guishing and penetrating eyes, by others. Mathematicks and Antiquities were by him, as Philosophy was by Socrates, rendered familiar and intelligible to an ordinary understanding. His notions of them were represented in the most obvious lights, and the knowledge of them by that means rendered easy and entertaining. He had a striking resemblance to Peireskius, the ornament of the last age, and particularly in some parts of his character represented by the elegant Writer of that great man's life. The generosity of his temper was no less remarkable than the civility and vivacity of his conversation. His love of a studious and contemplative life, amidst a circle of friends of the same disposition, disinclined him in a very high degree to the business and hurry of a public one; and his only ambition was to distinguish himself by his zeal and activity for the promotion of sciences and literature.

The sale of his Library, in 1756, lasted fortyone days; his prints and drawings, eight; mathematical instruments, gems, pictures, busts, urns, &c. two; coins and medals, five. The amount of the sale, consisting of 5126 articles, was 3090l. 5s.

Mr. Folkes had, amongst other curiosities, two editions of Pliny's Natural History, printed at Venice, one by Spire, 1469; which is supposed to have escaped the observation of F. Harduin*; and the other by Jenson, 1472. Dr. Askew bought them, the former for eleven guineas, and the latter for seven guineas and a half. On the Doctor's de cease they were again sold: the Edition of 1469 (now in the British Museum) for 431. and the other for 231.

on

One small Treatise, in MS. by Mr. Folkes, the Principles of Perspective" (comprised in ten pages), was purchased by Mr. Gough, at Mr. Leigh's, Feb. 26, 1782.

* See some remarkable particulars of it in "The Origin of Printing," pp. 45, 103.

Dr.

Dr. Harwood, in the first preface to his "View of the various Editions of Classics," says, that it is agreeable to investigate the history of a scarce book, and the different values it acquires in passing through different hands. He gives an instance in the first edition of the Greek Psalter, printed in 1481, which stood in a bookseller's catalogue marked at 5s. nobody asking for it, the price was reduced, and it was sold for 48. to a gentleman, who afterwards parted with it to the late Dr. Askew for 5 guineas, at whose sale this individual Psalter sold for 16 guineas.

To this observation of Dr. Harwood may be added, that Dr. Mead had the following Books, which at his sale were purchased by Dr. Askew, and re-sold on the decease of the latter, at the following prices: "Cicero's Offices," printed by. Fust, in 1465, 137. 138. sold again for 301.

Olivet's edition of the Works of Cicero, Paris, 1740, large paper, 147. 14s. sold again for 361. 15s. "Sallust. Venet. apud Vind. Spiram," 1470, 51. 17s.; sold again for 14l. 3s. 6d.

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Dr. Mead had also both the Venice editions of Pliny's Natural History;" that of 1469 was bought, at 11 guineas, for the King of France; the edition of 1472, with fine illuminations, the copy particularly noticed by Maittaire, was sold for 18 guineas, to Mr. Wilcox, a bookseller in the Strand.

Mr. Granger, in his Biographical History of England, vol. IV. p. 325, observes, from Ames's Typographical Antiquities, that a copy of the Spaccio della Bestia trionfante," by Giordano Bruno (see Spectator, No. 389), was sold in 1711, at the auction of the library of Charles Bernard, esq. for 281. and purchased by Walter Clavel, esq. The same copy successively came into the several Collections of Mr. John Nickolls, Mr. John Ames, Sir Peter Thompson, and M. C. Tutet, esq. at the sale of whose Library, in February 1786, it was bought by the late Samuel Tyssen, esq. for seven guineas.---Another copy of the same Work, which in 1712 had formed part of the Library of Mr. P. LeNeve, was sold at Dr. Mead's sale, 1754, for four or five guineas. VOL. II. No. Vill

Q Q

No. VIII.

REV. MICHAEL LORT, D. D.

THIS excellent Scholar, descended from an antient family in Pembrokeshire (from whom, it is believed, he had a claim by descent to a Baronet's title, which he never took up), was the son of Major Lort, of the Welsh Fusileers, who was killed at the battle of Fontenoy, May 11, 1745; where one of his sons, a lieutenant in the same regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Huske, their colonel, was dangerously wounded, that regiment having suffered very much.

Michael Lort was admitted of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1743; from whence he removed into the family of Dr. Richard Mead, to whom he was Librarian till his death. He proceeded B.A. 1746; was elected fellow of his College, 1749; M. A. 1750; Greek Professor 1759, on the resignation of Dr. Francklin; and in 1761 took the degree of E. D.; and was appointed chaplain to Dr. Terrick, then Bishop of Peterborough.

He was elected F. S. A. in 1755; and was many years a Vice-president, till he resigned in 1788. He was also many years a Fellow of the Royal Society.

