The height to which the matter was carried, rendered Mr Orton's situation at Shrewsbury greatly uncomfortable, and materially affected his health. He found it necessary, therefore, to retire to another place; and at length, in 1766, he fixed at Kidderminster, to which he was principally led that he might have the advice of a very able and skilful physician (Dr Johnstone of Worcester), who always proved himself a faithful and tender friend. He continued at Kidderminster for the remainder of his days; and although prevented by the bad state of his health from ever again appearing in the pulpit, he still retained the same zeal for promoting the great objects of the Christian religion. What he could not perform as a preacher, he was solicitous to effect as a practical writer. Previously to his resignation of the pastoral office his only publications were, his funeral sermon for Dr Doddridge, printed in 1752; a fast sermon in 1756, occasioned by the earthquake at Lisbon; and Three Discourses on Eternity, and the Importance and Advantage of looking at Eternal Things,' published in 1764. Such was Mr Orton's ill state of health, together with his attention to the duties of his profession, that it was not till 1766 that he was enabled to give to the world his Memoirs of the Life, Character, and Writings of Dr Doddridge.' In 1769, he published a set of sermons, under the title of Religious Exercises recommended: or, Discourses on the Heavenly State, considered under the Idea of a Sabbath.' In 1771, he published Discourses to the Aged.' Our author's next publication, which appeared in 1774, was entitled Christian Zeal; or three Discourses on the Importance of seeking the Things of Christ more than our own.' These seem to have been intended to check the selfish and clamorous zeal which then appeared among the dissenters for matters of a worldly kind, and to direct it to the support and advancement of real practical religion. In 1775, Mr Orton committed to the press three farther discourses, under the title of Christian Worship,' which have been translated into Welch. Two volumes of Discourses on Practical Subjects' were the production of the next year. Mr Orton's last publication, which appeared in 1777, was entitled Sacramental Meditations; or, Devout Reflections on various Passages of Scripture, designed to assist Christians in their attendance on the Lord's Supper, and their Improvement of it."

Besides these several publications, all of which appeared with his name, Mr Orton, in 1770, was the author of two anonymous tracts, entitled, Diatrophes admonished,' and Diatrophes re-admonished." They were written in defence of his excellent friend, Dr Adams, at that time vicar of St Chad's, Shrewsbury, who had been violently attacked by the writer of a piece, which made a considerable noise in its day. called 'Pietas Oxoniensis.' There is one small publication by Mr Orton, hitherto omitted, which was the earliest piece printed by him, having first appeared in 1749, and we apprehend without his name. The title of it is A Summary of Doctrinal and Practical Religion, by way of Question and Answer; with an Introduction, showing the Importance and Advantage of a religious Education.' In the course

of his ministerial service, he delivered a short and plain exposition of the Old Testament, with devotional and practical reflections. These reflections were afterwards published, from the author's manuscripts, by Mr Gentleman of Kidderminster, in six large volumes, octavo. The

first volume appeared in 1788, and the last in 1791; but the work has not attained any great share of popularity. The other posthumous publica. tion is 'Letters to a young Clergyman,' 1791, 2 volumes, 12mo. Besides Orton's publication of Dr Doddridge's hymns, and of the three last volumes of the Family Expositor, he printed, in 1764, a new edition of the life and death of the Rev. Philip Henry, and prefixed to it an address to the descendants of that eminently pious and worthy divine. After the publication of the Sacramental Meditations' in 1777, Mr Orton's bad state of health no longer permitted him to instruct and edify the world from the press. But he still continued to be useful by his pious example, his affectionate exhortations, and his correspondence with his intimate friends. The degree of D. D. had been conferred upon him many years previously to his decease, but he would never permit himself to be addressed by that title, or prefix it to any of his writings.

In the spring of the year 1783, Mr Orton's complaints multiplied fast upon him. He died at Kidderminster, July 19th, 1783, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. On the twenty-fifth of the same month, agreeably to his own request, he was buried in the chancel of St Chad's church, Shrewsbury.

Benjamin Kennicott, D.D.

BORN A. D. 1718.-DIED a. d. 1783.

