design of publishing an English Topographer, and may possibly have inserted the articles in a different hand. It afterwards became the property of sir John Hawkins." 3. "The British Librarian, exhibiting a compendious Review of all unpublished and valuable books, in all sciences," which was printed without his name, in 1737, 8vo, and after having been long neglected and sold at a low price, is now valued as a work of such accuracy and utility deserves. 4. A "Life of sir Walter Raleigh," prefixed to his "History of the World," in folio. 5. "Introduction to Hayward's British Muse (1738);" of which he says, "that the penurious publishers, to contract it within a sheet, left out a third part of the best matter in it, and made more faults than were in the original." In this he was assisted by Dr. Campbell. 6. "His Observations ou the Cure of William Taylor, the blind boy at Ightham, in Kent, by John Taylor, jun. oculist, 1753," 8vo. The title of the pamphlet here alluded to was, "Observations on the Cure of William Taylor, the blind Boy, of Ightham, in Kent, who, being born with cataracts in both eyes, was at eight years of age brought to sight on the 8th of October, 1751, by Mr. John Taylor, jun. oculist, in Hattongarden; containing his strange notions of objects upon the first enjoyment of his new sense; also, some attestations thereof; in a letter written by his father, Mr. William Taylor, farmer, in the same parish interspersed with several curious examples, and remarks, historical and philosophical, thereupon. Dedicated to Dr. Monsey, physician to the Royal hospital at Chelsea. Also, some address to the public, for a contribution towards the foundation of an hospital for the blind, already begun by some noble personages," 8vo. 7. Various lives in the "Biographia Britannica," with the signature G, the initial letter of Gray's Inn, where he formerly lived. He mentions, in his notes on Langbaine, his life of sir George Etherege, of Caxton, of Thomas May, and of Edward Alleyn, inserted in that work. He composed the "Life of Atherton ;" which, if it ever deserved to have had a place in that work, ought not to have been removed from it any more than the "Life of Eugene Aram," which is inserted in the second edition. That the publishers of the second edition meant no indignity to Oldys, by their leaving out his "Life of Atherton," appears from their having transcribed into their work a much superior quantity of his writings, consisting of notes VOL. XXIII.

Z

and extracts from printed books, styled "Oldys's MSS." Of these papers no other account is given than that " they are a large and useful body of biographical materials;" but we may infer, from the known industry and narrow circumstances of the writer, that, if they had been in any degree prepared for public consideration, they would not have so long lain dormant. 8. At the importunity of Curll, he gave him a sketch of the life of Nell Gwin, to help out his "History of the Stage." 9. He was concerned with Des Maizeaux in writing the "Life of Mr. Richard Carew," the antiquary of Cornwall, in 1722. 10. Observations, Historical and Critical, on the Catalogue of English Lives." Whether this was ever printed we know not. 11. "Tables of the eminent persons celebrated by English Poets." This he seems to quote in a manuscript note on Langbaine, but it does not appear to have been printed. 12. He mentions, ibidem, the first volume of his "Poetical Characteristics," on which we may make the same remark. If these two works continued in MS. during his life-time, it is probable that they were not finished for publication, or that no bookseller would buy them. 13. Oldys seems to have

been concerned likewise as a writer in the "General Dictionary," for he mentions his having been the author of "The Life of sir John Talbot," in that work; and in Birch's MSS. is a receipt from him for 1. 5s. for writing the artiele of Fastolf. 14. He mentions likewise, in his notes on Langbaine, that he was the author of a pamphlet against Toland, called "No blind Guides." 15. He says, ibidem, that he communicated many things to Mrs. Cooper, which she published in her "Muse's Library." 16. In 1746 was published, in 12mo, Health's Improvement; or, Rules comprising the nature, method, and manner, of preparing foods used in this nation. Written by that ever famous Thomas Moffett, doctor in physic; corrected and enlarged by Christopher Bennet, doctor in physic, and fellow of the College of Physicians in London. To which is now prefixed, a short View of the Author's Life and Writings, by Mr. Oldys; and an Introduction by R. James, M. D." 47. In the first volume of British Topography," page 31, mention is made of a translation of " Camden's Britannia," in 2 vols. 4to, by W. O. esq." which Mr. Gough, with great probability, ascribes to Mr. Oldys. 18. Among the MSS. in the British Museum, described in Mr. Ayscough's Catalogue, we find p. 24, "Some Considerations upon the

publication of sir Thomas Roe's Epistolary Collections, supposed to be written by Mr. Oldys, and by him tendered to Sam. Boroughs, esq. with proposals, and some notes of Dr. Birch." 19. In p. 736, "Memoirs of the family of Oldys *." 20. In p. 741, "Two small pocket books of short Biographical Anecdotes of many Persons," and "some Fragments of Poetry," perhaps collected by Mr. Oldys? 21. In p. 750, and p. 780, are two MS letters" of Mr. Oldys," 1735 and 1751. 22. It is said, in a MS paper, by Dr. Ducarel, who knew him well, that Oldys had by him, at the time of his death, some collections towards a "Life of Shakspeare †," but not digested into any order, as he told the doctor a few days before he died. 23. On the same authority he is said to be a writer in, or the writer of, "The Scarborough Miscellany," 1732, and 1734. 24. "The Universal Spectator," of which he was some time the publisher, was a newspaper, a weekly journal, said, on the top of the paper, which appeared originally in single sheets, to be " by Henry Stonecastle, in Northumberland," 1730-1732. It was afterwards collected into two volumes 8vo; to which a third and fourth were added in 1747. In one of his MSS. we find the following well

turned anagram:

