malignant invective *." He died March 6, 1764, and it is by general confent that the epithets GREAT and GOOD have been ever fince connected with his

name.

Two vifions, in Nos. 460, and 501, were written by Dr. THOMAS PARNELL. This allegorical mode of conveying inftruction was much encouraged and practifed by ADDISON and his contemporaries; and, we are informed by STEELE, there was always a particular demand for fuch papers. Dr. PARNELL'S Vifions have confiderable merit, but from a member of the Scriblerus Club, and a man of acknowledged wit, we might have furely expected contributions of a more humorous caft. Dr. GOLDSMITH'S Life of PARNELL, prefixed to his works, were the first attempt to collect memorials of him; although enrolled among the English poets in Dr. JOHNSON'S edition, his name had not appeared in the General Dictionary, or in the Biographia Britannica. GOLDSMITH'S materials are very fcanty, and JOHNSON, while he compliments GOLDSMITH on what he had done, feems averse to the subject.

THOMAS PARNELL, D. D. defcended from an ancient family, of Congleton, in Cheshire, was born in Dublin, in the year 1679, and was admitted a member of Dublin College at the early age of thirteen. He took his degree of M. A. July 9, 1700, and in the fame year was ordained a deacon, by Dr. WILLIAM KING, then Bishop of Derry, having a difpenfation from the primate, as being under twenty-three years of age. He was admitted into prieft's orders about three years after, by Dr. KING, then archbishop of Dublin, and was collated by Dr. AsнE, bishop of Clogher, to the ardeaconry of Clogher, Feb. 9, 1705. About that time he married Mifs ANNE MINCHIN,

*Coxe's Memoirs of Sir R. WALPOLE, vol. i. p. 43, 4to.

a young lady of great beauty and merit, by whom he had two fons, who died young, and a daughter, living in 1770. The death of his wife is fuppofed to have made an indelible impreffion on his fpirits, and drove him to that remedy which of all others is the leaft efficacious, and is itself a calamity of the moft deplorable kind *. He was warmly recommended by SWIFT to Archbishop KING, who gave him a prebend in 1713, and in 1716 the vicarage of Finglas, worth 400 l. per annum. He died at Chefter, July, 1718, on his way to Ireland.

His profe works are two papers in the SPECTATOR, two in the GUARDIAN, the life of Zoilus (a fatire on DENNIS,) an effay on the origin of fciences in the character of Martinus Scriblerus, and the life of HOMER prefixed to POPE's tranflation. His poetical fame refts chiefly on his HERMIT, but even his inferior poems are more correct and pleafing than his profe.

The letter figned Peter de Quir, in No. 396, and that figned Tom Tweer, in No. 518, were the productions of that very eccentric character, ORATOR HENLEY, a name and title which have feldom been pronounced without contempt, yet it was late in life before he earned this contempt. His early days were laudably and induftrioufly employed, as appears by the very curious and authentic memoirs Mr. NICHOLS has given of him in his " Hiftory of Leicestershire," under the article Melton Mowbray, HENLEY'S native place.

From his letter, in No 518, as well as from fome of his avowed publications, he feems to have poffeffed a kind of humour, which a man of sense or delicacy might have employed with fuccefs. But HENLEY preferred the character of a buffoon, and

* GOLDSMITH, p. 21, edit. 1773

+ NICHOLS's Select Collection of Poems, vol. iii. p.209. VOL. I.

d

the life of an outcaft, and was for many years the ornament and delight of Clare Market, where he established an oratory to which the very lowest ranks reforted. Here, when vulgarity itself was fatiated with his nonfenfe, he hit upon various expedients to bring a crowded audience *. At one time he called the Jews together, by offering a reward to any one who fhould interpret a Hebrew infcription painted on his pulpit, and which confifted of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet jumbled together in the form of words without meaning. On another occafion, he procured a full audience of fhoemakers, who were to be told how to make a pair of fhoes in two minutes, which was by cutting off the tops of readymade boots. As there was no admittance to his oratory, without paying a fum at the door, generally a fhilling, fuch expedients ferved occafionally to recruit his finances. He was alfo the author of a weekly paper of unintelligible declamation, called, The HYP-DOCTOR, for which "fecret-service +," he had 100l. a year. The origin of the HYPDOCTOR, as it has been related to the writer of this article, will show the peculiar turn of HENLEY'S humour. He went to Sir ROBERT WALPOLE, represented himself as a man who could do great service to the ftate, and hinted that it would be wife to employ him. Sir ROBERT declined the offer in very polite terms, and HENLEY left the

*The late Rev. Mr. COLE of Milton fays, he remembers HENLEY coming to Cambridge, and foliciting for a booth in Sturbidge fair, for his Lectures, which was refused. COLE'S MSS. in Brit. Muf.

