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London Pub for the Proprietors of the European Mag. by Sherwoodulones &C. Paternoster Row May 1995.

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DR. THOMAS BURGESS, bishop of St. David's, is descended by the female line from Dr. Nicholas Robinson, bishop of Bangor, whose granddaughter was married to the Rev. Thomas Burgess, rector of Bighton, in Hampshire, in which living he succeeded his father-in-law, the Rev. Hugh Robinson. Mr. Thomas Burgess was Fellow of New College, and had been educated at Winchester College.

At the same celebrated seminary of learning, the subject of this Memoir was educated, from which he was elected to a scholarship of Corpus Christi College, in Oxford, in the year 1778. He was successively tutor and fellow of Corpus, and was a resident member of the University for sixteen years. While an undergraduate in the year 1778, he published Observations on the Greek Tragedies of Sophocles, Eurypides, and Eschylus, which are comprised in Burton's Pentalogia, the edition of which was completed by him in 1779, in an early part of which year he took his Bachelor of Arts' degree. In the following year, he gained the chancellor's prize for an Essay on the Study of Antiquities. In 1781 he published his edition of Dawes's celebrated work, the Miscellanea Critica, to which he prefixed a large critical Preface, and a copious Appendix of Notes, the value of which was greatly increased by the insertion of his friend Mr. Tyrwhitt's learned, acute, and in

teresting observations. By this generous friend he had been induced to continue his residence at the University after he had taken his bachelor's degree, that he might pursue his classical studies instead of devoting himself to the ministry of the church, the moment he was qualified for it by age. To this he was not only induced, but (as we learn from a commendation of Mr. Burgess to Mr. Nicholls in his Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century) enabled by an annual gratuity from his learned and manifest friend, equivalent to a curacy. In the year 1784, he took a rapid long vacation tour through Flanders, Holland, and Brabant, in which he became acquainted with those very eminent masters of Greek learning, Valkenaer, Ruhukenius, and Wyttenbach. In 1787 he passed six weeks at Paris, and was there also fortunate in obtaining the friendship of Bartholemy, the author of Anacharsis, the editor of Largus, Anecdota, Græca, &c. and Larcher, the translator of Herodotus. In 1788 he visited Holland, and passed six weeks at Leyden, on which occasion he had the good fortune to be the instrument of a literary undertaking of no small consequence to the republic of letters. On being informed by M. Ruhukenius that Wyttabach had completed all his preparations for an edition of the miscellaneous works of Plutarch, and that no bookseller could be found

to undertake the publication, he wrote to the Bishop of Salisbury, Dr. Barrington, now Bishop of Durham, on the subject, thinking that such a work would be an object for the delegates of the Oxford Press. Bishop Barrington, with his usual promptitude in the promotion of learning, undertook to recommend the work to the delegates, who readily closed with the proposal, with what infinite advantage to Greek literature, the public, who are in possession of this most valuable edition of Plutarch's morals, have long since decided. The late Dr. Hiberden, who was very particularly fond of Plutarch, more than once expressed himself, even in terms of gratitude to Dr. Burgess, for this literary service. While Dr. Burgess was at Leyden he printed his first Prospectus of his Maseni Oxoniense, of which two Fasciali were published.

In 1782 he took his master's degrees, and in the course of the year was ordained, we believe, deacon and priest. In the year 1785 occurred an event, which evidently has had a material influence on the subsequent part of Mr. Burgess's public life. In this year, while he was diligently engaged in his literary pursuits, and in the duties of college tuition, the Bishop of Salisbury, not less unexpectedly than kindly, appointed him his domestic and examining chaplain. The first publication, of a religious character, that was found among Mr. Burgess's works, was the Salisbury Spellingbook, for the use of Sunday Schools, in 1786, which was soon followed by two Tracts-on Herod's Rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem,

In

1789 he printed an anonymous tract, entitled, Considerations on the Abolition of Slavery, and the Slave Trade, which he has since acknowledged in the list of his publications. tract has been lately reprinted by some friends to the abolition of West Indian slavery.

This

In the year 1791 he preached and published a Sermon on the Divinity of Christ, a sequel to which he preached and published in the year 1818. In the year 1791, when the see of Durham became vacant by the death of Bishop Thurlow, the Bishop of Salisbury succeeded him by the king's special appointment and Mr. Burgess accompanied his lordship to Durham, as his domestic chaplain,

where, on the first vacancy that occurred, which was within a few months after his arrival at Durham, the bishop gave him a stall in the church of Durham. In the year 1795 the bishop of Durham collated him to the rectory of Winston on the Tees, in which delightful situation he passed a great part of the last eight years of his life, dividing his time between the duties of his parish, his prebend, and his attendance at Auchland Castle. In 1799 he was married by the bishop of Durham to Miss Bright, daughter of John Bright, Esq. and aunt to the present Marchioness of Winchester. In 1803 he was appointed to the see of St. David's. In the year 1804, was established the Church Union Society of that diocese, the chief object was to form an institution for the education of young men intended for Holy Orders, whose domestic circumstance precluded them from the advantages of an University education. By the persevering cooperation of the clergy of the diocese, with some munificent contributions from England, the approbation and aid of the two Universities, the munificence of the king, and the favour of his majesty's ministers, the great object is now nearly completed. David's College is built on a plan which does credit to the taste of the architect, Mr. Cockerell, and one half of it is in a state fit for the recep tion of students.

