Cambridge, which was reckoned at that time to be worth near 10001. a year. Upon this promotion he resigned his Prebend of Worcester; and in 1701, was collated to the Archdeaconry of Ely. Being thus placed in a state of ease and affluence, he entered into matrimony, and indulged his inclination in critical pursuits; through the medium of which he soon evinced such erudition and sagacity, that he was considered by many even at that time, as the greatest critic of the age. In the meanwhile, however, he carried matters with so high a hand in the government of his College, that a complaint was urged against him before the Bishop of Ely, as Visitor, by the Vice-Master, and the other seven Seniors, who, amongst other charges, accused him of having embezzled the College money. In answer to this, he presented his defence to the Bishop, which he published in 1710, under the title of, The present State of Trinity College; and thus began a quarrel, which continued without intermission, and with the most virulent animosity on both sides, for upwards of 20 years, when the dispute at last terminated in the Doctor's favor. In 1716, on the death of Dr. James, he was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity in his University; annexed to which was a good benefice in the Bishopric of Ely. In 1717, His Majesty King George the First, being on a visit to the University of Cambridge, and having, as is usual on such occasions, nominated, by Mandate, several persons for a Doctor's degree in Divinity, our Professor, whose office it was to perform the ceremony called creation, demanded four guineas from each person, besides a broad piece of gold, and absolutely refused to create any Doctor without the payment of these fees: hence arose a long and warm dispute, during which the Professor was first suspended, and then degraded: but on petition to His Majesty for relief from that sentence, the matter was referred to the Court of King's Bench, where the proceedings against him being reversed, a Mandamus was issued, charging the University to restore him. With respect to the dispute which existed so long between Dr. Bentley and his College, we are informed by Mr. Whiston, that after four years of unexceptionable conduct, the Doctor was induced in a single instance to recede from the excellent rule of detur digniori, in the election to a Fellowship. It is to this first false step, that all his other misdemeanors are to be referred. Our readers will find a concise and accurate account of his controversies with his College and University in Mr. Gough's Anecdotes of Topography. There are also some authentic papers relative to the subject, in the Harleian collection of MSS. now lodged in the British Museum. Doctor Bentley was endowed with a natural hardiness of temper, which enabled him to ride out these storms without much disturbance of mind, or interruption to his literary pursuits. That his public conduct was not in some instances correct, we are bound in duty to confess; but at the same time it must be allowed, that the charges of misconduct brought against him were, usually, through the malicious virulence of his adversaries, so burthened with false accusation, that the Doctor had in general the good luck to steer clear of the difficulties with which he was embarrassed, by means of the very measures which were intended to involve him the deeper. In his private character, it is generally allowed he was too fond of money, but still without being avaricious. His turn was, on the contrary, rather extravagant than otherwise; and the noble style in which he beautified and adorned the lodge at his college, is a proof of his liberality and generous disposition. As he never appeared desirous of forming an extensive acquaintance, and was in general backward to admit any into his society, exceptsuch as were distinguished for their learning, or the qualities of their mind; in his friendship he was naturally warm and sincere. As a husband he was affectionate, and as a parent, indulgent. In his conversation he had the felicity to be able to temper the severity of the critic with a peculiar strain of vivacity and pleasantry. He died at his lodge in Trinity College on the 14th of July, 1742, at the very advanced age of 80 years. To his latest hour he could read the smallest Greek character without the assistance of glasses; and he died of a young man's disorder, an inflammation in the pleura. He was of a large and rather robust frame of body, and of strong features. These gave a dignity to his aspect almost amounting to severity, and probably heightened the opinion, which many had conceived of the haughtiness and roughness of his temper. That this was but hasty conception is clear from the following fact, viz. that he was of so tender a disposition that he never read a touching story without tears. He had, at one time, been afflicted with a slight paralytic stroke; and this, perhaps, made the softness of his