1801:] 
his abfence. He was foon after taken ill 
himfelf, and after about three days ¢on- 
finement, expired. 
| Particulars relative to the late Mich. Dods 
fon, efg. of Tooke s-court——Mr. Dodfon was 
the only fon of the Rev.,J. Dodfon, M.A. 
a Proteftant diflenting minitter, fettled at 
Marlborough, in Wiltfhire, and of Eliza- 
beth, one of the daughters of Mr. Fofter, 
attorney at law, of the fame place, who 
was greatly refpeted for his integrity. 
Mr. Dodfon was born at Marlborouch the 
20th or 2rft of September 1732, and edu- 
cated partly under the care of his father, 
and partly at the granmar-{chool of that 
town: but his great proficiency in biblical 
learning he chiefly owed to his own volun- 
tary and fubfequent application. Under 
the direction of his maternal uncle, Sir 
M. Fofter, one of the juftices of the court 
of King’s Bench, Mr. Dodfon was brought 
up to the profeflion of the law. He was 
accordingly admitted of the Middle Tem- 
ple, London, Augaft 31, 1754, and prac- 
tifed many years, with confiderable repu- 
tation as a ipecial pleader. His natural 
modefty and diffidence difcouraged him 
from attending the courts,and therefore he 
did not proceed to be called to the bar till 
July 4, 1783. ‘This meafure contributed, 
and was intended to contribute, more to 
the diminution than to the increafe of pro- 
feflional bufinefs. He wasappointed one of 
the commifhioners of bankrupts in 1770, 
during the chancellorfhip of Lord Camden, 
and was continued in that fituation till the 
time of his death. On December 31, 1778, 
Mr. Dodfon married Mifs E. Hawkes, his 
coufin-german, and eldeft daughter of Mr. 
Hawkes, of Marlborough. Mr. Dedfon 
enjoyed-a hfe of uninterrupted good 
health, and indeed little alteration was ob- 
fervable in his ftrength or general habits, 
til nearly the laft year of his life. So 
lately as about the latter end of the autumn 
of 1799, he intended to have taken a jour- 
ney with the writer of this page to vifit 
a learned and excellent common friend in 
Suffoik; and promifed himfelf great plea- 
fure from the excurfion. It was not till 
the month of October that he began more 
fenfibly to feel the effect of difeafe ; and, 
after a confinement to his room of about a 
fortnight, he died of a dropfy in his chef, 
at his houfe in Bofweil-court, Carey-ftreet, 
London, on the 13th cf November 1709, 
2 J 799s 
aged 67 years; and was buried in Bunhill- 
fields the 21ft of the fame month. Mr. 
Dodfon’s legal knowledge and difcrimina- 
tion were defervedly eftimated by thofe to 
whom he was known, and who had oc- 
cafion to confer with him upon queftions 
of law. He was deliberate in forming his 
opinicn, and diffident in delivering it, but 
always clear in the principles and reafons 
on which it was founded. His general ac- 
quaintance with the laws, and veneration 
Marriages and Deaths in and near London, 
507 
for the conftitution of his country, evinced 
his extenfive acquaintance with the prin- 
ciples of jurifprudence, and his rezard for 
the permanence of the liberties of Britain. 
In 1762, Mr. Juftice Forfter published his 
book, entitled, “ A Report of fome pro- 
ceedings on the commiffion for the trial of 
the rebels in the year 1746, in the county 
of Surrey; and of other crown cafes; to 
which are added, Difcourfes upon a few 
branches of the crown law.” ‘This work 
will be to him, faid Mr. Dedfon, “ monu- 
mentum ere perennius.’ "The impreffion 
being large, and a pirated edition being 
made in Ireland, a new edition was not 
foon wanted in England; but-in 1776, Mz. 
Dedfon publifhed a fecond edition with 
fome improvements, and with remarks in 
his preface on fome objections made by Mr. 
Barrington in his “ Obfervations cn the 
more ancient ftatutes.” In 1792 he pub- 
lifhed a third edition, with an appendix, 
containing three new cafes, which the au- 
thor had intended to infert in the firft edi- 
tion, and had caufed to be tranfcribed for 
that purpofe.. In1795, Mr. Dedfon drew 
up a Life of his truly learned and venerable 
uncle, Sir M. Forfter, which is already 
printed, and will form a part of the fixth 
volume of the new edition of the Biogra~ 
phia Britannica, Butthe public are in pof- 
feffion of more ample documents of Mr. 
Dodfon’s deep refearch and critical judg- 
ment in biblical literature, than in legal 
difquilitions. He had very attentively and 
difpaflionately examined the evidences of 
revelation, and was firmly convinced of the 
truth ofits pretenfions. He was zealous for. 
_ the true and rational interpretation of its 
{criptures, becanie he was ftrongly per- 
fuaded of the great influencefuch interpre- 
tation would have on its reception in the 
world, and on the confequent happinefs of 
mankind. About the latter end of the year 
1763 was inftituted a fmall “ Society for 
promoting the knowledge of the {crip- 
tures.” Mr. Dodfon wasa very early and 
avery valuable member of this fociety. He 
communicated fome papers of his own, and 
conducted, through the prefs, fome of the 
moft valuable c.ntributions of others. His 
counfel, on any and every occafion, was 
founded in judgment, and communicated 
with diferetion, fincerity, and kindnefs. 
- His friendfhip was with reafon very highly 
valued by thofe who fhared in it; for he 
was mild in his manners, even in his tem- 
er, warm in his affections, and fteady in 
his attachments,—alike incapable of fiuc- 
tuation from corroding fufpicion or foreign 
influence. To ftrangers, and inmixedcom- 
panies, he was fhy and referved. It was 
faid by Erafmus, of one of his contempo-~ 
Taries, vir non exalti tantum, fed feveri judi- 
cii: and of another, vere theologus, integrie 
tate vite confpicuus. Both thefe characters 
will delervedly apply to Mr. Dodfon. He 
heey Was 
