he with his nephew, and fix other persons belonging to the public li brary, were denounced, under pretence of ariftocracy, by persons he had never feen or known. Being then at Madame de Choiseul's, he was removed from her house, and conducted to the prison called Les Magdelonettes. Though, from his great age and bodily infirmities, he was fenfible he could not long furvive the severity of confinement, still he submitted to his fate with that calmness and ferenity of mind wch confcious innocence can alone inspire. So great was the general eftimation of his worth and character, that he was met at the prifon gates by all the prisoners, who vied with each other in testimonies of affection and respect; and, in justice to the jailor, Vaubertrand, it must be admitted, that he shewed him every humane attention and regard. A feparate chamber was allotted to him and his nephew; where they received, on the evening of their imprisonment, an early vifit from Madame de Choiseul. Such was her sen fibility and friendship for Barthelemy upon this occafion, that she, with others of his zealous friends, loft no time in going to the committees of government to convince them of the innocence and purity of the Abbé's conduct. haftened to rectify the mistake, and declared they had no intention of including this worthy man in the general order of arrest of all perfons employed in the public library; and they immediately gave directions for his release; in consequence of which he was before midnight carried back from prison to the house of Madame de Choiseul, whence he had been taken They the fame morning. In farther tef timony of his virtues and talents' and to compenfate in some degree for the infult offered to both, by the momentary suspicion and imprisonment which he had fustained, in the October following, the office of principal librarian being vacant by the death of Carra, and the resignation of Chamfort, it was offered to him in the most flattering manner; but he chose to decline it on account of his age and infirmities. These last increased visibly; and, about the beginning of 1795, being then in his Soth year, his end rapidly approached, and was probably haftened by the extreme severity of the feafon. He died on the 30th of April with little corporal suffering, preferving his senses so entirely to the last, that he was reading Horace two hours before his death, and was probably unconscious of its approach. His figure was tall, and of good proportion; and the structure of his frame seemed well adapted to support the vigorous exertions of his mind. Houdon has finished an excellent buft of this ornament of his age and country. His relations cherith his memory with filial piety; his friends feel his irreparable loss with conftant regret; to the learned he has left a model of imi. tation, and to all mankind a useful example. The following is a list of his works: 1. Travels of Anacharfis in Greece, in the middle of the 4th century before the Christian æra, 4 vols. 4to. 7 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1788; with a volume of maps, memoirs and descriptions, inserted in the collection of the Academy of Incriptions. 2. Од 1 2. On the Pactolus, vol. xxi. p.19. 3. Remarks on the Medal of Xerxes, ibid, 404. 4. On the Inscription of Amydæ, vol. xxiii. p. 394. 5. Effay towards a Numifmatic Paleography, vol. xxiv. p. 30. 6. Differtation on the two Samaritan Medals of Antigonus, King of Judea, ibid. p. 49. 7. Remarks on Medals published by several authors, vol. xxvi. p. 532. 8. Differtation on the Arabian Medals, ibid. p. 557. 9. Reflections on the Alphabet and Language of Palmyra, ibid. P.577 10. Memoirs on the Monuments of Rome, vol. xxiii. p. 579. 11. Reflexions on fome Phœnician Monuments, vol. 30, p. 405. 12 Explanation of the Palestine Mofaic, ib. p. 503. 13. General Reflections on the Affinity of the Egyptian, Phœnician and Grecian Languages, vol. xxxii. p. 212. 14. Remarks on Medals published by different Authors, ib. p. 671. 15. Explanation of an Egyptian Bas-relief, and of the Phoenician Inscription which accompanies it, ib. p. 725. 16. Remarks on the Number of Pieces which were represented in the fame Day on the Theatre of Athens. vol. xxxix. p. 172. 17. Remarks on the Medals of the Emperor Antonius, vol. xli, p. 501. 