BP. MONK'S LIFE OF DR. BENTLEY. (Continued from p. 184.)

With a Portrait of Dr. Bentley.

nues of his situation, as derived from the tithes of some rectories, the new Professor resolved to take the great tithes in kind, and to let the small tithes to his bailiff. His tithe wheat and barley were conveyed by barges to two out-houses converted into granaries at the back of the lodge; and, in the course of the next two years, the greater part of the articles were sold to the College for the bakehouse and brewery. And as the highest prices were paid for them, though more or less damaged, it occasioned an outcry against the Professor, not only on the score of rapacity, but of meanness, in exercising the trades of farmer and maltster. These, and other more disgraceful, though unproved charges, were very derogatory to his reputation, as subjecting him to imputations alike disgraceful to one in his dignified station.

In 1717 George I. visited the University, when several new Doctors were to be created by Royal mandate. From each of these the Professor demanded a fee of four guineas, in addition to a broad piece, the regular compliment on creation. The greater part protested against this demand, as unreasonable. After much altercation, Bentley refused to create any one who would not acquiesce in his requisition. Conyers Middleton was among the number of those who refused payment. But he and some others at length agreed to pay the fee, taking a promise from Bentley that he would return it, if his claim thereto was proved to be unfounded. The rest Bentley created, on their giving him a note promising to pay the four guineas, if decided to be his just due. The Professor endeavoured to have his claim confirmed by the interference of the Court; but the Minister of State declined to intermeddle in a matter of so invidious and

personal a nature. At this rebuff Bentley was so chagrined, that he laid aside the Third part of his remarks on Freethinking, which he had then even com

[Sept.

menced printing. Meanwhile Dr. Middleton, hearing no tidings of his four guineas, applied to the Professor for it to be refunded. But no regard being paid to his applications, he sued for the sum as a debt, in the Vice-Chancellor's Court. The Vice-Chancellor held many conferences with the Professor, assuring him that if the matter were to come into his Court, he must decide it against him. Bentley, however, pertinaciously persisted in carrying on a contest from which neither credit nor advantage could ensue, and in which he would receive no countenance from his brother Heads, with whom, indeed, he was unpopular. At length the ViceChancellor issued a writ for arresting the Professor, which was served by one of the Esquire bedells, who being ill-treated and kept in durance by being locked up in an empty room for several hours, the Vice-Chancellor and Heads resolved to resent this insult to the University in the person of its of ficer. And upon Bentley's refusing to ask pardon for his contempt of Court, the Vice-Chancellor proceeded to publicly and solemnly declare "Richard Bentley suspended ab omni gradu suscepto," a sentence confirmed by a great majority of the senate. Nay, the ViceChancellor proceeded to prohibit him from acting as Professor, and even threatened to declare the Professorship vacant; but did not dare to execute his threat. Upon this our undoctored Professor petitioned the King against the University; and the Vice-Chancellor laid a representation of the proceedings before the King in council. A number of pamphlets, all anonymous, were now put forth for and against Bentley, which caused a sensation in the public mind almost unprecedented. This literary contest took place at the end of 1718 and the beginning of 1719, and the feud among the Heads descended to the juniors and even under-graduates of the University. And now the Fellows of Trinity renewed their exertions to procure à hearing for their petition, which was read in council and favourably received. Whereupon Bentley, with great dexterity, contrived to bring about a

1830.]

treaty of pacification with Miller and the Seniors, the former of whom basely betrayed the interests of his constitu ents. Yet two of the most influential of that body, Dr. Colbatch and another, still pressed the consideration of the state of Trinity College on the Bishop of Ely, who refused to interfere. Bentley, however, still continued his despotic proceedings, and aimed at drawing all power to himself, and conferring all College offices or livings at his own will; though he was occasionally resisted with success.

Attempts were now made (but in vain) by application to the Court of King's Bench, to deprive Bentley of his Professorship. The demands made on Bentley's time by the duties of his new office, and the extraordinary course of events which ensued, will account for his suspending the great undertaking of his Greek Testament; though he still kept it in view, and had much valuable assistance from Wetstein, and Dr. Walker of Trinity, as also the learned Benedictines of St. Maur, who have immortalized their Society by so many splendid and useful Ecclesiastical publications. The Proposals, however, for his Greek Testament were at length sent forth; but being drawn up with much haste and precipitation,some weak points were laid open, of which advantage was taken by Middleton, who made a furious attack on the Prospectus, written in the most captious and malignant spirit, and particularly disgraceful to him, since he must have written against his own private convictions and knowledge, out of hatred to Bentley. The Professor retorted, but in so violent and abusive spirit, as could only injure his cause, and disgrace his character, as holding the most dignified permanent office in the University. This drew forth from Middleton yet bitterer animadversions on the proposals, in which (observes Dr. Monk) "he shows himself a perfect controversialist, and though every sentence is influenced by hatred of his antagonist, he veils his spirit with the dress of learning and argument. Every thing is disposed in the most lucid order; there is a beautiful style, acute reasoning, extensive learning, and all the accomplishments of a controversialist; but in vain do we look for the candour of a fair adversary, whose object is the establishment of truth." It is, how GENT. MAG. September, 1830.

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ever, continues Dr. M., only one of the vnlgar errors respecting Bentley's history to suppose that he gave up his edition of the New Testament in consequence of Middleton's attacks. It was, he shows, from other causes, and especially the refusal of the government to grant permission to import the paper duty-free; and he gave it up from the same causes which influenced him to abandon the Third part of his Remarks on Free-thinking.

