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THE

LONDON REVIEW

AND

LITERARY JOURNAL,

For JANUARY 1794.

Quid fit turpe, quid utile, quid dulce, quid non.

Biographia Britannica; fecond edition; with Corrections, Enlargements, and the Addition of new Lives. By Andrew Kippis, D. D. F. R. S, and S. A. Vol. V. l. 115. 6d. Folio. Robinfons, &c,

THE importance of this Work, whether confidered with refpect to the intrinfic value of bicgraphical fcience, or as being a fubftantial monument of national worth and learning, has been long felt and acknowledged. If we confider the magnitude of the undertaking, the difficulty of collecting the fcattered fragments, the disjecta membra, of which fuch a work muft acceffarily be compofed; the mifs of information which it is expected to contain, and the ardent curiofity which it is expected to gratify; we thall not be of the number who complain that its progrefs is tardy, and its completion doubtful. In reviving the memory of departed excellence, our Editor has a duty to perform which Others on whom the obligation lay hea vieft, have neglected. He has to confult living authorities; to liften to tradition which is often fufpicious, at beft various and difcordant, and which it requires great judgment to compare and render confiftent. The relatives of learned men are feldom learned, feldom fentible of their merit, or able to recollect what would do them honour. Contemporaries have perithed with them, and it is not without infinite labour and affiduous attention, that memorials can be procured which are fit for the public eye, Yet amidit the difficulties which encumber this Work, after the lapfe of a thort interval, we are prefented with another volume of the Biographia Britannica, in no refpect inferior to any of the former, either in the variety of matter, the copioufness of original communication, or the critical skill of in arrangements. That fuch a work should be

free from errors, it were abfurd to expect, but from a pretty attentive perufal of the prefent volume, we are ena bled to day that thefe are few, and of a trivial nature, and that it is upon the whole a most valuable acceffion to our biographical ftock. From the merit of the former volumes, and from the extenfive reading, chafte judgment, and acknowledged candour of the Editor, we were led to form expectations which have not been difappointed; and although it is not in our power, from the nature of our plan, to indulge in copious extracts from a work of this nature, yet we tru& we fhall impart fome fatif faction to our readers from a sketch of its contents.

The lives in this volume amount to ninety-four, of which no lefs than FIFTY are new; and about forty of the old ones are greatly improved by the addition of new remarks and anecdotes.

The new lives are thofe of, Richard Dawes, critic; Thomas Day, poetical, political and mifcellaneous writer; Daniel de Foe, mifcellaneous writer; Dr. Patrick Delany, divine; Mrs. Delany, uncommonly ingenious lady; Thomas Dempfter, civilian and ecclefiaftical hiftorian; John Dennis, poet, political writer and critic; John Theophilus Defaguliers, divine and experimental philofopher, John Digby, Earl of Bristol, fatefman, George Digby, do. do, John James Dillenius, botanift; Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Rofcommon, poet; John Disney, magiftrate and divine; Humphrey Ditton, mathematician; William Dobfon, printer; Dr. Doddridge,

divine;

Robert

Robert Dodfley, poetical, dramati tal and mifcellaneous writer; John Dolben, prelate; Gawin Douglas, prelate and poet; William Drummond, poet; Andrew Coltee Ducarel, antiquary; James Duchal, divine; Stephen Duck, poet; Richard Duke, divine and poet; William Dunbar, poet; Daniel Duncan, phyfician; William Duncan, profeffor, and learned writer; William Duncombe, poetical and mifcellaneous writer; John Duncombe; divine, poetical and miscellaneous writer; John Duns Scotus, fcholaftic divine; David Durell, divine: John Dyer, poet; John Eachard, divine and mifcellaneous writer; Lawrence Eachard, divine and hiftorian; John Edwards, divine; Thomas Edwards, critic and poetical writer; George Edwards, naturalift; Thomas Edwards, divine; Thomas Egerton, Viscount Brackley, lord high chancellor and ftatefman; Anthony Ellis, prelate, William Elftob, divine and antiquary; Elizabeth Elftob, antis quary; Thomas Emlyn, divine; John Scotus Erigena, fcholaftic divine; St. Charles Evremond, mifcellaneous writer; Edward Fairfax, poet; Sir Richard Fanshaw, ambassader and poet; Hugh Farmer, divine; Thomas Farnaby, grammarian; Sir John Faftolff,warrior, whofe life concludes the volume.

