come insufferably prolix by interweaving accounts of other persons who flourished at the same time, and were but remotely connected with the chief object. It is, however, to this very fault, this digressive information, that we owe our knowledge of many men of acknowledged worth in past times; and it is from such apparent redundancies and scattered notices that the compilers of Biogra phical Collections, acquire some of their most accurate and best authenticated materials. There is reason to think, therefore, that what may seem tedious while the events are fresh in the reader's memory, will be found more interesting to future generations. Of lives connected with contemporary history, and abounding in literary notices and traits of character no where else to be found, we have some valuable specimens in the English series, which are becoming scarce by neglect, or by the natural lapse of time, It occurred to the present writer, that 9 that a republication of the most important of these, exactly as left by the respective authors, would not be unacceptable at a time when biography and literary history are more the objects of a laudable curiosity, and when there is a general wish that the benefactors of past times may no longer remain in obscurity. How far he has made a just estimate of the public inclínation in this respect, or how far the contents of these volumes may gratify the curiosity which he supposes to exist, their fate must determine. The undertaking was first suggested by a perusal of the very interesting life of DR. POCOCK; and the lives which accompany it were selected as containing, with respect to more modern times, an equally considerable portion of curious history, ecclesiastical, political and literary. To the whole is added the very necessary appendage of a nominal Index. A. C. Νου. 1816. THE LIFE OF THE REV. AND MOST LEARNED DR. EDWARD POCOCK. SECTION I. DR. POCOCK was born on the eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1604. He was the son of Mr. Edward Pocock, bachelor of divinity, some time fellow of St. Mary Magdalen college in Oxford, but then vicar of Chievely in Berks. It happened that the place of his birth was that, wherein he was to spend the greatest part of his life. For his father having been lately presented to the vicarage before-mentioned, could not yet order his affairs to settle upon it, but was forced, it seems, for some time, to leave his family in Oxford; and there, within the parish of St. Peter's in the West, this his eldest son Edward was born. VOL. I. B His His infancy discovered such promising parts, as easily drew his parents to dedicate him to religion and learning and for that purpose he was early sent to the free-school at Thame, in Oxfordshire. The school-master there, to whose care he was committed, was Mr. Richard Butcher, bachelor of law, a man of great accuracy in grammatical learning, whose skill and industry the doctor, even in his old age, would often very gratefully remember. The diligence of that worthy person, meeting with an extraordinary capacity in this his scholar, was blessed with a more than common success: for he was no sooner come to the age of fourteen years, but he was thought fit for the university; and accordingly, being brought to Oxford, he was entered in Magdalen Hall; and after two years stay in that place, his merits recommended him, upon a strict examination, to a scholar's place in Corpus Christi College, to which he was admitted, Dec. 11, 1620. By all our enquiries we cannot learn who was his tutor in the hall, but are assured by a late writer*, that Mr. Gamaliel Chase, bachelor of divinity, and fellow of Corpus-Christi, was his tutor in that college. Of whom the same author↑ gives this character. "He was a man of great * Dr. Walker, in his History of the Sufferings of the Clergy, Part I. p. 98, and Part II. p. 217. + Ibid. p. 217. "piety, |