fide where Protogenes worked, which he intended to burn, that it might fet fire to the reft of the town, he chose rather to abandon his hopes of conqueft, than to deftroy fo fine a piece as that of Jalifus [c].

Protogenes's work-houfe was in a garden in the fuburbs of Rhodes, near the camp of the enemy, yet the noise of arms could not distract him in his labours. The king fending for him, and asking him "with what affurance he could work. "in a city that was befieged? He replied, that he underflood the war his majefty had undertaken, was against the Rhodians, and not against the arts. Demetrius was fo pleased with this anfwer, that he ordered fome foldiers to be. his guard, and was glad that by this means he could fave fo fkilful a hand.

Aulus Gellius reports, that the Rhodians, during the fiege, fent ambaffadors to Demetrius, to pray him to fave the picture of Jalifus, representing that if he was victorious, it might serve to adorn his triumph; and if he was forced to rafe the liege, he might not be blamed for turning his arms against Protogenes when he could not conquer the town. The king hearing them out, liked the meffage fo well, that he drew off his army, and by this means faved both the picture of Jalifus and the city of Rhodes.

Every body knows the ftory of the contest between our painter and the celebrated Apelles. This latter hearing of the reputation of Protogenes, went to Rhodes on purpose to fee his works. On his arrival there, he found in the house no body but an old woman; who, afking his name, he anfwer'd, I am going to write it upon the canvas that lies here, and taking his pencil with colour on it, he defigned something with extreme delicacy. Protogenes coming home, the old woman told him what had paffed, and fhew'd him the canvas; who then attentively observing the beauty of the lines, faid it was certainly Apelles that had been there, being affured that no one else was able to draw any thing fo fine; then taking another colour, he drew on those lines an outline more correct and more delicate; after which he went

[c] 'Tis faid that, in order to preferve it, he covered it with four layers of colours, that when time fhould efface

one, the other might appear quite fresh, and so on.

out

out again, bidding the old woman fhew that to the perfon that had been there, if he returned, and tell him that was the man he enquired for. Apelles returning, and being afhamed to fee himself outdone, takes a third colour, and among the lines that had been drawn, lays fome with fo much judgment, and fo wonderfully fine, that it took in all the fubtlety of the art. Protogenes faw thefe in his turn, and confeffing that he could not do better, gave over the dispute, and ran in hafte to find out Apelles.

Pliny, who tells this ftory, fays he faw this piece of canvas before it was confumed in the fire that burnt down the emperor's palace; that there was nothing upon it, but fome lines, which could fcarce be diftinguished; and yet this fragment was more valued than any of the pictures among which it was placed. The fame author goes on to relate, that Apelles afking this rival what price he had for his pictures, and Protogenes naming an inconfiderable fum, according to the fad fortune of those who are obliged to work for their bread; Apelles, concerned at the injustice done to the beauty of his productions, gave him fifty talents [D] for one picture only, declaring publickly, that he would make it pafs and fell it for his own. This generofity opened the eyes of the Rhodians as to the merit of Protogenes, and made them get the picture Apelles had bought out of his hands, paying down a much greater price for it than he had given.

Pliny alfo informs us that Protogenes was a fculptor as well as a painter. He flourished about the CXVIII olympiad, and CCCVIII years before Chrift. Quintilian obferving the talents of fix famous painters, fays, Protogenes excelled in exactness, Pamphilus and Melanthus in the difpofition, Antiphilus in eafinefs, Theon the Samian in fruitfulness of ideas, and Apelles in grace and ingenious conceptions.

PRUDENTIUS (QUINTUS AURELIUS) an ancient Bayle'sDict. christian poet, was born in Spain in the year 348; but whether he was a native of Calahorra, Saragoffa, or fome Cave, Tille- other city of that country, is difputed. He was brought up

in voce.

Du Pin,

mont, &c.

[D] Equivalent to 10,000l. fterling, a fum large enough to be incredible, were we not told that Apelles

had twice as much for his own pieces. Pliny.

a law

a lawyer; and being called to the bar, was afterwards made a judge in two confiderable towns. Then he was promoted by the emperor Honorius to a very high office, but not to the confulate, as fome have falfely imagined. He was fifty seven years of age, before he refolved to mind the things relating to his falvation; and then he began to employ his mufe upon holy fubjects. His poetry is not extraordinary, and fhews more of religious zeal, than of either genius or art. He often useth harsh expreffions, not reconcileable to pure latinity: and he is often guilty of false quantity. His poetical works, to which he chiefly gave Greek titles, are, Prychomachia, or "The Combat of the "Soul;" Cathemerinon, or Poems concerning each "day's duty;"Пep snavs, or "Hymns in praife of Mar "tyrs ;" Apotheofis, or "Treatifes upon Divine Subjects, "against Jews, Infidels and Heretics;" Hamartigenia, or "concerning Original Sin against Marcion;" Two books againft Symmachus; Diptychon, or "fome Hiftories of the "Old and New Teftament in Diftichs." The two books againft Symmachus oppofe idolatry. In the firft, is fhewed the original and baseness of false deities, with an account of the converfion of the city of Rome: in the fecond, the petition, which Symmachus prefented to the emperors, to obtain the re-establishment of the altar of victory and other ceremonies of the Pagan religion, is anfwered. These books were written before the victory gained over Radagaifus in 405, and after that, which Stilico won over Alaric near Pollentia in 402 for he mentions the latter, and fays nothing of the former, though his fubject required it.

