tor of the Sorbonne. He was born at Paris, May 2, 1608. He appeared very early as a pleader, and with uncommon success, but from religious feelings gave up his pursuits, and retired to the society of Port-Royal, where his piety and mortification became conspicuous. "I have been busy," said he, "in pleading the causes of others, I am now studying to plead my own." He died Nov. 4, 1658, aged fifty-one. Of his works, there have been published, 1. "Pleadings;" of the elegant style of which, Perrault speaks in the highest terms of approbation. 2. "A Translation of Chrysostom de Sacerdotio," with an elegant preface, 12mo. 3. "A life of St. Bernard, under the name of the sieur Lancy, 4to and 8vo. 4. Translations of several writings of St. Bernard. 5. Several publications in favour of the Society of Port-Royal. 6. "The Life of Don Barthélemi des Martyrs," in 8vo, esteemed a very well-written composition; but some biographers have attributed this to his brother, the subject of our next article.'

. MAISTRE (LOUIS ISAAC LE), more known under the name of Sacy (Isaac inverted), was brother of the former, and was born at Paris, in 1613, where he was also educated. After pursuing his studies with the greatest success under Du Verger, the abbé of St. Cyran, and other eminent teachers, he was admitted to the priesthood in 1648. His reputation gained him the office of confessor to the society of Port Royal; but that house being accused of Jansenism, he was involved in the persecution; was obliged to conceal himself in 1661; and in 1666 was confined in the Bastille. In that prison he composed some important works, particularly a translation of the whole Bible, which was finished on the eve of All-saints, 1668; and on the same day he obtained his liberty, after being confined two years and a half. When this work was presented to the king and his minister, le Maistre desired no other reward than that of being allowed frequently to visit the Bastille, to inspect the state of the prisoners. Some writers assert that during his confinement, he composed a history of the Old and New Testament, in one volume, under the name of Royaumont, a work known in this country by a trausla tion in 4to, published about the beginning of the last cen-. tury, with nearly 300 plates; but others ascribe it to.

1 Moreri.-Dict. Hist.-Perrault's Hommes Illustres.

Nicholas Fontaine. Le Maistre remained at Paris till 1675, when he retired to Port-Royal; but was obliged in 1679 to quit it, and retired to Pompona, where he died, at the age of seventy-one, in 1684. His works are, 1. His translation of the Bible, with explanations of the literal and spiritual sense taken from the fathers; in which part he was assisted by du Fossé, Huré, and le Tourneaux. This work was published at Paris, in 1682, and several subsequent years, in 32 vols. 8vo. Several other editions have been printed, but this is on the whole esteemed the best. 2. A translation of the Psalms, from the Hebrew and the Vulgate together. 3. A translation of the Homilies of St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew, in 3 vols. 8vo. 4. A translation of Kempis on the Imitation of Christ, under the name of de Beuil, prior of S. Val, Paris, 1663, 8vo. 5. A translation of Phædrus, under the name of St. Aubin, 12mo. 6. Three comedies of Terence, 12mo. The Letters of Bongars, published under the name of Brianville. 8. The poem of St. Prosper, on ingratitude, rendered in verse and prose. 9. "Les enluminures de l'Almanach des Jesuites," 1654, 12mo; an attack upon the Jesuits, which was so far relished as to be reprinted in 1733. 10. "Heures de Port-Royal," called by the Jesuits Hours of Jansenism, 12mo. 11. "Letters of Piety," in 2 vols. 8vo, published at Paris in 1690. The merits of this author are fully displayed in the memoirs of PortRoyal, written by Nicholas Fontaine, and published at Cologne, in 1738, in 2 vols. 12mo.'

7.

MAITLAND (SIR RICHARD), a cultivator and preserver of Scotch poetry, the son of William Maitland of Lethington, and of Martha, daughter of George lord Seaton, was born in 1496. Having finished his course of literature and philosophy in the university of St. Andrews, he visited France in order to prosecute the study of the law. In 1554 he appears to have been one of the extraordinary lords of session. About 1561 he was deprived of his sight, a misfortune which, however, did not prevent his being admitted in that year to the office of an ordinary lord of session, by the title of lord Lethington; and in 1562, he was appointed lord privy-seal, and a member of the privycouncil. His office as keeper of the privy seal he resigned in 1567, in favour of his second son, the subject of our

1 Moreri. Dict. Hist.--Dupin.

next article. In 1583 he was excused from attendance as a judge, unless when it suited his convenience; but from a sense of the importance of the duties of that office, he resigned it in favour of sir Lewis Ballenden. Sir Richard died March 20, 1586. His eldest son, sir William Maitland, secretary to queen Mary, makes a considerable figure in the history of that princess.

