at Hildersham in Cambridgeshire, an estate of his own purchasing. His death happening about the same period with that of Mr. Gordon, the translator of Tacitus, Lord Bolingbroke said to the late amiable Dr. Heberden, "Then there is the best Writer in England gone, and the worst!" A little before his death, he thought it prudent to accept of the small vicarage of Hascomb in Surrey, worth 50%. a year, from Sir John Frederick, bart. He published a great variety of tracts on various learned subjects, too many and too well known to need enumeration here; all which, except the Life of Cicero, were collected *, and printed together, in four volumes, 4to, 1752.

Dr. Middleton superintended in his own house the education of two or three young gentlemen of rank, among whom was Thomas the second Lord

"I suppose we shall have Dr. Middleton's Works soon. I question whether the Bookseller does not repent of his project ere now, his subscribers are so few and slow. And the great Patron of them too is gone, which will be another draw-back. I think he did Middleton no more than justice in preferring him to himself. For where the chief merit in two writers lies in saying common things well, I shall always prefer him who says them with simplicity and ease, to him who delivers them with pomp and solemnity. I believe I have lost an enemy in Lord Bolingbroke. I am sure, Religion, and the State, has. I question whether we shall see any of his MSS. His "Apology for his Public Conduct," which I have seen, affects too many parties, to see the light; and his Apology for his private opinions would shock the people too much, as dissolute as they are now grown. His "Letters concerning the Use of reading History" (the best of his works, as his "Patriot King," I think, is the worst), i suppose we shall see, because there are printed copies of it in several hands. It is in two volumes, 8vo. It was this work which occasioned his aversion to me. There is a dissertation in it against the canon of Scripture, which I told Mr. Pope was full of absurdities and false reasoning, and would discredit the work and, at his desire, I drew up a paper of remarks upon it, which Lord Bolingbroke never forgave. He wrote an answer to it in great wrath and much acrimony; but, by the persuasion of a great man, suppressed it. It is possible it may now see the light. The paper it was an answer to, was drawn up one summer's afternoon, as Mr. Pope sat by me, without taking my hand from the table till it was done, so that, as it contained several sheets, you will easily believe he had advantage enough of me." Dr. Warburton to Mr. Hurd, Dec. 29, 1751. Mont

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Montfort (then Mr. Bromley), for whose father he purchased a valuable library, since dispersed by a bookseller's marked catalogue. From 1745 till his death, he had also under his tuition Mr. Robarts, nephew to the Earl of Radnor of that name, who generously continued the annual allowance to Dr. Middleton after the young gentleman was dead.

Besides the mezzotinto print of him, which is a very good likeness, a medal of him was cast and repaired by Giovanni Pozzo, at Rome, in 1724; which some years ago was copied in London by Mr. Stewart; and was afterwards engraved, as well as copied, at an easier expence, by Mr. Wedgwood. The Doctor's antiques, which he collected in Italy, and described in "Germana quædam Antiquitatis Monumenta," were transferred to the cabinet of Horace the late Lord Orford, and are now at Strawberry Hill.

Dr. Middleton left behind him in MS. 1. "Brouillon of an Apology for Dr. Middleton's Writings, and how far it is allowable to conform to the Religion of any Country." 2. "Dr. Laughton's* Account of finding Dr. Middleton at a Tavern. [July 3, 1710.]" 3. "An University Grace for establishing the Office of Library-Keeper." 4. "An Advertisement for the intended publication of a serious Apology for the Letter to Dr. Waterland.” 5. 5. "Oratio Woodwardiana." 6. "Brouillon of a Latin Dissertation concerning the Power of Miracles to prove a

*The celebrated tutor of Clare hall, then senior proctor, and warmly attached to Dr. Bentley. See Middleton's "Remarks on the Case of Dr. Bentley farther stated," &c. in his Works, 4to, vol. III. p. 341. He was a prebendary of Worces ter, and died July 28, 1723. He was eminent for his learning, integrity, and zeal for the public good, as well as for the great number of the nobility and gentry educated under his care. He printed a Sermon preached before King George I. in King's College chapel, Oct. 6, 1717, 4to.-Dr. Colbatch, in a Commemoration Sermon, 1717, speaks thus of Dr. Laughton: "We see what a confluence of nobility and gentry the virtue of one man daily draws to one of our least colleges.'

Q. If not a Bentleian Tract? R. G.

He published his "Inauguration Speech" in 1732; see

p. 408.

Religion." 7. "A Latin Dissertation on the Gift of Tongues." 8. "Remarks on the Letters from Agbarus to Jesus." 9. "A Latin Speech intended to be spoken before King George II. on his Visit to Cambridge." 10. "An Expostulatory Letter to the Rev. Dr. Waterland." 11. "The first and second Books of Cicero's Epistles translated into English." 12. "Brouillon concerning the Characters of some Writers, and the State of the Church in the third and fourth Centuries."

There were also found among his papers some materials for a Life of Demosthenes, correspondent to that of Cicero.

Several other works of Dr. Middleton were known to have existed; particularly the two following, which were burnt by himself. 1. "The First Part of some Considerations in Defence of the Plain Account* of the Sacrament." 2. "A Latin Dissertation on the Proofs of the Divinity and Truth of Religion." Of the last-mentioned article a copy had been taken by Lord Bolingbroke.

