L O W T H. 
fcrlp'tures. This character of our author’s Prele&ions, 
again It which few competent judges will except, is given 
by Dr. G. Gregory, to whom the Englifh reader is greatly 
indebted for a well-executed tranflation of them, in two 
volumes 8vo.' fir(t publilhed in 1787, with notes felected 
from Michaelis, or added by himfelf. Subjoined to the 
Prelefiions is a A fhort Confutation of Biffiop Hare’s Syf- 
tem of Hebrew Metre; which occafioned a Latin letter to 
be addreffed to Dr. Lowth, by Dr. Thomas Eclswards of 
Cambridge, in defence of that fyftem. Dr. Lowth fatif- 
fafiorily replied in A larger Confutation of tbebifhop’s 
fyffem, which was publilhed in 1766. 
In the year 1754, the univerlity of Oxford honoured 
our author with the degree of doftorof divinity, conferee! 
by diploma. During the following year, he received from 
the Cavendilh family a diftinguilhed proof of their regard 
for him, by being nominated firlt chaplain to the marquis 
of Hartington, who was appointed lord-lieutenant of Ire¬ 
land. Thither he accompanied that nobleman, who was 
foon furnidled with an opportunity of bellowing high pre¬ 
ferment upon him, by a vacancy taking in the fee of Li- 
meric. This bilho'pric was immediately promifed to Dr. 
Low tb ; but, as his native country was peculiarly endeared 
to him by family connections, and the fuperior advantages 
which it afforded him for prolecuting his literary purfuits, 
he endeavoured to negociate an exchange of that'dignity 
for fonie Englifh preferment. Very fortunately, Dr. Lef- 
lie, a prebendary of Durham, and reftor of Sedgefield in 
that diocefe, was at the fame time defirous of being tranf- 
planted into Ireland. No great difficulty, therefore, oc¬ 
curred, in fettling matters between tliefe gentlemen, in a 
manner that was perfectly conformable to both their 
willies; and Dr. Butler, who was then hilliop of Durham, 
collated Dr. Lowth to thofe preferments in his diocefe, 
with expreifiens of no little fatisfaftion at receiving a man 
of fuch fuperior talents into the number of his clergy. In 
the year 1758, at the vifitation of the biffiop, Dr. Lowth 
preached a fermon at Durham, in which, with generous 
ardour and irrefiftible force, he pleaded the caule of free 
enquiry in matters of religion ; and cautioned againlt en¬ 
tertaining fufpicions of any propofal for the advancement 
of religious knowledge, or for the farther 5 II u It ration of 
the great fcheme of the gofpel in general, or the removal 
of error in any part, in faith, in doctrine, in practice, 
or in worffiip. “An opinion,” he well obferved, “ is not 
therefore, falfe, becaufe it contradifls received notions ; 
but, whether true or falfe, let it be fubmitted to a fair ex¬ 
amination ; truth mull in the end be a gainer by it, and 
appear with the greater evidence.” This fermon has 
been frequently printed, and merits a place in the collec¬ 
tions of all confident friends of liberty and Chriftianity. 
In the fame year, Dr. Lowth publilhed in 8vo. his Life 
of Wykehana, biffiop of Winchefter, and founder of the 
colleges in which he had received his education. This 
work is collefted from authentic documents; and, befides 
matters of a more private and local kind, chiefly refpeift- 
ing the two focieties above alluded to, will furnifli the 
reader with valuable information concerning the man¬ 
ners, and fome of the public tranfaftions, of the period in 
which Wykehatn lived. Our author’s “ Short Introduc¬ 
tion to Englifh Grammar,” in 8vo. made its firft appear¬ 
ance in 176Z, and lias gone through numerous editions. 
This valuable piece was originally defigned only for do- 
medic ufe; but its utility in recommending a greater at¬ 
tention to grammatical form and accuracy in our language 
than bad hitherto been obferved in it, and the many ju¬ 
dicious remarks which occur therein, together with the 
very favourable reception which it lias met with, fully 
judified its being given to the public, and indeed, have 
conferred on the author a high degree of reputation as a 
grammarian. 
