which are a mere sport of genius, written without the least connection with Hobbes, and contain no defence or illustration of his pernicious doctrine, which, however, did not appear at that time to be so pernicious. And the sincere and lasting intimacies he maintained with Skinner, Fell, South, Allestree, Aldrich, and several others, are alone an unanswerable refutation of this unfavourable imputation. He died in his eighty-fourth year, June 14, 1704. He had been blind for some time; and his death was occasioned by a fracture of his thigh, while he was walking in the garden, which, on the failure of his eyes, became his favourite and only amusement. Under this malady he languished for several days in acute agonies. It is said that at first, and for some time, he refused to submit to the operations of the surgeon, declaring in his tortures, that there was no marrow in the bones of an old man. He had lost his memory a year or two before his death, of which Mr. Warton has given an instance which we could have wished he had suppressed. He was interred on the south side of the antichapel of Trinity college without the least appearance of pomp and extravagance, according to his own appointment. He left legacies in his will to his friends, servants, and the college, to the amount of near 1000l. As to his character, it is observed that his temperance in eating and drinking, particularly the latter, was singular and exemplary. Amidst his love of the polite arts, he had a strong aversion to music, and discountenanced and despised the study of all external accomplishments, as incompatible with the academical character. His behaviour in general was inoffensive and obliging. The cast of his conversation was rather satirical, but mixed with mirth and pleasantry. He was remarkably fond of young company, and indefatigable in his encouragement of a rising genius. John Philips was one of his chief favourites, whose "Splen'did Shilling" was a piece of solemn ridicule suited to his taste. Among his harmless whims, he delighted to surprize the scholars, when walking in the grove at unseasonable hours; on which occasions he frequently carried a whip in his hand, an instrument of academical correction, then not entirely laid aside. But this he practised, on account of the pleasure he took in giving so odd an alarm, rather than from any principle of reproving, or intention of applying an illiberal punishment. In Latin poetry, Ovid was his favourite classic. One of his pupils having asked

"His

him what book among all others he chose to recommend! he answered, "Ovid's Metamorphoses." The pupil, in consequence of this advice, having carefully perused the Metamorphoses, desired to be informed what other proper book it would be necessary to read after Ovid, and Dr. Bathurst advised him to read "Ovid's Metamorphoses" a second time. He had so mean an opinion of his performances in divinity, that in his will he enjoins his executors entirely to suppress all his papers relating to that subject, and not to permit them to be perused by any, excepting a very few such friends as were likely to read them with candour. We are told, however, that on Sunday, March 20, 1680, he preached before the house of commons at St. Mary's, the university church, and gave much satisfaction, His manner was nearly that of Dr. South, but with more elegance and felicity of allusion. His Life, written by Mr. Thomas Warton, is perhaps one of the most correct of that author's performances, and contains Dr. Bathurst's miscellaneous works, which, though they have great merit in their particular way, and may be read with much pleasure, are not written in such a taste as entitles them to imitation. This is acknowledged by Mr. Warton. Latin orations," says that ingenious Biographer, "are wonderful specimens of wit and antithesis, which were the delight of his age. They want upon the whole the purity and simplicity of Tully's eloquence, but even exceed the sententious smartness of Seneca, and the surprising turns of Pliny. They are perpetually spirited, and discover an uncommon quickness of thought. His manner is concise and abrupt, but yet perspicuous and easy. His allusions are delicate, and his observations sensible and animated. His sentiments of congratulation or indignation are equally forcible his compliments are most elegantly turned, and his satire is most ingeniously severe. These compositions are extremely agreeable to read, but in the present improvement of classical taste, not so proper to be imitated. They are moreover entertaining, as a picture of the times, and a history of the state of academical literature. This smartness does not desert our author even on philosophical subjects." Among Dr. Bathurst's Oratiuncula, his address to the convocation, about forming the barbers of Oxford into a company, is a most admirable specimen of his humour, and of that facetious invention, with which few vice-chancellors would have ventured to enforce and en

liven such a subject. We doubt, indeed, whether a parallel to this exquisite piece of humour can be found. With regard to the doctor's Latin poetry, though his hexameters have an admirable facility, an harmonious versification, much terseness and happiness of expression, and a certain original air, they will be thought, nevertheless, too pointed and ingenious by the lovers of Virgil's simple beauties. The two poems which he hath left in iambics make it to be wished that he had written more in that measure. "That pregnant brevity," says Mr. Warton, "which constitutes the dignity and energy of the iambic, seems to have been his talent." Dr. Bathurst's English poetry has that roughness of versification which was, in a great degree, the fault of the times. '

