of that persuasion it was from the very first looked on with an eye of suspicion. "The English catholic community, which is divided into four districts, instead of dioceses, the London, or, as it is sometimes called, the southern, the middle, the northern, and the western, had at this time for their four official prelates, or vicars apostolic, James Talbot, superintendant of the first, Thomas Talbot of the second, Matthew Gibson of the third, and Charles Walmsley of the fourth; and as in almost every heretical country, except Ireland, which still retains a regular and independent hierarchy, the old prelatic titles have been dropped, and new ones adopted in their stead, taken from the unconverted regions of Africa or Asia, where hopes are entertained that churches may hereafter be formed:-the first of these vicars apostolic was dignified, by the papal chair, with that of the bishop of Birtha, the second of Acone, the third of Comana, and the fourth of Rama." Of these prelates, the two former appear to have been men of liberal minds; the two latter to have been actuated by the narrow prejudices which have hitherto been too generally attached to their profession. Dr. Geddes was not without anxiety to gain the countenance of these spiritual superiors. For this purpose, he had at an early period communicated his design to bishop James Talbot, soliciting at the same time his approbation and patronage of it. By this prelate he was informed, that though he should be very far from opposing this design, two reasons would prevent him from publicly patronizing it: the fear of censure from the prejudiced part of the catholics, and the thoughts which he and his brethren en tertained of publishing a revised edition of the Douay translation; declaring also at different times that he withheld his name from the subscription, only lest his official approbation of the work should thence be inferred. Bishop Talbot, however, after having seen the proposals, prospectus, and specimens of the author, died before the publication of the first volume, and was succeeded by Mr. Douglas, titular bishop of Centuria, appointed to this office by the papal court, in opposition to Mr. Berington, who had been strongly supported by the wishes of the more liberal part of the English catholics. Douglas, in conjunc

tion with his colleagues, Walmsley a Gibson, commenced their persecution citing the author, before the publicatio of his work, to their tribunal, to rep to a charge of maintaining doctra contrary to the catholic faith. D Geddes, with due deference to the servances of his churth, obeyed summons, and in reply to their exa nations, which extended not only tol theological, but political creed, c ducted himself with so much spirit a dexterity, that his judges, in all pro bility much against their inclinati were compelled to declare themsel satisfied. On the publication of work, he transmitted a copy of it Douglas, as the apostolical superint dent of his district, accompanied wit suitable letter. On the bishop's pa haughty silence was observed; the culation of the work was obstructed every way; and shortly afterwards a ful nating mandate was issued, setting fo that "as the church of God has at times watched with a jealous care the heavenly treasure of the s scriptures, and has condemned the p tice of printing the said scriptures any expositions of, or annotations the same, unless they have been sever examined and approved of by due clesiastical authority: hence it is in bent on us to warn the faithful mitted to our care, against the use reception of a certain work of this! as far as it has yet appeared, whi destitute of these requisites, &c." ] this encyclical prohibition, as it is c bishop Thomas Talbot had the and justice to withhold his name: i subscribed by the three other v Under this attack Dr. Geddes di remain passive. His intention of licly repelling it he signified in a to Douglas; and in consequence o contumacy, he was informed by his apostolic, that, unless his submissi the injunctions of the church weres ily offered, his suspension from exercise of his orders in that d would be declared. Dr. Geddes! course of a few hours returned rited reply, setting the menaced bl defiance, which, in consequence suffered to fall with all its weight his head. An ample vengeanc however taken, by a pamphlet, appeared after the expiration of the entitled, "A Letter from the Re

Alexander Geddes, LL. D. to the right reverend John Douglas, Bishop of Cen

turiæ."

The consequence of these persecutions was more serious to Dr. Geddes, than it would have been to a man of less irritable frame. He was seized with a lingering fever, brought on by the aniety of his mind, from the effects of which it was nearly a twelvemonth before he was completely recovered. The last ten years of his life, though embit tered by these contests, were, in other respects, nearly of the same complexion with those which preceded them, occupied in the diligent execution of his work, with occasional deviations, as any temporary object seized the attention of his excursive mind. The dates at which the subsequent volumes of his bible made their appearance we have already noticed. The most remarkable of his ther publications, within this period, vere three secular odes in Latin, celerating the French revolution, a free tanslation of the Ver-vert of Gresset, nd especially his "Modest Apology" lready mentioned, "addressed to all 1oderate protestants, particularly to the embers of both houses of parliament." list of thirty-five publications, some a serious, and some on lighter topics, sides many occasional contributions to eriodical works, comprized within the ace of little more than twenty years, Larks the industrious career of this inefatigable scholar.

The closing years of his life were ther of a melancholy cast. From the pensive nature of his great undertakz, without adequate support, he was in involved in pecuniary difficulties. reat anxiety of mind must have been Jared before he disclosed them to his ends: that disclosure however was owed by prompt relief. A severe was sustained by the death of his Je patron, whose place however, in ificence, his son generously came ard to sustain. A most painful, ultimately fatal, disease, arising from cerous affection of the rectum, now its appearance; his gradual decline -sensible to himself, and visible to rends, and bowed down by accued suffering. he expired on the Febuary 1802. The last act of ted persecution was to forbid the ormance of public mass for the de

rd.

Shameless attempt was made to

spread the belief, that on his death-bed Dr. Geddes had recanted what were termed his heretical opinions, and that this recantation was studiously concealed. This falshood, if it were worth refutation, there is direct evidence sufficient to refute.