BENJAMIN KENNICOTT was born at Totness in Devonshire, about the year 1718, of parents who appear to have had no claims to ancestry or wealth. His father was parish-clerk of Totness church, and probably could afford him but few advantages of education. His youth was passed in obscurity but not in idleness, and his acquirements at last became known to the family of Courtenay, of Painsford, by whom he was patronized and encouraged in his literary pursuits. His first known performance is A Poem on the Recovery of Mrs Elizabeth Courtenay from her late dangerous Illness,' written in 1743. This poem-while it can be praised only as an effusion of gratitude-laid the foundation of his future fortune. The Courtenay family interesting themselves in the author enabled him to prosecute his studies. In 1744 he was entered of Wadham college, where he soon proved that he was deserving

' Dr King, in his · Apology, or Vindication of Himself,' upbraids our author as the son of a low mechanic, whom he afterwards styles a cobbler. In answer to this illiberal sarcasm, Kennicott, after drawing a portrait of King with equal spirit and no less acrimony, thus repels the attack on his parent: "But on the right hand (I am now drawing a real character) behold a man born to no fortune, yet above want; in youth, industrious in the station assigned him by Providence; exact in morals; exemplary in his religion. at middle age, loyal in principle; peaceable in practice; enabled to exchange the more active life for a more contemplative; ever warm for the glory of the church of England; concerned for, yet charitable towards those who are not of her communion; qualified by uncommon reading to judge of his own happiness as a protestant and an Englishman; and most effectually recommending to others (with zeal regulated by prudence) the important duties arising from both those characters: and now, in old age, I shall only say, enjoying the prospect of that awful period, which, however favourable to himself, will cause deep distress amongst his numerous surviving trends Happy would it be for you, Sir, were your latter end to be like his !"

of the patronage conferred upon him. In 1747 he produced Two Dissertations: The First on the Tree of Life in Paradise, with some Observations on the Creation and Fall of Man; The Second, on the Oblations of Cain and Abel,' 8vo. The learning displayed in this work was universally applauded, and the vacancy of a fellowship at Exeter college occurring before he could qualify himself to be a candidate by taking his first degree, the university, as a mark of favour, conferred on him the necessary distinction before the usual period. In consequence of a letter from the chancellor, Lord Arran, the university unanimously agreed in convocation to confer on him the degree of B.A. without examination or fees. Soon after he was elected fellow of Exeter college, and on the 4th of May, 1750, took the degree of M.A. Pursuing his studies with great diligence, he, in 1753, published an essay on "The state of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Testament.' He now employed himself for several years in searching out and collating Hebrew MSS. It appears, that, when he began the study of the Hebrew language, and for several years afterwards, he was strongly prejudiced in favour of the integrity of the Hebrew text: taking it for granted, that if the printed copies of the Hebrew Bible at all differed from the originals of Moses and the prophets, the variations were very few and quite inconsiderable. In 1748 he was convinced of his mistake, and satisfied that there were such corruptions in the sacred volume as to affect the sense greatly in many instances. In 1758 the delegates of the Oxford press recommended a collation of all those Hebrew MSS. of the Old Testament which were preserved in the Bodleian library, and Archbishop Secker strongly pressed our author to undertake the task, as the person best qualified to carry it into execution. In 1760 he was prevailed upon to give up the remainder of his life to this arduous work; and early in that year he published The state of the printed Hebrew Text considered,' wherein he further enforced the necessity of such collation. In the same year he published his proposals, and was encouraged by a prompt and liberal subscription from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin; the archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dublin; many of the bishops; some noblemen; many of the dissenting ministers and clergymen, and other encouragers of literature. The time he proposed to employ in the work was ten years. On the 6th of December, 1761, he took the degree of B.D., and on the 10th of the same month that of D.D.

The importance of the work on which Dr Kennicott was now engaged was generally acknowledged, and numerous articles of information were received from various parts of Europe. Some, however, doubted the necessity, and some the usefulness of the undertaking. Among others, the professor of divinity at Cambridge, Dr Rutherford, published 'A Letter to the Rev. Mr Kennicott, in which his Defence of the Samaritan Pentateuch is examined, and his Second Dissertation on the State of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Testament is shown to be in many instances injudicious and inaccurate.' To this Dr Kennicott published an immediate reply, in the postscript to which he declared it to be his resolution not to be diverted from his principal design by engaging in any further controversy. This resolution he was unable to persevere in. An antagonist of a superior order, whose influence was too mighty to be treated with neglect, now made his appearance. This was War.

burton, bishop of Gloucester, then exercising an authority in the world of letters almost without control. This learned writer finding that Kennicott had offered an explanation of a passage in the Proverbs different from his own sentiments, attacked the collation of the Hebrew MSS. in the preface to his Doctrine of Grace,' in a style not unusual with him, and calculated to make a very unfavourable impression on the public mind. In answer Dr Kennicott published A Sermon preached before the University of Oxford, at St Mary's Church, on Sunday, May 19th, 1765,' in the notes to which he defended himself with great spirit. In the summer of 1766 he visited Paris for the purpose of examining the MSS. in that place. In November 1767 he was appointed to the office of Radcliffe librarian. In 1768 he published Observations on the First Book of Samuel, chap. vi. ver. 19.' Svo. These were dedicated to Dr Lowth, the earliest and most steady encourager of his projected labours. At length, in the year 1769, within the period of ten years originally stipulated for, the doctor brought his labours on the Hebrew text to a close. His industry had been unremitted; his general rule being to devote to it ten or twelve hours in a day, and frequently fourteen.

