support; his industry and knowledge rendered him useful; and his character for integrity and honour procured him general esteem. From Jersey he came
to London, seeking for a settlement, and was advised by
Dr. D. Pitcairn (with whom he had formed a friendship while a student at Glasgow) to practise surgery here,
though he had taken the degree of doctor of physic the
preceding year at Edinburgh; and to teach anatomy at St.
Bartholomew’s hospital, it being at the same time proposed, that the physicians to that hospital (of whom Dr. Pitcairn was one) should lecture on other branches of medical learning. He took a house, in consequence, in the
neighbourhood of the hospital; and proceeded to prepare
for the execution of his part of the scheme. This proving
abortive, he began to teach anatomy, the following year,
at his own house; and at length succeeded in procuring
annually a considerable number of pupils, attracted to him
solely by the reputation of his being a most diligent and
able teacher. In 1788 he quitted the practice of surgery,
and commenced that of medicine, having previously become a member of the London college oF physicians. In
the ensuing year a dispute arose between John Hunter
and him, which it is proper to relate, as it had influence
on his after-life. When Marshal returned to London, he
renewed his acquaintance with Mr. Hunter, who thought
so well of him, that he requested his attendance at a committee of his friends, to whose correction he submitted his
work on the venereal disease, before it was published. He
became also a member of a small society, instituted by Dr.
Fordyce and Mr. Hunter, for the improvement of medical
and surgical knowledge. Having mentioned at a meeting
of this society, that, in the dissection of those who had
died insane, he had always found marks of disease in the
head, Mr. Hunter denied the truth of this in very coarse
language. The other members interfering, Mr. Hunter
agreed to say, that his expressions did not refer to Dr.
Marshal’s veracity, but to the accuracy of his observation.
Marshal, not being satisfied with this declaration, at the
next meeting of the society demanded a.i ample apology;
but Mr. Hunter, instead of making one, repeated the offensive expressions; on which Marshal poured some water
over his head out of a bottle which had stood near them.
A scuffle ensued, which was immediately stopped by the
other members, and no father personal contention between
them ever occurred. But Marshal, conceiving that their
common friends in the society had, from the superior rank
of Mr. Hunter, favoured him more in this matter than justice permitted, soon after estranged himself from them.
He continued the teaching of anatomy till 1800, in which
year, during a tedious illness, the favourable termination
of which appeared doubtful to him, he resolved, rather
suddenly, to give it up. While he taught anatomy, almost
the whole of the fore-part of the day, during eight months
in the year, was spent by him in his dissecting and lecture
rooms. He had, therefore, but little time for seeing sick
persons, except at hours frequently inconvenient to them;
and was by this means prevented from enjoying much medical practice; but as soon as he had recovered his health,
after ceasing to lecture, his practice began to increase.
The following year it was so far increased as to render it
proper that he should keep a carriage. From this time to
within a few months of his death, an interval of twelve
years, his life flowed on in nearly an equable stream. He
had business enough in the way he conducted it to give
him employment during the greater part of the day; and
his professional profits were sufficient to enable him to live
in the manner he chose, and provide for the wants of sickness and old age. After having appeared somewhat feeble
for two or three years, he made known, for the first time,
in the beginning of last November, that he laboured under
a disease of his bladder, though he must then have been
several years affected with it. His ailment was incurable,
and scarcely admitted of palliation. For several months he
was almost constantly in great pain, which he bore manfully. At length, exhausted by his sufferings, he died on
the 2nd of April, 1813, at his house in Bartlett’s buildings,
Holborn, being then in the seventy-first year of his age.
Agreeably to his own desire, his body was interred in the
church-yard of the parish of St. Pancras. His fortune,
amounting to about bOOO/. was, for the most part, bequeathed to sisters and nephews.
re than digest, to heap up than arrange, to make a scholar than render its possessor a, philosopher; and hence he often appeared to less advantage in conversation than
Though Dr. Marshal’s genius, with the assistance of great industry, enabled him to attain a very considerable proficiency in many different parts of learning, it was not equally well adapted for every purpose of a literary man. It was better fitted to acquire than digest, to heap up than arrange, to make a scholar than render its possessor a, philosopher; and hence he often appeared to less advantage in conversation than other persons of much inferior possessions. The successful exertion of his talents had given him a confidence in them, which otherwise would have been justly regarded as presumptuous. At the age of forty-one, with little previous knowledge of the subject, he began to prepare for being a teacher of anatomy in London, and, in the following year, actually gave a course of lectures upon it. These lectures were not superficial: they were, on the contrary, remarkable for minuteness of description and copiousness of illustration. When he could derive assistance from his other studies, as while speaking ofthe uses of the bones and muscles, he was particularly full and instructive. In his lectures, however, his want of a methodical mind would not unfrequently appear; for he often seemed to be seeking for a thought which was not readily to be found, and sometimes confessed that what he said was not so clear, from want of proper words, as he wished it to be. Though he began thus late to cultivate anatomy, it was ever after a favourite pursuit with him, particularly that part which relates to the ascertaining the seats of diseases. He kept in his house, for many years after ceasing to lecture, at no inconsiderable expense, a person for the purpose of assisting him in anatomical inquiries.
He had probably never, without aid, conducted a patient through an acute and dangerous disorder, before he was appointed surgeon to the Glasgow
He had probably never, without aid, conducted a patient through an acute and dangerous disorder, before he was appointed surgeon to the Glasgow regiment, at which time he was nearly thirty-six years of age. He must, therefore, have less readily acquired, the faculty of distinguishing diseases as they occur in nature, than if he had entered upon the exercise of medicine at an earlier period of life; and it was probably, in part, owing to this circumstance, that, even in his later years, he was slower in the examination of the sick, and more distrustful of his opinion respecting their ailments, than many physicians of much less talent and experience. A strong conscientiousness, however, contributed greatly to the production of these effects. That he might be the less liable to err, he look upon the spot short notes of the states of his patients; these formed the bases of entries which he afterwards made in his Case Book, an employment which for many years occupied nearly three hours every evening. His practice in the army is said to have been bold; that it was successful, is evident from a fact related in his inaugural dissertation, but modestly ascribed by him to the excellent regulations established by his colonel, that, in the regiment in which he served, consisting of about 1000 men, and, from being hastily formed, containing more than the usual proportion of persons unfit for a military life, only sixteen died of disease in the course of nearly four years, and of these, four were not under the management of their own officers at the time of their decease. In London, from having patients to operate upon for the most part originally less strong than soldiers, and afterwards rendered still weaker by long residence in impure air, his mode of treating diseases was necessarily different, and during the last eight years of his life, it was somewhat too inert.
l; but unfortunately the alloy mixed with them was considerable. His temper was extremely irritable; and, when he had once taken offence, he seldom returned to his former
Dr. Marshal’s many amiable qualities placed him high in the estimation of those who knew him well; but unfortunately the alloy mixed with them was considerable. His temper was extremely irritable; and, when he had once taken offence, he seldom returned to his former state with respect to the person who had given it, if an equal or superior, though he might afterwards discover that his resentment was without sufficient cause. He seemed to be afraid, in this case, that a confession of error would be attributed to some base motive for when he found that he had taken offence improperly with persons beneath him, with his servants for instance, he was very ready to avow his fault, and atone for it. He was, besides, of a. melancholy disposition; and, like other men of this temperament, frequently believed, that persons of the most honourable conduct were conspiring to betray and to ruin him. From the nature of his early pursuits, these parts of his character seem not to have exhibited themselves very strongly before he returned to London in 1783; but when he came to mix and jostle in this great city with a crowd of persons intent on their own concerns, and little regardful of those of others, when he found himself neglected by some on whom he fancied he had claims for assistance, and experienced unexpected opposition from others, they became very conspicuous, and often rendered him miserable. The causes of irritation, indeed, ceased in a great measure with his lecturing, and the remainder of his life was passed with comparative tranquillity; but he was now almost without a friend to whom he could freely communicate his thoughts, and, from long disuse, with little relish or fitness for the pleasures of society. In this desolate state his chief amusement consisted in reading the ancient classics, after he had closed his professional labours for the tiay. He generally carried one of these to bed, and read it there till he composed himself for sleep. The Greek authors were more frequently used by him in this way than the Latin; and of the former, Plato more frequently than any other.
e first books of Simson’s “Conic Sections,” apparently undertaken at the suggestion of a bookseller; and a treatise on the “Preservation of the Health of Soldiers.”
It is not known that he ever published any literary works
besides an “Essay on Composition,
” when at Edinburgh;
an “Essay on Ambition,
” written also very early in life; a
translation of the three first books of Simson’s “Conic Sections,
” apparently undertaken at the suggestion of a bookseller; and a treatise on the “Preservation of the Health
of Soldiers.
” He had, indeed, meditated a variety of
other publications, principally on physiology and pathology; but, having pursued a subject with great keenness
till he had gained what he wanted, he could not bring himself to be at the trouble of preparing for the eye of the
world what he had acquired, more especially as new objects
of research presented themselves in quick succession. A
paper upon Hernia, illustrated by drawings taken nearly
20 years ago, and another upon the appearances of the
brain in mania, drawn up from dissections made more than
20 years ago, were left in a state fit for publication; and
the latter has just been published under the title of “The
Morbid Anatomy of the Brain, in Mania and Hydrophobia,
”
by Mr. Sawrey, formerly assistant-lecturer to Dr. Marshal.
To this volume, in 8vo, is prefixed a life of Dr. Marshal,
from which the above particulars are taken, but to which
we may refer as containing many more of considerable interest.
llege, Cambridge, where he took his degree of D. D. in 1717. He was lecturer at Aldermanbury church, and curate of Kentish-town, in Jan. 1715, when, at the recommendation
, a celebrated preacher at
the beginning of the last century, was of Emanuel college,
Cambridge, where he took his degree of D. D. in 1717.
He was lecturer at Aldermanbury church, and curate of
Kentish-town, in Jan. 1715, when, at the recommendation
of the princess of Wales, who was pleased with his manner of preaching, he was appointed one of the king’s
chaplains in 1717, he was rector of the united parishes of St.
Veclast and St. Mich;iel-le-Q.nerne, London and, in Feb.
1731, rector of St. Vedast, lecturer of St. Lawrence Jewry,
and St. Martin Ironmonger-lane, prebendary of Windsor,
and king’s chaplain. These dates and preferments are
collected from his title-pages. He died Feb. 4, 1729. His
principal publications are, “The genuine Works of St.
Cyprian,
” A Defence of our Constitution in
Church and State,
” &c. Remarks;
” and which was also replied to by Matt. Earbury in a tract added to his “Serious Admonition to Dr. Kennett.
” Dr. Marshall’s “Sermons on several occasions
” appeared in Letters to his Nephew,
” recommends
Dr. Marshall’s Sermons, as preferable to Sherlock’s and
Atterbury’s for pathos, and for lively and warm applications.
, an English divine, was born at Barkby in Leicestershire, about 1621, and educated there in grammar learning, under the vicar of that
, an English divine, was born at Barkby in Leicestershire, about 1621, and educated there in grammar learning, under the vicar of that town. He was entered of Lincoln college, Oxford, in 1640; and, about the same time, being a constant hearer of archbishop Usher’s sermons in All-hallows church in that university, he conceived such a high opinion of that prelate, as to wish to make him the pattern of his life. Soon after, Oxford being garrisoned upon the breaking out of the civil wars, he bore arms for the king at his own charge; and therefore, in 1645, when he was a candidate for the degree of bachelor of arts, he was admitted to it without paying fees. Upon the approach of the parliamentary visitors, who usurped the whole power of the university, he went abroad, and became preacher to the company of English merchants at Rotterdam and Dort. In 1661, he was created bachelor of divinity; and, in 1663, chosen fellow of his college, without his solicitation or knowledge. In 1669, while he was at Dort in Holland, he was made doctor of divinity at Oxford; and, in 1672, elected rector of his college, in the room of Dr. Crew, promoted to the bishopric of Oxford. He was afterwards appointed chaplain in ordinary to his majesty, rector of Bladon near Woodstock in Oxfordshire, in May 1680, and was installed dean of Gloucester on April 30, 1681. He resigned Bladon in the year 1682. He died at Lincoln-college in 1685. By his will he gave to the public library at Oxford all such of his books, whether manuscript or printed, as were not then in the library, excepting such only as he had not other-wise disposed of, and the remaining part to Lincoln-college library; in which college also he fitted up the common room, and built the garden-wall.
ish reader, prefixed to Dr. Thomas Hyde’s translation into the Malayan language of the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles,“Oxf. 1677. 4. He took a great deal
He produced some writings; as, 1. “Observationes in
Evangeliorum versiones perantiquas duas, Gothicas scilicet
& Anglo-Saxonicas,
” &c. Dordrecht, The Catechism set forth in the book of Common Prayer, briefly
explained by short notes, grounded upon Holy Scripture/'
Oxf. 1679. These short notes were drawn up by him at
the desire of Dr. John Fell, bishop of Oxford, to be used
by the ministers of his diocese in catechising their children.
3.
” An Epistle for the English reader, prefixed to Dr.
Thomas Hyde’s translation into the Malayan language of
the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles,“Oxf. 1677.
4. He took a great deal of pains in completing
” The Life
of Archbishop Usher,“published by Dr. Richard Parr,
sometime fellow of Exeter college, Lond. 1686. Wood
tells us,
” that he was a person very well versed in books,
a noted critic, especially in the Gothic and English-Saxon
tongues, a painful preacher, a good man and governor,
and one every way worthy of his station in the church;
and that he Whs always taken to be an honest and conscientious puritan.“Dr. Hickes, in
” The Life of Mr. John
Kettlewell,“p. 3, styles him
” a very eminent person in
the learned world; and observes, that what he has published shewed him to be a great man.“Dr. Thomas Smith
styles him also a most excellent man,
” vir pra’stantissimus," and adds, that he was extremely well skilled in the
Saxon, and in the Eastern tongues, especially the Coptic;
and eminent for his strict piety, profound learning, and
other valuable qualifications.
, a very learned English writer, was the second son of Thomas Marsham, esq. alderman of London, and born in the parish of St. Bartholomew’s, Aug. 23, 1602. He was
, a very learned English writer,
was the second son of Thomas Marsham, esq. alderman of
London, and born in the parish of St. Bartholomew’s, Aug.
23, 1602. He was brought up at Westminster school, and
sent thence, in 1619, to St. John’s college in Oxford, where
betook, in due time, his degrees in arts. In 1625, he
went to France, and spent the winter at Paris; in 1626
and 1627, he visited most parts of that kingdom, and of
Italy, and some parts of Germany, and then returned to
London. In 1629, he went through Holland and Guelderland, to the siege of Boisleduc; and thence by Flushing to
Boulogne and Paris, in the retinue of sir Thomas Edmondes, ambassador extraordinary, who was sent to take
the oath of Louis XIII. to the peace newly concluded between England and France. During his residence in London, he studied the law in the Middle Temple; and, in
1638, was sworn one of the six clerks in chancery. Upon
the breaking out of the civil wars, he followed the king and
the great seal to Oxford for which he was deprived of
his place by the parliamentarians, and suffered a vast loss
by the plundering of his estate. After the surrender of
the garrison at Oxford, and the ruin of the king’s affairs,
he returned to London; and, having compounded for his
estate, he betook himself wholly to retirement and study.
In the beginning of 1660, he served as a burgess for the
city of Rochester, in the parliament which recalled Charles
the Second; about which time, being restored to his place
in chancery, he had the honour of knighthood conferred
upon him, and three years after was created a baronet.
He died at Bushy-hall in Hertfordshire, in May 1685; and
his body was interred at Cuckstone near Rochester, where
he had an estate. By Elizabeth his wife, daughter of sir
William Hammond of St. Alban’s, in East Kent, he left
two sons; sir John Marsham, of Cuckstone, bart. and sir
Robert Marsham, of Bushy-hall, knt. both of them studious
and learned men, and the ancestors of the Romney family.
Sir John Marsham was a very accomplished gentleman,
and had acquired a critical knowledge of history, chronology, and languages. He published in 1649, 4to, “Diatriba chronologica;
” in which he examines succinctly the
principal difficulties which occur in the chronology of the
Old Testament.“The greatest part of this was afterwards
inserted in another work, entitled
” Canon chronicus,
Ægyptiacus, Ebraicus, Groecus, & disquisitiones,“Lond.
1672, folio. The principal object of this is to reconcile
the Egyptian dynasties. The Egyptians, as is well known,
pretended to excessive antiquity, and had framed a list of
thirty successive dynasties, which amounted to a number
of years (36,525) greatly exceeding the age of the world.
These were rejected as fabulous by some of the ablest chronologers; but sir John Marsham first conjectured that
these dynasties were not successive, but collateral; and
therefore without rejecting any, he endeavoured to reconcile the entire series in this manner, to the scripture chronology. The attempt, which was highly ingenious, gained
him great reputation, and many contemporary as well as
succeeding authors, have been liberal in their praises. Mr.
Wotton represents him as the first
” who has made the
Egyptian antiquities intelligible: that most learned gentleman,“says he,
” has reduced the wild heap of Egyptian
dynasties into as narrow a compass as the history of Moses
according to the Hebrew account, by the help of a table
of the Theban kings, which he found under Eratosthenes’s
name in the Chronography of Syncellus. For, by that table, he, 1. Distinguished the fabulous and mystical part of
the Egyptian history, from that which seems to look like
matter of fact. 2. He reduced the dynasties into collateral families, reigning at the same time in several parts of
the country; which, as some learned men saw before, was
the only way to make those antiquities consistent with
themselves, which, till then, were confused and incoherent.“Dr. Shuckford, after having represented the foundation of
sir John Marsham’s Canon with regard to Egypt, says that,
” upon these hints and observations, he has opened to us
a prospect of coming at an history of the succession of the
kings of Egypt, and that in a method so natural and easy,
that it must approve itself to any person who enters truly
into the design and conduct of it.“Afterwards, having
given a view of sir John’s scheme, from the beginning of
the reigns of the Egyptian kings down to his Sesostris, or
Sesac, he observes, that,
” if the reader will take the
pains thoroughly to examine it, if he will take it in pieces
into all its parts, review the materials of which it is formed,
consider how they He in the authors from whom they are
taken, and what manner of collecting and disposing them
is made use of, he will find that however in some lesser
points a variation from our very learned author may be defensible, yet no tolerable scheme can be formed of the
ancient Egyptian history, that is not in the main agreeing
with him. Sir John Marsham has led us to a clear and
natural place for the name of every Egyptian king, and
time of his reign," &c. But although sir John Marsham’s
system has been followed by some, it has been strenuously
opposed by other writers, who have represented it as not
only false, but even prejudicial to revelation.
The “Canon Chronicus” was reprinted at Leipsic, in 1676, in 4 to, and at Franeker, 1696, in 4to, with a preface before each edition,
The “Canon Chronicus
” was reprinted at Leipsic, in
Monasticon Anglicanum,
”
which was printed at London, Canonis chronici
liber quintus: sive, Imperium Persicum.
” 2. “De provinciis & legionihus Romanis.
” 3. “De re numeraria,
”
&c. We are likewise in some measure obliged to him for
the “History of Philosophy,
” by his very learned nephew, Thomas Stanley, esq. which excellent work was undertaken chiefly at his instigation, as we are told by Mr.
Stanley himself, in the dedication of it, “to his honoured
uncle sir John Marsham.
”
, an Italian, famous for letters as well as arms, was descended from an ancient and noble family, and born at Bologna in 1658. He was educated with
, an Italian, famous for letters as well as arms, was descended from an ancient and noble family, and born at Bologna in 1658. He was educated with great care, and instructed in all the arts and sciences by the best masters in Italy; learning mathematics of Borelli, anatomy of Malpighi, &c. He went to Constantinople in 167S); and, as he had destined himself for the military profession, he contrived to take a view of the Ottoman forces, and made other observations of a like nature. He examined at the same time, as a philosopher, the Thracian Bosphorus, and its currents. He returned to Italy in 1680; and, the Turks soon after threatening an irruption into Hungary, he went to Vienna, to offer his service to the emperor Leopold II. which was readily accepted. Discovering great knowledge in fortifications and in the science of war, he had the command of a company conferred on him in 1683; and the same year, after a very sharp action, fell unfortunately into the hands of the Tartars. He was sold by them to two Turks, with whom he suffered great hardships; but at length, conveying intelligence of his situation to his friends, who had believed him dead, he was redeemed, and returned to Bologna towards the latter end of 1684. He went again into Germany, was employed by the emperor in several military expeditions, and made a colonel in 1639. A reverse of fortune afterwards overtook him. In the general war which broke out in 1701, on account of the Spanish, succession, the important fortress of Brisac surrendered to the duke of Burgundy, Sept. 6, 1703, thirteen days after the trenches were open: and it being judged that the place was capable of holding out much longer, the consequence was, that count d‘Arco, who commanded, lost his head; and Marsigli, who was then advanced to be a marshal, was stripped of all his honours and commissions, and had his sword broken over him. This sentence was executed on Feb. 18 following. He afterwards attempted to justify the surrender before the emperor; but, not being able to get admittance, he published a memorial, the purport of which was to shew, that long before the siege of Brisac, it had been represented and proved, that the place could not be defended for any long time. It was in fact the geneEfd opinion that d’Arco and he had been sacrificed, to exculpate the prince of Baden, who had posted a numerous artillery in a bad situation, and with a very weak garrison. When Marsigli went afterwards into France, and appeared at court without a sword, the king presented him with that which he himself wore, and assured him cf his favour.
