G E D 
heart could derire towards the carrying on and com¬ 
pleting my arduous work.” That patron was the late 
ford Petre, a catholic nobleman, whofe memory is enti¬ 
tled to the refpeid of Chriltians of every denomination, 
for the zeal wliich he difeovered in promoting the ex- 
tenfion of biblical literature. In 1786, Dr. Geddes pub. 
lifted his ProfpeCtus of a new Tranflation of the Bible, 
from correfted Texts of the Originals, compared with 
the ancient Verfions, &c. 4to. which attracted confider- 
able notice, and afforded evidence of the approbation 
which the author’s plan met with from diftinguillied pro- 
teftant eccleliallics, particularly the late Dr. Kennicott, 
“ on whofe tomb,” as Dr. Geddes juftly obferved, 
“ every biblical Undent ought annually to ftrew the tri- 
butary flower.” In the following year he publiflied an 
Appendix to the preceding, in the form of a Letter to 
Dr. Louth, Biftop of, London, fuggeliing a variety of 
queries, doubts, and difficulties, relative to a vernacular 
verfion of the Scriptures ; and alfo, A Letter to Dr. 
Prieftley, intended to j^rove, by one preferiptive Argu¬ 
ment, that the Divinity of Jefus Chrift was a primitive 
Tenet of Chriflianity, 8vo. In 1788, Dr. Geddes pub¬ 
liflied his propofals for printing by fubfeription this new 
Tranflation of the Bible, &c. containing, befldes the 
conditions of fubfeription, fpecimens of his tranflation 
and notes. In 1790, he publifted A General Anfwer to 
the Queries, Counfels, and Criticifms, that have been 
communicated to him flnee the Publication of his Pro- 
pofals. See. replete with learning, ingenuity, and good 
humour. Annexed to it is a lifl of the fubferibers to 
his work, in perufing which the liberal mind will be 
gratified by obferving catholic monafleries in Germany, 
colleges in the Englifli and Scotch univerlities, catholic 
and proteflant bifliops, and clergy of dift'erent denomi¬ 
nations, all united in giving encouragement to a delign 
for promoting a more intimate acquaintance with the fa- 
cred feriptures. But, notwithftanding that the lift of 
fubferibers was ref'peblable, their number was by no 
means adequate to the magnitude of tlie undertaking, 
and could fcarcely afford the author hopes of being re- 
imburfed the expences which his work muft neceffarily 
require, much lefs compenfate him for the exceifive ex¬ 
ertion to which he had devoted himfelf. And, though 
lord Petre’s generofity fecured to him all the comforts 
of life, and the means necefl'ary to commence his work, 
yet it could not be expe6ted that it could indemnify him 
againft the rifk attending a plan which demanded an 
extenfive public patronage, Trufting, however, that, 
when the firft fruits of his labours made their appear¬ 
ance, the liberal and difeerning would not fuller his fer- 
vices in the caufe of literature and truth to want encou¬ 
ragement, he determined to commence the publication 
of his great undertaking. Accordingly, in 1792, the firft 
volume appeared, entitled The Holy Bible, or the Books 
accounted Sacred by Jews and Chriftians, &c. faithfully 
tranflated from the corredled Texts of the Originals ; 
with various Readings, explanatory Notes, and critical 
Remarks, 4to, This volume comprifes the Pentateuch 
and the book of Joftua, and fufficiently fatisfied all libe¬ 
ral and competent judges, that the author had not un¬ 
dertaken a .talk to which his learning and abilities were 
inadequate. Soon after its publication, however, three 
catholic bilhops, fuftaining the charatler of vicars-apof- 
tolic, and the titles of Rama, Acanthos, and Centuri-^, 
addrefl'ed paftoral letters to their refpeclive flocks, warn¬ 
ing them againft the reception and ufe of Dr. Geddes’s 
verfion. This epifcopal ftretch of power occalioned a 
correfpondence between Dr. Geddes and the bifliop of 
Centuri:e, in the courfe of which the latter announced 
his fufpenfion of the doflor from the exercife of his ec. 
