draw Mr. Orton from Shrewsbury. He was applied to by a considerable congregation in Westminster, to succeed their late pastor, the Rev. Dr. Obadiah Hughes; but he immediately rejected the proposal, as he never had any inclination to settle in London, and as he was firmly persuaded that neither his health, nor his abilities, nor his sentiments, qualified him for a situation in the metropolis. On his refusal of this offer, it was accepted, in 1752, by the late Dr. Kippis.

From this time nothing material occurred, in the course of Mr. Orton's ministry at Shrewsbury, till the year 1765. He was comfortable and happy among his people, and in the friendship and assistance of Mr. Fownes. But in that year his bodily infirmities had so far advanced upon him, that he was quite disabled from continuing in his public work. On the 15th of September, therefore, (which was his birth-day) he delivered his last sermon to his congregation. The Lord's Supper was administered by him several times after this; but he durst not undertake to preach any more.

Mr. Orton's quitting his pastoral connection with the dissenters at Shrewsbury, was attended with unhappy consequences. A contest arose with respect to the choice of an assistant to Mr. Fownes, which, at length ended in a separation. The larger number of the society thought it their duty to provide themselves with another place of worship; and with these Mr. Orton concurred in opinion. Ha esteemed himself, says his biographer, bound to countenance them upon every principle of conscience, as a Christian, a Dissenter, a Minister, and a Friend to Liberty. Though Mr. Fownes continued at the old chapel, this circumstance did not occasion any diminution in the friendship and affection subsisting between him and Mr. Orton. One almost unavoidable effect of the division was, its being accompanied with a bad spirit, in several persons, on both sides of the question. The height to which the matter was carried, rendered Mr. Orton's situation at Shrewsbury greatly uncomfortable, and materially affected his health. He found it necessary, therefore, to retire to another place; and at length, in 1766, he fixed at Kidderminster, to which he was principally led that he might have the advice of a very able and skilful physician (Dr. Johnstone, of Worcester), who always proved himself a faithful and tender friend. He continued at Kidderminster for the re

mainder of his days; and although prevented, by the bad state of his health, from ever again appearing in the pulpit, he still retained the same zeal for promoting the great objects of the Christian religion. What he could not perform as a preacher, he was solicitous to effect as a practical writer. Previously to his resignation of the pastoral office his only publications were, his Funeral Sermon for Dr. Doddridge, printed in 1752; a Fast Sermon in 1756, occasioned by the earthquake at Lisbon; and "Three Discourses on Eternity, and the Importance and Advantage of looking at Eternal Things," published in 1764. These three discourses have gone through six editions, and have been translated into Welch. Such was Mr. Orton's ill state of health, together with his attention to the duties of his profession, that it was not till 1766 that he was enabled to give to the world his "Memoirs of the Life, Character, and Writings of Dr. Doddridge." In 1769, he published a set of sermons, under the title of "Religious Exercises recommended: or, Discourses on the Heavenly State, considered under the Idea of a Sabbath." In 1771, he published "Discourses to the Aged." Our author's next publication, which appeared in 1774, was entitled "Christian Zeal; or three Discourses on the Importance of seeking the Things of Christ more than our own." These seem to have been intended to check the selfish and clamorous zeal which then appeared among the Dissenters for matters of a worldly kind, and to direct it to the support and advancement of real practical religion. In 1775, Mr. Orton committed to the press three farther Discourses, under the title of "Christian Worship," which have been translated into Welch. Two volumes of "Discourses on Practical Subjects" were the production of the next year. Mr. Orton's last publication, which appeared in 1777, was entitled "Sacramental Meditations; or, Devout Reflections on various Passages of Scripture, designed to assist Christians in their attendance on the Lord's Supper, and their Improvement of it." These meditations, which are fifty in number, are all founded on different texts of the Sacred Writings, and are, what the author himself used in the administration of the sacrament, according to the method observed among Dissenters from the Church of England.

Several eminent divines of the establishment expressed their high approbation of the "Sacramental Meditations,"

among whom were the rev. Mr. Hunter, vicar of Weaverham, in Cheshire, Dr. Tucker, dean of Gloucester, and Dr. Adams, master of Pembroke college, Oxford.

Besides these several publications, all of which appeared with his name, Mr. Orton, in 1770, was the author of two anonymous tracts, entitled "Diotrophes admonished," and "Diotrophes re-admonished." They were written in defence of his excellent friend, Dr. Adams, at that time vicar of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, who had been violently attacked by the writer of a piece, which made a considerable noise in its day, called " Pietas Oxoniensis." There is one small publication by Mr. Orton, hitherto omitted, which was the earliest piece printed by him, having first appeared in 1749, and we apprehend without his name. The title of it is "A Summary of Doctrinal and Practical Religion, by way of question and answer; with an introduction, shewing the Importance and Advantage of a Religious Education." So well has this tract been received, that it has gone through seven editions. In the course of his ministerial service, he delivered a short and plain exposition of the Old Testament, with devotional and practical reflections; which exposition and reflections have recently been published, from the author's manuscripts, for the use of families, by the reverend Robert Gentleman, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, in six large volumes, octavo. The first volume appeared in 1788, and the last in 1791; but the work has not attained any great share of popularity. The other posthumous publication is, "Letters to a young Clergyman," 1791, 2 vols. 12mo. Besides Mr. Orton's publication of Dr. Doddridge's hymns, and of the three last volumes of the Family Expositor, he printed, in 1764, a new edition of the life and death of the rev. Mr. Philip Henry, and prefixed to it an address to the descendants of that eminently pious and worthy divine.