Sir Richard Maitland is celebrated as a man of learning, talents, and virtue. His compositions breathe the genuine spirit of piety and benevolence. The chearfulness of his natural disposition, and his affiance in divine aid, seem to have supported him with singular equanimity under the pressure of blindness and old age. His poem "On the Creation and Paradyce Lost" is printed in Allan Ramsay's "Ever-Green." A considerable number of his productions are to be found among Mr. Pinkerton's "Ancient Scotish Poetry," 1786, 2 vols. 8vo; two are in the Bibliographer, vol. III. p. 114, and many more remain unpublished. A MS. containing "The Selected Poemes of Sir Richard Metellan" was presented by Drummond to the university of Edinburgh; but it seems merely to consist of gleanings from the two volumes deposited in the library of Magdalen-college, Cambridge. Two of his unpublished works, a genealogical history of the family of Seaton, and decisions of the court of session from 1550 to 1565, are preserved in the Advocates' library, Edinburgh. It is supposed that he did not write his poems before he had nearly attained his sixtieth year. On that and other accounts they afford some gratification to curiosity, but little to taste. The Maitland Collection of Poems in the Pepysianlibrary has served to connect his name with the history of early Scotish poetry.'

MAITLAND (JOHN), lord of Thirlstone, and afterwards chancellor of Scotland, one of the Latin poets of that country, the second son of the preceding, was born about 1537. He was educated in Scotland, and afterwards sent to France to study the law. On his return to his native country, he practised that profession with great success. In 1567, as already noticed, his father resigned the privy-seal in his favour; but in 1570 he was deprived of that office, from his attachment to queen Mary. In 1581 he was made a senator of the college of justice. In 1584 he

1 Irvine's Lives of the Scotish Poets.-Mackenzie's Scotch Writers, vol. III.

became secretary of state to king James VI. and the year following, on the death of the earl of Arran, was created lord chancellor of Scotland. The power and influence of the chancellor created him many enemies among the Scotch nobility, who made several unsuccessful attempts to destroy him. In 1589 he attended the king on his voyage to Norway, where his royal bride, the princess of Denmark, was detained by contrary winds. The marriage was there completed, and they passed the winter at Copenhagen. During this residence in Denmark, Maitland became intimately acquainted with Tycho Brahe. In 1590 he was created lord Maitland of Thirlstone. Towards the end of 1592, the chancellor incurred the queen's displeasure for refusing to relinquish his lordship of Musselburgh, which she claimed as part of Dumferling. He absented himself from court for some time, but was at length restored to favour. He died of a lingering illness Oct. 4, 1595, and was much regretted by the king. He is spoken of by Spotiswood and Johnston as a man of great learning, and eminent political abilities. Of his works, we have "Johannis Metellani, Thirlstoni domini, epigrammata Latina," published in the second volume of the "Delicia Poetarum Scotorum," Amst. 1637; a satire in the Scotch language" aganist sklanderous toungis," and an "admonitioun" to the regent Mar, published in Mr. Pinkerton's collection of" Ancient Scotish Poems."

MAITLAND (JOHN), duke of Lauderdale, grandson of the preceding, was a statesman of great power and authority, but of most inconsistent character. On the breaking out of the wars in Scotland in the reign of Charles I. he was a zealous covenanter; and in Jan. 1644-5, one of the commissioners at the treaty of Uxbridge, during which, upon the death of his father the earl of Lauderdale, he succeeded to his titles and estate. He took an active but not very useful part in the above treaty; "being," says lord Clarendon, 66 a young man, not accustomed to an orderly and decent way of speaking, and having no gracious pronunciation, and full of passion, he made every thing much more difficult than it was before." In April 1647, he came with the earl of Dumfermling to London, with a commission to join with the parliament commissioners in

1 Mackenzie's Scotch Writers, vol. III.-Park's edition of the Royal and Noble Authors.

persuading the king to sign the covenant and propositions, offered to him; and in the latter end of the same year, he, in conjunction with the earl of Loudon, chancellor of Scotland, and the earl of Lanerick, conducted a private treaty with his majesty at Hampton court, which was renewed and signed by him on Dec. 26 at Carisbrook castle. By this, among other very remarkable concessions, the king engaged himself to employ the Scots equally with the English in all foreign employments and negociations; and that a third part of all the offices and places about the king, queen, and prince, should be conferred upon persons of that nation; and that the king and prince, or one of them, should frequently reside in Scotland. In August the year following, the earl of Lauderdale was sent by the committee of estates of Scotland to the prince of Wales, with a letter, in which, next to his father's restraint, they bewailed his highness's long absence from that kingdom; and since their forces were again marched into England, they desired his presence to countenance their endeavours for religion and his father's re-establishment. In 1649, he opposed with great vehemence the propositions made by the marquis of Montrose to king Charles II.; and in 1651 attended his majesty in his expedition into England, but was taken prisoner after the battle of Worcester in September the same year, and confined in the Tower of London, Portland-castle, and other prisous, till the 3d of March, 1659-60, when he was released from his imprisonment in Windsor-castle.

Upon the Restoration he was made secretary of state for Scotland, and persuaded the king to demolish the forts and citadels built by Cromwell in Scotland; by which means he became very popular. He was likewise very importunate with his majesty for his supporting presbytery in that kingdom; though his zeal, in that respect, did not continue long. In 1669, he was appointed lord commissioner for the king in Scotland, whither he was sent with great pomp and splendour to bring about some extraordinary points, and particularly the union of the two kingdoms. For this purpose he made a speech at the opening of the parliament at Edinburgh on the 19th of October that year, in which he likewise recommended the preservation of the church as established by law, and expressed a vast zeal for episcopal government. And now the extending of the king's power and grandeur in that kingdom