Released now from public concerns, he returned to his studies; and it was his peculiar good fortune, that amidst the hurry, and
Released now from public concerns, he returned to his
studies; and it was his peculiar good fortune, that amidst
the hurry, and noise, and fatigue of war, he had made all
the advantages which the most philosophic man ecu i have
made, who had travelled pureiy in quest of knowledge;
hact determined the situation of places by, astronomical
methods, measured the course and swiftness of rivers,
studied the fossils, the vegetables, the animals of each
country, made anatomical and chemical experiments, and
done, in short, every thing which a man of science could
do, and with such a fund of knowledge, knew how to fill
up his time in the most agreeable as well as honourable
manner. While at Marseilles, he was called by pope Clement XL in 1709, and invested with a military commission.
Returning soon after to Bologna, he began to execute a
design which he had long been meditating. He had a
rich collection of every thing that might contribute to the
advancement of natural knowledge: instruments proper
for astronomical and chemical experiments, plans for fortifications, models of machines, &c. &c. All these he
presented to the senate of Bologna, by an authentic act,
dated Jan. 11, 1712; forming, at the same time, a body
out of them, which he called “The institute of the arts
and sciences at Bologna.
” He afterwards founded a printing-house, and furnished it with the best types for Latin,
Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic. He presented this to the
Dominicans at Bologna, in 1728, ‘on condition that ’all the
writings of the “Institute, &c.
” should be printed there at
prime cost. It was called “The printing-house of St.
Thomas of Aquinas.
”
d Nov. 1, 1730. He was a member of the academy of sciences at Paris, of the royal society at London, and of that of Montpelier. His writings are numerous and valuable,
Having executed these munificent designs, he returned
to Marseilles in 1728, for the sake of finishing some philosophical observations upon the sea ywhich he had formerly
begun there but was interrupted by the stroke of an
apoplexy in 1729, which occasioned the physicians to send
him back to his native air, where he died Nov. 1, 1730.
He was a member of the academy of sciences at Paris, of
the royal society at London, and of that of Montpelier.
His writings are numerous and valuable, in French, Italian,
and Latin, and upon philosophical subjects. The principal are, 1. “Observations concerning the Thracian Bosphorus,
” Rome, Histoire Physique de la Mer,
”
Amst. Danubius Pannonico-mysicus,
” a
description of the Danube in its Hungarian and Turkish
course, A Dissertation
n the Bolognian Phosphorus;
” “Memoir concerning the
Flowers of Coral;
” “Dissertation on the Generation of
Fungi;
” “On Trajan’s Bridge.
”
an of some credit, was born at Paris in 16*7. He took the habit of a canon regular of St. Gdnevieve, and was sent to regulate the chapter of Usez, where he was made
, a French historian of some
credit, was born at Paris in 16*7. He took the habit of a
canon regular of St. Gdnevieve, and was sent to regulate the
chapter of Usez, where he was made provost. This office
he resigned in favour of the abbe Poncet, who was afterwards bishop of Angers. Some time after, he was made
archdeacon of Usez, and died in that city Aug. 30, 1724,
at the age of 78. Marsollier published several histories,
which are still read by his countrymen with some pleasure:
the style, though occasionally debased by low and familiar
expressions, being in general rather lively and flowing.
There are extant by him, 1. “A History of Cardinal Ximenes,
” in A History
of Henry VII. King of England,
” reprinted in 1727, in
2 vols. 12mo. Some consider this as the master-piece of
the author. 3. “The History of the Inquisition and its
origin,
” Life of St. Francis de Sales,
” 2
vols. 12mo. 5. “The Life of Madame de Chantal,
” 2 vols.
12mo. 6. “The Life of Dom Ranqe, abbe and reformer
of La Trappe,
” Dialogues on
many Duties of Life,
” The History of Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne, duke of Bouillon,
” 3 vols. 12mo. Not much
esteemed. 9. “An Apology for Erasmus,
” 12mo; whose
catholic orthodoxy the author undertakes to prove from
passages in his works. 10. “A History of Tenths, and
other temporal Goods of the Church,
” Paris,
, an English dramatic author, who lived in the time of James I. and wrote eight plays. Wood says, “that he was a student in Corpus-Christi
, an English dramatic author, who
lived in the time of James I. and wrote eight plays. Wood
says, “that he was a student in Corpus-Christi college,
Oxford; but where he was born, or from what family descended, is not known.
” When he left Oxford, he was
entered of the Middle Temple, of which society he was
chosen lecturer in the 34th of Elizabeth; but much more
of his personal history is not known. He lived in friendship with Ben Jonson, as appears by his addressing to him
his “Malecontent,
” a tragi-comedy, in Catiline and Sejanus,
” in his “Epistle
”
prefixed to “Sophonisba,
” another tragedy. “Know,
”
says he, “that I have not laboured an this poem, to relate
any thing as an historian, but to enlarge every thing as a
poet. To transcribe authors, quote authorities, and to
translate Latin prose orations into English blank verse,
hath in this subject been the least aim of my studies.
”
Langbaine observes, and with good reason, “that none,
who are acquainted with the works of Ben Jonson, can
doubt that he is meant here, if they will compare the orations in Sallust with those in his Cataline.
” Jonson appears
to have quarrelled with him and Decker, and is supposed
to have ridiculed both in his “Poetaster.
”
Marston contributed eight plays to the stage, which were all acted at the Black-Friars with applause and one of them, called “The Dutch Courtezan,” was once revived
Marston contributed eight plays to the stage, which
were all acted at the Black-Friars with applause and one
of them, called “The Dutch Courtezan,
” was once revived since, the restoration, under the title of “The Revenge, or a Match in Newgate.
” In The Scourge of Villainy,'
” which were printed at
London in Malecontent^
” in his
Collection of Old English Plays, vol. IV. Marston was a
chaste and pure writer, avoiding all that obscenity, ribaldry, and scurrility which too many of the playwrights of
that time, and much more so in periods since, have made
the basis of their wit, to the great disgrace of the age. He
abhorred such writers, and their works, and pursued so
opposite a practice in his performances, that “whatsoever
even in the spring of his years, he presented upon the
public and private theatre, in his autumn and declining
age he needed not be ashamed of.
”
, a Latin poet, and miscellaneous writer, was born at Paris, and entered early into
, a Latin poet, and miscellaneous writer, was born at Paris, and entered early
into the society of Jesuits, where he displayed and cultivated very excellent literary talents. When he was hardly
twenty, he published some Latin poems which gained him
credit. His religious opinionsbeing soon found too bold
for the society to which he belonged, he was obliged to
quit it; and having published in 1754, an “Analysis of
Bayle,
” in 4 vols. 12mo, he fell into still greater and perhaps more merited disgrace. His books were proscribed
by the parliament of Paris, and himself shut up in the
Bastile. This book contains a compilation of the most
offensive matter contained in the volumes of Bayle, and
has since been republished in Holland, with four additional
volumes. Having, for a time, regained his liberty, he
was proceeding in his modern history (a work of which he had already published some volumes), when he died suddenly in December 1763. Besides the analysis of Bayle,
already mentioned, he published, I. The History of
Mary Stuart,“1742, 3 vols. 12mo, a correct and elegant
work, in which he was assisted by Fréron. 2.
” Memoires
de Melvill,“translated from the English, 1745, S^vols.
12mo. 3.
” Abridged Dictionary of Painting and Architecture,“2 vols. 12mo. 4.
” Le Rabelais moderne,“or
the works of Rabelais made intelligible to readers in geaeral, 1752, 8 vols. 12mo. This is by no means executed
in a manner either satisfactory to the reader, or creditable
to the author. Some of the obscurities are removed or
explained, but all that is offensive to decency is left.
5.
” The Prince,“translated from father Paul, 1751.
6.
” The Modern History, intended to serve as a continuation of Rollin’s Ancient History,“in 26 vols. 12mo.
This is written with regularity, but little elegance. The
abbe Marsy has since had a continuator in Richer, who has
written with less order, but more profundity of research,
especially respecting America and Russia. 7.
” Pictura,"
in 12mo, 1756. This poem on painting, is considered as less
learned in the art, and in that respect less instructive, than
that of du Fresnoy; but he has shown himself a more pure
and original Latin poet. There is also a poem in Latin by
this author, on tragedy. The opinion of his countrymen
is, that his fame rests principally on these Latin poems,
and that there was nothing brilliant in his literary career
afterwards.
service he was employed about 1590, attended that prince in the wars of Dauphiny, Savoy, Languedoc, and Normandy; and at Mothe-Frelon saved his life by bleeding him
, a French surgeon under Henry
IV. in whose service he was employed about 1590, attended
that prince in the wars of Dauphiny, Savoy, Languedoc,
and Normandy; and at Mothe-Frelon saved his life by
bleeding him judiciously, in a fever brought on by fatigue.
In consequence of this, he gained the full confidence of
the king, and was made his chief surgeon. He was the
author of a work entitled “L‘Apologie pour les Chirurgiens, centre ceux qui publient qu’ils ne doivent se meler
de remettre les os rompus et demis.
” He wrote also,
“Paradoxes on the practice of Surgery,
” in which some
modern improvements are anticipated. His works are
printed, with the surgery of Philip de Flesselle, at Paris,
in 1635, 12mo.
, a Florentine poet, born about 1500, wrote verses serious and grotesque. The former were published in 8vo, at Florence, in
, a Florentine poet, born about
1500, wrote verses serious and grotesque. The former
were published in 8vo, at Florence, in 1548; the latter
appear in the second volume of “Poesie Bernesche.
” 'He
was also a celebrated dramatic writer. He died in Rime,
”
or lyrics, which were much esteemed. He died in
, an eminent Italian poet, was born at Bologna in 1665, and was educated at the Jesuits’ school, and at the university of
, an eminent Italian poet,
was born at Bologna in 1665, and was educated at the
Jesuits’ school, and at the university of his native city,
after which he devqted himself to the study of classical
literature, and having obtained the post of one of the
secretaries to the senate of B*ologna, was enabled to follow
his studies without much interruption. After publishing a
serious poem, entitled “Gli Ocche di Gesu,
” The Eyes of
Jesus, he produced a tragedy called “La Morte di Nerone,
”
which with several of liis other pieces was acted with
great^ applause. In Del
Volo,
” On Flying, in which he endeavoured to prove that
men and heavy bodies might be supported in the air, and
also wrote several discourses in verse concerning the art of
poetry. When he accompanied Aldrovandi, who was appointed the pope’s legate at the courts of France and
Spain, he wrote at Paris his opinions “On
” ancient and
modern Tragedy,“in the form of dialogues; and on his
return to Rome, he published his tragedies in three volumes, and was reckoned to have conferred a great benefit
on Italian literature, although his style is often too turgid
and florid for a model. He also began a poem
” On the
Arrival of Charlemagne in Italy, and his Accession to the
Western Empire,“which he never finished. He died in
1727, at the age of sixty-two, leaving the character of a
man of amiable manners and social qualities. His principal works,
” Versi et Prose," were printed at Bologna in
1729, 7 vols. 8vo.
Monks, are illustrated by these volumes. 3. A Latin treatise, “on the ancient Ecclesiastical Rites, and on the Sacraments,” Rheims, 1700 and 1701, 3 vols. 4to. 4. A
, a benedictine of the congregation of St. Maur, was born in 1654, at St. Jean-deLosne, in the diocese of Langres. Among his brethren,
so highly famous for arduous efforts in literature, he was
distinguished for his very laborious researches, no less than
for his eminent virtues. The vast extent of his learning
did not interfere with the simplicity of his manners, any
more than his great attachment to study, with his attention
to monastic duties. He died of an apoplexy in 1739, at
the age of 85. His principal works are, 1. “A Latin
Commentary on the monastic rules of St, Benedict,
” a
work of curious research on that subject, Paris, De antiquis monachorum ritibus,
” Lyons, on the ancient Ecclesiastical Rites, and
on the Sacraments,
” Rheims, 1700 and 1701, 3 vols. 4to.
4. A Latin treatise on the Discipline of the Church. 5.
“Thesaurus anecdotorum novus,
” Voyage Literaire de deux Benedictins,
” Paris, Veterum Scriptorum et Monumentorum Ecclesiasticorum, et dogmaticorum, amplissima collectio,
”
, an eminent printer, was born at Alost, in Flanders, in 1454. He began printing in 1473, and died in 1534. He is celebrated as the person who first introduced
, an eminent printer, was born at Alost, in Flanders, in 1454. He began printing in 1473, and died in 1534. He is celebrated as the person who first introduced the art of printing into the Netherlands; having exercised this useful and noble art nearly sixty years at Alost, Louvain, and Antwerp. He was an author as well as a printer; and wrote Latin hymns in honour of the saints, a dialogue on the virtues, and other pieces; but he is more renowned for the many beautiful editions of other men’s works which issued from his presses. He was highly esteemed by the learned men of the period in which he lived, arf8 enjoyed the friendship of Erasmus, who lodged in his house. He employed the double anchor as a sign of the books that were printed at his office.
, an ancient Latin poet, and the model of epigrammatists, was born at Bilbilis, now called
, an ancient Latin
poet, and the model of epigrammatists, was born at Bilbilis, now called Bubiera, a town of the ancient Celtiberia
in Spain, which is the kingdom of Arragon. He was born,
as is supposed, in the reign of Claudius, and went to
Rome when he was about twenty-one. He was sent thither with a view of prosecuting the law; but soon forsook
that study, and applied himself to poetry. He excelled
so much in the epigrammatic style, that he soon acquired
reputation, and was courted by many of the first rank at
Rome. Silius Italicus, Stella, and Pliny the younger,
were his friends and patrons. Stertinius, a noble Roman,
had so great an esteem for his compositions, that he placed
> his statue in his library, while he was yet living; and the
emperor Verus, who reigned with Antoninus the philosopher, used to call him his Virgil, which was as high an
honour as could well be paid to him. We learn also from
Pliny and Tacitus, as well as from several passages in his
own writings, that he had honours and dignities bestowed
upon him by some of the emperors. Domitian, whom it
must be confessed he has flattered not a little, made him
a Roman knight, and gave him likewise the “Jus trium
liberorum,
” the privileges of a citizen who had three children. He was also advanced to the tribunate. But though
he was so particularly honoured, and had so many great and
noble patrons, who admired him for his wit and poetry, it
does not appear that he made his fortune among them.
There is reason to think that, after the death of Domitian,
his credit and interest declined at Rome; and if he had
still remaining among the nobles some patrpns, such as
Pliny, Cornelius Priscus, &c. yet the emperor Nerva took
but little notice of him, and the emperor Trajan none at
all. Tired of Rome, therefore, after he had lived in that
city about four and thirty years, and grown, as himself
tells us, grey-headed, he returned to his own country
Bilbilis, where he took a wife, and had the happiness to
live with her several years. He admired her much, as
one who alone was sufficient to supply the want of every
thing he enjoyed at Rome. She appears to have brought
him a very large fortune; for, in one of his epigrams
he extols the magnificence of the house and gardens
he had received from her, and says, “that she had made
him a little kind of monarch.
” About three years after he
had retired into Spain, he inscribed his twelfth book of
Epigrams to Priscus, who had been his friend and benefactor; and is supposed to have died about the year 100.
As an epigrammatist, Martial is eminently distinguished,
and has been followed as a model by all succeeding wits.
All his efforts, however, are not equally successful, and
many of his epigrams are perhaps unjustly so called, being
merely thoughts or sentiments without applicable point.
He offends often by gross indelicacy, which was the vice
of the times; but his style is in general excellent, and his
frequent allusion to persons and customs render his works
very interesting to classical antiquaries.
His works were first printed at Venice, as is supposed in. 1470, then at Ferrara in 1471, Rome 1473, and Venice 1475. These are the most rare and valuable editions.
His works were first printed at Venice, as is supposed in. 1470, then at Ferrara in 1471, Rome 1473, and Venice 1475. These are the most rare and valuable editions. The more modern and useful are: that of Aldus, 1501 by Raderus, 1627, fol. by Scriverius, 1619, 12mo; the Variorum of 1670; and the Bipont edition of 1784, 2 vols. 8vo. A strange absurdity occurs in the Delphin edition, 1680, 4to, where all the indelicate epigrams are omitted in the body of the work, but carefully collected at the end! This has, however, been followed and perhaps exceeded by Smids, in the Amsterdam edition of 1701, who, having ornamented his edition with engravings, places the more indelicate ones at the end of the volume.
, a French poet of the fifteenth century, was procurator in parliament, and notary of the chatelet at Paris, where also he was born; and
, a French poet of the fifteenth century, was procurator in parliament, and notary
of the chatelet at Paris, where also he was born; and died
in 1508, regarded as one of the most pleasing men and
easy writers of his age. He wrote, 1. “Arrets l'Amour,
”
Love-causes, the thought of which was taken from the
Troubadours of Provence, but handled with great skill
and eloquence. The introduction and the close are in
verse the rest in prose. 2. “Vigiles de larnort du Roi,
”
an historical poem on tKe death of Charles VII.; in which,
in the form of the Romish office, entitled Vigils, he recites
the misfortunes and the glorious acts of his hero; and
displays his honest love of virtue and hatred of vice. 3.
“L‘Amant rendu Cordelier de l’observance d' Amour;
” a
poem of Devotes louanges a laVierge
Marie,
” in 8vo, an historical poem on the life of the virgin Mary a legend in bad verse, filled with the fables
which were at that time believed.
a village in Gascony, in 1647. He entered into the congregation of St. Maur at twenty years of age; and applied himself to the study of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew
, a Benedictine monk, who distinguished himself by an edition of St. Jerome, was born
at St. Sever, a village in Gascony, in 1647. He entered
into the congregation of St. Maur at twenty years of age;
and applied himself to the study of the Latin, Greek, and
Hebrew languages. He read lectures upon the holy scriptures in several monasteries, at x\rles, at Avignon, at Bourdeaux: in the last of which places he accidentally met
with father Pezron’s book called “The antiquity of time
re-established;
” “L'Antiquite du temps retablie.
” The
authority of the Hebrew text, and the chronology of the
Vulgate, being attacked in this work, Martianay resolved
to defend them in two or three pieces, published against
Pezron and Isaac Vossius, who maintained the Septuagint
version. This monk died of an apoplexy in 1717, after
having spent fifty years in a scrupulous observance of all
the duties belonging to his order, and in writing more than
twenty works, of which the most distinguished is his edition of the works of St. Jerome, in 5 vols. folio; the first
of which was published at Paris in 1693, the second in
1699. In his notes on these two volumes he criticized
several learned men, as well papists as protestants,
with much severity, and even contumely; which
provoked Le Clerc, who was one of them, to examine the
merits of this edition and of the editor. This he did in a
volume published in 12mo, at Amsterdam, in 1700, with
this title, “Quaestiones Hie,ronymianae, in qnibus expenditur Hieronymi nupera editio Parisina, &c.
” in which he
endeavours to shew that Martianay, notwithstanding the
indecent petulances he had exercised towards other critics,
had none of the requisites to qualify him for an editor of
St. Jerome; that he had not a competent skill either in
the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, or in the ancient interpreters of scripture, or in profane authors, or
in the science of manuscripts, for this work. Martianay
published the third volume in 1704, the fourth in 1705,
and the fifth in 1706; and Le Clerc published, in the
seventeenth tome of his “Bibliotheque choisee,
” some
copious remarks upon these three last volumes, in order
to confirm the judgment he had passed on the two first.
