pleader-like a partiality for John of Gaunt. Much light is thrown upon the minor poems of Chaucer; their chronological order seems satisfactorily arranged, and their design ascertained with as much precision or probability as could on so remote a subject be expected. Some facts also respecting his life have been recovered from public records, which, if not of material importance, at least attest the diligence of the biographer, and appear in their proper place.

Should Mr. Godwin undertake any other history, (and he has now some ca.

pital to begin with,) we advise him to recollect that unity is of as much importance in history as in the drama. He should also regulate the size of his work by his materials, and not his materials by the size of the work. Books which are made by the piece, will never be made well. The work for which these late studies have best qualified him, and for which perhaps the public would be most indebted to him, would be an edition of the works of Chaucer, exclusive of the Canterbury Tales. This would really be an acquisition to English li

terature.

THE late Dr. Geddes was certainly one of those characters of superior interest, who not only acquire during their lives a portion of celebrity, but re entitled to more permanent commeporation, and justly claim a place in records of posthumous fame. He as not merely the tranquil and retired holar or philosopher, whose life glides way with little diversity of event, and le scope for observation; his mind resented bold and prominent features, orthy of the examination and analysis the moralist; and his fortune and onnexions placed him in situations more arious and less common than usually il to the lot of men of letters. The ss of the detailed biography of such a in would have caused a deficiency in e history of literature, which would ve been justly the subject of regret. Dr. Geddes has had the fortune to ve met with a biographer worthy of m, in a man of learning and taste, rsed in those studies, the pursuit of ich had been the principal object of own literary labours. The claims of . Good to public notice, were not to first established by his present work: 4 poet and linguist he has already played powers and attainments of a ly respectable order. He possessed the singular advantage of intimate uaintance with the subject of his ration; his work therefore contains the requisite materials of authenti. and important information, which y vindicate him in having presented public notice, and which gave into the public a sort of claim upon

bour.

alexander Geddes was a native of

Scotland. He was born in the year 1737, of parents in a humble station of life, his father being the tenant of a small farm in the county of Banff, and in religious profession a roman catholic. In a remote village of Scotland, "extra anni solisque vias," under the instruction of a village-matron, the future biblical critic received his first rudiments of learning. In the scanty library which his father's cottage might be expected to afford, the principal volume was an English bible. In opposition to the common prejudice, that vernacular translations have been uniformly discouraged by the catholics, this volume he was taught by his parents to read with reverence and attention. It is a very admissible speculation of his biographer, that to this accidental circumstance may be traced, in some measure, the future complexion of his literary life.

From the humble species of instruction, of which alone he had hitherto enjoyed the opportunity, he was transferred gratuitously and liberally to the more useful care of a tutor, employed by the laird of the district in the education of his own sons. From this tuition he was removed to Scalan, an obscure seminary in the highlands, li mited to the education of youths intended for the clerical office in the roman catholic church, whose education is to be completed in some foreign university. This college, not less melancholy than the paraclete of Abelard, is described as situated in a vale, "so deeply excavated and overhung with surrounding hills, as to require almost as constant a use of the lamp, as the subterranean cell of Demosthenes."

"Never indeed was there a man more liberal in diffusing to others the little of which he was possessed, than himself; never was a riest better beloved by the members of his

gregation. I did not know him myself ill many years afterwards: but I have been dibly informed by a variety of persons tho did know him at the time we are now pking of, and were intimately acquainted ith his situation, that he seemed to live in he hearts of every one of his hearers, that is kindness and affability excited their afetion, his punctilious attention to the ties of his office their veneration, and his ensive reputation for learning their im it confidence in his opinions.

