M I C 
be acquitted of introducing too frequent repetitions Into 
bis works, and by that means’rendering them unneceffa- 
rily prolix and voluminous. 
An unfhaken integrity formed the bafis of his moral 
character. He was always anxious to difcpver the rule 
of propriety and duty by which his aCtions might be uni¬ 
formly regulated; and never relaxed in his enquiries, un¬ 
til he had laid fome foundation in his own mind, upon 
which he might built his future conduct. It was a re¬ 
gard to this rule that led him to apply with diligence to 
the ftudy of the Greek language, that he might fupply 
the defefts of his early education, and be enabled to find 
a folution of many confcientious difficulties which pre- 
iented themfelves to him in the New Teftament. “ Could 
I,” fays he, “ have fuppofed that a knowledge of the 
Greek would have thrown fo much light upon the obfeu- 
rities of the Teftament, I would have ftudied it with the 
greateft afiiduity.” To the love of learning and of his 
duty, Michaelis united a firm adherence to truth and fin- 
cerity, from which he allowed of no deviation. He re¬ 
garded no facrifice as too great in its fupport. Neither 
the ties of friendfliip nor of intereft could prevent him 
from frankly exprefling his fentiments on any fubjcct 
concerning which his judgment was afked ; as he particu¬ 
larly ftiowed by his difference with Dr. Kennicott. That 
gentleman fent to him one of his productions, which 
Michaelis crifeicifed with more f'eventy than the author 
thought that either impartial juftice or the obligations of 
friendlhip would warrant. Of his remonftrances to this 
purport Michaelis expreffed his refentment, by breaking 
off the friendly intercourfe that had fubfifted between 
them : “ Since fuch are his ideas of friendfhip,” faid he, 
“ I have no defire to renew my intimacy with him. I 
have therefore anfwered his letters with cool civility.” 
Of the extent of his owri abilities and reputation he fhowed 
himfelf confcious to an excefs, which expofed him to the 
imputation of unworthy and puerile vanity. He has 
been charged with the vice of avarice ; but without fuffi- 
cient foundation. He was charitable to the poor whofe 
characters and circumftances came within his knowledge ; 
but he never gave alms promifeuoufiy to beggars in the 
Itreets, confidering them to be levying a fhameful tax 
on the public, from which every individual ought to exo¬ 
nerate himfelf. In his difputes he was acrimonious, not 
being able to brook oppofition from any whom he con¬ 
ceived to be his inferiors, and frequently treating his ad- 
verfaries with fcorn and ridicule. By the impatience and 
violence with which he carried them on, he leffened the 
number of his friends, and provoked numerous enemies ; 
fome of whom retorted on him an abundant meafure of 
afperity, not always unaccompanied with malignity or 
anjuftice. In the latter part of his life he was regarded 
not only as a literary character, but as a man of buiinefs ; 
and was employed in affairs of moment by the courts of 
England, Denmark, and Pruflia. 
His works, as an author, were exceedingly numerous, 
of which a lift, amounting to 78 articles, is given in the 
Gentleman’s Magazine. Of thofe with which the Eng- 
lilh l'cholar has been brought acquainted, the moft im¬ 
portant is the “ Introduction to the New Teftament,” 
tranilated into Englifti from the firft edition, and pub- 
liftied in 1761, in a quarto volume. In 1788, the fourth 
edition was publiflied in two volumes quarto. This work 
is purely critical and hiftorieal; and the reader will there¬ 
fore find in it no difeuflions of controverted points in fpe- 
culative theology, which belong to a different province. 
Independent of a feCt or party, the author’s objeCt is to 
explain the Greek Teftament with the fame impartiality, 
and the fame unbiafl'ed love of truth, with which a critic 
in profane literature would examine the writings of a 
TIomer or a Virgil. The firft volume contains an exami¬ 
nation of the title, authenticity, infpiration, and lan¬ 
guage, of the New Teftament; the quotations from the 
Old Teftament; the various readings, ancient verfions, 
and manuferipts, of the G reek Teftament j the quota- 
Vol. XV. No. 1046. 
