Sunday afternoons. There is no part of his character more justly entitled to respect than the active and zealous discharge of his professional duties, and his even enlarging them, as in this instance, when he thought it would be for the benefit of his flock. While officiating as examining chaplain to the bishop of Carlisle, he caused a new edition to be published of Collyer's "Sacred Interpreter," a work which he recommended to candidates for deacon's orders. In 1788, he joined to his other meritorious labours, an effort in favour of the abolition of the slave trade, and corresponded with Mr. Clarkson and the committee whose endeavours have been since crowned with success.

On the death of the venerable bishop of Carlisle in 1787, Mr. Paley drew up a short memoir of him. (See LAW, EDMUND). His next work places him in a high rank among the advocates for the truth and authenticity of the Christian Scriptures. It is entitled "Hora Paulina; or, the Truth of the Scripture History of St. Paul evinced, by a comparison of the Epistles which bear his name with the Acts of the Apostles, and with one another," which he dedicated to his friend Dr. John Law, at that time bishop of Killala. The principal object of this work is to shew, that by a comparison of several indirect allusions and references in the Acts and Epistles, independently of all collateral testimony, their undesigned coincidence affords the strongest proof of their genuineness, and of the reality of the transactions to which they relate. Instead of requiring the truth of any part of the apostolic history to be taken for granted, he leaves the reader at liberty to suppose the writings to have been lately discovered, and to have come to our hands destitute of any extrinsic or collateral evidence whatever. The design was original, and the execution admirable. Soon after he compiled a small work, entitled "The Young Christian instructed in Reading, and the Principles of Religion." This having brought upon him a charge of plagiarism, he defended himself in a good-humoured letter in the Gentleman's Magazine. Previously to the appearance of these works he was offered by Dr. Yorke, bishop of Ely, the mastership of Jesus college, Cambridge, which, after due deliberation, he declined. In May 1792, he was instituted to the vicarage of Addingham, near Great Salkeld, on the presentation of the dean and chapter of Carlisle.. During the political ferment excited by the French

revolution, he published "Reasons for Contentment, addressed to the labouring classes," and the chapter in his "Moral Philosophy," on the British Constitution. In 1793, he vacated Dalston, on being collated by the bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Vernon) to the vicarage of Stanwix. His biographer informs us that, "being afterwards asked, by a clerical friend, why he quitted Dalston, he answered with a frankness peculiar to him, for he knew no deceit, 'Why, Sir, I had two or three reasons for taking Stanwix in exchange: first, it saved me double house-keeping, as Stanwix was within a twenty minutes walk of my house in Carlisle secondly, it was fifty pounds a-year more in value: and, thirdly, I began to find my stock of sermons coming over again too fast'."

In 1794, he published "A View of the Evidences of Christianity, in three parts: I. Of the direct historical Evidence of Christianity, and wherein it is distinguished from the Evidence alleged for other Miracles. II. Of the Auxiliary Evidences of Christianity; and, III. A brief Consideration of some popular Objections." This work was first published in three volumes, 12mo, but in a few months it was republished in two volumes, 8vo, and has been continued in this form through many successive editions. It is perhaps the most complete summary of the evidences of our holy religion that has ever appeared. In August of the same year the bishop of London, Dr. Porteus, instituted him to the prebend of St. Pancras, in the cathedral of St. Paul's, and in a very short time he was promoted to the subdeanery of Lincoln, a preferment of 700l. per annum, by Dr. Pretyman, bishop of that diocese. In January 1795, he proceeded to Cambridge to take his degree of D. D.; and before he left that place, he was surprized by a letter from the bishop of Durham, Dr. Barrington, with whom he had not the smallest acquaintance, offering him the valuable rectory of Bishop-Wearmouth, estimated at twelve hundred pounds a-year. When' he waited on his new patron to express his gratitude, his lordship instantly interrupted his acknowledgments: "Not a word," said he, "you cannot have greater pleasure in accepting the living of Bishop-Wearmouth, than I have in offering it to you." After reading himself in, as a prebendary, at St. Paul's cathedral, March 8th, Dr. Paley, for he now assumed that title, immediately proceeded to BishopWearmouth, took possession of his valuable cure, and then

returned to Cambridge against the commencement, to complete the Doctor's degree, and on Sunday July 5th, preached before the university his sermon "On the dangers incidental to the Clerical character." He now resigned the prebend of Carlisle, and the living of Stanwix, and divided his residence principally between Lincoln and Bishop-Wearmouth, spending his summers at the latter, and his winters at the former of those places. He next undertook the composition of his last work, entitled "Natural Theology; or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, collected from the appearances of Nature." In this he proceeded very slowly, and was much interrupted by ill-health; but the work was published in the summer of 1802. It was dedicated to the bishop of Durham, for the purpose of making the most acceptable return he was able for a great and important benefit conferred upon him. In this work he has traced the marks of wisdom and design in various parts of the creation; but has dwelt principally on those which may be discovered in the constitution of the human body. It is replete with instruction, and from its style and manner peculiarly calculated to fix the reader's attention.