+ His introductory pofition on this fubject was, omne majus continet in fe minus.

Biog. Dict. In COOKE's Preacher's Affiftant is a lift of fifteen fermons preached on public occafions, and printed, by our orator. One is entitled, "The Butcher's Lecture." Mr. COOKE calls him "Rector of Chelmondifton, Suffolk."

3

room with a threat, that " he could wield a pen !" On recollection, the minifter thought it might be proper to stop this writer's oppofition by a small falary, and called after him from the top of the staircafe, "HYP! DOCTOR!" promised him his fupport, and immediately the HYP-DOCTOR, No. 1. made its appearance. Its purpose was to ridicule the arguments of the CRAFTSMAN.

In No. 288, is a letter from a tradefman, recommending his wares, figned PETER MOTTEUX, the real name of a man of fome talents, but, if the manner of his death has not been mifrepresented, of immoral character. He was a native of France, and came to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantz. Such was the fkill he acquired in the English language, that he tranflated with fuccefs Rabelais and Don Quixote, and wrote fome very popular plays. He had a large Eaft India warehouse in Leadenhall-street, and held a place in the foreign Poft-office. Although advanced in life, and married to a very beautiful woman, he indulged in the licentiousness of brothels, in one of which he was found dead, Feb. 19, 1717-18 *.

The affectionate letter on the death of a wife, in No. 520, is attributed to a Mr. FRANCHAM, of Norwich, of whom nothing else is now remembered: and an excellent dream, in No. 524, is faid to have been the joint production of Mr. DUNLOP, then Greek profeffor of Glasgow Univerfity, and of Mr. MONTGOMERY, a merchant. Of the latter gentleman, we are told, that he traded to Sweden, and his business carrying him there, he was obliged to leave that kingdom abruptly, in confequence. of "fomething between" him and Queen Chriftina. This event is fupposed to have affected his intellects, much in the manner as Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY

Biog. Dict. and Dram.

is represented to have been injured by his paffion for the widow *. Mr. DUNLOP is chiefly known as the author of a Greek grammar, used in most of the schools and univerfities of Scotland. Upon what. authority the joint concern of these gentlemen in this paper is afferted, does not appear. It was formerly afcribed to PROFESSOR SIMPSON, of Glasgow, but whether the mathematician or the divine, for there were two of the name contemporaries, we are not informed.

A letter in No. 140, figned Leonora, and another in No. 163, with the fame fignature, are said to have been written by a Miss SHEPHEARD, and a letter in No. 92, by her fifter. Of these ladies it is only related that they were collateral defcendants of Sir FLEETWOOD SHEPHEARD, "of facetious memory." A very fhort letter in No. 480, figned M. D. was written by Mr. ROBERT HARPER, of Lincoln's-Inn, an eminent conveyancer. STEELE omitted fome parts of it, and made fome alterations in it.

The laft contributor to the SPECTATOR, of whom we have any knowledge, and who was the longest furvivor, is Dr. ZACHARY PEARCE, a late BISHOP of ROCHESTER. He was the fon of an opulent diftiller in Holborn, and was born in 1690. He had his education at Westminster school, where he was diftinguished by his merit, and elected one of the king's fcholars. In 1710, he was elected to Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1716, he published the firft edition of his " Cicero de Oratore," and at the defire of a friend, dedicated it to Lord CHIEF JUSTICE PARKER, afterwards Earl of MACCLESFIELD, to whom he was an entire ftranger. This incident laid the foundation of his future fortune, for Lord PARKER foon after recommended him to Dr. BENTLEY, mafter of Trinity, to be made one of the fellows.

Spect 8vo. vol. vii. p. 284, note.