VINCENT. 



and in 1778 he was advanced to the reftory of AUhallows, 

 which in 1 803 he refigned in favour of his elded fon. In 1 80 1 

 he obtained a prebendal ftall in the collegiate church of St. 

 Peter, Weftminfter, which preferment enabled him to refign 

 the laborious office of head-maftar of the fchool ; and in 

 1802 he became dean. In 1807 he took poffeffion of the 

 reftory of Iflip. On the parfonage-houfe, rebuilt by Dr. 

 South, he expended between two and three thoufand pounds, 

 1000/. of which arofe from dilapidations, and the remainder 

 furniflied by himfelf, fo as to render it a convenient and com- 

 fortable refidence. It is mentioned as a remarkable circum- 

 ftance in the life of this learned divine, that he pafled twice, 

 with great applaufe, through Weftminfter fchool; firft, from 

 the loweft form to the higheft as a fcholar, and fecondly as 

 an uftier : nor is it lefs fingular, that he almoft conftantly re- 

 fided within the precinfts of the Abbey, from his eighth to 

 his feventy-fixth year, or during the interval of fixty-eight 

 years, allowing for his temporary abfence at Cambridge 

 during his education, and on occafion of taking a degree. 

 Notwithftanding his affiduous appli'-ation to the duties of 

 a fedentary profellion, his life was p olonged to an advanced 

 age ; and after a fortnight's illnefs, he died at his favourite 

 refidence of the deanery, December 21ft, 1815, in the 77th 

 year of his age ; leaving behind him two fons, both of whom 

 are married and have children. 



Whilft he was unremitting in his attention to his ofEce as 

 tutor, and to his various clerical duties, he devoted a portion 

 of his time to compofitions which have iftued from tlie 

 prefa. Of thefe, the firft we ftiall mention was " A Letter 

 to Dr. Richard Watfon (afterwards Biftiop of Llaiidaff'), 

 King's Profeftor in the Univerfity of Cambridge," 8vo. 1 780, 

 in reply to fome obfervations introduced by this learned pre- 

 late into a fermon preached before the univerfity of Cam- 

 bridge, which was afterwards printed under the title of 

 " The Principles of the Revolution x-indicated," and into 

 another difcourfe " On the Anniverfary of His Majefty's 

 Acceffion." In 1787 he publiihcd his traft on " Parochial 

 Mufic ;" in 1789, a fermon delivered before the fons of the 

 clergy ; and in 1792, a fermon preached at St. Margaret's, 

 Weftminfter, for the Grey-coat fchool of that parifh. In the 

 latter difeourfe he noticed opinions, which were then preva- 

 lent, refpefting the doftrines of natural liberty and equality ; 

 and more than 20)O0O copies of it were printed and dif- 

 perfed in and near the metropolis, and a great number was 

 circulated through different parts of the kingdom. The 

 ne»t pubhcation of Dr. Vincent was " The Origination of 

 the Greek Verb, an Hypothefis," 8vo. ; the title of which 

 was altered in the fecond edition to " The Greek Verb 

 analyfed." This work was criticifed with fome humour, 

 and not without a degree of afperity, in a piece entitled 

 " Hermes unma(l<ed." Our author's next publicatioa was 

 an elaborate diflertation on military affairs, entitled " De 

 Legione Manliana Quaeftio, ex Livio defumpta, et Rei 

 Militaris Romanx ftudiofis propofita," 1795. Six years 

 afterwards appeared" his principal performance, evincing 

 his acquaintance with both ancient and modern geogra- 

 phy and navigation, under the title of " The Voyage of 

 Nearchus to the Euphrates; coUefted from the original 

 .Tonrnal preferved by Arrian, and illuftrated by Authorities 

 ancient and modern, containing an Account of the firft Na- 

 vigation attempted by the Europeans in the Indian Ocean," 

 4to. 1799 > '""■•^ ^^^^ ^^"^^ ^"'^" after followed by " The Pe- 

 riplus of the Erythrean Sta ; containing an Account of the 

 Navigation of the Ancients from the Red Sea to the Coaft 

 of Zanquebar, with Differtations, Part I." 410. 1800. Our 

 learned author was next engaged in a controverfy with Dr. 

