king's assent. The tenor of it was, that he should be deprived of all his offices, dignities, benefices, &c. and suffer perpetual exile. He died at Paris, Feb. 15, 1731-2; and his body was brought over to England," and interred the 12th of May fol lowing, in Westminster Abbey. It is universally agreed, that he was a man of great learning and uncommon abilities, a fine writer, and a most excellent preacher..

ATTICUS, one of the most singular personages in ancient Rome. He understood the art of conducting himself so well, that, without departing from his neutrality, he preserved the esteem and affection of all parties. He reached the age of 77 years, almost without knowing what sickness was; but at last fell sick.

years after this engaged in a religious controversy with Dr. Bentley, Dr. Wake, and other learned divines. In 1702, he was appointed one of queen Anne's chaplains in ordinary; and in the beginning of June 1713, the queen, at the recommendation of lord chancellor Harcourt, advanced him to the bishopric of Rochester, with the deanery of Westminster in commendam. At the beginning of the succeeding reign his tide of prosperity began to turn; and he received a sensible mortification presently after the coronation of king George I. when, upon his offering to present his majesty (with a view, no doubt, of standing better in his favour) with the chair of state and royal canopy, his own perquisites as dean of Westminster, the offer was rejected, not His illness, which was slight without some evident marks of dis- for three months, at length becomlike to his person. During the re-ing painful, he sent for Agrippa his bellion in Scotland, which broke son-in-law, and two other persons, out in the 1st year of this reign, and declared to them a resolution to Atterbury gave an instance of his put an end to his life by abstinence growing disaffection to the esta- from food. Agrippa remonstrated blished government, in refusing to with tears, but all in vain. After sign the Declaration" of the bi-two days abstinence the fever left shops; besides which, he constantly opposed the measures of the court in the house of lords, and drew up some of the most violent protests with his own hand. In 1722, on a suspicion of his being concerned in a plot in favour of the pretender, he was apprehended August 24, and committed prisoner to the Tower. March 23, 1722-3, a bill was brought into the house of commons, for "infli&ting certain pains and penalties on Francis lord bishop of Rochester." On the 9th of April the bill passed the house of commons, and was, the same day, sent up to the house of lords for their concurrence. By the lords it was and afterwards received the

him, and the disease abated; but Atticus persisted and died three days after. This happened in the year of Rome 721.-Atticus was extremely fond of polite literature, and ought to be ranked among the good authors; for he wrote Annals which Cicero declares to have been of great use to him.

AUBIGNE (THEODORE AGRIPPA D') a very illustrious Frenchman, and grandfather of the no less illustrious Madame de Main. tenon, was born about the year 1550. His parts were so uncommon, and his progress in letters so very rapid, that he is said to have translated the "Crito" of Plato from the Greek into French when no more

than eight years old. His principal ing stratagem: she offered him her work is, Histoire Universelle, son as a servant, pretending he was from 1550 to 1601; with a short Account of the Death of Henry IV." in three volumes, folio. Aubigne died at Geneva, in 1630.

AUBREY (JOHN) an eminent English antiquary, born at Easton Pier, Wiltshire, 1626, died 1700, leaving many works behind him.

AVENTIN (JOHN) a celebrated scholar, and author of the "Annals of Bavaria," born 1466, at Abensperg in the country just named. He died 1534

AVERROES, one of the most subtle Arabian philosophers, a native of Corduba, flourished in the 12th century.

naturally deaf and dumb; and the youth, by his mother's instructions, counterfeited these defects so well, that the physician, after making se veral trials to discover the reality of them, took the boy into his ser. vice, and by degrees trusted him so far as to leave his writings open in his room when he went abroad. Avicenna took that opportunity to transcribe them, and carried the copies to his mother, and, after the death of his master, published them under his own name.

AVISON (CHARLES) an eminent English musician and compo ser, and author of a treatise on Musical Expression," died 1770. AURENGZEBE,the great mogul,

parricide, who poisoned his father possess his throne, died 1707, aged near 100.

AUGUSTIN, or AUSTIN (ST.) the first archbishop of Canterbury, was originally a monk in the con- a famous conqueror, but detestable vent of St. Andrew at Rome, and educated under St. Gregory, after-to wards pope Gregory I. by whom he was dispatched into Britain, with 40 other monks of the same order, about the year 596, to convert the English Saxons to Christianity. He died at Canterbury 604.

AVICENNA, a celebrated philosopher and physician among the Mahommedans, was born in the year 980, and died in 1036. The number of his books, including his smaller tracts, is computed at near 100; the greatest part of which is either lost, or not known in Europe. Some charge him with having stolen what he published from a celebrated physician who had been his master. This man had acquired so much ho nour and wealth, that he was solicited by many to take their sons to be his scholars, or even his servants; but, being resolved not to discover the secrets of his art, he would receive none of them. Aviceana's mother formed the follow

AYLMER (JOHN) bishop of London, born 1521.-He preached frequently in his cathedral, and had an admirable talent at captivating the attention of his hearers. He died at Fulham, the 3d of June, 1594, aged 73.

AYLOFFE (SIR JOSEPH, bart.) V. P. A. S. and F. R. S. born 1708, died 1781. His knowledge of our national antiquities and municipal rights was very extensive.

BABINGTON (DR. GERVASE) bishop of Worcester, born in Nottinghamshire 1550, died 1610, leaving some esteemed theological works behind him, as "Notes on the Pentateuch," &c. &c.