Nevertheless, Martianay’s edition of Jerome was by many
thought the best, even after the appearance of Vallarsius’s
edition.
ient classical poets into prose. He gave in this way, versions of, 1. Terence. 2. Horace. 3. Juvenal and Persius. 4-. Virgil. 5. Ovid, entire, in 9 vols. 12 mo. These
, seems to be one of the first French writers who practised the plan, so little approved in England, of translating the ancient classical poets into prose. He gave in this way, versions of, 1. Terence. 2. Horace. 3. Juvenal and Persius. 4-. Virgil. 5. Ovid, entire, in 9 vols. 12 mo. These translations are in general clear and exact, but want elegance, and purity of style. This laborious writer published also lives of the archbishops, &c. of Paris, of the seventeenth century, in 4to. He died in 1698, at the age of seventy.
, an eminent optician, was born at Worplesdon, in Surrey, in 1704, and began life as a plough-boy at Broad-street, a hamlet belonging
, an eminent optician, was born
at Worplesdon, in Surrey, in 1704, and began life as a
plough-boy at Broad-street, a hamlet belonging to that
parish. By some means, however, he contrived to learn
reading, writing, and arithmetic, so as to be soon enabled
to teach them to others. For some time he continued to
assist in the farming business, but, as our authority states,
“finding that he became a poor husbandman in proportion
as he grew a learned one, he prudently forsook what indeed he had no great inclination for,
” and having a strong
inclination to mathematics and philosophical speculations,
now entered upon such a course of reading and study as in
some measure supplied the want of a learned education.
The historian of Surrey says that he first taught reading
and writing at Guildford. It was probably some time after
this that a legacy of five hundred pounds bequeathed to
him by a relation encouraged his laudable ambition, and
after purchasing books, instruments, &c. and acquiring
some knowledge of the languages, we find him, in 1735,
settled at Chichester, where he taught mathematics, and
performed courses of experimental philosophy. At this
time he published his first work, “The Philosophical
Grammar; being a view of the present state of experimental physiology, or naturaf philosophy, &c.
” London,
8vo. When he came up to London we have not been
able to discover, but after settling there he read lectures
on experimental philosophy for many years, and carried
on a very extensive trade as an optician and globe-maker
in Fleet-street, till the growing infirmities of old age compelled him to withdraw from the active part of business.
Trusting too fatally to what he thought the integrity of
others, he unfortunately, though with a capital more than
sufficient to pay all his debts, became a bankrupt. The
unhappy old man, in a moment of desperation from this
unexpected stroke, attempted to destroy himself; and the
wound, though not immediately mortal, hastened his death,
which happened Feb. 9th, 1782, at seventy-eight years
of age.
He had a valuable collection of fossils and curiosities of every species, which after his death were almost
He had a valuable collection of fossils and curiosities of
every species, which after his death were almost given
away by public auction. He was indefatigable as an artist,
and as a writer he had a very happy method of explaining
his subject, and wrote with clearness, and even considerable elegance. He was chiefly eminent in the science
of optics; but he was well skilled in the whole circle of the
mathematical and philosophical sciences, and wrote useful
books on every one of them; though he was not distinguished by any remarkable inventions or discoveries of his
own. His publications were very numerous, and generally
useful some of the principal of them were as follow 1 “The
Philosophical Grammar,
” already mentioned. 2. “A new,
complete, and universal system or body of Decimal Arithmetic,
” The young student’s Memorial
Book, or Patent Library,
” Description
and use of both the Globes, the Armillary Sphere and Orrery,
” Elements of Geometry,
”
Memoirs of the Academy of Paris,
” Panegyric of the Newtonian Philosophy,
”
On the new construction of the Globes,
” System of the Newtonian Philosophy,
” New Elements of Optics,
” Mathematical Institutions, viz. arithmetic, algebra, geometry,
and fluxions,
” Natural History of England,
with a map of each county,
” Philology and Philosophical Geography,
” Mathematical Institutions,
” Biographia Philosophica, or Lives of Philosophers,
” Introduction to the Newtonian Philosophy,
”
Institutions of Astronomical Calculations,
”
two parts, Description and use of the Air
Pump,
” Description of the Torricellian Barometer,
” Appendix to the Description and
Use of the Globes,
” Philosophia Britannica,
”
Philosophical Magazine.
” This when
complete consists of 14 volumes, but there are parts sold
separately, as “The Miscellaneous Correspondence,
” 4
vols. It was discontinued for want of encouragement,
which, however, it appears to have deserved, as it afforded
a very correct state of scientific knowledge at that time.
ut settled in Holland after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He was at once a good theologian, and a good philosopher, in both of which capacities he gave lectures
, a protestant divine, was born at
Revel, in Languedoc, in 1639, but settled in Holland
after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He was at
once a good theologian, and a good philosopher, in both
of which capacities he gave lectures at Utrecht, when he
was settled as a pastor in that city. Though he was much
absent from France, he retained a critical and accurate
knowledge of its language, and when the French academy
announced the second edition of their dictionary, he transmitted to them some remarks which were received with
applause. He died at Utrecht, of a violent fever, in 1721.
He was universally regretted in that place, from his probity, modesty, and ex9ellence of character; his heart was
affectionate and compassionate, and-he delighted in doing
good offices without being solicited, and without expecting
even gratitude in return. He published, 1. “A History
of the Old and New Testament,
” in 2 vols. folio, printed
at Amsterdam in 1707, with 424 fine plates. It is often,
called Mortier’s Bible, from the name of the printer; and
the early impressions are distinguished by the absence of a
little defect in the last plate, which arose from a fracture
of the plate after a few had been taken. 2. “Eight Sermons,
” A treatise on Natural Religion,
”
An Explanation of the 110th Psalm,
”
against John Masson, Two Dissertations,
”
one in defence of the authenticity of the controverted text,
1 John v. 7. the other in favour of the passage of Josephus,
in which Christ is mentioned, 1722, 8vo. 6. “A Bible
with short notes,
” Amsterdam, A
treatise on Revealed Religion,
” in which he ably supports
the divine inspiration of the sacred books; reprinted at
Amsterdam in 1723, in 2 vols. 8vo. This useful and judicious work has been translated into English. Martin
wrote with ease, but not with a facility of style; but his
talents were considerable, his memory good, and hisjudgment sound.
ers of eminence as to deserve a brief notice here, was born at Maxfield, near Winchelsea, in Sussex, and was admitted one of the original scholars of St. John’s college,
, a learned popish writer, whose
name is so much connected with some protestant writers of
eminence as to deserve a brief notice here, was born at
Maxfield, near Winchelsea, in Sussex, and was admitted
one of the original scholars of St. John’s college, Oxford,
in 1557, by sir Thomas White, the founder. In 1564 he
proceeded M. A. and was afterwards taken into the family
of Thomas, duke of Norfolk, as tutor to his children, and
particularly to Philip, earl of Surrey. Such had been
Martin’s reputation at college, that when the duke paid a
visit to St. John’s, one of the society, in a Latin address to
his grace, introduced his name with this panegyric: “Habes,
illustrissime dux, Hebraeum nostrum, Grsecum nostrum,
poetam nostrum, decus et gloriam nostrum,
” implying
that Martin was their best Hebrew and Greek scholar and
poet, and an ornament to their college. Having embraced
the Roman catholic religion, which he chose no longer to
conceal, he went to the English college at Douay in 1570,
where he was ordained priest in 1573, and licentiate in
divinity in 1575. After a visit in the following year to
Rome, he returned to Doway and taught Hebrew, and
gave lectures on the Scriptures. When the college was
removed to Rheims, he undertook to translate the Bible
into English from the Vulgate, and Dodd is of opinion
that what is called “The Rheims translation,
” may be
entirely ascribed to him. It was. not, however, published
at one time. The New Testament appeared first atRheims
and Antwerp, with Bristow’s notes, and the Old Testament several years afterwards, with the editor, Dr. Worthington’s notes. The New Testament, as we have noticed,
under their respective articles, was answered by Fulk and
Cartwright. Martin died Oct. 28, 1582, atRheims. He
published some other works, a list of which may be seen,
in Wood and Dodd, but is scarcely worth transcribing.
Camden says that in 1584 a book of his appeared in which
queen Elizabeth’s gentlewomen were exhorted to serve her
as Judith had served Holofernes. The catholic "writers,
however, deny this, and apparently with justice.
earned Benedictine of the congregation of St. Maur, was born at Tanjaux in Upper Languedoc, in 1694, and became a Benedictine in 1709. After having taught the learned
, a learned Benedictine of the congregation of St. Maur, was born at Tanjaux in Upper Languedoc, in 1694, and became a Benedictine in 1709. After
having taught the learned languages in his native province,
he removed to the capital in 1727. He was there regarded as a man of a singular and violent temper; rather
whimsical as a scholar, and not always sufficiently prudent
or modest as a writer; yet he was one of the ablest authors produced by the congregation of St. Maur, and
would have been excellent had he met with any judicious
friend to correct the sallies of his too active imagination.
His latter years were much embittered by the gravel and
the gout, under the torments of which complaints he suffered, with great piety, a kind of lingering death, which
did not dismiss him from his sufferings till 1751, when he
was in his seventieth year. He wrote, 1. “A treatise on
the Religion of the ancient Gauls,
” Paris, History of the Gauls, &c. from their origin to the
foundation of the French monarchy,
” An Explication of several difficult
Texts of Scripture,
” Paris, An Explanation of ancient Monuments, &c. wiih an examination of an edition of St. Jerom,
and a treatise on Judicial Astrology,
” Paris, 173u, 4to.
Besides a vast scope of erudition, this book is adorned by
many lively traits, and a very animated style. 5. “A
Project for an Alphabetical Library,
” containing much
learning, and many misplaced witticisms. 6. “A Translation of -the Confessions of St. Augustin,
” which is exact,
and is accompanied with judicious notes.
, an eminent civilian, the son of Thomas Martin, was born at Cerne, in Dorsetshire, and educated at Winchester school, whence he was admitted fellow
, an eminent civilian, the son of
Thomas Martin, was born at Cerne, in Dorsetshire, and
educated at Winchester school, whence he was admitted
fellow of New college, Oxford, in 1539. He applied himself chiefly to the canon and civil law, which he likewise
studied at Bourges, and was admitted doctor. On entering upon practice in Doctors’ Commons, he resigned his
fellowship; and in 1555, being incorporated LL. D. at
Oxford, he was made chancellor of the diocese of Winchester. This he owed to the recommendation of bishop
Gardiner, who had a great opinion of his zeal and abilities,
and no doubt very justly, as he found him a ready and
useful assistant in the persecution of the protestants in
queen Mary’s time. Among other instances, he was joined
in commission with Story in the trial of archbishop Cranmer at Oxford. His proceedings on that occasion may be
seen in Fox’s “Acts and Monuments
” under the years 1555
and 1556. His conduct probably was not very grosser
tyrannical, as, although he was deprived of his offices in
Elizabeth’s reign, he was allowed quietly to retire with
his family to Ilfield in Sussex, where he continued in privacy until his death in 1584. He wrote two works against
the marriage of priests; but that which chiefly entitles him
to some notice here, was his Latin “Life of William of
Wykeham,
” the munificent founder of New college, the
ms. of which is in the library of that college. It was first
published in 1597, 4to, and reprinted, without any correction or improvement, by Dr. Nicholas, warden of Winchester, in 1690, who does not seem to have been aware
how much more might be recovered of Wykeham, as Dr.
Lowth has proved. This excellent biographer says that
Martin seems not so much to have wanted diligence in
collecting proper materials, as care and judgment in digesting and composing them. But it is unnecessary to say
much of what is now rendered useless by Dr. Lowth’s work.
Dr. Martin bequeathed, or gave in his life-time, several
valuable books to New college library.
St. John, in Suffolk, where he was buried in 1677, His father William was rector of Great Livermere, and of St. Mary’s in Thetford, both in the same county. He married
, an English antiquary, was born at
Thetford, in the school-house in St. Mary’s parish (the only remaining parish of that town in Suffolk), March 8,
1697. His grandfather, William, was rector of Stantori
St. John, in Suffolk, where he was buried in 1677, His
father William was rector of Great Livermere, and of St.
Mary’s in Thetford, both in the same county. He married Elizabeth, only daughter of Mr. Thomas Eurrough,
of Bury St. Edmonds, and aunt to the late sir James Burrough, master of Caius college, Cambridge: he died in
1721, aged seventy-one, and was buried in Livermere
chancel, where his son Thomas, not long before his death,
placed a monument for him, and his mother, and their
children, who were then all dead except himself, “now
by God’s permission residing at Palgrave.
” Thomas was
the seventh of nine children. His school education was
probably at Thetford. In 1715 he had been some time
clerk to his brother Robert, who practised as an attorney
there; but it appears by some objections to that employment in his own hand-writing, in that year, that he was
very uneasy and dissatisfied with that way of life. As
these give us the state of his mind, and the bent of his
inclination at that early period, and may perhaps account
for his succeeding unsettled turn "and little application to
his business, they may be worth preserving in his own
words.
Objections.—" First, my mind and inclinations are wholly to Cambridge, having already found by
Objections.—" First, my mind and inclinations are wholly to Cambridge, having already found by experience that I can never settle to my present employment. 2. I was always designed for Cambridge by my father, and I believe am the only instance in the world that ever went to school so long to be a lawyer’s clerk. 3. 1 always wished that I might lead a private retired life, which can never happen if I be an attorney but on the contrary, I must have the care and concern of several people’s business besides mine own, &c. 4. If I be a lawyer, the will of the dead can never be fulfilled, viz. of my sister Elizabeth, who left 10l. to enter me at college; and aunt Burrough, to whom I have promised (at her earnest request) that I never would be a lawyer; nay, my brother himself had promised her I never should. 5. It was always counted ruination for young persons to be brought up at home, and I'm sure there’s no worse town under the sun for breeding or conversation than this. 6. Though I should serve my time out with my brother, I should never fancy the study of the law, having got a taste of a more noble and pleasant study. Questions. But perhaps these questions may be asked me, to which I shall answer as follows: Why I came to my brother at all? and have absented myself thus long from school? Or why I have not spoke my mind before this time? Answers. 1. Though I am with my brother, it was none of my desire (having always confessed an aversion to his employment), but was almost forced to it by the persuasion of a great many, ringing it in my ears that this was the gainfullest employment, &c. 2. Though I have lost some time in school learning, I have read a great deal of history, poetry, &c. which might have taken up. as much time at Cambridge had 1 kept at school. 3. I have staid thus long, thinking continual use might have made it easy to me; but the longer I stay, the worse I like it.
722 be still probably resided at Thetford; for, having married Sarah the widow of Mr. Thomas Hopley, and daughter of Mr. John Tyrrel, of Thetford, his first child was
He was, however, by some means or other, kept from executing his favourite plan of going to Cambridge. In 1722 be still probably resided at Thetford; for, having married Sarah the widow of Mr. Thomas Hopley, and daughter of Mr. John Tyrrel, of Thetford, his first child was born there that year; in 1723 his second was born at Palgrave in Suffolk, as were the rest. This wife bore him, eight children, and died Nov. 15, 1731, ten days after she had been delivered of twins. He very soon, however, repaired this loss, by marrying Frances, the widow of Peter le Neve, Norroy king at arms, who had not long been dead, and to whom he was executor. By this lady he came into the possession of a very valuable collection of English antiquities, pictures, &c. She bore him also about as many children as his former wife (four of whom, as well as five of the others, arrived at manhood), and died, we believe, before him. He died March 7, 1771, and was buried, with others of his family, in Palgrave church-porch, where no epitaph as yet records the name of that man who has so industriously preserved those of others , though Mr. Ives had promised his friends that he would erect a monument for him, and had actually drawn up a plain inscription for it.
Mr. Martin’s desire was not only to be esteemed, but to be known and distinguished by the name of, “Honest Tom Martin of Palgrave
Mr. Martin’s desire was not only to be esteemed, but to
be known and distinguished by the name of, “Honest Tom
Martin of Palgrave f,
” an ambition in which his acquaintance saw no reason not to gratify him; and we have observed, with pleasure, several strokes of moral sentiment
scattered about his rough church notes. These were the
genuine effusions of his heart, not designed for the public eye, and therefore mark his real character in that respect. Had he desired the appellation of wise and prudent,
his inattention to his business, his contempt and improper
use of money, and his fondness for mixed and festive company, would have debarred him, as the father of a numerous, family, of that pretension. As an antiquary, he was
most skilful and indefatigable; and when he was employed
as an attorney and genealogist, he was in his element. He
had the happiest use of his pen, copying, as well as tracing, with dispatch and exactness, the different writing of
every aera, and tricking arms, seals, &c. with great neatness. His taste for ancient lore seems to have possessed
him from his earliest to his latest days. He dated all the
scraps of paper on which he made his church-notes, &c.
Some of these begin as early as 1721, and end but the
autumn before his death, when he still wrote an excellent
hand; but he certainly began his collections even before
the first mentioned period; for he appears among the contributors to Mr. Le Neve’s “Monumenta Anglicana,
”
printed in
th all his other collections, for six hundred pounds. The printed books he immediately sold to Booth and Berry of Norwich, who disposed of them by a catalogue, 1773.
Mr. Martin’s collection of antiquities, particularly of such as relate to Suffolk, was very considerable, greater than probably ever were before, or will be hereafter, in the possession of an individual; their fragments have enriched several private libraries. His distresses obliged him to dispose of many of his books, with his manuscript notes on them, to Mr. T. Payne, in his life-time, 1769. A catalogue of his library was printed after his death at Lynn, in 1771, in octavo, in hopes of disposing of the whole at once. Mr. Worth, above mentioned, purchased the rest, with all his other collections, for six hundred pounds. The printed books he immediately sold to Booth and Berry of Norwich, who disposed of them by a catalogue, 1773. The pictures and lesser curiosities Mr. Worth sold by auction at Diss; part of his manuscripts in London, in April 1773, by Mr. Samuel Baker; and by a second sale there, in May 1774, manuscripts, scarce books, deeds, grants, pedigrees, drawings, prints, coins, and curiosities.
, a physician, appears to have been a native of Scotland, where he was born in 1702, and entered upon the study of medicine at Edinburgh in 172O, whence
, a physician, appears to have
been a native of Scotland, where he was born in 1702, and
entered upon the study of medicine at Edinburgh in 172O,
whence he went to Leyden; and, after prosecuting the
same study there for some time, was admitted to his degree of M. D in 1725. He then returned to Scotland, and
practised his art at St. Andrew’s. In 1740, while about to
publish his Commentaries on Eustachius, he was r< quested
by lord Cathcart, to accompany him, as physician to the
forces under his command on the American expedition.
The difficulties of the voyage, and the change of climate,
he bore with chearfulness, but the death of that muchloved commander greatly afflicted him. Soon after he was
seized with a bilious fever, which proved fatal in 1743, in
the forty-first year of his age. His first publication was
entitled “Tractatus de similibus animalibus, et animalium
calore:
” after which appeared his “Essays Medical and
Philosophical,
” Medical Essays,
” and to the
“Philosophical Transactions.
” We find in Dr. Thomson’s
list of the fellows of the royal society the name of George
Martini, M. D. elected in 1740, who was probably our
author. Being possessed, when a student at Edinburgh,
of the earliest edition of “Eustachius’s Tables,
” he applied himself diligently to correct and enlarge Lancisi’s explanation of those tables, and compared the descriptions of
the parts as delivered by authors with these figures, and
carefully registered what he read upon the subject. Being
at length furnished with many rich materials, he considered
of repairing, in some measure, the loss of Eustachius’s
commentaries “De dissentionibus et controversiis anatomicis,
” and was, as we have observed, about to publish his
own Commentaries, when he went abroad. It fell at length
into the hands of the first Dr. Monro of Edinburgh, who
published it in 1755, under the title of “Georgii Martinii,
M. D. in Bartholomaei Eustachii Tabulas anatomicas Coinmentaria,
” 8vo. Notwithstanding Albinus’s explanation,
Dr. Monro considers this work as indispensably necessary
to those who are in possession of Eustachius’s Tables.
, known all over Europe by the name of Padre Martini, was born at Bologna in 1706, and entered into the order of the friars minor, as offering him
, known all over Europe by the name of Padre Martini, was born at Bologna in 1706, and entered into the order of the friars minor, as offering him the best opportunities for indulging his taste for music, which he cultivated with so much success as to be regarded, during the last fifty years of his life, as the most profound harmonist, and the best acquainted with the history and progress of the art and science of music in Italy. All the great masters of his time were ambitious of becoming his disciples, and proud of his approbation; and young professors within his reach never thought themselves, or were thought by others, sufficiently skilled in counterpoint, till they had received lessons from this deep theorist, and most intelligent and communicative instructor.
