it was entirely his own. About the fame time he wrote also a book of "Geometry," at Beauvois. At length his friends fent for him to Paris, to study the law; and, in obedience to them, he went through a course in that faculty. This was no fooner finished, than, urged by his paffion for mathematics, he fhut himself up in the college of Dormans, that nothing might call him away from his beloved study; and, with an allowance of lefs than 200 livres a year, he lived content in his retreat, from which he never stirred out but to go to the Royal College, in order to hear the lectures of M. de la Hire, or M. de Sauveur. As foon as he found himself able enough to teach others, he took pupils: and, fortification being a part of mathematics which the war had brought into particular vogue, he turned his attention to that branch; but after fome time began to entertain fcruples about teaching what he had never feen, and knew by the force of imagination only. He imparted this delicacy to M. Sauveur; and that friend recommended him to the marquis d'Aligre, who luckily at that time wanted to have a mathematician with him. Parent made two campaigns with the marquis, whereby he instructed himfelf thoroughly in viewing fortified places; and he also drew a number of plans, though he had never learned to draw. From this time his life was fpent in a continual application to the ftudy of natural philofophy, and the mathematics in all its branches, both fpeculative and practical; to which he joined anatomy, botany, and chemistry, as contained in the lift of curious arts. He had an activity which devoured every thing, and, befides, was inceffant and indefatigable. M. de Billettes being admitted into the academy of sciences at Paris in 1699, with the title of their mechanician, nominated for his difciple Parent, who excelled chiefly in mechanics. It was foon found in this fociety, that he engaged in all the various fubjects which were brought before them, and in fact had a hand in every thing. But this great extent of knowledge, joined to a natural impetuofity, raised in him a particular spirit of contradiction, which he indulged upon all occafions; fometimes to a degree of precipitancy, and often with too little regard to decency. It is true, that the fame behaviour was fhewn to him, and the papers which he brought to the academy were treated with feverity enough. He was charged with obfcurity in his productions; and indeed the fault was fo notorious, that he perceived it himself, and could not avoid correcting it. The king having, by a regulation in 1716, fuppreffed the clafs of fcholars of the academy, which feemed to put too great an inequality betwixt the members, Parent was made a joint or affiftant member for geometry: but he enjoyed this promotion only a fhort time, being taken off by the fmall-pox the fame year, year, aged fifty [K]. He was author of a great many pieces, chiefly on mechanics and geometry. PARFAIT (FRANCOIS), an hiftorian of the French drama; was born of an ancient family in 1698. In confequence of a ftrong theatrical tafte, he very much affociated with actors and dramatic authors; but his manners were fuch as to be pleasing in all companies. He was lively, unaffected, agreeable, and ftored with literary anecdotes, which he made more pleasant by his mode of relating. He died in 1753, at the age of fiftyfive. His works relate entirely to theatrical fubjects. They are, 1. "A general Hiftory of the French theatre, from its origin to the prefent Time," 15 vols. 12mo. He was affifted in this work by his brother Claude. 2. "Memoirs for the History of the Theatre de la Foire," 2 vols. 12mo. 3. "Hiftory of the old Italian theatre," at Paris, 1753, 12mo. 4. "A theatrical Dictionary," 7 vols. 12mo. A dull and ill-digested compilation. He left alfo a hiftory of the Opera, in manufcript, with two dramatic pieces, a tragedy, and a ballet, which were never acted, and did not much deserve it. PARIS (MATTHEW), an English hiftorian, was a Benedictine monk of the congregation of Clugny, in the monastery of St. Alban's; and flourished in the thirteenth century. He was an univerfal fcholar; understood, and had a good taste both in painting and architecture. He was alfo a mathematician, a poet, an orator, a divine, an historian; and what is ftill more, and greater than all the reft, he was a man of diftinguished probity. Such rare accomplishments and qualities as thefe, did not fail to place him very high in the esteem of his contemporaries: and it is no wonder, that we find him employed in reforming fome monafteries, vifiting others, and establishing the monaftic difcipline in all. He reproved vice without distinction of