tion of truth. The love of truth might, indeed, be considered as his grand characteristic, which he steadily pursued; and this is equally true as to his motive, whether he was found on the wrong or right side of the question. A few minutes before he expired, he declared to his rephew, and others in the room, that "all he had written was with a view to the promulgation of truth; and, that all he had contended for, he himself believed:" By truth, we are to understand religious truth, his firm persuasion of the truth of Christianity; to the investigation and establishment of which he devoted his whole life. This was the central point, around which all his labours turned; the ultimate object at which they aimed,

Such are the particulars we have been able to collect of this profound scholar and antiquary. But the life of a man of letters appears, and must be chiefly sought for in

his works, of which we subjoin the following catalogue:

The first work Mr. Bryant published was in 1767, intituled, "Observations and Inquiries relating to various Parts of antient History; containing Dissertations on the Wind Euroclydon, (see vol. v. p. 325.); and on the Island Melite, (see vol. v. p. 357.), together with an Account of Egypt in its most early State, (see vol. vi. p. 1.); and of the Shepherd Kings." (See vol. vi. p. 105.) This publication is calculated not only to throw light on the antient history of the kingdom of Egypt, but on the history also of the Chaldeans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Edomites, and other nations. The account of the Shepherd Kings contains a statement of the time of their coming into Egypt; of the particular province they possessed, and, to which the Israelites afterwards succeeded. The treatise on the Euroclydon was

designed to vindicate the common reading of Acts, xxvii. 14. in opposition to Bochart, Grotius, and Bentley, supported by the authority of the Alexandrine M.S. and the Vulgate, who thought EUROAQUILO more agreeable to the truth.

His grand work, called, "A New System, or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology," was the next; "wherein an attempt is made to divest Tradition of Fable, and to reduce Truth to its original Purity." This was published in quarto, vol. i. and ii. in 1774, and vol. iii. in 1776.

In 1775 he published "A Vindication of the Apamean Medal, (see vol. v. p. 287.) and of the Inscription NOE; together with an Illustration of another Coin struck at the same Place in honour of the Emperor Severus." This appeared in the fourth volume of the Archæologia, and also as a separate quarto pamphlet.

"An address to Dr. Priestley, on the

Doctrine of Philosophical Necessity illustrated," 1780. A pamphlet, octavo.

"Vindiciæ Flavianæ; or, a Vindication of the Testimony given by Josephus concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ." A pamphlet, octavo. 1780.

"Observations on the Poems of Thomas Rowley; in which the authenticity of these Poems is ascertained." Two duodecimo volumes, 1781. In this controversy Mr. Bryant engaged deeply and earnestly, and was assisted in it by the learned Dr. Glynn of King's College, Cambridge. Our author in this, as in his other controversial writings, was influenced by a spirit of sober inquiry, and a regard for truth. The leading object he had in view, in his Observations on the poems ascribed to Rowley, was to prove, by a variety of instances, that Chatterton could not be their author, as he appeared not to understand them himself. This plea appears specious, yet it is certain

the learned author failed egregiously in his proofs, and this publication added little to the reputation he had already acquired. The best way of accounting for Mr. Bryant's risking his well-earned and high character in the literary world in this controversy, and for the eagerness with which he engaged in it, is from the turn of his studies. "He had," to borrow the words of Mr. Mason, "been much engaged in antiquities, and consequently had imbibed too much of the spirit of a profest antiquarian ; now we know, from a thousand instances, that no set of men are more willingly duped than these, especially by any thing that comes to them under the fascinating form of a new discovery."

"Collections on the Zingara, or Gypsey Language." Archæologia, vol. vii.

“Gemmarum antiquarum Delectus ex præstantioribus desumptus in Dactylotheca Ducis Marlburiensis," Two vols. folio,