W. O.

In word and wILL I AM a friend to you,

And one friend OLD IS worth an hundred new.1

OLEARIUS (ADAM), a learned traveller, whose German name was OELSCHLAGER, was born in 1599, or 1600, at Aschersleben, a small town in the principality of Anhalt. His parents were very poor, and scarcely able to maintain him, yet by some means he was enabled to enter as a student at Leipsie, where he took his degrees in arts and philosophy, but never was a professor, as some biographers

European Mag.-Gent. Mag. LIV. and LV; see Indexes.-Coote's Cataogue of Civilians.-Noble's College of Arms.-Grose's " Olio."

have asserted. He quitted Leipsic for Holstein, where the duke Frederic, hearing of his merit and capacity, wished to employ him. This prince having a wish to extend the commerce of his country to the East, determined to send an embassy to the Czar Michael Federowitz, and the king of Persia, and having chosen for this purpose two of his counsellors, Philip Crusius and Otto Bruggemau, he appointed Olearius to accompany them as secretary. Their travels lasted six years, during which Olearius collected a great fund of information respecting the various countries they visited. The Czar of Moscovy on his return wished to have retained him in his service, with the appointment of astronomer and mathematician; not, however, his biographers tell us, so much on account of his skill in these sciences, as because the Czar knew that Olearius had very exactly traced the course of the Volga, which the Russians then wished to keep a secret from foreigners. Olearius had an inclination, however, to have accepted this offer, but after his return to the court of Holstein, he was dissuaded from it, and the duke having apologized to the Czar, attached him to himself as mathematician and antiquary. In 1643, the duke sent him on a commission to Moscow, where, as before, his ingenuity made him be taken for a magician, especially as on this occasion he exbibited a camera obscura. In 1650 the duke appointed him his librarian, and keeper of his curiosities. The library he enriched with many Oriental MSS. which he had procured in his travels, and made also considerable additions to the duke's museum, particularly of the collection of Paludanus, a Dutch physician, which the duke sent him to Holland to purchase; and he drew up a description of the whole, which was published at Sleswick in 1666, 4to. He also constructed the famous globe of Gottorp, and an armillary sphere of copper, which was not less admired, and proved how much mathematics had been his study. He died Feb. 22, 1671. He published, in German, his travels, 1647, 1656, 1669, fol. Besides these three editions, they were translated into English by Davies, and into Dutch and Italian. The most complete translation is that, in French, by Wicquefort, Amst. 1727, 2 vols. fol. who also translated Olearius's edition of Mandelso's "Voyages to Persia," &c. fol. Among his other and less known works, are some Lives of eminent Germans; "The Valley of Persian Roses,"

from the Persian; "An abridged Chronicle of Holstein," &c. 1

OLEARIUS (GODFREY), the most considerable of a family of learned men of this name, originally of Saxony, was born at Leipsic July 23, 1672. He was the son of John Olearius, professor of Greek and theology in that university, and the grandson of Godfrey Olearius, a learned Lutheran divine. From his earliest years he discovered a thirst for knowledge, and a capacity which enabled him to make a distinguished figure during his studies. When his academic course was completed, in his twenty-first year he went to Holland, and then to England, attracted by the reputation of the university of Oxford and the Bodleian library, to which he gained admittance, and pursued his learned inquiries there a year. On his return home he was appointed professor of Greek at Leipsic; and in 1708 succeeded to the theological chair. In 1709 he obtained a canonry at Meissen; was appointed inspector of the students maintained by the elector, and in 1714 assessor to the electoral and ducal consistory. He died Nov. 10, 1715, when only forty-three years of age. He was an able divine and philosopher, and particularly distinguished for a critical knowledge of the Greek language. Among his works are, 1." Dissertatio de miraculo Piscina Bethesda," Leipsic, 1706, 4to. 2. "Dissert. de adoratione Dei Patris per Jesum Christum," ibid. 1709, 4to, against the Socinians. 3. "Introduction to the Roman and German history, from the foundation of Rome to the year 1699," ibid. 1699, 8vo, in German. 4. A Latin translation of sir Peter King's "History of the Apostles' Creed," 1708, 8vo. 5. An edition, reckoned the best, of "Philostratus," Gr. & Lat. Leipsic, 1709, fol. 6. A translation of Stanley's History of Philosophy," ibid. 1712, 4to, with valuable notes and corrections, which were consulted in the reprint of the original at London in 1743, 4to. 7" Observationes sacræ in Evangelium Matthæi," Leipsic, 1713, 4to. He left various MSS.2

O'LEARY (ARTHUR), a Roman Catholic clergyman, was a native of Ireland, whence, when young, he embarked for France; studied at the college of St. Malo, in Britanny, and at length entered into the Franciscan order of Capu

1 Chaufepie.-Niceron, vol. XL.--See George Anderson, vol. II. of this work, 2 Chaufepie.-Niceron, vol, VII.

p. 179.