I{ I P P I S. 
tinguifhed by their moral and literary endowments. Mr. 
Kippis induftrioufly availed himfelf of the advantages for 
improvement which this inititution afforded him; and his 
proficiency and general deportment fecured the affectionate 
efteem of his tutor, whom lie loved and refpeCted as a father. 
Having in five years completed his academical courfe of 
Itudies, he was invited to become minifter to a diffenting 
congregation at Dorchefter; but, having at the fame time 
received another invitation to fettle at Bolton in Lincoln- 
iliire, he gave the preference to the latter, and commenced 
his refidence there in September 1746. He continued at 
Bofton till the year 1750, when he removed to Dorking in 
Surry; and two years afterwards lie accepted of an invi¬ 
tation to fucceed Dr. Obadiah Hughes as paitor of the 
prefbyterian congregation at Long Ditch, now called 
Prince’s ftreet, Weftminfter, where he came to refide in 
OCtober 1753, having in the preceding month entered into 
the matrimonial connection with the daughter of a mer¬ 
chant at Bofton. 
Mr. Kippis was now fixed in a refpeCtable fituation, for 
which he was admirably well qualified by his literary ta¬ 
lents, his minifterial abilities, and his external endow¬ 
ments; and from this time he continued to rife in cele¬ 
brity, and to take an aCtive part in thofe ufeful and ho¬ 
nourable connections to which it was the means of intro¬ 
ducing him. As paftor of that fociety, he became a ma¬ 
nager of the prefbyterian fund inftituted for the alfiflance 
of poor congregations in the country in fupporting their 
minilters, and of fludents for the miniftry in their aca¬ 
demical education ; and in 1762 he was eleCted a member 
of Dr. Williams’s trufl, chiefly for fimilar purpofes, toge¬ 
ther with the fupport of the doctor’s valuable library. In 
1763 he was appointed clafTical and philological tutor in 
Coward’s academy ; and he fuftained that office for more 
than twenty-five years, with Angular reputation to him¬ 
felf, and with great benefit to the young perfons who were 
Tiiider his care. In the year 1767, he received the degree 
of doCtor of divinity from the univerfity of Edinburgh, 
on the unfolicited recommendation of the late learned pro- 
fefl'or Robertfon. He was eleCted a member of the Soci¬ 
ety of Antiquaries, in March 1778 ; and,in June 1779, he 
was chofen a fellow of the Royal Society. 
In the year 1784, Dr. Kippis’s literary engagements had 
become fo 'numerous, and demanded lo much of his atten¬ 
tion and time, that he found himfelf under the neceffity of 
refigning his appointment of tutor in Coward’s academy. 
During the following year the academy itfelf, which had 
beenamoft ufeful inititution, and fupplied the liberal dif- 
fenters with many minifters of diflinguifhed reputation, 
was difcontinued. This event excited much regret in the 
minds of many diffenters, who, having reafon to believe 
that the inititution was not likely to be revived, made a 
fpirited effort, in the year 1786, to eflablifli a new acade¬ 
my in the neighbourhood of London, for the education 
v of minifters, and other gentlemen intended for civil life. 
Dr. Kippis was very affiduous in his endeavours to accom- 
plifh this laudable defign ; and, notwithftanding that his 
numerous engagements rendered it inconvenient to him 
to fill any official department in it, he at length, though 
very reluctantly, yielded to the willies of the fubfcribers, 
and confented to be one of the tutors in the new inftitu- 
tion. He refigned this office, however, in a few years, on 
account of the inconvenient diftance of Hackney, where 
the inititution was fixed, from his place of refidence, and 
for private real'ons which it is unneceflary to record. 
From this time he confined,his labours to his private ftu- 
dies, and profeffional duties, enjoying an uninterrupted 
ffate of health, and polleHing a degree conftitutional vi¬ 
gour which flattered his friends with the profpeft of a 
long continuance of his life and ufefulnef's. To their 
great concern, however, in confequence of a cold which 
he caught on a journey, he was feized with a fever, which 
baffled the fkill of the molt eminent phyficians, and termi¬ 
nated in his death, on the fifth of October, 1795, when he 
had attained the age of feventy years and fix months, 
Vol. XI. No. 79 z. 