18. Letters to the Authors of the Journal des Scavans: on Phœnician Medals and Inscriptions, in vol. Auguft, 1769, 4to. p. 495; Dec. 1761, p. 871; Sept. and Nov. 1763 on S amaritan Medals, April, 1790. He wrote alfo many ar Character of Erasmus, from Mr. Gibbon's Posthumous Works, published by Lord Sheffield. IF we confider the character of Erasmus, we shall be immediately struck with his extensive erudition; and that, heightened by two circumftances. First, that he was scarcely ever fixed fix months in a place (excepting at Bafil;) that to this wandering life, which deprived him both of books and leisure, must be added, a continued bad state of health, and the constant avocation of a vast correspondence. Secondly, that his learning was all real, and founded on the accurate perufal of the ancient authors. The numerous editions he published sufficiently evince it; and besides, those convenient compilations of all forts, where a modern author can learn to be a profound scholar, at a very small expence, did not then exift; every thing was to be fought for in the originals themselves. But besides this learning, which was common to many, Erafmus poffefsed a genius, without which no writer will ever descend to pofterity; a genius which could see through the vain subtleties of the A a 4 schools, schools, revive the laws of criticisin, The catholics claim him, though treat every fubject with eloquence and delicacy; fometimes emulate the ancients, often imitate them, and never copy them. As to his morals, they had the poor merit of being regular. In the nobler part of his character I find him very deficient. A parafite of all the great men of his time, he was neither ashamed to magnify their characters by the lowest adulation, nor to debafe his own by the most impudent folicitations, to obtain presents which very often he did not want. The adventure of Eppendorf is another proof how much dearer his money was to him than his character. Notwithstanding these faults, never man enjoyed a greater perfonal confideration. All the fcholars, and all the princes of Europe looked upon him as an oracle. Even Charles the Fifth and Francis the First agreed in this. If we enquire why this happened to him rather than to fome other great men of a merit equal, and perhaps fuperior to Erafinus, we must say that it was owing to the time when he lived; when the world, awaking from a fleep of a thousand years, all orders of men applied themselves to letters with an enthusiasm which produced in them the highest esteem and veneration for one of their principal restorers. Befides, as the general attention, from piety, from curiofity, from vanity, and from intereft, was directed towards the religious disputes, a great divine was the fathionable character, and all parties endeavoured to attract or to preferve him. But to which of those parties did Erasmus adhere? His writings, and even his conduct, were often equivocal. they acknowledge that he was often indifcreet. Le Clerc challenges him for the Proteftants, though he blames him for not profeffing what he knew to have been the truth; and attributes bis referve fole'y to timidity and felf-interest. Erafmus has certainly exposed all the groffer fuperftitions of the Romith worship to the ridicule of the public; and had his free opinion heen taken, I believe he was a protefiant upon most of the contested points. But many other motives might reftrain him from a declaration. He was always perfuaded, that any speculative truths were dearly purchased at the expence of practical virtue and public peace. Befides, many confiderations might make him balance as to those truths: prejudices of education, the authority of the fathers, and a natural inclination to scepticifm. Add to this, that really disapproving many things in the Proteftant communion, though more in the Romish, by remaining in the loose fituation of a man who was unwilling to quit the religion of his ancestors, he could blame many things in it with freedom; whereas, bad he deferted it, he must either have fet up a standard himself, or else have enlisted blindly under that of Luther or Æcolampadius. It is furprizing that Erafmus, who could fee through much more plausible fables, believed firmly in witchcraft. Anecdotes of the late Dr. James Fordyce. Fronthe European Magazine. THIS gentleman was one of the twenty children, by one wife, of Provost Fordyce, of Aberdeen. He received his education at the Marifchal rischal College of that place, and early devoted himself to the mini ftry. His first preferment, at least that we know of, was to be minister at Brechin, where he officiated as early as the year 1752. He soon after became minister of Alloa, where he remained until about the year 1760. At that period he came to London, and proposed himself as a candidate for a vacancy at the meeting at Carter's-lane, in which he was unfuccefsful. On this occafion it was objected to him, as ftrangely inconfiftent, for any perfon who had subscribed the articles of the Scotch confeffion of faith to offer himself in the character of a minifter to a diffenting congregation which had fo very different a creed. This objection, however, was not fufficiently powerful to prevent his being chofen as coadjutor of Dr. Lawrence, to the Pastorship at Monkwell-ftreet, where he continued to preach to crowded audiences, for a great number of years. In that year he was honoured by the University of Glafgow with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. In May, 1771, he married Mifs Henrietta Cummyng, and in 1775 