I have said, that at the time of his fix at Auchinhalrig, he found a high degree francour and illiberality subsisting, and annally fomented, between his own consation and the surrounding community protestants To correct this evil, than uch a greater cannot exist, nor one more de to the spirit of the sacred pages, to ich both parties reciprocally appeal, he oured with all his might. By an extenstudy and a deep knowledge of ecclesiural history, he had freed himself comsely from the bigotry which still attaches, no inconsiderable degree, to the more orant of his own persuasion. He knew well, and was ready to admit as largely as protestant whatever, the alternate syss of force and fraud, by which the see of me has endeavoured to obtain an unjust aporal supremacy over the great body of catholic church itself, to enslave the sciences of the laity to its own views of ulation and power, and to exercise, in a ty of highly important concerns, an ority which had never been officially eded to it, and concerning which the Ar will meet with a more detailed acint, when we advance to an analysis of controversial writings into which he was rtly afterwards compelled. Free and inendent in his own mind, he took the dscriptures alone as his standard of h, and exhorted every member of his regation to do the same, to study for self, and to submit to no foreign conal, excepting in matters fairly decided by canolic church at large, assembled in eral councils. He could ridicule the inibility of the pope, and laugh at images relics, at rosaries, scapulars, Agnus blessed medals, indulgencies, obiits, dirges, as much as the most inveterate stant in his neighbourhood, and could bundantly abhor the old-fashioned and uitous doctrine, that faith ought not to he'd with heretics. Claiming the fullest y of conscience for himself, he was ready to extend it in an equal degree to , and could therefore, with the utmost ality, embrace the protestant as well as holic. Honesty of heart was the only ort necessary to ensure his esteem, and

where this was conspicuous, he never hesi tated to offer the right hand of fellowship."

The liberality and merit of Mr. Ged des here introduced him to the acquaintance of many of those protestants, most distinguished in rank and literature, of whom Scotland could at that time boast. But even at this early period, he became an object for the exercise of that bigotry from his roman catholic brethren, which, in the subsequent course of his life, he was doomed to experience still more bitterly. Religious bigotry, however, in this country, can in general manifest it self only by petty exercises of private malice. A more serious evil, in which our divine was soon afterwards involved, was the embarrassment of his finances resulting from the improvidence of his inexperience and generosity, from which he was relieved by the assistance of the late Duke of Norfolk. To prevent the recurrence of this embarrassment, he engaged with sanguine expectations in an agricultural speculation, the only consequence of which was, to plunge him in a few years still more deeply into distress. To retrieve this second failure of his hopes, he ventured on a new experiment, in the publication of "Select Satires of Horace translated into English verse, and for the most part adapted to the present times and manners." This work was so favourably received by the public, that its profits, added to some incidental assistance of his friends, were sufficient to extricate him once had suffered himself to be involved. more from the difficulties in which he

The success of his first literary work emboldened him to try his fortunes in the capital, a theatre better suited to the activity and talents of his mind, than the obscure situations to which he had hitherto been attached. This resolution was aided by the fresh persecutions which his liberality had drawn upon him, from his bigoted religious superiors in Scotland; and he accordingly removed to London in the year 1779, with the satisfaction of having experienced from the congregation which he had lately superintended, the most lively testimonies of affectionate regard. In the ensuing year, by an act of liberality worthy of commemoration, he received from the university of Aberdeen, the diploma, by which he was created doctor of laws.

His first appointment, after his arrival

in the metropolis, was to the situation of an officiating priest in the chapel of the Imperial ambassador. The literary advantages afforded by his leisure, and the use of the libraries of London, now encouraged him to resume his favourite project of accomplishing an improved translation of the Bible. Under the munificent patronage of the late Lord Petre, a distinguished nobleman of the catholic persuasion, who engaged to allow him a yearly salary of 2001. and to furnish his library with whatever books he should deem requisite for his purpose, his labours first began to advance towards maturity. A sketch of his proposed scheme he immediately published, and that he might engage with greater advantage in the execution of it, he soon withdrew himself from every other stated engagement. The ardent mind of Dr. Geddes could not, however, be expected to abstract itself wholly from the political circumstances of the period; and events at this time occurred sufficient to rouze his warmest feelings into exercise. These were the disgraceful riots which took place in many parts of England, and especially in London, on occasion of a bill introduced into the house of commons by Sir George Savile, the object of which was to relieve the roman catholics, who appear to yield to no class of their fellow-subjects in patriotism and loyalty, from certain penalties and disabilities to which they were legally subject. At this period he wrote a work, which was not however published till nearly twenty years afterwards, under the title of " A Modest Apology for the Roman Catholics of Great Bri tain, &c."