753 
Dr. Kippis was eminently diflinguifhed for the virtues 
and accomplifliments which conftitute the chief ornament 
of the human character. His temper was mild and gen¬ 
tle, benevolent and candid ; his addrefs and manners po- 
liflied, eafy, and uncommonly conciliating and prepoflefl- 
ing. As a tutor, he poffeffed a happy method of convey¬ 
ing inftruition, both in his leClures and friendly conver- 
fation ; and his general conduft and demeanour towards 
his pupils, not only engaged their attention, but fecured 
their refpeft and warm affection. To young perfons, and 
to young minifters in particular, he was always acceffible; 
and he took feniible pleafure in affilfing them with his ad¬ 
vice, in the profecution of their private fludies or public 
labours. One habit of his particularly deferves the imita¬ 
tion of fludious young men ; it was that of early rifing, 
to which he had accuftomed himfelf from his youth. This 
habit was not only highly conducive to his health, but fe¬ 
cured to him a large portion of time for improvement, 
during which he was not liable to be interrupted by any 
foreign avocations. 
Dr. Kippis commenced bis career as an author in the 
Gentleman’s Magazine ; after which he contributed feve- 
ral valuable papers to a periodical publication called The 
Library; and became a frequent writer in the Monthly 
Review ; chiefly in the theological, hiftorical, and philo¬ 
logical, departments. He alfo proje&ed the improved 
plan, and laid the foundation, of The New Annual Regif- 
ter; the mifcellaneous parts of which were felected and 
the accounts of domeftic and foreign literature written by 
him, from the commencement of the work to the year 
1784 inclufive. Dr. Kippis likewife was the author of 
the “Review of the TranlaCftions of the prefent Reign,” 
prefixed to the Regifler for 1780 ; and of “The Hiftory 
of Knowledge, Learning, and Tafle, in Great Britain,” 
which is prefixed to the fucceeding volumes, to the year 
1794 inclufive. In the year 1771, he publiihed a very- 
able “ Vindication of the Proteftant Diffenting Minifters, 
with regard to their late Application to Parliament,” 8vo. 
which went through two editions in the fame year; and 
in 1778, at the requeft of the noble peer who then filled 
the poll of prime minifter, he publifhed, “ Confiderations 
on the Provifional Treaty with America, and the Prelimi¬ 
nary Articles of Peace with France and Spain,” 8vo. He 
alfo publifhed a Life of Sir John Pringle, Bart, prefixed 
to his Six Difcourfes delivered at the Royal Society, on 
afligning the Copley Medal, 1783, 8vo. Obfervations on 
the late Contefts in the Royal Society, 1784, 8vo. The 
Life of Captain Cook, the celebrated Navigator, 1788, 4to. 
The Life of Nathaniel Lardner, D. D. prefixed to a com¬ 
plete edition of his works, 1788. An Addrefs, delivered 
at the Interment of Dr. Price, 1791, 8vo. The Life of 
Dr. Doddridge, prefixed to an ottavo edition of his Ex- 
pofition of the New Teftament, 1792. A valuable im¬ 
proved edition of Dr. Doddridge's Lectures on Ethics, 
Pneumatology, and Divinity, with a great number of ad¬ 
ditional references and notes, in two vols. 8vo. Several 
Sermons, preached on public occafions, fome of which 
were reprinted, and, with other practical difeourfes, form¬ 
ed an oftavo volume, 1794. But the work which, next 
to the duties of his office as a Chriftian minifter, engaged 
the principal attention of Dr. Kippis during feveral of the 
laft years of his life, was the improved edition of that 
great national work, the “ Biographia Britannica.” His 
extenfive knowledge of men and books, the valuable 
fources of information to which he had accefs, his inde¬ 
fatigable affiduity in collecting materials, his found judg¬ 
ment, his peculiarly-happy talent of marking the diftin- 
guiflied features in the characters which he draws, his un- 
biaiied fidelity, impartiality, and candour, and his numer¬ 
ous and inftructive collateral reflections on a variety of 
incidental fubjeCts, are abundantly difplayed in this per¬ 
formance, and thow how peculiarly well qualified he was 
for undertaking it. His ftyie, formed on the models of 
fir William Temple and the claffical Addilon, is remark¬ 
able for its peripicuity, elegance, and purity. This work 
9 F has 
