542 
paring it with the Hiftory on which it 
animadyerts, to thofe who with to nave 
clear ideas of the foundation of the rights 
of Englifuamen, the cautes of the civil 
war, and the circumftances_which paved 
the way to and rendered the Revolution 
neceflary.* 
It was about the commencement of 
this, or the latter end of the preceding 
year, that our author became engaged to 
affit his excellent friend, the late Dr. 
Kipptis, in bringing out an improved and 
enlarged edition of that well-known 
work, the Bigraphia Britannica, of 
which the Doétor had recently undertaken 
to become the editor. Mr. Towers was 
well qulified for this great undertaking ; 
he was fond of literary refearch, and in- 
dcfatigable in tracing out the fources. 
from whence information might be ob- 
tained, on any fubjeét that required elu- 
cidation ; though the particujars he 
fought for might be comparatively trivial, 
_to enable him to be accurately circum- 
fiantial, he fpared no pains, nor was he 
difcouraged by any difficulties. Five 
large volumes in folio of this elaborate 
performance have been publifhed, and ore 
half of the fixth printed, but remains 
unpubliihed and incomplete. The times 
they refpeétively came out, and the Lives 
and additions written by our author, and 
which in the work are diftinguifhed by 
the letter T, will be found in a note.t+— 
* As the affertion in the concluding paf- 
fage in thefe Observations appears tous to be 
perfectly warranted, and founded in truth, 
we have given it to our readers: 
¢¢ We muft have recourfe to other fources 
of information than Mr. Hume’s work, if we 
would obtain an accurate knowledge of the 
Englifh biftory, if we would form juft ideas 
of the moft remarkable tranfa€tions and cha- 
ya€ters which occur ‘in the annals of this 
country.” no 
f+ Invol. I]. 1778.—Eugene Aram — Ma- 
ry Aftell—Additions to Afcham—Additions 
to Aylmer — Thomas Baker—Additions to 
Peter Bales —John Baptift — William Bar- 
clay—i,ord Barrington. 
In voi. IJ. 1780 —Andrew Baxter—Mary 
Beale—Dr. Benfon—Charles Berthean — Sir 
Richard Blackmore —- Henry Booth, Lord 
Delamer — jofeph Boyfe —Samuel Boyfe— 
Hugh Broughton—William Browne—Simon 
Browne — George Buchanan —.Additions to 
Richard Baxter—John Biddle, é&c. 
In vol. 1f1. 1784. — Sebaftian Cabot— 
John Campbell, fecond Duke of Argyle— 
Archibald Campbell, third ditto —- Thomas 
Cartwright—Suianna Centlivre—Dr. Samuel 
Chandler — George Chapman — Dr. John 
Cheyne — Colley Cibbers— Catharine Cock- 
Memoir of the late Dr. Fofeph Towers. 
[Jan. 1, 
‘That this work, as faras it has been car- 
ried, is well executed, and juftly intitled 
to great commendation, has been generally 
acknowledged, and cannot, indeed, be 
denied. : 
Few men could have keen found better 
quelifed for this ardu us undertaking, 
than Dr. Kippis and Mr. Towers. The 
former was eminently learned, well {kill- 
ed in moft of the higher branches of {ci- 
ence, had a di{criminating judgment, and 
was,. from habit as well as by nature, de- 
liberate and cool. He had aifo, from his 
known prrional merit, a-d his fituation 
as member of the Royal and Ant'qvary 
Societies, fuch connexions and familiar 
habits of intimacy with men of high 
rank and widely-extended influence, 2s 
enabled him to obtain much important in- 
formation. We have already noticed 
fome circumfances refpecting the latter, 
which manifeft his fitnefs for a work of 
this nature; in addition to thefe we may 
mention, that, with warm feelings, he 
poflefied a mind ative and ardent, and, 
added to extenfive reading, great gene- 
ral knowledge : he had alfo, by his greae 
affiduity in preparing the work of this 
kind, which had beenthe employment of 
his younger days, obtained a confiderable 
acquaintance with the learning and learn- 
ed men of his country. 
The new Lives, as well as the additions 
to the old ones, not found in the note, — 
were moftly written by Dr. Kippis; the 
remainder, being few in number, were 
compofed for the work by other able 
hands. The Doétor died on the 8th of 
Ogtober, 1795, and our author would 
have continued his labours after the death 
of the editor, if the proprietors had 
thought proper to place him at the head 
of the undertaking: fome kind of offer 
was, indeed, made him, but it was on 
Ul 
burne — Additions to John Bunyan—Addi- 
tions to Camden. 
In vol. 1V. 1789.—John Collins—Samuel 
Cooper—George Coftard—Charles Cotton— 
Father Courayer—Earl Cowper—Sir Richard 
Cox——Dr. Samuel Croxall —Alexander Cun- 
ningham — Sir John Davies — Additions to 
Cranmer. ; 
In vol. V. 1793.—-Daniel De Foe—Tho- 
mas Dempfter-—J. T. Defaguliers — W.-Dil- 
lon, Earl of Rofcommon—W. Dobfon—Bi- 
thop Gawin Douglas — William Drummond 
— Dr. John Eachard — Laurence Eachard— 
Charles St. Evremond, 
In vol VI. which is only partly printed, 
and has not been publifhed.— James Fergufon 
—Richard Fiddes — Thomas Firmin — An- 
drew Fletcher—-James Foftey. 
GN ae + condition 
