, an English prelate, son of sir Walter Bagot, bart. and brother to the first lord Bagot, was born Jan. 1, 1740. He was educated at Westminster school, and
, an English prelate, son of sir Walter Bagot, bart. and brother to the first lord Bagot, was born Jan. 1, 1740. He was educated at Westminster school, and chosen thence student of Christ-church, took the degree of M.A. May 23, 1764, and LL.D. Feb. 29, 1772. In In 1771 he was made canon of Christ-church in the room of Dr. Moore, the late archbishop of Canterbury, and the same year he married Miss M. Hay, niece to the earl of Kinnoul. He was installed dean of Christ- church, Jan. 25, 1777, on the translation of Dr. Markham to the see of York, about which time he resigned the livings of Jevington and Eastbourne in Sussex, in favour of his nephew, the Rev. Ralph Sneyd. In 1782 he was promoted to the see of Bristol, translated to Norwich the year following, and thence to St. Asaph in 1790, where he rebuilt the palace on an uncommon plan, but necessary for the situation, where, among the mountains, and in the vicinity of the sea, storms are often violent. The palace, therefore, is low; and being on the assent of a hill, the vestibule, dining-room, and drawing-room, which occupy the whole front of the building, are on a level with the first floor in the other apartments, two of which, on the ground-floor, are a neat domestic chapel and a library.
, an eminent English divine, was born Jan. 1, 1659, atOcicombe in the county of Somerset, of
, an eminent English divine, was born
Jan. 1, 1659, atOcicombe in the county of Somerset, of which
place his father was rector. He discovered while a boy, a
great propensity to learning; and, in 1676, was admitted
into Wadham-college, Oxford, of which he was chosen
fellow in 1684. When he was only in his twenty-first year
he published his “Dissertation against Aristeas’ s History of
the Seventy-two Interpreters.
” The substance of that
history of Aristeas, concerning the seventy-two Greek interpreters of the Bible, is this: Ptolemy Philadelphus,
king of Egypt, and founder of the noble library at Alexandria, being desirous of enriching that library with all sorts
of books, committed the care of it to Demetrius Phalereus,
a noble Athenian then living in his court. Demetrius being
informed, in the course of his inquiries, of the Law of
Moses among the Jews, acquainted the king with it; who
signified his pleasure, that a copy of that book, which was
then only in Hebrew, should be sent for from Jerusalem,
with interpreters from the same place to translate it into
Greek. A deputation was accordingly sent to Eleazar the
high-priest of the Jews at Jerusalem; who sent a copy of
the Hebrew original, and seventy-two interpreters, six out
of each of the twelve tribes, to translate it into Greek.
When they were come to Egypt the king caused them to
be conducted into the island of Pharos near Alexandria,
in apartments prepared for them, where they completed
their translation in seventy-two days. Such is the story
told by Aristeas, who is said to be one of king Ptolemy’s
court. Hody shews that it is the invention of some Hellenist Jew; that it is full of anachronisms and gross blunders; and, in short, was written on purpose to recommend
and give greater authority to the Greek version of the Old
Testament, which from this story has received the name of
the Septuagint. This dissertation was received with the
highest applause by all the learned, except Isaac Vossius.
Charles du Fresne spoke highly of it in his observations on
the “Chrouicon Paschale,
” published in Diogenes
Laertius,
” gave Hody the titles of “eruditissimus, doctissimus, elegantissimus, &c.
” but Vossius alone was
greatly dissatisfied with it. He had espoused the contrary
opinion, and could not bear that such a boy as Hody should
presume to contend with one of his age and reputation for
letters. He published therefore an appendix to his “Observations on Pomponius Mela,
” and subjoined an answer
to this dissertation of Hody’s; in which, however, he did
not enter much into the argument, but contents himself
with treating Hody very contemptuously, vouchsafing him
no better title than Juvenis Oxoniensis, and sometimes
using worse language. When Vossius was asked afterwards, what induced him to treat a young man of promising hopes, and who had certainly deserved well of the republic of letters, so very harshly, he answered, that he had
received some time before a rude Latin epistle from Oxford, of which he suspected Hody to be the author; and
that this had made him deal more severely with him than
he should otherwise have done. Vossius had indeed received such a letter; but it was written, according to the
assertion of Creech, the translator of Lucretius, without
Hody’s knowledge or approbation. When Hody published
his “Dissertation, &c.
” he told the reader in his preface,
that he had three other books preparing upon the Hebrew
text, and Greek version but he was now so entirely drawn
away from these studies by other engagements, that he
could not find time to complete his work, and to answer
the objections of Vossius, till more than twenty years after.
In 1704, he published it altogether, with this title, “De
Bibliorum textibns originalibus, versionibus Grsecis, et
Latina Vulgata, libri IV. &c.
