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People about him were overawed and melted by the fervour and bitterness of his penitence. He frequently and earnestly entreated the prayers of good serious people of the lower class who were admitted. He was a very goodnatured man; and now that he had got all his schemes of interest and ambition fulfilled, he seemed to reflect and grow domestic, and shewed of late a great inclination to be an indulgent landlord, and very liberal to the poor, of which I could relate various instances, more tender and interesting than flashy or ostentatious. His heart and temper were originally good. His religious principles were, I fear, unfixed and fluctuating; but the primary cause that so much genius, taste, benevolence, and prosperity, did not produce or diffuse more happiness, was his living a stranger to the comforts of domestic life, from which unhappy connexions excluded him, &c."

He appears to have died in very opulent circumstances, and by his will, dated June 1793, gave various annuities and legacies to several persons to a great amount. He also bequeathed 1000l. to Mr. John Mackensie, of Figtree court, in the Temple, to defray the expence of printing and publishing Ossian in the original. He directed 300l. to be laid out in erecting a monument to his memory, in some conspicuous situation at Belville, and ordered that his body should be carried from Scotland, and interred in the Abbey-church of Westminster, the city in which he had passed the greatest and best part of his life. He was accordingly brought from the place where he died, and buried in the Poets-corner of the church.

On the subject of that dispute to which Mr. Macpherson gave rise, and which is not yet, and probably never will be, finally adjusted, it is not our purpose to enter. The general opinion, however, we may just mention, is unfavourable to his veracity; but Mr. Laing's dissertation, which has greatly contributed to this effect, when compared with the "Report of the Highland Society," will afford the reader as much light as has yet been thrown upon the question.1

MACQUER (PHILIP), a French lawyer, chiefly celebrated for his chronological abridgments after the manner

1 European Magazine for 1796 —Report of the Highland Society.-Laing's History of Scotland, and his edition of Ossian.-Forbes's Life of Beattie.Warburton's Letters, p. 244, 245, 246.-Sheffield's Life of Gibboŋ, vol. I. p. 544.-Dr. Gleig's Supplement to the Encycl. Britannica.

of Henault, was born at Paris, Feb. 15, 1720, and educated at the university of that city. Here he gave the most promising hopes of success in any of the learned professions, and had in particular attached himself to the law; but weak lungs preventing him from entering into the active occupations of a pleader, he devoted himself to general literature, and produced the following works: 1. "Abrégé Chronologique de l'Histoire Ecclesiastique," a chronological abridgment of Ecclesiastical History, in three volumes, octavo, written more drily and less elegantly than that of Henault, whom the author followed. 2. "Les Annales Romaines," 1756, one volume octavo, in which the author has taken advantage of the most valuable remarks of St. Evremond, the abbé St. Réal, Montesquieu, Mably, and several others, respecting the Romans; and the work is consequently not so dry as the former. In style, however, he is still inferior to his model. Of this we have an English translation by Nugent, 1759, 8vo. 3. "Abrégé Chronologique de l'Histoire d'Espagne et de Portugal," 2 vols. 8vo, 1759-1765. This work, which was actually begun by Henault, is worthy of him in point of exactness; but neither affords such striking portraits, nor such profound remarks. Lacombe, another author celebrated for this kind of compilation, assisted also in this. Macquer had some share in writing the "Dictionaire des Arts et Metiers," 2 vols. 8vo. He was industrious, gentle, modest, sincere, and a decided enemy to all quackery and ostentation. He had little imagination, but a sound judgment; and had collected a great abundance and variety of useful knowledge. He died the 27th of January, 1770.1

MACQUER (JOSEPH), brother to the preceding, an eminent physician and chemist, was born at Paris, Oct. 9, 1718, and became a doctor of the faculty of medicine in the university of that metropolis, professor of pharmacy, and censor-royal. He was, likewise, a member of the academies of sciences of Turin, Stockholm, and Paris, and conducted the medical and chemical departments of the Journal des Sçavans. He had the merit of pursuing chemistry as a department of natural philosophy, and was one of the most successful cultivators of the science, upon rational principles, previous to the new modelling which it has received within the last twenty-five years. He died

1 Necrologie des Hommes Celebres, année 1771.-Dict. Hist.

Feb. 15, 1784, after having suffered much by an internal complaint, which appeared beyond the reach of skill. On this account he desired that his body might be opened, when it was discovered that his disorder was an ossification of the aorta, with strong concretions formed in the cavity of the heart. Mr. Macquer's private character appears to have been truly amiable in every relation, and few men were more respected by his contemporaries. He published, 1. " Elemens de Chymie Theorique," 1749-1753, 12mo. 2. "Elemens de Chymie Pratique," 2 vols. 12mo. 3. " Plan d'un Cours de Chymie experimentale et raisonnée," 1757, 12mo. This was composed in conjunction with M. Baumé, who was associated with him in his lectures. 4. " Dictionnaire de Chymie," 1766, 2 vols. 8vo. These works have all been translated into English and German; the Dictionary particularly, by Mr. Keir, with great additions and improvements. 5. "Formulæ Medicamentorum Magistralium," 1763; and he had also a share in the compoposition of the "Pharmacopeia Parisiensis," of 1758.1

MACRINUS (SALMONEUS), was a name assumed by a modern poet, whose true name was John Salmon; or, as some say, given to him on account of his excessive thinness, from the Latin adjective macer. It became, however, the current appellation of himself and Charles, his brother, who was also a writer of some celebrity, preceptor to Catherine of Navarre, sister of Henry IV, and who perished in the massacre of St. Bartholomew. Some have called Macrinus the French Horace, on account of his talents for poetry, particularly the lyric kind. He was born at Loudon, where he died in 1557, at an advanced age. He wrote hymns, naniæ, and other works, which appeared from 1522 to 1550: and was one of those who principally contributed to restore the taste for Latin poetry. Varillas relates a story of his drowning himself in a well, in despair, on being suspected of Lutheranism. But this, like most anecdotes of the same writer, is a matter of invention rather than fact.

