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and was interred in Paddington church-yard, leaving a widow and nine children. In the latter part of his life he enjoyed the place of master painter to Chelsea hospital, an appointment conferred on him by Edmund Burke, esq. during his short administration. Barret left some etchings of his performances, the best of which is a view in the Dargles near Dublin. The plates of his etchings were purchased by Mr. Paul Sandby, but no impressions have been taken from them. 1

BARRET, or BARET (JOHN), a scholar of Cambridge of the sixteenth century, who had travelled various countries for languages and learning, is known now principally as the author of a triple dictionary in English, Latin, and French, which he entitled an "Alvearie," as the materials were collected by his pupils in their daily exercise, like so many diligent bees gathering honey to their hive. When ready for the press, he was enabled to have it printed by the liberality of sir Thomas Smith, and Dr. Nowell, dean of St. Paul's, whose assistance he gratefully acknowledges. It was first printed by Denham in 1573, with a Latin dedication to the universal Mæcenas, lord Burghley, and various recommendatory verses, among which the Latin of Cook and Grant, the celebrated masters of St. Paul's and Westminster schools, and the English of Arthur Golding, the translator of Ovid's Metamorphoses, have chief merit. This book was more commodious in size than in form, for as there is only one alphabet, the Latin and French words are to be traced back by means of tables at the end of the volume. In the then scarcity of dictionaries, however, this must have been an useful help, and we find that a second and improved edition, with the title of a "Quadruple Dictionarie," (the Greek, thinly scattered in the first impression, being now added) came out after the decease of the author in 1580, and is the only edition of which Ames and Herbert take any notice, nor does Ainsworth, who speaks of it in the preface to his dictionary, seem to be aware of a prior edition. Of Baret's life we have not been able to discover any particulars. In the Ashmole Museum is his patent by queen Elizabeth, for printing this dictionary for fourteen years."

Pilkington's Dict.-Edwards's Anecdotes of Painters,

Tanner.-Churton's Life of Nowell.

BARRET (STEPHEN), a classical teacher of considerable eminence, was born at Bent, in the parish of Kildwick in Craven, Yorkshire, in 1718, and was educated at the grammar school of Skipton, where he distinguished himself by his poetical compositions and classical knowledge. From that school he was removed to a scholarship in Universitycollege, Oxford, where he took his master's degree, June 1, 1714, and was admitted into holy orders. Soon after he quitted the university, he was nominated by the late sir Wyndham Knatchbull, bart. to the mastership of the free grammar school of Ashford in Kent, over which he presided during a very long period, and advanced the school to great reputation. He was also rector of the parishes of Pirton and Ickleford in Hertfordshire. In 1773 he was appointed, by the late earl of Thanet, to the rectory of Hothfield in Kent, where he rebuilt the parsonage house, to which he retired, and resigned the school of Ashford, to the endowment of which he was a liberal benefactor. He married Mary, the only daughter of Edward Jacob, esq. of Canterbury, and by her had an only daughter, Mary, the wife of Edward Jeremiah Curteis, esq. at whose house, at Northiam in Sussex, he died Nov. 26, 1801, in his eighty-third year.

Early in life Mr. Barret was an intimate friend of Dr. Johnson, and of Edward Cave, the founder of the Gentleman's Magazine, to which he became a frequent contributor. One very interesting letter, signed by his name, appears in vol. XXIV. on a new method of modelling the tenses of verbs, which he defends on the authority of Varro and Dr. Clarke. This judicious scheme, and his elegant translation of Pope's pastorals into Latin verse, fully estab lished Mr. Barret's reputation as a Latin scholar; and he also discovered some poetical talent in "War," a satire, but was less fortunate in his translation of "Ovid's Epistles into English verse." This had critical essays and notes, and was said in the title (1759) to be "part of a poetical and oratorial lecture, read in Ashford school, calculated to initiate youth in the first rudiments of taste."

BARRINGTON (JOHN SHUTE), first lord viscount Barrington, a nobleman of considerable learning, and author of several books, was the youngest son of Benjamin

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Shute, merchant (youngest son of Francis Shute, of Upton, in the county of Leicester, esq.) by a daughter of the Rev. Jos. Caryl, author of the commentary on Job. He was born at Theobalds in Hertfordshire, in 1678, and received part of his education at Utrecht, as appears from a Latin oration which he delivered at that university, and published there in 1698, in 4to, under the following title: "Oratio de studio Philosophiæ conjungendo cum studio Juris Romani; habita in inclyta Academia Trajectina Kalendis Junii, 1698, a Johanne Shute, Anglo, Ph. D. et L.A. M." He published also three other academical exercises; viz. 1. "Exercitatio Physica, de Ventis," Utrecht, 1696, 4to. 2. "Dissertatio Philosophica, de Theocratiâ morali," Utrecht, 1697. 3. "Dissertatio Philosophica Inauguralis, de Theocratiâ civili," Utrecht, 1697. The second of these tracts has been cited, with great commendation, by two eminent writers on the civil law, Cocceius and Heineccius. After his return to England, he applied himself to the study of the law in the Inner Temple. In 1701 he published, but without his name, "An essay upon the interest of England, in respect to Protestants dissenting from the Established Church," 4to. This was reprinted two years after, with considerable alterations and enlargements, and with the title of "The interest of England considered,' &c. Some time after this he published another piece in 4to, entitled "The rights of Protestant Dissenters,” in two parts. During the prosecution of his studies in the law, he was applied to by queen Anne's whig ministry, at the instigation of lord Somers, to engage the Presbyterians in Scotland to favour the important measure then in agitation, of an union of the two kingdoms. Flattered at the age of twenty-four, by an application which shewed the opinion entertained of his abilities, and influenced by the greatest lawyer and statesman of the age, he readily sacrificed the opening prospects of his profession, and undertook the arduous employment. The happy execution of it was rewarded, in 1708, by the place of commissioner of the customs, from which he was removed by the Tory administration in 1711, for his avowed opposition to their principles and conduct. How high Mr. Shute's character stood in the estimation even of those who differed most widely from him in religious and political sentiments, apyears from the testimony borne to it by Dr. Swift, who writes thus to archbishop King, in a letter dated London,

