manners consequence, what may be his in any way from the load of wretchmanners, for by our edness, which presses upon human alone have the greater part of us life, is the privilege of but very any power to add to the happiness, few. Even opportunities for the or to substract from the misery of more weighty active virtues are but others. To diffuse general in- seldom in our power, but we may struction or delight; to eradicate be cheerful, though we cannot be the diseases, which prey upon our charitable, and mild, though we bodies, or to loosen the vices, which have no opportunity to be mercorrupt our minds ; to take much ciful. BIOGRAPHY. a man. LIFE OF RICHARD BENTLEY, D. D. [Continued from page 457.] · PLATO, de Legib. IV. IN the following year Thirlby criticks, and tell you, that I was republished an edition of Justin Mar- joiced to find my conjectures contyr's two apologies, and of his fa-firmed by the authority of so great mous dialogue with Tripho, which Believe me, such a conhe dedicated to Lord Craven. Of currence never gave real pleasure. the scholars who flourished in that No author ever wishes that the age Thirlby was inferiour to few,in praises, however trifling they may point of taste and learning. be, which are due to his discoveThe dedication is a wonderful ries, should be snatched from him, composition. In this species of or shared by another." writing he is haud ulli secundus ! The notes are likewise admirasecond to none; and few are there ble. No dull comments, no daring who can claim an equal rank. In assertions, no hazardous conjecthe same class may be reckoned tures, or tasteless, long-winded reBarton's preface to Plutarch's par- marks upon trifles. He was a firstallel Lives of Demosthenes and rate crítick, and he entertains by his Cicero. Such discernment, such sprightliness, while he surprises fancy, such solid judgment and by his learning and acumen. He deep erudition have rarely been was Bentley's avowed enemy, and seen, nor would it be easy to point speaks of him with great contempt out a third, who might complete a in some of his notes. triumvirate. It was asserted, that Dr. Ashton, In Thirlby's preface we have fre- the Master of Jesus College, assistquently been pleased with a sullen ed Thirlby in this edition, although truth,which he tells, when he men- he lived in habits of friendship tions his having found several con- with Bentley, and was one of the jectures in the notes which Davis few whom he honoured with his recommunicated to him, similar to gard. Such treachery and cowthose which he had before inserted ardly conduct would deserve no in his own observations : “ Do not quarter ; but on the other hand it imagine I shall praise that which had been said, that Ashton was so is in a great measure my own, or far from bestowing any of his notes that I shall adopt the custom of on Thirlby, that he published a Vol. III. No. 10. SS criticism on his edition in one of to the literary world. Besides his the foreign journals. We hope notes on these authors, and his the latter is the true story. papers, in the Bibl. Literaria, he The edition was mentioned in a wrote little. There is, however, poem, which was published about in the Philosophical Transactions, this time, and was intituled, “ The an account of an earthquake by Session of the Criticks.” After dis- him, which is little known. His playing the pretensions of Jortin death happened while Taylor was and others the author adds : writing his Lectiones Lysiacæ, in “ From his garret, where long he had which he has inserted a short eulorusted, came down gium of this great scholar, by Toby Thirlby, cocksure that the prize which it appears that he was much was his own, Crying, "2–d's where's this Bentley? ries. As to his erudition, no doubts valued by his learned contemporaI'll give him no quarter ! And haul'd out the preface to his fam'd can be ascertained, as besides his laFustin Martyr." bours as a commentator, Bentley said, as it is reported, that after his In this year Wasse published a own death Wasse would be the copy of Greek Trochaicks, address most learned man in England. ed to Bentley, on his edition of Dr. Bentley, as far as we have Horace. These were inserted in Jcbb’s Bibliotheca Literaria", and heard, took no publick notice of Were followed by a long and, in- Thirlby, or the attack, in his notes deed, tedious Latin elegy, address- have been his private sentiments. on Justin Martyr, whatever might. ed likewise to our critick, and on the same subject. In all probabili. He had relinquished all thoughts ty, Bentley was not much flattered but yet he still pursued his favour of publishing the Greek Testament, by these compositions. In the Greek the laws of Prosedy and of ite pursuits, and spent his time in the Trochaick measure preparing an edition of Terence. His enemies now seemed weary quently violated. Wasse, howe- of attacking him, and he enjoyed a ver was a good scholar, but posses, temporary quiet, free from their sed more learning than taste, and more reading, perhaps, than judg- however, at the Cambridge assizes, molestations. About this period, ment. His acquaintance with books was very extensive, and his when Bentley was summoned into court, as a