MACROBIUS (AMBROSIUS AURELIUS THEODOSIUS), was an ancient Latin writer, who flourished towards the latter part of the fourth century. What countryman he was, is not clear: Erasmus, in his Ciceronianus, seems to think he

1 Eloges des Academiciens, vol. IV.-Rees's Cyclopædia from Eloy. ? Gen. Dict.-Moreri.-Dict. Hist.

was a Greek; and he himself tells us, in the preface to his "Saturnalia," that he was not a Roman, but laboured under the inconveniences of writing in a language which was not native to him. Of what religion he was, Christian or pagan, is also uncertain. Barthius ranks him among the Christians; but Spanheim and Fabricius suppose him to have been a heathen. It seems, however, agreed that he was a man of consular dignity, and one of the chamberlains, or masters of the wardrobe to Theodosius; as appears from a rescript directed to Florentius, concerning those who were to obtain that office. He wrote "A Commentary upon Cicero's Somnium Scipionis," full of Platonic notions, and seven books of "Saturnalia;" which resemble in plan the "Noctes Attica" of Aulus Gellius. He termed them "Saturnalia," because, during the vacation observed on these feasts of Saturn, he collected the principal literati of Rome, in his house, and conversed with them on all kinds of subjects, and afterwards set down what appeared to him most interesting in their discourses. His Latinity is far from being pure, but as a collector of facts, opinions, and criticism, his works are valuable. The "Somnium Scipionis," and "Saturnalia," have been often printed; to which has been added, in the later editions, a piece entitled "De differentiis & societatibus Græci Latinique verbi." The best editions are those of the Variorum; of Gronovius in 1670, and Leipsic in 1777. There is a specimen of an English translation of the "Saturnalia" in the Gent. Mag. for 1760, but it does not appear to have been completed.'

MADAN (MARTIN), a celebrated preacher and writer, was the son of Martin Madan, esq. of Hertingfordbury near Hertford, member of parliament for Wootton Basset, and groom of the bedchamber to Frederick prince of Wales. His mother was daughter of Spencer Cowper, esq. and niece of the lord chancellor Cowper, an accomplished lady, and author of several poems of considerable merit. He was born in 1726, and was bred originally to the law, and had been called to the bar; but being fond of the study of theology, well versed in Hebrew, and becoming intimate with Mr. Jones and Mr. Romaine, two clergymen of great popularity at that time, by their advice he left the law for the pulpit, and was admitted into orders. His first sermon is said to have been preached in the church of All

Cave, vol. I.-Moreri.-Saxii Onomast.-Clarke's Bibliog Dict.

hallows, Lombard-street, and to have attracted immediate attention and applause. Being appointed chaplain to the Lock-hospital, his zeal led him to attend diligently, and to preach to the unfortunate patients assembled in the parlour: his fame also brought many others thither, till the rooms and avenues were crowded. This led to a proposal for a chapel, which was finished in 1761, and opened with a sermon from the chaplain. He subjected himself to much obloquy, about the year 1767, by the advice he gave to his friend Mr. Haweis, to retain the rectory of Aldwincle, and several pamphlets were written on the subject; but lord Apsley (afterwards Bathurst) did not seem to consider the affair in an unfavourable light, as he afterwards appointed him his chaplain. Mr. Madan became an author in 1761, when he published, 1. "A sermon on Justification by Works." 2. "A small treatise on the Christian Faith," 1761, 12mo. 3. "Sermon at the opening of the Lock Hospital, 1762." 4. "Answer to the capital errors of W. Law," 1763, 8vo. 5. "Answer to the narrative of facts respecting the rectory of Aldwinckle," 1767, 8vo. 6. "A comment on the Thirty-nine Articles," 1772, 8vo. 7. "Thelyphthora," 1780, 2 vols. 8vo. In this book the author justifies polygamy, upon the notion that the first cohabitation with a woman is a virtual marriage; and supports his doctrine by many acute arguments. The intention of the work was to lessen or remove the causes of seduction; but it met with much opposition, many very severe animadversions, and cost the author his reputation among the religious world. He, however, was not discouraged; and in 1781, published a third volume, after which the work sunk into oblivion, a fate to which the masterly criticism on it in the Monthly Review, by the rev. Mr. Badcock, very greatly contributed. It is somewhat remarkable that Mrs. Manley in the "Atalantis" speaks of lord chancellor Cowper, as maintaining the same tenets on polygamy. Mr. Madan next produced, 8. "Letters to Dr. Priestley," 1787, 12mo. 9. A literal version of "Juvenal and Persius," with notes, 1789, 2 vols. 8vo and some controversial tracts on the subject of his Thelyphthora. Mr. Madan died at Epsom in May, 1790, at the age of 64, after a short illness, and was buried at Kensington. The late Dr. Spencer Madan, bishop of Peterborough, was brother to our author.'

1 Preceding edit. of this Diet.—Lysons's Environs, vol. III.—Month. Rev.

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