The time of Prudentius's death is not mentioned. His works were publifhed by Aldus at Venice in 1502, 4to. and that edition has been followed by many others. A variorum edition was published by Weitzius at Hanaw in 1613 another, with the notes and corrections of Nicholas Heinfius, at Amsterdam in 1667, 12mo. neatly printed by Daniel Elzevir: and, laftly, another in ufum delphini, by father Chamillard, at Paris 1687, 4to.

PRYNNE (WILLIAM) an eminent English lawyer, who was much diftinguifhed in the civil commotions under

Charles

Charles I. was born at Swainfwick, Somersetshire, in the year 1600; and educated at a grammar school in the city of Bath. He became a commoner of Oriel college Oxford in 1616; and, after taking a bachelor of arts degree in 1620, removed to Lincoln's-Inn, where he ftudied the law, and was made fucceffively barrifter, bencher and reader. At his first coming to that Inn, he was a great admirer and follower of Dr. John Preston, an eminent puritan, who was lecturer there; and he published several books against what he thought the enormities of the age, and concerning the doctrine and discipline of the church. His Hiftriomastix, which came out in 1632, giving great offence to the court, he was committed prifoner to the Tower of London; and, in 1633, fentenced by the ftar-chamber, to be fined 5000l. to the king, expelled the univerfity of Oxford and Lincoln'sInn, degraded and difenabled from his profeffion of the law, to ftand in the pillory and lofe his ears, to have his book publicly burnt before his face, and to remain prifoner during life. Prynne was certainly, here dealt with injuriously; for Mr. Whitelocke obferves, that this book was licensed by archbishop Abbot's chaplain but "being against plays, "and a reference in the table of the book to this effect,

Women-Actors notorious Whores, relating to fome women"actors mentioned in his book, as he affirmeth, it happened, "that about fix weeks after this, the queen acted a part in "a paftoral at Somerset-house; and then archbishop Laud and "other prelates, whom Prynne had angered by fome books "of his against arminianism, and against the jurifdiction of

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bifhops, and by fome prohibitions which he had moved, "and got to the high-commiflion court; these prelates and "their inftruments, the next day after the queen had acted "her paftoral, fhewed Prynne's book against plays to the "king, and that place in it, Women-Actors notorious Whores : "and they informed the king and queen, that Prynne had "purposely written this book against the queen and her paf"toral; whereas it was published fix weeks before that "paftoral was acted."

After the fentence upon Prynne was executed, as it was rigorously enough in May 1634, he was remitted to prifon. In 1635, 1636, and 1637, he published feveral books;

particularly one intitled, "News from Ipfwich," in which he reflected grossly on the archbishop and other bishops. For this he was fentenced in the Star-Chamber, in June 1637, to be fined 50col. to the king, to lose the remainder of his ears in the pillory, to be branded on both checks with the letters S. L. for a fchifmatical Libeller, and to be perpetually imprisoned in Caernarvon caftle. This fentence was executed in July; but in January following he was removed to Mount Orgueil castle in the ifle of Jerfey, where he exercised his pen in writing several books. In November 1640, an order was iffued out by the house of commons for his releasement from prifon; and the fame month he entered with great triumph into London. He was foon after elected a member of parliament for Newport in Cornwall, and oppofed the bishops, especially the archbishop, with great vigour both by his fpeeches and writings; and was the chief manager of that prelate's trial. In 1647, he was one of the parliamentary vifitors of the univerfity of Oxford.

During his fitting in the long parliament, he was very zealous for the prefbyterian cause; and when the independents began to gain the afcendant, fhewed himself a warm oppofer of them, and promoted the king's intereft. He made a long speech in the house of commons, concerning the fatisfactoriness of the king's answers to the propofitions of peace; but two days after, was refufed entrance into the houfe by the army. Upon this, he became a bitter enemy to the army and their leader Cromwell, and attacked them with great feverity in his writings. Defying Cromwell in a very open manner, he was, on the 1st of July 1650, committed close prifoner to Dunfter caftle in Somerset hire. He then infifted ftrongly upon Magna Charta, and the liberty of the fubject; which, though of little weight with Cromwell, feems to have fet him free. He afterwards wrote abundance of books upon religious controverfies and other points.

In 1659, he, as a fecluded member of the houfe of commons, being reftored to fit again, became inftrumental in recalling king Charles II; in which he fhewed fuch zeal, that general Monk admonished him to be quiet, it being then unfeasonable. In 1660, he was chofen for Bath to fit VOL. X.

D

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