clefiaftical functions, unlefs, within a preferibed time, 
he ftould fubmit to an injun6tion contained in the paf¬ 
toral letters. Such condud the dodlor refented with 
becoming fpirjt, and wrote a highly animated letter to 
IT E S. 287 
the biftop, informing him that he was not afraid of his 
threatenings, and fliould laugh at his cenfures, fo long 
as he was confeious that he deferved them not; and 
that he would never fubmit to the injundtion, becaufe 
he deemed it raft, ridiculous, and informal. In 1794, 
the author publiflied a longer Letter to the Right Re¬ 
verend John Douglas, Bifliop of Centuriae, and Vicar- 
Apoftolic in the London Diftridt, in which he protefted 
to the world againft the billiop’s tyrannical proceedings, 
and expofed them, on the ground of reafon, as well as 
on received principles of ecclefiaftical difeipline, with 
much folid argument, not unmixed with a happy vein 
of irony. In 1797, he publiflied the fecond volume of 
his new tranflation, containing the books of Judges, 
Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and the Prayer of Manaffeh. 
In 1800, he alfo publifted, A modeft Apology for the 
Roinan-catholics of Great Britain, addreffed to all mo¬ 
derate Proteftants, and particularly to the Members of 
both Houfes of Parliament, 8vo. In this work the au¬ 
thor’s learning, accurate knowdedge of ecclefiaftical hif- 
tory, liberality, and moderation, appear to eminent ad¬ 
vantage ; and it affords fuch a view of the creed of the 
more enlightened part of the modern Britifli catholics, 
as lliews that they neither merit profeription nor perfe- 
cution; w'hile it ably and fatisfaclorily eftabliftes their 
claims, on the footing of juftice and policy, to a fliare 
in every privilege w'hich the moft favoured of their fel- 
low-fubjeCts enjoy. It was Dr. Geddes’s next intention 
to prefent to the public a new tranflation ot the Book of 
Pfalms ; but, during the laft year of his life, his ftudies 
and literary labours were greatly interrupted by attacks 
of a painful difeale, which baffled all remedies or pal¬ 
liatives, and terminated his life on the 26th ot Pebruary, 
1802, when in the lixty-fifth year of his age. No perfon 
was a more ftrenuous and uniform advocate tor uncon- 
trouled freedom of opinion, and freedom of difeuflion, 
than Dr. Geddes; and he was, in the ftridteft fenfe of 
the word, a genuine catholic, extending his good-wil! 
to all of every fett and party, and dilpofed to grant to 
others every privilege which he claimed for himfelt. 
Befldes the articles already mentioned. Dr. Geddes was 
the author of, i. A Letter to a Member of Parliament, 
1787, 8vo. on the expediency of a general’repeal of all 
penal ftatutes that regard religious opinions. 2. Epijlola 
viacaronica ad Fratrem de Us qua gejla funt in nvpero DiJJenti- 
entium Conventu, SSc. 1790, 4to. 3. Carmen Seculare pro GaU 
lica Gente, Tyrannide arijiocratica erepta, of the fame date, 
4to. 4. Ver-vert, or the Parrot of Nevers, a Poem, in 
four Cantos, freely tranflated from the French of J. B. 
Grefl'et, 1793, 4to. 5. The Battle of B—ng—r, or the 
Church triumpliant, a comic-heroic Poem, in nine Can¬ 
tos, 1797, 4to. and feveral other poetical pieces, fatiri- 
cal or fprightly, written by way of relaxation from his 
feverer ftudies. 
GED'DES (James), a learned Scotch philofophical 
writer, born at Tweedale in 1710. At a proper age he 
was fent to the univerfity of Edinburgh, where he 
ftudied the different branches of philofophy, and made 
great proficiency in the mathematical fciences under the 
celebrated Colin Maclaurin. After he had finiflied his 
philofophical courfe, his attention was directed to the 
law, for w hich profeflion he was defigned ; and when he 
had gone through the ufual preparatory ftudies, he was 
admitted an advocate. For feveral years he prailifed 
at the bar with growing reputation, and afforded flat¬ 
tering hopes of rifing to eminence in his profeflion ; but 
they were fruftrated by his being carried otf in a decline, 
when aged between thirty and forty years. He retained 
through life that relifli for ancient literature which he 
had imbibed in his youth; and devoted what time he 
could Ipare from the duties of his profeflion and the ne- 
ceflary afl'airs of his family, to the ftudy of the ancient 
poets, philofophers, and hiflorians. The only produc¬ 
tion of his pen which has been publiflied is pofthumousj 
