Preface to the Life of Mahomet.

Church; and his view in printing thefe tracts was, to introduce young students in the Hebrew language to the knowledge

of the rabbinical dialect.

About Midfummer, 1681, the lord chancellor Finch beftowed on him a prebend in the church of Norwich; and in February 1682-3, he was inftituted into the rectory of Bladert cum Capella de Woodstock, in Oxfordshire. He took a doctor of divinity's degree at the public act, in 1686; and having exchanged his living of Bladen, for that of SohamTony in Norfolk, as foon as the act was over, he left Oxford, and fettled upon his prebend of Norwich. He had married a gentlewoman of good family the year before.

In

The papifts being now very active, and "The validity of "the orders of the church of England," being the point chiefly objected to by thofe about Norwich, he published a book upon it in 1688, which was reprinted in 1715. 1689, a convocation being called, he publifhed his thoughts upon the fubject then in dispute, in a "Letter to a Friend." In 1691, upon the death of Dr. Pococke, the Hebrew profefforship at Oxford becoming vacant, was offered to Dr. Prideaux; but he refufed it, though he afterwards repented of his refufal. In 1697, he published the "Life of Mahomet," in 8vo. which was fo well received, that three editions of it were fold the first year. This life was only a part of a greater work, which he had long defigned to write; and that was, A History of the Saracen Empire, and with it, The Decay and fall of Chriftianity in the Eaft: but for certain reasons he dropped this defign, and only published that part, which contained the "Life of Mahomet;" to which he annexed a "Letter to the Deifts," wherein he undertook to prove the truth of chriftianity, by contrafting it with the impostures of mahometism.

In 1702, he was made dean of Norwich. He published, "The original Right of Tythes," "Directions for Church"Wardens," and other fmall pieces for the service of the church: but his great work was, "The Connection of the "Hiftory of the Old and New Teftament," the 1ft part of which was published in 1715, the 2d in 1718. Both parts were recei ved by the public with the greatest approbation, and went thro' eight editions at London, befides two or three at Dublin, be

fore

fore the end of the year 1720. This hiftory takes in the affairs of Egypt, Affyria, and all the other eastern nations, as well as the Jews; and likewise those of Greece and Rome, as far as was necessary for giving a distinct view of the completion of the prophecies, which relate to the times comprehended in it. The author has also fet in the clearest light fome paffages of prophane history, which before lay dispersed and buried in confusion: and there appears throughout the whole work fuch an amiable spirit of fincerity and candor, as fufficiently atones as well for the few mistakes which escaped his diligence, as for fome weakneffes arifing from his complexion and nature. The author of "Cato's Letters," had certainly no prejudices in favor of Dr. Prideaux, or of his work; yet he stiles it, "A body of univerfal history, written "with such capacity, accuracy, industry, and honefty, as "make it one of the best books that ever came into the world, " and shew him to be one of the greatest men in it. No "book was ever more univerfally read and approved: it is, "indeed, a great public fervice done to mankind, and intitles "the author to the highest public gratitude and honor. But "though I never faw any great work, to which I found "fewer objections, yet as a memorable proof how infepara"bly mistakes and prejudices cleave to the mind of man, the 66 great and candid Dr. Prideaux is not without them. I "therefore do not upbraid him with them, but rather admire "him for having fo few. There are, however, fome of his "theological obfervations, which feem to me not only ill"grounded, but to have a tendency to create in his readers. wrong notions of the Deity, and to encourage them to "mistake the common accidents of life, and the common " events of nature, for judgments; and to apply them fuper"ftitiously as fuch." There are letters between the dean and his coufin Mr. Moyle, concerning fome paffages in this "Connection, &c." printed in the "Mifcellaneous Works" of the latter.

66

He had been feized with the calamitous diftemper of the ftone in 1710, and was cut for it in 1712; but being unskilfully managed afterwards, the parts became fo miferably mangled and torn, that he was obliged ever after to void his urine through the orifice, where the ftone was extracted. He was

carried

Cato's Let ters, no.121.

for Nov. 18 1721.

Preface to his "Con

carried to London however, and, by the affiftance of an able furgeon, recovered such a share of good health, as to purfue his ftudies and he tells us himself, that, "though he was "driven out of the pulpit, and difabled from that duty of his nection, &c. profeffion, yet, that he might not be altogether useless, he "undertook his Connection, &c." About a year before his death, he was taken with an illness, which confined him wholly to his chamber and he expired the 1ft of November 1724. He was tall, well-built, and of a strong and robust conftitution: his parts were very good, folid rather than lively; and his judgment excellent. As a writer, he is clear, ftrong, intelligent, and learned.

PRIMATICCIO (FRANCESCO) an eminent Italian painter, was defcended of a noble family in Bologna. His friends perceiving his ftrong inclination for defign, permitted him to go to Mantua, where he was fix years a difciple to Julio Romano. In which time he became so skilful, that he made battles in ftucco and baffo relievo, better than any of the young painters at Mantua, who were Julio Romano's pupils.