nature the more apparent; though it is certain, that previously to that event, he was endowed with great tenderness and sensibility. In the contest about the visitatorial power, when he met his old friend Bishop Moore appearing in a hostile manner against him, it is said that he literally fainted away in the court. When we reflect upon the great abilities and uncommon erudition, of which Dr. Bentley was possessed, it casts some disgrace upon our country, says Dr. Kippis, that even his literary reputation should be so long looked upon with total indifference, and that he himself should be represented as a mere verbal critic, and as a pedant without genius. The unjust light in which he has been viewed, was not so much owing to the violent exertions of the party attached to Mr. Boyle, as to the venal disposition of the wits and poets of the day, who are ever known to favor the more numerous party. The slashing Bentley of Pope will be recollected by thousands, who have neither the will nor the ability to probe the real merit of the Doctor's literary productions. Having made this allusion to the line of Pope, we shall add the candid note of the poet's right reverend editor. "This great man, with all his faults, deserved to be put into better company. The following words of Cicero describe him not amiss- Habuit à naturâ genus quoddam acuminis, quod etiam arte limaverat, quod erat in reprehendendis verbis versutum et solers: sed sæpe stomachosum, nonnunquam frigidum, interdum etiam facetum." In the fourth book of the Dunciad, our critic is introduced at greater length, and treated with still greater severity. In addition to the reason we have already given, it should seem that Mr. Pope was actuated by a petty sort of revenge, falling little short of personal resentment. We are told, that when Bentley and Pope were both dining one day with Bishop Atterbury, the learned prelate pressed the Doctor very much for the opinion hé entertained of the English Homer. He for some time eluded the question; but, at last being urged to speak out, he said, "The verses are good verses; but the work is not Homer, it is Spondanus." Here we cannot but admire the candor of the Doctor, who unquestionably spoke his own opinion. We are apt to believe, that even so the Doctor gave Mr. Pope credit for more than he could with propriety lay claim to; and we suspect, that if he had substituted the name of Madame Dacier for that of Spondanus, he would have arrived still nearer at the truth. Another principal cause of the Doctor's having so many enemies, may have been the practice which he made of speaking, as well of himself as of others, with uncommon freedom. This seems to be a foible but too common with great characters, and one which ought certainly to be avoided on a proper consideration of the effects it may produce. It is excusable in one, two, or even three instances, where any censure it might give rise to, would be completely overpowered and eclipsed by a multitude of virtues thrown into the opposite scale. But when we see this a practice, even in our own age, instead of calling for our censure, it excites our disgust. The story of Columbus and the egg will be related with applause for generations to come: but were the same experiment to be made again, by the mere drudgery of imitation, we suspect the joke would be at once stale and insipid. We are informed by Mr. Whiston, that Dr. Bentley was heard to say, that "when he himself should be dead, Wasse would be the most learned man in England." He was remarkable for his fastus, especially towards his equals in age. It is said, that he used to pull off his hat to the younger Students, but would never do it to the Fellows of the College. Being asked the reason for making this difference, he answered, "that the young ones might come to something, but for the others, they could never be good for any thing." The Doctor's principal works, besides those already mentioned, were, 1. Animadversions and Remarks on the poet Callimachus, edited along with Theognis, and a selection from the Greek Anthologia. 2. Annotations on the Plutus and Nubes of Aristophanes, printed at the end of Kuster's edition. 3. Emendations, &c. of the Fragments of the Comic poets, Menander and Philemon. 4. Remarks upon Collins's discourse of Free-thinking. 