, a Scotch antiquary, was the son of the rev. Pat. Anderson, of Edinburgh, where he was
, a Scotch antiquary, was the son
of the rev. Pat. Anderson, of Edinburgh, where he was
born Aug. 5, 1662. He had a liberal education at the university of that city, which was much improved by genius
and application. When he had finished his studies, he
was placed under the care of sir Hugh Paterson, of Bannockburn, an eminent writer to the signet, and made such
progress, that in 1690 he was admitted a member of that
society, and during his practice discovered so much knowledge joined with integrity, that he probably would have
made a very distinguished figure had he remained longer
in this branch of the law profession. The acquaintance
with ancient writings, however, which he had been obliged
to cultivate in the course of his practice, gratified a taste
for general antiquities and antiquarian research, which he
seems to have determined to pursue, and he happened to
have an early opportunity to prove himself well qualified
for the pursuit. In 1704, a book was published by Mr.
William Atwood, a lawyer, entitled “The superiority and
direct dominion of tl?e Imperial Crown and Kingdom of
England over the Crown and Kingdom, of Scotland.
” In
this, Mr. Anderson, although altogether unknown to Mr.
Atwood, was brought in by him as an evidence and eyewitness to vouch some of the most important original chai%
ters and grants by the kings of Scotland, which AtwoocJ
maintained were in proof of the point he laboured to establish. Mr. Anderson, in consequence of such an appeal,
thought himself bound in duty to his country to publish
what he knew of the matter, and to vindicate the memory
of some of the best of the Scottish kings, who were accused
by Atwood of a base and voluntary surrender of their sovereignty. Accordingly, in 1705, he published “An Essay, shewing that the Crown of Scotland is imperial and
independent,
” Edinburgh, 8vo, which was so acceptable
to his country that the parliament ordered him a reward,
ind thanks to be delivered by the lord chancellor in presence of her majesty’s high commissioner and the estates,
which was done, and at the same time they ordered Atwood’s hook to he burnt at Edinburgh by the hands of the
hangman.
, an ingenious poet of the eighteenth century, was born Oct. 31, 1724. He was the son of the Rev. Christopher Anstey, D. D. by Mary, daughter
, an ingenious poet of the eighteenth century, was born Oct. 31, 1724. He was the son of the Rev. Christopher Anstey, D. D. by Mary, daughter of Anthony Thompson, esq. of Trumpington, in Cambridgeshire. He was first educated at Bury St. Edmunds, under the Rev. Arthur Kinsman, and thence removed to Eton, where he was distinguished for industry and talents. In 1742 he succeeded to a scholarship of King’s College, Cambridge, and soon added to his fame as a classical scholar by the Tripos verses which he wrote for the Cambridge commencement, while an undergraduate in the year 174.5. In the same year he was admitted fellow of King’s College, and in 1746 took his bachelor’s degree. He was, however, interrupted in his progress towards his master’s degree by having engaged in an opposition to what he conceived to be an innovation in the constitution of his college. King’s college had immemorially exercised the right of qualifying its members for their degrees within the walls of their own society, as is the case in New college, Oxford, without that regular performance of acts and exercises generally in use in the university schools, and required of other colleges. It was, however, proposed as a salutary regulation, and a fit employment for the bachelor fellows of King’s, that they should occasionally compose Latin declamations, and pronounce them in the public schools, a regulation altogether new and unprecedented in the annals of King’s College. Mr. Anstey, who was at that time of six years standing in the university, and the senior bachelor of his year, finding himself suddenly called upon to make a Latin oration upon a given subject, attempted to resist it, but, finding that impossible, delivered a harangue composed of adverbs, so ingeniously disposed as to appear somewhat like sense, but was, in fact, a burlesque upon the whole proceeding. He was immediately ordered to descend from the rostrum, and another declamation prescribed, in which he gave so little satisfaction, that he was refused his master’s degree in 1749. He succeeded, however, so well in his opposition to this innovation, that no more Latin declamations were required of the bachelors of King’s college.
, an eminent physician, was the son of the Rev. George Baker, who died in 1743, being then
, an eminent physician, was the son of the Rev. George Baker, who died in 1743, being then archdeacon and registrar of Totness. He was born in 1722, educated at Eton, and was entered a scholar of King’s college, Cambridge, in July 1742, where he took his degree of B. A. 1745, and M. A. 1749. He then began the study of medicine, and took the degree of doctor in 1756. He first practised at Stamford, but afterwards settled in London, and soon arrived at very extensive practice and reputation, and the highest honours of his faculty, being appointed physician in ordinary to the Jking, and physician to the queen. He was also a fellow of the Royal and Antiquary Societies, created a baronet Aug. 26, 1776, and in 1797 was elected president of the College of Physicians, London. Besides that skill in his profession, and personal accomplishments, which introduced him into the first practice, and secured him a splendid fortune, he was a good classical scholar and critic, and his Latin works are allowed to be written in a chaste and elegant style. He died June 15, 1809, in his eighty-eighth year, after having passed this long life without any of the infirmities from which he had relieved thousands.
genious and elegant poet of the last century, was born at Burton-upon-Trent, January 21, 1705-6; and was the son of the rev. William Browne, minister of that parish,
, esq. F. R. S. and a very ingenious and elegant poet of the last century, was born at Burton-upon-Trent, January 21, 1705-6; and was the son of the rev. William Browne, minister of that parish, where he chiefly resided, vicar of Winge, in Buckinghamshire, and a prebendary of Litchfield, which last preferment was given him by the excellent bishop Hough. He was possessed, also, of a small paternal inheritance, which he greatly increased by his marriage with Anne, daughter of Isaac Hawkins, esq. all whose estate, at length, came to his only grandson and heir-at-law, the subject of this article. Our author received his grammatical education, first at Litchfield, and then at Westminster, where he was much distinguished for the brilliancy of his parts^ and the steadiness of his application. The uncommon rapidity with which he passed through the several forms or classes of Westminster school, attracted the notice, and soon brought him under the direction of the head master, Dr. Freind, with whom he was a peculiar favourite. Mr. Browne stayed above a year in the sixth, or head form, with a view of confirming and improving his taste for classical learning and composition, under so polite and able a scholar. When he was little more than sixteen years of age, he was removed to Trinity-college, Cambridge, of which college his father had been fellow. He remained at the university till he had taken his degree of M. A. and though during his residence there he continued his taste for classical literature, which through his whole life was his principal object and pursuit, he did not omit the peculiar studies of the place, but applied himself with vigour and success to all the branches of mathematical science, and the principles of the Newtonian philosophy. When in May 1724, king George the First established at both universities, a foundation for the study of modern history and languages, with the design of qualifying young men for employments at court, and foreign embassies, Mr. Browne was among the earliest of those who were selected to be scholars upon this foundation. On the death of that prince, he wrote an university copy of verses, which was the first of his poems that had been printed, and was much admired. About the year 1727, Mr. Browne, who had been always intended for the bar, settled at Lincoln’s-inn. Here he prosecuted, for several years, with great attention, the study of the law, and acquired in it a considerable degree of professional knowledge, though he never arrived to any eminence in the practice of it, and entirely gave it up long before his death. He was the less solicitous about the practice of his profession, and it was of the less consequence to him, as he was possessed of a fortune adequate to his desires; which, by preserving the happy mean between extravagance and avarice, he neither diminished nor increased.
, D. D. was the son of the rev. William Chapman, rector of Stratfield-say
, D. D. was the son of the rev. William Chapman, rector of Stratfield-say in Hampshire,
where he was probably born in 1704. He was educated at
King’s college, Cambridge, A. B. 1727, and A. M. 1731.
His first promotion was the rectory of Mersham in Kent,
and of Alderton, with the chapel of Smeeth; to which he
was appointed in 1739 and 1744, being then domestic
chaplain to archbishop Potter. He was also archdeacon
of Sudbury, and treasurer of Chichester, two options.
Being educated at Eton, he was a candidate for the provostship of that college, and lost it by a small majority,
and after a most severe contest with Dr. George. Among
his pupils he had the honour to class the first lord Camden, Dr. Ashton, Horace Walpole, Jacob Bryant, sir W.
Draper, sir George Baker, and others who afterwards attained to considerable distinction in literature. His first
publication was entitled “The Objections of a late anonymous writer (Collins) against the book of Daniel, considered/' Cambridge, 1728, 8vo. This was followed by his
” Remarks on Dr. Middleton’s celebrated Letter to Dr.
Waterland,“published in 1731, and which has passed
through three editions. In his
” Eusebius,“2 vols. 8vo,
he defended Christianity against the objections of Mor-gan, and against those of Tindal in his
” Primitive Antiquity explained and vindicated.“The first volume of
Eusebius, published in 1739, was dedicated to archbishop
Potter; and when the second appeared, in 1741, Mr.
Chapman styled himself chaplain to his grace. In the
same year he was made archdeacon of Sudbury, and was
honoured with the diploma of D. D. by the university of
Oxford. He is at this time said to have published the
” History of the ancient Hebrews vindicated, by Theophanes Cantabrigiensis,“8vo but this was the production
of Dr. Squire. He published two tracts relating to
” Phlegon,“in answer to Dr. Sykes, who had maintained
that the eclipse mentioned by that writer had no relation to
the wonderful darkness that happened at our Saviour’s crucifixion. In 1738 Dr. Chapman published a sermon
preached at the consecration of bishop Mavvson, and four
other single sermons, 1739, 1743, 1748, and 1752. In a
dissertation written in elegant Latin, and addressed to
Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Tunstall, then public orator of the
university of Cambridge, and published with his Latin
epistle to Dr. Middleton concerning the genuineness of
some of Cicero’s epistles, 1741, Dr. Chapman proved that
Cicero published two editions of his Academics; an original thought that had escaped all former commentators,
and which has been applauded by Dr. Ross, bishop of Exeter, in his edition of Cicero’s
” Epistolse ad familiares,“1749. In 1744 Mr. Tunstall published
” Observations on
the present Collection of Epistles between Cicero and M.
