, born in 1701, was made master of the crown-office in 1724, and was
, born in 1701, was made master of the crown-office in 1724, and was elected F. R. S.
1737, F. A. S. 1751. On the death of Mr. West in 1772,
he was prevailed on to fill the president’s chair at the royal
society till the anniversary election, when he resigned it
to sir John Pringle; and Aug. 10, 1773, when the society
presented an address to his majesty, he received the honour of knighthood. He retained his mastership of the
'crown-office till his death, Nov. 5, 1782. An elegant
whole-length portrait of sir James Burrow was engraved,
after Devis, by Basire, in 1780. During the memorable
presidency of the great earl of Mansfield, sir James seems
to have been the first reporter of law cases. From a series
of many years’ attendance on the court of king’s bench
officially, and from a constant habit and attention to accuracy in preserving notes of the business in that court, and
being further assisted by the records which passed through
his hands in the cpurse of his office, he was particularly
enabled to give a collection of the Cases from 26 George II.
to 12 George III. in which generally the arguments of the
counsel as well as those of the court, are related in a very
full and accurate manner, and in a method adapted to give
a regular view of the actual progress of the cause as it occurred in court, which of course led the reporter into a
more diffuse and circumstantial detail of the arguments
than has in general been thought necessary by other reporters, but which appears to have been considered by the
author as essential to an exact report of tfhe case, as well as
conducive to the improvement of the student. These reports have therefore been considered as a work of the first
necessity in the library of a modern lawyer. They have
passed through four editions, the last of which was printed
with “additional notes and references in 1790, 5 vols. royal
8vo. He also published a separate collection of his
” Reports of the Decisions of the Court of King’s Bench, upon
Settlement cases, from the year 1732 to 1776,“having
during the whole of that period uniformly attended that
court, and made it a part of his employment to record the
proceedings of it; and in this part of his labours he had
the satisfaction of being greatly instrumental in promoting
the knowledge of this much litigated branch of the law,
and his work seems to have had the effect of lessening the
number of appeals to the court of king’s bench. These
decisions have been twice printed, first in 4to, 1768, 1772,
and 1776, to which were subjoined a few thoughts on
pointing (published separately in 1769 and 1772), and secondly in 1786, with marginal notes and references. It is
said that he intended to have published his reports of the
cases decided in the court of king’s bench, during the
time of the three chief justices immediately preceding lord
Mansfield, and that the manuscripts of such cases were in
the hands of Robert Burrow, esq. his nephew, lately deceased. Sir James also published, without his name, a
few
” Anecdotes and observations relating to Oliver Cromwell and his family, serving to rectify several errors
concerning him, published by Nicol. Comnenus Papadopoli,
in his “Historia gymnasii Patavini,
”
, an eminent protestant divine, was born in 1701, at Geneva, where he probably received the first rudiments
, an eminent protestant divine, was born in 1701, at Geneva, where he probably received the first rudiments of education. The church being chosen for his profession, after passing through the usual probationary exercises, he was admitted into the order of priesthood. In the ministry his reputation as a preacher and an orator soon became so popular and extensive, that in 1728 he was elected pastor at the Hague, and his conduct in this establishment, while it contributed to his own reputation, redounded no less to the honour of those who had appointed him. Having adorned his ministry by the purity of his manners, the excellence of the discourses which he delivered from the pulpit, and his numerous writings in defence of revealed religion, he died in 1786, at the age of eighty-five, after having punctually discharged his duty as a pastor during the period of fifty-eight years. The unfortunate supported by his consolation, the youth enlightened by his instructions, and the poor succoured by his charity, lamenting the loss which they had sustained by the death of a benefactor and a friend, proved more eloquent attestations of his merit, than any panegyric which might have been pronounced by the most sublime orator. His sermons were distinguished by a perspicuous style and a pure morality. They seemed to flow not only from a man who practised what he taught, but from one who, acquainted with the inmost recesses of the human heart, could exert his eloquence to win his hearers to the interests of virtue and religion. His portrait, which is prefixed to his translation of the Holy Bible, seems to confirm the relation of his friends, who say that his countenance was interesting and attractive. In his manners he was polite and attentive; in his address mild and insinuating. His literary excellence consisted in a judicious and happy arrangement of his subjects, delivered in a plain and unaffected style. He made no pretensions to originality, but he illustrated the works of other writers, by introducing them to his countrymen in a language that was more familiar to them.
