706
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
news and politics. But the Gmtleman'i, the London, and Universal Magazines, the Monthly and Critical Reviews, which soon followed, did an immense deal for literature and the literary character. They took the patronage of letters out of the hands of the great and fashionable, and confided it to the people. From this time perio- dica] literature spread on every side ; and by affording a most respectable arena for diffident scholars and young authors, created in the Eng- lish republic of letters a very ardent spirit of emulation, and disputants in a little circle found in them a vent for their opinions, theological, moral, political, and antiauarian.
It was in this reign that the parliamentaij debates first attracted public attention ; and it was during the contest between Walpole and his political adversaries, that the eloquence of the senate shone with uncommon splendour. Voltaire, speaking of the English eloquence, as it subsistea in the two houses of parliament, at this period, says, that it excelled that of Greece and Rome. Ihe eloquence of the pulpit forms no great object in this survey, though many of the discourses of our best divines form a valuable part of English literature. Archbishop Seeker,* bishops Conybrare,t Hoadly, and T. Sherlock, were the brightest ornaments of the established chureh ; and, amongst the dissenters, to Dr. Watts:^ may be awarded the high merit of being not only a aevout and zealous Christian preacher, but a profound scholar, a natural philosopher, a logician, and a metaphysician. It was reserved for the latter part of the reign of George II. to enable Great Britain to vie with foreign nations, and even with the authors of antiquity in histo- rical writing. To Hume and Robertson we are indebted for so noble a revolution, and in whose steps soon followed Gibbon and Smollett. In biography, few names had yet appeared of any degree of excellence. Johnson's Life of Savage, and Middleton's Life of Cicero, stand preeminent.
The writers of Scotland particularly applied themselves to metaphysical disquisitions, the cultivation of sentimental ethics, and the pro- gress of society and manners ; they possessed a wonderful ardour for literary eminence, and a desire to excel in elegant composition. Ireland
- Thomas Seeker, ardiUshop of Canterbnry, was born
In 1793, and died Augiut 3, 17(18. Hia CatheUcal Lec- tures and Sermons, published after his death, arc masterly compositions.
t John Conybrare was born at Finhoe, In Devonshire, in 1691. In 1739 be pabllshed an answer to Tindal's Chritti. mtif asoldia the Creation, tor which he was rewarded the same rear with the deanry of Christ Church, Oxford. In i7M he was made bishop of Bristol, and died in I7ti.
t Perhaps no author before htm ever appeared with repntation on such a variety of subjects as Isaac Watts, both as a prose writer and a poet } and there Is no man of whose worlts so many have been dispersed, both at home and abroad, and translated into such a variety of Ian- guasea 1 and whose life and conversation exhibited a pat. tern of every Christian virtue. " Few boolcs," says Dr. Johnson, " have been perused by me with greater pleasure than Watts's Improtmient 0/ Ihe Mind; a work in the highest degree xuetaX and pleasing; and whoever bas the care of Instructing others, may be charged with deficiency in his duty If tbe book is not recommended." He was bom at Southampton, July 17, 1074, and died at Stoke Newington, November H, 174S.
can boast of Abemethy,* Berkdey.f dmyumi and Leland,§ names that will long be remembcnd with admiration. Amongst the ladies who dis- tinguished themselves by their learning, peAaya no one was more conspicuous than lady Biaiy Wortley Montagu.|| In reflecting upoa the period thus briefly noticed, it obviously appeas to have been an active and busy one, with regaid to the cultivation of knowledge and limatoie, although it received no encouragement other from the throne, or the court. The progreas of human knowledge, and the condition of sciemoe, learning, and taste, may be ascribed principaUy to the influence of the press ; for by it, and it alone, were the vast number of important sobjeels able to be discussed, and the discussion eficcted the revolution in the sentiments of the people. — extraordinary light was thrown on the very first objects that can demand the attentioB m man. " Sometimes, indeed," says Dr. Soathvood Smith, " the tide of improvement, like the tide of the ocean, may appear to have receded ; hot soon, as if deriving strength from its momentair retreat, slow, majestic, irresisitible, it has waBtA beyond its former limit ; but, unlfte its type, k has not returned, and it mil not rehtnt, to the boundary it has passed."
\7Ql, Feb. 10. Died, Mr. Cbiorton, printer, at Ipswich, in Suffolk.
1761, March 30. Died, Thomas Bssxxt, printer to his majesty, London.H
l76t,April 4. XKed, Mr. Shuckborob, book- seller, Fleet-street, London.
- John Abemethy was a celebrated dissenting Ariat,
bom at Coleraine, October 19, lOsO, and educated tf Glasgow. He died at Dublin, in I7«o.
t Dr. George Berkeley, the learned and ingeoioai bishop of Cloyne, in Ireland, was liom in that kingdcan, M Kilerln, near Thomas-town, the 11th of Uandi, ltS4, tai died Jan. M, 17SS. The excellence of his moisl chaiackr is conspicuous in his writings, whi^ were chleAy ia defence of the Christian religion against ABMiats and InSdels. His philosophical dlsooveriea were of great ao^ vice to mankind. Dr. B. was certainly a very «»»i<«>J» as weU as avery great man; and Pope is scarcely thought to have said too much when he aacrlbea to
"Berkeley every virtue under Heaven."
} Robert Clayton, an Irish prelate, was the boo of Dr. Clayton, dean of Kildare, and born at Dublin in 16^ Embracing Aiianism, be accepted preferment in the chnrdi of Ireland, and was sacceaslvely prou i oled to the sees tf Kilala, Cork, and Clogher. In 17i(S he made a motiaa ia the house of lords for ezponging the Athans ' Nicene creeds from the liturgy, but it was not 1 He died of a nervous fever, Sept. SS, 17S8.
i Dr. Thomas Leland, anthor of a History of Trtimtd 1 a lA/e of Philip o/Meeeio* 1 and translator of XttiosftaM^ was born in 171s, and died in 178S.
R This lady was the daughter of Herrepohit duke ef Kingston, and married to Mr. Wortley Montagu, sosi to the earl of Sandwich. She accompanied her hnataand on his embassy to the Turkish ccnut, in lyifi. Frani Con- stantinople she wrote letters to Pope, Addison, and otiKr eminent literati «f the time, vAich are coosideied at tUi day as models of epistolary composition. She is ate memorable for having flrst introduced the inactice ct ia. nocnlation into this eonntry, for which thonsands iHnc had cause to bless her memory. She waa a lady of alBMSt masculine vigour of mind ; and after a life marked by a variety of adventures, closed her career August >l, ITfi, and was buried in Lichfield cathedral.
% The rev. William Norris, F. 8. A. and sccralary to tte antiqaaiian society, was for some years cometor of tke press to Mr. Basket. Mr. Norris was liaand dead ie Ms bed, in Islington, on the morning <^ Dec. . . in*.
