gic,' which went through several editions. He printed also a book on the Elements of Geometry,' in Latin, in a large thin octavo; probably for the use of some of his friends or pupils, for it was never published. Use was made of his assistance in the preparation of Gregory's Greek Testament, printed at Oxford, 1703. To Dean Aldrich, in conjunction with Bishop Sprat, was committed the revisal of the manuscript of Lord Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, but it does not appear that any considerable additions or alterations were introduced. The dean was also one of the ecclesiastical commissioners appointed by William III., in 1689, to pave the way for some alterations in the church service, &c.; but he, with Mew and Sprat, the then bishops of Winches. ter and Rochester, withdrew after the first meeting of the committee. They objected first to all alterations whatever, and next to the appointment of a special commission.

The doctor's eminence in the fine arts, to which allusion has been made, was evinced in the beauty of the Peckwater-square, a part of Christ-college, the whole of which was designed by him, and which, as Chamberlayne says, "is esteemed a regular and complete piece of architecture by all who have seen it, natives and foreigners." The parish church of All-saints, in Oxford, which he is known to have designed, is esteemed a finished specimen of his knowledge and taste in architecture. The plan of the chapel of Trinity college, erected by Dr Ralph Bathurst, was designed by him; but with some slight modification from the hand of Sir Christopher Wren.

Amidst his variety of learned pursuits, and the cares to which he was subjected in the government of his college, Dr Aldrich found leisure also to study and cultivate to a great extent, the science of music, and particularly that branch of it which was more closely connected with his profession and office. Though not more than five or six of his choral productions continue to be performed, except at Oxford, yet he composed nearly forty services and anthems, which are preserved in the third volume of Dr Tudway's collection in the British museum. Beside these, Dr Aldrich enriched our cathedrals with many admirable compositions, by adapting English words, from the psalins or liturgy, to anthems or motets of Palestrina, Caressimi, Vittoria, Graziani, and other Italians, which were originally set to Latin words, for the Roman catholic service. Sir John Hawkins says, that the dean was of such skill in music, that he holds a place among the most eminent of our English church musicians. Among his lighter compositions of this kind are rounds and catches, two of which have been particularly admired. One, "Hark the Bonny Christ-church Bells," has been always remarked for its pleasing melody and general effect. The other is a smoking catch, full of humour and musical ingenuity. His love of smoking, it seems, was so great as to serve the university for an amusing topic of conversation. The admirable choral discipline Dr Aldrich preserved in his college for upwards of twenty years, is still remembered. He bequeathed to his college, at his decease, an admirable collection of music. Dr Burney says, that having made a catalogue of these musical works, he can venture to assert, that, for masses, motets, madrigals, and anthems, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the collection is the most complete of any that he had an opportunity of consulting. His love of the science, and zeal for its advancement, prompted the 2 U

IV.

desire to write a History of Music;' but though he collected all the materials he could find, opportunity did not present itself for entering upon their arrangement. They are yet extant in the library of his

own college.

Dr Aldrich is of some note as a Latin poet. The Musæ Anglicana' contains some elegant verses by him. Besides his other preferments, Dr Aldrich held the rectory of Wem, in Shropshire; and in 1702 he was chosen prolocutor of the convocation. On the 14th of December, 1710, to the unspeakable grief of the whole university, he died, at his college, in the 63d year of his age. He lived in a state of celibacy; and as he rose in the world he disposed of his income in works of hospitality and benevolence, and in the encouragement of learning. Notwithstanding that modesty and humility for which he was remarkable, and which he exhibited in withholding his name from his numerous publications, he maintained a firm and steady rule in the government of his college. He was buried, according to his desire, in the cathedral of Oxford, near Bishop Fell. He is always spoken of as having been a man of wit, and as one who, to his great talents and virtues, joined those amiable qualities which rendered him the object of general affec tion, as well as of universal respect and esteem.

Henry Dodwell.

BORN A. D. 1641.-DIED A. D. 1711.

THIS very learned writer was a native of Ireland. He was born in that country in 1641, but he received his school-education in England. In 1656, we find him holding a fellowship in Trinity college, Dublin; but he relinquished it in 1666, in order to avoid taking orders, and came the same year to Oxford, where he remained for some time.

