the Civil and Military Inftitutes of Timour or Tamerlane a work written originally by that celebrated conqueror in the Moful Language, and fince tranflated into Perfian. Now firft rendered from the Perfian into English, from a MS. in the poffeffion of William Hunter, M. D. with other pieces," 4to.

The whole of this work appeared in 1783, tranflated into English by Major Davy, with Preface, Index, Geographical Notes, &c. by Mr. White, in one volume, 4to.

In Eafter term, 1783, being then Bachelor of Divinity, he was appointed to preach the Bampton lecture the next year. As foon as he was nominated be fketched out the plan; and finding affiftance neceffary to the perfection of it in fach a manner as he wifhed, he went down to Devonshire on a visit to Mr. Samuel Badcock, then fettled as a diffenting minister at South Moulton. Doubtlefs, in this interview, the fcheme was well digefted, and Mr. Badcock undertook his share of the task with that promptitude for which he was remarkable. The circumftance releafed the profeffor's mind from a confiderable burthen which had before oppreffed it. Where, indeed, could he have found fuch an auxiliary? The pen of Badcock was not only that of "a ready" but of an elegant writer. He touched no fubject without ornamenting it. His ftyle was chafte, flowing, and nervous. He had, moreover, an univerfal knowledge of theological learning. In controverfy he was quite at home. No wonder, therefore, that the Bampton

lectures

lectures were admirable in point of language, and forcible in refpect to argument.

Let us not, however, detract from the lecturer's merit. Great was the genius which formed the plan, and gave a body to the work. Mr. White acted with prudence in calling to his aid fuch men as Badcock and Parr. Yet his own fhare of thefe labours was fufficient to entitle him to the celebrity which they have procured, and he is only to be blamed for not having acknowledged his obligations to those elegant scholars, in a preface to the volume when published.

As foon as the lectures were delivered, the applaufse with which they were received was general throughout the University. They were printed the fame year, and met with univerfal approbation. A fecond edition appeared in 1783, to which the author added a fermon, which he had fome time before preached before the Univerfity, on the neceffity of propagating chriftianity in the Eaft Indies.

Mr. White's reputation was now established, and he was confidered as one of the ableft vindicators of the chriftian doctrines modern time had witneffed. Lord Thurlow, without any folicitation, gave him a prebend in the cathedral of Gloucefter, which at once placed him in eafy and independent circumftances. Soon after this he took his degree of Doctor of Divinity, and was looked up to with the greatest refpect in the Univerfity, as one of its chief ornaments, until the year 1788, when the death of Mr. Badcock disclosed his fhare in the admired lectures. At

first, Dr. White appeared to be aftonished; but the letters that had paffed between Badcock and him, on this very fubject, were not only in exiftence, but in the hands of one who felt himfelf gratified in being the poffeffor of fo important a fecret. In addition to this, there was, found among the papers of the deceased, a promiffory-note for 500l. from the Doctor; the payment of which was demanded, but refufed by him on the ground that it was illegal in the first instance, as not having the words "value received," and fecondly, that it was for fervice to be rendered in the hiftory of Egypt, which the Doctor and Mr. Badcock had projected. The friends of the deceased, however, were of a different opinion; and the Doctor, at length, very properly confented to liquidate the debt.

Notwithstanding this conceffion, Dr. Gabriel, who poffeffed the letters, printed them in 1789, in order, as he said, to vindicate the character of the deceased, as well as his own, both of which had been affailed on this occafion. In confequence of this publication, Dr. White printed "A Statement of his literary Obligations to the Rev. Mr. Samuel Badcock, and the Rev. Samuel Parr, LL.D." By this it appeared, that though Mr. Badcock's fhare in the lectures was confiderable and important, yet that it was not in that proportion which had been reprefented. As to Dr. Parr's, it confifted fimply of verbal corrections.

Thus ended this curious difpute, which, at that time, threw the whole Univerfity into confufion and even contention. The Doctor's apology, however

(for

(for fuch in fact his ftatement is to be confidered), gave fufficient fatisfaction, not only to his fellow academics, but to the literary world at large.

Since that period the profeffor has vacated his fellowship, by taking to himself a wife, and accepting a college living, in Norfolk, where he refides during a confiderable part of the year. In his perfonagehouse, he has a printing-prefs, with a large quantity of oriental types, and there he is at prefent bufily engaged in printing the Syriac Old Teftament, defcribed in the appendix to his fermon on the neceffity of a revifal of the English translation of the Bible. His man and maid fervant labour at the prefs, and Mrs. White affifts her husband in compofing.

Among Mr. Badcock's papers was found an analyfis of the projected hiftory of Egypt, in Dr. White's hand-writing. It is a very mafterly sketch; and we hope the learned Profeffor will find time to complete a defign, for the execution of which he has, in a manner, pledged himself to the public; and, in confequence of recent and important events, we think it will bring him more credit and profit than the publication of the Syriac Bible.

His laft publication is entitled, "Diateffaron, five integra Hiftoria Domini Noftri Jefu Chrifti Græce ex IV. Evangeliis inter fe collatis, &c. Ededit J. White, S. T. P. Ling Arab. Prof. Verfionis Syriacæ Philoxenianæ Nov. Teft, Interpres." This work, which was printed at the Clarendon Prefs, in 1800, is dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

RICHARD HURD, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF WORCESTER,

THIS learned and truly venerable prelate was born at Congreve, a village in Staffordshire, where his father was a refpectable farmer, who intending his fon for the church, placed him under the tuition of that eminent scholar Anthony Blackwall.

Having attained a found claffical knowledge, he was fent to Cambridge, where he was admitted of Emanuel College, of which he afterwards became fellow; and was prefented by his fociety to the living of Thurcafton in Lincolnshire.

In this retirement he devoted himself to the duties of his fituation, and the cultivation of letters. Here he prepared his edition of Horace, which he judiciously dedicated to Bishop Warburton, then confidered as the coloffus of literature, and the first critic of his day. Few perfons had a keener eye to discern the merits of men than Warburton; and though no one, perhaps, had a more haughty mind, or ever treated his adverfaries with fuch coarfe feverity, yet certainly he was defiitute of envy, and dreaded not the depreciation of his own fame, in confequence of the rifing reputation of others.

He allured Mr. Hurd from his beloved state of feclufion, and brought him forward to the world, almoft against his own inclination. He made him Archdeacon of Gloucefter, and by way of acquiring popularity for him in the metropolis, affociated him