83, a circumstance which Dr. Burney thinks is much to be regretted, as he had, with incredible pains and considerable expence, collected materials sufficient for the
No history of music had been attempted in Italy since
that of Bontempi appeared in 1695, till Martini, in 1757,
published in 4to, the first volume of his “Storia Musica,
”
upon so large a scale, that though the chief part of his life
seems to have been dedicated to it, only three volumes
were published before his decease in 1783, a circumstance
which Dr. Burney thinks is much to be regretted, as he
had, with incredible pains and considerable expence, collected materials sufficient for the completion of his whole
plan.
Between the publication of the second and third volumes of his “Storia Musica,” Martini published a work
Between the publication of the second and third volumes
of his “Storia Musica,
” Martini published a work entitled
“Essemplare o sia Saggio di Contrappunto,
” Bologna, Compendio della
Theoria de numeri per uso del Musico di F. Giambatista
Martini. Minor Conventuale.
” In this tract the good father defines the three principal calculations, ratios, and
proportions necessary for a musician to know in the division
of the monochord and in temperament.
, a Jesuit, born at Trent, who resided many years as a missionary in China, and there compiled several curious works on the history and geography
, a Jesuit, born at Trent, who resided many years as a missionary in China, and there compiled several curious works on the history and geography
of that country, returned to Europe in 1651, and published
a description of China, with an exact map of that empire,
and fifteen separate maps of the fifteen provinces; to which
he added two others, of Corea and Japan. We have met
with an account, though on no warranted authority, that he
returned afterwards te Asia, and died at Hang-chew in
China, at the age of seventy-four. His works consist of,
1. “Sinicae Historiae Decas prima, a gentis origine ad
Christum natum,
” 4to, and 8vo. This has been translated
by le Pelletier, China Illustrata,
” already mentioned, Amsterdam, De Bello inter Tartaros et Sinenses,
” which has also been
translated. 4. “An account of the number and quality of
the Christians in China.
” Like other missionaries, he is
apt to speak in exaggerated terms of the antiquity, riches,
policy, &c. of the Chinese.
, a Dominican friar, and eminent orientalist, who flourished in the thirteenth century,
, a Dominican friar, and eminent
orientalist, who flourished in the thirteenth century, was
born at Sobiras in Catalonia; and was one of those of his
order who were appointed, at a general chapter held at Toledo in 1250, to study Hebrew and Arabic, in order to
confute the Jews and Mahometans. The occasion of it was
this: Raymond de Pennafort, general of the order, having
a strong desire to extirpate Judaism and Mahometanism,
with which Spain was infected, procured an order from this
chapter, that the religious of his society should apply
themselves to the study of Hebrew and Arabic. This task
he imposed on Martin among others; and he obtained a
pension of the kings of Arragon and Castile, for such as
should study those languages, pn purpose that they might
be able to exert themselves in the conversion of infidels.
Martin accordingly applied himself to those studies with
great success; and, having sufficiently studied the works
of the rabbins, they furnished him with such arguments, as enabled him to combat the Jews very skilfully. This appears from his “Pugio fidei,
” which waa
finished, as we learn from himself, in Pugio fidei
” that could be recovered, In short, the Dominican order interested themselves so much in it, that they
bore the charges of the impression. Some assert, that
Martin wrote another book, entitled, “Capistrum Judaeorum,
” and also “A Confutation of the Alcoran;
” and that
a copy of the “Pugio fidei,
” written by his own hand in
Latin and Hebrew, was preserved at Naples in the convent
of St. Dominic. The great knowledge which he has discovered of the books and opinions of the Jews, has made
some imagine that he was of that religion; but this is
thought to be a mistake. The time of Martin’s death is
uncertain.
ard Simon, who then resided in the college of Fortet. In 1709, he went to the court of Mecklenburgh, and began his researches into the history and geography of that
, a French author of considerable celebrity about the beginning of the last century, was born in 1684 at Dieppe. He
studied at Paris, partly under the instruction of his learned
grand-uncle Richard Simon, who then resided in the college of Fortet. In 1709, he went to the court of Mecklenburgh, and began his researches into the history and
geography of that state; but, on the death of the duke, and
the troubles which followed, and interrupted his labours,
he removed elsewhere, probably to Parma, as we find him,
in 1722, publishing, by order of the duke Philip Farnese,
whom he calls his most serene master, an historical dissertation, “Dissertation historique sur les duchés de Parme
et de Plaisance,
” 4to. It appears also that the Sicilian
monarch appointed him his secretary, with a salary of
twelve hundred crowns. The marquis de Beretti Landi,
the Spanish minister at the Hague, had a high regard for
Martiniere, and advised him to dedicate his geographical
dictionary to the king of Spain, and procured for him,
from his catholic majesty, the title of royal geographer.
Martiniere passed several years at the Hague, where all
the foreign ministers paid him much attention, receiving
him often at their tables. He died here June 19, 1749.
Moreri makes him eighty-three years of age; but this is
inconsistent with a date which he gives on the authority of
Martiniere himself, viz. that in 1709 he was twenty-five
years old. His personal character is represented in a very
favourable light by M. Bruys, who lived a long time with
him at the Hague, and objects nothing to him but a want
of oeconomy in his domestic matters: he was a man of extensive reading and memory, excelled in conversation,
which abounded in striking and original remarks, and was
generous, liberal, and candid. His favourite studies were
history and geography, which at length produced his wellknown dictionary, “Dictionnaire Geographique, Historique,
et Critique,
” Hague, Introduction to History;
” a work on which he appears to have bestowed more pains than will perhaps be approved, as his
zeal for the Roman catholic religion induced him to omit
Puffendorff’s remarks on the temporal power of the popes.
His other works were, 1. “Essais sur l'origine et les progres de la Geographic,
” with remarks on the principal
Greek and Latin geographers. These two essays were
addressed to the academy of history at Lisbon, and that
of belles lettres at Paris, and are printed in Camusat’s
“Memoires Historiques,
” Amst. Traites geographiques et historiques pour faciliter l‘intelligence de
l’Ecriture Sainte, par divers auteurs celebres, M. M. Huet
et Le Grand, D. Calmet, &c. &c.
” Hague, Entretiens des ombres aux Champs Elyseés,
”
taken from a German work under that title, 2 vols. 4.
“Essai d‘une traduction d’Horace,
” in verse, with some
poetical pieces of his own. 5. “Nouveau recueil des Epigrammatistes Francois anciens et modernes,
” Amst. Introduction generate a l'etude des
Sciences et des Belles Lettres, en faveur des pefsonnes qui
ne savent que le Frangois,
” Hague, Lettres choisies de M. Simon,
” a new edition, with the life of
the author, Amst. Nouvelles
politiques et litteraires,
” a literary journal which did not
last long. 9. “Vie de Moliere,
” said to be more correct
and ample than that by Grimarest. 9. “Continuation de
VHistoire de France sous la regne de Louis XIV. commencée par M. de Larrey.
” Some other works have been
improperly attributed to Martiniere, as “Lettres serieuses
et badines,
” which was by M. Bruys, and “Relation
d'une assemble tenue au bas du Parnasse,
” a production,
of the abbé D'Artigny. After his death, his name was put
to a species of Ana, entitled, “Nouveau portefeuille historique et litteraire,
” an amusing collection; but probabljr
not of his forming.
, a learned German divine of the Protestant persuasion, was born in 1572, and studied at Paderborn, under the celebrated Piscator. In his
, a learned German divine of
the Protestant persuasion, was born in 1572, and studied
at Paderborn, under the celebrated Piscator. In his twenty-third year he was called to officiate as minister in the
courts of the counts of Nassau Dillembourg; the following
year was appointed professor in the college of Paderborn,
and in 1592 was appointed regent of the schools. He was
afterwards called to be rector of the school at Bremen,
and, in 1618, was deputed by the magistrates of Bremen
to the synod of Dort, where he maintained the opinions
of Cameron, Amyraut, Dai lie, and others; but signed
all the acts of the synod. He died in 1630, leaving behind
him many theological treatises, now forgotten, and a “Lexicon philologicum, in quo Latinae et a Latinis auctoribus
usurpatae turn purae, turn barbaroe voces ex originibus declarantur, &c.: accedit Cadmus Graeco-Phoanix etGlossarium Isidori,
” Utrecht, 1697, 2 vols. folio; reprinted at
Amsterdam, 1701. This work, at one time, enjoyed considerable reputation, and it is said that some philologists
have availed themselves of it, without acknowledgment.
Wilmer, an apothecary, who afterwards became demonstrator in the Chelsea-garden, Dr. Patrick Blair, and Dr. William Sherard, under whose instructions his progress was
, professor of botany at Cambridge,
was born Sept. 12, 1699, in Queen-street, London, where
his father Thomas was a merchant. His mother, whose
maiden name was Catharine Weedon, died Nov. 1, 1700.
After being educated at a private school in the neighbourhood, he was taken, at the age of sixteen, into the counting-house of his father; but, without neglecting the duties of this station, he had already so strong a taste for literature, that he constantly devoted much of the night to
study, allowing himself, for many years, only four hours
for sleep. In the summer of 1718 he first acquired a taste
for botany, in consequence of his acquaintance with Mr.
Wilmer, an apothecary, who afterwards became demonstrator in the Chelsea-garden, Dr. Patrick Blair, and Dr.
William Sherard, under whose instructions his progress
was rapid. He soon became desirous of commencing author, and began by translating Tournefort’s History of the
plants growing about Paris, from French into English, in
1720. This, however, he did not print till 1732, when the
title was “Tournefort’s History of Plants growing about
Paris, with their uses in Physic, and a mechanical account
of the operation of medicines. Translated into English,
with many additions. And accommodated to the plants
growing in Great Britain,
” 2 vols. 8vo. This year he undertook various botanical excursions, which were chiefly
performed on foot, that he might observe plants in their
natural situations, as ueU as insects, which had now likewise excited his attention. The leading character of his
mind seems to have been a taste for inquiry, which prompted
him to examine every thing for himself. His observation
of the works of God directed his thoughts to the divine
origin of all things, and his perusal of the writings of some
of the most famous adversaries of revealed religion, served
but to confirm him in its truth. About the year 1721 he
became acquainted with the celebrated Dillenius, and in
conjunction with him and several others, amongst whom we
find the names of Deering, Thomas Dale, and Philip Miller, established a botanical society, which met every Saturday evening, first at the Rainbow coffee-house in Watlingstreet, and afterwards in a private house. Dillenius was
president, and Martyn, who was secretary, read before this
society a course of lectures, upon the technical terms of
the science, the foundation, as it is presumed, of what he
afterwards published. These meetings were continued for
about five years only.
f his letters to Dr. Blair, from pure modesty. His objections, however, were overcome the next year; and he soon proved himself an active and worthy member, by his various
We are not informed of the period at which Mr. Martyn
changed his mercantile occupation for the medical profession, to which he was, doubtless, led by the general tenour
of his pursuits. In 1723 he was offered admission into the
royal society, which he declined, as it appears by one of
his letters to Dr. Blair, from pure modesty. His objections, however, were overcome the next year; and he soon
proved himself an active and worthy member, by his various communications, to be found in the Transactions of
that learned body. In 1726 he published his tables of
Officinal Plants, in twenty pages folio, disposed according
to Ray’s system, under the title of “Tabulae Synopticae,
”
&c. Lond.fol. dedicated to Sir Hans Sloane. He had given
a public course of lectures in Botany the preceding year,
and had, with the assistance of Dr. Blair, undertaken to
make a collection of birds. His herborizing excursions
were from time to time continued, notwithstanding his
various labours and engagements in town. His second
course of lectures there, in 1726, being much approved,
he was recommended by Dr. Sherard and Sir Hans Sloane
as fit to teach the science in which he excelled, in the
University of Cambridge. Accordingly he gave, in 1727,
the first botanical course ever read in that university; and
for the use of his pupils reduced the alphabetical catalogue
of Cambridge Plants, printed by Ray, into a systematic
form, according to the principles of its author, and published it under the title “Methodus Plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium,
” Lond. 12mo. As he excelled in
the knowledge of cryptogamous vegetables, he improved
the work in that department; and he now very judiciously
laid aside the old systematic practice, of separating trees
and shrubs from herbs, in his classification. In 1728 he
published the first Decade of a sumptuous work, entitled
“Historia Plantarum Rariorum,
” in imperial folio, in which
his merit in description is conspicuous. The plates were
drawn by that great artist Van Huysum, engraved in mezzotinto by Kirkall, and printed in colours; but in the latter part of their execution they fail very much, that mode
of colouring plates having scarcely ever been found to answer. Four more Decades of this work appeared in the
course of nine years; after which it ceased, on account of
the great expence of the undertaking. When this
publication commenced, its author is said to have “sedulously
applied himself to the practice of physic.
” Sir James Smith
thinks this must have been as an apothecary, for Mr. Martyn was not, by any medical degree, authorized to practise
as a physician.
In 1729, he had a design of reading botanical lectures at Oxford, and it is not known what prevented this scheme, unless that he might,
In 1729, he had a design of reading botanical lectures at
Oxford, and it is not known what prevented this scheme,
unless that he might, upon reflection, consider it as interfering with the recent establishment of the Sherardian professorship there, in favour of his friend Dillenius. In the
following year we find him projecting, in conjunction with
Dr. Russell, a new edition of Stephens’s Latin Thesaurus; but this design was dropped, and he engaged in a
far more easy and pleasant work, along with the same friend,
and some others, entitled the “Grub-street Journal,
” a
periodical publication, which had a large sale, and contains
a great variety of satirical remarks on, and anecdotes of
living authors, forming indeed a kind of prose and verse
“Dunciad,
” and, like that celebrated poem, sometimes
takes liberties with characters that ought to have been noticed with more respect. The best papers were afterwards
collected in 2 vols. 12mo, 1737, under the title of “Memoirs of the Society of Grub-street.
” Mr. Martyn’s papers are distinguished by the signature B. and Dr. Russel’s
by that of M. The poetical part was published in a separate volume, with an emblematic frontispiece, and is more
scarce.
idge, with an intention of taking his degrees in physic; but after keeping five terms, his marriage, and the necessary attendance to his profession, caused him to relinquish
On the 26th of May, 1730, Mr. Martyn was admitted of Einanuel college, Cambridge, with an intention of taking his degrees in physic; but after keeping five terms, his marriage, and the necessary attendance to his profession, caused him to relinquish this design *.*He had resided for three years in Great St. Helen’s; but the town
ree nent was Dr. Mortimer, who had the chapters, while Mr. Martyn completinterest of s r Hans Sloane and of the ed the whole in 3 vols. 4to. 1734, as coim, which, Mr.
*About this time he was an unsuc- Transactions“from 1720 to that time,
cessful candidate for the post of secre- in conjunction with Mr, John Eames,
taryto the royal society. His oppo- who, however, abridged only three
nent was Dr. Mortimer, who had the chapters, while Mr. Martyn completinterest of s r Hans Sloane and of the ed the whole in 3 vols. 4to. 1734, as
coim, which, Mr. Martyn’s son says, a continuation of the previous abridgwas
” too prevalent for 1 he literary ment in 5 vols, by Lowthorp and
part of the society;“In 1731 he was Jones. Among his other literary laengaged in putung together Churchill’s hours, he was also engaged in the
Collect ion of Voyages and Travels;
” General Dictionary, including Bayle,“published proposals fir an edition of 1 vols, fol. but his articles appear only
Virgil’s Georgics, anl entered into ar- in the first three volumes,
tides for abridging the
” Philosophical
air disagreeing with his constitution, which was asthmatic,
he removed to Chelsea, where he married, on the 20th of
August, 1732, Eulalia, youngest daughter of John King,
D. D. rector of Chelsea, and prebendary of York, by
whom he had three sons and five daughters. Four of
the latter died young, but the other children survived
him.
Mr. Bradley, all eyes were directed towards Mr. Marty n as the properest person for this situation; and, after some slight opposition to him as a nonjuror, which he
At the close of this year the Professorship of Botany at Cambridge becoming vacant, by the death of Mr. Bradley, all eyes were directed towards Mr. Marty n as the properest person for this situation; and, after some slight opposition to him as a nonjuror, which he removed, by taking the requisite oaths, he was unanimously elected Feb. 8, 1733. In two or three years, however, after obtaining the appointment, he finally ceased to lecture, from want of encouragement, and especially the want of a botanic garden, at Cambridge. There had been hopes of the latter being established in 1731, through the liberality and zeal of a Mr. Brownell of Willingham; but the scheme fell to the ground, nor was it revived with effect till many years afterwards.
Nevertheless, our indefatigable botanist and scholar was not idle. The work on which his literary fame chiefly
Nevertheless, our indefatigable botanist and scholar was not idle. The work on which his literary fame chiefly and firmly rests is his splendid quarto edition of Virgil’s Georgics, which appeared in 1741, dedicated to Dr. Mead. Here his abilities and his acquisitions had their full scope. The text was accompanied by an English translation, and ample notes in the same language. In these the editor was enabled, from his peculiar studies, to throw more light upon the natural history of his author, than any one before him had done, nor is it easy to improve upon his perfor<mance. He was assisted in the astronomical part by his friend the celebrated Halley, to whose worth he has given a just and feeling tribute in the preface. In 1749 he published the Bucolics on the same plan, and intended to have gone through the whole of the Roman poet; but growing infirmities, and the loss of his wife, who died of a cancer in the breast this year, for a while damped his ardour. The labours of his profession, too, were becoming burthensome. He speedily indeed repaired his domestic loss, marrying, in July 1750, Mary-Anne, daughter of Claude Fonnereau, esq. of London, merchant. This lady bore him one son, and survived him. In the spring of 1752 he retired from practice, and took a farm in a most beautiful situation at Streatham, and, but for occasional attacks of the gout, enjoyed several years of learned leisure united with scientific experience, in attention to the business of his farm, and the care of his family. On the 30th of January, 1761, he resigned his professorship of botany in favour of his son the rev. Thomas Marty n, who was elected in his stead, and who has ever since filled that station with honour to himself and to his parent. In gratitude for this election, so consonant to his own wishes, Mr. Martyn, some time afterwards, gave his botanical library, of above 200 volumes, with his drawings, herbarium, and collections of seeds and materia mtdica, to the university, for which the thanks of that body were very handsomely returned him in 1765.
d induced him, about a year previous, to return, Jan. 29, 1768, in the sixty- ninth year of his age, and was interred in the burying-ground there, near his first wife.
This worthy man died at Chelsea, to which place his increasing infirmities had induced him, about a year previous, to return, Jan. 29, 1768, in the sixty- ninth year of his age, and was interred in the burying-ground there, near his first wife.
we may add a translation of Boerhaave’s treatise on the powers of medicine, 1740, 8vo, a translation and abridgment of the “Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences
To the works already noticed, as published by Mr. Martyn, we may add a translation of Boerhaave’s treatise on
the powers of medicine, 1740, 8vo, a translation and
abridgment of the “Memoirs of the Royal Academy of
Sciences at Paris,
” in conjunction with Chambers, the
author of the Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Lond. 1742,
5 vols. 8vo; and a translation of Dr. Walter Harris’s
“Treatise of the acute diseases of Infants,
” ibid. Dissertations and
critical Remarks upon the ^neids of Virgil. By the late
John Martyn, &c.
” 12mo, with some account of the author
and his writings, from which the preceding article has been
taken.
, recorder of Exeter, was born in that city in 1562, and educated in the grammar school, whence he was sent to Broadgates-hall,
, recorder of Exeter, was born in
that city in 1562, and educated in the grammar school,
whence he was sent to Broadgates-hall, now Pembroke
college, Oxford, in 1579. Here he is supposed to have
taken one degree in arts, and then removed to some of the
inns of court in London to study law. In 1605, he was
elected reeofder of his native city, where he died April 12,
1617. He is noticed here as the author of a history or
chronicle of the kings of England, entitled “The History
and Lives of the Kings of England, from William the Conqueror to King Henry VIII.
” Lond. 1616, folio, reprinted
in 1618, an amusing, and not ill-written work, taken principally from the Chronicles. An appendix was published
in 1638, by B. R M. A. including the history of Edward
VI., Mary, and Elizabeth. It is said that king James took
offence at some passages in Mr. Martyn’s work respecting
his own family or the Scottish nation, and that the author
was brought into some trouble. Of what kind this trouble
was we are not told, but that it preyed on his mind, and
hastened his death. Mr. Martyn also published a book for
the use of one of his sons, entitled “Youth’s Instruction,
”
Lond. because,
” said he,
“the fire there spoken of is such a fire, as both good and
bad must pass through and the fire shall try every man’s
work of what sort it is.
