press as soon as made; without any apprehension of growing leaner by censures, or plumper by commendations."

To this undertaking he was led, it is supposed, by the suggestion of Queen Caroline, who complained that he had confined his criticism to foreign classics :' but, in spite of his renunciation of the certamina divitiarum, he did not disdain to receive a hundred guineas from the booksellers for his subitaneous labours.

He had prepared also an edition of Manilius, but the dearness of paper and the want of good types long intercepted it's publication: and he meditated an edition of Hesychius, in whom (as he assured Dr. Mill) he could correct five thousand faults.' His emendations of the Tusculan Questions' of Cicero were published by his friend Davis, in his edition of that work.

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He died at Cambridge, July 14, 1742, in his eighty first year, * and was buried in Trinity College Chapel. To his latest hours he could read the smallest Greek character without the assistance of glasses; and his death was at last occasioned by a young man's disorder, a pleurisy.

Of a large and robust frame of body, and of strong features, he had likewise a dignity of demeanor almost amounting to severity, which probably deepened the general impression of his moroseness and arrogance yet was his disposition naturally so gentle, and his temper so sweet, that he never (we are told)

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* He used to compare himself to an old trunk, which if let alone, will stand long in a corner; but, if jumbled by moving, will soon fall to pieces.'

read a touching story without tears.' A slight paralytic stroke, which he had once suffered, it has been suggested, contributed to render this softness of his nature more apparent; though, previously to that event, he was distinguished in his family for his singular suavity.* "His ordinary stile of conversation (says his grandson, Mr. Cumberland, in his Auto-biography) was naturally lofty, and his frequent use of thou' and 'thee' carried with it a kind of dictatorial tone, that savoured more of the closet than the court. This is readily admitted; and this, on first approaches, might mislead a stranger. But the native candor: and inherent tenderness of his heart could not long be veiled from observation: for his feelings and affections were at once too impulsive to be long repressed, and he too careless of conceal'ment to attempt at qualifying them. Such was his sensibility toward human sufferings, that. it became a duty with his family to divert the conversation from all topics of that sort: and if he touched upon them himself, he was betrayed into agitations, which if any one ascribes to paralytic weakness, he will greatly mistake a man, who to the last hour of his life possessed his faculties firm and in their full vigour. His emotions on these occasions had no other source and origin, but in the natural and pure benevolence of his heart.

"He was communicative to all, without distinction, that sought information or that resorted to him for assistance; fond of his college almost to enthu

In the contest about the visitatorial power, it is said, on meeting his old friend Bishop More in array against him, he actually fainted away in the court!

́siasm, and ever zealous for the honour of the purple gown of Trinity. When he held examinations for fellowships, and the modest candidate exhibited marks of agitation and alarm, he never failed to interpret candidly of such symptoms: and on those occasions he was never known to press the hesitating and embarrassed examinant, but oftentimes on the contrary would take all the pains of expounding on himself, and credit the exonerated youth for answers and interpretations of his own suggesting. If this was not strict justice, it was (at least, in my conception of it) something better, and more amiable.

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Bentley's wife was a woman remarkable for sensibility and judgement, and a most amiable disposition. She loved, and revered, her husband. When in conversation with him on the subject of his works, she found occasion to lament that he had bestowed so great a portion of his time and talents upon criticism, instead of employing them upon original composition; he acknowledged the justice of her regret with extreme sensibility, and remained for a considerable time thoughtful and seemingly embarrassed by the nature of her remark. At last, recollecting himself, he said; Child, I am sensible I have not always turned my talents to the proper use, for which I should presume they were given to me: yet I have done something for the honour of my God, and the edification of my fellow-creatures. But the wit and genius of those Old Heathens beguiled me; and, as I despaired of raising up myself to their standard upon fair ground, I thought the only chance I had of looking over their heads was to get upon their shoulders.""

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"I had a sister," Cumberland elsewhere observes,

somewhat older than myself. Had there been any of that sternness in my grandfather, which is so falsely imputed to him, it may well be supposed we should have been awed into silence in his presence, to which we were admitted every day. Nothing can be farther from the truth: he was the unwearied patron and promoter of all our childish sports and sallies; at all times ready to detach himself from any topic of conversation, to take an interest and bear his part in our amusements. The eager curiosity natural to our age, and the questions it gave birth to (so teazing to many parents) he, on the contrary attended to and encouraged, as the claims of infant reason never to be evaded or abused; strongly recommending, that 'to all such inquiries answers should be given according to the strictest truth, and information dealt to us in the clearest terms, as a sacred duty never to be departed from.' I have broken in upon him many a time in his hours of study, when he would put his book aside, ring his hand-bell for his servant, and be led to his shelves to take down a picture-book for my amusement. I do not say, that his good-nature always gained it's object, as the pictures his books generally supplied me with were anatomical drawings of dissected bodies, very little calculated to communicate delight but he had nothing better to produce; and surely such an effort on his part, however unsuccessful, was no feature of a cynic-a cynic should be made of sterner stuff.'

"Once, and only once, I recollect his giving me a gentle rebuke for making a most outrageous noise in the room over his library, and disturbing him in his studies. I had no apprehension of anger from him, and confidently answered that I could not help it, as

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I had been at battledore and shuttlecock with Master Gooch, the Bishop of Ely's son:' And I have been at this sport with his father,' he replied; but thine has been the more amusing game-so there's no harm done.'

He also adds, that Collins the Freethinker in his latter days having fallen into indigence, Bentley who conceived himself in some degree responsible for his loss of reputation, with equal delicacy and liberality contrived to relieve his necessities.'

Backward in general to cultivate the society of any except those, who were distinguished by their talents and acquirements, where he found those qualities he became a warm and sincere friend. As a husband, he was affectionate, and as a parent most indulgent.

He married a daughter of Sir John Bernard of Brampton in Huntingdonshire, by whom he had one son Richard (who died in 1782, after having spent a life of distress in consequence of his imprudences, though patronised successively by Horace Walpole, Bubb Doddington, and Lord Bute) and two daughters, Elizabeth and Joanna. Elizabeth married first Humphrey Ridge, Esq., and secondly the Rev. Dr. Favell, Rector of Witton near Huntingdon. Joanna, the Phoebe' of Dr. Byrom's celebrated pastoral, My time, O ye Muses,' &c.; (published in the Spectator, No. 603) married the Rev. Denison Cumberland, son of the Bishop of Peterborough, and himself. subsequently Bishop of Kilmore, and was mother of the late Richard Cumberland, Esq.

When we reflect upon his abilities and his erudition, and particularly his unparallelled metrical knowledge, in the attainment of which he had been assisted by his uncommon accuracy of ear, giving him