Brutus, representing several evident marks of forgery in
those epistles,“&c. to which was added a
” Letter from
Dr. Chapman, on the ancient numeral characters of the
Roman legions.“Dr. Middleton had asserted, that the
Roman generals, when they had occasion to raise new
legions in distant parts of the empire, used to name them
according to the order in which they themselves had raised
them, without regard to any other legions whatever. This
notion Dr. Chapman controverts and confutes. According
to Dr. Middleton there might have been two thirtieth legions in the empire. This Dr. Chapman denies to have
been customary from the foundation of the city to the time
when Brutus was acting against Anthony, but affirms nothing of the practice after the death of Brutus. To this
Dr. Middleton made no reply. In 1745 Dr. Chapman was
employed in assisting Dr. Pearce, afterwards bishop of
Rochester, in his edition of
” Cicero de Officiis.“About
this time Dr. Chapman introduced Mr. Tunstall and Mr.
Hall to archbishop Potter, the one as his librarian, the
other as his chaplain, and therefore had some reason to
resent their taking an active part against him in the option
cause, though they both afterwards dropped it. Dr. Chapman’s above-mentioned attack on Dr. Middleton, which he
could not parry, and his interposition in defence of his
much-esteemed friend Dr. Waterland, provoked Dr. Middleton to retaliate in 1746, by assailing him in what he
thought a much more vulnerable part, in his Charge to the
archdeaconry of Sudbury, entitled <e Popery the true bane
of letters.
” In would wash him as white
as snow.
” Thinking his case partially stated by Dr. Burn,
in his “Ecclesiastical Law,' 1 vol. I. (article Bishops), as
it was taken from the briefs of his adversaries, he expostulated with him on the subject by letter, to which the doctor
candidly replied,
” that he by no means thought him criminal, and in the next edition of his work would certainly
add his own representation." On this affair, however, Dr.
Hurd passes a very severe sentence in his correspondence
with Warburton lately published. Dr. Chapman died the
34th of October, 1784, in the 80th year of his age.
, rector of Whatfield, and vicar of Debenham, in Suffolk, was the son of the rev. George Clubbe, M. A. of Catherine-hall,
, rector of Whatfield, and vicar of Debenham, in Suffolk, was the son of the rev. George Clubbe,
M. A. of Catherine-hall, Cambridge, and was born in 1703.
He was admitted of King’s-college, Cambridge, by an
unlucky mistake of an uacle, who did not know until too
late, that his not proceeding from Eton school was a bar to
his promotion in that college. He left it, therefore, after
talcing his bachelor’s degree, in 1725. At what time he
was presented to his livings, is not mentioned. He married
one of Dr. Jortin’s daughters, by whom he had a large family. He had the misfortune to lose his sight some time
before his death, March 2, 1773, but never his placid and
agreeable humour. His publications, besides a single
“Sermon
” before the incorporated Society for the Relief
of Clergymen’s Widows and Orphans at Ipswich, 1751,
are, 1. “The History and Antiquities of the ancient villa
of Wheatfield, in the county of Suffolk,
” Fugitive Pieces.
” 2. “Physiognomy; being a.
sketch of a larger work upon the same plan, wherein the
different tempers, passions, and manners of men, will be
particularly considered.
” 3. “A Letter of free advice
to a young Clergyman,
”
, an English poet, was the son of the rev. William Crashaw, a divine of some note in
, an English poet, was the son
of the rev. William Crashaw, a divine of some note in his
day, and preacher at the Temple church, London. He
published several volumes on points controverted between
the Roman catholics and protestants, either original or
translated; and in 1608, a translation of the Life of Galeacius Caracciolo, marquis of Vico, an Italian nobleman,
who was converted by the celebrated reformer Peter
Martyr, and forsook all that rank, family, and wealth
could yield, for the quiet enjoyment of the reformed religion. Mr. Crashaw also translated a supposed poem of
St. Bernard’s, entitled “The Complaint or Dialogue between the Soule and the Bodie of a damned man,
” Manual for true Catholics, or a handfull or rather a heartfull of holy Meditations
and Prayers.
” All these show him to have been a zealous
protestant; but, like his son, somewhat tinctured with a
love of mystic poetry and personification.
, an English barrister, was the son of the Rev. John Dodson, M. A. a dissenting minister
, an English barrister, was the
son of the Rev. John Dodson, M. A. a dissenting minister
of Marlborough, in Wiltshire, and of Elizabeth, one of
the daughters of Mr. Foster, an attorney-at-law of the
same place. He was born at Marlborough on the 20th or
21st Sept. 1732, and educated partly under the care of his
father, and partly at the grammar-school of that town; and
under the direction of his maternal uncle, sir Michael
Foster, he was brought up to the profession of the law.
After being admitted of the Middle Temple, London, August 31, 1754, he practised many years with considerable
reputation, as a special pleader. His natural modesty and
cliffiJence discouraged him from attending the courts, and
therefore he did not proceed to be called to the bar till
July 4, 1783. This measure contributed, as was intended,
more to the diminution than to the increase of professional
business. He was appointed one of the commissioners of
bankrupts in 1770, during the chancellorship of lord Camden, and was continued in that situation till the time of
his death. On December 31, 1778, Mr. Dodson married
miss Elizabeth Hawkes, his cousin-german, and eldest
daughter of Mr. Hawkes, of Marlborough. He enjoyed a
life of uninterrupted good health, and indeed little alteration was observeable in his strength or general habits till
nearly the last year of his life. It was not till the month
of October 1799, that he began more sensibly to feel the
effect of disease; and, after a confinement to his room of
about a fortnight, he died of a dropsy in his chest, at his
house in Boswell-court, Carey-street, London, on the 13th
of November of that year; and was buried in Bunhillfields the 21st of the same month. Mr. Dodson’s legal
knowledge and discrimination were deservedly estimated
by those to whom he was known, and who had occasion to
confer with him upon questions of law. He was deliberate
in forming his opinion, and diffident in delivering it, but
always clear in the principles and reasons on which it was
founded. His general acquaintance with the laws, and
veneration for the constitution of his country, evinced his
extensive acquaintance with the principles of jurisprudence, and his regard for the permanence of the liberties
of Britain. In 1762, Mr. Justice Foster published his
book, entitled, “A Report of some proceedings on the
commission for the trial of the Rebels in the year 1746, in
the county of Surrey; and of other crown cases; to which
are added, Discourses upon a few branches of the Crown
Law.
” This work will be to him, said Mr. Dodson, “monumeutum aere perennius.
” The impression being large,
and a pirated edition being made in Ireland, a new edition,
was not soon wanted in England; but in 1776 Mr. Dodson
published a second edition with some improvements, and
with remarks in his preface on some objections made by
Mr. Barrington in his “Observations on the more ancient
Statutes.
” In Commentaries and Essays,
” written by the members of a small “Society for promoting the knowledge of
the Scriptures.
” Mr. Dodson was a very early member of
this society, not only communicating some papers of his
own, but conducting through the press some of the contributions of others. In 1790 he laid before the public, as
the result of many years’ study, “New translation of Isaiah,
with notes supplementary to those of Dr. Lowth, late
bishop of London, and containing remarks on many parts
of his Translation and Notes, by a Layman.
” In this he
has taken more freedoms than can be justified by the principles of sound criticism; which drew forth an able answer
from the pen of Dr. Sturges, in “Short remarks on a new
Translation of Isaiah,
” 8vo. To this Mr. Dodson replied,
with urbanity and candour, in “A Letter to the Rev. Dr.
Sturges, &c.
” 8vo,
, a learned divine of the church of England, was born at Coventry, August 10, O.S. 1729, and was the son of the Rev. Thomas Edwards, M. A. vicar of St. Michael’s
, a learned divine of the church
of England, was born at Coventry, August 10, O.S. 1729,
and was the son of the Rev. Thomas Edwards, M. A. vicar
of St. Michael’s in that city, and of Katharine his wife.