M I C ’325 
tions of the fathers; critical and theological conjecture ; 
commentaries and editions of the Greek Teftament; ac¬ 
cents and other marks of diffinftion, with the ancient 
and modern divifions of the lacred text. The fecond 
volume contains a particular introduction to each indi¬ 
vidual book of the New Teftament. This work is a 
moft valuable prefent to the biblical fcholar, and is de- 
fervedly held in high eftimation in Germany, a country 
at this time the moft diftinguifned in Europe for theolo¬ 
gical learning. The Engliih theological ltudent, there-, 
fore, is under no little obligation to the Rev. Herbert 
Marfli, fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge, for hav¬ 
ing pu'olifhed a faithful and elegant verfion of it in his 
native tongue. In the year 1793, Mr. Marfli commenced 
this undertaking by publifliing his tranflation of the firft 
volume of the fourth edition of the original, in three vo¬ 
lumes oCtavo, accompanied with his own elaborate and 
learned notes, which conftitute more than one third of the 
whole. After completing the tranflation of the fecond 
volume, it was his intention to draw lip a commentary 
on the author’s text, as he had done in the preceding vo¬ 
lumes ; but, being prevented by various interruptions 
from finilliing his defign, in the year 1801 lie very pro¬ 
perly determined to lay the remainder of his verfion be¬ 
fore the public, without any further delay. This part of 
the work extends to three additional volumes in oCtavo, 
including a long and learned differtation by Mr. Marfli, 
On the Origin and Compofition of the three firft Gofpels. 
It is to be hoped that lie will yet proceed to the comple¬ 
tion of his original plan with regard to Micliaelis’s work, 
and give the world a commentary alfo upon the fecond 
volume. Schli£legroll'$ Nekrolcg. in the German Mufeuia. 
for 1801. Gmt. Mag. Mar. 1792. Mar/h's Prefaces. 
MICH'AELMAS,j! Thefeaftofthe archangel Michael, 
celebrated on the twenty-ninth of September.—They 
compounded to furnifh ten oxen after Michaelmafs for 
thirty pounds price. Carew. —See Michael, p. 318, 19. 
MICHAELMAS l'SLAND, a fmall ifland at the en¬ 
trance of King George the Third’s Sound, on the foutli- 
weft coaft of New Holland : four miles north-north-eaft 
of Bald Head. 
MICHAI'LA (St.), a town of Ruflia, in the- govern¬ 
ment of Revel: thirty-fix miles fouth of Revel. 
MICHAILO'V, a town of Ruflia, in the government of 
Riazan: twenty-four miles fouth-fouth-weft of Riazan. 
Lat. 54. 20. N. Ion. 38. 38. E. 
MI'CHEL, [Heb. complete.] Tlie name of Saul’s 
.daughter ; one of David’s wives. 
MICHALOW'KA, a town of Poland, in Volhynia s 
fifty-two miles north of Zytomiers. 
MICHAU'E (Pierre), lecretary to the count de Cha- 
rolois, fon of the duke of Burgundy, in 1466, was author 
of the poem, entitled “ Do&rinal tie la Cour, on Danfe 
des Aveitgles; InftruCtions for the Court, or Blind-man’s- 
buff.” From a beautiful copy of this fatirical poem, finely 
illuminated, M. Laborde has given reprefentations of all 
the mufical inftruments ufed in France during the 15th 
century in the hands of the performers. Ejfai fur la Muf. 
MICIIAU'X (Andrew), an eminent French botaniff, 
was born at Verlailles, in March 1746. At ten years of 
age he was placed at a boarding-fehool with liis younger 
brother ; and, at the end of four years, their father fent 
for them home, and endeavoured to infpire them with a 
tafte for rural life. Andrew, however, ftudied the ele¬ 
ments of the Greek language, and improved himfelf in 
the Latin. He married, in 1769, the daughter of a rich 
farmer of Beauce, who died after having borne him a fon. 
An acquaintance with Le Monnier, whom he vifited at 
his garden of Montreuil, near Verfailles, infpired him with 
a talle for botany ; and, having an ardent defire for tra¬ 
velling, lie determined to explore foreign countries little 
known, where the climate was analogous to that of France, 
for the purpofe of collecting their productions, and na¬ 
turalizing them in his own. By way of preparation, he 
went to Trianon, to ftudy botany under Bernard de Juf- 
4 Q fieux j 
