GOOD’s LiFE 
The debate bemg at length concluded, or 
ather worn out, the Doctor took possession 
ef the next chair to that in which I was 
_ seated, and united with myself anda friend, 
who sat on my other side, in discoursing 
upon the politics of the day. On this topic 
we proceeded smoothly and accordanily for 
some time; till at length disagreeing with us 
upon some point as trivial as the former, he 
igain rose abruptly from his seat, traversed 
the room in every direction, with as indeter- 
minate a parallax as that ot a comet, loudly 
and with increase of voice maintaining his 
sition at every step he took. Not wishing 
0 prolong the dispute, we yielded to him 
“withont further interruption; and in the 
“course of a few minutes after he had closed 
his harangue, he again approached us, retook 
‘possession of his chair, and was all playful- 
hess, good humour, and genuine wit. 
» “Upon his retirement I enquired of eur 
amiable hostess, whether this were a speci- 
men of his common disposition, or whether 
any thing had particulariy occurred to exciie 
| he irascibility. From her I learned that, 
with one of the best and most benevolent 
Hearts in the world, he was'naturally very 
irritable ; but that his irritability was, ‘at the 
present period, exacerbated by a slight de- 
2 of fever which had for some time af- 
; feted his spirits, and which had probably 
been produced by a considerabie degree of 
th anmerited ill usage and disappointment. 
; 
instantly regarded him in a different light: 
i 
Lsouzht his friendship, and I obtained it ; 
“and it was not long belore I myself witnessed 
“in his actions a series of benevolence and 
‘charitable exertions, often bevend what prn- 
_ dence anda regard to his owa iimited income 
Geontu have dictated, that stamped a nigher 
‘esteem for him upon my heart, than all the 
neral information and profoand learning 
was universally known to possess, and 
hich gave him more promptiinde upoa 
ery subject that happened to be started, 
an Lever beheld in any oiner persoa. 
wy him irritable; but it was the harmless 
orruscation of a summer evening’s Aurora, 
“it no sooner appeared than it was spent, 
and no mischief ensued: and when [ re- 
fected that it was this very irritability of 
nerve that excited him to a thousand acts of 
indness, and prompted hi: to debar him- 
If of a thousand little gratifications, that 
le might relieve the distressed and comfort 
he sorrowful, I could scarcely lament that 
Me possessed it; or, at least, I could not 
roid contending that it carried a very ample 
ology along with it.” 
dy iyi 
n 1792 appeared the first volume of 
§ version under the title of “ the Holy 
le, or the books accounted sacred by 
ws and Christians; otherwise called 
books of the old and new covenant’s 
faith: fully transiated from corrected 
texts of the originals, with various read. 
OF GEDDES. 477 
ings, explanatory notes, and critical re- 
marks.” This work, if completed on 
the same scale, must have extended to 
eight volumes in quarto, a formidable 
prospect tor an author who had attained 
his fifty-sixth year at the publication of 
the first. A second volume appeared in 
1797, and a volume of critical remarks 
in 1800. These were all which the au- 
thor himself lived to publish, but we are 
informed that a part of his translation 
of the Psalms will make its appearance 
in another form. 
The peculiarity of the religious creed 
of Dr. Geddes, in denying the divine 
legation of Moses, while he was a sin- 
cere and zealous advocate for that of 
Christ, is well known. It has found, 
and is likely to find, few abettors; least 
of all has it found one in the person of 
his hiographer. It is to be regretted 
that Dr. Getldes disclosed his ideas on 
this subject so freely and so early, as 
they were by no means necessarily con- 
nected with the nature of his plan, and 
were calculated to give to the public at 
large that degree of cffence which was 
likely materially to impede the encourage- 
ment, and ultimately the execution of 
his work. ‘fo combat the error of his 
opinions, Where they are erroneous, is 
justifiable and laudable; but to refuse 
the writer the title of a christian, while 
he zealously maintains the divine au- 
thority of Christ’s mission, on account 
of the apparent extravagancies of some 
other parts of his creed, is illiberal and 
absurd. ‘Liiese censures were however 
abundantly poured on him from every 
quarter ; protestant and papist joined in 
the cry, not of heretic, but of infidel; 
and the declining days of this laborious 
and excellent scholar were embittered 
by unmerited edium and calumny. 
By the protestant part of the commu- 
nity his undertaking had, in its early 
stages, been very generally and liberally 
patronized. The singularity of a new 
version of the scriptures, by a roman 
catholic divine, on the principles of ra- 
tional criticism and enlarged judgment, 
attracted attention; ard the. acknow- 
ledged talents and qualifications of the 
author, gave cncouragement to hope for 
his eminent success in this difficult and 
important task, the necessity of which 
now began tobe generallyacknowledged, 
The more liberal part of the roman 
catholics distinguished themselves by an 
equally ready and generous support of 
this great undertaking. But by many 
} 