His grammatical education he received partly under the
tuition of Edward Jackson, D. D. master of the free grammar-school in Coventry, but principally under the care
of his own father; and such was his eagerness for the acquisition of knowledge, that he seldom engaged in the
diversions common to boys. In 1747, at the age of eighteen,
he was matriculated at the university of Cambridge, and
entered of Clare hall, where he took the degree of B. A.
in 1750, and of M. A. in 1754. He was likewise a fellow
of his college. In the younger part of his life he was a
self-taught musician, and became no mean performer on
the spinnet and the bass-viol: but, finding that this amusement encroached too much upon his studies, he entirely
relinquished it. On the 22d of September, 1751, he was
ordained deacon, and on the 23d of September, 1753, he
was ordained priest, both which orders he received from
the hands of Dr. Frederick Cornwallis, at that time bishop
of Litchfield and Coventry. In the spring of 1755, when
Mr. Edwards was not yet twenty-six years of age, he gave
a striking proof of the diligence with which he applied
himself to the study of the learned languages, and the acquisition of sacred literature. This was his publication of
“A new English Translation of the Psalms from the original Hebrew, reduced to metre by the late bishop Hare
with notes, critical and explanatory, illustrations of many
passages, drawn from the classics, and a preliminary dissertation, in which the truth and certainty of that learned
prelate’s happy discovery is stated, and proved at large,
”
8vo. It was Mr. Edwards’s design to make Dr. Hare’s system of Hebrew metre better known, and to prove, that, by
a judicious application of it, great light might be thrown
upon the poetical parts of the Hebrew scriptures. He was
of opinion that Dr. Hare’s hypothesis was rejected by
many persons, partly from an over-hasty determination,
and partly from too scrupulous a veneration for the Hebrew
text. The notes, which comprehend more than one third
of this book, chiefly contain emendations of the Hebrew
text, pointed out by the metre, and illustrations of some
passages, drawn from the classics, together with an explanation of the most difficult places. Considerable use is
made by our author of Hare and Mudge, but with no
servile adherence to their authority. Mr. Edwards’s next
publication was only a single sermon, which he had
preached at St. Michael’s in Coventry, on the 6th of
February, 1756. On the 2d of May, 1758, he was nominated, by the corporation of Coventry, master of the free
grammar-school, and presented to the rectory of St. John,
the Baptist in that city. This promotion was- followed by
his marriage, November 27th, in the same year, to Anne
Parrott, daughter of Stony er Parrott, esq. of Hawkesbury,
in the parish of Foleshill, in the county of Warwick, by
whom he had one son, Dr. Edwards of Cambridge. Early
in 1759, Mr. Edwards published one of his principal works,
“The doctrine of irresistible Grace proved to have no
foundation in the writings of the New Testament.
” This
was levelled at the opinions of the Calvinists on that subject. Our author’s next publication, which appeared in
1762, was entitled “Prolegomena in Libros Veteris Testamenti Poeticos; sive dissertatio, in qua viri eruditissimi
Francisci Harii nuper Episcopi Cicestriensis de antiqua
Hebraeorum poesi hypothesin ratione et veritate niti, fuse
ostenditur, atque ad objecta quaedam respond etur.
Subjicitur Metricae Lowthianae Confutatio, cum indicibus
necessariis,
” 8vo. This attack upon Dr. Lowth’s “Metricae Harianaj brevis Confutatio,
” which had been annexed to the first edition of his admirable “Praelectiones
de sacra Poesi Hebraeorum,
” did not pass unnoticed by
that gentleman. In the second edition of his “Praelectiones
” he added a note, in which he strenuously maintained his own opinion, in opposition to that of Mr, Edwards. In reply to this note our author published, in 1765 t
“Epistola ad doctissimimi Robertum Lowthium, S. T. P.,
In qua nonnulla, quae ad nuperae siur de sacra Hebraeorum
Poesi Prielectionum editionis calcem habet, expenduntur.
”
In this he indulged himself in some severity of language,
which the subject did not merit, and which ought not to
have been used towards such an antagonist as Dr. Loath.
The doctor thought the “Epistola
” of consequence enough
to deserve a reply; and therefore he printed, in 1766,
“A larger Confutation of bishop Hare’s System of Hebrew
Metre in a letter to the reverend Dr. Edwards in answer to his Latin cpisile,
” 8vo. Here the controversy
ended and the general opinion of the learned world gave
the preference to Dr. Lowth’s arguments.
, a miscellaneous writer and schoolmaster, was born at Edinburgh, Dec. 6, 1721, and was the son of the Rev. William Elphinston. He was educated at the
, a miscellaneous writer and
schoolmaster, was born at Edinburgh, Dec. 6, 1721, and
was the son of the Rev. William Elphinston. He was educated at the high school of Edinburgh, and afterwards at
the university, where, or soon after he left it, and when
only in his seventeenth year, he was appointed tutor to
lord Blantyre, a circumstance which seems to indicate that
his erudition was extraordinary, or his place nominal.
When of age he accompanied Carte, the historian, on a
tour through Holland and Brabant, and to Paris, where he
acquired such a knowledge of the French language as to
be able to speak and write it with the greatest facility. On
leaving France he returned to Scotland, and became private tutor to the son of James Moray, esq. of Abercairny,
in Perthshire, and an inmate in the family. How long he
remained here is uncertain, but in 1750 he was at Edinburgh, and superintended an edition of Dr. Johnson’s
“Ramblers,
” by the author’s permission, with a translation of the mottos, which was completed in 8 vols. 12 mo,
beautifully printed, but imperfect, as being without the
alterations and additions introduced in the subsequent editions by Dr. Johnson. In 1751 he married, and leaving
Scotland, fixed his abode near London, first at Brompton,
and afterwards at Kensington, where for many years he
kept a school in a large and elegant house opposite to the
royal gardens, and had considerable reputation; his scholars always retaining a very grateful sense of his skill as a
teacher, and his kindness as a friend.
, an English historian and divine, was the son of the rev. Thomas Fuller, minister of St. Peter’s,
, an English historian and divine,
was the son of the rev. Thomas Fuller, minister of St.
Peter’s, in Aldwincle, in Northamptonshire, and born
there in 1608. The chief assistance he had in the rudiments of learning was from his father, under whom he
made so extraordinary a progress, that he was sent at
twelve years of age to Queen’s-college, in Cambridge;
Dr. Davenant, who was his mother’s brother, being then
master of it, and soon after bishop of Salisbury. He took
his degrees in arts, that of A. B. in 1624-5, and that of
A. M. in 1628, and would have been fellow of the college;
but there being already a Northamptonshire man a fellow,
he was prohibited by the statutes from being chosen, and
although he might have obtained a dispensation, he preferred removing to Sidney-college, in the same university.
He had not been long there, before he was chosen minister of St. Bennet’s, in the town of Cambridge, and soon
became a very popular preacher. In 1631, he obtained a
fellowship in Sidney-college, and at the same time a prebend in the church of Salisbury. This year also he issued
his first publication, a work of the poetical kind, now but
little known, entitled “David’s Hainous Sin, Heartie Repentances, and Heavie Punishment,
” in a thin 8vx>.
as born at Kircudbright, the principal town of the county of that name in Scotland, Oct 28, 1732. He was the son of the rev. George Garthshore, the minister of Kircudbright,
, an eminent physician, and very amiable man, was born at Kircudbright, the principal town of the county of that name in Scotland, Oct 28, 1732. He was the son of the rev. George Garthshore, the minister of Kircudbright, and received his early education at home. At the age of fourteen he was placed with a surgeon-apothecary in Edinburgh, where he attended the medical classes of the university, and the infirmary. In his twenty-second year, when he had finished his medical studies, he entered the army, as mate to surgeon Huck (afterwards Dr. Huck Sauntiers) in lord Charles Hay’s regiment. In 1756 he had an opportunity of relinquishing this service for the more advantageous situation of succeeding to the practice of Dr. John Fordyce, a physician at Uppingham, in Rutlandshire, who was about to remove to London. In this place, Dr. Garthshore resided until 1763, giving much satisfaction by his activity, assiduity, and successful practice in physic and midwifery, in a very extensive range of country. Here also he formed some valuable connections, and in 1759 married a young lady heiress to a small estate. This last advantage encouraged him to remove to London in 1763, and after a short residence in Bed ford -street, Coventgarden, he settled in a house in St. Martin’s lane, where he continued nearly fifty years. His professional views in coming to London were amply gratified; but here he was soon assailed by a heavy domestic affliction, the loss of his wife, which took place the 8th of March, 1765. From this calamity Dr. G. sought relief in the practice of his public duties. His natural susceptibility, the instruction of his father, the correspondence of Mr. Maitland, an early friend and patron, had deeply impressed him with devotion to his Maker, and taught him to consider it as inseparable from good-will and beneficence to men. Volumes of his Diary, kept for the whole of his life in London, and amounting to many thousands of close-written pages, in contractions very difficult to decypher, consist of medical, miscellaneous, and eminently pious remarks, meditations, and daily ejaculations of praise and thanksgiving, with fervent prayers to be kept steady in that course of well-doing essential to happiness in the present life and in that which is to come. The tone and temper, elevation and energy, acquired by this sublime heavenly intercourse, appeared indispensable to this good man, not only as the consolation of sorrow, and the disposer to patience and resignation under the ills of life, but as the spring and principle of unwearied perseverance in active virtue; the diligent, liberal, charitable exercise of the profession to which he was devoted. From this time forward he continued for nearly half a century cultivating medicine in all its branches, most attentive to every new improvement in themf, physician to the British lying-in hospital, fellow of the royal and antiquarian societies, rendering his house an asylum for the poor, as well as a centre of communication for the learned; for his connection with the higher orders of men never prevented his habitual attentions and services to the less fortunate: in general, to stand in need of his assistance was the surest recommendation to his partiality.
