convivial, though somewhat warm in argument: he was fond of his country, and vain of being an Irishman. MADAN, (MARTIN) an eccentric English divine, was born about 1726, and educated for the law, but quitted the bar for the pulpit, though he obtained no preferment in the church. He greatly contributed towards building the Lock Hospital, and officiated as the chaplain there for many years, without any emolument. He brought upon himself some considerable obloquy, for defending the conduct of Mr. Haweis, his assistant, who retained the rectory of Aldwinkle, as was said, contrary to agreement. The case is thus related: The patron of that living being poor, and the last incumbent dead, the former found a purchaser for it, to whom he had agreed to sell the advowson, with immediate presentation, for 12007.: but the sum could not be immediately raised, therefore Mr. Haweis permitted himself to be inducted into the living to prevent the next turn from lapsing to the bishop of the diocese; with a faithful promise to resign at the patron's pleasure. Soon after the sum of 12001. was tendered to be paid; but Mr. Haweis refused to resign; alledging that such an act would be downright simony: he therefore was determined to keep possession of the living. The matter certainly depended upon the honour of Mr. Haweis, for such is the law, in this case, that a promise or a bond could not be enforced. But why did Mr. Haweis accept of the living upon conditions which he forfeited? And why did Mr. Madan commend his conduct?

The

The patron, however, was reduced to great distress by this transaction. The reputation of Mr. Madan also suffered greatly on another account. He published a famous book called Thelypthora; or, a Treatise on Female Ruin. In this performance he maintained the lawfulness of polygamy, in cases of seduction. He afterwards published a translation of Juvenal and Persius. As a preacher he had distinguished talents. He died in 1790. MADDOX, (ISAAC) bishop of Worcester, was born in London, in 1697, and of so low an ori-. gin that he had his education in a charity school, and afterwards was apprenticed to a pastrycook; but his love of learning being noticed by some gentlemen who were able and willing to encourage merit, he was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, and afterwards entered into orders. In 1729, he was appointed clerk of the closet to queen Caroline, and in 1733 dean of Wells; in which year he published, "A Vindication of the Government, Doctrine, and Worship of the Church of England, established in the reign of queen Elizabeth." This was written in opposition to Neal's History of the Puritans. In 1736 he was promoted to the see of St. Asaph; from whence he was translated to that of Worcester in 1743. His lordship was a great benefactor to several London hospitals, and other public charities; and the first promoter of the Worcester Infirmary in 1745. He died in 1759. He published several sermons on public occasions.

MAGLIABECHI, (ANTHONY) a learned Flo

T

rentine,

rentine, and librarian to the grand duke of Tuse cany, was born in Florence in 1663. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith, but the love of learning was so strongly implanted in him, that he abandoned that profession, and applied to study with such intenseness that he was deemed a prodigy. Many are said to have applied to him as an oracle; and he answered every ques tion with as much solidity and precision, as if he had never studied any other subject. He had an astonishing memory. As an instance of this, Mr. Spence, in his Parallel between him and Robert Hill, printed by lord Orford at Strawberry-Hill, relates the following story of him, which seems almost incredible :- "A gentleman, "to make trial of the force of his memory, sent "him a manuscript that he was going to print. "Some time after it was returned, the gentle man came to him with a melancholy face, and "pretended it was lost. Magliabechi, being requested to recollect what he remembered of "it, wrote the whole, without missing a word, "or varying the spelling." Cosmo III. grand duke of Tuscany made him his librarian, but he still preserved his accustomed mode of living. He generally kept himself shut up the whole day, and only opened his doors in the evening to men of letters, who came to converse with him. His attention was wholly absorbed by his books and studies; and he often forgot the most urgent wants of human nature. He was singularly negligent in his dress, and simple in his manners: an old cloak served him for a gown in the day, and for bed-clothes in the night; he

had

had one straw chair for his table, and another for his bed, in which he continued fixed among his books till he was overpowered by sleep. As he lived a most sedentary life, and yet arrived to a great age, no apology is required for giving sume account of the regimen he observed, which is given us by Marmi, who composed his eulogium." He always kept his head warmly "covered, and took, at certain times, treacle, "which he esteemed an excellent preservative against noxious vapours. He loved strong "wine, but drank it soberly, and in small quan"tities. He lived upon the plainest and most "ordinary food. He took tobacco, to which "he was a slave to excess; but was absolute "master of himself in every other particular." He died at the age of 81. He published no works of his own, but greatly contributed to the labours of others. MAHOMET, or MAHOMMED, a famous impostor, and founder of the Mahometan religion, was born at Mecca, a city of Arabia, in 571. Though of the tribe of Korashites, which was reckoned the noblest in all that country, he was extremely poor in the early part of his life. His father dying when Mahomet was an infant, his uncle Abu Taleb took him under his care, who being a merchant, sent him with his camels into Syria. He continued in this employment till he attained the age of twenty-five years; and then entered into the service of Cadiga, the widow of a rich merchant, whom he married when he was about 28. Being now become one of the wealthiest men in Mecca, he formed a design T2

obtaining the sovereignty of it. This led him to form the imposture, which he afterwards so successfully propagated. At the age of 38 he assumed the appearance of great sanctity, retiring every morning into a solitary cave near Mecca, and remaining there the whole day in prayer. In this practice two years elapsed, during which time he converted his wife Cadiga. In his 40th year he declared himself the prophet and the apostle of God, but did not make any conspicuous figure till about four years afterwards. On his first appearance he was treated with derision and contempt, and called by the people a sorcerer, magician, liar, impostor, and propagator of fables; of which he frequently complains in the Koran. But, persevering in his design, which he managed with great address, he afterwards gained many proselytes, among whom were some of the most considerable men of the city. Mahomet invented a delightful paradise for the final reception of his followers, and a state of dreadful misery for the punishment of his enemies. His paradise was artfully framed to the taste of the Arabians, who, living under the torrid zone, and being licentious in their manners, were most to be influenced by the promise of sensual enjoyments. On the contrary, he described the punishments of hell to be such as he knew would be the most intolerable to his countrymen. He also pretended to receive nightly revelations from the angel Gabriel, of which he formed chapters, and afterwards collected them, and which, when collected, contained what is now called The

Koran,