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Notwithstanding these occasional deviations, arising from temporary causes, the great plan of translating the scriptures was never long relinquished, except from unavoidable causes, from the first moment in which it was seriously commenced. In 1783, he was introduced to the acquaintance of the celebrated biblical scholar, Dr. Kennicott, and by his means to that of the venerable prelate, bishop Lowth, to whom he communicated the particulars of his plan, and whose advice and instruction he solicited. With every encourage ment from that distinguished scholar, the nature of his undertaking was disclosed at large to the public in the beginning of the year 1786, in a pro

spectus of his version. This we conse as one of the most interesting of publications of Dr. Geddes; it is hig spirited, and discovers a great exter critical and biblical knowledge. A analysis of it, and some ample extra, are introduced by the biographer.

An interval of six years elapsedb tween the publication of this work, the appearance of the first volume the translation. This period was however, wholly occupied by the cution of the greater work in which was engaged. In the chronolog series of his publications, almost of these years is marked by some duction of his prolific pen. Of th several relate to his version, some to 2 catholic controversies of the day, other topics of theological poler: others were occasioned by pl events, and some were merely spr effusions of his wit. Without enter a into any minute account of the lications, we shall extract from this, of the work the relation of the circ stances by which Mr. Good was i duced to the acquaintance of Dr. Ged as it contains, with some just reflect a portrait, the fidelity of which to original will be recognized by al whom he was known.

te being at length concluded, or m out, the Doctor took possession xt chair to that in which I was

id united with myself and a friend, on my other side, in discoursing politics of the day. On this topic ded smoothly and accordantly for ; till at length disagreeing with us e point as trivial as the former, he abruptly from his seat, traversed in every direction, with as indeterarallax as that of a comet, loudly increase of voice maintaining his every step he took. Not wishing ; the dispute, we yielded to him urther interruption; and in the a few minutes after he had closed ue, he again approached us, retook of his chair, and was all playfuld humour, and genuine wit.

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exertions, often beyond what prua regard to his own limited income ve dictated, that stamped a higher him upon my heart, than all the formation and profound learning niversally known to possess, and ve him more promptitude upon ject that happened to be started, r beheld in any other person. I irritable, but it was the harmless on of a summer evening's Aurora, sooner appeared than it was spent, mischief ensued: and when I reat it was this very irritability of t excited him to a thousand acts of

and prompted him to debar himand prompted him to debar himthousand little gratifications, that

relieve the distressed and comfort wful, I could scarcely lament that ssed it; or, at least, I could not tending that it carried a very ample along with it."

92 appeared the first volume of ion under the title of " the Holy or the books accounted sacred by ad Christians; otherwise called ks of the old and new covenant's fully translated from corrected the originals, with various read

ings, explanatory notes, and critical remarks." This work, if completed on the same scale, must have extended to eight volumes in quarto, a formidable prospect for an author who had attained his fifty-sixth year at the publication of the first. A second volume appeared in 1797, and a volume of critical remarks in 1800. These were all which the author himself lived to publish, but we are informed that a part of his translation of the Psalms will make its appearance in another form.

The peculiarity of the religious creed, of Dr. Geddes, in denying the divine legation of Moses, while he was a sincere and zealous advocate for that of Christ, is well known. It has found, and is likely to find, few abettors; least of all has it found one in the person of his biographer. It is to be regretted that Dr. Geddes disclosed his ideas on this subject so freely and so early, as they were by no means necessarily connected with the nature of his plan, and were calculated to give to the public at large that degree of cffence which was likely materially to impede the encouragement, and ultimately the execution of his work. To combat the error of his opinions, where they are erroneous, is justifiable and laudable; but to refuse the writer the title of a christian, while he zealously maintains the divine authority of Christ's mission, on account of the apparent extravagancies of some other parts of his creed, is illiberal and absurd. These censures were however abundantly poured on him from every quarter; protestant and papist joined in the cry, not of heretic, but of infidel; and the declining days of this laborious and excellent scholar were embittered by unmerited odium and calumny.

By the protestant part of the community his undertaking had, in its early stages, been very generally and liberally patronized. The singularity of a new version of the scriptures, by a roman catholic divine, on the principles of rational criticism and enlarged judgment, attracted attention; and the acknowledged talents and qualifications of the author, gave encouragement to hope for his eminent success in this difficult and important task, the necessity of which now began to be generally acknowledged.

The more liberal part of the roman catholics distinguished themselves by an equally ready and generous support of this great undertaking. But by many