All of thefe cannot be fuppofed of equal importance; the chief in point of interefting hiftory, and various in formation, are thofe of Day, De Foc, Delany, the Digbys, Difney, Doddridge, Duncans, Egerton, Evremond, Farmer, and Faftolff. The life of Dr. Doddridge was published feparately; and for its length in the prefent volume Dr. Kippis offers an apology, which, al though not necellary, few will read without approbation.

The contributors to the work whose names appear in the preface, arc, Mrs. Day; William Lowndes, Efq. George Kcate, Efq, C. Dewes, Efq. Rev. Mr. Stedman, Vicar of St. Chad's, Shrewfbury: John English Dolben, Efq. Mrs. Duncombe of Canterbury; Anthony Highman, Fiq. Dr. Gerard, profeffor of divinity, King's college, Aberdeen; Dr. Edwards cf Cambridge; Rev. Peter Emans; Mr. Park of Piccadilly; Dr. Difney; Mr. Newton, of New Ormond Street; Dr. John Duncan, rector of South Warmborough; Ednund Turnor, jun. Efq. of Panton, Lincolnshire; Richard Gough, Efq.

and the Rev. Francis Henry Egerton, Prebendary of Durham.

We shall now take a hafty furvey of a few of the new lives.

That of Richard Dawes, the Greek critic, is principally compiled from Burgefs's preface to the fecond edition of Dawes's Mifcellanea Critica, with the help of other communications. Dawes's life is valuable to fcholars, as exhibiting a man who, with great learning, and no fmall degree of fame, was a continual fufferer from the untowardlinefs of his temper.

The life of Thomas Day is ably writ ten by Dr. Kippis, partly from his own knowledge, and partly from materials furnished by Mrs. Day and Mr. Lowndes of the Temple. Mr. Day poffeffed the virtues of an independent Ipirit, and a pure and active benevolence, in an eminent degree; and there are none of his publications which do not reflect honour on his talents. He died, by a fall from his horfe, in the full vigour of his genius, when much might have been expected from him.

The article of Daniel de Foe derives confiderable affiftance from the life publifhed lately by Mr. Chalmers. Valuable notes are here added, with such extracts from his works as are neceffary to eluci date his character and afcertain his merits, both which are ably vindicated from the afperfions thrown out against them. Dr. Kippis obferves, that the rapidity with which De Foe wrote, is not a little furprizing. The Doctor was informed by Dr. Campbell, that "De Foe once wrote two twelve-penny pamphlets in one day, and pamphlets had not then attained the ample margin, and the loofe printing, of modern times." Dr. K. is of opinion that Richardfon was formed on the model of De Foe. "Richardfon feems to have learned from him that mode of delineating characters, and carrying on dialogues, and that minute difcrimination of the circumstances of events in which De Foe eminently excelled.-A careful perufal of the

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Family Inftructor,' and the Religious Courtship,' would particularly tend to fhew the refemblance between De Foe and Richardfon."

The life of Dr. Delany, the intimate friend, and afterwards the vindicator of Dean Swift, is copious and interefting. The lovers of anecdote will not be difpleafed with the following inftance of Dr. Delzay's characteristic abfence of

mind.