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Nov. 30, 1708. "One Mr. Shute is named for secretary to lord Wharton. He is a young man, but reckoned the shrewdest head in England, and the person in whom the Presbyterians chiefly confide; and if money be necessary towards the good work, it is reckoned he can command as far as 100,000l. from the body of the dissenters here. As to his principles, he is a moderate man, frequenting the church and the meeting indifferently." In the reign of queen Anne, John Wildman, of Becket, in the county of Berks, esq. adopted him for his son, after the Roman custom, and settled his large estate upon him, though he was no relation, and said to have been but slightly acquainted with him. Some years after, he had another considerable estate left him by Francis Barrington, of Tofts, esq. who had married his first cousin, and died without issue. This occasioned him to procure an act of parliament, pursuant to the deed of settlement, to assume the name and bear the arms of Barrington. On the accession of king George he was chosen member of parliament for the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. July 5, 1717, he had a reversionary grant of the office of master of the rolls in Ireland, which he surrendered Dec. 10, 1731. King George was also pleased, by privy seal, dated at St. James's, June 10, and by patent at Dublin, July 1, 1720, to create him baron Barrington of Newcastle, and viscount Barrington of Ardglass. In 1722 he was again returned to parliament as member for the town of Berwick; but in 1723, the house of commons, taking into consideration the affair of the Harburgh lottery, a very severe and unmerited censure of expulsion was passed upon his lordship, as sub-governor of the Harburgh company, under the prince of Wales.

It is said that a vindication of lord Barrington was published at the time, in a pamphlet which had the appearance of being written by him, or at least of being published under his direction; but as we have not been able to discover this pamphlet, we shall subjoin a very curious history of the Harburgh company, and of his lordship's conduct in that affair, from a manuscript of sir Michael Foster, communicated by his nephew, Mr. Dodson, to the editor of the Biographia Britannica*.

*Since the above was written, we have discovered the title of this pamphlet, which was printed in 1722, but not published till 1732, "The lord viscount Barrington's case in relation

to the Harburgh company and the Harburgh lottery," 4to. There is an advertisement prefixed, dated May 12, 1732, containing a short apology for the work's not having appeared before.

"His late majesty king George I. was desirous to intro. duce trade and manufactures into his German dominions; and the town of Harburgh being thought a proper place for that purpose, a scheme was offered to him, which met with his approbation, for making the port of Harburgh capable of receiving ships of burden, and for carrying on the intended trade and manufactures principally at that place. Accordingly his majesty, by charter under the great seal of the electorate, about Midsummer 1720, incorporated a number of gentlemen and merchants of London, for setting up and carrying on certain manufactures by a joint stock at Harburgh; and divers privileges were granted to the company, whose capital was to be 500,000l. and a charter for commerce was promised to that company. As soon as the manufacture charter was passed, and subscriptions taken in for raising the stock, shares sold at an exorbitant price, 501. being commonly given for a share on which only 27. had been advanced, and I think that some shares were sold at 80%. a-share. So great was the madness of that memorable year!

"This exorbitant rise upon the stock put some gentlemen and merchants of London, who thought themselves not enough considered in the manufacture charter, upon soliciting for a separate charter, for opening the port of Harburgh, and carrying on the foreign commerce there; and agents on behalf of the manufacture company, with others on behalf of the separate charter, followed his Majesty to Hanover, each party for some time endeavouring to carry their respective points; the manufacture company to get likewise the charter for commerce, the other party to get a separate charter for commerce, exclusive of the manufacture company. At length both sides agreed to accept one charter for commerce and manufactures, which should take in the members of the old company, and those who solicited for the separate commerce charter; and that the capital of the united company should be 1,500,000l. It was likewise agreed, that the members of the old company should, over and above the 500,000l. already subscribed,

To this tract is added, and said in the title-page to be printed in 1723, “A speech upon the question that the project called the Harburgh lottery is an infamous and fraudulent undertaking, whereby several unwary persons have been drawn in to their great loss; and

that the manner of carrying it on has been a manifest violation of the laws of this kingdom." These two pieces are curious, concur with the account by judge Foster, and offer many important considerations in lord Barrington's vindication.

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