466 
At Cypehham, near Windfor, aged 89, 
Jecob Bryant, efg. This gentleman was born 
at Plymouth, in Devonfhire, where his father 
hac an office in the cuftoms; but before the 
fon arrived at his feventh year, was removed 
thence-into Kent, a circumitance which is 
only mentioned as afiording a proof of Mr. 
Bryant’s extraordinary memory ; for, in a con- 
verfation with the late Admiral Barrington, 
not long before his death, when fome loeal cir- 
cumftances in refpe& to Plymouth were ae- 
cidentally mentioned, Mr. Bryant difcovered 
fo perfeét a recolle€tion of them, that his 
friend could fcarcely be perfuaded he had not 
been very recently on the fpot, though the 
fact was, that he had never vifited the place 
of his nativity after the removal of his father. 
Mr. Bryant received his. grammatical educa- 
tion at Eton, and undoubtedly was one of the 
brighte% luminaries of that illaftrious infti- 
tution. The traditions of his extraordinary 
attainments ftill. remain, and particularly of 
fome verfes which he then wrote. From 
Eton he proceeded to King’s-college, Cam- 
bridge, where with the fame love of litera- 
ture his reputation increafed. Declining to 
take orders, he formed a conneétion with the 
Marlborough family, and fuperintended their 
education, This conne€tion, we believe, arofe 
from his acquaintance with the late Duke 
while at Eton. To this patron Mr. Bryant 
performed the office of fecretary, and attended 
his Grace in his military expeditions, as well 
as at the board of ordnance. His firft avowed 
publication appeared in 1767, intitled, ** Ob- 
fervations and Inquiries relating to various 
parts of Ancient Hiftory; containing Diifer- 
tations on the Wind Euroclydon, on the Ifland 
of Melite, with an Account of Egypt in its 
miott early State, and of the Shepherd Kings,” 
in 4fo. This volume abounds with learned 
refearch and adventurous conjeéture; but, in 
the latter part of his life, fome of the opi- 
niens broached in it were relinquifhed by 
him. It happened that the hypothefis he 
fuggeited concerning Melite, was ftarted about 
the fame time by an ingenious Frenchman, 
but neither of them was acquainted with the 
opinion of the other. Mr. Bryant having 
withdrawn to his favourite retreat, devoted 
hinsfelf to literary refearches, and at length 
produced his immortal work, ‘* The Analyfis 
of Ancient Mythology .” a work, admitting 
all its errors, (and with errors it were folly 
to deny tuat it abounds,)} that will confitute 
an epoch in literature, and ever honour his 
mame and nation. The obje& of thefe vo- 
jumes being to fap the caufe of infidelity, 
by eftablifhing the truth of the Scriptures, 
and tracing the earlieft hijtory of mankind 
through the traditional remains of ail nations, 
infidels were alarmed, and attacks were made, 
chiefly mafked under the pretence of defend- 
ing ancicat opinions, ‘&c. &c. but fometimes 
openly, and in particular. by a gentleman, 
who died a believer, in tRe afliftance he gave 
Z 
Berkfbire. 
(Dec. i, ? 
to a friend, whofe prefumption in publifhing 
a diétionary to which this attack was preli- 
minary, would have afforded Mr. Bryant am- 
ple caufe for triumph, had he. condefcended - 
to avail himfelf of it. Mr. Bryant, however, 
contented himfelf with repelling this attack 
in a pamphiet which he printed, and pre-e 
fented to his friends. About the fame time 
Mr. Bryant printed alfo an anonymous tract, 
intitled, ** Vindiciz Flavianz,”” being a de- 
fence of the teftimony of Jofephus to Chrift, 
in the much difputed paflage which had been 
fo generally conceived to be fpurious. The 
ingenuity of this defence made converts of 
many, and among the reft of the late Dr, 
Prieftley,. It is fomewhat remarkable, that | 
a- great affinity in fentiment, between this © 
publication and the obfervations on the fame 
fubje& of another learned Frenchman, fhould 
have again appeared. (See a Letter to Dr, 
Kippis, at the end of his Life of Dr. Lardner, 
by Mr. Henley, where.the arguments for and 
againft the genuinenefs of the pafiage are dif-_ 
tinétly ftated.) As Mr. Bryant was a firm 
believer in divine revelation, he had nothing 
fo much at heatt as to convince others. To 
this end he bent all his learning and all his 
powers. His volume addrefied to Lady Pem- 
broke, ** On the Chriftian Religion,” which 
was followed by his ** Differtation on the 
Plagues of Egypt,” &c. and his late publicas 
tion on the ¢* Hittory of Balaam, the Stand- 
ing Still of the Sun; and the Hiftories of Sam- 
fon and of Jonah,” are ftrrking proofs; though 
his laft work contains too evident marks 
that his faculties were much in their wanes — 
As a polemic, Mr. Bryant difcovered more 
livelinefs of fancy than vigour of argument. 
In his difpute with Dr. Prieftley, on the fub- 
je&t of neceifity, he was evidently worfteé, 
His work in relation to the Logos, from 
Philo, has not much raifed his reputation 5 
but his difpute concerning Troy, (which ori- 
ginated from the publication of his friend,' 
Mr. Wood’s work,) remain in feveral points 
as yet unanfwered ; as does much of his book 
concerning Rowley. Mr. Bryant, as a man, 
had from early life a delicate conftitution 5 
which, however, he by habit and care had 
greatly ftrengthened. In his converfation no 
perfon was more cheerful, entertaining, or 
inftru€tive. His manners were diftinguifhed 
for urbanity 5 nor whilft he preferved a deli- 
cacy of addrefs to all, is it any wonder, from 
his long intercourfe with the great, that he 
fhould ftudioufly treat them with all due 
refpect. This accomplifhed fcholar, excel- 
lent man, and devout Chriftian, might have 
remained longer to the gratification of man- 
kind, as one of an higher order to honour 
humanity, but for a fall from a chair in 
reachir g a book, which occafioned a hurt on 
his leg tat brought on his death. Many un- 
publithed works are left behind him, by which 
we doubt not the public will be further en- 
sightened, 
SOMERSE TS 
