life; and is thus related by Dr. Young. "After a long and patient, but vain ftruggle with his mortal diforder, he difmiffed his phyficians, and with them all hopes of life; but his regard for the living was as warm as in his gayeft, happiest hours. The young earl of Warwick, his fon in law," was hurried away by youthful paffions," and Addifon had endeavoured in vain to reclaim him. He fent for him, when the flame of life was just glimmering in the focket-The earl came, and after a decent pause, "Dear Sir, you sent for me I believe, and hope you have fome commands ; I fhall hold them moft facred." Forcibly grafping his hand, Addison foftly replied, " See in what peace a chriftian can die." He articulated this with difficulty. His pulfe forgot to beat—He expired.”* Dr. Johnson obferves, that " As a teacher of wisdom Addison may be confidently followed. His religion has nothing in it enthusiastic or superftitious; he appears neither weakly credulous nor wantonly sceptical; his morality is neither dangerously lax nor impracticably rigid. All the enchantment of fancy, and all the cogency of argument are employed to recommend to the reader his real intereft, the care of pleafing the author of his being. Truth is fhewn fometimes in the phantom of a vifion; fometimes appears half veiled in an allegory; fometimes attracts regard in the robes of fancy, and sometimes fteps forth in the confidence of reafon. She wears a thoufand dreffes, and in all is pleasing." It is remarked by Mr. Tickel, that " he employed wit on thefide of virtue and religion." He not only made the proper ufe of wit himself, but taught it to others; and from his time it has been generally fubfervient to the cause of rea * June 17, 1719. fon and of truth. He has diffipated the prejudice that had long connected gaiety with vice, and eafinefs of manners with laxity of principles. He has reftored virtue to its dignity, and taught innocence not to be ashamed. This is an elevation of literary character above all Greek, above all Roman fame. No greater felicity can genius attain, than that of having purified intellectual pleasure, separated mirth from indecency, and wit from licentioufnefs; of having taught a fucceffion of writers to bring elegance and gaiety to the fide of goodnefs; and if I may ufe expreffions yet more awful, of having turned many to righteousness." Biographia Britannica, Vol. I.—Johnson's Lives of the Poets.-Young's Works. LORD BARRINGTON. JOHN SHUTE, a learned and ingenious author, was defcended from worthy ancestors, who were diftinguished for their zeal in the caufe of liberty. He was born in 1678; and early exhibited an extraordinary genius, which was improved by a pious and liberal education. Having completed his academical exercises at Utrecht, he returned to England, and studied law at the Inner Temple. At the age of twenty four, he was applied to by Queen Anne's whig ministry to engage the prefbyterians in Scotland to favour the important measure then in agitation, of a union of the two kingdoms. His fuccefsful execution of this arduous employment was rewarded by the place of commif. Lioner of the cuftoms in 1708. Several other honourable and profitable employments were offered him, which he declined to accept. His happy talent in conversation rendered him extremely agreeable to persons of taste and information. He was highly esteemed by Mr. Locke, Newton, and other eminent men; and was adopted by two gentlemen of large eftate and distinguished worth; from the latter of whom, Francis Barrington, Efq. he took the name of Barrington, and was created a peer of Ireland by George 1. From a juft perfuafion of his inflexible attachment to the civil and religious liberties of his country, he was chofen a member of parliament; and zealously laboured for the extenfion of liberty and rational religion. Lord Barrington generally attended divine worship, and received the facrament with the diffenters. The interefts of virtue and piety were ever near his heart, and the contemplations which afforded him the highest pleasure were of the Supreme Being, his moral government, particular providence, and difpenfations to mankind. After his retirement from public employments, he devoted his time to the Atudy of the facred oracles. He died at his feat in Berkfhire, after a fhort illness, December 4, 1734, in the fixty fixth year of his age. This excellent man evinced by his writings, that he had ftudied the Scriptures with great attention. In 1725, he published in two volumes, his Miscellanea Sacra ;* or a new method of confidering fo much of the hiftory of the Apof His fon, Dr. Shute Barrington, bishop of Salisbury, in 1776, republished his father's Miscellanea Sacra, in three volumes, with many illustrations and improvements. tles, as is contained in the Scripture; in an abstract of their history, an abridgement of that abstract, and four critical effays. In this work. the author has traced the methods taken by the apoftles and first preachers of the gospel for fpreading chriftianity, and explained the feveral gifts of the fpirit, by which they were enabled to discharge their office. These he improved into an argument for the truth of the christian religion; which is faid to have ftaggered the infidelity of Mr. Anthony Collins. In 1725, he published “An Essay on the several Dispensations of God to mankind, in the order in which they lie in the Bible; or a short fyftem of the Religion of Nature and Scripture, &c." In 1731, he gave the world a Difcourfe of Natural and Revealed Religion, and the relation they bear to each other. It has been obferved, that "as a writer in theology he had great merit, and contributed much to the diffusing of that spirit of free fcriptural criticism, which has fince been adopted among all denominations of chriftians. As his attention was chiefly directed to the ftudy of divinity, he had a ftrong sense of the importance of free inquiry on religious fubjects." Lord Barrington not only defended the truth of chriftianity by his writings; but earneftly endeavoured to conform his life to its precepts. His conjugal friendship and affection were inviolable and manly; he was a tender parent, and particularly attentive to the religious education of his children; he was a zealous friend; and exhibited the christian spirit of forgiving injuries; in fhort, he was a ftrict obferver of the laws of God and his country; a fhining example of fobriety, regularity, and juftice; a terrour to evil doers; a moft beneficent pattern of afflict ed virtue, and an able advocate for the juft and natural rights of mankind; religious without enthusiasm, zealous without bigotry, and learned without pedantry. The excellence of his life, and his vindication of divine Revelation unite to render his name immortal. General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. II.-European LORD PRESIDENT FORBES. DUNCAN FORBES, an eminent Scottish lawyer, was born at Culloden, in the county of Inverness, in the year 1685, and educated in the university of Edinburg, whence he removed to Utrecht, and afterwards to Paris, where he ftudied the civil law. He returned in 1710, to Scotland, and was called to the bar in the court of feffion. His abilities as an advocate were foon noticed, and he obtain. ed great practice. In 1717, he was appointed folicitor general of Scotland. In 1722, he was returned member for the county of Inverness; and in 1725, was promoted to the dignity of lord advocate. He was farther advanced in 1742, to be lord prefident of the court of sesfion, in which high ftation he acted with fuch integrity, that he was esteemed and honoured by his country. During the rebellion in 1745, and 6, he used the utmost of his power to oppofe the pretender, and mortgaged his eftate to support the government. With great reafon he applied to the miniftry for a repayment of those expences which he had incurred by his loyalty, and their refusal is faid to have operated fo ftrongly upon his mind, as to |