Respecting the literary merit of Dr. Geddes's publications, it is not within our province to offer any detailed opinion. The force of his mind will perhaps be better estimated from the perusal of a narrative like the present, which collects his energies into one view, than from any of his single works. He often composed, as his biographer observes, precipitately, and occasionally in a state of high mental irritation. In all his works, therefore, with much to admire, a fastidious taste will probably find something to condemn. Of his poetry, either in Latin or English, we have seen little which we have been induced to place in a very high rank; nor does it indeed appear that any of his performances of this nature were considered by himself as more than relaxations from his severer studies. His Latin verses have all the appearance of having been written with great fluency, but they do not often remind us of classical antiquity. In pole. mics, his powers both of attack and defence appear to have been of the most formidable order; he was an acute logician, but in some of his arguments be trays perhaps the school in which his education was received. His critical attainments are unquestionable; in the grand requisites of fidelity of translation and approximation to the genuine reading of the text, his version, in all probability, greatly excels any which preceded it, but to its style something might perhaps be objected. To the general eulogium of his character, which is made by Mr. Good, no liberal mind will refuse its assent; "He was a benevolent man, an accomplished scholar, an indefatigable friend, and a sincere christian."

For much additional information respecting this distinguished character, as well as much curious matter incidentally connected with his life ar.d writings, we refer our readers to the work of Mr, Good. His office of biographer we consider him as having, on the whole, very ably discharged. He is learned; he writes with elegance and ease, and his account is stamped, we had almost said, if that attainment be possible, with marks of absolute impartiality. The

lost in his retreat, which had been provoked by General Schwerin's partiality to the Mecklenburg officers.

Zieten joined his regiment, and endeavoured to make himself perfect master as well of the theory as the practice of his profession. The superior genius of the young man, together with his frank and noble deportment, gained him the esteem of all his brother officers, the second captain of the colonel-squadron excepted, to which he belonged. This man, jealous of the superior genius of his lieutenant, during two years, took every opportunity to thwart and mortify him. The smothered flame at length burst out: Zieten challenged his superior officer, was tried by a court martial, and condemned to one year's imprisonment in the fortress of Friedericksbourg, whither he was sent at the end of the year 1720. At the expiration of his imprisonment, Lieten again joined the regiment; and, if he bravery of her hero has not seduced is fair biographer into too flattering ketch, behaved with the greatest proprity and decorum. All the officers sided ith Zieten; the conduct of his captain as considered as the effect of cowardice, e was shunned and despised, and medited some deep revenge. Several atmpts appear to have been intended upon le person of Zieten; one was at length secuted: the young hero was unexpecty attacked by his enemy, and had arcely time to draw his sword, that he ught parry the first blow. In the cont Zieten's sword broke; he knew his emy too well to confide in his generoty; and saved his own life by throwing e hilt in his face, with a violence that led him to the ground. By partial presentations to the king, who was ught to consider Zieten as of a quarrelme and ungovernable temper, this afir proved more serious than the former: e captain was condemned to suffer ree months imprisonment for drawing first, and Zieten was broke for havthrown the hilt of his sword in the prain's face.

Zieten now retired to Wustraw, where passed several months in a seclusion, ith at length became perfectly intole: he was induced to solicit the interon of two general officers, who lived familiar terms with the king, Marshal Bondenbrock and General de Flantz, order that he might be reinstated. These officers, aware of Zieten's merit, rcame his majesty's repugnance to ANN. REV. VOL. II.

admit the suppliant. Frederick Wil liam, in the year 1722, had created two companies of hussars; and in 1730, he was anxious to organize a third at Berlin, to be composed of the finest men of the Bayreuth company, a company which the Margrave of Bayreuth, his son-in-law, had given him, and of the flower of the two already formed companies of Prussian hussars. The king had named the captain and the cornet, and Zieten, at the earnest solicitation of his two friends, Bundenbrock and Flantz, was appointed lieutenant; "on condition," were his majesty's words, "that he should behave himself in an orderly manner, and that his superior officer would keep a watchful eye over him." The impression which this humiliating interview with his majesty, in the presence of his brother officers, made in the mind of Zieten, was not effaced at the latest period of his life. He was at this time thirty-one years of age; and it was with the greatest impatience that he bore the frequent contumely of his superior officer, Captain de Benekendorf, who forgot no part of the instructions of his majesty.

Frederick William was so much pleased with his hussars, that at the end of the first year he created two additional companies; and at the end of the second, he increased them to three squadrons, which he composed of the flower of the youth, and of the choicest men of every other regiment. Zieten, who daily rose in the estimation of his majesty, was appointed captain of the second company, on the 1st of March, 1731. The king, proud of being in some sort the founder of his hussars, was anxious that, by seeing service, they should emulate his gre nadiers. In the year 1736, he ordered sixty body hussars, as this corps was now called, and an equal number of those of Prussia, to join the Austrian army, and gave the command of them to Captain de Zieten, whom he recommended in very strong terms to General de Baronay, in whose school he imagined they might be perfected in their discipline.

Žieten's march lay through Weimar: at Buttstädt, a small town belonging to that principality, he received such exuberant hospitality from the duke, that his hussars and himself got drunk to the health of their host, and the most serious consequences were on the point of taking effect, but for the timely recovery of Zieten from his intemperance. A vio

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