"In the reign of King George II. being defirous of the honour of preaching before his Majefty, he obained from the Lord Chamberlain, or the Dean of the Chapel, the favour of being appointed to that office on the fifth Sunday of fome month, being an extra day, not fupplied, ex officio, by the Chaplains. As he was not inform ed of the etiquette, he entered the Royal Chapel after the prayers begun, and not knowing whither to go, crowded into the defk by the Reader. The Vefturer foon after was at a lo's for the Preacher, till feeing a clergyman kneeling by the Reader, he concluded him to be the man. Accordingly he went to him, and pulled him by the fleeve; but Dr. Delany, chagrined at being interrupted in his devotions, refifted and kicked the intruder, who in vain begged him to come out, and faid, "There was no text. The Doctor replied, that he had a text; nor could he comprehend the meaning, till the Reader acquainted him that he must go into the veftry, and write down the text (as ufual) for the Clofets. When he came into the veftry his hand thook fo much that he could not write. Mrs. Delany, therefore, was fent for; but no paper was at hand. At laft, on the cover of a fetter the text was tranfcribed by Mrs. Delany, and fo carried up to the King and Royal Family.' Dr. Delany's merits are justly appreciated, although few of his writings are now the fubject of ftudy or converfation. His life contributes to fill up an important space of time in literary hiftory. The life of Mrs. Delany, the Doctor's widow, furnished by Mr. Keate and Mr. Dawes, is chiefly valuable as pre ferving the memory of an ingenious and amiable woman. She had confiderable. talents for painting, and a particular fpecies of Mcfaic work. Sir Joshua Reynolds thought well of her chef d'oeuvre, the railing of Lazarus, now in the poffeflion of Lady

Bute.

Dempfter, the Author of the Roman Antiquities, Ecclefiattical Hiftory, &c. was a man whofe learning entitled him to notice; and he very properly has a nich here. In other refpects there is little to recommend in his charafter. He was not one of thofe fiurdy Scotchmen who, as Dr. Johnfon faid, would prefer truth to Scotland.

Few men were once better known than John Dennis the critic, His life,

as given in this volume, includes fuch a variety of pleafing anecdote refpecting the literature of his age, that the length of the article would have been pardonable, even if his own merits had been lefs worthy of recording. His celebrity was temporary, as Dr. Kippis remarks, but his connexions with the principal writers of his time, either in the way of friendship or hoftility, render the particulars of his life ufeful. The lovers of literary memoirs will be glad to take a dole in quovis vebiculo.

The life of Dr. Defaguliers, who is admitted here although a Frenchman by birth, as all his works were written in this country, is chiefly a chronological arrangement of his various labours, enriched with fome valuable notes.

The lives of the two Earls of Briftel are drawn up with great accuracy of research from various hiftorical and private records. In unfolding the fe cret hiftory of State affairs, and difcriminating between the reperts of cotemporary annalifts, Dr. Kippis has afforded us much fatisfaction. Thefe articles are extended to confiderable length, and throw great light on the hiftory of the last century.

John James Dillenius was a botanift of eminent fkill, born in Germany, but who refided in England the greater part of his life, and adding to the fund of English literature, is juftly entitled to a place in this work. The materials for this life are furnished by Pulteney, Sibthorpe, and others. The article is important to botanical ftudents. Of Dillenius's private character the information is confeffedly scanty, nor is this to be regretted in the cafe of men who are uncommon only in their genius for a particular purfuit.

The life of John D:fney is a long. and elaborate article, written by the prefent Dr. Difney, and may be regarded as a valuable and interefting. piece of biography. Mr. Difney was a pious and eminent divine, an upright magiftrate, and a writer of confiderable note on a variety of mifcellaneous fubjets. Befides thofe published with his name, Dr. Difney is in poffeffion of a great many MSS. Mr. Difney died in 1730. Allowance is, perhaps, to le made for a life written con amore, otherwife we thouid object to the length of fome of the notes.

Dr. Doddridge's life having been published before, and prefixed to the feventhe

feventh edition of his Family Expofitor, we have only to agree with the Editor, that it is a valuable addition to the Biographis, and holds forth to the clergy of all denominations an example, which at no time can be more neceffary to be followed than in the prefent day.

