1804.) 
* Roll, becaufe it is not mentioned here. Mr. 
A.’s Report on the ftate of the records under 
his care will be found in the Report of the 
* Committee above-mentioned. The author of 
the New 
thus delineates the literary character of Mr. 
A. Inorder to treat this fubject (the character 
and reign of Heory VII.) with advantage, he 
has exerted himfelf to view it on every fide; 
and it mutt be allowed that he exhibits it in a 
wery compreheafive furvey. His learning, 
which is various, cannot efcape obfervation; 
and his authorities in general are the beft which 
\ eould be found. His judgment, precifion, and 
minutenefs, are all to be highly commended, 
There is even a confiderable fpirit of philan- 
~ thropy in his work; and in fo far he advances 
himfelf beyond the character of a mere anti-. 
guary. He difplays nat, however, any fplen- 
dour or brightnels-cf genius, He is fimple and 
judicious, but not original: He avails himfelf 
of the labours of others with an affiduity that , 
could not be wearied; and his colle€tion of 
_ facts, being numerous as-well as exact, exhibits 
inftructive openings into. the important topics 
which he treats. His work is chiefly for 
confultation, and fer#es to encourage rather 
than to fupefede the enquiries of thofe who 
have a relifh for the diplomatic {cience, and 
the itudy of anuguity. We prize his labour 
\ more than his invention; and are more forcibly 
Y ftruck with his ‘patience than his ingenuity. 
In his language he is clear 3 and it is difficult 
to miiunderftand the fentiments he conveys ; 
but he has no where the expreffion of a matter. 
The drynefs of his manner fuffers no interrup- 
tion; it is cold, nervelefs, and infipid; and he 
advances through his performance without 
#ifing into-any ftrain of animation, and without 
any approach towards elegance | 
\ (AL. Palmer, whofe death was announced 
it a former Number, was defcended from an an- 
cient and refpectable family, in Bedfordthire, 
in Which county, and in Berkthire, there are 
now remaining feveral branches of the fame 
family, poffeffing very confiderable property. 
The fubje& of this memoir, was born at Jek- 
“well, in the parifh of Northill, Bedfordfhire, it 
is prefumed, in July 1747, as the ceriificate of 
his baptif{m, taken from the parifh regiiter of 
Northill, is dated -Auguft 16,1747. After re- 
ceiving the ufual elementary inftruction, under 
the Rev. Mr. Gunning, at Ely, he was fent to 
_Eton, where he fpent four or five years; and 
in 17°5, he was entered at Queen’s College, 
Cambridge. In 1769, he took the degree of 
.B- A. In 1772, that of M. A. and in, 1781, 
that of B.D. The exact ime of his ordination 
‘does not appear, but he performed the duties 
of Curate about twelve months, at Leatherhead, 
in Surrey. 
this lait degree, he became diffatisfied with the 
doctrines of the Church of England, and farther . 
enquiry convinced him of the proper Unity of 
God; and that worfhip was alone due.to him 
as the unrivadiled Creator. In the year 1783, 
the took leave of the College, and with that of 
his conseétion with the Church in which he 
had been educated. From Cambridge he went 
to Montrofe, in Scotland, His motive for 
atalogue of Englifh living Authors - 
In a fhort time after he had taken ~ 
Account of the late Mr. Thomas Fyfoe Palmer. 83 
making choice of this particular piace in pre- 
ference to others, was, that there he might 
have an opportunity of worfhipping God with a 
Society of Unitarians, who had Jately opened a 
Chapel under the aufpices of Mr. W-.Chrittie, 
auther of fome admirable difcourfes on the Di- 
vine Unity, which were delivered to the fo- 
ciety, at its firft eftablifament.* To this fo- 
ciety Mr. Palmer attached himfelf, and refided 
at Montrofe about twenty months, when he re- 
moved to Dundee, where there was ailo a re. 
fpeCtable fociety of Unitarian Chriftians. At 
Dundes he remained feveral years, preaching 
very frequently in the neighbouring towns, and 
villages: and at Forfar, Edinburgh, and fome 
other places, he delivered a feries of difcourfes 
in vindication of Unitarian principles. His 
diftinguifhed zeal in this caufe made him ene- 
mies, who, though unwilling to raife a perfe-~ 
cution againft him on account of religion, ~ 
were-ilot dilpleafed when his politics afforded 
an opportnnity of injuring his character, and 
deftroying his peace. Full ten years he exhi« 
bited an ardent and noble zeal in defence of the 
doétrines which he had embraced, in eppofition - 
to thofe which he had imbibed trom early edu- 
cation. As a writer, on thefe {ubje@ts, Mr. 
Palmer difcovered confiderable talents, and ne 
{mall fhare of biblical learning, in the tew 
pieces which he gave to the world. Of thefe, 
one was entitled, ‘*‘ An attempt to refute a 
Sermon, by H. D. Inglis, on the Godhead of 
Jefus Chritt, and to rettore the long loft 
‘truth of the Firtt Commandment,’’ This 
pamphlet is dedicated to the Unitarian Congre- 
gations of Edinburgh, -Dundee, Forfar, Ar- 
broath, Montrofe, and Newburgh ; it difplays 
much critical acumen, and a train of ftrong 
reafoning Mr. Palmer’s other Theological 
tracts are, 1- An Attempt to prove the Fallen 
Angels to have been only the Sons of Seth. 2. An 
Attempt to Explain Ifa:ah ix, 6. 3. An Attempt 
to fhow that the Cock crowing which Peter 
heard,wasthefound ofa Trumpet 4.AnAttempt 
to Afcertain the meaning of pen Baltoroycule 
5, & 6. Attempts to Illuttrate the xxivth Chap- 
rer of Matthew’s Gofpel, and the firft ten 
verles ef ihe 3d Chapter of St. John, ‘Thefe, 
together with Obfervations on fome other 
Writers in the fame Work, are to be found in 
the vih and vith yoinmes of the Theclogical Re- 
pofitory, under the fignature of Anglo Scotus, 
Such were the labours of Mr. Palmer as a 
Theologian and Divine. We are now to view 
him in anether character, as a friend to the 
liberties of his country, in which his zeal was 
equally diftinguifhed, for the lake of which, 
his fufferings were unmerited and fevere, and 
at length terminated his life in a foreign land. 
The exertions mace by the friends of Liberty, 
to obtain a Reform cf Parliament, in all parts 
ofthis Ifjind, inthe years 1792, 3 & 4, are in 
the recollectionor every perion ; and the vari- 
ous profecutions and perfecutions which the 
Adminiftration of that period inffituted agai ft 
* For an Account o/ the rife and progres of 
this Society, fee au Hiftorical View of the ftate 
of the Unitarian Deétrine and Worthip, &c, 
by Vheophilus Lindley, A.M. 1733. 
M 2, tisfo 
