Holland, and applied to the study of the Oriental languages in the university of Leyden. Upon his return to France in 1650, he was admitted to the ministry, and officiated for some years as pastor to the church of Gefosse. Afterwards he removed to Rouen, where he was minister during several years; and, by his zeal in maintaining his protestant principles, as well as warning the reformed against the seducing arts of the popish clergy, he exposed himself to the persecution of the Catholics. Towards the close of the year 1674, he was committed to prison, and detained there for some months, on account of his having aided the daughter of a counsellor of the parliament in withdrawing into England, whose father would have her copy his own example of apostacy from the protestant communion. Afterwards some differences arose between him and his brother ministers, which lessened his attachment to Rouen, and disposed him to accept of an invitation to remove into Holland, which M. Van Beuningen offered him in the name of the states of that country. Accordingly, he took his leave of France in 1676; and passing over into England, was honoured with the degree of doctor by the university of Oxford. From this country he went to Holland, where he was appointed professor of divinity at Leyden, on very advantageous conditions, and occupied that post during the remainder of his life, with eminent reputation. He was once, at least, elected rector of the university. In the year 1685, he published "Varia Sacra, seu Sylloge variorum Opusculorum græcorum ad rem ecclesiasticam spectantium," in two volumes, quarto. This is a collection of curious Greek treatises, relating to ecclesiastical history, preceded by long prolegomena, and accompanied with ample notes, which supply abundant evidence of the extensive knowledge and profound erudition of the author. In the year 1687, he furnished to a collection of curious antiquarian researches, by Gisbert Cuper, entitled, "Harpocrates, &c." a dissertation on a particular description of Egyptian priests who wore black robes, which is entitled, "Epistola de Melanophoris," &c. He also published a Latin version of a Greek fragment attributed to Josephus, entitled, "Fragmentum ex Libro de Universo sub Josephi nomine quondam à Davide Heschelio editum;" which was inserted, together with the original, in the edition of Josephus published at Oxford in the year 1700. On the correction and illustration of that Jewish historian, M.

le Moine had occasionally employed himself during several years, with the intention of publishing a more accurate edition of his works; and when he found that some learned Englishmen were anticipating his design, he complained that they robbed him of the glory of such an undertaking: but after his death it did not appear from his papers that they were in a state of forwardness for publication. This was the case, likewise, with respect to preparations which he had been making for a third volume of the "Varia Sacra." He died in 1689, in the 65th year of his age. He was profoundly skilled in sacred antiquities, the Oriental, as well as Greek and Latin languages, and he was at the same time well acquainted with the different branches of profane literature. He was admired for his prodigious strength of memory, and universally respected for his disinterestedness, candour, benevolence, and peaceable disposition. After his death, Solomon Van Til published from his manuscripts "Dissertatio theologica ad Locum Jeremiæ XXIII. v. 1. de Jehova Justicia nostra, &c." 1700, 12mo. Mereri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.-M.

MOITORET DE BLAINVILLE, ANTHONY, a French architect and geometrician. whose works are held in estimation, was the son of a notary at Pichange, a village fourleagues from Dijon, where he was born about the year 1650. His genius led him to the study of geometry and architecture; in which sciences he became an expert proficient, and settled in business at Rouen. Here he acquired considerable reputation by his skill as an artist, and by his useful and popular elementary writings. He was appointed surveyor and guager-royal of the bailiwick and viscounty of Rouen; under which office the public breweries of that city were included by a commission from the king. He died at Rouen in 1710, when about sixty years of age. the author of "A Treatise on Guaging in general, with Instructions for Measuring Mason's Work," &c. which underwent different. impressions during the author's life-time, and after his death, was published with improvements at Rouen, in 1714, under the care of M. Hacquet, with the title of "Blainville's New Elements of Geometry, containing, &c." octavo.

He was

He also published "A Treatise on the extensive Commerce of France, for the Information of Tradesmen," 1698, octavo; which after his death was reprinted in 1728, with considerable additions, in two volumes; Abridgment of the Art of Levelling;" "An

"An

Abridgment of Spherics, with Tables of the Declination and right Ascension of the Sun, &c." 1700, octavo, which was repeatedly printed, and in an enlarged form by M. Hacquet, in 1714. Moreri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.