 Rennell, prebendary of Winckefter and maftcr of the Tem- 



ple, occafioned by fome refleftions on the negleft of religion 

 in our p iblic inftitutions, which were introduced in a fermon 

 preached in 1799, before the Society for promoting Chriftian 

 Knowledge, at the annual meeting of all the charity-fchools 

 of the metropolis, in the cathedral of St. Paul's. To this fer- 

 mon was annexed a note, in which the preacher declares his 

 opinion, " that there is fcarcely any internal danger which 

 we fear, but what is to be afcribed to a Pagan education, 

 under Chriftian eftaWiflimeats, in a Chriftian country." Dr. 

 Vincent, then mafterof the only great pubUc fchool in the me- 

 tropolis, feemed at firft to think that this attack was perfonal ; 

 but in order to avoid public contention, he commenced a 

 private correfpondence with Dr. Rennell, in the courfe of 

 which ample and fatisfaftory explanations were made. But 

 at the next anniverfary, in 1800, Dr. O'Beirne, biftiop of 

 Meath, delivered a fermon, wliich was printed at the re- 

 queft of the Society, accompanied by a note, containing the 

 fame obnoxious aftertions, together with additional remarks 

 of his own. Dr. Vincent applied to the Society for per- 

 miflion to inclofe in the parcels, containing its annual com- 

 munications, a juttification of the public inftruftors of 

 England ; but the Society declining to take a part in tlie 

 controverly by complying with this requeft, the author com- 

 mitted to the prefs his " Defence of Public Education," 

 addrefled to the biftiop of Meath, in which h.- makes an 

 apology for the prefent fyftem, and expreffes himfelf in a 

 high and indignant tone, in refpeft to the diftinguiftied in- 

 dividuals whofe fiippofed indifcretion had incurred his cen- 

 fure. As no reply was made, the conteft terminated ; and 

 in order to prevent the recurrence of a fimilar event, the 

 Society refolved, that the notes as well as the text of the 

 annual fermon fliould for the future be fubmitted to its re- 

 vifion and approbaiion. 



In 1802, our author publiftied his thankfgiving fermon, 

 preached at St. Margaret's, Weftminfter, before the ho- 

 nourable houfe of commons; in 1805, ^^^ fecond part of 

 " The Periplns of the Erythrean Sea;" in 1809, " The 

 Voyage of Nearchus, and the Periplus of the Erythrean 

 Sea," tranflated from the Greek ; and in Mr. Valpy'sclaffical 

 Journal, No. 18. " Obfervations on the Geography of 

 Sufiana." The dean alfo reviewed feveral articles in the 

 Britifti Critic, particularly that relating to the controverfy 

 about the Troad, and occafionally contributed articles to 

 the Gentleman's Magazine. By fuch literary lucubrations 

 Dr. V. amufed himfelf in the intervals of his more laborious 

 employments, paffing a long and honourable life hy de- 

 voting his mornings to reading and his evenings to the 

 fociety of his friends; and towards the clofe of life, dividing 

 his time between his deanery and his living of Iflip. " In 

 the bofom of his family," fays one of his biographers, 

 " Dr. Vincent was feen to the greateft advantage." In 

 the tranquil and peaceful circle above briefly delineated, 

 " he endeared himfelf to all around him, by the benignity 

 of his difpofition, the aff'ability of his demeanour, and the 

 charms of his converfation. Here were laid open that fin- 

 glenefs of heart and fimphcity of mind, which none could 

 appreciate juftly, but thofe who faw and were conver- 

 fant with him in the free and familiar hours of domeftic 

 privacy. With qualifications wliich would have conferred 

 dignity on the higheft ftation in the church, and with an 

 ambition, perhaps, not wholly averfe from rank and eleva- 

 tion. Dr. V. neverthelefs loved quiet and retirement." We 

 ftiall clofe this article with fome extrafts from a biogra- 

 pher who has duly appreciated his talents and charafter. 

 " As a clergyman," fays this writer, " Dr. Vincent was 

 regular and exemplary in the difcharge of his duties ; ftriftly 

 orthodox in point of faith ; and a firm fupporter of all the 



do£lriuc5, 



