Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/415

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Maseres
409
Maseres
  1. 'Mémoire à la Défense d'un Plan d'Acte de Parlement pour l'Etablissement des Loix de la Provence de Quebec,' 1773.
  2. 'Account of Proceedings of British and other Protestants of the Province of Quebec to establish a House of Assembly' (anon.), 1775.
  3. 'Additional Papers concerning Quebec, being an Appendix to the "Account of Proceedings,"' &c. (anon.), 1776.
  4. 'The Canadian Freeholder, a Dialogue shewing the sentiments of the bulk of the Freeholders on the late Quebeck Act,' 1776-9, 3 vols.; another issue 1779, 3 vols. A letter from Bishop Watson to him on this work is in the 'Anecdotes of the Life of Watson' (1817), pp. 64-5, and the draft of a long letter which Burke began for him on the same subject is in Burke's 'Correspondence,' ii. 310-12.

His other publications, mainly on social or political questions, were:

  1. 'Proposal for establishing Life Annuities in Parishes' (anon.), 1772.
  2. 'Considerations on the Bill now depending in the Commons for enabling Parishes to grant Life Annuities' (anon.), 1773. The bill passed through the lower house, but was rejected by the lords through the opposition of Lord Camden.
  3. 'Principle of Life Annuities explained in a Familiar Manner,' 1783. 'A voluminous work, useful at epoch of publication,' says McCulloch (Lit. of Political Economy. 243).
  4. 'Questions sur lesquelles on souhaite de 8cavoir les réponses de M. Adhémar et M. de Lisle,' 1784.
  5. 'Enquiry into the extent of the Power of Juries' (anon.), 1785.
  6. 'The Moderate Reformer, a Proposal to correct some Abuses in the Church of England. By a Friend to the Church,' 1791 ; 2nd edit., annexed to a reprint of 'Observations on Tithes by Rev. William Hales,' 1794.
  7. 'Occasional Essays, Political and Historical, from Newspapers of Present Reign and from Old Tracts' (anon.), 1809.

Maseres also issued:

  1. ' A View of the English Constitution. A translation of Montesquieu's 6th Chapter of 11th Book of "L'Esprit des Loix'" (anon.), 1781.
  2. 'Du Gouvernement des Mceurs et des conditions en France avant la Revolution, by Gabriel Senac de Meiihan, with Remarks of Burke,' 1795.
  3. 'Translation of a Passage in a late Pamphlet of Mallet du Pan, intitled "Correspondance Politique'" (anon.), 1796.

He edited a great number of reprints of historical works, many of which were for private distribution only, including:

  1. 'Emmae, Anglorum Reginae, Richardi I ducis Normannorum filiae encomium. Item Gesta Guilielmi II a Guillelmo Pictavensi scripta,' 1783.
  2. 'Historic Anglicanss seiecta Monumenta excerpta ex volumine, "Historic Normannorum Scriptores Antiqui," 'Andrea Duchesne,' 1807.
  3. 'Curse of Popery and Popish Princes,' 1807; issued originally in 1716.
  4. 'History of Long Parliament, by Thomas May,' 1812.
  5. Three tracts published at Amsterdam in 1691 or 1692 under name of Ludlow and Sir Edward Seymour, 1812.
  6. 'History of Irish Rebellion by Sir John Temple,'1813.
  7. 'Select Tracts on Civil Wars in Reign of Charles I,' 1815, 2 vols., containing (ii. 657-671) 'remarks on some erroneous passages in Hobbes's "Behemoth."'
  8. 'History of Britain by John Milton. With reprint of Edward Philips's Life and some of his Prose Tracts,' 1818.
  9. 'Memoirs of most Material Transactions in England, 1588-1688. By James Wellwood,' 1820.

Through the patronage of Maseres John Hellins [q. v.] was enabled to print in two volumes in 1801 a revision of Professor John Colson's translation of Margarita G. A. M. Agnesi's 'Institutione Analytiche,' and he paid the cost of reprinting the 'Analysis fluxionum,' 1800, of the Rev. William Hales. He contributed several papers on mathematical subjects to the 'Philosophical Transactions' for 1777, 1778, and 1780, and communicated to the 'Archæologia,' ii. 301-340, a 'View of the Ancient Constitution of the English Parliament,' on which Mr. Charles Mellish made some observations (ib. ii. 341-52). T. B. Howell addressed to him 'Observations on Dr. Sturges's Pamphlet respecting Non-Residence of the Clergy' (anon.), 1802, and reissued, with his name, in 1803; and there appeared in 1784 'An Authentic Narrative of the Dissensions in the Royal Society, with the Speeches of Maseres and others.' His account of the proceedings for perjury against Philip Carteret Webbre Wilkes is in Howell's 'State Trials,' xix. 1171-6; several communications between him and Franklin are in Franklin's 'Works,' x. 187-94; and Lords Lansdowne and Dartmouth own some of his letters (Hist. MSS. Comm. 5th Rep. App. pp. 232-3, 6th Rep. p. 240, 11th Rep. App. pt. v. p. 352).

[Gent. Mag. 1775 p. 98, 1779 p. 99, 1824 pt i. pp. 569-73 (reprinted in H. J. Morgan's Canadians, pp. 70-8 and Annual Biog. and Obituary, ix. 383-94). 1825 pt. ii. p. 207; Foss's Judges; Palgrave's Reigate, pp. 71, 175-7; Life of Gilbert Wakefield, i. 43; Agnew's Protestant Exiles, 3rd ed. ii. 326, 471-3; Smith's Cobbett, ii. 135; Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, viii. 556-7; Cooke's Inner Temple Benchers, p. 81; Cobbett's Rural Rides, ed. 1853, pp. 277-83; Bentham's Works, x. 59, 183: Belsham's Lindsey, p. 433; information from the Rev. Dr. Atkinson, Clare College, Cambridge.]

W. P. C.