, an eminent English musician, was the son of the Rev. Thomas Greene, vicar of St. Clave Jewry,
, an eminent English musician, was the son of the Rev. Thomas Greene, vicar of St. Clave Jewry, in London, and nephew of John Greene, serjeant at law. He was brought up in the choir of St. Paul, and when his voice broke was bound apprentice to
, the first of an eminent family of learned men in Scotland, was the son of the Rev. Mr. John Gregory, minister of Drumoak in
, the first of an eminent family of
learned men in Scotland, was the son of the Rev. Mr. John
Gregory, minister of Drumoak in the county of Aberdeen,
and was born at Aberdeen in November 1638. His mother
was a daughter of Mr. David Anderson of Finzaugh, or
Finshaugh, a gentleman who possessed a singular turn for
mathematical and mechanical knowledge. This mathematical genius was hereditary in the family of the Andersons,
and from them it seems to have been transmitted to their
descendants of the names of Gregory, Reid, &c. Alexander Anderson, cousin -german of the said David, was
professor of mathematics at Paris in the beginning of
the seventeenth century, and published there several valuable and ingenious works; as may be seen in our vol. II.
The mother of James Gregory inherited the genius of her
family; and observing in her son, while yet a child, a
itrong propensity to mathematics, she instructed him
herself in the elements of that science. His education in the
languages he received at the grammar-school of Aberdeen,
and went through the usual course of academical studies at
Marischal college, but was chiefly delighted with philosophical researches, into which a new door had been lately
opened by the key of the mathematics. Galileo, Kepler,
and Des Cartes were the great masters of this new method;
their works, therefore, Gregory made his principal study,
and began early to make improvements upon their discoveries in optics. The first of these improvements was the
invention of the reflecting telescope, which still bears his
name; and which was so happy a thought, that it has
given occasion to the most considerable improvements
made in optics, since the invention of the telescope. He
published the construction of this instrument in his “Optica
promota,
”
, a learned, but not very accurate editor, was the son of the rev. Henry Hall, of Kirkbridge in Cumberland,
, a learned, but not very accurate editor, was the son of the rev. Henry Hall, of Kirkbridge in Cumberland, where he was born in 1679. He received the rudiments of learning at Carlisle, whence he was removed to Queen’s college, Oxford, and admitted battiler July 7, 1696, but for some reason was not matriculated till Nov. 18, 1698. He took his bachelor’s degree in 1701, and that of master in 1704, having just entered into holy orders; and was elected fellow of his college, April 18, 1706. In 1719, upon the death of Dr. Hudson, keeper of the Bodleian library, he became a candidate for that office, and it appears that Dr. Hudson, a little time before his death, expressed a wish that Mr. Hall should be his successor; but his endeavours failed. Dr. Hudson, at the time of his death, had nearly finished his edition of Josephus; and by Mr. Hall’s exertions it was soon published. Shortly after, he married Dr. Hudson’s widow. On April 8, 1720, he was instituted to the rectory of Hampton Poyle, in Oxfordshire, at the presentation of his college; and in the following year took his degrees in divinity. He died at Garford, in Berkshire, and was buried at Kingston, in that county, April 6, 1723.
, a prelate celebrated for his controversial talents, was the son of the rev. Samuel Hoadly, who kept a private school
, a prelate celebrated for his
controversial talents, was the son of the rev. Samuel Hoadly, who kept a private school many years, and was afterwards master of the public grammar-school at Norwich.
He was born at Westerham in Kent, Nov. 14, 1676. In
1691 he was admitted a pensioner of Catherine hall, Cambridge, and after taking his bachelor’s degree, was chosen
fellow; and when M. A. became tutor. He took orders
under Dr. Compton, bishop of London, and next year
quitting his fellowship (vacated most probably by his marriage) he was chosen lecturer of St. Mildred in the Poultry,
London, which he held ten years, but does not appear to
have been very popular, as he informs us himself that he
preached it down to 30l. a-year, and then thought it high
time to resign it. This was not, however, his only employment, as in 1702 he officiated at St. Swithin’s in the
absence of the rector, and in 1704-was presented to the
rectory of St. Peter-le-Poor, Broad-street. By this time
he had begun to distinguish himself as a controversial, anthor, and his first contest was;vith Mr. Calamy, the biographer of the non-conformists. Several tracts passed between them, in which Hoadly endeavoured to prove the
reasonableness of conformity to the Church of England.
How well he was qualified to produce that influence on the
non-conformists appears, among other instances, from
what the celebrated commentator Matthew Henry says of
the eftect of his writings on his own mind-: “I have had
much satisfaction this year (1703) in my non-conformity,
especially by reading Mr. Hoadly’s books, in which I see
a manifest spirit of Christianity unhappily leavened by the
spirit of conformity.
” In a
torrent of angry zeal began to pour itself out upon him.
”
His attention to this subject was, however, diverted for
some time by another controversy into which he entered
with Dr. Atterbury. In 1706 he published “Some Remarks on Dr. Atterbury’s Sermon at the Funeral of Mr.
Bennet
” and two years afterwards c< Exceptions“against
another Sermon by the same author, on the power of
” Charity to cover Sin.“In 1709, a dispute arose between
these combatants, concerning the doctrine of non-resistance, occasioned by the sermon we just mentioned before
the lord-mayor, and Hoadly’s defence of it, entitled
” The Measures of Obedience;“some positions in which
Atterbury endeavoured to confute in a Latin Sermon,
preached that year before the London clergy. Hoadly’s
politics were at this time so acceptable to the ruling powers,
that the house of commons gave him a particular mark of
their regard, by representing in an address to the queen,
the signal services he had done to the cause of civil and
religious liberty. At this time, when his principles were
unpopular, (which was indeed the case the greater part of his life), Mrs. Rowland spontaneously presented him to
the rectory of Streatham in Surrey. Soon after the accession of George I. his influence at court became so considerable, that he was made bishop of Bangor in 1715,
which see, however, from an apprehension of party fury,
as was said, he never visited, but still remained in town,
preaching against what he considered as the inveterate
errors of the clergy. Among other discourses he made at
this crisis, one was upon these words,
” My kingdom is not
of this world:“which, producing the famous Bangoriau
controversy, as it was called, employed the press for many
years. The manner in which he explained the text was, that
the clergy had no pretensions to any temporal jurisdictions;
but this was answered by Dr. Snipe; and, in the course
of the debate, the argument insensibly changed, from the
rights of the clergy to that of princes, in the government
of the church. Bishop Hoadly strenuously maintained,
that temporal princes had a right to govern in ecclesiastical
polities. His most able opponent was the celebrated William Law, who, in some material points, may be said to
have gained a complete victory. He was afterwards involved in another dispute with Dr. Hare, upon the nature
of prayer: he maintained, that a calm, rational, and dispassionate manner of offering up our prayers to heaven,
was the most acceptable method of address. Hare, on the
contrary, insisted, that the fervour of zeal was what added
merit to the sacrifice; and that prayer, without warmth,
and without coining from the heart, was of n > avail. This
dispute, like the former, for a time excited many opponents, but has long subsided. From the bishopric of Bangor, he was translated successively to those of Hereford,
Salisbury, and Winchester, of which last see he continued
bishop more than 26 years. His latter days were in some
measure disturbed by a fraud attempted to be practised on
him by one Bernard Fournier, a popish convert, who pretended to have received a notc-of-hand from the bishop
for the sum of 8800l.; but this was proved in court to be a
forgery. It produced the last, and one of the best written
of the bishop’s tracts,
” A Letter to Clement Chevallier,
esq." a gentleman who had too much countenanced F\>urnier in his imposture. This appeared in 1758, when our
prelate had completed his eighty-first year. He died April
17, 1761, aged eighty-five, and was buried in Winchester
cathedral, where there is an elegant monument to his memory. His first wife was Sarah Curtis, by whom he had
two sons, Benjamin, M. D. and John, LL. I) chancellor of
Winchester. His second wife was Mary Newey, daughter
of the rev. Dr. John Newey, dean of Chichester.
learned divine of the church of England, was born at Evesham, in Worcestershire, in August 1647, and was the son of the rev. George Hopkins, whom Hickes terms a pious
, a learned divine of the church
of England, was born at Evesham, in Worcestershire, in
August 1647, and was the son of the rev. George Hopkins,
whom Hickes terms a pious and learned divine, and who
was ejected for non- conformity. At school his son was so
great a proficient, that at twelve years of age he translated
an English poem into Latin verse, which was printed some
time before the restoration. At thirteen he was admitted
commoner of Trinity-college, Oxford, under the learned
Mr. Stratford, afterwards bishop of Chester. He proceeded
M. A. in 1668, sometime before which he removed from
Trinity-college to St. Mary-hall. He was much noticed
by Dr. Fell, dean of Christ-church, who, it is supposed,
recommended him to the Hon. Henry Coventry, as his
chaplain and companion in his embassy to Sweden; on
which he set out in Sept. 1671. While in Sweden, Mr.
Hopkins applied himself to the study of northern antiquities, having previously studied the Saxon. After his return in 1675, by Mr. Coventry’s recommendation, he was
preferred to a prebend in Worcester cathedral; and from
his installation, began to collect materials for a history of
this church, some of which fell afterwards into the hands of
Wharton and other antiquaries. In June 1678 he was made
curate of Mortlake in Surrey, and about 1680 was chosen
Sunday lecturer of the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, and
in 1686 was preferred to the vicarage of Lindridge in
Worcestershire. In 1697 he was chosen master of St.
Oswald’s hospital in “Worcester, of the profits of which he
made a fund for the use of the hospital, and the benefit of
his poor brethren there. He had proceeded D. D. at Oxford in 1692. He died of a violent fever May 18, 1700,
and was interred in Worcester cathedral. Hickes, who
prefixed his Life to a volume of his Sermons, published in
1708, 8vo, gives him a high character for piety, learning,
and benevolence. He was a great benefactor to the library
of Worcester cathedral. Although a man of extensive
reading and study, he published only, 1.
