. an English divine, and miscellaneous writer, was of a Yorkshire family, originally from France. He was born in 1687, and was admitted a pensioner in Jesus college,
, LL. D. an English divine, and miscellaneous writer, was of a Yorkshire family, originally
from France. He was born in 1687, and was admitted a
pensioner in Jesus college, Cambridge, April 18, 1704,
but afterwards removed to Trinity-ball, where he was admitted scholar of the house, Jan. 6, 1706-7; LL. B. 1709
LL. D. 1720; and though he was never fellow of that
college, he was elected one of the trustees for Mr. Ayloffe’s benefaction to it. He was rector of Houghton
Conquest in Bedfordshire: and vicar of St. Peter’s and St.
Giles’s parishes in Cambridge, where he usually passed
the winter, and the rest of his time at Ampthill, the neighbouring market-town to his living. He died Nov. 25, 1766,
at Ampthill, and was buried at Houghton Conquest. Very
little of his history has descended to us. How he spent
his life will appear by a list of his works. He is said to
have been of a most amiable, sweet, and communicative
disposition; most friendly to his acquaintance, and never
better pleased than when performing acts of friendship
and benevolence. Being in the commission of the peace,
and a man of reputable character, he was much courted
for his interest in elections. He was not, however, very
active on those occasions, preferring literary retirement.
His works were, 1. “A Vindication of the Church of England, in answer to Mr. Pearce’s Vindication of the Dis^
senters; by a Presbyter of the Church of England.
” Presbyterian Prejudice displayed,
” A pair of clean Shoes and Boots for a Dirty Baronet;
or an answer to Sir Richard Cox,
” The
Knight of Dumbleton foiled at his own weapons, &c. In a
Letter to Sir Richard Cocks, knt. By a Gentleman and
no Knight,
” A Century of eminent Presbyterians: or a Collection of Choice Sayings, from the public sermons before the two houses, from Nov. 1641 to Jan.
31, 1648, the day after the king was beheaded. By a
Lover of Episcopacy,
” A Letter of Thanks to
Mr. Benjamin Bennet,
” A memorial of the Reformation,
” full of gross prejudices
against the established church, and “A defence of it.
”
7. “A Caveat against Mr. Benj. Bennet, a mere pretender to history and criticism. By a lover of history,
” A Defence of our ancient and modern Historians against the frivolous cavils of a late pretender to.
Critical History, in which the false quotations smd unjust
inferences of the anonymous author are confuted and exposed in the manner they deserve, la two parts,
” A Review of Dr. Zachary Grey’s Defence
of our ancient and modern historians. Wherein, instead
of dwelling upon his frivolous cavils, false quotations, unjust inferences, &c it is proved (to his glory be it spoken)
that there is not a book in the English tongue, which contains so many falsehoods in so many pages. Nori vitiosus
homo es, Zachary, sed vitium. By the author,
” &c. y. “An
Appendix by way of Answer to the Critical Historian’s
Review,
” 1725. 11.
” The Ministry of the
Dissenters proved to be null and void from Scripture and
antiquity,“1725. 12. In 1732 he wrote a preface to his
relation dean Moss’s sermons,
” by a learned hand.“Mr.
Masters in his history of C. C. C. C. ascribes this to Dr.
Snape, who might perhaps have been editor of the sermons, but it was written by Dr. Grey. 13.
” The spirit
of Infidelity detected, in answer to Barbeyrac, with a defence of Dr. Waterland,“1735, 8vo. 14.
” English Presbyterian eloquence. By an admirer of monarchy and episcopacy,“1736, 8vo. 15.
” Examination of Dr. Chandler’s
History of Persecution,“1736, 8vo. 16.
” The true picture
of Quakerism,“1736. 17.
” Caveat against the Dissenters,“1736, 8vo. 18.
” An impartial Examination of the
second volume of Mr. Daniel Neal’s History of the Puritans,“1736, 8vo. The first volume of Neal had been examined by Dr. Madox, assisted in some degree by Dr.
Grey, who published his examination of the third volume
in 1737, and that of the fourth in 1739. J 9.
” An examination of the fourteenth chapter of Sir Isaac Newton’s
Observations upon the prophecies of Daniel,“1736, 8vo.
This is in answer to sir Isaac’s notion of the rise of Saintworship. 20.
” An attempt towards the character of the
Royal Martyr, king Charles I.; from authentic vouchers,“1738. 21.
” Schismatics delineated from authentic vouchers, in reply to Neal, with Dowsing' s Journal, &c. By
Philalethes Cantabrigiensis,“1739, 8vo. 22.
” The Quakers and Methodists compared,“&c. 1740. 23.
” A Review of Mr. Daniel Neil’s History of the Puritans, with a
Postscript. In a letter to Mr. David Jennings;“a pamphlet, Cambridge, 174-4. 24.
” Hudibras with large annotations, and a prelate,“&c. 1744, 2 vols. 8vo. 2b.
” A
serious address to Lay Methodists: by a sincere Protestant,“1745, 8vo. 27.
