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the hands of the late Mr. Herbert of Cheshunt; and were used by Mr. Gough in the Memoirs prefixed to Mr. Herbert's edition of the "Typographical Antiquities."

gentlemen. When they are complete, I intend to have a set, and my friend Mr. Ralph Willett another.-I have been confined with the gout for three weeks past; which prevented my going to Wareham and Dorchester, as I intended. What I want from Mr. Josiah Jones of Lambeth is, an account when the ingenious Mr. Sylvanus Morgan died, whose Heraldical MSS. Mr. Paterson sold, in 1759; and, to clear up one of Morgan's entries, I could wish to know when he died. I knew Mr. Jones near 40 years back. He was painter to Drury-lane Playhouse then. Should he be living, and should he leave a letter at your house at Lambeth for me, please tó direct it be taken in. I am

Your most faithful humble servant, PETER THOMPSON."
Poole, August 16, 1762.

"DEAR SIR, "Your motion to inspect the Minutes of the Society must give a real pleasure to all lovers of Antiquity. I am promised a visit from Mr. Kingston in the next week, when I am to be happy with the company of Mr. Josiah Colebrooke.-Mr. Thomas Hollis sent me the first number of Mr. Perry's English Medals, &c. which is curious.-The title you propose I much approve of; and I submit whether it may not be right to add, "Transcribed by the late Mr. Joseph Ames, F. R. S. &c. and now in the Collection of Sir Peter Thompson."--The fire at Wareham began about 3 in the afternoon, 25 last month. I got there by 4 o'clock next morning. A terrible conflagration it was: the better half of the town was demolished, and it reduced great numbers of poor people to the greatest distress. I don't think any accident equal to it (in this country) has happened in our times. The people on the South side of the river threw their furniture into the river; they on the North, East, and West, sides of the town, got what they could into the meadows, and, being fatigued almost to death, laid themselves down to sleep on the grass, by their little parcels of goods. "Twas a moving sight at 4 in the morning, when I got thither. It rather took too much hold of my weak frame. Pray God I may never behold the like!- Mr. Hutchins was at his living of Swire in this county (about 25 miles West of Wareham). His house, furniture, and library of books, were all consumed. His manuscripts relating to his intended History of Dorset were saved. They, it seems, were in a bureau in the parlour, and that was the only piece of furniture saved, as he informed me himself. His parsonage-house was insured 3001. which money will be of use to rebuild it. He told me, what plate and money he had was left in the houses. Had he been at home, no doubt but that would have been secured.-This morning I received a letter from Mr. Kingston. He says that Mr. Hutchins

has

NICOLAS TINDAL (nephew to the celebrated author of the " Rights of the Christian Church," from whom he had expectations of being provided for, but, by the artifices of Eustace Budgell, was tricked and defrauded) was of Exeter college, Oxford, where he took the degree of M. A. June 5, 1713. He was presented to the rectory of Alverstoke in Hampshire by the Bishop of Winchester, and to the vicarage of Great Waltham, near Chelmsford, Essex, 1722, by Trinity College, Oxford, of which he had become a fellow.

In 1724 he published, in monthly numbers, "Antiquities Sacred and Prophane, being a Dissertation on the Excellency of the History of the Hebrews above that of any other Nation; wherein are examined the Antiquities and History of the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Chinese, &c. with the Peopling of America. To which are added, Chronological Tables of the Kings of Assyria, Chaldea, Persia, and Media. Written in French by R. P. D'Augustin Calmet; and done into English with Notes by N. Tindal, Vicar of Great Waltham.” Essex."

He began a History of Essex; of which he published a small part, in two quarto numbers, proposing to include it in three quarto volumes, at one guinea each *; but left it, in 1726, for the translation of Rapin's History of England; in which

has only saved his fair copy, that all his loose papers were burned. I hope he is somehow misinformed, by reason I understood from what Mr. Hutchins told me, that all was saved. I am, dear Sir, PETER THOMPSON."

Your most faithful humble servant, *British Topography, vol. I. p. 345, n.

This Translation, originally published in 8vo, 1726, and dedicated to Thomas Lord Howard, baron of Effingham, was re-printed in weekly numbers, in two volumes folio, 1732 and 1733. The second volume of the Svo edition had been inscribed to Sir Charles Wager, when the Translator was chaplain on board the Torbay, in the Bay of Revel, in the Gulf of Finland. Vol. IV. is dedicated to the same, from the same place, 1727. Vol. VI. from Great Waltham, 1728, to the English Factors at Lisbon, where the Translator officiated as chaplain five months, in the absence of Mr. Sims. The "Continuation" was likewise pub

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work, as well as in the "Continuation" of it, he was most materially assisted by Mr. Morant (see vol. II. p. 241); and the sale of both so far exceeded the expectation of the booksellers (J. J. and P. Knapton), that they complimented him with a present of 200l.

In 1727 he translated the text printed with Mr. Morant's Translation of the Notes of Messrs. de Beausobre and L'Enfant on St. Matthew's Gospel *.

In 1732 a second edition of Rapin was published, with additional notes, in two volumes folio, with cuts by Vertue; dedicated to Frederick Prince of Wales; who was so pleased with the performance, that he very condescendingly presented to Mr. Tindal a gold medal worth 40 guineas. A portrait of him is prefixed to the second volume of this translation.