In 1672, he first appeared as an author, or rather as an editor, in the publication of a posthumous treatise of his tutor John Steam, with a preface from his own pen. The title of this book was 'De Obstinatione: Opus Posthumum Pietatem Christiano-Stoicum scholastico more Suadens.' Dodwell entitled his own preface Prolegomena Apologetica de usu Dogmatum Philosophicorum,' its object being to vindicate his tutor from the charge of depreciating the value of the scriptures by over-estimating the value of the heathen philosophy. His second publication was Two Letters of Advice,' addressed to theological students. To the second edition of this work, in 1681, he added A Discourse concerning the Phoenician History of Sanchoniathon,' in which he attempts to prove that Philo-Byblius, was the forger of this pseudo-Phoenician history.

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Dodwell came over again to England in 1674, and soon after entered into the lists of polemical controversy. In 1675, he published Some Considerations of present concernment: How far the Romanists may be trusted by princes of another persuasion.' This book was chiefly levelled against Father Walsh, and the other parties concerned in 'The Irish Remonstrance,' and Controversial Letters,' two publi

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cations which occasioned a kind of schism among the Irish catholics. The year following he put out other two pieces against the papists; in one of which he argues against the assumed infallibility of the church of Rome, and in the other discusses various controversial questions betwixt the two churches of England and Rome. Both these discourses were published in one small 12mo. volume, but were reprinted in 1688, in 4to. with a preface, relating to the bishop of Meaux, and other modern complainers of misrepresentation.' In 1679, he published a treatise on Separation of Churches from Episcopal Government, as practised by the present Non-conformists,' in which he labours to prove that all such separation is schismatical and anti-scriptural; that separation from episcopal communion renders persons unsecure of their eternal salvation; that salvation is ordinarily to be expected from participation in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, which God has appointed as the ordinary means of obtaining the gospel benefits, not to be obtained merely by hearing the word, and prayer; that the validity of the sacraments depends on the authority of the persons administering them, these being such whom God has commissioned to act as his ministers, whose acts he will ratify in heaven; that God is not obliged to bestow spiritual benefits on any who receive the sacrainents from persons not thus authorised, besides their administering them being an usurpation on God's authority. In this book he also discourses on the 'Sin unto Death;' and the 'Sin against the Holy Ghost.' Richard Baxter answered Dodwell in his 'True and only way of Concord;' and Dodwell replied.

In 1682, he published his very learned 'Dissertations on St Cyprian,' composed at the request of Bishop Fell, as an accompaniment to the bishop's edition of that father. They are chiefly explanatory of obscure passages. Dodwell published also 'Dissertations on Irenæus.' In 1688, he was elected Camden professor of history in the university of Oxford, but he lost this chair in 1691, by refusing to take the oath of allegiance to William and Mary. His Camden lectures were printed at Oxford, in 1692. After his deprivation he removed to Shottesbrooke, where he chiefly spent the remainder of his days in devotion to study and incessant publication.

It would swell the present article greatly beyond due limits, were we to give merely the titles of all Dodwell's published treatises. The most elaborate of them is his account of the Greek and Roman cycles, printed at Oxford in 1701. All his writings are characterized by prodigious learning, and considerable logical powers; but some of his notions were singularly absurd, and involved him in much and painful controversy with some of the best men of his age. Dodwell was, as we have seen, a strict episcopalian, and a staunch non-juror besides. In order to exalt the powers and dignity of the priesthood, in that 'One Communion,' which he fondly imagined to be the Peculium of God, and to which he had joined himself, he endeavoured to prove, with his usual perplexity of learning, that the doctrine of the soul's natural mortality was the true and original scripture doctrine; and that immortality was only at baptism conferred upon the soul, by the gift of God, through the hands of one set of regularly-ordained clergy. In support of this opinion, he wrote An Epistolary Discourse, proving, from the Scriptures and the first Fathers, that the Soul is a Principle

