Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/11

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Morell
5
Moreman

of Triumph: a Paraphrase on Chap. xv. of St. Paul's 1st Epistle to the Corinthians,' 4to, London, 1743, in blank verse.
  1. 'Hope: a Poetical Essay in Blank Verse. In three Books,' 4to, London, 1745. Book i. only appeared.
  2. 'Nabal, an Oratorio,' 4to, London, 1764. It was performed at Covent Garden, the words being adapted to several compositions of Handel. Among the Additional MSS. in the British Museum (Nos. 5832 and 29766) are 'Verses' and 'Sacred Poems' by Morell.

He also published the 'Canterbury Tales' of Chaucer 'in the original, and as they are turned into modern language by the most eminent hands,' 8vo, London, 1737, and in 1747 is said to have issued by subscription an edition of Spenser's 'Works.'

His miscellaneous writings are:

  1. 'Philalethes and Theophanes; or a Summary View of the last Controversy occasioned by a book entitled "The Moral Philosopher," pt. i.' 8vo, London, 1739; 2nd edit. 1740.
  2. ' Catalogue of the Books in the Osterley Park Library,' 4to, 1771, of which only twenty-five copies were printed (Nichols, v. 327).
  3. A Latin letter addressed in 1774 to Daines Barrington on the Corbridge altar, now in the British Museum, printed in the 'Archæologia,' iii. 332.
  4. 'Sacred Annals' (harmonies on the Gospels), 12mo, London, 1776.
  5. 'Notes and Annotations on Locke on the Human Understanding,' 8vo, London, 1794, written at the request of Queen Caroline.

He revised Hogarth's 'Analysis of Beauty.' His ' literary portrait ' of William Hogarth and his wife may be found in John Nichols's ' Biographical Anecdotes of Hogarth,' ed. 1810, i. 127. To the third edition of ' Sermons ' by Edward Littleton (d. 1733) [q. v.] he contributed a biographical introduction (1749). He has essays and verses in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' to which he was one of the earliest contributors, and occasionally published single sermons, including one on the 'Use and Importance of Music in the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving,' preached at the meeting of the three choirs, Worcester, Hertford, and Gloucester, 8vo, 1747.

In the British Museum are copies of the New Testament in Greek, 1632, the New Testament in English, 1647, and Plutarch's 'Moralia,' 1542, all copiously annotated by Morell. There is also a letter from him to Sir Hans Sloane in Additional MS. 4053. His commonplace book is Additional MS. 28846.

In 1762 Morell's portrait was drawn by Hogarth 'in the character of a cynic philosopher, with an organ near him.' The portrait was afterwards engraved by James Basire, and prefixed to Morell's 'Thesaurus.'

[Nichols's Lit. Anecd. i. 651, and elsewhere; Harwood's Alumni Etonenses, p. 302; Baker's Biog. Dramat. 1812; Walpole's Letters (Cunningham). 420; Addit. MSS. 5151, f. 249, 6402, f. 142; Will in P.C.C. 151, Rockingham.]

G. G.

MOREMAN, JOHN (1490?–1554), divine, was born at South Hole, Hartland, Devonshire, about 1490. He was sent to Oxford University about 1504, and graduated B.A. 29 Jan. 1508-9, M.A. 31 Jan. 1512-13, B.D. 18 Jan. 1526-7, and D.D. 8 April 1530. On 29 June 1510 he was elected to a fellowship at Exeter College. From 1516 to 1528 he held the vicarage of Midsomer Norton, Somerset, but he probably remained in residence at Oxford, as he retained his fellowship until 6 Nov. 1522, and was principal of Hart Hall from 1522 to 1527, when he severed his connection with the university. He was instituted by Bishop Voysey to the rectory of Holy Trinity, Exeter, on 25 Sept. 1528, but vacated it within less than six months upon his appointment, 25 Feb. 1529, by Exeter College, to the valuable vicarage of Menheniot, Cornwall, which he enjoyed for the rest of his life. His school in this parish became famous throughout the west of England; among his pupils was John Hooker, alias Vowell (1526?–1601) [q. v.] Moreman was also prebendary of Glasney College, near Penryn, Cornwall, canon of Exeter Cathedral 19 June 1544, and vicar of Colebrooke, Devonshire, 25 Oct. 1546.

At the university Moreman had strenuously opposed the divorce of Henry VIII from Queen Catherine. On the accession of Edward VI he was thrown into prison, and the eleventh demand of the Cornish rebels in June 1549 was, 'That Dr. Moreman and Crispin should be sent to them and put in their livings.' The answer of the Archbishop of Canterbury to this stipulation ran, that 'those were ignorant, superstitious, and deceitful persons.' On the accession of Queen Mary he was released from restraint, and in the disputation between Roman catholics and protestants which took place in the Convocation House, London, October 1553, he answered, as one of the champions of Catholicism, the arguments of Cheney, archdeacon of Hereford, afterwards bishop of Gloucester, Phillips, dean of Rochester, and Aylmer, chaplain to the Duke of Suffolk. During the commotion at Exeter in January 1553-4 [see Carew, Sir Peter] Moreman was in residence and active against the malcontents. He took a leading part in church affairs at Exeter, but the statement of Foxe that he 'was coadjutor to Voysey, the bishop of Exeter, and after his decease became bishop of that see,'