” Bertram or Ratram, concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord, &c.
wherein M. Boileau’s version and notes upon Bertram are
considered, and his unfair dealings in both detected.“Of
this a second edition appeared in 1688. 2.
” Animadversions on Mr. Johnson’s answer to Jovian, in three letters
to a country friend;“and a Latin translation, with notes, of
a small tract, written in the Saxon tongue, on the burialplaces of the Saxon saints, which Dr. Hickes published in
his
” Septentrional Grammar,“Oxford, 1705. Dr. Hopkins also assisted Gibson in correcting his Latin version of
the Saxon Chronicle; and made a new translation, with
notes and additions, of the article
” Worcestershire" in
Camden’s Britannia, published by Gibson.
, a very learned and highly distinguished prelate, was the son of the rev. John Horsley, M. A. who was many years clerk
, a very learned and highly distinguished prelate, was the son of the rev. John Horsley, M. A. who was many years clerk in orders a$ St. Martin’s in the Fields. His grandfather is said to have been at first a dissenter, but afterwards conformed, and had the living of St. Martin’s in the Fields. This last circumstance, however, must be erroneous, as no such name occurs in the list of the vicars of that church. His father was in 1745 presented to the rectory of Thorley in Hertfordshire, where he resided constantly, and was a considerable benefactor to the parsonage. He also held the rectory of Newington Butts, in Surrey, a peculiar belonging to the bishop of Worcester By his first wife, Anne, daughter of Dr. Hamilton, principal of the college of Edinburgh, he had only one son, the subject of the present article, who was born in his father’s residence in St. Martin’s church-yard, in Oct. 1733. By his second wife, Mary, daughter of George Leslie, esq. of Kimragie in Scotland, he had three sons and four daughters, who were all born at Thorley. He died in 1777, aged seventy-eight; and his widow in 1787, at Nasing in Essex.
, an English writer, and bishop of Peterborough, was the son of the rev. Basil Kennet, rector of Dunchurch, and vicar
, an English writer, and bishop of
Peterborough, was the son of the rev. Basil Kennet, rector of Dunchurch, and vicar of Postling, near Hythe, in
Kent, and was born at Dover, Aug. 10, 1660. He was
called White, from his mother’s father, one Mr. Thomas
White, a wealthy magistrate at Dover, who had formerly
been a master shipwright there. When he was a little
grown up, he was sent to Westminster-school, with a view
of getting upon the foundation; but, being seized with
the srnall-pox at the time of the election, it was thought
advisable to take him away. In June 1678 he was entered
of St. Edmund-hall in Oxford, where he was pupil to Mr.
Allam, a very celebrated tutor, who took a particular pleasure in imposing exercises on him, which he would often
read in the common room with great approbation. It was
by Mr. Allam’s advice that he translated Erasmus on Folly,
and some other pieces for the Oxford booksellers. Under
this tutor he applied hard to study, and commenced an
author in politics, even while he was an under-graduate;
for, in 1680, he published “A Letter from a student at
Oxford to a friend in the country, concerning the approaching parliament, in vindication of his majesty, the
church of England, and tfye university:
” with which the
whig party, as it then began to be called, in the House of
Commons, were so much offended, that inquiries were made
after the author, in order to have him punished. In March
1681 he published, in the same spirit of party, “a Poem,
”
that is, “a Ballad,
” addressed “to Mr. E. L. on his majesty’s
dissolving the late parliament at Oxford,
” which was printed
on one side of a sheet of paper, and began, “An atheist
now must a monster be,
” &c. He took his bachelor’s degree in May Morise encomium,
” which he entitled “Wit
against Wisdom, or a Panegyric upon Folly,
” which, as
we have already noticed, his tutor had advised him to
undertake. He proceeded M. A. Jan. 22, 1684; and, the
same year, was presented by sir William Glynne, bart. to
the vicarage of Amersden, or Ambroseden, in Oxfordshire;
which favour was procured him by his patron’s eldest son,
who was his contemporary in the halh To this patron he
dedicated “Pliny’s Panegyric,
” which he translated in
An address of thanks
to a good prince, presented in the Panegyric of Pliny upon
Trajan, the best of the Roman emperors.
” It was reprinted in Postscript
” to the translation
of his “Convocation Sermon,
” in The remarker
says, the doctor dedicated Pliny’s Panegyric to the late
king James: and, what if he did? Only it appears he did
not. This is an idle tale among the party, who, perhaps,
have told it till they believe it: when the truth is, there
was no such dedication, and the translation itself of Pliny
was not designed for any court address. The young translator’s tutor, Mr. Allam, directed his pupil, by way of exercise, to turn some Latin tracts into English. The first
was a little book of Erasmus, entitled,
” Moriae Encomiumu;“which the tutor was pleased to give to a bookseller in Oxford, who put it in the press while the translator was but an
under-graduate. Another sort of task required by his tutor
was this ‘ Panegyric of Pliny upon Trajan,’ which he likewise gave to a bookseller in Oxford, before the translator
was M. A. designing to have it published in the reign, of
king Charles; and a small cut of that prince at full length
was prepared, and afterwards put before several of the
books, though the impression happened to be retarded till
the death of king Charles; and then the same tutor, not
long before his own death, advised a new preface, adapted
to the then received opinion of king James’s being a just
and good prince. However, there was no dedication to
king James, but to a private patron, a worthy baronet, who
came in heartily to the beginning of the late happy revolution. This is the whole truth of that story, that hath
been so often cast at the doctor not that he thinks himself
obliged to defend every thought and expression of his
juvenile studies, when he had possibly been trained up to
some notions, which he afterwards found reason to put
away as childish things.
”
, an ingenious young writer, was the son of the rev. Mr. Macdiarmid, minister of Weem in the
, an ingenious young writer, was
the son of the rev. Mr. Macdiarmid, minister of Weem in
the northern part of Perthshire, and was bern in 1779.
He studied at the universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews, and was for some years tutor in a gentleman’s
family. Such a situation is generally desired in Scotland
with the view of provision in the church, but as this was
not Mr. Macdiarmid’s object, he became desirous of visiting the metropolis, and trying his fortune in the career of
literary competition. He accordingly came to London in
1801, and was soon in the receipt of a competent income
from periodical writing. His principal occupations of this
kind were, as editor of the St. James’s Chronicle (a paper in which some of the first scholars and wits of the last half century have employed their pens), and as a reviewer in a
critical publication. On the commencement or rather the
renewal of the late war in 1802-3, his attention was directed to our military establishment, and he relinquished
his periodical engagements to become the author of a very
elaborate work, entitled “An Inquiry into the System of
Military Defence of Great Britain,
” Inquiry into the Nature of Civil and Military Subordination,
” Lives of British
Statesmen,
” 4to, beginning with the life of sir Thomas
More. This work has strong claims on public attention.
The style is perspicuous and unaffected; authorities are
quoted for every statement of consequence, and a variety
of curious information is extracted from voluminous records,
and brought for the first time before the public view. His
political speculations were always temperate and liberal.
He was indeed in all respects qualified for a work of this
description, by great powers of research and equal impartiality. But unfortunately he was destined to enjoy, for a
short time only, the approbation with which his work was
received. His health, at all times delicate, received in
November 1807, an irreparable blow by a paralytic stroke;
and in February 1808 a second attack proved fatal, April 7.
Mr. D'Israeli has paid a just and pathetic tribute to his
memory and talents in the work referred to below.
, or perhaps Masters (Thomas), a poet and historian, was the son of the rev. William Master, rector of Cote near Cirencester
, or perhaps Masters (Thomas), a poet
and historian, was the son of the rev. William Master,
rector of Cote near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. He
was first educated at the grammar-school of Cirencester,
and afterwards at Winchester-school, from which he entered New college, Oxford, as a probationer fellow in
1622, and was admitted perpetual fellow in 1624. He
took his degrees in arts, that of M. A. in 1629, and being
in orders, was in 1640 admitted to the reading of the sentences. At this time he was considered as a man of great
learning, well-versed in the languages, and a good poet
and preacher. There are no other circumstances recorded
of his life, except his connection with lord Herbert of
Cherbury, whom he assisted in some of his writings. He
died of a putrid fever in 1643, and was buried in the outer
chapel of New-college. Lord Herbert honoured his memory with a Latin epitaph, which is among his lordship’s
poems, but was not inscribed on the place of his burial.
His poems were in Latin and Greek: 1. “Mensa Lubrica,
”
Oxon. Movorfotpnta ei$ mv TsXfi<r7s alavgutriv,
” a Greek poem on the
passion of Christ, which was translated into Latin by Mr.
Jacob of Merton-college, and into English by Cowley, and
published at Oxford, 1658, 4to. His other Latin productions were, an oration delivered in New-college; “Iter
Boreale,
” “Carolus Redux,
” “Ad regem Carolum,
” &c.
We have termed him a historian from his having given
lord Herbert great assistance in his “Life of Henry VIII.
”
He also had a share in the Latin translation of his lordship’s
book “De Veritate.
” He had accumulated a great mass
of historical information and authorities from the public
records; Wood speaks of having four thick volumes in
folio of these, “lying by him,
” but does not mention whether his own property or borrowed. Dr. Fiddes, however,
informs us, in the introduction to his “Life of Wolsey,' 7
that in his time Mr. Master’s
” diligent and faithful collections“were in the library of Jesus-college, Oxford. He
adds that
” Lord Herbert appears to be indebted for
good part of his history to those collections."
