nour. by the name of a Mufe: and this has given birth to two difquifitions among the learned, firft, whether they were so called by Herodotus himself; and fecondly, for what reason they were fo called. As to the firft, it is generally agreed that Herodotus did not impose these names himself, but it is not agreed why they were impofed by others. Lucian, in the place referred to above, tells us, that those names were given them by the Grecians at the Olympic games, when they were first recited, as the best compliment that could be paid the man who had taken pains to do them so much hoOthers have thought, that the name of Mufes have been fixed upon them by way of reproach, and were defigned to intimate, that Herodotus, instead of true hiftory, had written a great deal of fable. But be this as it will: with regard to the truth of his hiftory, it is well known that he has been accused by several authors. Thucydides is fuppofed to have had him in his eye, though he only speaks of authors in general, when he blames those hiftories which were written for no other end but to divert the reader. Strabo accufes Geograph. Herodotus particularly of this fault, and fays, that he trifles very agreeably, interweaving extraordinary events with his narration, by way of ornament. Juvenal likewise aims at him in that memorable paffage: Thucyd. HiA. l. i. 1. xvii. Sat. X. Jugemens siens Grecs & Latins. "Velificatus Athos, & quicquid Græcia mendax But none have ventured to attack him with fo much freedom of Herodotus ;" in which he accufes the hiftorian, fays des Hifto- La Mothe le Vayer, of having maliciously taxed the honour, not only of the Thebans and Corinthians, but almost all the Greeks, out of partiality to the Medes, and in order to raife the glory of his country higher in the person of Artemifia queen of Halicarnaffus; whofe heroic actions in the battle of Salamis he fo exaggerates, that this princefs alone takes up the greatest part of the narration. Plutarch indeed confefles, that it is one of the best written and most agreeable pieces that can be read; but adds, that amidit the charms of his narrative, he makes his readers fwallow the poifon of detraction; and he compares the malignity he imputes to him, to cantharides covered with rofes. Some think Plutarch's &c. Plutarch's criticism is written with all the ill-nature which he ascribes to Herodotus: but, fays the author juft cited, "I La Mothe "have too much veneration for that worthy master of Tra- le Vayer, "jan, to be fully fatisfied with fuch an answer; and, to say "the truth, it is hard to confider, how Herodotus speaks of "Themiftocles, especially in his Urania, where he accufes "him of rapines and fecret correspondence with the Perfians, "without believing that Plutarch had reasons for what he "faid." However, Herodotus has not wanted perfons to defend him: Aldus Manutius, Joachim Camerarius, and Henry Stephens, have written apologies for him; and among other things, have very juftly obferved, Camerarius in particular, that he feldom relates any thing of doubtful credit, but produces the authority on which his narration is grounded; and if he has no certain authority to fix it upon, ufes always the terms, ut ferunt, ut ego audivi, &c." "ut And for fear he should be mistaken when he relates any thing wonderful, he declares exprefsly of a particular in his "Poly66 hymnia," what he defires may be applied to his history in general, that " though he thinks it right to relate what he "has heard, yet he is far from believing, or delivering as "true and well-grounded facts, all which he relates." As Polyb. e. for those relations, fuch as feeing the fun on the northern 152. and fide of the heavens, and other things which paffed for natu- Proem. in ral wonders among the ancients, and made him pafs for a Herodotum. fabulous writer, it is well known, that modern voyages and discoveries have abundantly confirmed the truth of many of them. Camerarii De Græc. Hift. Ani mal. 1. viii. c. 18. Befides this hiftory, he promised, in two places of his first book, to write another of Affyria: but this, fays Voffius, Hift. ut was never finished, at least not publifhed; otherwife it would fupra. have been mentioned probably by fome of the ancient writers. Not but Ariftotle, fays he, has blamed Herodotus for faying, that an eagle drank during the fiege of Nineveh, "because that bird was known never to drink :" which paffage, not being found in the nine books extant, has made fome imagine, that Ariftotle took it from the history of Affyria. But this is hardly a fufficient proof; not to mention, that where Ariftotle mentions this mistake, fome read Hefiod inftead of Herodotus. There is afcribed alfo to Herodotus a" Life of Homer," which is ufually printed at the end of his works; but, as Voffius obferves, there is no probability that this was written by the hiftorian, because the author of that Life does not agree with him about the time when the poet lived; for he fays, that Homer flourished about 168 years years after the Trojan war, and 622 years before Xerxes's expedition into Greece: but Herodotus in his "Euterpe" affirms, that Homer and Hefiod preceded him 400 years, and confequently flourished a much longer time after the taking landri An- of Troy. Befides, the ftyle of this piece is very different notationes from that of Herodotus; and the author mentions several things of Homer, which do not at all agree with what the ancients have faid of that poet. Vide Xi. in Plutar chum de vitaHomeri. Ci Herodotus wrote in the Ionic dialect, and his ftyle and manner have ever been admired by all people of taste. cero in his second book "De Oratore" fays, that "he is fo very eloquent and flowing, that he pleafed him exceed"ingly ;" and in his "Brutus," that "his ftyle is free from "all harshness, and glides along like the waters of a still De legibus, river." He calls him alfo the Father of Hiftory; not 1. 