perfons, and did not even -fpare the English court itself: at the fame time he fhewed a hearty affection for his country, in maintaining its privileges against the encroachments of the pope, his creatures, and officers, who plied all their engines to destroy and abolish them. Of this we have a clear, though unwilling, evidence in Baronius, who obferves, that this author remonstrated with too fharp and bitter a spirit against the court of Rome; and that, except in this particular only, his history was an incomparable work [1]. Baronius fpeaks here of his history, entitled," Hif toria Major," confifting of two parts: The firft, from the creation of the world to William the Conqueror; the second, from that king's reign to 1250: which being the year of jubilee, [x] Hift. de l'Academie des Sciences, 1716. Niceron, tom. ii. [L] Baronius's words are, "Quam fuerit animo infenfiffimo in apoftolicam VOL. XII. C fedem, quivis poterit facile intelligere, nifi probra illa fuerint additamenta ejus, qui edidit; quæ fi quis demat, aureum dixeris commentarium." he he finished his work with a Latin ftanza in rhime [M]. He carried on this hiftory afterwards to the year of his death in 1259. Rifhanger, a monk of the monaftery of St. Alban's, continued it to 1272 or 1273, the year of the death of Henry III. Paris made an abridgement of his own work, which he named, "Hiftoria Minor." He also published fome other pieces, an account of which may be feen in Bale and Pits. PARIS (FRANCIS), a man more famous after his death than during his life, by the miracles fuppofed to be performed at his tomb. He is generally known by the name of the abbé Paris, and his pretended miracles have ferved to furnish fome Deifts with an argument against the real miracles of the Gofpel. He was the fon of a counfellor in parliament, and would never have been mentioned in hiftory or biography, but for the fuperftitious farce that was played off at the place of his burial. Paris had the profpect, if he had chofen it, of fucceeding to his father's appointment, but he chofe rather to become an ecclefiaftic, and he became a very zealous one. He gave up all his poffeffions to his brother, refufed preferment intended for him by the cardinal de Noailles, devoted himself entirely to retirement, and made stockings for his own fupport, and for the affiftance of the poor. He died, perhaps in confequence of his rigorous mode of life, May 1, 1727, at the age of only thirty-feven. His brother raised a monument to him in the small church-yard of St. Medard, to which the poor and the pious foon began to flock, and after a time it was reported that, in confequence of their prayers at that tomb, fome fick perfons had received cures. As Paris had been a rigorous Janfenift, this was a fine opportunity for that fect to gain credit to their caufe; the miracles were therefore multiplied, and a variety of perfons affected the most singular convulfions. The minds of the people becoming inflamed by these extravagances, the court found it neceffary to fhut up the churchyard, which was done on the 27th of January, 1732. On this occafion, fome profane wit wrote upon the wall of the place, DE PAR LE ROI, defense a Dieu, De faire miracles en ce lieu. The convulfions were continued, for a little while, in private houfes, but by degrees the matter fubfided, and the abbé Paris was forgotten. The diftinction between miracles exhibited to ferve a party, attested only by those who are zealous in its [M] The ftanza runs thus: Anni difpenfatio, Hic et cæli folio. This work went through several editions, after the invention of printing; and in that of Zurich, p. 780, is this diftich: Sifte tui metas ftudii, Mathei, quietas; gtas, behalf, behalf, and miracles performed in the fight of violent unbelievers, and capable of converting them, in fpite of their oppofite prejudices, is too ftriking to be overlooked by any but those who are defirous of drawing a false and impious parallel. Paris wrote a few very indifferent books of annotations on the Epiftles to the Romans, to the Galatians, and the Hebrews;. but few have ever read them, nor would they have rescued the author from oblivion, without the aid of other means. PARKER (MATTHEW), the fecond Proteftant archbishop of Canterbury, a man of great merit and learning, was born at Norwich in 1504, and educated at Corpus Chrifti or Benetcollege, in Cambridge, of which house he was first bibleclerk, or scholar, and afterwards fellow. He was fo confpicuous for learning, that he was among other eminent scholars invited by cardinal Wolfey to Oxford, to furnish and adorn his new magnificent foundation. This invitation he did not choose to accept; but, refiding