A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins.

  • John Watkins
Date:
1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    On his return in 1775, he published “ An Inquiry into the re.'d und imaginary Ob- structions to the acquisition of the Arts in England,” 8vo. a work of considerable me- rit. Two years afterwards he was elected Royal Academician, and in 1786 was ap- pointed professor of painting to the royal academy, where his lectures were greatly admired. In 1799 he was removed from his office; and soon after expelled from the royal academy, but for what cause has not been clearly explained. He was employed by the society for the encouragement of arts to decorate their great room with paintings, which are some of the most beautiful in England, and from which he engraved a set of prints. His Jupiter and Juno was engraved by Smith, and Venus rising from the sea by Green, in lpezzo- tinto and facing in the dotted manner. Mr. Barry was engaged some years in painting a large picture of Pandora, eigh- teen feet long’ and ten broad, but it was not finished at his death in 1806. Ills re- mains were interred in St. Paul’s cathedral. .—Puli, Characters, vol. iv. Barry (George), a presbyterian divine, was born in Berwickshire, and educated in the university of Edinburgh, after which he became minister successively of the royal burgh of Kirkwall, and of the island and parish of Shapinhay in the.Orkneys. He died in the latter place in 1805, aged 57. The university of Edinburgh con- ferred ca him the degree of D. D. and the society for propagating Christian know- ledge* in Scotland appointed him super- intendant of the schools in Scotland. He wrote a statistical account of his two parishes published by sir John Sinclair ; and a History of the Orkney Islands in I vol- 4to.—•Monthly ATag. Earsuma, or Bar.soma, metropolitan of Ncsibis, who revived the notions of Neste- rius in the time of the emperor Justin. There are several discourses and letters of his extant in the Syriac language.—Mo- sbe'm- Eai’.tas (William Sallust de), a French poet, was born in 1544. He was sent by i Ienry IV. oa several embassies. Bartas was of the protestant communion, and died in 1590. He wrote a poem, entitled The Week of the Creation, in 7 books, translated into English by Sylvester.—Morn). Barth (John), a French naval com- mander. He was born at Dunkirk, where his father was a poor fisherman. Barth distinguished himsplf by.his daring exploits. In 1692 he had the command of a squa- dron of frigates and a fire-ship, with which he destroyed 86 sail of English merchant ships, landed near Newcastle, where he burnt 200 houses, and returned to Dunkirk w iffi prizes valued at 500,009 crowns. In 1694 tie was sent with a squadron of six £hit a to convoy a fleet laden with corn. Th.is< fievt had been captured, when Baxtlf fell in with it, by a Dutch .quadren of eight men of war, but though he- was so much, inferior, he retook the prizes and their cap- tors. For this he obtained a patent of no- bility. He died at Dunkirk in 1702, aged 51.—Ibid. Barthe (Nicholas Thomas), an inge- nious French writer, was born at Mar- seilles la 1735. He wrote several dramatic pieces, and translated Ovid’s Art of Love into French verse. He died at Paris in 1785.—Nouv. Did. Hist. Bartiielf.mi (Nicholas), a benedictiae monk of the 15th century, who wrote some Latin poems on religious subject ,und a book in prose on the Active and Contem- plative Life, 1523.—Ibid. Barthelemy (John James), a learned French writer, v/as born at Cassis, in Pro- vence, in 1716. Fie received his education first in the college of the oratory at Mar- seilles, from whence he removed to that of the jesuits. In 17-14 lie visited Paris, and v/as nominated associate in the care of the cabinet of medals, and afterwards he be- came secretary to the academy of inscrip- tions. In 1753 he was appointed keeper of the cabinet of medals. In 1755 he visited Naples, then rendered interesting to an an- tiquary by the discovery of the treasures of Herculaneum. He washed much to have a specimen of the ancient writing in the Greek manuscripts ; but he was told by those who had the care of the curiosities that they could not grant his request. On this he only asked to see a manusci not page for a few minutes. It contained twenty- eight lines, which Barthelemy read atten- tively, and going aside, transcribed the whole, and sent the fac-simile to the aca- demy of belles-lettres. In 1758 the duke de Choiseul gave him a pension; to wliich, in 1765, he added the treasurership of St. Martin de Tours, and in 1768 the place of secretary-general to the Swiss guards. In 1788 lie published his great work, entitled. The Voyage of the younger Anachatvls in Greece, upon which ne had been employed thirty years. In 1789 he was qhoseu a member of the French academy. In Au- gust, 1793, this respectable man was arrett- ed oa the charge of being an aristocrat, and hurried to prison, from whence, how- ever, he was released the same night by order of tbe government. He died in 1795. 'J’lie abb(5 v/as a member of the most dis- tinguished foreign societies, as well as of those in his own country. He united with his profound learning, modesty, simplicity, and good nature. Besides his Anacharxrs he wrote a number of papers, chiefly on medallic subjects, in the collection of the academy of inscriptions, and in the Jour- nal des Savaus.—JJfe by '/>.• Dule d'Nivc: mis. Barthius (Gaspard), a learned writer, was born at Custin, in Brandenburg, in ].'„S7. At tlie age of 12 he translated Da- vid Ta psalms iutp Latin verse. After nuish-
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