He affifted Julio Romano in executing his defigns'; and Francis I. fending to Rome for a man that understood pieces in ftucco, Primaticcio was the perfon chofe for this service. The king put fuch a confidence in him, that he fent him to Rome to buy antiques, in. 1540; and he brought back one hundred and fourscore ftatues, with a great number of bustos. He had moulds made by Giacomo Baroccio di Vignola, of the ftatues of Venus, Laocoon, Commodus, the Tiber, the Nile, the Cleopatra at Belvidere, and Trajan's pillar, in order to have them caft in brass.

After the death of Roffo, he fucceeded him in the place of fuperintendant of the buildings, and in a little time he finished the gallery, which his predeceffor had begun. He brought fo many statues of marble and brafs to Fontainbleau, that it feemed another Rome, as well for the number of the antiques, as for his own works in painting and ftucco. Roger of Bologna, Bafpera Fontana Giovanni, Battifta, Bagnacavallo, and Nicolas of Modena, were thofe he employed most under

him. The skill and diligence of the latter were very extraordinary.

Primaticcio was fo much efteemed in France, that nothing of any confequence was done without him, which had relation to painting or building. He directed the preparations for all. feftivals, tournaments, and masquerades. He was made abbot, of St. Martyr's at Trogei, and lived fo great, that he was respected as a courtier as well as a painter. He and Roffo taught the French a good gufto; for, before their time, what they had done in the arts, was very inconfiderable, and had fomething of the Gothic in it. Primaticcio died in a good old age, having been favored and careffed in four reigns.

De Piles.

in voce.

PRIOLO (BENJAMIN) in Latin Priolus, author of an hiftory of France from the death of Lewis XIII. in 1643 to 1664, was born at St. John d'Angeli upon New-Years-Day 1602. He was defcended from the Priuli or Prioli, an il- Bayle'sDi&. luftrious family, fome of which had been doges of Venice. He underwent fome difficulties from lofing his father and mother, when he was young; but these did not abate his paffion for learning, which was fo ftrong, that he used to spend whole days and nights at his books. He ftudied first at Orthez, next at Montauban, and afterwards at Leyden in which laft city he profited by the lectures of Heinfius and Voffius. He went to Paris for the fake of seeing and confulting Grotius; and afterwards to Padua, where he learned the opinions of Ariftotle and other ancient philofophers, under Cremoninus and Licetus. After returning to France, he went again into Italy, in order to be recognized by the house of Prioli, as one of their relations. He devoted himself to the duke of Rohan, then in the Venetian service, and became one of his moft intimate confidents; but uncertain what his fate would be after this duke's death, he retired to Geneva, having married three months before a lady of a very noble family. The duke de Longueville drew him from this retirement, upon his being appointed plenipotentiary from the court of France for the treaty of Munster, as a person whose genius and councils might be of fervice to him; and Priolo refided with him a year at Munster, where he contracted a very intimate friendship with Chigi the nuncio, who was afVOL. X. terwards

C

Memoirs of

Mr. Prior by

Sam, Hum

phreys, efq; prefixed to the 3d vol. of Prior's Poems,

terwards pope Alexander VII. From Munfter he returned to Geneva, from whence he went to France, in order to fettle at Paris. He ftaid fix months in Lyons, and there had frequent conferences with cardinal Francis Barberini; the effect of which was, that himself and his whole family abjured the proteftant religion, and immediately received the communion from the hands of the Cardinal. However, he was not long eafy at Paris; for, the civil war breaking out foon after, he joined with the male-contents, which proved the ruin of his fortune. He was obliged to retire to Flanders, his eftate was confiscated, and his family banished. Being afterwards restored to the favor of his fovereign, he resolved to lead a private life, and to devote himself to study. It was at this time, and to divert his melancholy, that he wrote, without the least flattery or partiality, his hiftory of France in Latin: it has borne feveral impreffions, but the best edition is that of Leipfic, 1686, in 8vo. He was again employed in negociations, and fet out in 1667 upon a fecret affair to Venice: but did not arrive at the end of his journey, being feized with an apoplectic fit, of which he died in the archbishop's palace at Lyons. He left feven children, who by virtue of his name, and their own accomplishments and merit, rofe to very flourishing circumftances.

Priolo was a man of great reach and uncommon abilities, as appears from his hiftory. He abounded in maxims, which, if not always juft, are often diverting. "Man, he used to "fay, poffeffes but three things, the foul, body, and wealth; "and thefe are continually expofed to three forts of en"fnaring attacks or ambuscades: the foul to that of divines, the body to that of phyficians, and wealth to that of coun"fellors and lawyers.'

PRIOR (MATTHEW) an eminent English poet and statesman, was the son of Mr. George Prior, a joiner and citizen of London; and was born there the 21st of July, 1664. His father, dying while he was very young, left him to the care of an uncle, a vintner near Charing-Crofs; who difLond. 1733. charged the trust reposed in him, with a tenderness truly pa---General ternal, and at a proper age fent him to Westminster-school, Dictionary. where he diftinguished himfelf to great advantage. He was

after