to the vicarage of Eastwell in Kent, and in 1751 he became rector of St. Dunstan'sin-the-East. Shortly after becoming chaplain to the bishop of London in 1762, he was appointed to a prebendal stall of St. Paul's, and to the vicarage of Kensington, and in 1764 he was made archdeacon of London. He died at Kensington, September 5, 1770. The principal works of Jortin are "Discussions Concerning the Truth of the Christian Religion," 1746; "Remarks on Ecclesiastical History," 1751; "Life of Erasmus," 2 vols., 1750, 1760, founded on the life by Le Clerc, but containing a large amount of new matter; and "Tracts Philological, Critical, and Miscellaneous," 1790. All his works display great learning and some acuteness both of research and criticism, but though written in a lively style they do not bear that stamp of originality which confers permanent interest.-BAYNES, THOMAS SPENCER, ed., 1881, Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. XIII, p. 749. PERSONAL He was a man of great learning, fine taste, and much vivacity of imagination, an accomplished critic, and a warm friend to the diffusion of sound knowledge. ALLIBONE, S. AUSTIN, 1854-58, A Critical Dictionary of English Literature, vol. I, p. 999. The fact was that Jortin was a scholar in every sense of the word; Warburton is none and in the matter of the disagreement between them, Jortin shows as much above Warburton in magnanimity as he is in learning.-PATTISON, MARK, 1863-89, Life of Bishop Warburton, Essays, ed. Nettleship, vol. II, p. 131. GENERAL Good sense and sound morality appear in them [Sermons], not, indeed, dressed out in the meretricious ornaments of a florid style, but in all the manly force and simple graces of natural eloquence. . . . Will always be read with pleasure and edification. KNOX, VICESIMUS, 1777, Essays, Moral and Literary, No. cxv. Jortin's sermons are very elegant. JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 1778, Life by Boswell, ed. Hill, vol. III, p. 281. The ease, simplicity, and vigour of this engaging writer (I speak of the biographer), who negligently scatters learning and vivacity on every subject which he treats, are here ["Life of Erasmus"] exercised on a most congenial topic. GREEN, THOMAS, 1779-1810, Diary of a Lover of Literature. As to Jortin, whether I look back to his verse, to his prose, to his critical or to his theological works, there are few authors to whom I am so much indebted for rational entertainment or for solid instruction.-PARR, SAMUEL, 1789, Tracts by a Warburton and a Warburtonian. Critical ["Remarks on Ecclesiastical History"] but wanting in more important things. BICKERSTETH, EDWARD, 1844, The Christian Student. Besides being a writer of elegant sermons in an age when pulpit literature had greatly decayed, may be remembered as the author of various contributions to ecclesiastical history, in which he showed liberality of thought. Jortin was persistent and fairly successful in controversy with Warburton.-GOSSE, EDMUND, 1888, A History of Eighteenth Century Literature, p. 362. Jortin's "Erasmus," based on the life by Jean Le Clerc, is a respectable piece of work, but has long been superseded. His five volumes of contributions to ecclesiastical history are still valuable, not merely for the store of curious material which they contain, illustrating the history of Christian ideas up to the Reformation, but for keen judgments of men and manners, and an engaging lightness of style, spiced with epigram. "Wit without ill-nature and sense without effort," says Dr. Parr, "he could at will scatter upon every subject." By John Hey and later writers Jortin is unduly decried as flippant. He thought and wrote like a cultured layman. Though he regarded the niceties of theological speculation as "trifles," he treated them in detail, with a mind utterly disengaged from ecclesiastical bias. From one of his posthumous tracts it is clear that he interpreted the obligations of subscription in the laxest sense. His personal character was remarkably gentle and kindly. He was fond of music, and played the harpsichord.-GORDON, ALEXANDER, 1892, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. XXX, p. 202. Thomas Gray 1716-1771 Born, in London, 26 Dec. 1716. Early education at Burnham. To Eton, 1727 [?]. To Pembroke Hall, Camb., as Pensioner, summer of 1734; transferred to Peterhouse, 9 Oct. 1734. Took no degree; left University, Sept. 1738. Travelled abroad with Horace Walpole, March 1739 to Sept. 1740. Returned to Peterhouse, Camb., as Fellow-Commoner, Oct. 1742; LL. B., 1743. Lived chiefly at Cambridge for remainder of life. Removed to Pembroke Coll., 6 March 1756. In London, Jan. 1759 to June 1761. Prof. of History and Mod. Languages, Cambridge, 28 July 1768. Increasing ill-health. Died, at Cambridge, 30 July 1771. Buried at Stoke Pogis. Works: "Ode on a distant prospect of Eton College" (anon.), 1747; "An Elegy wrote in a Country Churchyard" (anon.), 1751 (2nd-4th edns., same year); "Six Poems," 1753; "The Progress of Poesy; and, The Bard," 1758; "Poems" (collected; two independent edns.), 1768; "Ode, performed at the installation of . . A. H. Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton" (anon.), 1769. Posthumous: "A Catalogue of the Antiquities in England and Wales" (anon.; priv. ptd.), [1773]; "Life and Letters, ed. by W. Mason, 1774; "The Bard," ed. by J. Martin, 1837; "Correspondence with W. Mason," ed. by J. Mitford, 1853. Collected Works: "Poems," ed. by W. Mason, 1775; "Poems and Letters" (priv. ptd.), 1879; "Works," ed. by E. Gosse (4 vols.), 1884. Life: by E. Gosse, 1882.-SHARP, R. FARQUHARSON, 1897, A Dictionary of English Authors, p. 118. PERSONAL He is the worst company in the world. From a melancholy turn, from living reclusely, and from a little too much dignity, he never converses easily; all his words are measured and chosen, and formed into sentences; his writings are admirable; he himself is not agreeable.