, a French historian, was born in 1701 at Lous-le-Saunier in Fi'unche-comte, and entered the
, a French historian, was born
in 1701 at Lous-le-Saunier in Fi'unche-comte, and entered
the congregation of the oratory, which he afterwards
quitted, and came to Paris, and passed his days in literary
labours. He died here in 1771. His principal works are,
1. A continuation of “Echard’s Roman History,
” from
Constantine to the taking of Constantinople by Mahomet II.
10 vols. 12mo, which Voltaire has thought proper to undervalue; but others say that in point or style and accuracy,
it may rank among the best productions of the kind from
the French press. 2. “Histoire des empires et des republiques,
” Histoire des Amazones ancienneset modernes,
” Paris, Histoire des Indes,
” 3 vols. 12mo, inferior in every respect.
5. “Oracle des nouveaux philosophes,
” not so remarkable
for style, as for an able confutation of the new philosophy
of his time, and the uneasiness it gave Voltaire. 6. “Bibliotheque ecclesiastique,
”
, a portrait-painter of some celebrity, born in 1701, was the scholar and son-in-law of Richardson, and enjoyed
, a portrait-painter of some celebrity, born in 1701, was the scholar and son-in-law of Richardson, and enjoyed for many years the chief business of portrait-painting in the capital, after the favourite artists, his master and Jervas, were gone off the stage. Though Vanloo first, and Liotard afterwards, for a few years diverted the torrent of fashion from the established professor, still the country gentlemen were faithful to their compatriot, and were content with his honest similitudes, and with the fair tied wigs, blue velvet coats, and white satin waistcoats, which he bestowed liberally on his customers, and which with complacence they beheld multiplied in Faber’s mezzotintos. The better taste introduced by sir Joshua Reynolds, who had been for some time his pupil, put an end to Hudson’s reign, who had the good sense to resign the throne soon after finishing his capital work, the family piece of Charles duke of Marlboro ugh, about 1756. He retired to a small villa he had built at Twickenham, on a most beautiful point of the river, and where he furnished the best rooms with a well- chosen collection of cabinet-pictures and drawings by great masters having purchased many of the latter from his father-inlaw’s capital collection. Towards the end of his life he married to his second wife, Mrs. Fiennes, a gentlewoman with a good fortune, to whom he bequeathed his villa. He died Jan. 26, 1779.
, grandson of the count de Pontchartrain, who was minister under Louis XIV. was born in 1701, anJ obtained an appointment of secretary at court so
,
grandson of the count de Pontchartrain, who was minister
under Louis XIV. was born in 1701, anJ obtained an appointment of secretary at court so early as 1715. He was
superintendant of the king’s household in 1718, and of the
marine in 1723. In 1738 he was appointed minister of
state, and was in all situations full of genius, activity, and
sagacity. Being exiled to Bourges in 1749, by the intrigues of a lady very powerful at court, he made no secret
of the manner in which he felt that change. “The first
day,
” said he, “I was piqued, the second I was contented.
”
When he arrived at the place of his exile, he talked in a
lively manner of the dedications he should lose, and of the
disappointments of the authors who had wasted their fine
phrases upon him. He continued to amuse himself with
the pleasures of society, and enjoyed the invariable esteem
of many Valuable friends, and of the public. Being
recalled to the ministry in 1774, by Louis XVI. who treated
him with unbounded confidence, he disdained to revenge
any former neglect oy ill offices, and lived rather with the
ease of a rich private gentleman, than with the ostentation
of a minister. His views of objects were rapid, yet were
generally considered as profound; though in recommending the conduct which France pujsued with respect to
America, at the time of the revolt of that country, he certainly laid the foundation for the destruction of the French
monarchy. He was, however, a man of much public spirit,
and one who contributed not a little to the improvement of
the French marine. His correspondence was a model of
precision, expressing much meaning in very few words.
He died at the age of eighty, Nov. 21, 1781. He left
some curious “Memoirs,
” of which there are three editions,
published in