BATMAN, or BATEMAN (STEPHEN), ranked among the old English poets of the sixteenth century, was a native of Somersetshire, and born at Bruton, in that county, where he was educated. He afterwards went to Cambridge, and studied philosophy and divinity, and when in orders acquired the character of a learned and pious preacher. It is in his favour that he was long domestic chaplain to archbishop Parker, whom he assisted in the collecting of books and MSS. and informs us himself that within the space of four years, he had added six thousand seven hundred books to the archbishop's library. This information we have in his "Doom." Speaking of the archbishop, under the year 1575, the year he died, he adds, "with whom books remained (although the most part, according to the time, superstitious and fabulous, yet) some worthy the view and safe-keeping, gathered within four years, of divinity, astronomy, history, physic, and others of sundry arts and sciences. (as I can truly avouch, having his grace's commission, whereunto his hand is yet to be seen) six thousand seven hundred books, by my own travel, whereof choice being taken, he most graciously bestowed many on Corpus Christi college in Cambridge, &c." In 1574, he was rector of Merstham in Surrey, and afterwards, being then D. D. chaplain to Henry lord Hunsdon, to whom he dedicated his translation of "Bartholomæus de proprietatibus rerum," Lond. 1582, fol. The other work above-mentioned is entitled "The Doom, warning all men to judgment: wherein are contained for the most part all the strange prodigies

Life by Warton.-Biog. Brit.-Wood's Ath. vol. II.-Hist, of Oxford, vol. II,

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happened in the world, with divers secret figures of revelation, gathered in the manner of a general chronicle out of approved authors, by Stephen Batman, professor in divinity," London, 1581, 4to. It appears to be a translation of Lycosthenes "De prodigiis et ostentis," with additions from the English chronicles. He published also "A christall glass of Christian reformation, wherein the godly may behold the coloured abuses used in this our present time," London, 1569, 4to, with some pieces of poetry interspersed. Mr. Ritson mentions another of his publications in the same year, but without place or printer's name, called "The travayled Pilgrime, bringing newes from all partes of the worlde, such like scarce harde of before," 4to. This Mr. Ritson describes as an allegorico-theological romance of the life of man, imitated from the French or Spanish, in verse of fourteen syllables. His other works, enumerated by Tanner, are, "Joyfull news out of Helvetia from Theophrastus Paracelsus, declaring the ruinate fall of the Papal Dignitie; also a treatise against Usury," Lond. 1575, 8vo. "A preface before John Rogers, displaying of the family of Love," 1579, 8vo. "Of the arrival of the three Graces into England, lamenting the abuses of this present age," London, 4to, no date. "Golden book of the leaden gods," Lond. 1577, 4to, mentioned by Mr. Warton as one of the first of those descriptions of the heathen gods, called a Pantheon. "Notes to Leland's Assertio Arthuri, translated by Rich. Robinson," Lond. no date. Batman died in 1587. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to add that his works are now rarely to be met with, particularly the "Doom," which had a great many wooden cuts of monsters, prodigies, &c. His "Christall glass" and the "Golden book" are in the British Museum. 1

BATMANSON (JOHN), a Roman catholic divine of the sixteenth century, was at first a monk, and afterwards. prior of the Carthusian monastery or Charter-house, in the suburbs of London. For some time he studied divinity at Oxford; but it does not appear that he took any degree in that faculty. He was intimately acquainted with, and a great favourite of, Edward Lee, archbishop of York; at whose request he wrote against Erasmus and Luther. He died on the 16th of November 1531, and was buried in the

1 Tanner Bibl. principally from Holinshed.-Ritson's Bibl. Poet.-Herbert's Edit. of Ames.

chapel belonging to the Charter-house. Pits gives him the character of a man of quick and discerning genius; of great piety and learning, and fervent zeal; much conversant in the study of the scriptures; and that led an angelical life among men. Bale, on the contrary, represents him as a proud, forward, and arrogant person; born for disputing and wrangling; and adds, that Erasmus, in one of his letters to Richard bishop of Winchester, styles him an ignorant fellow, encouraged by Lee, and vain-glorious even to madness, but Bale allows that he was a very clear sophist, or writer. "John Batmanson," Mr. Warton observes, "controverted Erasmus's Commentary on the New Testament with a degree of spirit and erudition, which was unhappily misapplied, but would have done honour to the cause of his antagonist, in respect to the learning displayed." Dodd says that he revised the two works against Erasmus and Luther, and corrected several unguarded expressions. Others say that he retracted both, the titles of which were, 1. "Animadversiones in Annotationes Erasmi in Novum Testamentum." 2. "A Treatise against some of M. Luther's writings." The rest of his works were, 3. "Commentaria in Proverbia Salomonis." 4. " in Cantica Canticorum." 5. "De unicâ Magdalenâ, contra Fabrum Stapulensem." 6. "Institutiones Noviciorum." 7. "De contemptu Mundi." 8. "De Christo duodenni;" A Homily on Luke ii. 42. 9. "On the words Missus est," &c. None of his biographers give the dates of these publications, and some of them, we suspect, were never printed.

BATONI (POMPEO), one of the greatest painters of the last century, was born Feb. 5, 1708, at Lucca. His father, a goldsmith, devoted him to that art, to which he had but little inclination. It afforded him, however, occasion to exercise himself in drawing, and to exhibit his excellent talent for painting, and the first specimen of his skill which attracted notice was a golden cup of exquisite workmanship, which he executed so satisfactorily, that his capacity was thought to be far superior to the trade of a goldsmith: and, at the instance of his godfather Alexander Quinigi, several patriotic noblemen agreed to send him to the Roman academy of painting, at their common expence. We are told that until he had reached his seventh year, he was

'Biog. Brit.-Tanner.-Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Warton's Hist. of Poetry, vol. II. 447.-Dodd's Ch, History, vol. I,

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