In the year 1756, a mifunderdanding had taken place 
between Dr. Lowth and Dr. Warburton, the latter of 
whom took offence at fome things advanced in the Pre- 
le&ions on the fubjefi; of the Book of Job, which lie con- 
. VOL.XIII. No. 938. 
fldered to be aimed at his own peculiar opinions. In con- 
fequence of this, a private correfpondence took place be¬ 
tween them ; and, after fome explanations, their difference 
feemed to be amicably compofed. But it revived again 
in 1765, owing to the appearance of “ An Appendix con¬ 
cerning the Book of Job,” printed at the end of the lad 
volume of a new edition of the fecond part of “ The Di¬ 
vine Legation,” in which the author employed himfelf in 
repelling the fuppofed attack upon him already mentioned. 
This challenge brought Dr. Lowth into the field, who pub¬ 
lilhed “A Letter to the Bifhop of Glouceder,” on that 
Appendix ; which was followed by “ Remarks upon Dr. 
Lowth’s Letter to the Bifhop of Glouceder “A Letter 
to Dr. Lowth on his Letter,” & c. by Dr. Brown ; “A 
Letter to Dr. Brown,” from Dr. Lowth ; “ The Epiftolary 
Correfpoiuieiice between the Bifhop of Glouceder and Dr. 
Low tli;” and other pieces. This difpute was managed 
on both fides with a degree of heat; and acrimony which 
reflected difgrace on the parties concerned, in their cha- 
raiffer as gentlemen and Icholars, and was dill more dif- 
■ honourable to them as Chriltians and Chridian minifters. 
In the year s765, Dr. Lowth was admitted a fellow of 
the Royal Society ; and not long afterwards we find that 
he was chofen a member of the Royal Society at Gottin¬ 
gen. Upon the formation of the new minidry under the 
aufpices of the duke of Cumberland, Dr. I.owth’s parti, 
cular friends had fuch influence with the men in power, 
that it was refolved to elevate him to the epifcopal bench 
upon the firft vacancy. Accordingly, on the death of 
bifhop Squire, he was promoted to the fee of St. David’s, 
in May 1766; and in the month of September, or Oc¬ 
tober, of the fame year, he was tranflated to the bifliopric 
of Oxford. In this fituation he continued, diligently and 
honourably difeharging the duties of the epifcopal office, 
till the year 1777 : when, upon the death of bifhop Ter- 
rick, he was tranflated to the fee of London. In the fol¬ 
lowing year, he prefented to the public the lad of liis li¬ 
terary labours, entitled, “ Ifaiah; a new Tranflation j 
with a preliminary Differtation, and Notes, critical, phi¬ 
lological, and explanatory;” 4to. For fuch an under¬ 
taking he was eminently qualified, by bis critical know¬ 
ledge of the original language, liis peculiar acquaintance 
with the character and fpirit of its poetry, which perpe¬ 
tually occurs in the effuiions of this fublime prophet, 
and by his general erudition, both literary and theologi¬ 
cal. His defign in it, was “not only to give an exact 
and faithful reprefentation of the words and of the fenfe 
of the prophet, by adhering clofely to the letter of the 
text, and treading as nearly as may be in bis footdeps ; 
but, moreover, to imitate the air and manner of the au¬ 
thor, to exprefs the form and fafhion of the compolition, 
and to give the Englifh reader fome notion of the pecu¬ 
liar turn and caft of the original.” How well he has fue- 
ceeded, upon the whole, in the elegant and beautifeil ver- 
fion which he has given the world, is too well known, 
and has been too generally acknowledged by the learned 
in every part of Europe, to require any encomium in our 
pages. In his tranllation he has adopted the metrical 
form ; for the choice of which he has affigned very pow¬ 
erful reafons, in his preliminary differtation. It was not 
to be expelled, however, that his verfion ihould be fault- 
lefs. Among other learned men who undertook to point 
out fome miltakes in it, was the late Michael Dodfon, efq. 
who, among the papers of a finall fociety, inftituted for 
the purpofe of promoting the knowledge of the feriptures, 
and entitled, “Commentaries and Elfays,” &c. furniffied 
new tranflations ofllaiah lii. 13.—liii. 12 ; and ofllaiah i„ 
—xii. both pieces with notes, containing criticifm^ on the 
bilhop’s verlion. Thefe pieces he tranfmitted, as foon as 
they were printed, to our prelate; who, on the reception 
of each, expreffed himfelf in very handfome terms, in 
notes written to Mr. Dodfbn, of the manner in which lie 
had conduced his Itri&ures; but pleaded his declining 
health, as the only reafon for his not giving thefe papers 
the attention which they were otherwife entitled to re- 
8 Q ceire 
