Encouraged by the great fuccefs of this work, he undertook another of equal use and entertainment, viz. The Ancient Hiftory of the Egyptians, Carthagenians, Babylonians, Medes and Perfians, Macedonians and Greeks," which he finished in thirteen volumes, 8vo. and published between 1730 and 1738. Whilft the last volume of his "Ancient Hiftory" was printing, he publish ed the first of his "Roman Hiftory," which he lived to carry on through the eighth and part of the ninth volume. Mr. Crevier, his worthy pupil, continued the Hiftory and completed it, on his original plan, in fixteen volumes 8vo. All the works of Rollin have met with universal approbation; and been tranflated into feveral languages. This excellent man died Sept. 14, 1741, in the eightyear of his ieth sage. Rollin's character, has been thus fummed up. "He was a man of an admirable compofition; very ingenious, confummate in polite learning, of rigid morals and great piety." "We find in his works generous and exalted fentiments, a zeal for the good of fociety, a love of virtue, a veneration for Providence; and in fhort every thing, though on profane fubjects, fanctified with a spirit truly religious." This celebrated author was a firm believer in the truth of divine revelation; and whilft he exemplified the excellence of religion in his life and converfation, he endeavoured by his writings to inculcate upon others the belief and practice of chriftianity. He even rendered his hiftorical researches fubfervient to this important purpose, by making excellent and ftriking ●bfervations on facred history, which he introduces in the following manner : "Sacred history is very different from all other history whatever. The last contains only human facts and temporal events; and often full of uncertainty and contradiction. But the other is the hiftory of God himself, the Supreme Being; the hiftory of his omnipotence, his infinite wisdom, his univerfal providence, his holinefs, his juftice, his mercy and all his other attributes fet forth under a thousand forms, and displayed by abundance of wonderful effects. "The book which contains all thefe wonders is the moft ancient book in the world; and the only one before the coming of the Meffiah, in which God has fhewn us, in a clear and certain manner, what he is, what we are, and for what ends defigned." General Biographical Hiftory, Vol. XIII. WILLIAM MELMOTH, Esq. WILLIAM MELMOTH, a learned and worthy barrister of Lincoln's Inn, was born in 1666. He foon became eminent in his profeffion, and was in conjunction with Mr. Peere Williams, the publisher of Vernon's Reports, under an order of the court of chancery. But the performance for which he justly deferves to be held in perpetual remembrance is, “The Great Importance of a Religious Life." Seventy five thoufand copies of this work fold in a period of lefs than twenty five years. He afferts in the preface that, "the defign of his labour is to check the rage for fenfual pleafure; and awaken in the minds of unthinking men a serious sense of religion." The following concise account of Mr. Melmoth's character, drawn by his fon, is prefixed to this publication. It may add weight perhaps to the reflections contained in the following pages, to inform the reader that the author's life was one uniform exemplar of those precepts which, with fo generous a zeal, and fuch an elegant and affecting fimplicity of ftyle, he endeavours to recommend to general practice. He left others to contend for modes of faith, and enflame themselves and the world with endlefs controverfy: it was the wifer purpose of his more ennobled mind to act up to thofe clear rules of conduct, which revelation has graciously prefcribed. He poffeffed by temper, every moral virtue; by religion, every chriftian grace. He had an humanity, that melted at every dif trefs; a charity, which not only thought no evil, but fufpected none. He exercised his profeffion, with a skill and integrity which nothing could equal, but the difinterested motive that animated his labours, or the amiable modefty, which accompanied all his virtues. He employed his induftry, not to gratify his own defires; for no man indulged himself lefs; not to accumulate useless wealth; for no man more difdained so unworthy a purfuit. It was. for the decent advancement of his family; for the generous. affiftance of his friends, for the ready relief of the indigent. How often did he exert his distinguished abilities, yet refuse the reward of them, in defence of the widow, the father * The tranflator of Cicero and Pliny, and an elegant and diftinguished writer. lefs, and him that had none to help! In a word, few have ever paffed a more useful, norany one a more blameless life; and his whole time was employed either in doing good, or in meditating it. He died on the 6th of April, 1743, and lies buried under the cloister of Lincoln's Inn Chapel." Biographical Dictionary, Vol. X. DR. HERMAN BOERHAAVE. HERMAN BOERHAAVE, one of the greatest phyficians, as well as the beft of men, was born December 31st, 1668, at Veerhout, a fmall village in Holland, near Leyden. His father, who was himself a clergyman, intended his fon for divinity, and with this view taught him the rudiments of learning. In 1682, he was fent to the public fchool at Leyden; and at the conclufion of the year was admitted into the highest class, whence it is cuftomary after fix months, to be removed to the univerfity. At this juncture his father died, and left a numerous family with a very flender provifion. The perplexities Boerhaave had to encounter in early life multiplied, and at the age of fixteen, he found himself without parents, protection, advice, or fortune. Notwithstanding thefe difadvantages, he was admitted to the university, where he was particularly noticed by a friend of his father, one of the profeffors of divinity, who procured him the patronage of the burge mafter of Leyden. Thus encouraged, he affiduously applied himself to ftudy, and made an uncommon proficiency in the various branches of fcience. In 1690, he took a degree in philofophy. In his thefis on this occafion,, with great ftrength of argument, he confuted the fyftems of Epicurus, Hobbes, and Spinoza, and equally raised the character of his piety and erudition. After having laid a folid foundation in all other parts of learning he proceeded to divinity, under the profeffors Trigland and Spanheim; the firft of whom gave lectures on Hebrew antiquities; the second, on ecclefiaftical hiftory. Above all, he diligently applied himself to the study of the scriptures, which he first read in their original language, and when difficulties occurred, confulted the interpretation of the most ancient fathers, whom he read in order of time, beginning with Clemens Romanus. But as the ftudy of nature also engaged his attention, he perufed the best medical writers, and at length determined to take his degree in phyfic, previously to his entering upon the duties of the miniftry. He propofed when he had made himself master of the whole art of medicine, and obtained the honour of a degree in that science, to petition regularly for a license to preach, and engage in the cure of fouls; and intended in his theological exercifes to difcufs "this question, "Why fo many were formerly converted to christianity by illiterate perfons; and fo few at prefent, by men of learning." But finding a formidable oppofition*raised against his design of affuming the character of *This oppofition was raised by the following incident: In a paffage boat where Boerhaave happened to be, fome difpute was accidentally startedabout the doctrine of Spinoza, as fubversive of all reigion; and one of the paffengers who exerted himself most, oppofing. to this philosopher's pretended mathematical demonstrations only the loud invectives of a blind zeal, Boerhaave asked him calmly, "whenk |