ous line. He was pleasant, facetious, and witty in his cups, and scorned to work while he had any money in his pocket, being a strong_advocate for a short life and a merry one. Resolving to proceed post-haste to his grave, by the help of wine and brandy, he arrived at his journey's end when he was only thirty years of age. He died so extremely poor, that contributions were made to procure a private and decent interment for his remains. From his first grave, however, he was taken up, and very handsomely interred by Rubens, who greatly admired his talents as a painter. BROWNE (SIR WILLIAM), an English physician) and sometime president of the college) distinguished by many ingenious and lively essays, both in prose and verse, in Latin and English; was educated at Cambridge, and settled, first at Lynn in Norfolk; from whence he repaired to the metropolis, where he acquired an extensive practice. The active part taken by Sir William Browne, in the contest with the licentiates, occasioned his being introdued by Mr.Foote, in his "Devil upon two Sticks." His pleasantry upon this occasion, demands a place for him in this performance. Upon Foote's exact representation of him, with his identical wig and coat, tall figure, and glass stiffly applied to his eye, Sir William sent him a card, complimenting him on having so happily represented him; but " as he had forgot his muff, he (Sir William) had sent him his own." This facetious physician, died March 10, 1774, aged 32 years. He left by

will, a sum for two prize medals to be given annually at Cambridge for the best odes., Besides his original works, he translated Dr. Gregory's Elements of Catoptrics and Dioptrics, from Latin into English, to which he made many additions.

BUNYAN (JOHN), a pious and ingenious writer, and author of the justly admired allegory of the Pilgrim's Progress, was born at Elstow, near Bedford, in 1628, and reveived only a common education; being bred to his father's business, which was that of a brazier or a tinker. He was taught however, to read and write tolerably well; but he quickly forgot both, abandoning himself to every kind of wickedness and folly; (but not without repeated checks of conscience. His biographer informs us that one day, when he was playing with his companions, a voice suddenly darted from Heaven into his soul, saying, "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to Heaven, or have thy sins and go to Hell" This threw him into such a consternation, that he instantly quitted his sport and his companions; and looking up to Heaven, he thought he saw the Lord Jesus looking down upon him, as if highly displeased with him, and threatening him with some grievous punishment for his unrighteous practices. At another time, when he was uttering the most horrid oaths and imprecations, he was severely reproved by a woman who was herself a profane and notorious sinner. Such a rebuff from a person whom he knew to have arrived at the very height of depravity, filled him with

shame

shame and confusion, and made him resolve upon an amendment of life. He afterwards entered into the Parliament army, and at the siege of Leicester, in 1645, he was drawn out to stand centinel; but another soldier desiring to take his place, he complied with the request, and thereby preserved his life, his comrade being immediately shot with a musquet ball. He was afterwards converted, and admitted a member of the Baptist congregation at Bedford, and about 1656, he commenced preacher. In 1660, being convicted at the session of holding unlawful assemblies and conventicles, he was committed to prison, where he remained upwards of twelve years; from which he was discharged by the compassionate interposition of Dr. Barlow, bishop of Lincoln. During his imprisonment he wrote many of his tracts. After his liberation, he travelled into several parts of England, to visit and confirm the brethren, whence he acquired the title of bishop Bunyan. When James II. issued his declaration for liberty of conscience, Mr. Bunyan settled at Bedford, where he gathered a large congregation. He died in London of a fever, 1668. Besides his Pilgrim's Progress, he was the author of several books of considerable merit, though highly Calvinistic. His works have been published in two volumes folio. BURNS (ROBERT), an ingenious Scotch poet, who in the humble station of a ploughman, in Ayrshire, discovered a most extraordinary genius for poetical composition. Dissatisfied with

his station, he proposed to emigrate to Jamaica, to seek a better fortune; and, with a view of raising money to pay his passage, he published in Edinburgh, a coarse edition of the poems he had written. Some of these poetical effusions, in the provincial dialect of the country, attracting the admiration of good judges, a subscription for publishing a new and elegant edition of them was undertaken and carried into effect, which produced a profit to the author of eleven hundred pounds. Soon after this he obtained a place in the excise, with an income of about 501. per annum, and took a farm in the county of Dumfries. This pupil of nature, this poet of inspiration, possessed in an equal degree the powers and failings of genius; for his morals were by this time corrupted. He became idle and intemperate, and fell a victim to dissipation at Dumfries, leaving a widow and five children. He died July 21, 1796, in the prime of life.

BUTLER (SAMUEL), a poet who possessed much wit and eccentricity, and who was the inimitable author of Hudibras, drew his first breath at Strensham, in Worcestershire, in 1612. From the free-school of Worcester he went to Cambridge, where he remained some years, and afterwards became clerk to a justice of the peace, in which situation he made a considerable progress in general literature. He was then retained in the service of the countess of Kent, where he had the good fortune to be noticed by the great Seldon, who engaged him as an amanuensis. From thence he entered into

the

the service of Sir Samuel Luke, a gentleman of an ancient family in Bedfordshire, and a famous commander under Oliver Cromwell. While he remained in Sir Samuel's service, it is supposed that he planned, if he did not write, the celebrated Hudibras, as he seems to have made sir Samuel the hero of his poem. After the re

storation, he became secretary to the earl of Carbury, by whom he was appointed steward of Ludlow castle. About this time he became allied by marriage to a family of respectability and fortune. In 1663 appeared the first part of the work which has almost given him immortality, and the other two parts successively followed. But though the work was generally admired, the author was shamefully neglected. The king quoted it, the courtiers studied it, and the whole party of the loyalists applauded it. A golden shower was daily expected to fall upon Mr. Butler; but praise appears to have been his principal reward. It has been reported, indeed, that the king once gave him 300 guineas; but of this temporary bounty we find no evidence. Certain it is, that this ingenious exposer of disloyalty and fanaticism died in extreme indigence on the 25th of September, 1680. His remains were interred in the church

yard of Covent-garden. About 60 years after

his death, a monument was erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey, by Mr. Barber, a printer, mayor of London, and a friend to Butler's principles. Three volumes of his posthumous works were published by Mr. Thyer, of Manchester. In the depth of ob

scurity