” The first book contains
his dissertation against Aristeas’s history, which is here reprinted with improvements, and an answer to Vossius’s
objections. In the second he treats of the true authors of
the Greek version called the Septuagint; of the time
when, and the reasons why, it was undertaken, and of the
manner in which it was performed. The third is a history
of the Hebrew text, the Septuagint version, and of the
Latin Vulgate; shewing the authority of each in different
ages, and that the Hebrew text has been always most
esteemed and valued. In the fourth he gives an account
of the rest of the Greek versions, namely, those of Symmachus, Aquila. and Theodotion; of Origen’s “Hexapla,
”
and other ancient editions; and subjoins lists of the books
of the Bible at different times, which exhibit a concise, but
full and clear view of the canon of Holy Scripture. Upon
the whole, he thinks it probable, that the Greek version,
called the Septuagint, was done in the time of the two
Ptolemies, Lagus and Philadelphus; and that it was not
done by order of king Ptolemy, or under the direction of
Demetrius Phalereus, in order to be deposited in the Alexandrine library, but by Hellenist Jews for the use of their
own countrymen.
, grandson of the preceding, was born Jan. 1, 1448. From his earliest years he gave proofs of
, grandson of
the preceding, was born Jan. 1, 1448. From his earliest
years he gave proofs of a vigorous mind, which was carefully cultivated, and exhibited many traits of that princely
and liberal spirit which afterwards procured him the title of
“Magnificent.
” In polite literature he cultivated poetry,
and gave some proofs of his talents in various compositions. At the death of Cosmo, on account of the infirmities of his father Peter de Medici, he was immediately
initiated into political life, although then only in his sixteenth year. He was accordingly sent to visit the principal courts in Italy, and acquire a personal knowledge of
their politics and their rulers. In 1469 his father died,
leaving his two sons Lorenzo and Julian heirs of his power
and property; but it was Lorenzo who succeeded him as
head of the republic. Upon the accession of Sixtus IV. to
the papal throne, he went, with some other citizens, to
congratulate the new pope, and was invested with the office of treasurer of the holy see, and while at Rome took
every opportunity to add to the remains of ancient art
which his family had collected. One of the first public
occurrences after he conducted the helm of government,
was a revolt of the inhabitants of Volterra, on account of
a dispute with the Florentine republic; by the recommendation of Lorenzo, means of force were adopted, which
ended in the sack of the unfortunate city, an event that
gave him much concern. In 1472, he re-established the
academy of Pisa, to which he removed in order to complete the work, exerted himself in selecting the most eminent professors, and contributed to it a large sum from his
private fortune, in addition to that granted by the state of
Florence. Zealously attached to the Platonic philosophy,
he took an active part in the establishment of an academy
for its promotion, and instituted an annual festival in honour of the memory of Plato, which was conducted with
singular literary splendour. While he was thus advancing
in a career of prosperity and reputation, a tragical incident was very near depriving his country of his future services. This was the conspiracy of the Pazzi, a numerous
and distinguished family in Florence, of which the object
was the assassination of Lorenzo and his brother. In the
latter they were successful; but Lorenzo was saved, and
the people attached to the Medici collecting in crowds,
putto death or apprehended the assassins, whose designs were thus entirely frustrated, and summary justice
was inflicted on the criminals. Salviati, archbishop of
Pisa, was hanged out of the palace window in his sacerdotal robes; and Jacob de Pazzi, with one of his nephews, shared the same fate. The name and arms of the
Pazzi family were suppressed, its members were banished,
and Lorenzo rose still higher in the esteem and affection of
his fellow-citizens. The pope, Sixtus IV. who was deep
in this foul conspiracy, inflamed almost to madness by the
defeat of his schemes, excommunicated Lorenzo and the
magistrates of. Florence, laid an interdict upon the whole
territory, and, forming a league with the king of Naples,
prepared to invade the Florentine dominions. Lorenzo
appealed to all the surrounding potentates for the justice
of his cause; and he was affectionately supported by his
fellow-citizens. Hostilities began, and were carried on with
various success through two campaigns. At the close of
1479, Lorenzo took the bold resolution of paying a visit
to the king of Naples, and, without any previous security,
trusted his liberty and his life to the mercy of a declared
enemy. The monarch was struck with this heroic act of
confidence, and a treaty of mutual defence and friendship
was agreed upon between them, and Sixtus afterwards
consented to a peace. At length the death of Sixtus IV.
freed him from an adversary who never ceased to bear him
ill-will; and he was able to secure himself a friend in his
successor Innocent VIII. He conducted the republic of
Florence to a degree of tranquillity and prosperity which
it had scarcely ever known before; and by procuring the
institution of a deliberative body, of the nature of a
senate, he corrected the democratical part of his constitution.
, a gentleman eminently conversant in literary history, was born Jan. 1, 1742, at Stewart-street, Old Artillery-ground,
, a gentleman eminently conversant in
literary history, was born Jan. 1, 1742, at Stewart-street,
Old Artillery-ground, London, of a family, we are told,
“highly respectable, and of considerable antiquity,
” but
certainly at this time somewhat reduced, as his father was
in the humble occupation of a baker. He is said,
however, to have been a man of education and abilities very
superior to his condition, and both capable and desirous
of bestowing those advantages upon his son, whom he sent
to an academy at Streatham. In 1757, Mr. Reed became
an articled clerk to Messrs. Perrot and Hodgson, then
eminent attornies in London; and at the expiration of his
articles, engaged himself as assistant to Mr. Hoskins, of
Lincoln’s-inu, an eminent barrister and conveyancer. In
this situation he remained about a year, when he took
chambers in Gray’s-inn, and began to practise as a conveyancer on his own account.