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UNIVERSAL, HISTORICAL, and LITERARY

DICTIONARY,

H

of Bowyer,

EATH (THOMAS), an alderman of Exeter, and Anecdotes father of John Heath, Efq; one of the judges of the by Nichols, Common-pleas, was author of "An Effay towards p. 257. a new English Verfion of the Book of Job, from the original Hebrew, with fome account of his Life, 1755," 8vo. His brother BENJAMIN, a lawyer of eminence, and town-clerk of Exeter, was likewife an author; and wrote, 1. "An Effay towards a demonftrative Proof of "the Divine Exiftence, Unity, and Attributes; to which is "premifed, a fhort Defence of the Argument commonly called ❝ à priori, 1740 [a]." 2. "The Cafe of the County of "Devon with refpect to the Confequences of the new Excife "Duty on Cyder and Perry. Published by the direction of "the Committee appointed at a General Meeting of that County to fuperintend the Application for the Repeal of "that Duty, 1763," 4to [B]. 3. " Note five Lectiones "ad Tragicorum Græcorum veterum, fchyli, &c. 1752," 4to; a work which places the author's learning and critical fkill in a very confpicuous light. A principal object of the publication was to reftore the metre of the Grecian Tragic Poets. It is much to be regretted that the diftafte for ancient learning, which for fome years paft hath prevailed in this country, fhould have left it for foreigners to appreciate this work according to its intrinfic value. The fame folidity of judgement apparent in the preceding, diftinguished the au

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[A] This pamphlet was dedicated to Dr. Oliver of Bath, and is to be ranked amongst the ableft defences of Dr. Clarke's, or rather Mr. Howe's, hypothefis; for it appears to be taken from Howe's "Living Temple." [B] To this reprefentation of the

VOL. VII.

B

circumftances peculiar to Devonshire,
the repeal of the act is greatly to be
afcribed. The piece indeed was confi-
dered as fo well-timed a service to the
public, that Mr. Heath received fome

honourable notice on account of it at

a general meeting of the county.

thor's

Anecdotes of Hogarth,

communi

cations.

Sir John
Hawkins's

thor's laft production; 4. " A Revifal of Shakspeare's Text, "wherein the alterations introduced into it by the more "modern editors and critics are particularly confidered, 1765," 8vo. It appears from the lift of Oxford graduates, that Mr. Benjamin Heath was created D. C. L. by diploma, March 31, 1762.

66

HEIDEGGER (JOHN JAMES), was the fon of a clerby Nichols, gyman, and a native of Zurich in Switzerland, where he p. 134; im- married, but left his country in confequence of an intrigue. proved by Having had an opportunity of vifiting the principal cities of fubfequent Europe, he acquired a tafte for elegant and refined pleafures, which, united to a ftrong inclination for voluptuoufnefs, by degrees qualified him for the management of public amufements. In 1708, when he was near 50 years old, he came to England on a negotiation from the Swifs at Zurich; but, failing in his embaffy, he entered as a private foldier in the guards for protection. By his fprightly, engaging converfa tion, and infinuating addrefs, he foon worked himself into the good graces of our young people of fafhion; from whom he obtained the appellation of "the Swifs Count [A].” He Hiftory of had the addrefs to procure a fubfcription, with which in 1709 Mufic, Vol. he was enabled to furnish out the opera of "Thomyris [B]," V. p. 142. which was written in English, and performed at the queen's theatre in the Haymarket. The mufic, however, was Italian; that is to fay, airs felected from fundry of the foreign operas by Bononcini, Scarlatti, Steffani, Gafparini, and Albinoni. Moft of the fongs in "Thomyris" were excellent, thofe by Bononcini efpecially: Valentini, Margarita, and Mrs. Tofts fung in it; and Heidegger by this performance alone was a gainer of 500 guineas [c]. The judicious, remarks he made on feveral defects in the conduct of our operas in general, and the hints he threw out for improving the entertainments of the royal theatre, foon eftablished his character as a good critic. Appeals were made to his judgement; and fome very magnificent and elegant decorations, introduced upon the ftage in confequence of his advice, gave fuch fatisfaction to George II. who was fond of operas, that, upon being informed to whofe genius he was indebted for thefe improvements, his majefty was pleafed from that time

[A] He is twice noticed under this title in the "Tatler," Nos. 12. and 18; and in Mr. Duncombe's " Collection of "Letters of feveral eminent Perfons "deceafed," is a humorous dedication of Mr. Hughes's Vifion of

"Chaucer," to "the Swifs Count.”