For the life of Dr. Ducarel we are indebted, if we mistake not [the fignature being N.3, to Mr. Nichols, who has beftowed great pains in tracing the labours and writings of that able au

tiquary.

The life of Stephen Duck is amufing. Dr. Kippis's opinion of him is, that as a poet he is far from fuftain ing a high rank; and yet it might be queftioned, whether he is not nearly upon a level with fome who have obtained a place in Dr. Johnson's collection. In fimilies he is frequent, and not unhappy in the application of them. Though never great, he is often not unpleafing. In fhort, he may be regarded as having ecome a poet more from the bent of a strong inclination, and an imitative talent, than from the power of real genius."

Dr. Gerard furnishes the life of William Duncan, Profeffer of Philofo phy in the Marefchal College, Aber deen, a writer known by fome works et confiderable popularity, but more #emarkable for his good fenfe and tafte than for his genius. He tranflated the Sele&t Orations of Cicero, and Cæfar s Commentaries, the latter of which was Splendidly printed in folio, with plates. He allo wrote the article Logic" for Dolley's Preceptor, which has fince been printed feparately. He died in 1760, in the 45d year of his age. The manner of his death, we have fome reafon to think, is fuppreffed in this

account.

The life of Duncombe, the poct, is written by Dr. Kippis, from materials fur ifhed by his relations. His tragedy of "Lucius Junius Brutus" is fo extremely fearce, that it was long before Dr. K.could procure a fight of it. His opinion of it is, that fome of the Speeches may perhaps be deemed rather too long, and too declamatory for the prefent tafte, but in general the work is far from being deftitute of tragic energy and fpirit. Titus's character is finely imagined, and well futtained. The faft eft is particularly interefting, and would afford much ¿cope-for admirable reprefentation. It

was Mr. Duncombe's misfortune that his play appeared when dramatic action was in a very feeble state."

Lord Chancellor Egerton has a life in the laft edition of the Biographia, but it is here re-written with fo much ability, and fuch additions of curious and important matter, by his defcendant, the Rev F. H. Egerton, Prebendary of Durham, that it may be confidered as an original work. It abounds in hiftorical difquifition, and in candid reviews of the characters and principles of the Chancellor's cotemporaries, Dr. Kippis, in the preface, acknowledges, in terms which are very july applied, that this contribution is accurate and elaborate.

St. Evremond is a name of confiderable fame with the lovers of polite literature, but is lefs known in the prefent day than it ought. His life is drawn up from Des Maizeaux and contemporary authorities, with a great fhare of ability, and will amply gratify thofe who refpect the mifcellaneous talents of St. Evremond, once fo much the theme of praife with Addison and the wits of his time. We cannot, however, but remark in this life a depar ture from the dignity of hiftorical writing, which we wonder that Dr. Kippis overlooked, for, from the fignature, it does not appear to be his writ ing. After mention is made of St. Evremond's interment in Westminster Abbey, we find the following note:

"Of his death and burial the follow ing notice is taken, in a letter from Dr. Atterbury, afterwards Bithop of Rocheter, to Dr. Trelawney. Mr. St. Evremond died renouncing the Chrif tian religion. Yet tire Church of Weftminiter thought fit, in honour to his memory, to give his body room in the Abbey, and to allow him to be buried the te gratis, as far as the Chapter was concerned, though he left eight hundred pounds fterling behind hin, which is thought every way an unaccountable piece of management. Sartre buried him roundly, and hoped that his brother would rife to life eternal. Dr. Birch proffered to be at the charge of the funeral, on account of the old acquaintance between St. Evremond and his father Waller, but that proffer not being accepted, is refolved to have the honour of laying a marble ftone on his grive-In this paffic the bigotry of Atterbury is fufciently apparent. It may all be oblerv, that he had

probably

probably no other ground for faying that "St. Evremond died renouncing the Chriftian religion," but his declining the affiftance of any pricft or clergyman to prepare him for death. This was alone fufficient to fhock the high prejudices of Atterbury; and it must be allowed to be a very alarming circumftance, that the Chapter of Westminster fhould agree to bury an ingenious and celebrated foreigner in their Cathedral without claiming their fees. Such an inattention to the revenues of the church might be well thought deferv ing of very fevere cenfure." The latter Fart of this note may be a witty fncer, but it is wit mifplaced; it might fuit a political effay, or a newspaper, but here It is a blemish.