Justice of Peace for the memory must have been uncommonly tenacious, for Jortin affirm- ard Bentley, Doctor in Divinity. county, the crier styled him Riched as we have been told that he The Vice-Chancellor, who was never knew any man who could cite authorities for words and present, immediately reprimanded phrases from the Greek and Latin him, and said, “ There is no suck writers with so much promptitude his name stood in the rolk, under person!” The judge, finding that and accuracy as Wasse. that description, ordered the crier As the editor of Sallust and Thucydides, Wasse is well known the court would not be influenced to repeat the call, and added, that by academical acts, in opposition to * Of this work, which is scarce, see a commission under the great seal. some account in Nichols's Anecdotes of the Life of Bowyer. To this enter At the publick commencement in taining work we are indebted for the the year 1725, on July the 6th, Dr. quotation from the Session of Criticks. Bentley delivered publickly a La are fre. a in oration, on the creation of seven rected with a happy sagacity. His Doctors of Divinity. In this speech notes on the three authors are short. there is a high panegyrick on the and less ostentatious, and his emHouse of Hanover, in which some endations less violent, than those of the compliments are elegant and on Horace. Many of his correcpolished. But in his description of tions of Phedrus have received the ceremony, the explanations of their just tribute of applause, and the symbols used at creation are fre- been admitted into the the text by quently puerile. The Latinity is the learned Gabriel Brotier, in his admirable, and the whole abounds edition of this writer, whose fables in passages of uncommon merit. he elegantly styles, Primas juven In 1726, appeared a new edition tutis delicias,extrema senecturis solaof Terence, Phedrus, and the Sen- tia, media ætatis oblectamenta, tentiæ of Publius Syrus, with the His emendation of one of the notes and corrections of Richard verses of Publius Syrus we will Bentley. It was printed at Cam- give as a specimen : bridge, and in the Italick character, which circumstance, in our opin “ Amissum quod nescitur, non amittitur." ion, is far from adding to the value The copies have dimissum, which or beauty of the book. It contains is undoubtedly wrong, for what is the entire notes of Faernus, who bestowed willingly, or taken by examined the most ancient manu- force, must be known. Amissum scripts of Terence, and was dedi- is certainly the true reading : as cated to Prince Frederick, who was in a rich house, afterwards Prince of Wales. After a short advertisement, “ Ubi multa supersunt, Et dominum fallunt, et prosunt furibus." which merely relates the contents of the volume, follows a very learn- This emendation is ingenious and ed dissertation on the metres of plausible. The same sentiment Terence, in which he has proved occurs in Shakespeare's Othello : the whole of the plays to have been written in verse. This treatise, “ He that is robb’d, not wanting what which has been justly praised by is stolen, the elegant Harris, in his Philologe “ Let him not know it, and Lc's not robb'd at all.” ical Inquiries, seems in great measure to have laid the foundation for Bentley inserted all his corrections the canon, or rule, whịch Dawes es- in the text; but he frequently tablishes in his Miscellanea Critica, trusts too much to conjecture. In with respect to the syllables in his notes he defends and explains Greek poetry, which are to be dis, the new readings. Many of his tinguished by an ictus or beat. At emendations on Terence were the same time, he affects to speak found in the manuscripts of this slightly of Bentley's labours, and author by Westerhovius, and inexalts his own. But we must pro- serted in his edition. In the preceed, as we cannot at present allow face, however, he tells us, that a room for the discussion of this sub. critick would indeed, merit the title ject ; and will only add, that the of Magnus sipollo, who should common mode of reading lambicķ present to the world a genuine Te. verse appears to us the most eligible. rence, amid such a variety of lect In this edition, there are many ions, and such confused versificar passages which Bentley has cor- tion. When an author publishes a' be any difficulty in filling sheets ? book, he immediately affords his Tell them I will have nothing to enemies apportunity of avenging do with them." any injúries which they have re- Dr. Bentley never afterwards ceived. This was str gly exem- placed any confidence in Hare, as plified after the appearance of Dr. he knew him to be the suggester Bentley's Terence, previous to of the last scheme. He chose which he had quarrelled with Dr. dissuere amicitiam, non disrumpere. Hare, his former friend, adviser, When Hare published his Teand panegyrist. The origin of rence, which is now seldom mentheir dispute has been thus related : tioned, he dedicated it to Lord After Lord Townshend had es- Townshend, in whose favour he tablished the professorship for mo undermined Bentley ; and gave dern languages and history in both some remarks on the metres of the Universities, and appointed the his author, which