naturally mortal, but immortalized actually by the pleasure of God, to Punishment, or to Reward, by its Union with the Divine Baptismal Spirit. Wherein is proved, that none have the Power of giving this Divine Immortalizing Spirit, since the Apostles, but only the Bishops." London, 1706, 8vo. At the end of the preface to the reader is a dissertation, to prove That Sacerdotal Absolution is necessary for the Remission of Sins, even of those who are truly penitent.' This discourse being attacked by Chishull, Clarke, Norris, and other persons, our author endeavoured to vindicate himself in the three following pieces: namely, 1. A Preliminary Defence of the Epistolary Discourse, concerning the Distinction between Soul and Spirit: in two parts. 1st, Against the Charge of favouring Impiety. 2d, Against the Charge of favouring Heresy.' In the former is inserted a digression, proving, that the 'Collection of the Code of the Four Gospels in Trajan's time is no way derogatory to the sufficient Attestation of them.' London, 1707, 8vo. 2. The Scripture Account of the Eternal Rewards or Punishments of all that hear of the Gospel, without an Immortality necessarily resulting from the Nature of the Souls themselves that are concerned in those Rewards or Punishments. Showing particularly, 1st, How much of this account was discovered by the best philosophers. 2d, How far the accounts of those philosophers were corrected and improved by the Hellenistical Jews, assisted by the Revelations of the Old Testament. 3d, How far the discoveries forementioned were improved by the Revelations of the gospel. Wherein the testimonies also of S. Irenæus and Tertullian, are occasionally considered.' London, 1709, Svo. And, 3. An Explication of a famous Passage in the Dialogue of S. Justin Martyr with Tryphon, concerning the immortality of Human Souls. Being a letter to the learned author of a book, intituled 'H Xagis dura, &c.' With an appendix, consisting of a letter to the Rev. Mr John Norris, of Bemerton; and an Expostulation relating to the late Insults of Mr Clarke and Mr Chishull.' London, 1708, 8vo. It is scarcely necessary to add that in all those treatises Dodwell evinced greater ingenuity and learning than sound scriptural views. Dr Clarke handled him very severely; and Bishop Burnet thus addresses him in one of his letters: "You are a learned man; and your life has been not only without blemish, but exemplary; but you do not seem to remember, or enough to consider, the woe our Saviour has denounced against those by whom scandals come; and, according to the true notion of scandal, I know no man, that has laid more in the way of the little ones, or weaker Christians, than you have done. I do assure you, I would rather wish that I could neither read nor write, than to have read or writ to such purposes as you have been pursuing now above thirty years. You seem

to love novelties and paradoxes, and to employ your learning to support them. I do assure you, I have a just value for many valuable things that I know to be in you; and do heartily lament every thing that is otherwise."

Dodwell died in June, 1711. He is buried in the chancel of the Shottesbrooke church.

John Blow.

BORN A. D. 1648.-DIED A. D. 1708.

THIS eminent musical composer was a Nottinghamshire man. He was trained by Hingeston and Christopher Gibbons. In 1685 he was nominated composer to the court,—which, however, was only an honorary office. In 1687, on the death of Michael Wise, he was appointed master of St Paul's choristers; and upon the death of Purcell, he became organist in Westminster-abbey.

After the Revolution, Dr Tillotson, then dean of St Paul's, obtained an annual salary of £40 for both Blow and Purcell, on condition that they should alternately present their majesties with a new anthem on the first Sunday of every month. It appears that Blow had been in the practice of composing anthems while yet a chapel-boy, and that many of his pieces had been honoured with the special approbation of Charles II. Every one knows the fine song, 'Go perjured man.' The origin of this piece is said to have been as follows: Charles greatly admired Carissimi's duet, 'Dite, O cieli,' and turning to young Blow on one occasion, while it was performing, asked him if he could imitate it. Blow modestly answered he would try, and soon after produced that song which instantly became so popular. He afterwards composed another air to the words 'Go perjured maid,' which is printed in the Amphion Anglicus,' but it is inferior to the former. The work we have just mentioned was an imitation of the Orpheus Britannicus,' published by Purcell's widow.

Dr Blow died in 1708. His finest compositions, perhaps, are the Gloria Patri canon, printed in the first volume of Dr Boyce's collection of cathedral music, and the anthems, O God, wherefore art thou absent?' and 'I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude.'

Arthur Maynwaring.

BORN A. D. 1668.-DIED A. D. 1712.

THIS writer was the descendant of an ancient and respectable family in Shropshire, in which county he was born in 1668. He received the rudiments of his education at the grammar-school of Shrewsbury, where he remained four or five years. At the age of seventeen he was sent to Oxford, where he was placed under the tuition of George Smalridge, afterwards bishop of Bristol. He spent several years at Christ-church college, and then went to his uncle's, Mr Cholmondeley, at Vale-Royal in Cheshire. Mr Cholmondeley was a warm adherent of James the Second's party; and young Maynwaring, imbibing his uncle's sentiments and feelings, drew his pen against the new government in a satire, entitled, Tarquin and Tullia,'' which was mainly levelled at William and Mary. He also wrote a piece entitled, The King of Hearts,'

'State Poems, vol. iii. p. 319.