BAT 



BAT 



country, little profpeel of advancing hinifclf in tlwt line, he 

 applied to the ftudy of medicine, vvliicli, in alerter to a friend 

 fume years after, he called " his refuge in bad times, and 

 not his primitive defign." "But as his mind was vi;Torous, He 

 foon acquired confiderable eminence in this profeflion ; being 

 aiTifted in his endeavours by Dr. Thomas Willis, with whom 

 he kept up an intimate conneflion until death deprived him 

 of that valuable friend. In 1654, he took the accumulated 

 degrees of Bachelor and Doctor in Medicine ; but he had 

 before fo far fignalized himfelf, as to obtain the appointment 

 of phyfician to the fick and wounded of the navy, which 

 office he performed to the fatisfaftion of the commanders of 

 the (hips, and of the admiralty. Quitting this fituation, he 

 returned and fettled in Oxfoid; and, with his fnend Dr. 

 Willis, attended Abingdon market regularly every Mon- 

 day, to give advice to fuch patients as applied. He was an 

 afloelate with Mr. Boyle, Dr. Seth Ward, Chriftopher 

 Wren, and various other perfong, who met every week at 

 the rooms of Dr. Wilkins, to difcufs philofophical fubjedls ; 

 which meetings led to the formation of the Royal Society 

 in London, in 1662. A committee or branch of the fociety 

 continued their meetings at Oxford for feveral years after, 

 of which Dr. Bathurll was elected prefident in 1688. On 

 the reftoration of king Charles the Second, he quitted the 

 practice of medicine, and refumed his theological lludies. 

 In 1663, he was made chaplain to the king ; and the year 

 following, prefident of the college, which was nearly re- 

 built under his direftion. The expence of the building was 

 furnifhed in part by the college, part by fubfcriptions foli- 

 cited by the doftor, and no fmall portion of it from his 

 own fortune. About the fame time he married the widow 

 of Dr. John Palmer, warden of All Souls College ; but had 

 no children by her. In 1670, he was inftalled dean of 

 Wells. This advancement was procured him by the duke 

 oF Devonfhire, to whofe notice lie had recommended him- 

 felf by an elegant copy of Latin verfes to Mr. Hobbes, 

 on his treatife of Human Nature, which was printed with 

 the volume. In 1673 he was made chancellor of the uiii- 

 verfity, and was re-elefted to that office the two following 

 years, by which means he had opportunity of reforming 

 many abuf;3 which had crept into the inititntion, and of 

 eftabliihing many ufeful regulations which Hill continue to 

 be obferved. As he had contributed largely in rebuilding 

 ;;nd beautifying his own college, and was the firlt in intro- 

 ducing Grecian archittfture in Oxford, he now fet about 

 relloring St. Mary's church, which had fullered much dur- 

 ing the proteftorate. He fubfcribed 300 1. towards paving 

 the choir with marble, and erefting an organ there. In 

 1-691, he was nominated by king William and Qjieen Mary, 

 billiop of Brillol, with liberty to keep his deanery and head- 

 fliip of the college ; but had the refolution to decline this 

 noble offer, leil it (hould detain him, he faid, too long from 

 the univerlity, and be the means of retarding the improve- 

 ments he was making there, both in difcipline and in the 

 h'.iildings. In the mean while his fame for proficiency in 

 letters btcame fo extended, that he correfponded with mod 

 of the firll hterary charafters in the kingdom, who fre- 

 quently fubmitted their works to his infpection and criti- 

 cifm before thty were publifhed. He was particularly in- 

 ftrumental in advancing Derham, the celebrated author of 

 the " Aftro," and " Phyfico-Thcology," from obfcurity 

 and indigence ;-recommending him to the bifhop of Salif- 

 bury, through whofe means he was raifed to an eminent 

 ilation in the church. As he was a ftricl difciplinarian, and 

 regularly attended his duty both in the univerfity and at 

 his deanery, he had little leifnre for imdertaking any ex- 

 tenfive works ; accordingly, excepting his " Prelettiones 

 Vol. IIL 



tres de Refpiratione," v.e have only his " OfationS" beftire 

 the univerlity, on his being appointed vice-chancellor, on 

 laying down his office, and on a few other fubjeds ; with 

 fome ftort poems. Thefe however have been fufficient to 

 eftablifli his charafter as an elegant Latin fcholar. He was 

 very abllemious in his diet, and regular in taking exercife ; 