A friend once lamenting to Dr. Middleton that he had not been made a Bishop; "Then, Sir," he replied, "as they have not thought fit to trust me, I am at liberty to speak my mind.”

Speaking of Bishop Hoadly's "Plain Account," in a letter to Lord Harvey, July 28, 1735, not published in his Works, Dr. Middleton says, "I like both the design and the doctrine, as I do every design of reconciling Religion with Reason; or, where that cannot be, of bringing them as near together as possible. His enemies will insult him with the charge of lessening Christian piety; but the candid will see, that he seeks only to destroy a superstitious doctrine, by establishing a rational one in its place. But as, by throwing down the shrines and altars of the Church, he will raise no small stir from the men of craft, so I rejoice much with your Lordship, that he has secured the good Castle of Farnham for his retreat." And again, Feb. 8, 1736, "You would advise him to waste no more of his time in controversy; which, generally speaking, means no more at the best, than to make plausible to weak men, what is contemptible to men of sense."

+ "These slumberers in stalls," he observes in another letter to Lord Hervey, Sept. 13, 1736, "suspect me very unjustly of ill designs against their peace; for though there are many things in the Church that I wholly dislike, yet, whilst I am content to

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On his third marriage, Bishop Gooch making him a matrimonial visit, told Mrs. Middleton before the Doctor appeared, that "he was glad she did not dislike the Antients so much as her husband did." She replied, "that she hoped his Lordship did not reckon Dr. Middleton among the Antients yet." The Bishop answered, " You, Madam, are the best judge of that!"

Dr. Middleton had a niece, a brother's daughter, who resided some time in his family, as did also a niece of his last wife, Miss Hester Powell, afterwards married to the Rev. Dr. Barnardiston, master of Bene't college, both long since dead, leaving one daughter of their name, married to Mr. Yates, curate of Solyhull, Warwickshire.

It may be added, that Mrs. Montagu, nearly related to his first wife, was educated at the feet of this Gamaliel.

"One of Dr. Bentley's most formidable enemies was Dr. Middleton, as appears from several parts of his works, and particularly from his remarks upon Dr. Bentley's projected edition of the New Testament, which remarks are supposed to have been one principal objection to the publication of that work. [See before, p. 410.] But, length of time having overcome all prejudices, it is much wished that the person who possesses the MS. would oblige the learned world by setting forth so curious a performance. It is also well known that he wrote a treatise on the

acquiesce in the ill, I should be glad to taste a little of the good, and to have some amends for that ugly assent and consent, which no man of sense can approve of. We read of some of the earliest disciples of Christ, who followed him, not for his works, but his loaves. These are certainly blameable, because they saw his miracles; but to us, who had not the happiness to see the one, it may be allowable to have some inclination to the other. Your Lordship knows a certain Prelate who, with a very low notion of the Church's sacred bread, has a very high relish for, and a very large share of, the temporal. My appetite to each is equally moderate, and would be satisfied almost with any thing but mere emptiness. I have no pretensions to riot in the feast of the elect; but, with the sinner in the Gospel, to gather up the cumbs that fall from the table."

The relict of Mr. Wilkins, a Bristol merchant.

inutility

inutility and inefficacy of Prayer*, which was communicated to Lord Bolingbroke, who much approved it, and advised the publication of it. Mrs. Middleton, however, never thought proper to publish it in her life-time; and the Bishop [Dr. Newton] has heard that Dr. Heberden, a particular friend of Dr. Middleton, and to whom his widow left all his papers, has since committed it to the flames; an act worthy of so good a man, and the fittest end of such a work."

CROMWELL MORTIMER, M. D. was second son of John Mortimer, F. R. S. He was many years secretary to the Royal Society, fellow of the Col

*"This learned and investigating Writer left behind him an unfinished MS. against the use of Prayer. He had treated on two parts of that duty, and on that of consolation, of supplication, and on thanksgiving. He had said nothing on the third part, that of intercession. On his widow's death his MS papers fell into the hands of the present virtuous and learned Father of Physic in this country, who threw this pernicious treatise into the fire; his acuteness and philanthropy exerting themselves with the same energy against the poison of the mind, which they had ever employed against the contagion of the body."

Seward's Anecdotes, vol. II. p. 344.

+ "As to my letters to Middleton, I do not recollect any one word or sentiment of any one letter. Only this I know; I spoke my sentiments freely of men and things, because this is my way: therefore it cannot but be that there must be things in them which will give offence. Yet I can never think that the woman can be so infamous to print them without my leave. I acted very differently by her husband. When her own Bookseller collected a complete Edition of his Works, I gave him, at his request, about a dozen of the Doctor's letters, carefully purged of domestic matters, and such as might give offence, in order to make men think better both of his moral and religious character. However, if the woman be thus prostituted to gain, I must try whether the courts of justice or equity will give me relief, for a violation of the most sacred trust amongst mankind.-The substance of all this I have by this post wrote to Dr. Heberden, desiring him, if there be any truth in this report, he would remonstrate with the widow, with whom, I suppose, he has a particular influence." Dr. Warburton to Mr. Hurd, Jan. 30, 1759.

Author of "The Whole Art of Husbandry, 1708, 1765," Svo, by experiments in which he almost ruined himself. His first wife (who died in child-bed, May 14, 1681, æt. 21) was Dorothy, youngest daughter of the Protector, Richard Cromwell, lege