” “And this,
” says Fuller, in his
quaint manner, “seeming to shake a main pillar of purgatory, the pope’s furnace, the fire whereof, like the philosopher’s stone, melteth all his leaden bulls into pure gold;
some of his under-chemists, like Demetrius and the craftsmen, began to bestir themselves, and caused him to be
silenced.
”
pposition, but a severe illness, which obliged him to go from Naples in quest of a more healthy air; and being chosen general visitor of his order, that he might be
It was not, however, this opposition, but a severe illness, which obliged him to go from Naples in quest of a more healthy air; and being chosen general visitor of his order, that he might be absent from his cure without inconveO
nience, he went to Lucca, where he was made superior of St. Fridian, a house of his own order; and there he lived with Tremellius and Zanchius, whom he is said
nience, he went to Lucca, where he was made superior of St. Fridian, a house of his own order; and there he lived with Tremellius and Zanchius, whom he is said to have converted. But, finding himself in more danger here, he left the city secretly, and travelled to Pisa; whence, by letters to cardinal Pole, and to the society of Lucca, he fully explained the reasons of his departure. Then coming to Florence, but making no long stay there, he set forward for Germany; and, passing the Alps, went to Zurich with Ochinus, who had been one of the most celebrated preachers of Italy, but had now forsaken his former superstitions. From Zurich he went to Basil; and thence, by Bucer’s means, was brought to Strasburg; Here he married a young nun that had left her convent, who lived with him eight years, and died at Oxford, as will be noticed hereafter. After he had spent five years at Strasburg, he was, through the management of Seymour the protector, and archbishop Cranmer, sent for to England by Edward VI. who made him professor of divinity at Oxford in 1549. Here he read lectures, to which even the popish party, from the fame of his learning, resorted: and though they could not be easily reconciled to his doctrines, yet they bore him with some patience, till he came to handle that of the Lord’s Supper. Then they began to disturb him in his lectures, to fix up malicious and scandalous libels against him, and to challenge him to disputes; uhich challenges he did not disdain to accept, but disputed, first privately in the vice-chancellor’s lodge, and afterwards in public, before his majesty’s commissioners, deputed for that purpose. His adversaries, finding no advantage could be gained by argument, stirred up the multitude so successfully, that he was obliged to retire to London till the tumult was suppressed. In 1550, the king bestowed on him a canonry of Christ church, on which he returned, and entered on the lodgings belonging to him, near the great gate of Christ church leading into Fish-street. Here being still much disturbed by the rabble, who broke his windows in the night-time, and rendered the situation very uneasy, he was obliged to exchange his lodgings for those in the cloister, where he quietly passed the remainder of his abode in the university. For the more privacy in his studies, he erected a fabric of stone in his garden, situated on the east side of his apartments, in which he partly composed his commentaries on the first epistle to the Corinthians, and his epistles to learned men. This fabric, which contained two stories, remained until 1684, when it was pulled down by Dr. Aldrich, then canon.
continued at Oxford till queen Mary came to the throne; when he was suffered to depart the kingdom, and passed undiscovered through Brabant, and other popish territories,
He continued at Oxford till queen Mary came to the throne; when he was suffered to depart the kingdom, and passed undiscovered through Brabant, and other popish territories, to Strasburg; though it is said, not without considerable risk. Thence he went to Zurich, upon an honourable invitation from the magistrates of that place, to be their divinity professor; and was accompanied thither by Jewel, afterwards bishop of Salisbury, who was then an exile for his religion. At Zurich Martyr lived seven years in high esteem with the inhabitants of the place, and in great friendship with Bullinger, and other learned men. He was afterwards invited to Geneva, to be pastor of the Italian church there; and in queen Elizabeth’s reign, when protestantism was re-established in England, bishop Jewel endeavoured to prevail on him to return, but in vain; he continued at Zurich to the time of his death, Nov. 12, 1562, in his sixty-third year. The year before he died, however, he was prevailed upon by letters from the queenmother of France, the king of Navarre, the prince of Conde", and other peers of that realm, to go over into France to the solemn conference at Poissy, where he disputed against the papists, with Beza and others. Not long after his arrival at Zurich, he took a second wife, who was recommended to him from the Italian church at Geneva, where she lived an exile for religion. He had two children by her, who both died very young, and before him; and he left her with child of a third, which proved a daughter.
r Martyr is described to have been a man of an able, healthy constitution, large-boned, well limbed, and of a countenance which expressed an inwardly grave and settled
Peter Martyr is described to have been a man of an
able, healthy constitution, large-boned, well limbed, and
of a countenance which expressed an inwardly grave and
settled turn of mind. His parts and learning were very
uncommon; as was also his skill in disputation, which made
him as much admired by the protestants, as hated by the
papists. He was very sincere and indefatigable in promoting a reformation in the church; yet his zeal was
never known to get the better of his judgment. He was
always moderate and prudent in his outward behaviour;
nor, even in the conflict of a dispute, did he suffer himself
to be transported into intemperate warmth, or unguarded
expressions ever to escape him. But his pains and industry were not confined to preaching and disputing against
the papists; he wrote a great many books against them,
none of which raised his reputation higher, than his “Defence of the orthodox doctrine of the Lord’s Supper,
”
against bishop Gardiner. He wrote also several tracts of
divinity, and commentaries on many books of Scripture;
for all which he was as much applauded by one party, as
he was condemned by the other. Dupin, however, with
his usual candour, bestows the highest praise on the learning and critical skill of Martyr as a commentator. It is
easy to conceive, that Peter Martyr would be ranked at
Rome amongst the heretics of the first class; yet, as bishop
Jewel observes in his “Defence of the Church of England,
”
he “was an illustrious man, and must never be named
without the highest respect and honour.
”
We have mentioned that Peter Martyr’s wife died at Oxford, in 1551, and was buried in the cathedral of Christ church. Here her remains
We have mentioned that Peter Martyr’s wife died at
Oxford, in 1551, and was buried in the cathedral of Christ
church. Here her remains quietly reposed until 1556,
when cardinal Pole appointed a set of commissioners to
reform the university of Oxford, from all remains of the
new religion, or heresy, as it was called. In the discharge
of their functions, they were ordered to take into their
consideration the manners and life “of one Catherine
Cathie, or Dampmartin, the late wife of Dr. Peter Martyr,
who died about four years ago, and was buried in the cathedral of Christ church, near to the reliques of St. Frideswyde.
” They accordingly summoned several persons of
her acquaintance, “to the end that if they could find any
thing of her, favouring of heresy, they might take up her
body and commit it to the fire
” but, as these witnesses
pretended they did not understand her language, and therefore could not tell what religion she professed, they informed the cardinal of their progress, who immediately
wrote to Dr. Marshall, the dean, a letter, which by no
means exhibits Pole as a man possessed of that greatness
of mind which his late biographers have attributed to him.
He tells the dean that “forasmuch as Catherine Cathie, of
detestable memory, who had professed herself the legitimate wife of Peter Martyr, a heretic, though he and she
had before marriage entered into solemn vows of religion,
and that she had lived with him in Oxford in cursed fornication, when he denied the truth of the Sacrament, and
that also after her death she was buried near the sepulchre
of that religious virgin St. Frideswyde; he should according to his discretion deal so with her carcass that it should
be far enough cast from ecclesiastical sepulture.
” Melchior Adam imputes this conduct on the part of the cardinal, to a motive of resentment, which he had conceived
against Peter Martyr. The cardinal had formerly been
his most intimate friend, and even continued to appear so,
after Martyr had expressed his disgust at the errors and
superstitions of Rome; but when Martyr left Italy, he became his most inveterate enemy, and exercised that indignity, and even cruelty upon the wife, which it was not in
his power to shew to the husband.
The body was accordingly taken up and buried in the dunghill near the dean’s stable, and remained
The body was accordingly taken up and buried in the
dunghill near the dean’s stable, and remained there, until
queen Elizabeth was settled on the throne, when a singular act of retaliation took place. The archbishop of Canterbury, bishop of London, and others, having ordered
some of the society of Christ church to replace the body,
Dr. Calfhill, the subdean, not content with this, made
search for the relics of St. Frideswyde, and having found
them, put them into the coffin along with the remains of
Martyr’s wife, that in time they might become (indistinguishable. In this state the coffin was solemnly interred in Christ church. On this occasion one of the Oxford wits proposed by way of epitaph, “Hie jacet religio cum superstitione.
” Dr. Calfhiil published in the following year (Historia cte
exhuumione Katherinee nuper uxoris Petri Martyris,
”
in 8vo.
, a very ingenious and witty English writer, was the son of Mr. Andrew Marvel!, minister
, a very ingenious and witty
English writer, was the son of Mr. Andrew Marvel!, minister and schoolmaster of Kingston upon -Hull, in Yorkshire,
and was born in that town in 1620, His abilities being
very great, his progress in letters was proportionable; so
that, at thirteen, he was admitted of Trinity-college in
Cambridge. But he had not been long there, when he
fell into the hands of the Jesuits; for those busy agents of
the Romish church, under the connivance of this, as well
as the preceding reign, spared no pains to make proselytes; for which purpose several of them were planted in
or near the universities, in order to make conquests among
the young scholars. Marvell fell into their snares, as ChilJingworth had fallen before him, and was inveigled up to
London; but his father being apprised of it soon after,
pursued him, and finding him in a bookseller’s shop, prevailed with him to return to college. He afterwards applied to his studies with great assiduity, and took a bachelor of arts degree in 1639. About this time he lost his
father, who was unfortunately drowned in crossing the
Humber, as he was attending the daughter of aa intimate
female friend; who by this event becoming childless, sent
for young Marvell, and, by way of making all the return
in her power, added considerably to his fortune. Upon
this the plan of his education was enlarged, and he travelled through most of the polite parts of Europe. It appears that he had been at Rome, from his poem entitled
“Flecknoe,
” an English priest at Rome in which he has
described with great humour that wretched poetaster, Mr.
Richard Flecknoe, from whom Dryden gave the name of
Mac- Flecknoe to his satire against Shadwell. During his
travels, another occasion happened for the exercise of
his wit. In France, he found much talk of Lancelot Joseph de Maniban, an abbot; who pretended to understand
the characters of those he had never seen, and to prognosticate their good or bad fortune, from an inspection of their
band-writing. This artist was handsomely lashed by our
author, in a poem written upon the spot, and addressed to
him. We know no more of Marvell for several years,
only that he spent some time at Constantinople, where he
resided as secretary to the English embassy at that court.
In 1653, we find him returned to England, and employed by Oliver Cromwell as a tutor to a Mr. Button; as appears
In 1653, we find him returned to England, and employed by Oliver Cromwell as a tutor to a Mr. Button; as appears from an original letter of Marvell to that usurper, still
extant. His first appearance in any public capacity at
home, was his being made assistant to the celebrated Milton, Latin secretary to the protector, which, according to
his own account, happened in 1657. “I never had,
” says
he, “any, not the remotest relation to public matters,
nor correspondence with the persons then predominant,
until the year 1657; when indeed I entered into an employment, for which I was not altogether improper, and which
I considered to be the most innocent and inoffensive towards his majesty’s affairs, of any in that usurped and irregular government, to which all men were then exposed.
And this I accordingly discharged without disobliging any
one person, there having been opportunity and endeavours
since his majesty’s happy return to have discovered, had
it been otherwise.
”
tive town, Kingston-upon-Hull, to sit in that parliament which began at Westminster, April 25, 1660, and afterwards in that which began May 8, 1661. In this station
A little before the Restoration, he was chosen by his
native town, Kingston-upon-Hull, to sit in that parliament
which began at Westminster, April 25, 1660, and afterwards in that which began May 8, 1661. In this station
he acquitted himself so much to the satisfaction of his
electors, that they allowed him a handsome pension all the
time he continued to represent them; which was to the
time of his death. This was probably the last borough in
England that paid a representative. He seldom spoke in
parliament, but had much influence without doors upon
the members of both houses. Prince Rupert, particularly, paid the greatest regard to his counsels; and whenever he voted according to the sentiments of Marvell, which
he often did, it used to be said by the opposite party, that
“he had been with his tutor.
” Such certainly was the intimacy between the prince and Marvell, that when he was
obliged to abscond, to avoid falling a sacrifice to the indignation of those enemies among the governing party whom
his satirical pen had irritated, the prince frequently went
to see him, disguised as a private person.
The first attack he made with his pen was in 1672, upon Dr. Parker, a man of parts and learning, but a furious partizan, and virulent writer on the
The first attack he made with his pen was in 1672, upon
Dr. Parker, a man of parts and learning, but a furious
partizan, and virulent writer on the side of arbitrary government, who at this time published “Bishop Bramhall’s
Vindication of himself, and the rest of the episcopal clergy,
from the presbyterian charge of popery, &c.
” to which he
added a preface of his own. This preface Marvell attacked,
in a piece called “The Rehearsal transprosed; or, animadversions on a late book, intituled, A preface, shewing
what grounds there are of fears and jealousies of Popery, the
second impression, with additions and amendments. London, printed by J. D. for the assigns of John Calvin and
Theodore Beza, at the sign of the king’s indulgence, on
the south side of the Lake Leman; and sold by N. Ponder
in Chancery-lane,
” in 8vo. The title of this piece
is taken in part from the duke of Buckingham’s comedy,
called
” The Rehearsal;“and, as Dryden is ridiculed in
that play under the name of Bayes, Marvell borrowed the
same name for Parker, whom he exposed with much
strength of argument, and force of humour. Parker answered Marvell in a letter entitled
” A Reproof to the Rehearsal transprosed;“to which Marvell replied in,
” The
Rehearsal transprosed, the second part. Occasioned by
two letters: the first printed by a nameless author, entitled A Reproof, &c. the second left for me at a friend’s
house, dated Nov. 3, 1673, subscribed J. G. and concluding
with these words: If thou darest to print any lie or libel
against Dr. Parker, by the eternal God I will cut thy throat.
Answered by Andrew Marvell,“Lond. 1673, 8vo. Marveil
did not confine himself in these pieces to Parker’s principles, as they appear in the
” Preface and the Reproof;“but he exposed and confuted likewise various opinions
which the doctor had advanced in his
” Ecclesiastical Polity,“published in 1670, and in his
” Defence“of it in
167 1. Parker made no reply to Marvell’s last piece:
” He
judged it more prudent,“says Wood,
” to lay down the
cudgels, than to enter the lists again with an untowardly
combatant, so hugely well versed and experienced in the
then but newly refined art, though much in mode and
fashion almost ever since, of sporting and buffoonery. It
was generally thought, however, by many of those who
were otherwise favourers of Parker’s cause, that the victory lay on Marvell’s side; and it wrought this good effect
on Parker, that for ever after it took down his high spirit.“Burnet, speaking of Parker, says that,
” after he had for
some years entertained the nation with several virulent
books, he was attacked by the liveliest droll of the age,
who wrote in a burlesque strain; but with so peculiar and
entertaining a conduct, that from the king down to the
tradesman, his books were read with great pleasure. That
not only humbled Parker, but the whole party; for the
author of the Rehearsal transprosed had all the men of wit
on his side.“Swift likewise, speaking of the usual fate of
common answerers to books, and how short-lived their
labours are, adds, that
” there is indeed an exception,
when any great genius thinks it worth his while to expose
a foolish piece: so we still read MarvelPs answer to Parker with pleasure, though the book it answers be sunk long
ago." Several other writers fell with great fury and violence upon Marvell; but Parker being considered as the
principal, Marvell took but slight notice of the others.
of the Primitive Church. By an humble Moderator.” This was immediately answered by several persons, and among the rest by Dr. Turner, master of St. John’s-colJege,
A few years after, another divine fell under the cognizance of MarvfclPs pen. In 1675, Dr. Herbert Croft,
bishop of Hereford, published without his name, a discourse in 4to, entitled, “The Naked Truth; or the true
state of the Primitive Church. By an humble Moderator.
”
This was immediately answered by several persons, and
among the rest by Dr. Turner, master of St. John’s-colJege, Cambridge, in a book called “Animadversions
upon a late pamphlet, entitled, The Naked Truth,
” &c.
This animadverter being against moderation, which the
author of “Naked Truth
” had written his book on purpose
to recommend, provoked Marvell to take him to task, in a
piece entitled “Mr. Smirke, or the divine in mode; being
certain annotations upon the animadversions on The Naked
Truth, together with a short historical essay concerning
general councils, creeds, and impositions in matters of religion, fiy Andreas Rivetus, junior. Anagrammatised,
Res nuda veritas
” Historical Essay
”
was afterwards printed by itself in folio. The last work of
our author, which was published during his life, was “An
account of the growth of Popery and arbitrary government in England; more particularly, from the long prorogation of Nov. 1675, ending the 15th of Feb. 1676, till
the last meeting of parliament the 16th of July, 1677;
_1678,
” folio: and reprinted in State tracts in Whereas there have
been lately printed and published several seditious and
scandalous libels against the proceedings of both houses of
parliament, and other his majesty’s courts of justice, to
the dishonour of his majesty’s government, and the hazard
of public peace; these are to give notice, that what person soever shall discover unto one of the secretaries of
state the printer, publisher, author, or hander to the press,
of any of the said libels, so that full evidence may be
made thereof to a jury, without mentioning the informer;
especially one libel, intituled, An account of the growth of
Popery, &c. and another called, A seasonable argument to
all the grand juries, &c. the discoverer shall be rewarded
as follows: he shall have fifty pounds for such discovery,
as aforesaid, of the printer or publisher of it from the
press and for the hander of it to the press, \00l. &c.
”
Marvell, as we have already observed, by thus opposing the ministry and their measures, created himself many enemies, and made himself
Marvell, as we have already observed, by thus opposing
the ministry and their measures, created himself many
enemies, and made himself very obnoxious to the government: notwithstanding which, Charles II. took great delight in his conversation, and tried all means to win him
over to his side, but in vain; nothing being ever able to
shake his resolution. There were many instances of his
firmness in resisting the offers of the court, in which he
showed himself proof against all temptations. The king,
having one night entertained him, sent the lord treasurer
Danby the next morning to find out his lodgings; which
were then up two pair of stairs, in one of the little courts
in the Strand. He was busily writing, when the treasurer
opened the door abruptly upon him; upon which, surprized at so unexpected a visitor, Marvell told his lordship,
“he believed he had mistaken his way
” Lord Danby replied, “Not now I have found Mr. Marvell
” telling him,
that he came with a message from his majesty, which was
to know, what his majesty could do to serve him? to which
Marvell replied, with his usual facetiousness, that “it was
not in his majesty’s power to serve him.
” Coming to a
serious explanation, our author told the treasurer, “that
he knew full well the nature of courts, having been in,
many; and that whoever is distinguished by the favour of
the prince, is always expected to vote in his interest.
”
Lord Danby told him, that his majesty, from the just sense
he had of his merit alone, desired to know, whether there
was any place at court he could be pleased with? To
which Marvell replied, “that he could not with honour
accept the offer; since, if he did, he must either be ungrateful to the king in voting against him, or false to his
country in giving into the measures of the court. The
only favour therefore which he begged of his majesty was,
that he would esteem him as faithful a subject as any he
had, and more truly in his interest by refusing his offers,
than he could have been by embracing them.
” Lord
Danby, finding no arguments would make the least impression, told him, “that the king had ordered him lOOOl.
which he hoped he would receive, till he could think of
something farther to ask his majesty.
” This last offer he
rejected with the same steadiness as the first; though, as
soon as the treasurer was gone, he was forced to borrow a
guinea of a friend.
ghth year, not without the strongest suspicions of being poisoned; for he was always very temperate, and of an healthful and strong constitution to the last. He was
Marvell died in 1678, in his fifty-eighth year, not without the strongest suspicions of being poisoned; for he was
always very temperate, and of an healthful and strong constitution to the last. He was interred in the church of St.
Giles’s in the Fields; and ten years after (in 1688), the
town of Kingston upon Hull, to testify her grateful remembrance of his honest services to her, collected a sum
of money to erect a monument over him, and procured an
epitaph to be written by an able hand: but the minister
of the parish forbid both the inscription and monument to
be placed in that church. Wood tells us, that Marvell in
his conversation was very modest, and of few words; and
Cooke, the writer of his life, observes, that he was very
reserved among those he did not well know, but a most
delightful and improving companion among his friends.