In 1776 he gave the public the first-fruits of his long and laborious task by the publication of the first volume of the Hebrew Bible, with the various readings; and this, in 1780, was followed by the second volume, with a general dissertation which completed the work. His last work was entitled 'Remarks on Select Passages in the Old Testament: to which are added, Eight Sermons.' Of this 194 pages were printed in his lifetime, and afterwards published in 1787. He died on the 18th of August, 1783, and was buried in the body of Christ's church.

Bishop Lowth.

BORN A. D. 1710.—DIED a. d. 1787.

ROBERT LOWTH, second son of Dr William Lowth, bishop successively of St David's, Oxford, and London, was born on the 29th of November, 1710, at Buriton in Hants. He received the rudiments of his education at Winchester school. Having resided the requisite number of years in that seminary, he succeeded on the foundation at New college, Oxford, in 1730. He took the degree of M.A. in June, 1737, and continued many years at Oxford improving his talents, but with little notice from the great, and with preferment so small as to have escaped the distinct recollection of some of his contemporaries.

His genius and learning at last forced themselves upon the notice of the illustrious society of which he was a member, and he was placed in a station in which he was eminently qualified to shine. In 1741 he was elected to the professorship of poetry. He was re-elected to the same office in 1743. Whilst he filled this chair he read his admirable lectures De sacrâ poesi Hebræorum.' In 1744 Bishop Hoadly collated him to the rectory of Ovington in Hants. The bishop, to this preferment, nine years afterwards, added the rectory of East Weedhay in the same county, and in the interim raised him to the dignity of

archdeacon of Winchester. These repeated favours were acknowledged by Lowth in terms of gratitude. On the 8th of July, 1754, the university of Oxford conferred upon him the degree of D.D. by diploma,— an honour for which he was probably indebted to his prelections on Hebrew poetry, then lately published. He had travelled with Lord George and Lord Frederick Cavendish; and in 1755, the duke of Devonshire being then lord-lieutenant of Ireland, Dr Lowth went to that kingdom as his grace's first chaplain. Soon after this appointment he was offered the bishopric of Limerick; but preferring a less dignified station in his own country, he exchanged it with Dr Leslie, prebendary of Durham and rector of Sedgefield. In November 1765 he was chosen F.R.S. In June 1766 he was, on the death of Dr Squire, preferred to the bishopric of St David's, which, in October following, he resigned for that of Oxford. In April 1777 he was translated to the see of London, vacant by the death of Bishop Terrick; and in 1783 he declined the offer of the primacy on the death of Archbishop Cornwallis.

Having been long afflicted with the stone, and having borne the severest sufferings of pain and sickness with the most exemplary fortitude and resignation, this great and good man died at Fulham on the 3d of November, 1787. On the 12th his remains were privately interred in a vault at Fulham church, near those of his predecessor.

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Lowth's literary character is of the very highest stamp. His Prelections on Hebrew Poetry' naturally attracted general attention, and the work was received with equal applause at home and abroad. In these prelections the author exhibits himself to the greatest advantage, as a poet, a critic, and a divine; and such is the classic purity of his Latin style, that there is not in it a single phrase to which a critic of the Augustan age could have objected,-an excellence this which neither Milton nor Johnson, nor indeed any other English writer of Latin ever attained, unless perhaps Atterbury and Buchanan be excepted. To the prelections was subjoined a short confutation of Bishop Hare's system of Hebrew metre; which occasioned a letter from Dr Edwards of Clare-hall to Dr Lowth, in vindication of Hare's theory. To this Lowth replied in a Larger Confutation,' in which Bishop Hare's system is completely overthrown, and the fallacy upon which it is built accurately investigated.

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In 1758 he published ، The Life of William Wykeham, Bishop of Worcester,' with a dedication to Bishop Hoadly, which involved him in a dispute concerning the bishop's decision respecting the wardenship of Winchester college. This controversy was carried on with great ability on both sides. In 1762 Lowth published a ، Short Introduction to English Grammar,' which has gone through many editions. In 1765 he engaged with Bishop Warburton in a controversy which made much noise at the time, and attracted the notice even of royalty. Warburton had attacked some propositions advanced by Lowth in his 'Prælectiones. In the opinion of Dr Johnson, Warburton had the most scholastic learning, and Lowth was the most correct scholar; but in their contests with each other, neither of them, he says, had much argument, and both were extremely abusive. We think the superiority of wit and argument in this contest was on the side of Lowth. The bishop of Gloucester having thrown out a sneer at the university of Oxford and the kind of edu cation which his antagonist must there have received, Lowth retorted in