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ONCERNING this Gentleman there is little to inform the Public, except what relates to his literary character, which, notwithstanding one act of imprudence, ftands fufficiently high to merit every respect that the poffeffor of it may claim on account of very uncommon endowments.

He was, if we are not misinformed, originally intended for an employment totally alien to literature, but being difcovered by a benevolent perfon to poffefs both industry and talents, together with a strong attachment to learning, he was removed from his obfcure fituation to the University of Oxford, and placed at Wadham College, where his improvement in what was taught at that place foon proved to his patrons, that he was not undeferving of the attention which had been fhewn him. On the 19th of February 1773, he took the degree of Master of Arts, and by the recommendation of Dr. Moore, now Archbishop of Canterbury, having bent his attention to the study of the Oriental languages, he foon acquired fo extenfive an acquaintance with them, that in 1775 he was appointed Laudian Profeffor of Arabic; and, on this honour being conferred on him, pronounced an Oration which was afterwards published under the title of "De Utilitate Lingua Arabice in Studiis Theologicis Oratio; habita Oxonii in Schola Linguarum VII. id. Aprilis, 1775," 4to. 1776, intended to evince the importance and utility of the Arabic language, and to promote the Atudy of it among men of fcience in general, and divines in particular. He had before been chofen Fellow of his College.

His next performance was the publi cation of the Syriac Philoxenian Version of the four Gospels, with a Latin Tranflation, under the title of "Sacrorum Evangeliorum Verfio Syriaca Philoxeniana Ex. Codd. MSS. Ridleianis in Bibl. Coll. Nov. Oxon, Repofitis, nunc primum edita, cum Interpretatione et Annotationibus Jofephi White," &c. 2 vols. 4to. 1778, and about the fame time (Nov. 15, 1778) preached an excellent Sermon which he foon afterwards printed, entitled "A Revital of the English Tranflation of the Old Teftament recommended. To which is added fome Account of an ancient Syriac Translation of great Part of Origen's Hexaplar Edition of the LXX. lately difcovered in the Ambrofian Library at Milan," 4to. He was alfo about this time appointed one of the Whitehall preachers.

The next year (1780) he published "A Specimen of the Civil and Military Inftitutes of Timour, or Tamerlane: a work written originally by that celebrated Conqueror in the Mogul language, and fince tranflated into Perfian. Now first rendered from the Perfian into English from a MS. in the poffeffion of William Hunter, M. D. with other Pieces," 4to. and in 1783 the complete work was publifhed, tranflated by Major Davy, with Preface, Indexes, Geographical Notes, &c. &c. by Dr. White, in one volume 4to.

In Easter Term 1783 he was appointed Bampton Lecturer, and immediately drew out a plan of the Lectures in the masterly manner it now appears before the world. To complete his plan he foon faw that it was expedient to avail himfelf of the best Аааг

aid

aid he could procure, and accordingly in November that year, finding himself prefled for time, he mentioned the difficulty he laboured under to Mr. Badcock, and requested his advice and affittance; engaging.. as he was not a perfon in affluent circumstances, to remunerate him for the trouble he should bettow on the work. Accordingly he received fome important aid from that Gentleman, which, in fo arduous a work as Dr. White was engaged in, would have taken little from his merit, had it been openly avowed. Unluckily, our Author tock fome pains to conceal Mr. Badcock's fare in the Lectures, and this circumstance we consider as the fingle act of imprudence to which we have already alluded. Admitting every article which Mr. Badcock contributed, there will till remain fo large a proportion of the work to be placed to Dr. White's account, as to leave him poffeffed of the reputation to be derived from the work itself, with very little abatement.

In 1784 the Lectures were preached, and the fame of them foon spread through the University, and in a short time reached London. They were univerfally applauded, and in the fame year were prited in 8vo. The brilliancy of the ityle, the novelty of the manner, and the power of argument produced in favour of the Chriftian religion, attracted the notice of the learned, and foon pointed out Dr. White as a perfon deferving of the patronage of the highest law officer in the kingdom. He was accordingly promoted to a prebend in the Cathedral Church of Gloucester, a fituation lucrative and honourable to the poffeffor, placing him in a ftate of independance, much to the credit of the patron.

