replied, "Why should I waste my money in wickedly endeavouring to counteract the will of Providence." Perhaps, the dread of expence, operated more powerfully upon him than his religious tenets. During his last illness, Lady Tempest accidentally called upon him, and finding him lying up to the neck in an old sack, without even a shirt, remonstrated against the impropriety of such a situation; when he replied. that " having come into the world without a shirt, he was determined to go out of it in the same manner. She then requested him to have a pillow to raise his head, when he immediately ordered his old servant, Griffiths, to bring him a truss of hay for that purpose. Mr. Dancer's house, which is now in the possession of Captain Holmes, is a most miserable building, and has not been repaired for half a century: though poor in external appearance, it has, however, been recently discovered to be very rich within; Captain Holmes, having, at different times, found large bowls filled with guineas and half-guineas, and parcels of banknotes stuffed under the covers of old chairs. This singular man died in October 1794. Since his death, large jugs of dollars and shillings have been found in the stable. At the dead of night he has been known to go to this place, but for what purpose, even old Griffiths could not tell. It now appears, however, that he used to rob one jug, to add to the bowl, which was, since his death, found buried in the kitchen.

DANTE,

DANTE, (JOHN BAPTIST) an excellent mathematician, of an Italian family, is memorable for having made himself a pair of wings, which so exactly fitted his body that he could fly with them. He made the experiment several times over the lake Trasimenus, and succeeded so well, that he was stimulated to perform before the whole city of Perugia. He directed his course from the highest part of the city over the square, to the admiration of the spectators; but part of the mechanism of the wings at length giving way, he fell upon a church, and broke his thigh. He flourished towards the end of the 15th century, and died at the age of about forty.

DE FOE, (DANIEL) an English writer, born in 1660, equally famous for politics and poetry, was the son of James Foe, a butcher, in London. Why he added de to his father's name, does not appear. He was bred a hosier, and in 1688, was admitted a liveryman of London, at which time he kept a hosier's shop near the Royal Exchange. Being unsuccessful in business, he became a bankrupt, which probably induced him to apply to the pen for subsistence. In 1695, he was made accountant to the commissioners of the glass-duty, and continued in that office till the impost was taken off. He was the author of many publications, but the greater number of them were of a temporary cast. Tutchin, having in 1700, written "The Foreigners," a satire on King William, and all his countrymen, De Foe produced "The True-born English

man,

man," in 1701. By this performance he introduced himself to the notice of his sovereign, who liberally rewarded him. This poem has neither beauty, or energy; but it breathes a kind of boldness, and was well adapted to please King William, by ridiculing the animosity which Englishmen had conceived against foreigners. The next year he published, "The shortest Way with the Dissenters." containing reflections upon some ecclesiastics in power, for breathing too much a spirit of persecution. Becoming obnoxious to the ministry on this account, he was obliged to explain himself explicitly, which he did with firmness and resolu tion; and when he was afterwards sentenced to stand in the pillory, for attacking some measures which he thought unjust, and unconstitu tional, he cheerfully submitted to the punishment; and immediately wrote a pamphlet, entitled "A Hymn to the Pillory," as a defiance of their treatment of him. He was also sentenced to be fined and imprisoned, and continued in confinement till 1704. As soon as he had obtained his liberty, he retired to Saint Edmund's-bury, where he continued to exercise his pen. He was instrumental in promoting the union of England and Scotland, and published some acute and elaborate tracts on that subject. Having written some offensive political pamphlets in 1713, he was again committed to prison, but Lord Oxford procured a pardon for him, and he was released. In 1715, appeared his "Family. Instructor," a religious performance of merit; and, in 1719, the first

part

part of "Robinson Crusoe," the work upon which his fame is principally founded. It is indeed, an excellent romance, and has been read and admired by millions. The story is so natural and interesting, and the incidents so probable, that it has all the appearance and effect of a genuine history. If we except the Old and New Testament, and the Book of Common Prayer, no literary performance has, perhaps, gratified and amused so many readers. It seems to have been built on the story of Selkirk's being left on the island of Juan Fernandez; the narrative of which is given in Rogers's Voyage, in 1712. This very ingenious and active man died at Islington, in 1731, and left a daughter, who married Mr. Henry Baker, the naturalist, and author of the "Microscope made easy," &c.

DEMOSTHENES, the greatest orator of antiquity, was born at Athens, in the second year of the 101st Olympiad, or about 370 years before Christ. He began with the study of philosophy, which he soon quitted for oratory, under the tuition of Isocrates and Isæus. He had two impediments in his way, which were thought insuperable; the one was a weakness of the lungs, and the second, an inarticulate pronunciation, which would not suffer him properly to express the letter R. His deportment was also uncouth and ungraceful. To acquire a firmness of tone, he used to declaim on the sea-shore, when the water was much agitated, which formed to him an idea of the commotion in a popular assembly; and to strengthen his lungs, he was wont to speak

aloud

aloud whilst he was walking or running up a steep hill. To correct the stammering in his voice, he kept pebbles in his mouth, and placed a looking-glass before him, to enable him to correct the awkwardness of his gesture. He was indefatigable in his endeavours to obtain the graces of action and pronunciation, in which he conceived the whole art of oratory principally to consist. He retired to a cave, for the purpose of pursuing his studies undisturbed, and composed many of his orations by the aid of a glimmering lamp; whence his enemies have sneeringly insinuated, that they smelt strongly of the oil. In this station he roused his countrymen from their apathy, and prevailed on them to arm against Philip of Macedon. But at the battle of Chærones, this accomplished orator turned recreant and fled. After the death of Philip he vigorously opposed his son Alexander, whom he petulantly called a boy. That conqueror requested the Athenians to give him up, but this they peremptorily refused. On the death of Alexander he was recalled, and his entry into Athens was attended with much pomp; but his abode there was of short duration, for Antipater, who succeeded Alexander, demanded all the ora tors to be delivered up to him; upon which Demosthenes fled into the island of Celauria, where he poisoned himself, to prevent his being taken alive. This happened in the 60th year of his age, B. C. 322. The best edition of his works, is that of Wolfius, with Ulpian's Commentaries,

DEMPSTER