1. Inft. Orat. because he was the most ancient, for there were many before body owns, that there are two hiftorians preferable to the "reft, though extremely different from each other. Thu"cydides is clofe, concife, and fometimes even crouded in "his fentences: Herodotus is fweet, copious, and exube"rant. Thucydides is more proper for men of warm paf"fions; Herodotus for thofe of a fedater turn. Thucy"dides excels in orations: Herodotus in narrations. The ' one is more forcible; the other more agreeable." DiLix. & x. onyfius of Halicarnaffus fays, that Herodotus is the model of the Ionic dialect, as Thucydides is of the Attic: and in his comparison of these two hiftorians, gives almoft throughout the preference to Herodotus. But this determination, we think, will depend a good deal upon the tempers and views of those who read these hiftorians; they, who feek nothing but pleasure and entertainment, will probably like Herodo tus the best; but they who would reap the fruits which juft hiftory always affords, will, in our humble opinion, find their ends better answered by reading Thucydides. There have been several editions of Herodotus; two by Henry Stephens, in 1570 and 1592; one by Gale at London in 1679; and one by Gronovius at Leyden in 1715, which is the last and beft, though not the best printed. HERRING (Dr. THOMAS), was the fon of the Rev. John Herring, rector of Walfoken, in Norfolk; at which place he was born, 1693. He was educated at Wifbech school, in the Ifle of Ely; and at Jefus-college in Cambridge, where he was entered 1710. He was chofen fellow of Corpus-Chrifti-college in 1716; and continued a tutor there upwards of seven years. He entered into priest's orders in 1719, and was fucceffively minifter of Great Shelford, Stow cum Qui, and Trinity in Cambridge. In 1722, Fleetwood, bifhop of Ely, made him his chaplain, and foon after prefented him to Rettindon in Effex, and to the rectory of Barly in Hertfordshire. In 1726, the hon. fociety of Lincoln'sInn chofe him their preacher; and, about the fame time, he took his doctor's degree, and was appointed chaplain in ordinary to his majefty. In 1731, he was prefented to the rectory of Blechingley in Surrey; and, towards the close of the year, promoted to the deanery of Rochester. In 1737, he was confecrated bishop of Bangor; and, in 1743, tranflated to the archiepifcopal fee of York, on the demile of Dr. Blackburn. When the rebellion broke out in Scotland, and the Highlanders defeated the king's troops at Preston-Pans, the archbishop contributed much to remove the general panic, and awaken the nation from its lethargy. He convened the nobility, gentry, and clergy of his diocese, and addressed them in a noble and animated fpeech; which had fuch an effect upon his auditory, that a fubfcription enfued to the amount of 40,000l. and the example was fuccefsfully, followed by the nation in general. On the death of Dr. Potter, in 1747, he was tranflated to the fee of Canterbury. In 1753, he was seized with a violent fever, which brought him to the brink of the grave; and though he did in some measure recover, yet from that time he might be rather faid to languifh, than to live. He retired to Croydon, declined all public business, and faw little other company than his relations and particular friends. After languishing about four years, he expired March 13, 1757; and, agreeably to the exprefs direction of his will, was interred in a private manner, in the vault of Croydon church. He expended upwards of 6000l. in repairing and adorning the palaces and gardens of Lambeth and Croydon. He He poffeffed the virtues of public and private life in a most eminent degree, and was a true friend to civil and religious liberty. In 1763, a volume of his "Sermons on public Occafions" was printed, which bear the strongest marks of unaffected piety and benevolence: and the profits of the edition were given to the treasurer of the London Infirmary, for the use of that charity. There is inferted in the preface an elegy, facred to his memory, by the Rev. Mr. Fawkes. A volume of his "Letters" has also been published by the Rev. Mr. Duncombe. HERVEY (JAMES), an English divine of exemplary virtue and piety, was born at Hardingftone, in Northamptonfhire, 1714; had his education at the grammar-fchool at Northampton, and at Lincoln-college in Oxford. After a refidence of seven years, he left the univerfity; and became, in 1736, curate to his father, then poffeffed of the living of Wefton-Favell. He was afterwards curate at Biddeford, and feveral other places in the Weft. In 1750, at his father's death, he fucceeded to the livings of Welton and Collingtree; which being within five miles of each other, he attended alternately with his curate, till his ill health confined him to Wefton. Here he afterwards conftantly refided, and diligently purfued his labours both in his minifterial office and in his ftudy, as long as poffible, under the difadvantage of a weak conftitution of body. He died on Christmas-day, 1758, in his 45th year. His charity was remarkable. It was always his defire to die juft even with the world, and to be, as he called it, his own executor. His fund almoft expired with his life: what little remained, he defired might be given in warm cloathing to the poor in that fevere feafon. In point of learning, though not in the firft class of scholars, yet he was far from being deficient. He was mafter of the three learned languages, and well read in the claffics. But for a more minute account of every part of his character, we must refer the reader to his life, prefixed to his "Letters" published in two volumes, 8vo. His other writings are, 1. "Meditations and Contempla"tions containing Meditations among the Tombs; Re"flections on a Flower Garden; and a Descant on Cre"ation, 1746," 8vo. He fold the copy, after it had paffed through feveral editions; which fale, and the profits of the former impreffions, amounted to about 7col. The whole of this he gave in charity; faying, that as Providence had bleffed |