” Popery in its proper colours, with a list
of Saints invocated in England before the Reformation,“17, 8vo. 28,
” Remarks upon a late edition of Shakspeare, with a long string of emendations borrowed by the
celebrated editor from the Oxford edition without acknowledgement. To which is prefixed, a Defence of the late
sir Thomas Hanmer, bart. addressed to the rev. Mr. Warburton, preacher of Lincoln’s-Inn,“8vo, no date, but
about 1745. 29.
” A word or two of Advice to William
Warburton, a dealer in many words; by a friend. With
an Appendix, containing a taste of William’s Spirit of Railing,“1746, 8vo. 30.
” A free and familiar Letter to that
great refiner of Pope and Shakspeare, the rev. William
Warburton, preacher at Lincoln’s-Inn. With Remarks
upon the epistle of friend W. E. (query if not T. E. i. e. Thomas Edwards). In which his unhandsome treatment of
this celebrated writer is exposed in the manner it deserves.
By a Country Curate,“1750, 8vo, 31.
” A Supplement
to Hudibras,“1752, 8vo. 32.
” Critical, historical, and
explanatory notes on Shakspeare, with emendations on the
text and metre,“1755, 2 vols. 8vo. 33.
” Chronological
account of Earthquakes,“1757, 8vo. In 1756 he assisted
iVIr. Whalley in his edition of Shakspeare; he had also contributed to Mr. Peck’s
” Desiderata,“and
” Life of Cromwell," and collected some materials for a Life of Baker,
the Cambridge antiquary, which were afterwards enlarged
and published by the rev. Robert Masters. Dr. Grey left
some other Mss. and a collection of letters, now in Mr.
Nichols’s possession.
, D. D. (“a name,” says Dr. Johnson, “which Ireland ought to honour,”) was born in 1687, and received his education at Dublin. He appears,
, D. D. (“a name,
” says Dr. Johnson, “which Ireland ought to honour,
”) was born in 1687,
and received his education at Dublin. He appears, however, to have been in England in 1729; and having written a tragedy called “Themistocles, or the Lover of his
country,
” was, as he himself says, tempted to let it appear,
by the offer of a noble study of books from the profits of it.
In 1731, he projected a scheme for promoting learning in
the college of Dublin by premiums, at the quarterly examinations, which has proved highly beneficial. In 1732,
he published his “Memoirs of the Twentieth Century;
being original Letters of State under George the Sixth,
relating to the most important events in Great-Britain,
and Europe, as to church and state, arts and sciences,
trade, taxes, and treaties, peace and war, and characters
of the greatest persons of those times, from the middle of
the eighteenth to the end of the twentieth century, and the
world. Received and revealed in the year 1728; and now
published, for the instruction of all eminent statesmen,
churchmen, patriots, politicians, projectors, papists, and
protestants.
” In 6 vols. Lond. 1733, 8vo. In 1740, we
find him in his native country, and in that year setting
apart the annual sum of one hundred pounds to be distributed, by way of premium, to the inhabitants of Ireland
only; namely, 50l. to the author of the best invention for
improving any useful art or manufacture; 25l. to the per->
son who should execute the best statue or piece of sculpture; and 25l. to the person who should finish the best
piece of painting, either in history or landscape the premiums to be decided by the Dublin society, of which Dr.
Madden was the institutor. The good effects of these well
applied benefactions have not only been felt to advantage
in the kingdom where they were given, but have even
extended their influence to its sister country, having giren
rise to the society for the encouragement of arts and
sciences in London. In 1743 or 4, he published a long
poem, called “Boulter’s Monument;
” which was corrected
for the press by Dr. Johnson; and an epistle of about 200
lines by him is prefixed to the second edition of Leland’s
“Life of Philip of Macedon.
” In an oration spoken at
Dublin, Dec. 6, 1757, by Mr. Sheridan, that gentleman
took occasion to mention Dr. Madden’s bounty, and intended to have proceeded in the following manner, but
was prevented by observing the doctor to be then present.
Speaking of the admirable institutions of premiums, he
went on, “Whose author, had he never contributed any
thing farther to the good of his country, would have deserved immortal honour, and must have been held in reverence by the latest posterity. But the unwearied and
disinterested endeavours, during a long course of years,
of this truly good man, in a variety of branches, to promote
industry, and consequently the welfare of this kingdom,
and the mighty benefits which have thence resulted to the
community, have made many of the good people of Ireland sorry, that a long-talked of scheme has not hitherto
been put in execution: that we might not appear inferior
in point of gratitude to the citizens of London, with respect to a fellow-citizen [sir John Barnard], (surely not with more reason,) and that like them we might be able
to address our patriot, Praesenti tibi matures largimur
honores.
”
, nephew to the preceding, was born in 1687, and was entered of Exeter college, Oxford, where
, nephew to the preceding, was born in 1687, and was entered of Exeter college, Oxford, where he took his degree of M. A. in June 1713. He was presented to the rectory of Alverstoke in Hampshire, by the bishop of Winchester, and to the vicarage of Great Waltbam, near Chelmsford, Essex, 1722, by Trinity college, Oxford, of which he had become a fellow. He quitted this last living in 1740, on being presented to the rectory of Colbourne in the Isle of Wight. He had previously, in 1738, being appointed by sir Charles Wager, chaplain to Greenwich hospital, where he died June 27, 1774, at: the advanced age of eighty-seven.