In January 1771, he was collated, by Abp. Cornwallis, to the rectory of St. Matthew, Friday-street; which vacated his Professorship; and in August 1779 he was appointed Chaplain to the Archbishop, in the room of Dr. Backhouse, who resigned; and in the same year, Oct. 27, commenced D. D.

In April 1780, the Archbishop gave him his Option of a Prebend in St. Paul's, on Dr. Richard Browne's decease, worth 300l. a year; and he continued at Lambeth till 1783, when, May 19, he married Susannah Norfolk, one of the two daughters of Alderman Norfolk of Cambridge.

On the death of Dr. Ducarel, in 1785, he was appointed, by Archbishop Moore, Librarian to the

Archiepiscopal Library of Lambeth. He was also for some years Librarian to the Duke of Devonshire.

In April 1789 he was presented, by Bishop Porteus, to the sinecure rectory of Fulham in Middlesex; and in the same year was instituted to the rectory of Mile-end near Colchester.

The earliest publication by him, that I have seen, is, A Poem, in 1748, in the Academic Congratulations on the Peace of Aix la Chapelle *.

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He published two Sermons: 1. Before the University, on the King's Accession, 1760, Psalm exxxiii. 1; 2. “A Sermon preached in Lambeth Chapel, at the Consecration of the Right Rev. Father in God John Hinchcliffe, D. D. Lord Bishop of Peterborough, on Sunday Dec. 17, 1765;" printed at Cambridge, 1770. He also preached, in 1772, a public Sermon for the County Hospital.

"A Projecte conteyninge the State, Order, and Manner of Government of the University of Cambridge: as now is to be seene in the three and fortieth Yeare of the Raigne of our most gracious and soveraigne Lady Queen Elizabeth. Camb. 1769." 4to, was printed by Mr. Lort, from a MS. on one sheet of vellum, probably presented to Sir Robert Cecil in 1600, when he was made Chancellor, being found among his Papers by Mr. Astle.

"A Letter by Mr. Lort, appeared in the London Advertiser, Sept. 5, 1771, in Defence of the King, against the Scurrility and Indecency which now so openly appear in the Public Papers;" and in the St. James's Chronicle, Dec. 9, 1777, is an excellent and humorous paper by him, on Parson Horne's petition to be pilloried."

In 1771 he favoured Mr. Granger with some very useful communications on the subject of his Biographical History.

* See it in Nichols's Collection of Poems, vol. VIII, p. 188.

+ From the MSS. of the Rev. William Cole of Milton.

"Granger's Letters, by Malcolm, 1805," pp. 192. 195.

The ground-work of the Memoir which I have given of Mr. George North of Codicote*, was furnished, in 1780, at my particular request, by Dr. Lort, who was one of Mr. North's executors, and had attended him to his grave.

In September 1784, whilst I was compiling the "History of the Parish of Lambeth," Dr. Lort very carefully revised for me the Description of the Riots in 1780, as far as they related to Lambeth Palace.

His latest publication was, "A short Commentary on the Lord's Prayer; in which an Attention to the principal Circumstances of our Lord's Temptation is attempted to be shewn, 1790.”

In the "Archæologia," vol. IV. p. 213-310, he communicated, from Mr. Herbert of Cheshunt, a MS. fairly written, as if for press, by the celebrated

* See vol. IV. p. 467.

In the History of Lambeth Parish, 1786, pp. 57. 156. — In answer to a Letter which I had sent him with the proof-sheet containing those particulars, he says, "Dr. Lort thinks the account of the Disturbances at Lambeth should not be printed till it has been seen by the Archbishop, and perhaps also by Mrs. Cornwallis. Indeed he has mentioned the matter to the Archbishop, who desires me to say, that he expects to have a sight of it. If his Grace shall approve of any account being published, I will then submit to Dr. Ducarel such alterations as I think may be proper." Saville-row, Sept. 15, 1784.-Some corrections were consequently made, and adopted.—I had some time before had an opportunity of recovering for him a Book which he had given up as lost; which he thus acknowledges:

"Lambeth Palace, June 22. I return you many thanks for 'Hogarth,' and more particularly for my own copy of Warton's Essay on Pope;' which I had lent to Dr. Johnson, at his own request, together with a volume of the Essay on Man,' with MS notes on it. Since his publication of the 'Life of Pope,' I sent a note to him, to desire he would return this Volume, which belongs to a set of Pope's Works; but he has taken no notice of my application. If this Volume should also fall in your way be so good as to secure it for, Your faithful servant, M. LORT."

Mr. Boswell, in a note on the "Life of Johnson" (vol. IV. p. 306), speaking of "the evil one," says, "This is well illustrated in a short but excellent Commentary by my late worthy friend the Rev. Dr. Lort, of whom it may truly be said, Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit."

Dr.