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It was read in convocation, and patted by that body, in 
order to the publiflving it, in oppofition to the principles 
laid down in that famous book of Parfons the Jefuit, un¬ 
der the name of Doll man. King James I. did not like a 
convocation entering into ftich a theory of politics; fo 
he wrote a long letter to Abbot, who was afterwards arch- 
hifhop of Canterbury, but was then in the lower hotife. 
I had the original, writ all in his own hand; in my pod'ef- 
fioii. By it he delired that no further progrefs fhould be 
made in that matter, and that this book might not be 
offered to him for his afl'ent. Thus that matter flept; but 
Sancroft had got Overall’s own book into his hands. So, 
in the beginning of this reign, he refolved to publifh it, 
as an authentic declaration that the church of England 
had made in this matter; and it was publifhed, as well as 
licenfed by him, a very few days before he came under 
fufpenfion for not taking the oaths. But there was a pa¬ 
ragraph or turn in it that they had not coniidered, which 
was plainly calculated to juftify the owning the United 
Provinces to be a lawful government. For it was there 
laid down, that, when a change of government was brought 
to a thorough fettlement, it was then to be owned and 
fubmitted to, as a wmrk of the providence of God; and a 
part of king James’s letter to Abbot related to this. 
When Sherlock obferved this, he had fome conferences 
with the parly, in order to convince them by that which 
he faid had convinced himfelf. Soon after that, he took 
the oatl s, and was made dean of St. Paul’s.” Biog. Brit. 
OVERBE'KE (Bonaventure Van), a draughtfman and 
antiquary, was born at Amfterdam in 1660. Having im¬ 
bibed a paflion for antiquities, lie made three journeys to 
Rome, where he defigned all the relics of ancient magni¬ 
ficence in that capital. Ke firft copied all the monuments 
which fubfift in an entire ftate ; and then all the muti¬ 
lated ones, exaftly in their prefent condition, and with 
the greateft accuracy of proportions. On his return to 
his own country he engraved all thefe defigns with his 
own hand, and fubjoined the defcriptions of the belt an¬ 
tiquaries to each iubjeft. He alfo added the names and 
medals of the popes who have renovated any of them, and 
the ancient and modern defcriptions relative to them. 
He died at Amfterdam in 1706. His collection, which 
was firft written in Dutch, was tranflated into Latin and 
French. In the former language it was publifhed under 
the title of “ Reliquas antiquse Urbis Romance, &c.” 3 
vols. folio, Amft. each volume containing fifty plates and 
defcriptions. It was alfo publifhed in French, in three 
volumes, folio, 1709, 1763. Gen. Biog. 
O'VERRURY (Sir Thomas), a learned Englifli gentle¬ 
man and mifcellaneous writer, was defeended from an 
ancient family at Afhton-under-Edge in Gloucefterfhire. 
He was born in 1581, at the houfe of a maternal relation 
in Warwickfnire ; and, after having laid the foundation 
of his grammar learning in that country, he was entered 
as a gentleman commoner of Queen's college, Oxford. 
From this place he removed to the Middle Temple for 
the fttidy of the law, to which profeflion his father be¬ 
longed; but, not having a tafte for legal purfuits, lie 
endeavoured to pufli his fortune at court. About the 
year 1604. he contracted an intimacy with Robert Carr, 
the favourite of king James, who was afterwards created 
earl of Somerfet, and by whofe means Mr, Overbury was 
knighted, and his father raifed to the honour of being a 
We.Mil judge. This wans in the year 1608; and in the 
following year fir Thomas made a tour on the continent;, 
and, on his return, publifhed “ Obfervations” on what he 
had feen. It was not likely that his principles fhould be 
pure while connefted with a licentious court; and, ac¬ 
cordingly, it appears that heaflifted his friend and patron 
Carr in his amorous correfpondence with the countefs of 
Effex, but, after her divorce, he as earneftly oppofed the 
marriage of the two adulterers, for which he incurred the 
barred of them both. The confequences have been de¬ 
tailed under the article England, vol. vi. p. 663, 4, Sir 
Thomas, though by no means a blamelefs character, was 
lamented as a viCtim to the paflion3 of ’a mod abandoned 
pair. He was author of feveral pieces in profe and verfe. 