Middleton, however, had no great reason to exult, since being prosecuted for a libel on Bentley in his last work, and being found guilty, he was obliged to beg pardon of the Professor, and pay the costs of suit. Our Critic was now attacked in his Horace by Cunningham, who had sent forth a rival Edition. But whatever may be the ability displayed in his remarks on Bentley's emendations and notes, he owes the preservation of his name to the transcendent reputation of him whose fame he so laboured to disparage. In 1722 Bentley, at the request of Dr. Mead, made a complete revision of the Theriaca of Nicander for Dr. Mead. The volume found its way into the British Museum, and the emendations were transcribed and published in the Museum Criticum in 1814. Our Professor now applied to the Court of King's Bench to procure restoration to his degrees, and after having, by consummate, dexterity, vanquished at law his great adversaries, Middleton, and Colbatch, the leader of the malcontents at Trinity, he carried forward his cause against the University for having unjustly degraded him. The Judges declared their opinions against the University, and a peremptory mandamus was issued to restore Bentley to his degrees, which was (however unpalatable to his adversaries) publicly performed by the University. Dr. Middleton now renewed his action for the recovery of the four guineas, and succeeded; a small consolation for the sacrifices and losses he had encountered to ruin his enemy. Even Dr. Bentley, though successful, and throwing on his adversaries the greater part of the costs, found that his expenses in these continual suits had so much exhausted his finances as to diminish the gratification of his triumph. An offer was now made him of the Bishopric of Bristol, which however he declined; and on being asked what it was he expected,

heanswered," something which should render it unnecessary for him to seek a change."

Our Critic now sent forth his elabo rate Dissertation on the Metres of Terence, together with an Edition of that writer, and also one of Phædrus; on which Dr. Monk has some judicious remarks, in illustration of the origin and progress of the controversy of Bentley with Bp. Hare on the metres of Terence. With an ardour seldom found even in the young, our veteran Critic now applied himself to an Edition of Lucan's Pharsalia. His Notes, however, from the proposed Edition clashing with two other rival ones then preparing by Cortius and Oudendorp, did not see the light till fourteen years after his death, when they were printed at the Strawberry Hill Press.

Our illustrious Aristarchus so retained the vis vivida animi, that he now, at 65, proposed to give new editions of Manilius and Homer (the former of which was some years after published) and had not yet abandoned his design to edit the Greek Testament. As to the affairs of Trinity College, all the Master's wishes and projects were now carried without obstruction; though some of them were objectionable, and savoured of oppression and selfishness: insomuch that in 1727 fresh attempts were made to procure a visitation of Trinity College, and the Bp. of Ely was prevailed on to undertake the visitation, if it should be found that he had the proper jurisdiction. In 1720 George II. visited the University, and was entertained by Dr. Bentley at Trinity Lodge. In consequence of his fatigue on this occasion, the Doctor was attacked with a dangerous illness; but medical skill, or the goodness of his constitution, soon recovered him. Meanwhile the scheme for ejecting the Master was still carried forward. But Bentley anticipated his prosecutors by a Petition to his Majesty. The prosecutors drew up counter petitions, and the Bishop sent one to have the rights of his See examined, and cited Bent. ley to appear before him. The Master applied to the King's Bench for a prohibition. And now (in 1730) Bentley had an offer of the Deanery of Lincoln, which he refused, as think. ing it not an equivalent for the sacri

fice of his Academical emoluments. In the year 1731 the Court pronounced that the Bishop of Ely was general

[Sept.

Visitor of the College, and thus the Master was thrown upon his resources to avert so imminent a danger. He sent a petition to the King, and brought his cause before the Privy Council. While awaiting for its determination, he engaged in the only unsuccessful of all his literary undertakings, his Edition of Milton's Paradise Lost. He was indeed in many respects unqualified for the work, which proved a total failure, and did more to sink his reputation than any of his preceding works had done to raise it. Still, as Dr. Monk truly observes, "the work contains many just and sensible remarks, and many acute pieces of criticism; and we cannot but often admit the justness of his strictures, and even the Poet himself might have profited by many of the hints." In 1732 the case between Dr. Bentley and the Bp. of Ely was carried before the House of Lords, which reversed the judgment of the Court of King's Bench, and, after a subsequent consideration of the case in another Session, the Bishop received his Writ of permission to act as Judge in the affairs of Trinity College, and held his first Court at Ely House, in June 1733. Dr. Bentley was then cited to appear in person, but he only attended by Proctor. In ten days after, the Master sent in his Defensive Plea, in which the charges were ingeniously evaded, and the transactions placed in quite another light, though the defence is certainly not satisfactory. The evidence for the prosecution and that for the defence were each taken at great length. And now, on the 27th April, 1734, the Court being assembled to deliver a final judgment upon the cause, the Bishop formally pronounced Dr. Bentley guilty of the charges laid against him, and sentenced him to be deprived of the Mastership of Trinity College. Undaunted even at this, Dr. B. determined to take his stand behind the last entrenchment, and resist the execution of the sentence. Finding that the sentence would not be valid till put in execution by the Vice-Master, he first prevailed upon the then ViceMaster to suspend the execution till he had taken legal advice how to proceed, and then contrived to induce him to resign, and procured another to be appointed who was firmly in the Master's interest, and utterly refusing to carry sentence into execution, set the Bishop at defiance; who, as a Dissolution of

the