He Contentment," and his poem "On the Fall of Man, in answer to bishop Sherlock," he strongly reminds us of Pope in the celebrated essay, although in the occasional adoption of quaint conceits he appears to have followed the example of the earlier poets. Of his long pieces, perhaps the best is "Enthusiasm," which he published in 1751*, and which is distinguished by superior animation, and a glow of vigorous fancy suited to the subject. depicts the classical enthusiast, and the virtuoso, with at strength of colouring not inferior to some of Pope's happiest portraits in his Epistles. His controversial and critical verses, it has already been hinted, are rather to be considered as literary curiosities than as poems, for what can be a poem which excludes the powers of invention, and interdicts the excursions of fancy? Yet, if there be a merit in versifying terms of art, some may also be allowed to the introduction of questions of grammar, criticism, and theology, with so much ease and perspicuity. Byrom's lines "On the Patron of England" are worthy of notice, as having excited a controversy which is, perhaps, not yet decided. In this poem he endeavoured to prove the non-existence of St. George, the patron saint of England, by this argument chiefly, that the English were converted by Gregory the First, or the Great, who sent over St. Austin for that purpose; and he conceives that in the ancient Fasti, Georgius was erroneously set down for Gregorius, and that George nowhere occurs as patron until the reign of Edward III. He concludes with requesting that the matter may be considered by Willis, Stukeley, Ames, or Pegge, all celebrated antiquaries, or by the society of antiquaries at large, stating the plain question to be, "Whether England's patron was a knight or a pope?" This challenge must have been given some time before the year 1759, when all these antiquaries were living, but in what publication, if printed at all, we have not been able to discover. Mr. Pegge, however, was living when Byrom's collected poems appeared, and judged the question * In 1749 he published "An Epis. tle to a Gentleman of the Temple." In 1755 a pamphlet was published, entitled "The Contest, in which is exhibited a preface in favour of blank verse; with an experiment of it in an ode upon the British country life, by Roger Comberbach, esq.; An Epistle from Dr. Byrom to Mr. Comberbach, in defence of rhyme; and an eclogue by Mr.Comberbach, in reply to Dr. Byrom, 8vo, Chester." This pamphlet was published by Mr. Comberbach, and is probably alluded to in our author's "Thoughts on Rhime and Blank Verse." Comberbach was a barrister. of sufficient importance to be discussed in the society. His "Observations on the History of St. George" were printed in the fifth volume of the Archæologia, in answer, not only to Byrom, but to Dr. Pettingal, who in 1760 expressed his unbelief in St. George by a "Dissertation on the Equestrian Figure worn by the knights of the Garter:" Mr. Pegge is supposed to have refuted both. The controversy was, however, revived at a much later period (1795) by Mr. Milner, of Winchester, who, in answer to the assertions of Gibbon, the historian, has supported the reality of the person of St. George with much ingenuity. 1 BYTHNER (VICTORINUS), an able linguist, was a native of Poland, who came to Oxford when somewhat advanced in life, was matriculated, and read a Hebrew lecture for many years in the hall of Christ Church, and before the rebellion in 1642 instructed many scholars in that language. Even after being disturbed by the revolutionary confusions, he published some works for the use of his pupils. After leaving Oxford he went to Cambridge, and thence to London, and Wood thinks, returned to Oxford. About 1664 he retired into Cornwall, and practised physic, but the time of his death has not been ascertained. He wrote, 1. "Lethargy of the Soul, &c." 1636, 8vo. 2. "Tabula directoria: in qua totum TO TEXNIKON Linguæ Sanctæ, ad amussian delineatur," Ox. 1637. 3. "Lingua eruditorum," usually called his Hebrew Grammar, Ox. 1638, 8vo, and reprinted. 4. " Manipulus messis magnæ, sive Grammat exemplaris," Lond. 1639, 8vo. 5." Clavis Linguæ Sanctæ," Camb. 1648, 8vo. 6. "Lyra prophetica Davidis regis: sive Analysis Critico-Practica Psalmoruin," Lond. 1650, 4to, and 1645. To this is added an introduction to the Chaldaic." BZOVIUS (ABRAHAM), a learned Polander, and a very voluminous writer, was descended from a good family, and born in 1567. His parents dying when he was a child, he was educated by his grandmother on the mother's side, in the city of Prosovitz; and made so good use of the instructions of one of his uncles, that at ten years of age he could write Latin, compose music, and make verses. After this, he went to continue his studies at Cracow, and there took the habit of a Dominican. Being sent into Italy, he read Johnson and Chalmers's English Poets, 1810.-Biog. Brit. lectures of philosophy at Milan, and of divinity at Bologna. After he returned into his own country, he preached in Posnania, and in Cracow, with the applause of all his hearers; and taught philosophy and divinity. He was principal of a college of his own order; and did several considerable services to that and to his country. Afterwards he went to Rome; where he was received with open arms by the pope, and lodged in the Vatican. From his holiness he certainly deserved that reception, for he imitated Baronius closely in his ambition to favour the power, and raise the glory, of the papal see. His inconsiderate and violent zeal, however, led him to representations in his history of which he had reason to repent. He had very much reviled the emperor Lewis of Bavaria, and razed him ignominiously out of the catalogue of emperors. The duke of Bavaria was so incensed at this audaciousness, that, not satisfied with causing an apology to be wrote for that emperor, he brought an action in form against the annalist, and got him condemned to make a public retractation, and he was also severely treated in the "Apology of Lewis of Bavaria," published by George Herwart; who affirms, that Bzovius had not acted in his annals like a man of honesty, or wit, or judgment, or memory, or any other good quality of a writer. Bzovius would probably have continued in the Vatican till his death, if the murder of one of his servants, and the loss of a great sum of money, which was carried off by the murderer, had not struck him with such a terror, as obliged him to retire into the convent of Minerva, where he died in 1637, aged seventy. The letter which the king of Poland writ to the pope in 1633, does our Dominican much honour; for in it the king supplicates Urban VIII. most humbly to suffer the good old man to return into Poland, that he might employ him in composing a history of the late transactions there. He declares, that he shall esteem himself much indebted to his holiness, if he will be pleased to grant him that favour, which he so earnestly requests of him. Bzovius's principal work is his continuation of Baronius's "Annals of the Church," of which nine volumes folio have been printed, the first eight at Cologne, 16161641, and the ninth at Rome in 1672. The author is abundantly credulous, and so partial to his order that some have considered the work rather as a history of the Dominicans, than of the church at large, yet the curious inquirer will find many important facts and documents 1 Gen. Dict.-Moreri.-Erythræi Pinacotheca.—Saxii Onomasticon. INDEX TO THE SEVENTH VOLUME. Those marked thus are new. Those marked † are re-written, with additions. |