HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [233 



Emmanuel College, Cambridge, October 3, 1733, but did not take 

 up his residence till nearly two years afterwards. In this college 

 he received the countenance, and was permitted to attend the Lec- 

 tures, of that excellent tutor, Mr. Henry Hubbard, although he 

 had been admitted under another person. He took the degree of 

 B. A. in 1738-9 ; proceeded A. M. and elected Fellow in 1742 ; 

 was ordained Deacon in St. Paul's Cathedral, on the 13th of June, 

 in the same year; and took Priest's orders in the Chapel of Gon- 

 ville and Caius College, Cambridge, on the 20th of May, 1744. 

 About this time he formed an intimate friendship with the cele- 

 brated Dr. Warburton, Mr. Mason, and several other celebrated 

 literary characters. In 1749, he took the degree of B. D. and the 

 same year published his Commentary on Horace's Ars Poetica, 

 with a complimentary preface to Mr. Warburton, who soon after 

 returned the eulogium in his edition of Pope's Works, wherein he 

 speaks of Mr. Kurd's Commentary in terms of unqualified appro- 

 bation. This work was " distinguished by a new consideration of 

 the subject, and a fancied discovery of a systematic plan, which he 

 supposed to have been adopted by the Roman poet. Mr. Hurd was 

 dissatisfied with the opinion entertained by Scaliger and Heinsius, 

 that the Ars Poetica was a collection, though not a system, of 

 criticism on poetry in general. His dissatisfaction resulted from 

 an idea, that the purpose of the author was, neither to abridge the 

 Greek critics, nor to amuse himself with composing a short cri- 

 tical system for the general use of poets, but simply to criticize 

 the Roman drama." Extensive erudition and refined taste are 

 conspicuously displayed in this work, but the views of the author 

 upon the subject have not been generally assented to. Though 

 this was avowedly the first performance of Mr. Hurd, yet he is 

 known to have been the author of a " fine pamphlet," as Warbur- 

 ton calls it, entitled Remarks on an Enquiry into the Rejection of 

 the Christian Miracles by the Heathens, which appeared in 1747; 

 and a copy of verses, by Mr. Hurd, on the Peace of Aix-la-Cha- 

 pelle, is printed in the University Collection of 1749. In 1750, 

 he was, by the recommendation of Mr. Warburton, appointed one 

 of the Whitehall Preachers ; and next year appeared his excellent 

 Commentary on the Epistle to Augustus, a work every way wor- 

 thy the talents of the author ; and two pamphlets on the subject of 

 some internal divisions in the government of the University, which 

 took place at that period. In 1752, he published the Mischiefs of 

 Enthusiasm and Bigotry, an assize-sermon preached at Norwich; 