The life of Mr. Hugh Farner is written at great length, and with equal fpirit and ability, by Dr. Kippis. An account of his writings, with copious extracts and opinions, forins not the leaft valuable part of this memoir.

The life of Sir John Faftolff was written by Mr. Oldys, in the former edition of the Biographia; Mr. Gough, in the prefent, has revifed and enlarg ed it, from papers collected by Le Neve, Martin, and Blomeñeld, and has difplayed his fkill in antiquarian feience with undoubted effect. He has refuted the notion that Sir John Faf. tolff was the Sir John Falstaff of Shakefpeare, by fuch a train of evidence as places the matter beyond all difpute.

We cannot," fays his biographer, fee any room, either in the time or the temper, in the fortune or employments of this our worthy, for him to have been a companion with, or follower and corrupter of Prince Henry, in his juvenile and diffolute couries; nor that Shakespeare had any view of drawing his Sir John Falstaff from any part of this Sir John Fattoit's character; or so much as pointing at any indifferent circumftance in it, that can reflect upon his memory, with reade.s converfant in the true history of him. The one is an old, humourous, vapouring and cowardly, lewd, lying and

drunken debauchee about the Prince's court, when the other was a young and grave, difcreet and valiant, chatte and fober commander abroad; continually advanced to honours and, ces of prefit, for his brave and politic atchievements, military and civil; continually preferred to the truft of one government or another, of countries,

cities, towns, &c. or as a General and Commander of armies in martial expeditions while abroad; made Knight Banneret in the field of battle; Baron in France, and Knight of the Garter in England; and particularly, when finally fettled at home, conftantly exercifed in acts of hofpitality, munificence,and charity; a founder of religious buildings, and other ftately edifices ornamental to his country,as their remains ftill testify; a generous patron of worthy and learned men, and a public benefac tor to the pious and poor, not only on this fide but even beyond his grave. In thort, the more we compare the circumftances in this hiftorical character with thofe in the poetical one, we can find nothing difcreditable in the latter, that has any relation to the former, or that would milead an ignorant reader to miftake or confound them, but a little quibble, which makes fome conformity in their names, and a fhort degree in the time wherein the one did really, and the other is feigned to live."

This volume is inferibed to the memory of Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, who was a valuable correfpondent, and to whom it was intended to have been dedicated, had he lived to receive that teftimony of the Editor's refpe&t.

Prefixed to this volume, as ufual, are feveral corrigenda et addenda to the former volumes. In one of thefe we are informed, that the fact of Dr. Gauden's having written the "Eikon Bafilike" is now fully afcertained. Yet, in a note to the life of Bishop Duppa, it is faid, that "it is not inprobable that Bifhop Duppa might be of fome afliftance to King Charles the Firft, in the compofition of the "Eikon Batilike." We point out this want of coincidence, merely that it may furnish our refpectable Editor with an opportunity to correct it in the addenda to the prefent volume.

An improvement of confiderable importance has been made to this and the preceding volumes, by a "Lift of the perfons of whom fome account is given in the notes, or additions to other articles." This lift already contains forty-feven names, fome of them of con fequence enough to excite curiolity, as Anthony Blackwall, Davii Barclay, Charles Chauncy, Theophilus and Mrs. Cibber, Job Orton, &c. &c.

Upon the whole, we have perufed the contents of this volume with the fulleft Conviction

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