were followed by a long and, indeed, tedious Latin elegy, addressed likewise to our critick, and on

the same subject. In all probability, Bentley was not much flattered by these compositions. In the Greek the laws of Prosedy and of

are fre

the Trochaick measure quently violated. Wasse, however was a good scholar, but possessed more learning than taste, and more reading, perhaps, than judgment. His acquaintance with books was very extensive, and his memory must have been uncommonly tenacious, for Jortin affirmmonly tenacious, for Jortin affirmed as we have been told, that he never knew any man who could cite authorities for words and phrases from the Greek and Latin writers with so much promptitude and accuracy as Wasse.

As the editor of Sallust and Thucydides, Wasse is well known

to the literary world. Besides his notes on these authors, and his papers, in the Bibl. Literaria, he wrote little. There is, however, in the Philosophical Transactions, an account of an earthquake by him, which is little known. His death happened while Taylor was writing his Lectiones Lysiaca, in which he has inserted a short eulogium of this great scholar, by which it appears that he was much valued by his learned contemporaries. As to his erudition, no doubts can be ascertained, as besides his labours as a commentator, Bentley said, as it is reported, that after his own death Wasse would be the

most learned man in England.

Dr. Bentley, as far as we have heard, took no publick notice of

Thirlby, or the attack, in his notes on Justin Martyr, whatever might have been his private sentiments. of publishing the Greek Testament, He had relinquished all thoughts but yet he still pursued his favourpreparing an edition of Terence. ite pursuits, and spent his time in

molestations.

His enemies now seemed weary of attacking him, and he enjoyed a temporary quiet, free from their however, at the Cambridge assizes, About this period, when Bentley was summoned into court, as a Justice of Peace for the county, the crier styled him Richard Bentley, Doctor in Divinity. The Vice-chancellor, who present, immediately reprimanded him, and said, "There is no suck his name stood in the roll, under person!" The judge, finding that that description, ordered the crier to repeat the call, and added, that the court would not be influenced by academical acts, in opposition to a commission under the great seal.

was

At the publick commencement in the year 1725, on July the 6th, Dr. Bentley delivered publickly a La

in oration, on the creation of seven Doctors of Divinity. In this speech there is a high panegyrick on the House of Hanover, in which some of the compliments are elegant and polished. But in his description of the ceremony, the explanations of the symbols used at creation are frequently puerile. The Latinity is admirable, and the whole abounds in passages of uncommon merit.

In 1726, appeared a new edition of Terence, Phedrus, and the Sententia of Publius Syrus, with the notes and corrections of Richard Bentley. It was printed at Cambridge, and in the Italick character, which circumstance, in our opinion, is far from adding to the value or beauty of the book. It contains the entire notes of Faernus, who examined the most ancient manuscripts of Terence, and was dedicated to Prince Frederick, who was afterwards Prince of Wales.

After a short advertisement, which merely relates the contents of the volume, follows a very learned dissertation on the metres of Terence, in which he has proved the whole of the plays to have been written in verse. This treatise, which has been justly praised by the elegant Harris, in his Philological Inquiries, seems in great measure to have laid the foundation for the canon, or rule, which Dawes establishes in his Miscellanea Critica, with respect to the syllables in Greek poetry, which are to be distinguished by an ictus or beat. At the same time, he affects to speak slightly of Bentley's labours, and exalts his own. But we must proceed, as we cannot at present allow room for the discussion of this subject; and will only add, that the common mode of reading Iambick verse appears to us the most eligible.

In this edition, there are many passages which Bentley has cor

rected with a happy sagacity. His notes on the three authors are short and less ostentatious, and his emendations less violent, than those on Horace. Many of his corrections of Phedrus have received their just tribute of applause, and been admitted into the the text by the learned Gabriel Brotier, in his edition of this writer, whose fables he elegantly styles, Primas juventutis delicias,extrema senectutis solatia, media ætatis oblectamenta. His emendation of one of the verses of Publius Syrus we will give as a specimen :

"Amissum quod nescitur, non amittitur.” The copies have dimissum, which is undoubtedly wrong, for what is bestowed willingly, or taken by force, must be known. Amissum is certainly the true reading: as in a rich house,

"Ubi multa supersunt, Et dominum fallunt, et prosunt furibus." This emendation is ingenious and plausible. The same sentiment occurs in Shakespeare's Othello :

"He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, "Let him not know it, and he's not robb'd at all."