After the publication of the "Sacramental Meditations" in 1777, Mr. Orton's bad state of health no longer permitted him to instruct and edify the world from the press. But he still continued to be useful by his pious example, his affectionate exhortations, and his correspondence with his intimate friends. The degree of doctor in divinity had been conferred upon him many years previously to his decease, but he would never permit himself to be addressed by that title, or prefix it to any of his writings.

In the spring of the year 1783, Mr. Orton's complaints multiplied so fast upon him, that there was no prospect of his continuing much longer in life, and accordingly he died at Kidderminster, July 19, 1783, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. On the twenty-fifth of the same month, agreeably to his own request, he was buried in the chancel of St. Chad's church, Shrewsbury.'

ORVILLE (JAMES-PHILIP D'), a very learned critic, and the correspondent of many eminent English scholars, was born at Amsterdam, July 28,1696, of a family originally from France. He was intended for commerce by his father, who nevertheless gave him a classical education under David Hoogstraten and the celebrated Hemsterhuis. It was Peter Burman, however, who prevailed on his father to change his destination, and allow him to become a scholar by profession. He was accordingly sent, in 1715, to the university of Leyden, where he studied the Greek language and literature under James Gronovius; history, antiquities, and rhetoric under Peter Burman, the oriental languages under Heyman and Schaaf, and jurisprudence under Schulting and Noodt. Before his academical course was completed, viz. in 1718, he visited England, where one of his brothers John-Leonard was settled as a merchant. His object on this visit was to form an acquaintance with some of the literati of that age; but principally to inspect the public libraries in London, Oxford, and Cambridge. He remained, however, here only from July to the beginning of Autumn, when he returned to Leyden; and, having finished his studies, took the degree of doctor of law Feb. 3, 1721. He then went to the Hague, with a view to the bar, but became dissatisfied with the profession, and seems from this time to have relinquished every pursuit but that of general literature. In 1723 be began his travels by visiting Antwerp, Brussels, Louvain, and lastly France, where he spent a twelvemonth. At Paris he became acquainted with many eminent characters, particularly Monfaucon, Sallier, Fraguier, Sevin, Chamillart, Bouquet, Boivin, and Tournemine, who respectively introduced him to the societies of the learned, and to the most noted libraries and museums. In the month of August 1724, he returned to Amsterdam; but had not been long there before the dangerous illness of one of his brothers rendered it necessary for

1 By Dr. Kippis, note, in Biog. Brit, on his Life of Doddridge,

him to revisit London, where he remained a year, employed as he had been at Paris, in the company of the learned, and among the libraries. Here he became intimate with Bentley, Chishull, Sherard, Cunningham, Mead, Potter, Hutchinson, Markland, Wasse, &c. &c.

On his return to Holland, he had no fixed settlement, dividing his time between Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leyden, and the Hague. In 1726, he determined to visit Italy, and after travelling through its principal cities, he went to Sicily, where he found ample gratification for his antiquarian taste. On his return he spent a winter at Rome, which he left in 1728, and made the tour of Germany, and other parts of Europe, where any thing curious or interesting was to be found. Returning at length home, he hoped to sit down to the quiet enjoyment of his books; but the magistrates of Amsterdam, sensible how greatly his talents would extend the reputation of their school, offered him the professorship of history, rhetoric, and Greek, which he accepted, and entered upon the duties of his office May 22, 1730, with an inaugural dissertation on the agreement between commerce and the muses, "De felici Mercurii cum Musis contubernio." Two years after, at the celebration of the centenary anniversary of the school, he delivered a harangue, including its foundation and progress, and commemorating the eminent men it had produced. In 1742, he resigned his professorship, that he might have more leisure for his critical inquiries, and to avail himself of the stores of knowledge accumulated during his travels, as well as to communicate them to others. He had indeed a singular pleasure in assisting the literary researches of his friends, and was a very considerable contributor of notes, various readings and collations to most of the editions of the ancient authors printed in his time, to Josephus, Lucian, Libanius, Diodorus Siculus, Aristophanes, Livy, Cæsar, &c. &c. All these, as well as his own works, show a profound knowledge of the Greek language, and an intimate acquaintance with classical history and criticism.

He published, in 1750, in quarto, a new edition of "Chereas and Callirhoe;" and a new edition of the Greek Anthology was expected from him, for which he had some valuable materials, and one of Theocritus, perhaps also one of Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius; but all these undertakings were frustrated by the unexpected death of VOL. XXIII. D D