MADDEN (SAMUEL), D. D. (" a name," says Dr. Johnson, "which Ireland ought to honour,") was born in 1687, and received his education at Dublin. He appears, however, to have been in England in 1729; and having written a tragedy called "Themistocles, or the Lover of his country," was, as he himself says, tempted to let it appear, by the offer of a noble study of books from the profits of it. In 1731, he projected a scheme for promoting learning in the college of Dublin by premiums, at the quarterly examinations, which has proved highly beneficial. In 1732, he published his "Memoirs of the Twentieth Century; being original Letters of State under George the Sixth, relating to the most important events in Great-Britain, and Europe, as to church and state, arts and sciences, trade, taxes, and treaties, peace and war, and characters of the greatest persons of those times, from the middle of the eighteenth to the end of the twentieth century, and the world. Received and revealed in the year 1728; and now published, for the instruction of all eminent statesmen, churchmen, patriots, politicians, projectors, papists, and protestants.' In 6 vols. Lond. 1733, 8vo. * In 1740, we find him in his native country, and in that year setting apart the annual sum of one hundred pounds to be distributed, by way of premium, to the inhabitants of Ireland only; namely, 50l. to the author of the best invention for improving any useful art or manufacture; 25l. to the person who should execute the best statue or piece of sculpture; and 251. to the person who should finish the best piece of painting, either in history or landscape: the premiums to be decided by the Dublin society, of which Dr. Madden was the institutor. The good effects of these well applied benefactions have not only been felt to advantage in the kingdom where they were given, but have even

• There is something mysterious in the history of this work, of which only one volume has appeared, and whether any more were really intended is uncertain. A thousand copies were printed with such very great dispatch, that three printers were employed on it (Bowyer, Woodfall, and Roberts); and the names of an uncommon number of reputable booksellers in the title-page. The current report is, that the edition was suppressed on the day of publication; and that it is now exceedingly scarce, is certain. The whole of the

business was transacted by Mr. Bowyer, without either of the other printers ever seeing the author; a number of them was delivered to the several booksellers mentioned in the title-page; and in four days after, all that were unsold were recalled, and 890 of them were given up to Dr. Madden, to be destroyed. Mr. Tutet, who had a copy of this curiosity, never heard but of one other, though he frequently inquired after it. Mr. Bindley, however, has

a copy.

extended their influence to its sister country, having given rise to the society for the encouragement of arts and sciences in London. In 1743 or 4, he published a long poem, called "Boulter's Monument ;" which was corrected for the press by Dr. Johnson; and an epistle of about 200 lines by him is prefixed to the second edition of Leland's "Life of Philip of Macedon." In an oration spoken at Dublin, Dec. 6, 1757, by Mr. Sheridan, that gentleman took occasion to mention Dr. Madden's bounty, and intended to have proceeded in the following manner, but was prevented by observing the doctor to be then present. Speaking of the admirable institutions of premiums, he went on, "Whose author, had he never contributed any thing farther to the good of his country, would have deserved immortal honour, and must have been held in reverence by the latest posterity. But the unwearied and disinterested endeavours, during a long course of years, of this truly good man, in a variety of branches, to promote industry, and consequently the welfare of this kingdom, and the mighty benefits which have thence resulted to the community, have made many of the good people of Ireland sorry, that a long-talked of scheme has not hitherto been put in execution: that we might not appear inferior in point of gratitude to the citizens of London, with respect to a fellow-citizen [sir John Barnard], (surely not with more reason,) and that like them we might be able to address our patriot, Præsenti tibi maturos largimur honores."

Dr. Madden had some good church preferment in Ire land, particularly a deanery, we know not which, and the living of Drummully, worth about 400l. a year, the right of presentation to which was divided between his own family, and another. As his family had presented on the last vacancy, the other of course had a right to present now; but the Maddens offering to give up all right of presentation in future, if allowed to present on the present occasion, this was agreed to, and thus the Doctor got the living. At what time this occurred we are not told, but he was then a colonel of militia, and was in Dublin dressed in scarlet. Besides this living, he had a very good estate; but as he was almost entirely devoted to books, or acts of charity and public good, he left the management of his income, both ecclesiastical and temporal, to his wife, a lady of a somewhat different turn of mind. They lived at

Manor-water-house, three miles from Newtown-Budder; and the celebrated rev. Philip Skelton lived with them for some time, as tutor to the children. Dr. Madden also gave him the curacy of Newtown-Butler.

Dr. Madden died Dec. 30, 1765. There is a fine mezzotinto of him, a whole length by J. Brooks, and a later, by Richard Purcell, from a painting by Robert Hunter.