he had stolen preachers, from their younger cler- from his learned friend in the gy at Whitehall, he proposed that course of conversation. With a pension of a thousand pounds a these assistances, he produced his year should be given to Dr.Bentley, Terence, which the Italick characupon condition that he would pub- ter, and the multitude of accentual lish some editions of the classicks, marks render very disagreeable to for the use of the Royal grand- the reader. children. No time was to be stip- When Bentley perceived, that ulated, or any manner prescrib- he had himself armed his advered. The whole was to be manag- sary, by that spirit of communicaed as the Doctor wished, and as tion which always shewed itself, his leisure permitted. when he perceived taste or geHare was chosen to settle the nius, learning,or even curiosity, in business between Lord Townshend any inquirer, he determined to and Dr. Bentley. But when the bring out his own edition, with the matter was nearly brought to a utmost expedition. He sent over conclusion, the envious and malig- to Holland for the types with which nant suggestions of some enemy, the book was printed, and allowed whom Bentley supposed to be himself only a week to digest Hare, put an end to the whole ne- the notes on each of the comedies. gociation. This at least was his own account. Instead of an annual establish. He added Phedrus also to this ediment and publications suo arbitrio, tion, because he knew that Hare the negociator now brought intel proposed to publish that author. ligence that Lord Townshend pro- Such is the history of Bentley's posed that Dr. Bentley should re- Terence. He had no apprehenceive a certain for every sions about success, though Hare sheet. He immediately rejected had attempted to anticipate his the offer with disdain, and refused plans ; but his antagonist immeto enter into any engagement with diately gave up his views, as to persons who distrusted his honour: publishing Phedrus. The cause « I wonder Dr. Hare, you should of this quarrel was not generally bring me such a proposal,who have known ; but the effect which it known me so long and so well. produced was sufficiently publick, What! if I had no regard to their for in the year after Bentley's Tehonour, or to my own, would there rence was printed appeared an E sum pristola Critica, which contained an ion of his former friend's abilities examination of Bentley's notes and learning to hazard his reputaon Phedrus, by Hare, whose resent- tion with such a literary disputant. ment was greatly heightened by For with regard to the annotations finding his name was not once on these authors,and with regard to mentioned by the Doctor, in his the metrical disquisitions, Bentley edition. A survey of the Terence appeared even with greater advanwas promised, but probably with- tages in the contest, than the learnout any intention of performance. ed Bishop of London did, when he Dr. Salter has observed, that Hare attacked Hare's arrangements of had too high and too just an opin- the Hebrew measures. To be continued. For the Monthly Anthology. SILVA. No. 20. Frutetis et arboribus dilapsa folia.—Plin. JOSEPH FAWCETT. and are in regular succession perIT is my common practice, af- haps the most agreeable to the ter returning from church on Sun- taste. I confess however that I days, to read a sermon or a chap- should be well pleased to hear octer in the bible. To render the casionally this preacher, whose task of perusing theological lec- style of delivery, a gentleman told tures as pleasant as may be, I have me the other day, is equally splenrecourse to variety. If I want did as that of his writing. sermons which elucidate the scriptures, I consult Dr. S. Clarke. If DESCRIPTION OF HELL. I seek an exposure of ecclesiasti- A future state was believed and cal abuses, the historick and lively taught among the Danes and SaxJortin is best adapted to my pur- ons, prior to the introduction of pose. If I need the bitter pill of christianity into the isle of Britain. repentance, and wish at once to be They called the place of punishdisciplined and consoled, I open ment Nistheim, or the abode of the judicious Doddridge or the se- evil, where Hela dwelt ; whose raphick Watts. But if I would palace was anguish ; her table, feast my eyes with lessons of vir- famine ; her waiters, expectation tue in their enchanting forms, and delay; the threshold of her decked with the plumes of a fine door, precipice ; her bed, leanness; imagination, and soaring aloft in an and her looks, terrour. expansive sky, Fawcett is the author I most greedily scize and CAUSE OF THE PATHETICK. longest retain." I am not certain, It was wont to be jocularly said that his eloquence is exactly prop- of a Mr. Lockhart, a celebrated er to the pulpit, nor would I pleader at the British bar, during choose my own minister should the last century, that the amount feed me habitually with such de- of his honorarium, or fee, could be licious dishes. Plain roast-beef easily discovered in his counteand plumb-pudding sermons are nance : for, if handsome, he approbably easiest of digestion, yield peared deeply affected at the justhe most wholesome putriment, tice of his client's case ; but is |