-WALPOLE, HORACE, 1748, To George Montague, Sep. 3; Letters, ed. Cunningham, vol. II, p. 128. Mr. Gray, our elegant poet, and delicate Fellow-Commoner of Peter House, has just removed to Pembroke Hall, in resentment of some usage he met with at the former place. The case is much talked of, and is this:-He is much afraid of fire, and was a great sufferer in Cornhill; he has ever since kept a ladder of ropes by him, soft as the silky cords by which Romeo ascended to his Juliet, and has had an iron machine fixed to his bedroom window. The other morning Lord Percival and some Petreuchians, going a hunting, were determined to have a little sport before they set out, and thought it would be no bad diversion to make Gray bolt, as they called it, so ordered their man, Joe Draper, to roar out "fire." A delicate white night-cap is said to have appeared at the window; but finding the mistake, retired again to the couch. The young fellows, had he descended, were determined, they said, to have whipped the Butterfly up again.-SHARP, REV. JOHN, 1756, Letter, March 12, Nichols' Illustrations of Literature of the Eighteenth Century, vol. VI, p. 805. I am sorry you did not see Mr. Gray on his return; you would have been much pleased with him. Setting aside his merit as a poet which, however, is greater in my opinion than any of his contemporaries can boast, in this or any other nation, I found him possessed of the most exact taste, the soundest judgment, and the most extensive learning. He is happy in a singular facility of expression. His composition abounds with original observations, delivered in no appearance of sententious formality, and seeming to arise spontaneously without study or premeditation. I passed two days with him at Glammis, and found him as easy in his manners, and as communicative and frank as I could have wished.-BEATTIE, JAMES, 1765, Letter to Sir William Forbes. I regret that poor Mr. Gray is now no more than Pindar. One fatal moment sets two or three thousand years aside, and brings the account equal. I really believe our British Pindar not unequal in merit to the bard of Thebes. I hope I hope Mr. Gray has left some works yet unpublished.-MONTAGU, ELIZABETH, 1772, Letters, Aug. 15; A Lady of the Last Century, ed. Doran, p. 177. Perhaps he was the most learned man in Europe. He was equally acquainted with the elegant and profound parts of science, and that not superficially, but thoroughly. He knew every branch of history, both natural and civil; had read all the original histories of England, France, and Italy; and was a great antiquarian. Criticism, metaphysics, morals, politics, made a principal part of his study; voyages and travels of all sorts were his favourite amusements; and he had a fine taste in paintings, prints, architecture, and gardening. With such a fund of knowledge, his conversation must have been equally instructing and entertaining; but he was also a good man, a man of virtue and humanity. There is no character without some speck, some imperfection; and I think the greatest defect in his was an affectation in delicacy, or rather effeminacy, and a visible fastidiousness, or contempt and disdain of his inferiors in science. TEMPLE, WILLIAM, 1772, Letter to James Boswell, London Magazine, March. He was much admired for his singing in his youth; yet he was so sly in exercising this talent that Mr. Walpole tells me he never could but once prevail on him to give proof of it, and then it was with so much pain to himself that it gave him no manner of pleasure.-MASON, WILLIAM, 1774, Memoirs of Thomas Gray. What has occurred to me, from the slight inspection of his letters in which my undertaking has engaged me, is, that his mind had a large grasp; that his curiosity was unlimited, and his judgment cultivated; that he was a man likely to love much where he loved at all; but that he was fastidious and hard to please. JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 1779-81, Gray, Lives of the English Poets. Gray could never compose voluntarily: his genius resembled the armed apparition in Shakspeare's master-tragedy. When "He would not be commanded." he wished to compose the "Installation Ode," for a considerable time he felt himself without the power to begin it: a friend calling on him, Gray flung open his door hastily, and in a hurried voice and tone, exclaiming in the first verse of that ode Hence, avaunt! 'tis holy ground!— his friend started at the disordered appearance of the bard, whose orgasm had disturbed his very air and countenance. -DISRAELI, ISAAC, 1796-1818, Effect of Great Works, The Literary Character. Mr. Gray was in stature rather below the middle size. He had a pleasing countenance, in which, however, there was no extraordinary expression, consequently no indication of his internal powers. The print which is prefixed to his "Life" is rather a caricature, for his features were not so stiff and prominent, but more rounded and delicate.-BRYANT, JACOB, 1798, Letter, Dec. 24. His faculties were endowed with uncommon strength; he thought with a manly nervousness; and he penetrated forcibly into every subject which engaged his attention. But his petty manners were disagreeably effeminate and fastidious: his habits wanted courage and hardiness; and his temper and spirits were a prey to feebleness, indolence, and trivial derangements. His heart was pure; and his conduct, I firmly believe, stained with no crime. He loved virtue for its own sake, and felt a just and never-slackened indignation at vice. But the little irritations of his daily temper were too much affected by trifles: he loved to assume the character of the fine gentleman, a mean and odious ambition in any one, but Scarcely to be forgiven in a man of genius. He would shrug his shoulders and distort his voice into fastidious tones; and take upon himself the airs of what folly is pleased to call high company.-BRYDGES, SIR SAMUEL EGERTON, 1808, Traits in the Character of Gray the Poet; Censura Literaria. As the life of Gray advanced, it was still marked by the same studious and secluded habits; but he appears gradually to have left his classical studies for a more extended circle of reading, including history, antiquities, voyages, and travels; and in many of the books in his library, as |