Mons. Grosley, a lively French traveller, speaking of a city in the centre of France, "which at the beginning of the fifteenth century served as a theatre to the grandest scene that England ever acted in that kingdom," mentions several English families as lately extinct, or still subsisting there. "This city," he adds, "in return, has given the British dominions an illustrious personage, to whom they are indebted for the first prizes which have been there distributed for the encouragement of agriculture and arts. His name was Madain being thrown upon the coast of Ireland by events of which I could never hear any satisfactory account, he settled in Dublin by the name of Madden, there made a fortune, dedicated part of his estate, which amounted to four or five thousand pounds a year, to the prizes which I have spoken of, and left a rich succession: part of this succession went over to France to the Madains his relations, who commenced a law-suit for the recovery of it, and caused ecclesiastical censures to be published against a merchant, to whom they had sent a letter of attorney to act for them, and whom they accused of having appropriated to himself a share of their inheritance." "

MADOX (ISAAC), a famous English prelate, born at London, July 27, 1697, of obscure parents, whom he lost while he was young, was taken care of by an aunt, who placed him in a charity-school, and afterwards put him on trial to a pastry-cook; but, before he was bound apprentice, the master told her that the boy was not fit for trade; that he was continually reading books of learning above his (the master's) comprehension, and therefore advised that she should take him away, and send him back to school, to follow the bent of his inclination. He was on this sent, by an exhibition of some dissenting friends, to one of the universities of Scotland, Cole says, that of Aberdeen; but, not caring to take orders in that church, was afterwards, through the patronage of bishop Gibson, admitted to

1 Nichols's Bowyer.-Boswell's Life of Johnson.-Burdy's Life of Skelton, pp. 28, 32-39.

Queen's-college, Cambridge, and was favoured with a doctor's degree at Lambeth. After entering into orders, he first was curate of St. Bride's, then domestic chaplain to Dr. Waddington, bishop of Chichester, whose niece he married, and was afterwards promoted to the rectory of St. Vedast, in Foster-lane, London. In 1729, he was appointed clerk of the closet to queen Caroline. In 1733, he became dean of Wells, and was consecrated bishop of St. Asaph, in 1736. He was translated to the see of Worcester, in 1743. In 1733 he published the first part of the "Review of Neal's History of the Puritans," under the title of, "A Vindication of the Government, Doctrine, and Worship of the Church of England, established in the reign of queen Elizabeth" of which the late bishop Hallifax said, "a better vindication of the reformed church of England, I never read." He was a great benefactor to the London hospitals, and the first promoter of the Worcester Infirmary in 1745, which has proved of singular benefit to the poor, and a great advantage to medical and surgical knowledge in that neighbourhood. He was also a great encourager of trade, engaging in the British fishery, by which he lost some money. He likewise was a strong advocate for the act against vending spirituous liquors. He married Elizabeth daughter of Richard Price, esq. of Hayes in Middlesex, in 1731; and had two daughters and a son, of whom only one daughter survived him, and was afterwards married to the hon. James Yorke, bishop of Gloucester, and late bishop of Ely. He died Sept. 27, 1739. Bishop Madox published fourteen occasional sermons preached between the years 1734 and 1752. Among other instances of his benevolence, we may mention his assigning 200l. per ann. during his life, for the augmentation of the smaller benefices of his diocese. He corresponded with Dr. Doddridge with affectionate familiarity, and visited him when at Bristol, offering in the most obliging manner to convey him to the Wells in his chariot, at the stated times of drinking. He used to anticipate any hints respecting his origin by a joke which he was fond of repeating. When tarts were on his table, he pressed the company to partake, saying "that he believed they were very good, but that they were not of his own making." This he varied, when John Whiston dined with him, into, "some people reckon me a good judge of that article!" Upon the whole he appears to have been an amiable and benevolent man, and to have

employed his wealth as well as his talents to the best purposes. His widow survived him thirty years, dying Feb.

19, 1789.1

MADOX (THOMAS), the learned exchequer antiquary, and historiographer royal, of whose personal history we have no information, is well known among antiquaries and lawyers for his valuable collection of records relating to the ancient laws and constitution of this country; the knowledge of which tends greatly to the illustration of English history. In 1702, under the patronage of the learned lord Somers, he published the first fruits of his researches, under the title of "A Collection of antique Charters and Instruments of divers kinds taken from the originals, placed under several heads, and deduced (in a series according to the order of time) from the Norman conquest, to the end of the reign of king Henry VIII." This is known by the name of the "Formulare Anglicanum." To it is prefixed a dissertation concerning "Ancient Charters and Instruments," replete with useful learning upon that subject. He was prompted to this work, by considering that there was no methodical history or system of ancient charters and instruments of this nation then extant; and that it would be acceptable to curious persons, and useful to the public, if something were done for supplying that defect. Having entertained such a design, and being furnished. with proper materials from the archives of the late court of augmentations, he was encouraged to proceed in it, espe cially by lord Somers; and prosecuted it with so much application, that out of an immense heap of original charters and writings, remaining in that repository, he selected and digested the chief substance of this volume. In 1711, he proceeded to a work of still greater importance than the foregoing, "The History and Antiquities of the Exchequer of the Kings of England, in two periods, viz. from the Norman conquest, to the end of the reign of king John; and from the end of the reign of king John, to the end of the reign of king Edward II. Taken from records. Together with a correct copy of the ancient dialogue concerning the Exchequer, generally ascribed to Gervasius Tilburiensis; and a Dissertation concerning the most ancient great roll of the exchequer, commonly styled the roll of Quinto Regis Stephani," folio;

1 Nichols's Bowyer.-Orton's Life of Doddridge, p. 328.-Doddridge's Letters, p. 452-454-MS notes by John Whiston in his copy of the first edition of this Dictionary.