I

SIR,

Soon after, our Author took the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and continued in poffeflion of the reputation he had acquired by the Sermons until the death of Mr. Badcock in May 1788, when a note from Dr. White to him for 500l. being found among Mr. Badcock's papers, the compofition of the Lectures became a subject much agitated both in converfation and in print. The object of the note for fo large a fum was alfo much canvassed. By Dr. White and his friends, it was faid to have been depofited in Mr. Badcock's hands as a flcurity for fome future afliftance which he was to afford Dr. White, but never executed, in an intended vertion of Abdellatif's History of Egypt, of which he had tranflated a confiderable part. By the reprefentatives of Mr. Badcock, the payment was claimed for affiftance already afforded in the compofition of the Lectures. Much warmth was fhewn on both fides, but that part of the difpute was foon ended by Dr. White's agreeing to pay the money claimed. Still, however, the fhare of Mr. Badcock in the compofition of the Lectures was litigated, which obliged Dr. White to publish a pamphlet, entitled "A Statement of Dr. White's Literary Obligations to the late Rev. Mr. Samuel Badcock, and the Rev. Samuel Parr, LL. D." 8vo. 1790, which put an end to the controverfy.

Since that period Dr. White has mar. ried, and has obtained a living in Norfolk, on which he at prefent relides, where we hope he will employ himself in finishing the works he had in hand when the above illiberal controverfy drew his attention to other objects of leis importance, leis at least to the world at large.

Hearing from him that my Lord his Father had made mention of the Doctor in fome MSS. papers now in his pol

feffion, he did me the favour to fend me part of them on Sunday laft, to tranicribe what I thought fit and proper for this purpose. I will le you into the fecret: That excellent wile and truly pious Lord in his double banishment, among other vaft heapes of his compofitions, of which his incompatble Hiftory lately publified is but a part, wrote Contemplat.on and Reflexions on the Book of Pfalmes, which he began at Jerfey 26 Dec. 1647; which good and great worke he was forced to ay aude through the multiplicity of bufeines that continualy palfed through his hands, and did not, and indeed could not, to his great forrow and trouble of mind, refume till after his fecond profcription. When his other ftudye, and his freedome from ficknes and paine of the gout, would suffer him, he finished it at Montpelier in the latter end of the yeare alto: before which he has perfixed an Epiftolar Addresse, if I may so call it, or Dedication to his Children, giving an account of his whole performance, in which he has given alfo a full proofe and demonstration, that he was as eminent for his exalted and wife piety and devotion, for his wite and profound actione of religion and theology, and for his practiles of all Chriftian graces and virtues, as for his admirable knowledge in affaires of civil prudence, and in matter of ftate and government. In this epiftle, dated 18.28 February, I find the follow. ing words, wherein he gives a great character of the good Doctor:

And in one relpect I had much more reafon to dedicate a felect part of my time to fome pious recollections of one unhappy chicumitance which accompanyes

SIR,

THE

this my fecond banishment, which I did not fuitaine on my former, when I was never without the daily exercife of my Feligion in a congregation of the fame faith, performed v teme learned Devine of the Church of England; as during the time of my Ainbany in 8, aine, I had a worthy and learned Chaplaine, and he dyed a little before I came from thence, who both preached, and prayed, and adminiftred the facrament to my family, according to the ordinances of that Church.

When the prefent noble Earle did me the bonour and favour, feveral years fince, to fhew me this excellent manufcript, after a carefull infpection and reading feveral parts of the divine meditations, I was then fully fatisfyed and convinced, and am ftil more and more, that no booke, written by whomfoever, can conduce more to the advancement, or indeed retrieving of godlines and virtuc, which, generally speaking, feeme to be quite loft in this corrupt and wicked age and I hope my Lord wil at last be prevayled upon to make it public for the common good *. I give you many thankes for that part of Dr. Cofins letter to Mr. Gunning, written in 1657 from Paris, which you thought fit to tran fcribe. I wish that it had been entire. If you have any more of Bp. Cofins letters and papers by you, I mall look upon it as a great obligation, if you will pleate

:

to communicate them to

Sir,

Your most faithfull & humble Servant, T. S.

Lond. 23 Jan. 1706-7.

HE Account of Mr. de la Cour in your Magazine for July, page 301, is very correct, for I once knew him perfonally, and teftify the truth of what has been laid of him in refpect of his private life. It has been faid, that "great wits are allied to madness," and it has often proved fo.-I remember often feeing him in a morning, walking with the officers of the main guard (near the Exchange at Cork), to and fro in the front of the line, in his canonical habit, i.e. gown and band, which he generally

wore, although I never knew that he had any benefice, or that he ever preached in any of the Churches at Cork. He wore his hat cocked after the then clerical mode, and a dark brown flowing curled wig, which I do not remember ever to have seen powdered. He was, as you fay, generally called the mad Parion; but by the vulgar, Mr. Dallycote. He was of French extraction, and, if I remember right, had used to write his name De la Court. His evenings were generally ipent at the Blakeney Tavern, among young thoughtlets military officers,

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