ever, says the Edinburgh reviewer of Sir William Forbes's volumes. may be the excellence of the common-sense school of philosophy, he certainly has no claim to the honours of a founder. He invented none of it; and it is very doubtful with us, whether he ever rightly understood the principles upon which it is rested. It is unquestionable, at least, that he has exposed it to considerable disadvantage, and embarrassed its more enlightened supporters, by the misplaced confidence with which he has urged some propositions, and the fallacious and fantastic illustrations by which he has aimed at recommending them. His confidence and his inaccuracy, however, might have been easily forgiven. Every one has not the capacity of writing philosophically; but every one may at least be temperate and candid; and Dr Beattie's book is still more remarkable for being abusive and acrimonious, than for its defects in argument or originality. There are no subjects, however, in the wide field of human speculation, upon which such vehemence appears more groundless and unaccountable, than the greater part of those which have served Dr Beattie for topics of declamation or invective."

Richard Owen Cambridge.

BORN A. D. 1717.-DIED A. D. 1802.

RICHARD OWEN CAMBRIDGE, though not possessed of high claims to literary fame, was throughout an extended life one of those writers who, without any great share of intellectual power, keep themselves nevertheless pretty prominently before the public, and maintain a position always respectable, if not commanding, in the commonwealth of letters. He was born in London, in the year 1717. His father dying soon after the birth of his son, the care of his education devolved on his mother and his maternal uncle. He was sent at an early period to Eton school, where he enjoyed the friendship of Bryant, Gray, West, Horace Walpole, Lord Sandwich, and several other youths, who afterwards rose to eminence in the political or literary world. From Eton, he removed to St John's college, Oxford: but he left the university without a degree. In 1737 he became a member of Lincoln's inn, but was never called to the bar. Relieved from the necessity of exertion for his maintenance, having been born to a considerable fortune, and remarkably exempt, as his biographer informs us, from "those passions which usually incline men to exchange domestic enjoyments for the toil of public business," he contented himself with admission to a large and distinguished circle of society, amongst whom he could enjoy the pleasures of polished intercourse, and receive the respect due to his various talents and accomplishments. In 1741 he entered into the married state, and settled at his family-seat of Whitminster in Gloucestershire, where he wrote the 'Scribleriad,' a mock-heroic poem, which was published in 1751, and amused himself with improving his estate. afterwards removed to Twickenham, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his life. In 1761 he published his 'History of the War on the coast of Coromandel,' a work elegantly and simply written, but which has been superseded by the more elaborate work of Mr Dowe.

He

He at one time meditated a larger work on Indian affairs, but gave up the design, probably as much in consequence of his aversion to any thing like the toils of authorship, as of the commencement of Mr Orme's work. Occasional contributions to periodical papers, particularly ‘The World,' and the composition of some little poetical pieces and vers de societé, were better suited to his habits and cast of mind, and with these he often amused himself. In the more advanced period of his life, it does not appear that the honourable and envied appellation of 'Fortunate senex' could ever be more appositely applied than to Mr Cambridge. He lived esteemed for his learning and accomplishments, and beloved for every amiable quality, and he expired without a sigh, in the bosom of his family, on the 17th of September, 1802. About a year after his death, his son, the Rev. George Owen Cambridge, published a splendid edition of all his works, with the exception of his history of the Coromandel war, to which he prefixed an account of his life and writings.

Jacob Bryant.

BORN A. D. 1715.-DIED A. D. 1804.