--M.

MOIVRE, ABRAHAM DE, a celebrated French mathematician who flourished in the eighteenth century, was born at Vitri in Champagne, in the year 1667. Being educated at Protestant, and firmly attached to his religious principles, when the edict of Nantes was repealed in 1685, he was one of the numerous worthy confessors who renounced their country for conscience sake, and took refuge in England, where he fixed his residence at London. Here he prosecuted with great assiduity the study of the mathematics, to which his genius chiefly inclined him, and in which he had made some advancement in France. As his finances, however, were rather contracted, he found it necessary to employ himself in teaching the mathematics to private pupils, and in reading public lectures, for his better support. In the latter part of his life, like. wise, he derived his chief subsistence from the resolution of questions in chances, annuities, &c.; and it is said, that he was accustomed to deliver most of his answers at a coffee-house which he frequented in St. Martin's-lane. Some time after he had commenced mathematical tutor and lecturer, it is reported that he met, by chance, with Newton's "Principia Mathematica;" which soon convinced him how defective his acquaintance was with the science which he professed. This discovery induced him to redouble his application, which was attended with a proportionate degree of success; and he had soon the honour of being connected with, and celebrated among the first-rate mathematicians of his time. The fame which he acquired by his productions and communications to the Royal Society, occasioned his being elected a member of that body; and he was afterwards admitted into the academies of Berlin and Paris. Of the estimation in which he was held by our Royal Society, some judgment may be formed from the circumstance of his being considered by them as a proper person to decide the famous contest between Newton and Leibnitz, concerning the doctrine of fluxions. Towards the latter end of his life he lost his sight and hearing, and was frequently much exhausted from passing his nights without being able to obtain any sleep. He died in 1754, at the great age of 87. M.

de Moivre's acquaintance was not confined to the mathematical sciences, but extended to classical and polite literature. So intimately was he conversant in all the good ancient authors, that he was not uncommonly consulted on difficult passages in their writings. He was rather severe in forming his judgment. of mankind, and could never conceal his disgust at silly trifling conversation, or his hatred to duplicity and falshood. In company, he never affected to obtrude scientific topics, and his conversation was general and instructive. If any person ventured in his hearing to throw out sarcasms and indecent reflections against religion, he was sure of exposing himself to his keen and indignant reproofs. To a person who once thought to pay him a compliment by saying that mathematicians had no religion, he replied, "I will shew you that I am a Christian, by pardoning the foolish insult which you have offered me!" His communications to the " Philosophical Transactions" were numerous and valuable, and are inserted in volumes XIX.-XLIII. of that collection. The first separate work which he published, and by which he has been most generally known, is entitled, "The Doctrine of Chances; or, Method of calculating the Probabilities of Events at Play," quarto, which was first published in 1718, and dedicated to sir Isaac Newton. It was re-printed in 1738, with great alterations and additions; and a third edition, still further improved, came out afterwards. Mr. De Moivre also published a treatise of "Annuities on Lives," 1724, octavo; and "Miscellanea analytica, de Seriebus et Quadraturis," &c. quarto. In the year 1742, the ingenious Mr. Thomas Simpson, in his "Doctrine of Annuities and Reversions," took the opportunity of paying our author some handsome compliments, on account of the former of these performances. Notwithstanding this, when De Moivre soon afterwards brought out a second edition of his "Annuities," he published some harsh reflections on Mr. Simpson in the preface; to which that gentleman gave an effectual answer in " An Appendix, containing some Remarks on a late Book on the same Subject," &c. This seems. to have terminated the controversy: for when our author published the third edition of his book in 1750, it appeared without any further notice of Mr. Simpson, and the preface no longer contained the offensive reflections. Nouv. Dict. Hist. Hutton's Math. Dict.-M.