[B] There was another opera of the fame name, by Peter Motteux, in 1719. [c]Thomyris" and "Camila" were both revived in 1726; but neither of them then fucceeded.

to countenance him, and he foon obtained the chief management of the Opera-houfe in the Haymarket. He then fet about improving another fpecies of diverfion, not lefs agreeable to the king, which was the mafquerades, and over thefe he always prefided at the king's theatre. He was likewife appointed mafter of the revels. The nobility now careffed him fo much, and had such an opinion of his tafte, that all fplendid and elegant entertaintments given by them upon particular occafions, and all private affemblies by fubfcription, were fubmitted to his direction [D].

From the emoluments of thefe feveral employments, he gained a regular confiderable income, amounting, it is faid, in fome years, to 5000l. which he spent with much liberality; particularly in the maintenance of perhaps a fomewhat too luxurious table; fo that it may be faid, he raifed an income, but never a fortune. His foibles, however, if they deferve fo harsh a name, were completely "covered" by his " charity," which was boundless [E],

That he was a good judge of mufic, appears from his opera: but this is all that is known of his mental abilities [F]; unles we add, what we have good authority for faying in honour to his memory, that he walked from Charing-crofs to Temple-bar, and back again; and when he came home, wrote down every fign on cach fide the Strand.

As to his perfon, though he was tall and well made, it was not very pleafing, from an unusual hardness of features [G]. But he was the first to joke upon his own uglinefs; and he once laid a wager with the earl of Chesterfield, that, within a certain given time, his lordship would not be

[D] The writer of this note has been favoured with the fight of an amethyst fnuff-box fet in goid, prefented to Heidegger in 1731, by the duke of Lorrain, afterwards emperor of Germany, which Heidegger very highly valued, and bequeathed to his executar Lewis Way, Efq; of Richmond, and which is now (July 1784) in the potterfion of his fon Eenjamin Way, Efq;

[E] After a fuccefsful mafquerade, he has been known to give away feveral hundred pounds at a time. "You know poor objects of diftrefs better "than I do," he would, frequently fay to the father of the gentleman who furnishes this anecdote. "Be "fo kind as to give away this mo 66 ney for me." This well-known liberality, perhaps, contributed much to

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[G] There is a metzotinto of Heidegger by J. Faber, 1742, (other copies dated 1749) from a painting by Vanloo, a ftriking likenefs, now (1784) in the poffeffion of Peter Crawford, Efq. His face is alfo introduced in more than one of Hogarth's prints. B 2

able

able to produce so hideous a face in all London. After strict fearch, a woman was found, whofe features were at first fight thought ftronger than Heidegger's; but, upon clapping her head-dress upon himself, he was univerfally allowed to have won the wager. Jolly, a well-known taylor, carrying his bill to a noble duke; his grace, for evafion, faid, "Damn your ugly "face, I never will pay you till you bring me an uglier fellow "than yourself!" Jolly bowed and retired, wrote a letter, and fent it by a fervant to Heidegger; faying, "his grace wifh"ed to fee him the next morning on particular business." Heidegger attended, and Jolly was there to meet him; and in confequence, as foon as Heidegger's vifit was over, Jolly received the cafh.

The late facetious duke of Montagu (the memorable author of the bottle conjuror at the theatre in the Haymarket) gave an entertainment at the Devil-tavern, Temple-bar, to feveral of the nobility and gentry, felecting the moft convivial, and a few hard-drinkers, who were all in the plot. Heidegger was invited, and in a few hours after dinner was made fo dead drunk that he was carried out of the room, and laid infenfible upon a bed. A profound fleep enfued; when the late Mrs. Salmon's daughter was introduced, who took a mould from his face in plafter of Paris. From this a mask was made, and a few days before the next masquerade (at which the king promised to be present, with the countess of Yarmouth) the duke made application to Heidegger's valet de chambre, to know what fuit of cloaths he was likely to wear; and then procuring a fimilar drefs, and a perfon of the fame ftature, he gave him his inftructions. On the evening of the masquerade, as foon as his majefty was feated (who was always known by the conductor of the entertainment and the officers of the court, though concealed by his dress from the company) Heidegger, as ufual, ordered the mufic to play "God fave the King," but his back was no fooner turned, than the falfe Heidegger ordered them to ftrike up "Charly over the Water." The whole company were inftantly thunderftruck, and all the courtiers, not in the plot, were thrown into a ftupid confternation. Heidegger flew to the mufic-gallery, fwore, ftamped, and raved, accufed the muficians of drunkennefs, or of being fet on by fome fecret enemy to ruin him. The king and the counters laughed fo immoderately, that they hazarded a discovery. While Heidegger ftayed in the gallery, "God fave the King" was the tune; but when, after fetting matters to rights, he retired to one of the dancing-rooms, to observe if decorum was kept by the company, the counterfeit ftepping forward,

and

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