, an ingenious poet, was the son of the rev. Alexander Mickle or Meikle, who exchanging
, an ingenious poet, was the son of the rev. Alexander Mickle or Meikle, who exchanging the profession of physic for that of divinity, was admitted, at an age more advanced than usual, into the ministry of the church of Scotland. From that country he removed to London, where he preached for some time in various dissenting meetings, particularly that of the celebrated Dr. Watts. He was also employed by the booksellers in correcting the translation of Bayle’s Dictionary, to which he is said to have contributed the greater part of the additional notes. In 1716 he returned to Scotland, on being presented to the living of Langholm in the county of Dumfries; and in 1727, he married Julia, daughter of Mr. Thomas Henderson, of Ploughlands near Edinburgh, and first cousin to the late sir William Johnstone, bart. of Westerhall. By this lady, who appears to have died before him, he had ten children.
, a medical and miscellaneous writer, was the son of the rev. Charles Moore, a minister of the English
, a medical and miscellaneous writer,
was the son of the rev. Charles Moore, a minister of the
English church at Stirling, in Scotland, where this, his only
surviving son, was born in 1730. His lather dying in
1735, his mother, who was a native of Glasgow, and had
some property there, removed to that city, and carefully
superintended the early years of her son while at school
and college. Being destined for the profession of medicine, he was placed under Mr. Gordon, a practitioner of
pharmacy and surgery, and at the same time attended such
medical lectures as the college of Glasgow at that time
afforded, which were principally the anatomical lectures of
Dr. Hamilton, and those on the practice of physic by Dr.
Cullen, afterwards the great ornament of the medical
school of Edinburgh. Mr. Moore’s application to his studies must have been more than ordinarily successful, as we
find that in 1747, when only in his seventeenth year, he
went to the continent, under the protection of the duke of
Argyle, and was employed as a mate in one of the military
hospitals at Maestricht, in Brabant, and afterwards at
Flushing. Hence he was promoted to be assistant to the
surgeon of the Coldstream regiment of foot guards,
comman-ded by general Braddock, and after remaining during
the winter of 1748 with this regiment at Breda, came to
England at the conclusion of the peace. At London he
resumed his medical studies under Dr. Hunter, and soon
after set out for Paris, where he obtained the patronage of
the earl of Albemarle, whom he had known in Flanders,
and who was now English ambassador at the court of
France, and immediately appointed Mr. Moore surgeon to
his household. In this situation, although he had an opportunity of being with the ambassador, he preferred to
lodge nearer the hospitals, and other sources of instruction, xvith which a more distant part of the capital abounded,
and visited lord Albemarle’s family only when his assistance
was required. After residing two years in Paris, it was
proposed by Mr. Gordon, who was not insensible to the
assiduity and improvements of his former pupil, that he
should return to Glasgow, and enter into partnership with
him. Mr. Moore, by the advice of his friends, accepted
the invitation, but deemed it proper to take London in his
way, and while there, went through a course under Dr.
Smellie, then a celebrated accoucheur. On his return to
Glasgow, he practised there during the space of two years,
but when a diploma was granted by the university of that
city to his partner, now Dr. Gordon, who chose to prescribe as a physician alone, Mr. Moore still continued to act
as a surgeon; and, as a partner appeared to be necessary,
he chose Mr. Hamilton, professor of anatomy, as his associate. Mr. Moore remained for a considerable period at
Glasgow; but when he had attained his fortieth year, an
incident occurred that gave a new turn to his ideas, and
opeqed new pursuits and situations to a mind naturally
active and inquisitive. James George, duke of Hamilton,
a young nobleman of great promise, being affected with a
consumptive disorder, in 1769, he was attended by Mr.
Moore, who has always spoken of this youth in terms of
the highest admiration; but, as his malady baffled all the
efforts of medicine, he yielded to its pressure, after a lingering illness, in the fifteenth year of his age. This event,
which Mr. Moore recorded, together with the extraordinary
endowments of his patient, on his tomb in the buryingplace at Hamilton, led to a more intimate connection with
this noble family. The late duke of Hamilton, being, like
his brother, of a sickly constitution, his mother, the duchess
f Argyle, determined that he should travel in company
with some gentleman, who to a knowledge of medicine
added an acquaintance with the continent. Both these
qualities were united in the person of Dr. Moore, who by
this time had obtained the degree of M. D. from the university of Glasgow. They accordingly set out together,
and spent a period of no less than five years abroad,
during which they visited France, Italy, Switzerland, and
Germany. On their return, in 1778, Dr. Moore brought
his family from Glasgow to London; and in the course of
the next year appeared the fruits of his travels, in “A View
of Society and Manners in France', Switzerland, and Germany,
” in 2 vols. 8vo. Two years after, in 1781, he published a continuation of the same work, in two additional
volumes, entitled “A View of Society and Manners in
Italy.
” Having spent s6 large a portion of his time either
in Scotland or on the continent, he could not expect suddenly to attain an extensive practice in the capital; nor
indeed was he much consulted, unless by his particular
friends. With a view, however, to practice, he published
in 1785, his “Medical Sketches,
” a work which was favourably received, but made no great alteration in his engagements; and the next work he published was “Zeluco,
”
a novel, which abounds with many interesting events,
arising from uncontrouled passion on the part of a darling
son, and unconditional compliance on that of a fond mother. While enjoying the success of this novel, which was
very considerable, the French revolution began to occupy
the minds and writings of the literary world. Dr. Moore
happened to reside in France in 1792, and witnessed many
of the important scenes of that eventful year, but the massacres of September tending to render a residence in Paris
highly disagreeable, he returned to England; and soon
after his arrival, began to arrange his materials, and in
1795, published “A View of the Causes and Progress of
the French Revolution,
” in 2 vols. 8vo, dedicated to the
Duke of Devonshire. He begins with the reign of Henry
IV. and ends with the execution of the royal family. In
1796 appeared another novel, “Edward: various Views of
Human Nature, taken from Life and Manners chiefly in
England.
” In Mordaunt,
” being “Sketches of Life, Characters, and Manners
in various Countries including the Memoirs of a French
Lady of Quality,
” in 2 vols. 8vo. This chiefly consists of
a series of letters, written by “the honourable John
Mordaunt,
” while confined to his couch at Vevay, in Switzerland, giving an account of what he had seen in Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, &c. The work itself comes under no precise head, being neither a romance, nor a novel,
nor travels: the most proper title would perhaps be that
of “Recollections.
” Dr. Moore was one of the first to
notice the talents of his countryman the unfortunate Robert Burns, who, at his request, drew up an account of
his life, and submitted it to his inspection.
ory has been almost totally neglected where we might have expected an account of him as a machinist, was the son of the rev. Thomas Morland, rector of Sulhamstead in
a man of very considerable celebrity in his day, but whose history has been
almost totally neglected where we might have expected an
account of him as a machinist, was the son of the rev.
Thomas Morland, rector of Sulhamstead in Berkshire,
and was born about 1625, as we learn from one of his
works, dated 1695, in which he says he had then passed
the seventieth year of his age. He was educated at Winchester school, whence he was removed to Cambridge,
and, according to Cole, to Magdalen college. He says
himself, that, after passing nine or ten years at the university, he was solicited by some friends to take orders; but,
not thinking himself “fitly qualified,
” he devoted his time
to the study of mathematics, which appears, in one shape
or other, to have been his first and last pursuit, a few
years only of the interval being employed on political affairs. That he was thought qualified for such, appears by
his being sent, in 1653, with Whitelock and a retinue of
other gentlemen, on the famous embassy to the queen of
Sweden, the purpose of which was to conclude an offensive and defensive alliance with that princess. Of their
success an ample account may be seen in Whitelocke’s
“Journal,
” published in
, a learned English divine, born in 1578, at Dorney in Buckinghamshire, was the son of the rev. Lawrence Mountague, vicar of that place.
, a learned
English divine, born in 1578, at Dorney in Buckinghamshire, was the son of the rev. Lawrence Mountague, vicar
of that place. He was educated at Eton school, on the
foundation, and was elected thence to King’s college,
Cambridge, in 1594, where he obtained a fellowship. After
taking his bachelor’s degree in 1598, and that of M. A. in
1602, he entered into orders, and obtained the living of
Wotton-Courtney in the diocese of Wells, and also a prebend of that church. The editor of his life in the Biog.
Brit, says that his next promotion was to a fellowship of
Eton college, where he assisted sir Henry Savile in preparing his celebrated edition of St. Chrysostom’s works;
and in 1610, he published there, in 4to, “The two Invectives of Gregory Nazianzen against Julian,
” with the notes
of Nonnus; but although the latter part of this may be true,
he was not chosen fellow of Eton until April 29, 1613, in
which year also (May 14) he was inducted into the rectory
of Stamford Rivers in Essex, then in the gift of Eton college. On the death of Isaac Casaubon, he was requested
by the king to write some animadversions on the Annals of
Baronius, for which he was well qualified, having made
ecclesiastical history very much his study from his earliest
years. He had in fact begun to make notes on Baronius
for his private use, which coming to the ears of the king,
James I., himself no contemptible theologian, he intimated
his pleasure on the subject to Mr. Mountagu, who began
to prepare for the press in 1615. He was at this time
chaplain to his majesty, and the following year was promoted to the deanery of Hereford, which he resigned soon
after for the archdeaconry, and was admitted into that
office Sept. 15, 1617. In July 1620, he proceeded bachelor of divinity, and with his fellowship of Eton held, by
dispensation, a canonry of Windsor.