JACOB BRYANT, an eminent philological writer, was born at Plymouth in Devonshire, where his father had an office in the customs, and after receiving his grammatical education at Eton, was removed to King's college, Cambridge, where he obtained a fellowship, and took the degree of M. A. in 1744. His love of literature gained him great reputation, but, declining to take orders, he formed a connection with the Marlborough family, and superintended their education. This connection probably arose from his acquaintance with the late duke when at Eton. Mr Bryant afterwards attended his Grace, as secretary, in his military expeditions, as well as at the board of ordnance, of which the duke was master-general. Upon the death of his patron, Mr Bryant settled at Cypenham in Berkshire, and though possessed of only a small income, refused the situation of master of the Charter-house, which was tendered to his acceptance, preferring to devote the remainder of his days to the pursuit of literature. His first avowed publication appeared in 1767, entitled 'Observations and Enquiries relating to various parts of Ancient History; containing Dissertations on the wind Euroclydon, on the Island of Melite,-with an account of Egypt in its most early state, and of the Shepherd Kings,' in 4to. This volume abounds with learned researches and adventurous conjectures, but in the latter part of his life he relinquished some of the opinions which he had therein broached. In 1774 appeared the first two volumes of his most celebrated work, The Analysis of Ancient Mythology,' which was followed by a third volume in 1776. This work met with many admirers, but at the same time subjected the author to a good deal of severe criticism, chiefly on account of Mr Bryant not being sufficiently acquainted with the oriental languages to avoid the errors which exposed him to such animadversion; but, even admitting all its errors, the work will constitute an epoch in literature, and even do honour to its author's name and country. The general object of Mr Bryant's work was to sap the cause of infidelity, by establishing the truth of the scriptures, and

6

6

tracing the earliest history of mankind, as related in the inspired volume, through the traditional remains of all nations. Infidels therefore were alarmed, and numerous attacks were made upon it, chiefly masked under the pretence of defending ancient opinions. An extreme taste for paradox and conjecture may be traced in the subsequent publications of Mr Bryant. He printed an anonymous tract, entitled Vindicia Flavianæ,' being a defence of the disputed passage in the history of Josephus, relative to Jesus Christ. The ingenuity of this defence made converts of many who had formerly considered that passage spurious, and among these was the late Dr Priestley. Mr Bryant, being a firm believer in Divine revelation, had nothing so much at heart as to convince others, and to this end exerted all his learning and all his powers. His work addressed to Lady Pembroke, On the Christian Religion,' his 'Observations upon the Plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians,' Lon. 1794, 8vo., the History of Balaam,'-'The Standing still of the Sun.' -and the Histories of Samson and Jonah,' are all works directed to this great end. He endeavoured to prove the antiquity and authenticity of the poems ascribed to Rowley; and wrote a book, in reply to Chevalier, to show that the city of Troy was a nonentity, and the war between the Greeks and Trojans a pure fiction of Homer. His last publication, on 'The Sentiments of Philo Judæus, concerning the Logos, or Word of God,' Lon. 1797, 8vo., must be regarded as a failure. Mr Bryant's object in it was to vindicate the doctrine of the Trinity, and to oppose Arianism in particular, yet he reduces himself to assert that the Son was in personality "produced in time," an assertion evidently bordering upon, if not identical with, the seminal point of Arianism. This accomplished scholar and devout Christian died in the month of November, 1804, at his house at Cypenham, in his 89th year. His death was occasioned by a rasure of the skin against a chair, in reaching a book from a shelf. He bequeathed his library to the college in which he was educated at Cambridge, and left considerable sums to be applied to charitable purposes. Mr Bryant had from early life a delicate constitution. His manners were distinguished for urbanity; and his conversation was cheerful, entertaining, and instructive.

William Cowper.

BORN A. D. 1731.-DIED A. D. 1800.

"FROM the days of Pope there had been no failure of poetical talent in this country: poets of originality, as well as power, had appeared, but none were so conspicuous, either by their faults or excellence, as to influence the style of their contemporaries, though there were some who obtained a great reputation, and others who deserved and will have secured a lasting one. Collectively, they had produced this good, that, by presenting new, and in some respects, worthier objects of admiration, they in great measure weaned the nation from that idolatry of Pope, which, if it had continued, would have flattened our poetry to the level of the French taste. Thomson recalled the aspirant to the love of natural scenery, and the feelings connected with it, for which the school of Pope had neither eyes nor hearts. Young struck a chord (and with a