After his death were published, “Miscellaneous Poems,
”
in
But Cooke says, that “these were published with no other but a mercenary view, and indeed not at all to the honour of the deceased, by a woman
But Cooke says, that “these were published with no other
but a mercenary view, and indeed not at all to the honour
of the deceased, by a woman with whom he lodged, who
hoped by this stratagem to share in what he left behind
him: for that he was never married.
” This gentleman
gave an edition, corrected from the faults of former editions, of“The works of Andrew Marvell, esq.
” Lond.
raboschi, he was brought into Italy in his infancy, this insinuation may be spared. He studied Greek and Latin at Venice, and philosophy at Padua; but for a subsistence
, one of those
learned Greeks who retired into Italy after the Turks had
taken Constantinople, where he was born. It is said that
it was not his zeal for the Christian religion, but the fear
of slavery, which made him abandon his country; but if,
according to Tiraboschi, he was brought into Italy in his
infancy, this insinuation may be spared. He studied Greek
and Latin at Venice, and philosophy at Padua; but for a
subsistence was obliged to embrace the profession of arms,
and served in the troop of horse under Nicholas Rhalla,
a Spartan general. Rejoined the two professions of letters and arms, and would be no less a poet than a soldier:
and, as he suspected that it would not be thought any extraordinary thing in him to be able to write Greek verses,
he applied himself diligently to the study of Latin poetry,
and acquired a good deal of reputation by his success in
it. His Latin poems consist of four books of epigrams, and
as many of hymns, which were published at Florence in
1197, 4to. He bad begun a poem on the education of a
prince, which he did not finish: as much of it, however,
as was found among his papers was published along with
his epigrams and hymns; and this whole collection has
passed through several editions. He appears to have had
a poetical mistress, whom he frequently courts under the
name of Neraea; but he married Alexandra Scala, a Florentine lady of high accomplishments, and had Politian for
his rival, which may account for the contempt with which
Politian speaks of his poetry. The critics are divided about
his poems, some praising them highly, while others, as
the two Scaligers, find great fault with them. Erasmus
says, in his “Ciceronianus,
” that the poems of Marullus
would have been tolerable, if they had savoured less of
Paganism: “Marulli pauca legi, tolerabilia si minus haberent paganitatis.
” He created himself many enemies
by censuring too freely the ancient Latin authors, for
which he was equally freely censured by Floridus Sabinns
and Politian. The learned men of that time usually rose
to fame by translation; but this he despised, either as too
mean or too hazardous a task. Varillas, in his “Anecdotes of Florence,
” asserts, that Lorenzo de Medici conjured Marullus, by letters still extant, to translate Plutarch’s moral works; but that Marullus had such an aversion to that kind of drudgery, which obliged him, as he
said, to become a slave to the sentiments of another, that
it was impossible for him to get to the end of the first
page. He lost his life in 1499, or 1500, as he was attempting to pass the river Csecina, which runs by Volaterra, in Tuscany. Perceiving that his horse had plunged
with his fore feet in such a manner that he could not disengage them again, he fell into a passion, and gave him
the spur: but both his horse and himself fell; and, as his
leg was engaged under the horse’s belly, there needed but
little water to stifle him. Pierius Valerianus, who relates
these circumstances, observes, that this poet blasphemed
terribly just before his death, and immediately upon his
fall discharged a thousand reproaches and curses against
heaven. His impiety seems unquestionable; and it is imputed to this turn of mind, that he so much admired Lucretius. He gave a new edition of his poem, which is
censured in “Joseph Scaliger’s notes upon Catullus:
” and
he endeavoured to imitate him. He used to say, that
“the rest of the poets were only to be read, but that Virgil and Lucretius were to be got by heart.
” Hody, however, has collected a great many honourable testimonies
to his merit, from the writings of able and learned critics
at or near his time, while be has been equally undervalued by more modern writers.
, queen of England, and eldest daughter of Henry VIII. by his first wife, Catharine
, queen of England, and eldest daughter of
Henry VIII. by his first wife, Catharine of Arragon, was
born at Greenwich in Kent, Feb. 18, 1517. Her mother
was very careful of her education, and provided her with
tutors to teach her what was fitting. Her first preceptor
was the famous Linacer, who drew up for her use “The
rudiments of Grammar,
” and afterwards, “De emendata
structura Latini sermonis libri sex.
” Linacer dying when
she was but six years old, Ludovicus Vives, a very learned
man of Valencia in Spain, became her next tutor; and
composed for her, “De ratione studii puerilis.
” Under
the direction of these excellent men, she became so great
a mistress of Latin, that Erasmus commends her for her
epistles in that language.
is printed in the first volume of” Erasmus’s Paraphrase upon the New Testament,“London, 1548, folio; and before it is a Preface, written by Udall, the celebrated master
Towards the end of her father’s reign, at the earnest solicitation of queen Catharine Parr, she undertook to translate Erasmus’s “Paraphrase on the gospel of St. John*'
but being cast into sickness, as Udall relates, partly by
overmuch study in this work, after she had made some
progress therein, she left the rest to be done by Dr. Maliet,
her chaplain. This translation is printed in the first volume of
” Erasmus’s Paraphrase upon the New Testament,“London, 1548, folio; and before it is a Preface, written
by Udall, the celebrated master of Eton-school, and addressed to the queen dowager. This Preface contains some
remarks illustrative of the history of the times. Among
other things, Udall takes occasion in it to observe to her
majesty,
” the great number of noble women at that time
in England, not only given to the study of human sciences
and strange tongues, but also so thoroughly expert in the
Holy Scriptures, that they were able to compare with the
best writers, as well in enditing and penning of godly and
fruitful treatises, to the instruction and edifying of realms
in the knowledge of God, as also in translating good books
out of Latin or Greek into English, for the use and commodity of such as are rude and ignorant of the said tongues.
It was now,“he said,
” no news in England, to see young
damsels in noble houses, and in the courts of princes, instead of cards, and other instruments of idle trifling, to
have continually in their hands either Psalms, Homilies,
and other devout meditations, or else Paul’s epistles, or
some book of Holy Scripture matters, and as familiarly
both to read or reason thereof in Greek, Latin, French, or
Italian, as in English. It was now a common thing to see
young virgins so trained in the study of good letters, that
they willingly set all other vain pastimes at nought for
learning’s sake. It was now no news at all, to see queens
and ladies of most high estate and progeny, instead of
courtly dalliance, to embrace virtuous exercises of reading
and writing, and with most earnest study, both early and
late, to apply themselves to the acquiring of knowledge,
as well in all other liberal arts and disciplines, as also most
especially of God and his holy word. And in this behalf,“says he,
” like as to your highness, as well for composing
and setting forth many godly Psalms, and divers other
contemplative meditations, as also for causing these paraphrases to be translated into our vulgar tongue, England
can never be able to render thanks sufficient; so may it
never be able, as her deserts require, enough to praise
and magnify the most noble, the most virtuous, the most
witty, and the most studious lady Mary’s grace, for taking
such pain and travail in translating this paraphrase of Erasmus upon the gospel of St. John. What could be a more
plain declaration of her most constant purpose to promote
God’s word, and the free grace of his gospel“&c.
Udall, however, was mistaken; as she never entertained
any such purpose; for, soon after her accession to the
throne, a proclamation was issued for calling in and suppressing this very book, and all others that had the least
tendency towards furthering the Reformation. And Walpole is of opinion, that the sickness which came upon her
while she was translating St. John, was all affected;
” for,“says he,
” she would not so easily have been cast into
sickness, had she been employed on the Legends of St.
Teresa, or St. Catharine of Sienna."
King Edward her brother dying the 6th of July, 1553, she was proclaimed queen the same month, and crowned in October, by Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester.
King Edward her brother dying the 6th of July, 1553,
she was proclaimed queen the same month, and crowned
in October, by Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester.
In July 1754, she was married to Philip prince of Spain,
eldest son of the emperor Charles the Fifth; and now
began that persecution against the Protestants, for which
her reign is so justly infamous. Until her marriage with
that tyrant, she appears to have been merciful and humane,
for Holinshed tells us, that when she appointed sir Richard
Morgan chief justice of the Common Pleas, she told him,
“that notwithstanding the old error, which did not admit
any witness to speak, or any other matter to be heard,
(her majesty being party,) her pleasure was, that whatsoever could be brought in favour of the subject should be
admitted to be heard; and moreover, that the justices
should not persuade themselves to put in judgment otherwise for her highness than for her subject.
” Hence some
have carried their good opinion of her so far, as to suppose that most of those barbarities were transacted by her
bishops, without her knowledge or privity; but as this was
impossible, it would be a better defence, if she must be
defended, to plead that a strict adherence to a false religion, and a conscientious observance of its pernicious and
cruel dictates, overruled and got the better of that goodness of temper, which was natural to her. Yet neither
this can be reasonably admitted when we consider her unkind and inhuman treatment of her sister, the lady Elizabeth; her admitting a council for the taking up and burning of her father’s body; her most ungrateful and perfidious
breach of promise with the Suffolk men; her ungenerous
and barbarous treatment of judge Hales, who had strenuously defended her right of succession to the crown; and
of archbishop Cranmer, who in reality had saved her life.
These actions were entirely her own; her treatment of
Cranmer becomes aggravated by the obligations she had
been under to him. Burnet says, “that her firm adherence
to her mother’s cause and interest, and her backwardness in
submitting to the king her father, were thought crimes of
such a nature by his majesty, that he came to a resolution,
to put her openly to death; and that, when all others were
unwilling to run any risk in saving her, Cranmer alone
ventured upon it. In his gentle way he told the king,
That she was young and indiscreet, and therefore it was
no wonder if she obstinately adhered to that which her
mother and all about her had been infusing into her for
many years; but that it would appear strange, if he should
for this cause so far forget the father, as to proceed to
extremities with his own child; that, if she were separated
from her mother and her people, in a little time there
might be ground gained on her; but that to take away her
life, would raise horror through all Europe against him;
”
by which means he preserved her. Queen Catharine,
hearing of the king’s bloody intention, wrote a long letter
to her daughter, in which she encouraged her to suffer
cheerfully, to trust to God, and keep her heart clean.
She charged her in all things to obey the king’s commands,
except in the matters of religion. She sent her two Latin
books; the one, “De vita Christi, with the Declaration of
the Gospels;
” the other, “St. Jerome’s Episles to Paula
and Eustochium.
” This letter of Catharine may be seen
in the Appendix to Burnet’s second volume of the “History of the Reformation.
” She fell a sacrifice, however, at
last to disappointed expectations, both of a public and
domestic kind, and especially the absence and unkindness
of Philip; which are supposed, by deeply affecting her
spirits, to have brought on that fever of which she died,
Nov. 7, 1558, after a reign of five years, four months,
and eleven days. “It is not necessary,
” says Hume,
“to employ many words in drawing the character of this
princess. She possessed few qualities either estimable
or amiable, and her person was as little engaging, as her
behaviour and address. Obstinacy, bigotry, violence,
cruelty, malignity, revenge, tyranny; every circumstance
of her character took a tincture from her bad temper and
narrow understanding. And amidst that complication of
vices, which entered into her composition, we shall scarcely
find any virtue but sincerity; a quality which she seems
to have maintained throughout her whole life; except
in the beginning of her reign, when the necessity of
her affairs obliged her to make some promises to the
Protestants which she certainly never intended to perform. But in these cases a weak bigoted woman, under
the government of priests, easily finds casuistry sufficient
to justify to herself the violation of a promise. She appears
also, as well as her father, to have been susceptible of
some attachments of friendship; and even without the caprice and inconstancy which were so remarkable in the
conduct of that monarch. To which we may add, that in
many circumstances of her life she gave indications of resolution and vigour of mind, a quality which seems to have
been inherent in her family.
”
editation touching adversity;” the third, “A prayer to be read at the hour cf death.” In Fox’s “Acts and Monuments” are printed eight of her letters to king Edvvard
There are some of her writings still extant, Strype has
preserved three prayers or meditations of her composition
the first, “Against the assaults of vice
” the second, “A
Meditation touching adversity;
” the third, “A prayer
to be read at the hour cf death.
” In Fox’s “Acts
and Monuments
” are printed eight of her letters to king
Edvvard and the lords of the council, on her nonconformity,
and on the imprisonment of her chaplain Dr. Mallet. In
the “Sylloge epistolarum,
” are several more of her letters,
extremely curious: one on the subject of her delicacy in
never having written but to three men; one of affection
for her sister; one after the death of Anne Boleyn; and
one very remarkable of Cromwell to her. In “Haynes’s
State papers,
” are two in Spanish, to the emperor Charles
the Fifth. There is also a French letter, printed by Strype
from the “Cotton library,
” in answer to a haughty mandate from Philip, when he had a mind to marry the lady
Elizabeth to the duke of Savoy, against the queen and
princess’s inclination: it is written in a most abject manner,
and a wretched style. Bishop Tanner ascribes to her “A
History of her own life and death,
” and “An Account of
Martyrs in her reign,
” dated
, queen of Scots, celebrated for her beauty, her wit, her learning, and her misfortunes, was born Dec. 8, 1542, and was the daughter
, queen of Scots, celebrated for her beauty, her wit, her learning, and her misfortunes, was born Dec. 8, 1542, and was the daughter and sole heiress of James the Fifth king of Scots, by Mary of Lorrain, his second queen, and dowager of Longueville. She was not eight days old when her father died; and therefore, after great animosities among the nobility, it was agreed, that the earl of Arran, as being by proximity of blood the next heir to the crown in legitimate descent, and the first peer of Scotland, should be made governor of the kingdom, and guardian of the queen: who remained, in the mean time, with her mother, in the royal palace of Linlithgow. Urgent application being made by Henry VIII. in the behalf of his son Edward, for this princess in her childhood, it was at last agreed between the chief peers of both kingdoms, that she should be given in marriage to that prince; but this was afterwards refused by her governor. She was, according to the custom of the day taught the Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian tongues; in which she afterwards arrived at so great perfection, that few were found equal to her in any of them, and none superior in them all.
her care, was conveyed thither when but about six years old. After staying a few days with the king and queen at court, she was sent to a monastery, where the daughters
The queen-mother being inclined to the interest of France, the young queen, by her care, was conveyed thither when but about six years old. After staying a few days with the king and queen at court, she was sent to a monastery, where the daughters of the chief nobility of the kingdom were educated. Here she spent her time in all the offices and duties of a monastic life; being constant in her devotions, and very observant of the discipline. She employed much of her study in learning languages; and she acquired so consummate a skill in Latin, that she spoke an oration of her own composing in that language, in the great guard- room at the Louvre, before the royal family and nobility of France*. She was naturally inclined to poetry, and made so great a progress in the art, as to be a writer herself. Her compositions were much esteemed by Ronsard, who was himself at that time accounted an excellent poet. She had a good taste for music, and played well upon several instruments; was a fine dancer, and sab a horse gracefully. But these last accomplishments she pursued rather out of necessity than choice; and, when she most followed her own inclinations, was employed among her women in needle-work.
All these accomplishments, added to a fine person, rendered her so amiable to Henry II. of France and his queen, as to make them desirous of marrying her to the dauphin,
All these accomplishments, added to a fine person, rendered her so amiable to Henry II. of France and his queen, as to make them desirous of marrying her to the dauphin, which was accordingly arranged: and the nuptials were solemnized the 20th of April, 1558. But this happy marriage, for such it seems to have been, lasted only a little while; as Francis II. as he then was, died Dec. 5, 1560. His disconsolate queen, being left without issue, returned soon after to Scotland; where she had not been long, before Charles archduke of Austria was proposed to her as an husband, by the cardinal of Lorrain. But queen Elizabeth interposed, and desired she would not marry with any foreign prince, but make choice of an husband out of her own nobility. She recommended to her either the earl of Leicester, or the lord Dandy; giving her to understand, that her succession to the crown of England would be very pred&rious, if she did not comply. Being thus overawed by Elizabeth, and not a little pleased with lord Darnly, who was extremely handsome, she consented to marry him; and creating him earl of Ross and duke of Rothesay, July 28, 1565, he was the same day proclaimed king at Edinburgh, and married to the queen the day after. By this husband she had one son, born at Edinburgh, June 19, 1566, who was afterwards James the Sixth of Scotland, and the First of England. Queen Elizabeth congratulated her upon this occasion; though, as Camden says, she inwardly grieved at being prevented by her rival in the honour of being a mother. She openly favoured her title to the succession; and the prince was commended to her majesty’s protection.
arbarous manner, by the contrivance of the earl of Murray, who was the queen’s illegitimate brother; and, in May following she was married to John Hepburn, earl of Bothwell,
In Feb. 1567, the new king of Scotland was murdered
in a very barbarous manner, by the contrivance of the earl
of Murray, who was the queen’s illegitimate brother; and,
in May following she was married to John Hepburn, earl
of Bothwell, a man of an ambitious temper and dissolute
manners, and who in reality had been lord Darnly’s murderer. From this time a series of infelicities attended her
to the end of her life. The different views and interests of
the nobility, clergy, and gentry, in regard to religious
and political affairs, had so broken the peace of the kingdom, that all things appeared in the greatest disorder and
confusion. The earl of Bothwell was forced to fly into
Denmark to save his life; the queen was seized, carried
prisoner to Lochleven, and was treated on the road with
such scorn and contempt, as her own personal dignity
might, one would think, have prevented. She was conveyed to the provost’s lodgiogs, and committed to the
care of Murray’s mother; who, “having been James
the Fifth’s concubine, insulted much,
” says Camden, “over
the unfortunate and afflicted =queen, boasting that she was
the lawful wife of James the Fifth, and that her son Murray
was his lawful issue.
” What aggravated Mary’s misfortunes was, that she was believed to have been the cause of
lord Darnly’s death, in order to revenge the loss of David
Rizzio, an Italian musician, supposed her gallant, and
whom lord Darnly had killed on that account. Be this as
it will, when queen Elizabeth heard of this treatment of
the queen of Scots, she seemed fired with indignation at
it; and sent sir Nicholas Throgmorton into Scotland, to
expostulate with the conspirators, and to consult by what
means she might be restored to her liberty. But Elizabeth,
as we have noticed in her article, was by no means in.
earnest: she was not the friend to the queen of Scots which
she pretended to be; and, if not in some measure the contriver of these troubles, there is great reason to think that
she secretly rejoiced at them. When queen Elizabeth was
crowned, the queen of Scots had assumed the arms and
title of the kingdom of England, 'an indignity Elizabeth
could never forget, as not thinking herself quite safe while
Mary harboured such pretensions.
Having been detained a prisoner at Lochleven eleven months, and forced to comply with many demands which she conceived to be
Having been detained a prisoner at Lochleven eleven months, and forced to comply with many demands which she conceived to be highly detrimental to her honour and interest, she escaped thence on May 2, 1568, to Hamiltoncastle. Here, in an assembly of many of the nobility, a declaration was drawn up, stating that the grants extorted from her majesty in prison, among which was a resignation of the crown, were actually void from the beginning: upon which such numbersof people came in to her assistance, that, within two or three days, she acquired an army of at least 6000. On the other side, Murray, with great expedition, made preparation to attack the queen’s forces before they became too formidable; and, when they joined battle, her majesty’s army consisting of raw soldiers, was soon defeated, and she obliged to save herself by flight, travelling in one day sixty miles, to the house of Maxwell lord Herris. Thence she dispatched a messenger to queen Elizabeth with a diamond, which she had formerly received from her, as a pledge of mutual amity; signifying, that she would come into England, and beg her assistance, if her rebellious subjects continued to persecute her any further. Elizabeth returned her a very kind answer, with large but not very sincere promises of doing her the most friendly offices. Before the messenger came back, she, rejecting the advice of her friends, found means to convey herself into England, landing, May 17, at Workington, in Cumberland; and on the same day wrote letters in French, with her own hand, to queen Elizabeth, in which she gave her a long detail of her misfortunes, desiring her protection and aid against her rebellious subjects. Elizabeth affected to comfort her; promised to protect her according to the equity of her cause; and, under pretence of greater security, commanded that she should be carried to Carlisle. The unfortunate queen of Scots began now to perceive her own error, in not following the advice of her friends. England, instead of being a sanctuary, was perhaps the worst place she could have visited: for, being denied access to queen Elizabeth from the first, and tossed from one prison to another for the space of about eighteen years, in which she had often struggled for liberty, she was at length brought to trial, condemned, and beheaded, for being concerned in a conspiracy against the life of queen Elizabeth. She professed to die for the Romish religion, and has since been considered as a saint by that church. She was executed within the castle of Fotheringay, on Feb. 8, 1587, and interred, some time after, in the cathedral of Peterborough; but her remains were taken up afterwards by her son, and removed to a vault in Henry the Vllth’s chapel in Westminster-abbey, where a most magnificent monument was erected to her memory.