BACON (ROGER) a learned monk of the Franciscan order, de. scended of an ancient family, and born near lichester in Somersetshire, 1214. His discoveries were little understood by the generality

E 3

On

Amyas Pawlet, whose esteem and of solicitor-general. In 1611 he confidence be gained to such a de- was constituted judge of the mar gree, that he was soon after charged shal's court, jointly with sir Thoby him with a commission to the mas Vavasor, then knight-marshal. queen, which he executed with great In 1613 he succeeded sir Henry approbation, and returned again to Hobart, advanced to the place of France to finish his travels. During chief justice of the common pleas, his stay in that kingdom his father as attorney-general. June 9, 1616, died, without making that separate he was raised to the dignity of a provision for him which he had in- privy-counsellor, while he was still tended: this obliging him to think of in the office of attorney-general: some profession for a subsistence, he and as he had now more leisure applied himself, more through neces- from private causes, he was desirous sity than choice, to the study of the to dedicate more time to public sercommon law, and for that purpose vice; and therefore made an offer seated himself in Gray's Inn.. At to the king of a new "Digest of the age of 28 he was chosen by the Laws of England."-March 7, that honourable society for their 1617, upon the chancellor's volunlent reader, and afterwards thejr tary resignation of the seals, they double reader. He now bent his were given to sir Francis Bacon, endeavours to obtain some honour- with the title of lord keeper. able post in the government; and the 4th of January 1618 he was lord Burleigh interested himself so constituted lord high chancellor of far in his behalf, as to obtain for England, and on the 11th of July him, not without opposition, the re-following created baron of Verulam version of the office of register to the in Hertfordshire. The desire of star-chamber, worth about 1600l, a introducing and establishing his year; but it did not fall to him till new and better philosophy (one canear 20 years afterwards,Upon pital end of which was to discover the death of queen Elizabeth, and the methods of procuring remedies for accession of king James, he made, all human evils) seems to have been though not without difficulty, con- his ruling passion through life: in siderable advances in dignity and 1620, amidst all the variety of preferment. On the 23d of July weighty business in which his high 1603, he received the honour of office necessarily involved him, he knighthood; and on the 25th of published the most finished and im August 1604 was constituted by portant, though the least read of all patent one of the king's learned his philosophical tracts, the "No counsel, with a fee of 401. a year: vum Organum Scientiarum." he had also on the same day a pen next year he was accused of bribery sion of 6ol. a year assigned him for and corruption, and the house of life, in consideration of the special peers, on the 3d of May 1621, gave services received by the king from judgment against him," that he him and his brother Mr. Anthony should be fined 40,000l. and re Bacon. After many services ren- main prisoner in the Tower duringdered to the king, and repeated so-the king's pleasure: that he should licitations made to his ministers, for ever be incapable of any office, sir Francis Bacon obtained, in 1607, place, or employment in the state the place he had so long expected, or commonwealth; and that he

The

come within the verge of the court." But he was soon restored to his liberty, and his fine remitted, and was summoned to the first parliament of king Charles. After this sentence he retired from civil affairs, and for five years gave himself wholly up to writing. He died April 9, 1626, and lies buried in St. Michael's church at St. Alban's, where a monument was erected for him by sir Thomas Meautys, once his secretary, and afterwards clerk of the council. His works, collected into 5 vols. 4to. were beautifully and accurately printed by Mr. Bowyer and Mr. Strahan, in 1765.

should never sit in parliament, or in his Review, which are yet dis. tinguishable by their spirit and intelligence. He was, before this pcriod, an occasional correspondent in the Westminster Magazine; and we afterwards find him more frequently corresponding with the Gentleman's Magazine, the London Magazine, the General Evening Post, and the St. James's Chronicle. But the great scene of his public warfare was in the Monthly Review. His corre spondence with news-papers was commonly temporary, though generally important, and on subjects of literature-In private circles, few were more eagerly sought after than Mr. Badcock; few more generally admired for sprightly sallies of wit, for the brilliant effusions of genius, or the collected store of many studious hours of retirement and deep investigation. His friendships were warm and animated; nor did he ever decline assisting those who, from his character and reputation, were led to request his aid. Many admired publications received their

About three years before his death, which happened on the 19th of May 1788, he conformed to the esta blished church.

BACON (PHANUEL), rector of Balden in Oxfordshire, and vicar of Bramber in Sussex, was a famous punster and an ingenious poet. He published in 1757 five dramatic pieces, called "The Taxes," "The Insignificants," "The Trial of the Time-killers,""The Moral Quack," and "The Oculist;" and died at Balden, Jan. 2, 1783. BADCOCK (SAMUEL) an emi-best embellishments from his hand. nent critic and controversial writer, was born in the year 17 50, and destined to the clerical character. We find him in very early life, at about the age of 19, at the head of a very considerable Presbyterian congregation, at Barnstaple in Devonshire, From this situation, however, he removed, and was elected minister of South Molton, about 12 miles from his first situation; and in this retirement his active mind turned its views to the more public departments of literature. During the progress of the London Review, he occasionally corresponded with Dr. Kenrick, and contended with that acute and intelligent sceptic on different points of Christianity. He occasionally also wrote some articles

BADDELEY (ROBERT) an exe cellent low comedian, many years attached to Drury-lane theatre, died Nov. 20, 1794. By his will he left to the theatrical fund bis cottage at Hampton in trust, that they should elect to reside in it such four of the fund pensioners as might not object to living sociably under the same roof. In this house are two par lours for their joint indulgence, and four separate bedchambers. This be quest is an instance of his benevo lence, and of his respect for his profession; but the manner in which it was done is even more honourable