The poem entitled “The Wife,” deferibing the charac¬ 
ter of a woman qualified to render the marriage-ftate 
happy, was extremely popular. The tenth edition of his 
works was publifhed in 8vo. in 1753. In the Biog. Brit, 
there is a long and very detailed account of the method? 
ufed to deftroy fir Thomas Overbury. 
O'VERBURY, in geography. See Shipston-upon- 
Stour. 
To OVERCOM'E, v. a. pret. I overcame; part. pafT, 
overcome; anciently overcomen, as in Spenfer. [overcomen, 
Dut] Tofubdue; to conquer; to vanquifh.—Of whom 
a man is overcome, of the fame is he brought in bondage. 
2 Pet. ii 19. 
They, overcomen, were deprived 
Of their proud beauty, and the one moiety 
Transform’d'to fifli, for their bold furquedry. Spenfer. 
To furmount.—Miranda is a conftant relief to poor people 
in their misfortunes and accidents; there are' fometimes 
little misfortunes that happen to them, which of tliern- 
felves they could never be able to overcome. Law--To 
overflow ; to furcharge : 
The unfallow’d glebe 
Yearly o'ercomes the granaries with ftores. Philips. 
To come over or upon ; to invade fuddenly. Not in ufe: 
Can fuch things be, 
And overcome us like a fummer’s cloud. 
Without our fpecial wonder? Shake fpeare's Macbeth. 
To OVERCOMT, v. n. To gain the fuperiority.— - 
That thou mighteft be juftified in thy layings, and 
mighteft overcome when thou art judged. Rom. iii. 4. 
OVERCOM'ER, f. He who overcomes.— Great re¬ 
wards and rich gifts were appointed for the over owners. 
Powell's flijl. of Wales , 1584. 
OVERCOM'INGLY, adv. With fuperiority; in the 
manner of a conqueror.—That they fhould fo boldly and 
overcoming!} / dictate to him fuch things as are not fit. 
More's Conj. Cab. 1653. 
OVERFLAK'EE, or ZutD VoottN, an ifland of the 
Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, in the 
Meufe, about thirteen miles long from eaft to weft, and 
four in its greateft breadth. The firft name it receives 
from a fand-bank, named Flacque, or F/ahee, which lies 
in the ftream north of the ifland; the iaft, from its fttua- 
tion with refpeft to the ifie of Voorn, from which it is 
about two miles to the foutli. Lat. 51.43. N. Ion. 4. 24. E. 
O'VERJFLAX, a town of Sweden, in the government 
of Wafa: fix miles north of Wafa. 
To OVERFLO'W, v. n. To be fuller than the brim can 
hold,—Had I the fame confcioufnefs that I faw Noah’s 
flood, as that I faw the overflowing of the Thames laft 
winter, I could not doubt, that I, who faw. the Thames 
overflowed, and viewed the flood at the general deluge, 
was the fame felf. Locke. . 
While our ftrong walls fecure us from the foe, 
E’er yet with blood our ditches overflow. Dry den. 
To exuberate; to abound.—A very ungrateful return to 
the author of all we enjoy, but fuch as an overflowing 
plenty too much inclines men to make. Rogers. 
To OVERFLO'W, a-, a. To fill beyond the brim.—Sup- 
pofe thyfelf in as great a fadnefs as ever did load thy 
fpirit, wouldft thou not bear it cheerfully, if thou werfc 
litre that fome excellent fortune would relieve and reccm- 
peiife thee fo as to overflow all thy hopes. Bp. Taylor. 
New milk that all the winter never fails, 
And ail the fummer overflows the pails. Dryden. 
To deluge; to drown; toover-rnn; to over-power.—The 
Scythians, at fuch time as the northern nations overflowed 
all Chriftendom, came down to the fea-conft, Spenfer. — 
Clanius overflow'd th* unhappy coaft. Dryden. —Do not 
the 