, an English poet, was the son of the rev. Mr. Pen rose, rector of Newbury in Berkshire,
, an English poet, was the son of the rev. Mr. Pen rose, rector of Newbury in Berkshire, a man of high character and abilities, descended from an ancient Cornish family, who died in 1769. He was born in 1743, and being intended for the church, pursued his studies at Christ-church, Oxford, until the summer of 1762, when his eager turn for the naval and military profession overpowering his attachment to his real interest, he left his college, and embarked in the unfortunate expedition against Nova Colonia, in South America, under the command of captain Macnainara. The issue was fatal; the Clive, the largest vessel, was burnt, and although the Ambuscade escaped (on board of which Mr. Penrose, acting as lieutenant of marines, was wounded), yet the hardships which he afterwards sustained in a prize sloop, in which he was stationed, utterly ruined his constitution.
, a learned English divine, was the son of the rev. Samuel Richardson, B. D. vicar of Wilshamstead
, a learned English divine,
was the son of the rev. Samuel Richardson, B. D. vicar of
Wilshamstead near Bedford, by Elizabeth, daughter of
the rev. Samuel Bentham, rector of Knebworth and Paul’s
Walden, in Hertfordshire. His grandfather was the rev.
John Richardson, a nonconformist, who was ejected, in
1662, from the living of St Michael’s, Stamford, in Lincolnshire, and died in 1687. He was born at Wilshamstead, July 23, 1698, and educated partly in the school of
Oakham, and partly in that of Westminster. In March
1716 he was admitted of Emanuel college, Cambridge, of
which he afterwards was a scholar, and took his degrees of
A. B. in 1719, and A. M. in 1723. In the mean time, in
September 1720 he was ordained deacon by Gibson, bishop
of Lincoln, at St. Peter’s, Cornhill, London, and priest, by
the same, at Buckden, in Sept. 1722. He was then appointed curate of St. Olave’s Southwark, which he held
until 1726, when the parish chose him their lecturer.
About this time he married Anne, the widow of capt. David
Durell, the daughter of William Howe, of an ancient
family of the county of Chester. He published in 1727,
2 vols. 8vo, the “Priclectiones Ecclesiastical' of his learned
uncle John Richardson, B. D. author of a masterly
” Vindication of the Canon of the New Testament," against
Toland. In 1724 he was collated to the prebend of Welton-Rivall, in the church of Lincoln.
, a learned physician, and one of the founders of the medical school of Edinburgh, was the son of the rev. Rutherford, minister of Yarrow, in the county
, a learned physician, and one of the founders of the medical school of Edinburgh, was the son of the rev. Rutherford, minister of Yarrow, in the county of Selkirk, Scotland, and was born Aug. 1, 1695. He received his school-education at Selkirk, where there is every reason to believe he made a rapid progress in the knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages. In 1708, or 1710, he went to the university of Edinburgh, and after the regular course of classical studies, mathe^ matics, and natural philosophy, engaged himself as apprentice to Mr. Alexander Nesbit, at that time an eminent surgeon, with whom he remained until 1716, when he went to London. There he attended some of the hospitals, and the lectures read on anatomy by Dr. Douglas, on surgery by Andre, and on materia medica by Strother. He next proceeded to Leyden, which, from the lectures of Boerhaave, was then the most celebrated medical school in Europe. In 1719, he went to France, and about the end of July of that year was admitted to the degree of M. D. in the university of Rheims. He passed the following winter in Paris, chiefly for the sake of Window’s private demonstrations in anatomy, and in 1720 returned to Britain.
, an English antiquary, was the son of the rev. Thomas Salmon, M. A. rector of Mepsall in
, an English antiquary, was the
son of the rev. Thomas Salmon, M. A. rector of Mepsall in
Bedfordshire, by a daughter of the notorious Serjeant Bradshaw. He was admitted of Bene‘t college, Cambridge,
June 11, 1690, where his tutors were dean Moss and archdeacon Lunn, and took the degree of LL. B. in 1695. Soon
after he went into orders, and was for some time curate of
Westmill in Hertfordshire; but, although he had taken
the oaths to king William, he had so many scruples against
taking them to his successor, queen Anne, that he became
contented to resign the clerical profession, and with it a
living of 140l. per annum ’offered him in Suffolk. He then
applied himself to the study of physic, which he practised
first at St. Ives in Huntingdonshire, and afterwards at Bishops Stortford, in the county of Hertford. His leisure
time appears to have been employed in studying the history
and antiquities of his country, on which subjects he published, 1. “A Survey of the Roman Antiquities in the Midland Counties in England,
” A Survey of
the Roman Stations in Britain, according to the Roman
Itinerary,
” The History of Hertfordshire,
describing the county and its ancient monuments, particularly the Roman, with the characters of those that have
been the chief possessors of the lands, and an account of
the most memorable occurrences,
” The Lives of the
English Bishops from the Restoration to the Revolution, fit
to be opposed to the Aspersions of some late Writers of
Secret History,
” A Survey of
the Roman Stations in England,
” The Antiquities of Surrey, collected from
the most ancient records, and dedicated to Sir John Evelyn, bart. with some Account of the Present State and
Natural History of the County,
” 1736, 8vo. 7. “The History and Antiquities of Essex, from the Collections of Mr.
Strangeman,
” in folio, with some notes and additions of
his own; but death put a stop to this work, when he had
gone through about two thirds of the county, so that the
hundreds of Chelmsford, Hinkford, Lexden, Tendring,
and Thurstable, were left unfinished.
, a learned English divine and translator, was the son of the rev. Richard Smith, rector of AllSaints, and
, a learned English divine and translator, was the son of the rev. Richard Smith, rector of AllSaints, and minister of St. Andrew, both in Worcester,
who died in 1726. He was born at Worcester in 1711,
and educated at the grammar-school of that city. In 1728
he was admitted of New-college, Oxford, where he proceeded B. A. in 1732, M. A. in 1737, and D. D. in 1758.
In 1735 he was presented by his patron, James earl of
Derby, in whose family he was reader, to the rectory of
Trinity-church, Chester, and by his son and successor’s
interest, whose chaplain he was, to the deanery of Chester
in 1753. He held the mastership of Brentwood-school in
Essex for one year, 1748; and in 1753 was nominated by
the corporation of Liverpool one of the ministers of St.
George’s church there, which he resigned in 1767. With
his deanery he held the parish churches of Handley and
Trinity, but in 1780 resigned the last for the rectory of
West Kirkby. He died Jan. 12, 1787. His character is
thus briefly drawn by his biographer: “He was tall and
genteel; his voice was strong, clear, and melodious; he
spoke Latin fluently, and was complete master not only of
the Greek but Hebrew language; his mind was so replete
with knowledge, that he was a living library; his manner of
address was graceful, engaging, and delightful; his sermons
were pleasing, informing, convincing; his memory, even in
age, was wonderfully retentive, and his conversation was polite, affable, and in the highest degree improving.
” He is
known in the learned world, chiefly by his valuable translations of “Longinus on the Sublime,
” Thucydides,
” Xenophon’s History of the Affairs of Greece,
” Nine Sermons on the Beatitudes,
”
8vo, very elegantly written. In The
Poetic Works of the rev. William Smith, D. D. late dean
of Chester; with some account of the life and writings of
the Author. By Thomas Crane, minister of the parish
church of St. Olave in Chester, &c.
” This work we have
not seen, and for the account of Dr. Smith’s life we are
indebted to a review of it in the Gent. Mag.
, an eminent nonjuving divine, was the son of the rev. Edward, or Edmund Spinckes, rector of Castor,
, an eminent nonjuving divine,
was the son of the rev. Edward, or Edmund Spinckes, rector of Castor, Northamptonshire, and was born there in
1653 or 1654. His father came from New Kngland with
Dr. Patrick, afterwards bishop of Ely, and, being a nonconformist, had been ejected from Castor and from Overton Longviil in Huntingdonshire. His mother, Martha,
was daughter of Thomas Elmes, of Lilford in Huntingdonshire. After being initiated in classical learning under Mr.
Samuel Morton, rector of Haddon, he was admitted of
Trinity-college, Cambridge, under Mr. Bainbrigg, March
22, 1670; and matriculated on July 9, the same year. In
the following year, by the death of his father, he obtained
a plentiful fortune, and a valuable library; and, on the
12th of October, 1672, tempted by the prospect of a Rustat
scholarship, he entered himself of Jesus- college, where,
in nine days, he was admitted a probationer, and May 20,
1673, sworn a scholar on the Iiustat foundation. “This,
”
Mr. T. Baker observes in the registers, “was for his
honour; for the scholars of that foundation undergo a very
strict examination, and afterwards are probationers for a
year. And as these scholarships are the best, so the scholars are commonly the best in college, and so reputed.
”
He became B. A. early in 1674; was ordained deacon May
21, 1676; was M. A. in 1677; and admitted into priest’s
orders Dec. 22, 1678. After residing some time in Devonshire, as chaplain to sir Richard Edgcomb, he removed to
Petersham, where, in 1681, he was associated with Dr.
Hickes, as chaplain to the duke of Lauderdale. On the
duke’s death, in 1683, he removed to St. Stephen’s Waibrook, London, where he continued two years, curate and
lecturer. In 1685 the dean and chapter of Peterborough
conferred on him the rectory of Peakirk or Peaking cum
Glynton, in Northamptonshire, where he married Dorothy,
daughter of Thomas Rutland, citizen of London. On
July 21, 1687, he was made a prebendary of Salisbury;
in the same year, Sept. 24, instituted to the rectory of St.
