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his return to Copenhagen, he found means to be appointed assessor of the consistory court, which place affording him a competent subsistence, he was able to indulge his genius, and produced several works, which gave him great celebrity. Among these are some comedies, a volume of which has been translated into French. He wrote also a History of Denmark, in 3 vols. 4to, which has been considered as the best that hitherto has been produced, though in some parts rather minute and uninteresting. Two volumes of "Moral Thoughts," and a work entitled "The Danish Spectator," were produced by him and he is generally considered as the author of the "Iter subterraneum of Klimius," a satirical romance, something in the style of Gulliver's Travels. Most of these have been translated also into German, and are much esteemed in that country. His "Introduction to Universal History" was translated into English by Dr. Gregory Sharpe, with notes, 1755, 8vo. By his publications, and his place of assessor, he had œconomy enough to amass a considerable fortune, and even in his life gave 70,000 crowns to the university of Zealand, for the education of young noblesse; thinking it right that as his wealth had been acquired by literature, it should be employed in its support. This munificence obtained him the title of baron. At his death, which happened in 1754, he left also a fund of 16,000 crowns to portion out a certain number of young women, selected from the families of citizens in Copenhagen.'

HOLBOURNE (Sir ROBERT), a lawyer of considerable eminence, and law writer, flourished in the time of Charles I. but of his early history, we have no account. In 1640 he was chosen representative for St. Michael in Cornwall in the Long-parliament, and on one occasion argued for two hours in justification of the canons. In 1641 he was Lent reader of Lincoln's inn, but soon after quitted the parliament when he saw the extremities to which they were proceeding. He had formerly given his advice against ship-money, but was not prepared to overthrow the constitution entirely, and therefore went to Oxford, where, in 1643, he sat in the parliament assembled there by Charles I. was made the prince's attorney, one of the privy council, and received the honour of knighthood. In 1644 he was present at the treaty of Uxbridge, and afterwards at

1 Dict. Hist.-Annual Register for 1759.

that of the Isle of Wight. Returning to London, after these ineffectual attempts to restore peace, he was forced to com→ pound for his estate, and was not permitted to remain in any of the inns of court. He died in 1647, and was interred in the crypt under Lincoln's-inn chapel. His "Readings on the Statute of Treasons, 25 Edward III. c. 2." were published in 1642, 4to, and in 1681. He was the author also of "The Freeholder's Grand Inquest touching our Sovereign Lord the King and his Parliament," which bears, the name of sir Robert Filmer,, who reprinted it in 1679, and 1680, 8vo, with observations upon forms of governHe left also some MSS.'

ment.

HOLCROFT (THOMAS), a dramatic and miscellaneous writer and translator, was born in Orange-court, Leicesterfields, Dec. 22, 1744. His father was in the humble occupation of a shoe-maker, and does not appear to have given his son any education. The first employment mentioned, in which the latter was concerned, was as servant to the hon. Mr. Vernon, of whose race-horses he had the care, and became very expert in the art of horsemanship. He is said also to have worked for many years at his father's trade. He possessed, however, good natural abilities, and a thirst for knowledge, of which he accumulated a considerable fund, and learned with facility and success the French, German, and Italian languages. When about his twenty-fifth year, he conceived a passion for the stage, and his first performance was in Ireland. He had afterwards an engagement of the same kind in London, but never attained any eminence as an actor, although he always might be seen to understand his part better than those to whom nature was more liberal. He quitted the stage in 1781, after the performance of his first play, "Duplicity," which was successful enough to encourage his perseverance as a dramatic writer. From this time he contributed upwards of thirty pieces, which were either acted on the London stages, or printed without having been performed. Scarcely any of them, however, have obtained a permanent situation on the boards. He published also the following novels: "Alwyn," 1780; "Anna St. Ives," 1792; "Hugh Trevor," 1794; and "Brian Perdue," 1807. His translations were, "The private Life of Voltaire," 12mo;

Ath. Ox. vol. II.-Lloyd's Memoirs, folio, p. 584.-Bridgman's Legal Bibliography.

"Memoirs of Baron Trenck," 3 vols. 12mo; Mirabeau's "Secret History of the Court of Berlin," 2 vols. 8vo; madame de Genlis's "Tales of the Castle," 5 vols. 12mo; "The posthumous Works of Frederick II. of Prussia," 13 vols. 8vo; "An abridgment of Lavater's Physiognomy," 3 vols. 8vo. Mr. Holcroft having imbibed the revolutionary principles of France, had joined some societies in this country, which brought him under suspicion of being concerned with Hardy, Tooke, and Thelwall, who were tried for high treason in 1794, but they being acquitted, Mr. Holcroft was discharged without being put upon his trial. His last work was his "Travels," in Germany and France, 2 vols. 4to, which, like some other of his speculations, was less advantageous to his bookseller than to himself. In 1782 he published a poem called “ Human happiness, or the Sceptic," which attracted little notice on the score of poetical merit, but contained many of those loose sentiments on religion, which he was accustomed to deliver with more dogmatism than became a man so little acquainted with the subject. In these, however, he persisted almost to the last, when, on his death-bed, he is said to have acknowledged his error. He died March 23, 1809.1