In 1804, Dr. Paley's health was much upon the decline, and having experienced a severe attack in May 1805, it was evident that the powers of nature were exhausted, and medicine of no avail. He died on the 25th, under the accumulated influence of debility and disease, and was interred in the cathedral of Carlisle by the side of his first wife, by whom he had eight children, viz. four sons and four daughters. His second wife survived him. Since his death a volume of his "Sermons" has been published, and received by the public with nearly the same avidity as his other works.

In private life, Dr. Paley is said to have had nothing of the philosopher, He entered into little amusements with a degree of ardour which formed a singular contrast with the superiority of his mind. He was fond of company, which he had extraordinary powers of enter taining; nor was he at any time more happy, than when communicating the pleasure he could give by exerting his talents of wit and humour. No man was ever more beloved by his particular friends, or returned their affection with greater sincerity and ardour. That such a man, and such a writer, should not have been promoted to the bench

of bishops, has been considered as not very creditable to the times in which we live. It is generally understood that Mr. Pitt recommended him to his majesty some years ago for a vacant bishopric, and that an opposition was made from a very high quarter of the church, which ren dered the recommendation ineffectual. If this be true, it is a striking proof of Mr. Pitt's liberality; for, according to his biographer, Dr. Paley frequently indulged in sarcastic and disrespectful notice of that celebrated statesman. What truth may be in this, or what justice in the complaints of his friends, we shall not inquire. Judging from his writings, we should be inclined to regret, with them, that he had not higher preferment; but, contemplating his character, as given in the "Memoirs of William Paley, D. D. by George Wilson Meadley," we must rather wonder that he had so much. It will, however, be universally acknowledged, that no author ever wrote more pleasingly on the subjects he has treated than Dr. Paley. The force and terseness of his expressions are not less admirable than the strength of his conceptions; and there is both in his language and his notions a peculiarity of mán ner, stamped by the vigour of his mind, which will perpetuate the reputation of his works.

PALFIN (JOHN), a surgeon of eminence, was born at Ghent in Flanders in 1649; and, being made anatomist and reader in surgery in that city, was much distinguished by his lectures as well as practice, and wrote upon several subjects with learning and judgment. He died at Ghent, about eighty years old, in 1730. He paid various visits to London, Paris, and Leyden, where he formed an ac quaintance with the most eminent surgeons of his time, profited by their discoveries, and was himself the inventor of some instruments. His first publication was a "System of Osteology," in Flemish, which he afterwards translated into French, and which was often reprinted. In 1708, he published his " Description Anatomique des Parties de la Femme qui servent à la Generation," together with Licetus' treatise on monsters, and a description of one born at Ghent in 1703. In 1710, he printed his "Anatomie Chirurgicale, ou description exacte des Parties du Corps humain, avec des remarques utiles aux Chirurgiens dans

ì Life by Meadley.-Gent, Mag, vol. LVIL LVIII. LXII. LXXV. and

LXXVI. &c.

la pratique de leur art," in French; and in 1718, reprinted it in Flemish. It was regarded as a valuable work, and was republished after his death, in France, Italy, and Germany. Palfin also translated the treatise of Anthony Petit on "Diseases of the Eyes," into Flemish, adding several other tracts on the same subject.'

PALINGENIUS (MARCELLUS), an Italian poet, who flourished in the sixteenth century, was born at Stellada, in Ferrara, upon the bank of the Po. We are told by some, that his true name was Pietro Angelo Manzolli, of which "Marcello Palingenio" is the anagram *. He is chiefly known by his "Zodiacus Vitæ," a poem in twelve books, dedicated to Hercules II. of Este, duke of Ferrara. Some say he was physician to that prince, but this will admit of a doubt; at least it is certain he was not so when he wrote the dedication to his "Zodiac." This poem, on which he had employed several years, brought him into trouble, as it contained many sarcastic attacks on monks and church-abuses; and his name therefore appears in the "Index librorum prohibitorum," as a Lutheran heretic of the first class, and as an impious author. It is thought, he carries too far the objections of libertines and scoffers at religion; otherwise his work is interspersed with judicious maxims, and some have considered it as a truly philosophical satire against immorality and prejudice. In the close of the dedication, he declares himself a good catholic, so far as to submit all his opinions to the censure of the church; and this declaration might perhaps have secured him against the inquisition, had the affair related only to some particular tenet; but it could not acquit him of that impiety, which Palingenius was, not without reason, suspected to teach. In his third book, for instance, he inculcates the doctrine of Epicurus without the least reserve. He published this book in 1536, and again at Basil, in 1537 † ; and seems not to have lived long after that date. Gyraldus, who wrote about 1543, relates, that, after his burial, his body was ordered to be dug up, in order to be

Perhaps Palingenius is not the name of his family, but that name turned into Greek, according to the, custom of those times.

a French translation, by M. de la Monnerie, was printed in Holland in 1731; and again with notes in 1733. An imitation of it was written by Barthius, and entitled, "Zodiacus vitæ Christianæ," &c. Francf. 1623, Svo, and another in French by M. de Riviere. 1 Moreri.-Eloy. Dict. Hist. de Medicine.

+ It was also published under this title, "Palingenii Marcelli Zodiacus vitæ emendatus et auctus, Rott. 1722;"