in his own college, purfued his ftudies with the greatest application for five or fix years. In this time, having read over the fathers and councils, and acquired a complete knowledge of divinity, he became a licensed and frequent preacher at court, at St. Paul's Cross, and other public places and occafions. In 1533, he was made chaplain to queen Anne Boleyne, who preferred him to the deanery of Stoke; and had fuch a particular regard for him, and fuch knowledge of his zeal for the Reformation, that a little before her death, the recommended her daughter Elizabeth to his pious care and inftruction. He was afterwards chaplain to Henry the Eighth, and Edward the Sixth. He held feveral livings fucceffively; and through the recommendation of Henry the Eighth, "for his approved learning, wisdom, and honesty, as well as for his fingular grace and industry in bringing up youth in virtue and learning N], was chofen mafter of Corpus Chrifti or Benetcollege; to which he afterwards became a fpecial benefactor, and compiled for it a new book of ftatutes. Happening to be in Norfolk during Ket's rebellion, he had the refolution to go to the rebels' camp, and to preach to them, exhorting them to temperance, moderation, and fubmiffion to the king. By Edward the Sixth he was nominated to the deanery of Lincoln'; and under thefe two princes lived in great reputation and affluence. But in queen Mary's reign he was deprived of all his preferments, on account of his being married, as it was pretended: but the real caufe was his zeal for the Reformation. His low circumstances he endured with a cheerful and contented mind; and during his retirement, turned the book of pfalms into English verfe, and wrote " A Defence of the Marriage of Priests." [N] Appendix to archbishop_Parker's Life, book i. No. 5. C 2 Queen Queen Elizabeth's acceffion made a great change in his circumstances; for he not only became free from all fear and danger, but was raised to the archbishopric of Canterbury. His great prudence, courage, conduct, experience, and learning, peculiarly qualified him for this important office, and for carrying on the work of reformation with vigour to its perfect establishment. He was confecrated Dec. 17, 1559, in Lambeth chapel, by Barlow, bifhop of Chichefter; Scory bifhop of Hereford; Coverdale bifhop of Exeter; and Hodgkin fuffragan bishop of Bedford. We choose to mention this circumftance'fo minutely, because the Romanists invented a tale afterwards, that he had been confecrated at the Nag's-head inn or tavern, in Cheapfide. But this notorious and improbable falfehood has been fully confuted by Mafon [o], by Bramhall [P], and by Courayer [o], and indeed is given up by many Catholics, fo that to believe it now, requires more than even Popish credulity. Being thus conftituted primate and metropolitan of the church of England, he took care to have the fees filled with learned and worthy men; and foon after performed the metropolitical vifitation of his whole province. Though his means at this time could be but very flender, as he had been stripped for fome years paft of all his revenues, and expences rather than profits had yet accrued from his new preferment; yet fuch was his liberal and generous difpofition, that he frankly remitted to his whole clergy thofe fees, that, under the title of procurations, are generally and juftly at fuch times demanded [R]. He encouraged them alfo to the conftant and diligent execution of their duty, in inftructing the people committed to their charge, by his own example: for, as his important and public affairs would permit, he preached fometimes in his own cathedral, and at other times in the towns and villages abroad; continuing conftant in this practice, though labouring under many infirmities, the attendants of old age.. He folicited the queen to remove crucifixes, lighted tapers, and images, out of churches, and particularly out of her own chapel. One of his main defigns was to introduce uniformity both in habits and ceremonies; but he met with great oppofition from the earl of Leicester and other courtiers, and from the whole body of Puritans, who have feverely reviled him on that account. Being arrived at his feventy-fecond year, he died May 17, 1575, having filled the fee of Canterbury above fifteen years. PARKER (SAMUEL), a temporizing English clergyman, who, by means of that quality, and the advantage of excellent parts [o] Vindication of the church of England concerning the Confecration and Ordination of Bishops. 1613, folio. [P] Confecration of Proteftant Bishops vindicated. [a] Defence of the Validity of English Ordinations, 1728, 3 vols. 8vo. [R] Abl. Redivivus, p. 528. and |