Bentley inserted all his corrections in the text; but he frequently trusts too much to conjecture. In his notes he defends and explains the new readings. Many of his emendations on Terence were found in the manuscripts of this author by Westerhovius, and inserted in his edition. In the preface, however, he tells us, that a critick would, indeed, merit the title of Magnus Apollo, who should present to the world a genuine Terence, amid such a variety of lections, and such confused versification.

When an author publishes a book, he immediately affords his enemies apportunity of avenging any injuries which they have received. This was strongly exemplified after the appearance of Dr. Bentley's Terence, previous to which he had quarrelled with Dr. Hare, his former friend, adviser, and panegyrist. The origin of their dispute has been thus related:

After Lord Townshend had established the professorship for modern languages and history in both the Universities, and appointed the preachers, from their younger clergy at Whitehall, he proposed that a pension of a thousand pounds a year should be given to Dr.Bentley, upon condition that he would publish some editions of the classicks, for the use of the Royal grandchildren. No time was to be stipulated, or any manner prescribed. The whole was to be managed as the Doctor wished, and as his leisure permitted.

Hare was chosen to settle the business between Lord Townshend and Dr. Bentley. But when the matter was nearly brought to a conclusion, the envious and malignant suggestions of some enemy, whom Bentley supposed to be Hare, put an end to the whole negociation.

Instead of an annual establishment and publications suo arbitrio, the negociator now brought intelligence that Lord Townshend proposed that Dr. Bentley should receive a certain sum for every sheet. He immediately rejected the offer with disdain, and refused to enter into any engagement with persons who distrusted his honour: "I wonder Dr. Hare, you should bring me such a proposal, who have known me so long and so well. What! if I had no regard to their honour, or to my own, would there

be any difficulty in filling sheets? Tell them I will have nothing to do with them."

Dr. Bentley never afterwards placed any confidence in Hare, as he knew him to be the suggester of the last scheme. He chose dissuere amicitiam, non disrumpere. When Hare published his Terence, which is now seldom mentioned, he dedicated it to Lord Townshend, in whose favour he undermined Bentley ; and gave some remarks on the metres of his author, which he had stolen from his learned friend in the course of conversation. With these assistances, he produced his Terence, which the Italick character, and the multitude of accentual marks render very disagreeable to the reader.

When Bentley perceived, that he had himself armed his adversary, by that spirit of communication which always shewed itself, when he perceived taste or genius, learning,or even curiosity, in any inquirer, he determined to bring out his own edition, with the utmost expedition. He sent over to Holland for the types with which the book was printed, and allowed himself only a week to digest the notes on each of the comedies. This at least was his own account. He added Phedrus also to this edition, because he knew that Hare proposed to publish that author.

Such is the history of Bentley's Terence. He had no apprehensions about success, though Hare had attempted to anticipate his plans; but his antagonist immediately gave up his views, as to publishing Phedrus. The cause of this quarrel was not generally known; but the effect which it produced was sufficiently publick, for in the year after Bentley's Terence was printed appeared an E,

pistola Critica, which contained an examination of Bentley's notes on Phedrus, by Hare, whose resentment was greatly heightened by finding his name was not once mentioned by the Doctor, in his edition. A survey of the Terence was promised, but probably without any intention of performance. Dr. Salter has observed, that Hare had too high and too just an opin

ion of his former friend's abilities and learning to hazard his reputation with such a literary disputant. For with regard to the annotations on these authors,and with regard to the metrical disquisitions, Bentley appeared even with greater advantages in the contest, than the learned Bishop of London did, when he attacked Hare's arrangements of the Hebrew measures.

To be continued.

JOSEPH FAWCETT.

IT is my common practice, after returning from church on Sundays, to read a sermon or a chapter in the bible. To render the task of perusing theological lectures as pleasant as may be, I have recourse to variety. If I want sermons which elucidate the scriptures, I consult Dr. S. Clarke. If I seek an exposure of ecclesiastical abuses, the' historick and lively Jortin is best adapted to my purpose. If I need the bitter pill of repentance, and wish at once to be disciplined and consoled, I open the judicious Doddridge or the seraphick Watts. But if I would feast my eyes with lessons of virtue in their enchanting forms, decked with the plumes of a fine imagination, and soaring aloft in an expansive sky, Fawcett is the author I most greedily seize and longest retain. I am not certain, that his eloquence is exactly proper to the pulpit, nor would I choose my own minister should feed me habitually with such delicious dishes. Plain roast-beef and plumb-pudding sermons are probably easiest of digestion, yield the most wholesome nutriment,

No. 20.