St.

In the month of October, 1820, the bishop of St. David's received his majesty's commands to form an instition to be called, The Royal Society of Literature, which his majesty has most munificently endowed with eleven hundred guineas per annum; a thousand guineas being allotted to ten persons eminent for their literary services to the public; and one hundred guineas for two gold medals to be given annually to authors distinguished by works of great literary merit, or by useful discoveries in literature. The medals of last year were adjudged to William Mitford, Esq. for his History of Greece, and to Signor Angelo Mai, librarian of the Vatican, for his various important discoveries of works of classical antiquity, supposed long since to be lost. The medals of the present year have been adjudged to James Rennel, Esq. for his geographical works, and to Charles

Wilkins, Esq. for his works in Sanscrit literature.

Of the Bishop of St. David's literary productions, the chief are-1. An Essay on the Study of Antiquities; 2. an edition of Dawes's Miscellanea Critica; 3. two Tracts on Herod's Rebuilding of the Tem ple of Jerusalem; 4. Considerations on the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade; 5. Reflections on the Controversial Writings of Dr. Priestley; 6. two Sermons on the Divinity of Christ; 7. Easter Catechisms, (reprinted in a volume, entitled, Three Catechisms on the Principles of our Profession as Christians, as Members of the Church of England. and as Protestants); 8. a volume of Tracts on theOrigin and Independence of the British Church; 9. a volume of Tracts on the Divinity of Christ; 10. a Vindication of the Authority of 1 John v. 7. from the Objections of M. Griesbach, the Bishop of Peterborough, and the Quarterly Re view; 11. a Selection of Tracts and Observations on 1 John v. 7. 12. Annotationes Millii Wetstenii, Bengelii, and Sabaterii ad 1 Joann. v. 7. and, 13. a Letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of St. David's, on a Passage of the Second Symbolum Antiochenum of the fourth century, in evidence of the Authenticity of 1 John v. 7.

The subjects on which a writer exercises his talents must always be distinguished from his mode of treating them. A subject may be interesting and important in itself, but every subject is not suited to the talents and peculiar genius of every writer. Hence it is, that though we should wish to see every writer confine himself to a subject of interest and importance only, where nature has given him those original powers of mind which qualify him for the elucidation, illustration, and developement of its nature and principles, we should still feel sorry to find a mind of weak and inadequate powers grappling with subjects of an important character. If he cannot instruct, let him not aim at instruction: perhaps he may divert the ennui of an idle moment, by collecting roses and butterflies, or stringing together a few pretty phrases, or well turned imitations of the style or imagery of other writers. If his talents be confined to

this pretty and amusing species of literary excellence, why let him pursue it, rather than confound and disfigure subjects that are placed beyond his comprehension. In meddling with such subjects he may do much harm, but in confining himself to those lighter subjects which are in unison with the levity and temerity of his own mind, he may relieve us from the austerity of more serious reflections, and please, at least, if he cannot instruct: but let him even attempt instruction, and try his powers on the most important subjects, we must still be careful not to estimate his powers by the importance or magnitude of these subjects. Besides, subjects, like objects in nature, appear to us under different aspects, each of which requires a treatment peculiar to itself, and accordingly powers of a very different character may be brought forward and profitably exercised on the same subject. We should therefore wish to make our readers more critically acquainted with the character and merits of the works whose titles we have just quoted, feeling, as we do, that without this knowledge, we can never justly appreciate the merits of their author; but here, unhappily, we find ourselves treading on fearful and forbidden ground; for in controversial works, the stronger reason will always appear the weaker to every man of a different creed. In therefore attempting to convince our readers, that Dr. Burgess has done all the justice to his subjects of which they are capable, we should only succeed in convincing some of them that both he and we are religious bigots,for every profession of faith, appears tinged with bigotry to those of a different creed. In his tracts on the Divinity of Christ, every member of the Church of England will admit, and even main. tain, that he has seccessfully refuted and confuted the Unitarians, and proved the distinct personality of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, but what Deist, Atheist, or Unitarian, would make the same admission? To support his arguments and positions, therefore, would be to enter into a religious controversy, where should have no one to agree with us but those who are already admirers of his ecclesiastical writings. Besides, we have long since professed our in

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