was involved in a difpute with his coadjutor, the Rev. Thomas Toller, fon-in-law of Dr. Lawrence, at first, as it appears in the letters published on the occafion, on account of the omiffion of some ceremonials of politeness, which, by want of mutual conceffions increased, until the breach became too wide to be healed. On this occafion Dr. Fordyce took a step which was not universally approved of by his brethren the dissenters: he engaged to do the duty both of Mr. Toller and himfelf, and caused the former to be ejected, without any charge againft him (for he was a man of irreproachable character), from his office in the meeting. From this period, if we are not mifinformed, the meeting itself was less attended than before, and on Dr. Fordyce's feeling the infirmities of age growing on him, the congregation by degrees dwindled away, and the house itself has been fince shut up. Finding himself incapable of continuing his exertions as a preacher, in the manner he had been used, he retired, first into Hampshire, and then to Bath, where he died the ift of October, 1796, at the age of 75. The following is a lift of Dr. Fordyce's works: 1. The Eloquence of the pulpit. An Ordination Sermon. To which is added, A Charge. 12mo. 17522. An Effay on the Action proper for the Pulpit. 12mo. Both these are printed at the end of Theodorus. A Dialogue concerning the Art of Preaching. By Mr. David Fordyce. Third Edition. 12mo. 1755 3. The Methods of promoting Edification by Public Institutions. An Ordination Sermon. To which is added, A Charge. 12mo. 1754These were delivered at the Ordination of Mr. John Gibfon, Minifter of St. Ninian's, May 9, 1754. 4. The Temple of Virtue. A Dream. 12mo. 1757. The 2d Edition, much altered. 12mo. 1775. 5 The Folly, Infamy, and Misery of unlawful Pleasure. A Sermon, preached before the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, May 25, 1760. 8vo. 1760. 6. A Sermon, occafioned by the Death of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Lawrence, Lawrence, who departed this life Οι. 1, 1760. With an Address at his Interment. 8vo. 1760. 7. Sermons to Young Women. 2 vols. 12mo. 1766. 8. The Character and Conduct of the Female Sex, and the Advantages to be derived by young Men from the fociety of virtuous Women. A Difcourse in three parts. Delivered in Monkwellstreet Chapel, Jan. 1, 1776. 8vo. 1776. 9. Addresses to young Men. vols. 12mo. 1777 2 10. The delusive and perfecuting Spirit of Popery. A Sermon preached in Monkwell-ftreet, on 10th of Feb. being a day appointed for a General Faft. 8vo. 1779. 11. Charge delivered in Monkwell-ftreet Meeting, at the Ordination of the Rev. James Lindsey. 8vo. 1783.-Printed with the Sermon preached by Dr. Hunter on that occafion. 12. Addresses to the Deity. 12mo. 1785. 13. Poems. 12mo. 1786. Account of the Royal Society of England, from Hutton's Mathematical and Philofophical Dictionary. The Royal Society of England is an academy or body of perfons, fuppofed to be eminent for their learning, instituted by King Charles the Ild, for promoting natural knowledge. This once illustrious body originated from an affembly of ingenious men, reading in London, who, being inquifitive into natural knowledge, and the new and experimental philosophy, agreed, about the year 1645, to meet weekly on a certain day, to discourse upon fuch subjects. These meetings, it is said, were suggested by Mr. Theodore Haak, a native of the Palatinate in Germany; and they were held fometimes at Dr. Goddard's lodgings in Wood-ftreet, fometimes at a convenient place in Cheapside, and sometimes in or near Gresham College. This afsembly seems to be that mentioned under the title of the Invisible, or Philofophical College, by Mr. Boyle, in some letters written in 1646 and 1647. About the years 1648 and 1649, the company which formed these meetings began to be divided, fome of the gentlemen removing to Oxford, as Dr. Wallis and Dr. Goddard, where, in conjunction with other gentlemen, they held meetings also, and brough study of natural and experimental philosophy into fashion there; meeting first in Dr. Petty's lodgings, afterwards at Dr. Wilkins's apart ments the in Wadham College, and, upon his removal, in the lodgings of Mr. Robert Boyle; while those gentlemen who remained in London continued their meetings as before. The greater part of the Oxford Society coming to London about the year 1659, they met. once or twice a week in Term-time at Gresham College, till they were dispersed by the public distractions of that year, and the place of their meeting was made a quarter for foldiers. Upon the Restoration, in 1660, their meetings were revived, and attended by many gen tlemen, eminent for their character and learning. They were at length noticed by the government, and the king granted them a charter, first the 15th of July 1662, then a more ample one the 22d of April 1663, and thirdly the 8th of April 1669. by |