5. Beautiful and correct editions of Horace, Terence, Phædrus, and Milton, with Notes. His publication of Milton, it is said, was owing to Queen Caroline. Her Majesty represented to him, that he had printed no edition of an English Classic, and urged him to undertake Milton. His notes on this poet seem to have been the worst received of any of his critical performances. His errors are numerous, but they are the errors of a great mind. The learned Bishop Newton speaks of them with great severity, but not without occasional applause. Thus it appears, that the methods of handling ancient and modern criticism are peculiarly different. A man may be transcendant in the one, while he is below mediocrity in the other. The omnis homo of Lord Chesterfield must be considered as an imaginary being, rather than as an actual one: the individual who approaches the nearest to this character, will be but contemptible at best, and only remind us of Homer's Margites, os per énioraro Toxλd, κακῶς δ ̓ ἐπίστατο πάντα, “ who knew a great many things, but all of them wrong." History scarcely furnishes us with a single instance of eminence in two different departments occurring in the same person. Upwards of 20 years before his death, Doctor Bentley had published proposals for printing a new edition of the Greek Testament, with the Latin version of St. Jerome; in the editing of which he intended to consult no MS. that was not 1000 years old at least. Upon these proposals Dr. Middleton published some remarks, and the work was never given to the public. If," says Dr. Kippis, " Dr. Middleton's attack any way contributed to this event, he certainly did no little disservice to the cause of sacred literature. The completion of Dr. Bentley's noble undertaking was the principal employment of the latter part of his life. He had collected and collated all the MSS. in Europe: to which access could be obtained. For this purpose, his nephew Thomas Bentley, LL. D. well known in the republic of letters, travelled through Europe at his uncle's expense. The work was of such magnitude, that he found it necessary, for the first time, to publish proposals for printing it by subscription. The whole was completed for publication; and he had received 20001. in part of the subscription, all of which he returned to the subscribers, when he took the resolution of not letting it appear in the world during his own life. The work is now in the possession of his executor, Dr. Richard Bentley, one of the senior Fellows of Trinity College, and rector of Nailston, near Ashby, in Leicestershire; and it is hoped that at some future period it may yet see the light." Other valuable remains of Dr. Bentley are still in existence; some of which were in the possession of his executor, and others in that of the late Mr. Cumberland, the Doctor's grandson. Of these the prin cipal appear to have been some marginal notes on Lucan, from which Mr. Cumberland published an edition; and a series of annotations, corrections, &c. preserved in a copy of Homer, which belonged to our critic. It had been his intention to have published an edition of Homer, but he did not live to finish it. It is said that he had purposed, in this edition, to have restored the Eolic digamma. A copy of these annotations was, through the interposition of the Bishops of Durham and St. David's, given to the German Professor Heynè. Dr. Bentley's Critical Correspondence, which is highly valuable for the matter contained in it, has been printed by Dr. Charles Burney; only 150 copies were struck off, and distributed exclusively among the friends of the editor: on what plea this monopoly can be justified, we do not take upon ourselves to say; it is, however, seriously to be regretted, that a treasure like this should be thus idly hoarded up, and preserved with the same sort of ceremony, as if it had been the Doctor's writing-desk! 1812. V. L. ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΣ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΛΑΝΟΣ. ΒΙ. δεῦρ ̓ ἴθι, φιλομαθὲς, εἰ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἐρᾶς τάχα Φωνῆς. Φιλ. τί ποιήσων; εἰπέ μοι διὰ τάχους· οὐ γάρ μοι σχολή ἐστιν. Βι. θεασάμενος τοιγαροῦν ταύτην τὴν βίβλον τὴν νεωστὶ, ὥσπερ ὄψει, τετυπωμένην· καὶ μετέπειτα ὠνησό μενος· πολλῶν γάρ ἐστι ποικίλων καὶ παντοδαπῶν μεστή ὁρᾷς δὲ τὸ πάχος αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ μέγεθος· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν οὔτε παρὰ ποιηταῖς, οὔτε παρ ̓ ἱστορικοῖς καὶ λογογράφοις, οὕτω δύσκολον καὶ σκοτεινὸν ὅπερ οὐκ εὐχερὲς καὶ σαφὲς ποιεῖ. ἑρμηνεύει γὰρ ὡς πλεῖστα καὶ χρησιμώτατα. Φιλ. οὐκ οἶσθα ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸ πανταχῆ τεθρυλλουμένον· ὁ πολλὰ λαλῶν πολλὰ καὶ σφάλλεται. Βι. οἶδα· πῶς γὰρ οὔ ; ἀλλ' ἥκιστα ἢ τοῦ Σουίδα πολυφωνία ἐνέχεται τῇ παροιμία τὸν γὰρ περὶ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων λέγοντα πολλὰ καὶ λέγειν ἀναγκαῖον καὶ δὴ καὶ Σουίδας πάμπολλα συντεμών ὀλίγοις περιείληφε. καὶ τὸ τῶν μελισσῶν μάλιστα ἐμιμήθη ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι ἐφ ̓ ἅπαντα μὲν τὰ βλαστήματα καθιζά νουσιν, ἀφ' ἑκάστου δὲ τὰ χρήσιμα λαμβάνουσιν, οὕτω καὶ Σουίδας καὶ ἁπλῶς οἱ σπουδαῖοι καὶ ἐλλόγιμοι τῶν ἀνδρῶν πολλῶν μὲν ἀπόπειραν λαμβάνειν ειώθασιν· ἐξ αὐτῶν δὲ τὰ χρήσιμα καὶ καλλίω συλλέγειν. Φιλ. εὖ γε νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ καλῶς ἔφης. καὶ σοὶ χάριν ὁμολογῶ. ἡ οὖν τῆς βίβλου τιμὴ πόση τίς ἐστι ; Βι. χρυσῶν τριῶν. Φιλ. λάμβανε δὴ καὶ δὸς τὴν βίβλον. ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΣΤΑΥΡΩΣΙΝ ΜΟΝΟΣΤΡΟΦΙΚΑ. ΑΛΙΣ 'Ενθέου φλυάρου |