HOLDEN (HENRY), an English Roman catholic divine, was born in Lancashire in 1596, and in 1618 was admitted a student in the English college at Doway, where he took the name of Johnson. Here he improved himself in the classics, and studied philosophy and divinity, and going to Paris in 1623, took the degree of D. D. in that university, to which he continued attached during the remainder of his life, having no other preferment but that of penitentiary or confessor in the parish church of St. Nicholas du Chardonet. He died about 1665, esteemed one of the ablest controversial divines of his time, and in this respect has been highly praised by Dupin. Some suspected him of Jansenism, but his biographers wish to repell this charge, as they think it. Among his works are three, which chiefly contributed to his fame, 1. " Analysis Fidei,' Paris, 1652, 8vo, translated into English by W. G. 4to, 1658. Of this Dupin has given a long analysis. It was reprinted by Barbou in 1766, and contains a brief summary of the whole economy of faith, its principles and motives, with their application to controversial questions.

It is considered as argumentative and sound. 2. "Marginal Notes on the New Testament," Paris, 1660, 2 vols. 12mo. 3. "A Letter concerning Mr. White's Treatise De Medio Animarum statu," Paris, 1661, 4to.'

HOLDER (WILLIAM), a learned English philosopher, was born in Nottinghamshire, educated in Pembroke hall, Cambridge, and, in 1642, became rector of Blechingdon, Oxfordshire. In 1660 he proceeded D. D. was afterwards canon of Ely, fellow of the royal society, canon of St. Paul's, sub-dean of the royal chapel, and sub-almoner to his majesty. He gained particular celebrity by teaching a young gentleman of distinction, who was born deaf and dumb, to speak, an attempt at that time unprecedented. This gentleman's name was Alexander Popham, son of colonel Edward Popham, who was some time an admiral in the service of the long parliament. The cure was performed by him in his house at Blechingdon, in 1659; but Popham, losing what he had been taught by Holder, after he was called home to his friends, was sent to Dr. Wallis, who brought him to his speech again. On this subject Holder published a book entitled "The Elements of Speech; an essay of inquiry into the natural production of letters: with an appendix concerning persons that are deaf and dumb," 1669, 8vo. In the appendix he relates how soon, and by what methods, he brought Popham to speak. In this essay he has analysed, dissected, and classed the letters of our alphabet so minutely and clearly, that it is well worthy the attentive perusal of every lover of philology, but particularly, says Dr. Burney, of lyric poets and composers of vocal music; to whom it will point out such harsh and untunable combinations of letters and syllables as from their difficult utterance impede and corrupt the voice in its passage. In 1678 he published, in 4to, "A Supplement to the Philosophical Transactions of July 1670, with some Reflections on Dr. Wallis's Letter there inserted." This was written to claim the glory of having taught Popham to speak, which Wallis in the letter there mentioned, had claimed to himself: upon which the doctor soon after published, "A Defence of the Royal Society and the Philosophical Transactions, particularly those of July 1670, in answer to the cavils of Dr. William Holder," 1678," 4to. Holder was skilled in the theory and practice of music, 1 Dupin.-Dodd's Church Hist. vol. III,

and composed some anthems, three or four of which are preserved in Dr. Tudway's collection in the British museum. In 1694 he published "A Discourse concerning Time," in which, among other things, the deficiency of the Julian Calendar was explained, and the method of reforming it demonstrated, which was afterwards adopted in the change of style. It is to be lamented that in treating this subject with so much clearness and ability, so good a musician did not extend his reflections on the artificial parts of time, to its divisions and proportions in musical measures; a subject upon which the abbate Sacchi has written in Italian, "Del Tempo nella Musica;" but which rhythmically, or metrically considered in common with poetry, has not yet been sufficiently discussed in our own language.

The same year was published by Dr. Holder, "A Treatise on the natural grounds of Harmony," in which the propagation of sound, the ratio of vibrations, their coincidence in forming consonance, sympathetic resonance, or sons harmoniques, the difference between arithmetical, geometrical, and harmonic proportions, and the author's opinion concerning the music of the ancients, to whom he denies the use of harmony, or music in parts, are all so ably treated, and clearly explained, that this book may be read with profit and pleasure by most practical musicians, though unacquainted with geometry, mathematics, and harmonics, or the philosophy of sound. This book is said, in the introduction, to have been drawn up chiefly for the sake and service of the gentlemen of the chapel royal, of which he was sub-dean, and in which, as well as other cathedrals to which his power extended, he is said to have been a severe disciplinarian; for, being so excellent a judge and composer himself, it is natural to suppose that he would be the less likely to tolerate neglect and ignorance in the performance of the choral service. Michael Wise, who perhaps had fallen under his lash, used to call him Mr. Snub-dean. Dr. Holder died at Amen Corner, London, Jan. 24, 1696-7, and was buried in St. Paul's, with his wife, who was only sister to sir Christopher Wren. Dr. Holder had a considerable share in the early education of that afterwards eminent architect.1

1 Ath. Ox. vol. II.-Ward's Lives of the Gresham Professors.-Letters from the Bodleian Library, 3 vols. 8vo, 1813.-Rees's Cyclopædia,