 and had the happinefs of enjoying an almoll uninterrupted 

 ftate of good health until he was upwards of fourfcore years 

 of age ; when his fight began to fail, and at length he be- 

 came blind. Walking one day in his garden, the only 

 amufement that remained to him after the failure of his fight, 

 he had the misfortune to break his thigh bone, by what ac- 

 cident it is not faid ; which occalioned him exceffive torture, 

 and after languilliing a few days, he died in 1704. His pro- 

 perty, which was confiderable, he had directed by his will 

 to be difpofed of in the manner he had expended a large part 

 of his income in his lifetime; in donations towards improving 

 his college; in books and medals to different libraries; in do- 

 nations to the cathedral at Wells, and to the fervants of the 

 cathedral and of his own college. The remainder was left 

 among his relations, who were numerous. His direftions 

 concerning his funeral, as being lingular, and marking fome- 

 what the difpofition of the man, we Ihall tranfcribe " Con- 

 cerning the place and manner of my funeral (he fays) I am 

 not at all folicitous, but (liall leave it to the difcretion of my 

 executor ; except it fliall pleafe God to give me leifure and 

 opportunity of ordering it at the time of my death, as occa- 

 fion may then require ; only I (liall always defire, that it 

 maybe performed with all convenient frugality and privacy ; 

 and that my mouth and noftrils may be firmly clofed u;j 

 with a plaller of diachylon, and my whole head wrapj)cd in 

 cere-cl'.ith ; and that I be buried without any cover to my 

 coffin, only with a black pall of woollen fluff loofe'v nailed 

 on, and hanging loofe down." See Life of Ralph Bathurft, 

 by T. Warton. 



Bathurst, Allen, earl Bathuvfi:, a nobleman not more 

 diftinguilhed by the elevation of his rank, than by his abilitiei 

 and integrity as a ftattfman, and by the elegance of his taftc 

 and the variety of his accomplilhments as a polite fcholar, was 

 the fon of fu- Benjamin Bathurll, defcended from an ancient 

 family of Luneburg, refiding at a place called " Batters ;" 

 and lettlcd in England in the time of the Saxons, at a place 

 called " Batters Huril," or Batters Grove, in Suffcx, whence 

 the name ; and born in Wtftminilcr, in the year l68j.. At 

 the age of J5 years, he was entered in Trinity College, Ox'- 

 ford, where he enjoyed peculiar advantages for improve- 

 ment under his ur^cle, dean Bathurll, who was then pre- 

 fident. Having availed himfelf in an eminent degree of thefc 

 advantages, he commenced his political career as a fenator 

 in 1705, being chofen reprefentative for the borough of Ci- 

 rcnceller in Glocefterlhire, which he ferved in two parlia- 

 ments. Under this charncler he diftinguiflied himfelf in the 

 debates that related to the union of the two kingdoms, and 

 vigoroufly fnpported this meafure. He likewife concurred 

 in the oppofition planned by his two friends, Mr. Harlcy and 

 Mr. St. John, againll the duke of Marlborough and his ad- 

 herents ; and by his fpiril and eloquence he was of great fer- 

 vice to his party. At the fame time he was duly fenfibic 

 of the merit of thofe from whom he differed in political 

 principles ; and by his conduft toward lord Somers, both in 

 and ont ot office, he preferved his lordfliip's efteem and 

 friendlhip. In his oppofition to the whig minillry, he ap- 

 pears to have adfted from the conviiflion of his own mind ; 

 tor after their difmiffiou; he accepted no place under go- 

 vernTTient, though his abilities and activity entitled him to 

 notice, and his connexion with the principal toriet of that 

 period might naturally have led him to expert fome honour- 

 S l^ able 