Authors have always differed, and do still differ, in the judgments they pass upon the character
Authors have always differed, and do still differ, in the judgments they pass upon the character of this queen; and notwithstanding the mass of evidence produced within the last half century by Hume, Robertson, Stuart, Whitaker, and others, a new discussion has been excited by Mr. Laing’s History of Scotland, which perpetuates the original differences of opinion as to her real character. Connected likewise as her character is with that of the church establishment in Scotland, she has acquired a new race of defenders in the episcopal clergy of that country, who will not tamely suffer historical animosities to abate. If we might, during the raging of this war, presume to offer an opinion, it would be that the prominent features of her character, and the great events of her life, cannot be defended, although many palliating circumstances may reasonably be advanced.
variety of her accomplishments. She wrote poems on various occasions, in the Latin, Italian, French, and Scotch languages; “Royal advice to her son,” in two books, the
But however writers may differ about her moral conduct,
they agree more cordially as to the variety of her accomplishments. She wrote poems on various occasions, in the
Latin, Italian, French, and Scotch languages; “Royal
advice to her son,
” in two books, the consolation of her
long imprisonment. A great number of her original letters
are preserved in the king of France’s library, in the Royal,
Cottonian, and Ashmolean libraries . We have in print,
eleven to earl Bothwell, translated from the French by
Edward Simmonds, of Christ-church, Oxford, and printed
at Westminster in 1726. There are ten more, with her
answers to the articles against her, in “Haynes’s
StatePapers;
” six more in “Anderson’s Collections;
” another
in the “Appendix
” to her life by Dr. Jebb and some
others dispersed among the works of Pius V. Buchanan,
Camden, Udall, and Sanderson.
, queen of England, and wife of William III. with whom she reigned jointly, was born
, queen of England, and wife of William III.
with whom she reigned jointly, was born at the royal palace
of St. James’s, Westminster, the 30th of April, 1662. She
was the daughter of James the Second, by a daughter of
lord Clarendon, whom that prince married secretly, during
the exile of the royal family. She proved a lady of most
uncommon qualities: she had beauty, wit, good-nature,
virtue, and piety, all in an eminent degree; and she shone
superior to all about her, as well at the ball and the masque,
as in the presence and the drawing-room. When she was
fifteen, William prince of Orange, and afterwards king of
England, made his addresses to her in person, and married
her. Many suppose that the prince was so sagacious as to
foresee all which afterwards came to pass; as that Charles
II. would leave no children; that the duke of York, when
he came to the throne, would, through his bigoted attachment to popery, be unable to keep possession of it; and
that himself, having married the eldest daughter of England, would naturally be recurred to, as its preserver and
deliverer in such a time of danger. If he had really any
motives of policy, he had art enough to conceal them;
for, having communicated his intentions to sir William
Temple, then ambassador at the Hague, he frankly expressed his whole sentiments of marriage in the following
terms; namely, that “the greatest things he considered
were the person and disposition of the young lady; for,
though it would not pass in the world for a prince to seem
concerned in those particulars, yet for himself without affectation he declared that he was so, and in such a degree,
tljat no circumstances of fortune or interest could engage
him, without those of the person, especially those of humour or disposition: that he might, perhaps, be not very
easy for a wife to live with; he was sure he should not be
so to such wives as were generallj 7 in the courts of this age;
that if he should meet with one to give him trouble at
home, it was what he should not be able to bear, who was
likely to have enough abroad in the course of his life; and
that, after the manner he was resolved to live with a wife,
which should be the best he could, he would have one that
he thought likely to live well with him, which he thought
chiefly depended upon their disposition and education.
”
They were married at St. James’s, Nov. 4, 1677; and, after receiving the proper congratulations from those who were
They were married at St. James’s, Nov. 4, 1677; and,
after receiving the proper congratulations from those who
were concerned to pay them, embarked for Holland about
a fortnight after, and made their entrance into the Hague
with the utmost pomp and magnificence. Here she lived
with her consort, practising every virtue and every duty;
till, upon a solemn invitation from the states of England,
she followed him thither, and arrived at Whitehall, Feb.
12, 1689. The prince of Orange had arrived Nov. 5 preceding; and the occasion of their coming was to deliver
the kingdom from that popery and slavery which were just
ready to oppress it. King James abdicated the crown;
and it was put on their heads, as next heirs, April 11, 1689.
They reigned jointly till Dec. 28, 1694, when the queen
died of the small-pox at her palace of Kensington. It
would lead to an excursion of too much extent, to describe
the many virtues and excellences of this amiable princess;
a picture of her, however, may be seen in Burnet’s Essay
on her memory, printed in 1695, which contains a delineation of every female virtue, and of every female grace.
He represents her saying, that she looked upon idleness as
the great corrupter of human nature, and as believing,
that if the mind had no employment given it, it would
create some of the worst to itself: and she thought that
any thing which might amuse and divert, without leaving
a dreg and impression behind it, ought to fill up those
vacant hours that were not claimed by devotion or business. When her eyes, adds the bishop, were endangered
by reading too much, she found out the amusement of
work; and in all those hours that were not given to better
employments, she wrought with her own hands, and that
sometimes with so constant a diligence, as if she had been
to earn her bread by it. It is said by another writer, that
when reflections were once made before queen Mary of
the sharpness of some historians who had left heavy imputations on the memory of certain princes, she answered,
“that if these princes were truly such as the historians
represented them, they had well deserved that treatment
and others who tread their steps might look for the same
for truth would be told at last.
”
This excellent princess was so composed upon her deathbed, that when archbishop Tillotson, who assisted her in
her last moments, stopped, with tears in his eyes, on
coming to the commendatory prayer in the office for the
sick, she said to him, “My lord, why do you not go on?
I am not afraid to die.
”
ed not to have been a very kind husband to his consort. He was, however, much affected by her death, and said she had never once given him any reason to be displeased
King William has been supposed not to have been a very kind husband to his consort. He was, however, much affected by her death, and said she had never once given him any reason to be displeased with her during the course of their marriage. After his demise a locket, containing some hair of queen Mary, was found hanging near his heart.
, or Tomaso Da San Giovanni, an eminent artist, was born at St. Giovanni di Valdarno, in 1401, and was the disciple of Masolino da Panicale; but he proved as much
, or Tomaso Da San Giovanni,
an eminent artist, was born at St. Giovanni di Valdarno,
in 1401, and was the disciple of Masolino da Panicale; but
he proved as much superior to his master, as his master
was superior to all his contemporaries: and is accounted
the principal artist of the second or middle age of modern
painting, from its revival under Cimabue. His genius was
very extensive, his invention ready, and his manner of
design had unusual truth and elegance. He considered
painting as the art of representing nature with truth, by
the aid of design and colouring: and therefore he made
nature his most constant study, till he excelled in a perfect
imitation of it. He is accounted the first who, from judicious observations, removed the difficulties that impeded
the study and the knowledge of the art, by setting the
artists an example in his own works, of that beauty which
arises from a proper and agreeable choice of attitudes and
motions, and likewise from such a spirit, boldness, and
relief, as appears truly just and natural. He was the first
among the painters who studied to give the draperies of
his figures more dignity, by omitting the multitude of small
folds, so customarily practised by the preceding artists,
and by designing them with greater breadth and fulness.
He was also the first who endeavoured to adapt the colour
of his draperies to the tint of his carnations, so as to make
the one harmonize with the other. He was uncommonly
^killed in perspective, which he had learned from P. Brujielleschi. His works procured him universal approbation:
but the very same merit which promoted his fame, excited
envy; and he died, to the regret of every lover of the art,
not without strong suspicions of having been poisoned.
Most writers agree that this event happened in 1443, but
Sandrart fixes his death in 1446. Fuseli says, “Masaccio
was a genius, and the head of an epoch in the art. He
may be considered as the precursor of Raphael, who imitated his principles, and sometimes transcribed his figures.
He had seen what could be seen of the antique, at his time
at Rome: but his most perfect work are the frescoes of S,
Pietro al Carmine at Florence; where vigour of conception, truth and vivacity of expression, correctness of design, and breadth of manner, are supported by truth and
surprising harmony of colour.
”
orn at Sarzana, in the state of Genoa, in 1591. He spent the early partofhis life among the Jesuits, and afterwards became chamberlain to pope Urban VIII. He vvas naturally
, a distinguished person in the
republic of letters, was born at Sarzana, in the state of
Genoa, in 1591. He spent the early partofhis life among
the Jesuits, and afterwards became chamberlain to pope
Urban VIII. He vvas naturally so eloquent, that this same
pope, merely to exercise his talent, founded a professorship of rhetoric for him, in the college de la Sapienza, in
1628, and settled upon him for life a pension of 500
crowns. Mascardi filled the chair with great reputation;
but his love of letters made him neglect the management
of his affairs, and he was always poor, and always in debt.
He is described in “Erytbrsei Pinacotheca/' as never being
able to supply his own wants, but by borrowing from others,
and removing from place to place, without a fixed habitation. He wrote a great many compositions in verse and
prose, the principal of which is entitled,
” Dell' arte
historica.“Of this he printed so large an edition at his
own expence, that he would have been a considerable loser
by it, if a great number of copies had not been sold at Paria
by the influence of cardinal Mazarine. He had some literary
contests with several authors. In his
” History of the Conspiracy of the Compte de Fiesco" he has very frequently
attacked the religion of Hubert Folietta; and in his other
books he used some writers in the same way, which occasioned him to be attacked in his turn. The objections which
were made to him, together with his answers, were added
to the second edition of the history just mentioned. H&
died at Sarzana, in 1640, in his forty-ninth year.
ly among the priests of the oratory, was employed at the age of twentytwo to teach rhetoric at Mans, and preached afterwards with such applause at Saumur and Paris,
, an eminent French preacher,
the son of a celebrated advocate to the parliament of Aix,
was born, 1634, at Marseilles. He entered early among the
priests of the oratory, was employed at the age of twentytwo to teach rhetoric at Mans, and preached afterwards
with such applause at Saumur and Paris, that the court
engaged him for Advent 1666, and Lent 1667. Mascaroa
was so much admired there, that his sermons were said to
be formed for a court; and when some envious persons
would have made a crime of the freedom with which he
announced the truths of Christianity to the king, Louis
XIV. defended him, saying, “He has done his duty, it
remains for us to do our’s.
” P. Mascaron was appointed
to the bishopric of Tulles, 1671, and translated to that of
Agen in 1678. He returned to preach before the king in
Advent 1694, and Louis XIV. was so much pleased, that
he said to him, “Your eloquence alone, neither wears out
nor grows old.
” On going back to Agen, he founded an
hospital, and died in that city, December 16, 1703, aged
sixty-nine. None of his compositions have been printed,
but “A collection of his Funeral Orations,
” among which,
those on M. de Turenne and the chancellor Seguier, are
particularly admired. It may be proper to mention, that
M. Mascaron having been ordained priest by M. de Lavardin, bishop of Mans, who declared on his death-bed,
that he never intended to ordain any priest, the Sorbonne
was consulted whether this prelate’s ordinations were valid.
They decided “That it was sufficient if he had the exterior
intention to do what the church does, and that he certainly
b.ad it, because he did so: therefore it was not needful to
ordain those priests again, which this bishop had ordained.
”
But notwithstanding this decision, M. Mascaron chose to
be ordained again; which proves, says L'Avocat, that he
was a better preacher than casuist, and that his conscience
was more scrupulous than enlightened on this point.
only a rector in the diocese of Amiens, but afterwards a person in great confidence with the bishop, and by him placed at the head of the seminary of that district.
, a French theologian, was at first only
a rector in the diocese of Amiens, but afterwards a person
in great confidence with the bishop, and by him placed at
the head of the seminary of that district. He was deeply
skilled in languages, particularly the Oriental. The virtuous bishop de Brou made him also a canon of Amiens;
but when that prelate died, in 1706, he was not equally in
favour with his successor, as they did not agree on the
subject of Jansenism, then an object of great contention.
He was now removed from the seminary, and every other
public function, but consoled himself by his studies, which
he pursued with new ardour. He died in November, 1728,
at the age of sixty-six. His principal works are, 1. “A
Hebrew Grammar,
” according to a new method, in which
the points are discarded, printed in Ecclesiastical Conferences of the diocese of Amiens.
”
3. “The Catechism of Amiens,
” 4to. He left also in
manuscript a system of philosophy and of theology, which
would have been published, had they not been thought to
contain some seeds of Jansenism. Masclef was no less
respectable by his character than by his learning.
A Description of Egypt, from the Memoirs of M. Maillet,” 1735, 4to. This work is fundamentally good, and contains judicious remarks, and curious anecdotes, but the style
, a French abbé, rather
an author by profession than by genius, was born in 1697,
at Caen. His works were chiefly formed upon the labours
of others, either by translating them, or by working up the
materials into a new form. He died at Paris in 1760, at
the age of sixty-three. His publications were, l.“A
Description of Egypt, from the Memoirs of M. Maillet,
”
An Idea of the ancient
and modern Government of Egypt,
” A translation of
Caesar’s Commentaries,
” Christian Reflections on the great truths of Faith,
” History of the last Revolution in the East Indies
” a
work that is curious, but not quite exact. 6. “Lommius’s
Table of Diseases,
”
, a Jesuit, and a writer of Latin poetry, was born at Dalen in the dutchy of
, a Jesuit, and a writer
of Latin poetry, was born at Dalen in the dutchy of Juliers,
in 1606. He professed eloquence and poetry with great
credit at Cologne; and wrote, among other things, a long
Latin poem entitled “Sarcotis,
” or “Sarcothea,
” which
Lauder brought into new celebrity, by pretending that
Milton had borrowed from it. It was an allegory describing the fall of man. Masenius wrote good Latin, and good
verses, but full of amplification and declamation. The
tracts occasioned by Lander’s accusation of Milton, were
translated into French, and published collectively by Barbou, in 2 vols. 12mo, in 1759. Masenius produced also,
1. A kind of art of poetry, under the title of “Palaestra
eloquentiae ligatae,
” in 4 vols. 12mo. 2. Another treatise
entitled “Palaestra styli Romani.
” 3. “Anima Historic,
seu vita Caroli V. et Ferdinandi,
” in 4to. 4. Notes and
additions to the Antiquitates et Annales Trevirensium, by
Brower, 1670, in folio. 5. “Epitome Annalium Trevirensium,
”
, a lady distinguished by her piety and extraordinary accomplishments, was the daughter of Dr. Ralph
, a lady distinguished by her
piety and extraordinary accomplishments, was the daughter
of Dr. Ralph Cudworth, and born at Cambridge on the
18th of January, 1658. Her father, perceiving the bent of
her genius, took such particular care of her education,
that she quickly became remarkable for her uncommon
learning and piety. She was the second wife of sir Francis
Masham, of Gates in the county of Essex, bart. by whom
she had an only son, the late Francis Cudworth Masham,
esq. one of the masters in chancery, accomptant-general
of that court, and foreign opposer in the court of exchequer. She was well skilled in arithmetic, geography, chronology, history, philosophy, and divinity; and owed a
great part of her improvement to the care of the famous
Mr. Locke, who lived many years in her family, and at
length died in her house at Gates; and whom she treated
with the utmost generosity and respect. She wrote “A
Discourse concerning the Love of God,
” published at London in Gccasional Thoughts in reference to
a virtuous and Christian Life.
” This amiable lady died in
Near this place lies Dame Damans
Masham, daughter of Ralph Cudworth, D. D. and second
wife of sir Francis Masham, of Gates, in the county of
Essex, bart. who, to the softness and elegancy of her own
sex, added several of the noblest accomplishments and
qualities of the other. She possessed these advantages in
a great degree unusual to either, and tempered them with
an exactness peculiar to herself. Her learning, judgment, sagacity, and penetration, together with her candour and love of truth, were very observable to all that
conversed with her, or were acquainted with those small
treatises she published in her life-time, though she industriously concealed her name. Being mother of an only
son, she applied all her natural and acquired endowments
to the care of his education. She was a strict observer of
all the virtues belonging to every station of life, and only
wanted opportunities to make those talents shine in the
world, which were the admiration of her friends. She was
born on the 18th of January, 1658, and died on the 20th
of April, 1708.
”
ishop of Constance, after whose death he was sent as an agent to Rome. He married at Cleves in 1558, and was appointed counsellor to William duke of Cleves. He died
, or Dumas, born in 1516, at Linnich, near Brussels, was one of the most learned men of
the sixteenth century. He was secretary to John de Weze,
bishop of Constance, after whose death he was sent as an
agent to Rome. He married at Cleves in 1558, and was
appointed counsellor to William duke of Cleves. He died
in April 1573. He was a master of the ancient and oriental
languages to such a degree, that Sebastian Minister said
he seemed to have been brought up in ancient Rome, or
ancient Jerusalem. He produced, 1. “A Collection of
various pieces, ancient and modern, translated from the
Syriac,
” Antwerp, Syrorum Peculium,
” Grammatica Linguae
Syricae,
” A Commentary on the Book of
Joshua,
” Antwerp, Critical Disquisition
” on this work in Disputatio de Ccena
Domini,
” Antwerp,
, an eminent astronomer and mathematician, the son of Edmund Maskelyne, esq. of Purton,
, an eminent astronomer and mathematician, the son of Edmund Maskelyne, esq. of Purton, in Wiltshire, was born at London in 1732, and educated at Westminster school, where he made a distinguished progress in classical learning. Before he left school his studies appear to have been determined to astronomy by his accidentally seeing the memorable solar eclipse of 1748, exhibited through a large telescope in a camera obscura. From this period he applied himself with ardour to astronomy and optics, and as a necessary preparation, turned his attention to geometry and algebra, the elements of which he learned in a few months without the help of a master. In 1749 he entered of Catherine hall, Cambridge, but soon after removed to Trinity college, where he pursued his favourite studies with increased success; and on taking his degree of B. A. in 1754, received distinguished honours from the university. He took his degrees of A.M. in 1757, B. D. in 1768, and D. D. in 1777. Being admitted into holy orders he officiated for some time as curate of Barnet; and in 1756 became a fellow of his college.
In 1758 he was chosen a fellow of the royal society, and soon after became an important contributor to the Philosophical
In 1758 he was chosen a fellow of the royal society, and
soon after became an important contributor to the Philosophical Transactions. Such was his reputation already,
that the society appointed him to go to the island of St.
Helena, to observe the transit of Venus over the sun’sdisk, which was to take place June 6, 1761. On this occasion he remained ten months on the island, making
astronomical observations and philosophical experiments;
and although his observation of the transit of Venus was
not completely successful, owing to the cloudy state of the
weather, his voyage afforded him an opportunity of taking
lunar observations, which were now for the first time made
with effect. This method of finding the longitude at sea
was long a great desideratum, and plans had been made
by many of his predecessors, but the honour was reserved
for Dr. Maskelyne to reduce their theories to successful
practice. This he was enabled to do by Hadley’s quadrant
recently invented, and also by professor Mayer’s lunar
tables, for which a parliamentary reward of 3000l. was
afterwards given, on Dr. Maskelyne’s report of their correctness. The results of his other observations and experiments were inserted in the Philosophical Transactions
of the above period. Soon after his return from St. Helena,
he published his well-known work, entitled “The British
Mariner’s Guide,
” which contained, among various new
and practical illustrations and articles in nautical astronomy, rules and examples for working the lunar observations; but, in order to shorten and simplify these laborious
operations, other tables and calculations were still wanted,
which he afterwards supplied by his *' Nautical Almanack,“and
” Requisite Tables."
