Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/577

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NORTON
NORTON
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a "Funeral Elegy " upon Mrs. Anne Bradstreet, a stiff production' of little merit except piety of sentiment and propriety of formal versification. Prof. Moses Coit Tyler, in his " History of American Literature," ascribes poetic genius to its author, which indicates that his poem was not inferior to the average verses of his contemporaries. His only other publication was an "Election Sermon," delivered 26 May, 1708, and published under the title of "An Essay tending to promote Reformation." Mr. Norton was a pious scholar, and is reported to have been an amiable man, beloved and respected in the community of which he was the spiritual head. The Hmgham meeting-house in which he preached and which is represented in the illustration was built in 1681, and still stands. It is the oldest house of worship in New England. — His descendant, Andrews, clergyman, b. in Hingham, Mass., 31 Dec, 1786; d. in Newport, R. I., 18 Sept., 1852, was graduated at Harvard in 1804, and afterward pursued a course of literary and theological study there. After serving as tutor at Bowdoin in 1809-'10, and at Harvard in 1811-'12, he became editor of "The General Repository." From 1813 till 1821 he was librarian at Harvard, and in the former year he became lecturer on biblical criticism and interpretation. In 1819 he was elected Dexter professor of sacred literature in the New divinity school at Cambridge, which chair he occupied till 1830, when ill health forced him to resign. He spent the rest of his days in literary retirement at Cambridge until 1849, when he made Newport his summer residence. In his theological views and writings Mr. Norton united opposite schools of thought. He was radical as a critic and interpreter, conservative as an expositor of Christian doctrine, and while leading the van in the Unitarian protest against Calvinism he was foremost in opposition to the naturalistic school, of which Theodore Parker was the principal representative. As a lecturer on scriptural interpretation he had few equals and no superiors in the United States. Besides contributing to numerous periodicals, he edited the "Miscellaneous Writings of Charles Eliot" (1814); the "Poems of Mrs. Hemans" (1826); and, in conjunction with Charles Folsom, "The Select Journal of Foreign Periodical Literature" (4 vols., Boston, 1833-'4); and wrote "A Statement of the Reasons for not believing the Doctrines of Trinitarians as Concerning the Nature of God and the Person of Christ" (Boston, 1819; new ed., with a memoir of the author, 1856); "Historical Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels " (3 vols., 1837-44); "Tracts Concerning Christianity" (Cambridge, 1852); "A Translation of the Gospels, with Notes" (2 vols., 1855); and "The Internal Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels" (1855). He was also the author of fugitive poems. — His son, Charles Eliot, author, b. in Cambridge. Mass., 16 Nov., 1827, was graduated at Harvard in 1846, and shortly afterward entered a Boston countinghouse to gain a knowledge of the East India trade. In 1849 he went as supercargo of a ship bound for India, in which country he travelled extensively, and returned home through Europe in 1851. He made other visits to Europe in 1855-'7, and from 1868 till 1873. He resigned the Harvard professorship in 1897. which he held for twenty years. In 1855 he edited with Dr. Ezra Abbot his father's translation of the gospels with notes (2 vols.), and his "Internal Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels." In 1864-'8 he was joint editor with James Russell Lowell of the "North American Review." He has published "Considerations on some Recent Social Theories" (Boston, 1853); "The New Life of Dante," an essay, with translations (Cambridge, 1859): "Notes of Travel and Study in Italy" (1860): "A Review of a Translation into Italian of the "Commentary" by Benvenuto da Imola on the 'Divina Commedia'" (1861); "The Soldier of the Good Cause" (Boston, 1861); "William Blake's Illustrations of the Book of Job, with Sketch of the Artist's Life and Works" (1875); "List of the Principal Books relating to the Life and Works of Michael Angelo. with Notes" (Cambridge, 1879): and "Historical Studies of Church-Building in the Middle Ages: Venice, Siena, Florence" (New York, 1880).


NORTON, John, clergyman, b. in Berlin, Conn., in 1716; d. in East Hampton, Conn., 24 March, 1778. He was graduated at Yale in 1737, ordained at Deerfield in 1741, and settled in Bernardstown, Mass. He was chaplain at Fort Massachusetts at the time of its capture, and was taken to Canada, where he remained one year. Mr. Norton was installed on 30 Nov., 1748, as pastor of the Congregational church at East Hampton, Conn., where he labored till his death. He published a narrative of his captivity (Boston, 1748; new ed., with notes by Samuel G. Drake, 1870).


NORTON, John or Tryoninliokararen, chief of the Six Nations. He was of mixed Scotch and Indian parentage and was educated at an English school. He translated the Gospel of John into Mohawk, and his version was printed in London by the Bible society (1807) and distributed among the Mohawks on Grand river. Canada.


NORTON, John Nicliolas, clergyman, b. in Waterloo, N. Y., in 1820; d. in Louisville, Ky., 18 Jan., 1881. He belonged to an old Virginia family, though he was born and educated in New York. He was graduated at Hobart college, Geneva, N. Y., in 1842, and at the General theological seminary in 1845, was ordained deacon in Trinity church, Geneva, 20 July, 1845, by Bishop Delancey, and priest in St. Paul's church, Rochester, N. Y., 24 Aug., 1846, by the same bishop. His first post was that of assistant minister of St. Luke's church, Rochester, in 1845. He removed to Kentucky in December, 1846, became rector of Ascension church, Frankfort, and engaged also in teaching. He occupied this post until August, 1870, when he accepted a call to become associate rector of Christ church, Louisville, Ky., where he labored during the remaining years of his life. He received the degree of D. D. from Hobart in 1862, and subsequently from two other colleges. Dr. Norton was a member of the standing committee of the diocese of Kentucky, for nine years a deputy to the General convention, and a trustee of the Theological seminary of Kentucky. His publications were numerous, amounting in all to nearly forty volumes. They include "The Boy who was trained up to be a Clergyman" (Philadelphia, 1854); "Full Proof of the Ministry," sequel to the preceding (New York, 1855); "Lives of the Bishops of the