On the discovery of the imposition practised on his uncle, he entered into a controversy with the person who had cheated him; and published, among other things, a pamphlet, intituled, "A Copy of the Will of Dr. Matthew Tindal, with an Account of

lished in weekly numbers, which began in 1744, and were completed March 25, 1747, which is the date of the dedication to William Duke of Cumberland. This last was printed in two volumes, but is accompanied with a recommendation to bind it in three; vol. III. to contain the reign and medals of King William; vol. IV. the reign of Queen Anne; and vol. V. the reign of King George I. with the medals of Queen Anne and King George; a summary of the History of England, and the Index. A second edition of the "Continuation" appeared in 1751; and a new edition of the whole, in 21 volumes 8vo, 1757. When the "History" was published, Mr. Tindal was "Vicar of Great Waltham." In the "Continuation" he is called "Rector of Alverstoke, and chaplain to the Royal Hospital at Greenwich." * See before, vol. II. p. 204.

+ See the Dedication, with remarks, copied from "The Englishman," in Gent, Mag. 1733, vol. III. p. 356.

By which 2000 guineas, and the MS. of a second volume of "Christianity as old as the Creation," were bequeathed to Mr. Budgell; and only a small residue to his nephew, whom, by a regular will, he had not long before appointed his scle heir. The transaction, which occasioned some suspicions of a fraud, is thus alluded to by Pope:

"Let Budgell charge low Grub-street on my quill,
And write whate'er he please, except my Will,"

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what passed concerning the same, between Mrs. Lucy Price, Eustace Budgell, esq. and Mr. Nicolas Tindal, 1733," 8vo.

In 1734 he published a translation of "Prince Cantemir's History of the Othman Empire," folio. He was also editor of "A Guide to Classical Learning, or Polymetis abridged, for Schools;" a publication of much use, and which has passed through several editions.

He quitted Great Waltham in 1740, on being presented to the rectory of Colbourne, in the Isle of Wight; having previously (in 1738) been appointed, by Sir Charles Wager, chaplain to Greenwich Hospital; where he died, at the advanced age of 87, June 27, 1774, and was interred July 2.

Mr. Tindal said of Mr. Garrick, "The deaf hear him in his action, and the blind see him in his voice."

DR. JOIN WARD, son of a Dissenting minister of the same name, was born in London, April 1679. His father died Dec. 28, 1717, in his 82d year*; his mother (Constancy †) in April 1697. He was for

*He was interred in a church in Worcester; the following epitaph being written upon him by his son: "H. S. E. Joannes Ward, Tysoe in agro Warwicensi natus, civis verò Londinensis; vir antiquis moribus magnâque pietate præditus; qui, si quis alius, variam et incertam humanæ vitæ conditionem expertus, sibi similis et constans semper permansit; multa enim integritatis, multa religionis causâ perpessus, omnia fortissimo et excelso animo sustinuit, utpotè qui felicitatem non tam in externâ rerum specie, quam in mente recti sibi conscia collocavit. In matrimonio habuit Constantiam Rayner, Londinatem, feminam virtute ac sanctimoniâ præstantem, studioque in omnes bonos, dum vixit, singulari, quæ liberos XIV ei peperit, quorum duo tantum superstites Joannes et Abigail. Post vitam autem annis et laboribus exhaustam, terrenas res diù pertæsus, cœlúmque suspirans, in Christo placidè obdormivit v. kal. Jan. A. D. MDCCXVII. ætatis suæ LXXXII."

+"Caleb's Spirit paralleled, in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of the late Mrs. Constancy Ward, of East Smithfield, London, at the Meeting-house in Devonshire-square, April 7, 1697. By Walter Crosse, M. A. Lond. 1697." 4to.

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some years a clerk in the Navy-office; and at leisure hours pursued his studies with great diligence, under the guidance of John Ker, M. D.* author of "Selectarum de linguâ Latinâ observationum libri II." who kept an academy, first at Highgate, and afterwards in St. John's-square, Clerkenwell. He continued in his employment in the Navy-office till the summer of 1710, when, finding no other means of gratifying his zeal for the acquisition of knowledge, he was induced to undertake the education of a certain number of the children of his friends; choosing rather, as he expressed himself in a letter to a friend, "to converse even with boys upon subjects of literature, than to transact the ordinary affairs of life among men." For this purpose he opened a school in Tenter-alley in Moorfields, which he kept for many years. In 1712 he became one of the earliest members of a society, formed by a set of gentlemen, divines, and lawyers, in London, who agreed to meet together once a week, or as often as their affairs would permit, to prepare and read discourses, each in his turn, upon the civil law, as also upon the law of nature and nations, for their mutual entertainment and improvement. This Society, with some occasional interruptions, was kept up till Michaelmas term, 1742. Several of the members have been persons of distinguished character both in church and state; and Mr. Ward continued highly esteemed among them, while the society subsisted. In the same year, 1712, he published a small piece in Latin, of 39 pages in Svo, printed in London, with the title of "De ordine, sive de venustâ et eleganti tum vocabulorum, tum membrorum sententiæ collocatione. His quædam adjiciuntur de vitiis ordinis: item de variis modis,

* He took that degree at Leyden, March 5, 1696-7, as appears from his Thesis printed there, in 4to, and intituled "Disputatio physico-medica inauguralis de secretionis animalis efficiente causa et ordine." In the title-page, Dr. Ker styles himself Scoto-Hibernus.

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