Mary, in that town; and three days after, was licensed to
preach at Stratford subter Castrum, or Mid en -castle, in
Wilts, for which he had an annual stipend of 80l. Being
decided in his attachment to the Stuart family, he was deprived of all his preferments in 1690, for refusing to take
the oaths to William and Mary. He was, after this period,
in low circumstances, but was supported by the benefactions of the more wealthy ftonjurors; and on the third of
June, 1713, he was consecrated one of their bishops, receiving that title from the hands of Dr. Hickes. He died
July 28, 1727, and was buried in the cemetery of the
parish of St. Faith, on the north side of St. Paul’s, London,
where an inscription is engraven on a white marble stone.
By his wife, who lived but seven days after him, he had
many children, of whom two survived their parents: William Spinckes, esq. who, by industry and abilities, acquired a plentiful fortune; and Anne, married to Anthony
Cope, esq. Mr. Nelson was the particular friend of Mr.
Spinckes, who was a proficient in the Greek, Saxon, and
French languages, and had made some progress in the
oriental. He is said to have been “low of stature, venerable of aspect, and exalted in character. He had no
wealth, few enemies, many friends. He was orthodox in
the faith: his enemies being judges. He had uncommon
learning and superior judgment; and his exemplary life
was concluded with a happy death. His patience was
great; his self-denial greater; his charity still greater;
though his temper seemed his cardinal virtue (a happy conjunction of constitution and grace), having never been observed to fail him in a stage of thirty-nine years.
”. He
assisted in the publication of Grabe’s Septuagint, Newcourt’s Repertorium, Howell’s Canons, Potter’s Clemens
Alexandrinus, and Walker’s “Sufferings of the Clergy.
”
His own works were chiefly controversial, as, 1. An answer
to “The Essay towards a proposal for Catholic Communion, &c.
” The new Pretenders to Prophecy
re-examined, &c.
” Measures of Submission,
” The Case stated between the church of
Rome and the church of England,
” as to supremacy, Restoring the
prayers and directions of Edward Vlth’s Liturgy,
” The Sick Man
visited, &c.
”
, successively bishop of Norwich and Winchester, was the son of the rev. Charles Trimnell, sometime fellow of New
, successively bishop of Norwich and Winchester, was the son of the rev. Charles Trimnell, sometime fellow of New college, Oxford, whence he was ejected in 1648 by the parliamentary visitors, and was afterwards rector of Ripton Abbots in Huntingdonshire, where he died in 1702. Of a family of fourteen children, there survived him, ). Charles, bi>hop of Winchester; 2. William, dean of Winchester 3. Hugh, apothecary to the king’s household 4. David, archdeacon of Leicester, and chantor of Lincoln 5 Mary, married to Mr. John Sturges, archdeacon of Huntingdon 6. Anne, married to Mr. Alured Clarke of Godmanchester, in the county of Huntingdon; 7. Elizabeth, married to Dr. Henry Downes, bishop of Derry in Ireland; and 8. Catherine, married to Dr. Thomas Green, bishop of Ely.
, one of the most eminent scholars and critics of the last century, was the son of the rev. Dr. Robert Tyrwhitt, of a very ancient baronet’s
, one of the most eminent scholars and critics of the last century, was the son of the rev. Dr. Robert Tyrwhitt, of a very ancient baronet’s family in Lincolnshire, a gentleman of considerable eminence in the church, who was rector of St. James’s, Westminster, which he resigned in 1732, on being appointed a canon residentiary of St. Paul’s. He held also the prebend of Kentishtown, in that cathedral, and was archdeacon of London. In 1740 he obtained a canonry of Windsor, and died June 15, 1742, and was buried in St. George’s chapel, Windsor. He married the eldest daughter of bishop Gibson, and so well imitated the liberality and hospitality of that prelate, that, dying at the age of forty-four years, he left a numerous family very moderately provided for.
, a pious divine of the church of England, was the son of the rev. Richard Venn, rector of St. Antholiri’s,
, a pious divine of the church of England, was the son of the rev. Richard Venn, rector of St.
Antholiri’s, London, who distinguished himself as a noted
disputant in his day, particularly in conjunction with bishop
Gibson, in opposing the promotion of Dr. Rundle to a bishopric, on account of a conversation in which the doctor
had expressed sentiments rather favourable to deism. Mr.
Venn also assisted Dr. Webster in writing the “Weekly
Miscellany,
” a periodical publication which, under the venerable name of Richard Hooker, laboured zealously in
defence of high church principles. He died in 1740; and
a volume of his sermons and tracts was published by his
widow, the daughter of Mr. Ashton, who had been executed
in the reign of William III. for being concerned in a plot
to bring back the Stuart family.
, a literary antiquary of great learning and accuracy, was the son of the rev. Nathanael Wanley, some time vicar of Tr
, a literary antiquary of great
learning and accuracy, was the son of the rev. Nathanael
Wanley, some time vicar of Trinity-church in Coventry.
This Nathanael Wanley was born at Leicester in 1633,
and died in 1680. Besides the vicarage of Trinity-church,
it is probable that he had another in Leicestershire, from
the following title-page, “Vox Dei, or the great duty of
self reflection upon a man’s own wayes, by N. Wanley,
M. A. and minister of the gospel at Beeby in Leicestershire,
” London, 1658. He was of Trinity-college, Oxford, B. A. 1653, M. A. 1657, but is not mentioned by
Wood. The work which now preserves his name is his
“Wonders of the Little World,
” Examples,
” 2 vols. fol. or Turner’s
“Remarkable Providences,
” containing a vast assemblage
of remarkable anecdotes, &c. many of which keep credulity
on the stretch. As these were collected by Mr. Wanley
from a number of old books, little known, or read, it is
not improbable that such researches imparted to his son
that taste for bibliographical studies which occupied his
whole life. At least it is certain that Humphrey, (who was born at Coventry, March 21, 1671-2, and was bred first a limner, and afterwards some other trade), employed all his
leisure time, at a very early period, in reading old books
and old Mss. and copying the various hands, by which he
acquired an uncommon faculty in verifying dates. Dr.
Lloyd, then bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, sent him to
Edmund-hall, Oxford, of which Dr. Mill was then principal, whom he greatly assisted in his collations of the New
Testament. Hearne says, that during his stay in this hall,
he attended but one lecture, which was in logic, which he
swore he could not comprehend. Dr. Charlett, master of
University-college, hearing of Wanley’s attention to matters of antiquity, induced him to remove to his own college, which he soon did, residing at the master’s lodgings,
who, says Hearne, “employed him in writing trivial things,
so that he got no true learning.
” He certainly acquired
the learned languages, however, although it does not appear that he attended much to the usual course of academic studies, or was ambitious of academic honours, as his
name does not appear in the list of graduates. By Dr.
Charlett’s means he was appointed an under-keeper of the
Bodleian library, where he assisted in drawing up the indexes to the catalogue of Mss. the Latin preface to which
he also wrote. Upon leaving Oxford, he removed to London, and became secretary to the society for propagating
Christian knowledge; and at Dr. Hickes’s request, travelled
ovor the kingdom, in search of Anglo-Saxon Mss. a catalogue of which he drew up in English, which was afterwards translated into Latin by the care of Mr. Thwaites,
and printed in the “Thesaurus Ling. Vet. Septen.
” Oxon.
denominated sometimes Junior, but commonly called Dean Harry, to distinguish him from the preceding, was the son of the rev. William Wilkinson of Adwick, or Adwickstreet,
, denominated sometimes Junior, but commonly called Dean Harry, to distinguish
him from the preceding, was the son of the rev. William
Wilkinson of Adwick, or Adwickstreet, in the West Riding
of Yorkshire, the brother of the first Henry Wilkinson,
rector of Waddesdon; and consequently cousin to the preceding Long Harry. He was born at Adwick in 1616, and
was educated in grammar at a school in All Saints parish,
Oxford. He entered a commoner of Magdalen-hall in
1631, took the degrees in arts, was admitted into holy
orders, and became a noted tutor, and moderator or dean
of Magdalen-hall. Being of the same principles with his
relations, he quitted the university in 1642, and going to
London, took the covenant, and became a frequent
preacher. On the surrender of Oxford to the parliamentary forces, he returned thither, and was created bachelor
of divinity, and made principal of his hall, and moral philosophy reader of the university. He also took the degree
of D. D. and became a frequent preacher at the different
churches in Oxford. As the governor of a society, Wood
ipeaks of him very highly, and his character indeed in this
respect was so well established, that he might have remained principal, if he could have conformed. He suffered
considerably afterwards for nonconformity, while endeavouring to preach at Buckminster in Leicestershire, Gosfield in Essex, Sible-Headingham, and finally at Connard
near Sudbury in Suffolk, where he died May 13, 1690. He
was buried at Milding near Lavenham, in Suffolk. Wood
says “he was a zealous person in the way he professed,
but overswayed more by the principles of education than
reason. He was very courteous in speech and carriage,
communicative of his knowledge, generous and charitable
to the poor; and so public-spirited (a rare thing, adds Wood, in a presbyterian), that he always minded the common good, more than his own concerns.
” He was a considerable benefactor to Magdalen -hall, having built the
library, and procured a good collection of books for it.