MOLA, PETER-FRANCIS, an eminent painter,

was born in 1609, at Coldra, in the Milanese. His father, who was a painter and architect, placed him at Rome, with the cavalier d'Arpino, and afterwards with Albani. On leaving the last master he went to Venice and studied under Guercino, whose vigorous manner he copied, while he perfected himself in colouring from the works of the Venetian school. He then returned to Rome, where he was patronised by pope Innocent X. and his successor, Alexander VII. He painted several scripture-history pieces for those pontiffs, of which that of Joseph recognised by his brethren on the Quirinal is considered as the finest. His talents for landscape were still more original and distinguished; and his designs of this kind exhibit the most varied composition and vigorous touch, with the sublime scenery of his native country on the banks of the lake of Como. His reputation stood extremely high, and he had received an invitation to the court of Louis XIV., with which he was preparing to comply, when he was carried off by a sudden disorder in 1665. He was then at the head of the academy of St. Luke, and was regarded as an excellent designer and a great colourist, though his tints are sometimes rather too dark. His larger works are principally in the churches and palaces of Rome. Some of his pictures have been engraved, and he himself made a print of that of Joseph and his brethren.-A.

John Baptist-Mila, said by some to have been brother to the preceding; by others, no relation, but his fellow-pupil under Albani, was a good painter both in landscape and history, though inferior to Peter-Francis. Some of his works. at Rome have generally passed for those of his master. D'Argenville. Pilkington's Dict. by Fuseli.-A.

MOLANUS, JOHN, in Flemish VANDERMEULEN, a learned Roman catholic divine and professor in the sixteenth century, was born at Lisle in Flanders, in the year 1533. As his parents were originally of Louvain, whither they returned with him when he was very young, and also on account of his having spent the greatest part of his life in this city, the surname of Lovaniensis is generally given to him. At Louvain he received his cducation; where, after having passed through his course of philosophy, he particularly and sedulously applied himself to the study of divinity and ecclesiastical history, carefully examining and profiting by the valuable libraries in that university. In the year 1570, he was admitted

VOL. VII.

to the degree of doctor of divinity, and for some years filled the chair of professor in that faculty, with great reputation. He was also nominated censor of books, by the pope and the king of Spain, as well as canon of the church of St. Peter at Louvain. He died in 1585, about the age of fifty-two. Of his works, which are held in esteem among Catholics, and will be found useful to the ecclesiastical historian, some display much erudition, and others will furnish the reader with curious and interesting matter. The principal of them are, an edition of the celebrated "Martyrologium" of Usuard, a French benedictine in the ninth century, with a preface, additions, and notes, &c. 1568, octavo, which is more highly valued than subsequent impressions, as several of the important notes were afterwards ordered by the censors to be omitted; "Natales Sanctorum Belgii et eorum chronica recapitulatio," 1595, octavo; "Medicorum ecclesiasticum Diarium," 1598, octavo; "Calendarium Ecclesiasticum," 1574, 12mo.; "De Historia sacrarum Imaginum et picturarum, pro vero earum usu, &c." 1595, octavo; "De Fide Hæreticis Servanda, de Fide Rebellibus Servanda, de Fide ac Iuramento que a Tyrannis exiguntur," 1584, octavo; "Theologiæ practice Compendium, &c." 1585; " De Canonicis, Lib. III.," 1587, octavo; "Militia sacra Ducum ac Principum Brabantiæ," with the notes of Peter Louwius, 1592, octavo; "Annales Urbis Lovaniensis ae Obsidionis illius Historia," 1572, 12mo.; "Antwerpias," &c. 1605, octavo, containing an account of that city, and its memorable siege by the duke of Parma; "Bibliotheca Materiarum theologicarum," &c. 1618, quarto; "De Decimis dandis et decimis recipiendis;" and the Prolegomena to Ulimmerius's edition of St. Prosper, published at Antwerp in 1574, &c. He was also jointly concerned, with other members of the university, in publishing the Antwerp edition of the works of St. Augustine, of the year 1577, and the notes at the end of the Latin Bible of the divines of Louvain, published at the same place in 1580. Valer. Andrea Bibl. Belg. Mereri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.---M.

