EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
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1721. Peter I.* surnamed the Great, having acquired the entire administration of Russia towards the close of the seventeenth century, rigorously exerted his royal influence in the pro- motion of every measure which appeared to nim likely to enlighten, reform, and benefit his sub- jects ; he encouraged the arts and sciences, ex- tended the political relations of the nation, and established a Spiritual College or Regulation, for the regulation of the Russian church. As the folio Bible published through the care of his father. Czar Alexei Michaelowistch, was out of print, he determined to bring it into more com- mon use than ever in his empire, and to prepare at Amsterdam, a new edition, as correct as pos- sible, in live parts, folio ; which issued from the press of Daniel Leeiwen, on his account, in 1721. It was printed on royal paper, in two columns, one for the Dutch language, and the other blank for the Russian [Slavonian] transla- tion. In the first year after he g^ve orders for the printing of this work, that is to say, in 1717, the fifth part, or the New Teitament, first appeared, with one column in Dutch, and another in the Russian [Slavonian] language. By this splendid edition of the whole bible, in Dutch and Russian, the monarch was desirous, for particular' reasons, to afford his subjects a two-fold advantage ; in the first place, to render the perusal of the scriptures more agreeable to them ; and secondly, to instigate them to learn the Dutch language, of which he was very fond. It was indeed a common saying with him, " We have occasion for the Dutch language by sea, the German by land, but we may very well dispense with French, as we have no important relations with France." With the same design of inducing his subjects to the study of the sacred writings, be is said to have enjoined, that every person should learn to read the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; and that none should be allowed to marry but those who could read them. But whether such injunction was ever enforced, is doubtful, since in 1806, it was on good authority supposed, that not une in a thousand could read; and so extremely scarce were bibles, that it was generally known a hun- dred versU off, (nearly seventy miles,) where the treasure of a bible was to be met with .'"
Editions of the entire bible were printed at Moscow, 1761, 1766, 1757, and 1766, all in folio; in 1760, large 8vo. in 1783, 4to. and
• Peter the Great, czar of Riusia, who dviUzed that nation, and railed it from ignorance and babarism to po- liteneaa, luiowledge, and power, wa> born soth May, l)^s. The history of his iife and reign would demand a folio vo- lume, and ia » eventful b« to defy abridgment. The most striking passages of it are bis travels, studies, and personal tetigues, for the attaining of knowledge in civil and military afflsirs, and the improvement of his subjects -, his introduction of arts and sdencee, a naval force and commerce with foreign nations ; liis many reformations in church and state, the army, and the customs and manners of his people ; his wars with the Swedes, Turks, Tartars, and Persians; victories by sea and land, acquisitions of tenttory and increase of power ; his regard to genius and merit, and his severe Justice on olTenders against the laws. All these very Justly entitle him to the appellation he ob- tained, of " Father of hia Country," which he left to la- ment his death, January as, ijti.
in 1758, at Kiow, in folio : and at SuprasI, in Poland, 1743, in small folio. Editions of the New Testament were printed at Moscow, 1702, 6vo. and 1732, 4to.; and of the Psalms, 1716, 8to. The bible has since been printed in the modern Russ, by the Russian Bible Society, in addition to several editions of the Slavonian.
1721, May 27. The Weekly Journal of this date gave an account of the restoration, and at- tempted to draw a parallel between the late times of rebellion and the present; the commons unanimously resolved that the paper was a false, malicious, scandalous, infamous, and traitorous libel, and drew up an address to his majesty, expressing the utmost abhorrence of the libel and its author, and desired that his majesty would give orders for the punishing the printer, publishers, and authors of this and all other seditious libels ; whereupon, on the 3d of June, Nathaniel Mist, theprinter, was committed by order of the house of^ commons, close prisoner to Newgate, though he was at the same time a
Srisoner in the king's bench, in execution for a ebt of ^£500.
1721, Jwte 11. A proclamation was issued, offering a reward of £2000 each, for apprehending Doctor Gaylard, an apprentice, and Na- thaniel Wilkinson, a journeyman, to Nathaniel Mist, printer of the Weekly Journal, for being concerned in the composition of that paper. Wilkinson was apprehended, and committed to Newgate on the 5th of the following month, (July,) by the commons, for his contempt in refusing to be examined.
1721, June 16. Joseph Hall convicted of publishing a blasphemous pamphlet, entitled, a sober reply to Mr. Higg's Merry Argument of the Tritheistical Doctrine of the Trinity, sentenced to stand in the pillory, to pay a fine of £200, to be imprisoned for uiree mouths, and to give security for his good behaviour for seven years. (See 1761, post.) Mr. Hall had £160 of his fine remitted, and did not stand in the pillory.
1721, Sept 18, Died, Matthew Prior, who, from an obscure birth, by the mere force of his abilities, rose to condderable diplomatic posts and lucrative employments. The gayepigram- matic versification introduced from France, was brought to perfection by Prior, in this country. He was matchless for his tales and light oc- casional verses, though some of them are de- graded by their licentiousness. He wrote one serious poem of considerable length, called Solomon ; or the Vanitii of the World, and a pastoral tale, entitled Henry and Emma. Mr. Prior had obtained a fellowship of St. John's college, Cambridge; and in the days of his prosperity was often told, that a fellowship was too trifling a thing for him to keep, and even improper for his character ; but he replied, that "every thing he had beside was precarious, and when all failed, that would be bread and cheese; on which account he did not mean to part with it." He was born at Wimboume, in Dorsetshire, July 21, 1664, and died at Wimpule. His remains were interred in Westminster abbey.
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