In 1763 he undertook another scientific royage by appointment of the lords of the admiralty and the board of longitude. He sailed for Barbarioes for the following
In 1763 he undertook another scientific royage by appointment of the lords of the admiralty and the board of longitude. He sailed for Barbarioes for the following purposes: to find the longitude of that island by astronomical observations; to determine the rate of going of Mr. Harrison’s new time-keeper; and to try Mr. Irwin’s marinechair, which was intended for making steady observations at sea, but which did not answer. He was besides, in the course of his voyage, to take lunar observations with a curious new Hadley’s sextant, and to determine the longitude by the eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites, and the occultations of fixed stars by the moon. All these objects of 1 the expedition he executed to the entire satisfaction of his employers.
askelyne’s celebrity immediately pointed him out as the most competent person to fill the situation, and to carry into effect the purpose for which the royal observatory
In 1764, the office of astronomer-royal becoming vacant
by the death of Mr. Bliss, Dr. Maskelyne’s celebrity immediately pointed him out as the most competent person
to fill the situation, and to carry into effect the purpose for
which the royal observatory haid been established, that o
preparing tables for finding the longitude at sea. Accordingly, his appointment to it, which was announced in the
London Gazette, Feb 16, 1765, gave universal satisfaction. During the long period of Dr. Maskelyne’s official
services, his time may be considered as chiefly occupied
either at the observatory, the board of longitude, or the
royal society; and his biography, therefore, like that of
most other scientific men, consists chiefly in a history of
his labours. Soon after his appointment he laid belor^he board of
longitude the plan of an annual publication, to be entitled
the “Nautical Almanac, and Astronomical Ephemeris.
”
The first volume was for Le Nautical Almanac de Londres est l‘Ephemeride
la plus parfaite qu’il y aitjarnais eu.
”
work, entitled “Tables requisite to be used with the Nautical Almanac, in order to find the Latitude and Longitude at sea.” This performance, well known to seamen by
In 1767 he published an auxiliary work, entitled “Tables
requisite to be used with the Nautical Almanac, in order
to find the Latitude and Longitude at sea.
” This performance, well known to seamen by the name of “The
Requisite Tables,
” has passed through several editions,
and has been successively enlarged, particularly by different methods of working the lunar observations, by
Messrs. Lyons, Dunthorne, Witchel!, Wales, and by Dr.
Maskelyne himself; and it has been also improved by the
latitudes and longitudes of places supplied by captain Cook,
captain Huddart, Messrs. Bailey, Wales, and other scientific navigators. Some time after this he published Mayer’s
Tables, with both Latin and English explanations, to which
he added several tracts and tables of his own, and prefixed
to the whole a Latin preface, with the title “Tabulae motuum Soils et Lunae, &c.
” It was published, like the foregoing works, by order of the commissioners of longitude;
and the various other publications issued by that board
during his time were also printed under his inspection, and
are too numerous to be here stated.
Another important and laborious duty that devolved on him in consequence of his office
Another important and laborious duty that devolved on him in consequence of his office was, to examine the pretensions of the various candidates who claimed the parliamentary rewards for new or improved methods of finding the longitude. His appointment took place at a period peculiarly interesting in the history of astronomy. His success in introducing and promoting the lunar observations greatly excited the public attention to the subject of the longitude, which was rendered still more interesting by the great rewards held out by parliament for further improvements in the problem, whether by astronomical or mechanical methods. These offers, united with the powerful motives of honour and emulation, called forth, flaring several years, many extraordinary efforts of genius, and produced useful inventions both in arts and sciences, and particularly in the construction of time-keepers. The parliamentary offers likewise encouraged numerous candidates of very slight pretensions, and even visionaries, whose applications became very troublesome. The claims of all were referred by the board of longitude to the astronomer royal, by whom scientific plans were examined, and the rates of chronometers ascertained. Thus by his office he was constituted arbiter of the fame and fortune of a great number of anxious projectors; and it is easy to conceive how arduous as well as unpleasant such a duty must have been. It was not indeed to be expected that the sanguine hopes and self-love of such a variety of candidates could be gratified, with justice to the high trust and confidence thus 1 reposed in him; and hence complaints were frequently heard, and pamphlets published, expressive of discontent and disappointment. Appeals even were made to parliament; but whatever difference of opinion might have then existed, time and experience have since fully proved the truth and impartiality of Dr. Maskelyne’s decisions.
re printed in 1774, by command of his majesty. The first volume began with the observations of 1765, and they have been continued annually since. M. Lalande, in mentioning
In giving a general view of his labours at the royal observatory, we shall begin with his publication of the Greenwich Observations, which were printed in 1774, by command of his majesty. The first volume began with the
observations of 1765, and they have been continued annually since. M. Lalande, in mentioning this performance
in 1792, calls it “le recueil le plus pre*cieux que nous’
ayons.
” Since that period they have been considerably
improved, and are universally allowed to possess an unrivalled degree of accuracy. His catalogue of the right
ascensions and declinations of 36 principal fixed stars, with
tables for their correction, is a most useful and important
performance, and is adopted in all observatories. It is
mostly distinguished by the appellation of “Dr Maskelyne’s
36 Stars.
” His observations also of the sun, moon, and
planets, are equally esteemed, and have been made the
basis of the solar and lunar tables, lately computed in
France according to the theory of M. Laplace; and which
are fepublished in professor Vince’s Astronomy, vol. III.
The solar tables were calculated by M. Delambre, and the
lunar by M. Burg: copies of which have been transmitted
to Dr. Maskelyne, by order of the French board of longitude, with a grateful acknowledgment of the important
assistance derived from his Greenwich Observations. But
it would greatly exceed our limits to enumerate all the
corrections and improvements effected by Dr. Maskelyne’sobservations, many of which will be found in professor
Vince’s Astronomy, and in the Philosophical Transactions.
His communications to the royal society are distinguished, like his other productions, for great attention to
utility as well as accuracy. They consist chiefly of astronomical observations; improvements of mathematical and
optical instruments; computations of the eclipses of the
sun, moon, and Jupiter’s satellites; articles on parallaxes,
light, vision, refraction, weights, measures, gravitation,
&c. with calculations and predictions of comets; making
in the whole above thirty communications. It should be
noticed that, in 1774, he went to Shehallien, in Perthshire, in order to ascertain the lateral attraction of that
hill; by which the mean density of the earth was computed, and its central attraction according to the Newtonian theory first demonstrated. For this paper he was
presented by the council of the royal society with sir
George Copley’s gold medal.
who have contributed more essentially to the diffusion of astronomical knowledge than Dr. Maskelyne; and perhaps no man has been so successful in promoting practical
In the history of science, few persons can be mentioned
who have contributed more essentially to the diffusion of
astronomical knowledge than Dr. Maskelyne; and perhaps
no man has been so successful in promoting practical astronomy, both by land and sea. During his time private observatories became very general, though scarcely known
before; nor could such be made useful without his “Nautical Almanac,
” and other tables, except by men of great
science, and by very laborious calculations. Beside the
assistance thus derived from his publications, he was always
ready to give advice concerning any plans that were likely
to promote the science. Among the observatories that
were erected through his encouragement, may be mentioned that of the late Alexander Aubert, esq. whose excellent collection of instruments has been rarely equalled,
even in national institutions; and several other instances
might be adduced of observatories which were erected by
the advice or direction of the astronomer royal. He was
besides a great improver of instruments, and the inventor
of some, among which may be noticed the prismatic micrometer; but though profoundly skilled in optics, and
ingenious in mechanical contrivances, he always paid great
deference to the opinions of opticians, and other practical
mechanists.
His plans were mostly directed to substantial objects,
while a steady perseverance gave an efficiency to all his undertakings: and notwithstanding his profound knowledge
of physical astronomy, his attention was chiefly directed
to reduce the scientific theories of his predecessors to the
practical purposes of life. In this he was eminently successful, particularly in his labours for the longitude, by
which he essentially contributed to the advancement of
navigation, the prosperity of commerce, and the wealth,
honour, and power of his country.
mable. He was indeed exemplary in the discharge of every duty. In his manners he was modest, simple, and unaffected. To strangers he appeared distant, or rather diffident;
Dr. Maskelyne’s private character was likewise truly estimable. He was indeed exemplary in the discharge of every duty. In his manners he was modest, simple, and unaffected. To strangers he appeared distant, or rather diffident; but among his friends he was cheerful, unreserved, and occasionally convivial. He was fond of epigrammatic thoughts and classical allusions; and even somelimes indulged in playful effusions of this kind, at an advanced period of life. He maintained a regular correspondence with the principal astronomers of Europe. He was visited also by many illustrious foreigners, as well as eminent characters of his own country, but his warmest attachments were always manifested to the lovers of astronomy. Among his most intimate friends may be reckoned Dr. Herschel, Dr. Hutton, Messrs. Wollastons, Mr. Aubert, bishop Horsley, sir George Shuckburgh, baron Maseres r professor Robertson; and also professor Vince, whose publications so ably illustrate Dr. Maskelyne’s labours, and whom he appointedthe depositary of his scientific papers.
Dr. Maskelynehad good church preferment from his college; and his paternal estates (of which he was the last male heir), were
Dr. Maskelynehad good church preferment from his college; and his paternal estates (of which he was the last male heir), were also considerable. He married, when rather advanced in life, a young lady of large fortune, the sister and co-heiress of lady Booth of Northamptonshire, by whom he had one daughter, whose education he superintended with the fondest care. These ladies survive him, aad also his sister Margaret, who was married to Robert, the late lord Clive.
died February 9, 1811, in the 79th. year of his age. His health previously declined for some months and he contemplated his approaching dissolution with pious resignation,
Dr. Maskelyne died February 9, 1811, in the 79th. year of his age. His health previously declined for some months and he contemplated his approaching dissolution with pious resignation, and with a lively hope of being Admitted into the presence of that Deity, whose works he had so long studied and so ardently admired. His favourite science tended the more strongly to confirm his religious principles, and he died, as he had lived, a sincere Christian.
, an English divine, and able vindicator of his church, was born in 1566, in the county
, an English divine, and able vindicator of his church, was born in 1566, in the county of Durham, and was educated in grammar learning at home. In
1583, he entered of Merton-college, Oxford, where, after
taking his bachelor’s degree, he was chosen probationerfellow in 1586. He then received orders, and, besides
teing presented to the rectory of Orford, in Suffolk, was
made chaplain to king James I. who, in his punning humour, usually styled him a “wise builder (Mason) in
God’s house.
” In 1619, he was installed archdeacon
of Norfolk. He died 1621, and was buried in the chancel
of the church of Orford, where is a monument to his
memory; and was lamented as a man of learning and piety.
His writings in defence of the church of England, are, 1.
“The authority of the Church in making canons and constitutions concerning things indifferent,
” a Sermon, Lond.
Vindication of the Church
of England concerning the consecration and ordination of
Priests and Deacons, in five books,
” Lond.
ndson, the subject of this article: “a little work,” we are told by his biographer, “highly esteemed and warmly recommended by Dr. Watts.” This little work we have not
, a non-conformist divine, chiefly known
for his excellent work entitled “Self-Knowledge,
” was
descended from ancestors who were for several generations
beneficed clergymen of the established church. His grandfather was the rev. John Mason, rector of Water-Stratford
in Buckinghamshire, whose “Select Remains
” were published by his grandson, the subject of this article: “a little work,
” we are told by his biographer, “highly esteemed
and warmly recommended by Dr. Watts.
” This little
work we have not seen, but from two accounts of the author’s life, one published anonymously in 1694, 4to, and
the other by the rev. H. Maurice, rector of Tyringham in
Bucks, in 1695, 4to, we are justified in ranking him among
those enthusiasts who have done much to bring religion
into disgrace; and our readers will probably be of the same
opinion, when we inform them, that after having discharged
his pastoral duties for several years, as a pious and useful
clergyman, he propagated the notion that Christ’s second
appearance was to be at Water- Stratford, where all his
faithful people were to be collected, and reign with him a
thousand years. This brought a great many persons to reside at that place, in hopes of meeting the Saviour, who
were for some time called Mr. Mason’s followers; nor was
it until his death had disappointed their hopes, that this
delusion gradually abated. One of the sons of this enthusiast, John, the father of our author, became a dissenter, and, while pastor of a congregation at Dunmow in
Essex, his son was born there, in 1705-6. He was educated at a dissenting academy, and in 1730 accepted an
invitation to the pastoral charge of a congregation at
Dorking in Surrey, where he had a numerous auditory.
His earliest production was a Sermon on “Subjection to
the higher powers,
” preached Nov. 5, 1740, and published
at the request of the congregation.
In the same spirit he published, in 1743, a tract entitled “A plain and modest plea for Christianity: or a sober and rational appeal
In the same spirit he published, in 1743, a tract entitled “A plain and modest plea for Christianity: or a
sober and rational appeal to Infidels, occasioned by a perusal of some of their late productions, particularly a treatise entitled ‘ Christianity not founded on argument’.
”
This was at first published anonymously, but was possessed
of a merit so prominent, that the author was soon inquired
after and discovered, and it procured for him, unsolicited
and without his knowledge, the degree of M. A. from the
university of Edinburgh. His next publication was that
on which his reputation now chiefly rests, entitled “Selfknowledge: a treatise shewing the nature and benefit of
that important science, and the way to attain it.
” It was
first printed in, it is full of sense and sentiment: it
comes home to every man’s business and bosom: the sentences are short and apothegmatic: replete with maxims
of the utmost importance, and often rivalling the wisdom
of those sages of antiquity whose valuable precepts and
happy turns of expression are quoted so largely, and with
such exquisite taste and appropriation, in the notes. It
was written chiefly for the improvement of young persons: and a more valuable present cannot easily be made
to them.
”
In July 1746, Mr, Mason was induced to quit Dorking for Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, upon the warm and urgent invitation of a large congregation of dissenters in that
In July 1746, Mr, Mason was induced to quit Dorking
for Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, upon the warm and urgent
invitation of a large congregation of dissenters in that
place. Here his first exertion was to prepare for the press
a volume of “Sermons for the benefit of young persons,
”
preached by his predecessor, a Mr. Oakes, and selected
from his manuscripts. Having complied with this last act
of duty to his friend, we find him progressively engaged
in a multiplicity of original works; some of them of a
smaller extent, as single sermons, but many of a much
wider range, and giving ample scope to his talents. The
largest of his works consists of four 8vo volumes of sermons,
entitled “The Lord’s-Dav evening entertainment,
” intended as “a complete set of practical discourses for the
use of families, recommending and urging the grand and
substantial points of Christianity in a plain and striking
manner, and tree from all distinguishing peculiarities in
style and sentiments.
” Of this, which soon became popular, a second edition was published in 1754. In 1758, he
published; a single octavo volume of “Fifteen Discourses,
devotional and practical, together with an Historical Dissertation on the analogy between the behaviour of God’s
people towards him in the several periods of the Jewish
and Christian church, and his correspondent dispensations
towards them in those respective periods.
” In 1761 he
published another set of sermons, in 2 vols. 8vo, under the
title of “Christian Morals.
” This was followed by a
“Letter to a Friend upon his entrance to the ministerial
office,
” and “The Student and Pastor, or Directions how
to attain to eminence and usefulness in those respective
characters.
” These were occasioned bv his having become
tutor to several students intended for the ministry among
the dissenters. Some parts of his “Theological Lectures,
”
which he delivered to them, have been published in the
Protestant Dissenter’s Magazine for 1794 1796.
But while thus employed, he found leisure for directing his taste and acquaintance with classical criticism to all the elegancies
But while thus employed, he found leisure for directing
his taste and acquaintance with classical criticism to all
the elegancies of literature. The result of these less serious pursuits was the three following tracts, all of which
passed through several editions, and one of them not less
than five or six “Essay on the power and harmony of
Prosaic numbers
” “Essay on the power of Numbers, and
the principles of Harmony in Poetical compositions and
” Essay on Elocution“which last became the most popular, and was long employed as a text-book in one of the
English universities. Mr. Mason died Feb. 10, 1763, and
was buried in Cheshunt church-yard, leaving an excellent
character for piety, learning, and a conciliating and liberal
temper. After his
” Self-Knowledge" had been reprinted
a great number of times, often very inaccurately, and,
what is more censurable, once, at least, with such alterations as tended to suppress his opinions, and make him the
follower of a party which he would have despised, his relative John Mason Good, esq. a gentleman well known in
the learned world, became editor of a very correct edition,
and prefixed a life of the author, of which we have availed
ourselves in this account.
, a distinguished poet and divine of the last century, was the son of the vicar of St.
, a distinguished poet and divine of the last century, was the son of the vicar of St. Trinity-hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and was born in 1725. His education, previously to his going to the university, was probably superintended by his father, whose indulgence in permitting him to follow the bent of his youthful mind towards poetry and painting, he acknowledges in an epistolary address written in 1746. He went to Cambridge in 1742-3, and was entered of St. John’s college, where his tutor, Dr. Powell, encouraged him to publish his excellent monody to the memory of Pope, which appeared in 1747. He took his bachelor’s degree in 1745, and his master’s in 1749, but little else has been recorded of his academical progress, except that his attachment to the Muses continued during his residence at the university, of which he took leave in an ode complimentary to his college and his tutor.
In 1747, by means of Gray, with whom he had become acquainted, and who, on account of ill-treatment, had left Peter-house for
In 1747, by means of Gray, with whom he had become
acquainted, and who, on account of ill-treatment, had left
Peter-house for Pembroke-hall, he was nominated to a
vacant fellowship in the latter college; but, owing to a
dispute between the fellows and their master, he was not
elected till 1749. His own account of this affair has lately
been published: “I have had the honour, since I came
here last, to be elected by the fellows of Pembroke into
their society; but the master, who has the power of a negative, has made use of it on this occasion, because he will
not have an extraneus when they have fit persons in their
own college. The fellows say they have a power from
their statutes indijferenter eligere ex utraque academia, and
are going to try it with him at common law, or else get
the king to appoint a visitor. If this turns out well, it will
” be a very lucky thing for me, and much better than a
Platt*, which I carne hither with an intention to sit for,
for they are reckoned the best fellowships in the university."
His intimacy with Gray was cordial and lasting. Their correspondence shews the high respect they had
His intimacy with Gray was cordial and lasting. Their
correspondence shews the high respect they had for each
other, and their friendship was never interrupted by the
freedom and unfeigned candour with which they criticised
each other’s performances. About this time, Gray describes him as a young man “of much fancy, little judgment, and a good deal of modesty,
” as " a good and wellmeaning creature, but in simplicity a child: he reads
little or nothing, writes abundance, and that with a design
Cambridge, and are not on the foun- LXVI. p. 452, and vol. LXXf. p. 681,
Cambridge, and are not on the foun- LXVI. p. 452, and vol. LXXf. p. 681,
six, with a stipend of 20Z. per annum affair is given, each, besides rooms and commons at to make a fortune by it,“which does not, however,
six, with a stipend of 20Z. per annum affair is given,
each, besides rooms and commons at
to make a fortune by it,“which does not, however, appear
to have been the case;
” a little vain, but in so harmless
and comical a way that it does not offend; a little ambitious, but withal so ignorant of the world and its ways, that
this does not hurt him in one’s opinion; so sincere and
undisguised, that no mind with a spark of generosity would
ever think of hurting him, he lies so open to injury; but
so indolent, that if he cannot overcome this habit, all his
good qualities will signify nothing at all." Some of these
characteristics of the poetical temperament adhered to our
author throughout life; others were effaced by a closer intimacy with the world.
oduction “uncommonly well for such an occasion,” but the author had no pleasure in the recollection, and omitted it in his works.
He appears to have been early attached to what he considered as the cause of freedom. Of this he gave proof in
a poem entitled “Isis,
” which was printed in The Triumph of Isis
” by Mr. Thomas Warton, which Mason candidly allowed was a superior
poem. Thus early these two writers attracted notice by
the defence of their respective universities; but their generous rivalship did not end in mutual respect, for which,
perhaps, the difference of political principle may in some
measure account. Mason was now requested to compose
an ode for the installation of the duke of Newcastle as
chancellor of the university of Cambridge, in 1749, to which
he does not appear to have acceded with much love of the
subject. Gray thought his production “uncommonly well
for such an occasion,
” but the author had no pleasure in
the recollection, and omitted it in his works.
dramatic poem, constructed on the model of the ancients, to which he was enthusiastically attached; and having once formed the opinion that dramas might be successfully
In 1752, he published “Elfrida,
” a dramatic poem, constructed on the model of the ancients, to which he was enthusiastically attached; and having once formed the opinion
that dramas might be successfully written in this way, hq
persisted in it to the last, contrary to argument and experience. In the present instance he attempted the plan
with certain limitations. He professed that his intention
was only to follow the ancient method as far as it is probable a Greek poet, were he alive, would now do, in order
to adapt himself to the genius of our times, and the character of our tragedy. How far he has executed an intention, evidently suggested by a series of conjectures, will
hardly now admit of a question. All critics are agreed that
“Elfrida
” is neither adapted to the genius of our times,
nor to the character of our tragedy. The letters, however, which he published, may yet be perused as ingenious apologies for his judgment; and whatever the decision may be, there can be little difference of opinion respecting the merit of “Eifnda
” as a poem. In