MOLANUS, GERARD-WALTER, an eminent German Lutheran divine and professor in the seventeenth and early part of the eighteenth century, was born at Hameln, or Hamchen, in the duchy of Erunswick-Lunenberg, in the year 1633. In the year 1660, he was elected professor of mathematics, and in 1672,

became also professor of divinity in the Gymnasium of Rintelen, in the duchy of Schaumburg. He was made abbot of the free imperial abbey at Lockum, and at the same time was nominated director or superintendant of the churches throughout the electorate of Brunswick. By his abbacy he took precedency in the states of Calenberg, and, as first consistorial member, was president of the consistory of Hanover. He approved of the plan of George Calixtus for removing the unhappy discords and animosities that divided the christian world, and particularly that part of it which had for its object union and concord among the protestant churches; and on that account, in common with the other divines of his party, was the object of violent polemical attacks by the Saxon doctors and their adherents. He died in 1722, at the very advanced age of eighty-nine. He had collected a valuable cabinet of medals, and an excellent library, of which he made good use. The most important of his productions appeared at first in the German language, at Hanover, in the year 1697, and was afterwards repeatedly printed in Latin at the same place, under the title of "Lipsanographia, seu Thesaurus Reliquiarum electoralis Brunswico-Luneburgicus." He was also the author of "Series abbatum Luccensium;" "Epistola ad Dominum Joachimum Meyerum quâ exponit cogitationes suas de nummo aureo Posthumi ab co edito," &c.; "Theses Mathematice;" "Disputationes de Studio theologico;" "Disputationes de Communicatione et prædicatione Idiomatum;" together with several single "Dissertations" and "Disputations," in which his learning is displayed to great advantage. Moreri. Mosh. Hist. Eccl. sec. XVII. cap. i. par. ii. s. 2.-M.

MOLE, THOMAS, a learned English protestant dissenting divine in the eighteenth century, who, from the value of the pieces which he published, is entitled to a place in our biographical memoirs, notwithstanding the scantiness of the information which we have met with concerning him. We have seen no record of the place or time of his birth, nor of the seminary in which he was educated; though it is supposed that he was brought up under the - academical tuition of Mr. Jones of Tewkesbury, where bishop Butler, archbishop Secker, and Dr. Samuel Chandler, laid the foundation of that eminence in learning by which they were afterwards distinguished. His first settlement in the ministry appears to have been at

Uxbridge in Middlesex, in 1725; from which place he removed in 1728, to become pastor to a congregation at Rotherithe in Surrey, having taken leave of his former flock in a judicious and interesting farewell discourse on 2 Cor. xiii. 11., which he committed to the press. His next publication was a correct and critical discourse "On the Character and Office of St. Peter," which he preached on the 5th of November, 1728, from Matth. xvi. 18, 19; soon after which he printed an excellent funeral sermon from 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14, on the occasion of the death of the gentleman to whom the preceding discourse was addressed, and entitled, "The Hope of Christians, a Means of moderating their Sorrows for the Dead." In the years 1732 and 1733, Mr. Mole distin guished himself as an able advocate for the scheme maintained by Dr. Samuel Clarke, in the discussion of the questions concerning the foundation of virtue. The first piece which he published, was a sermon "On the Founda tion of moral Virtue," from Psalm xi. 7; with a preface, containing strictures on the assertions of the rev. and learned Dr. Samuel Wright, making the will of God the foundation and rule of virtue. This preface called forth remarks from Dr. Wright; to which Mr. Mole replied, in a tract containing a reconsideration and further defence of the principle of the eternal difference of things. Dr. Kippis remarks, in the notes subjoined to the Life of Dr. Clarke in the second edition of the "Biographia Britannica," that our author has supported his views on the question in this little piece, "with a strength of reasoning far superior to that of his antagonist." Another controversy in which Mr. Mole appeared, was that produced by Mr. Dodwell's insidious tract against revealed religion, entitled, "Christianity not founded on Argument;" to which he replied in a piece that reflected honour on his ability, candour, and liberality, entitled, "The Grounds of the Christian Faith rational," 1743. Before the publication of this tract he had removed from Rotherithe to Hackney, in the north-eastern vicinity of London, where he lived some years; and then returned to the neighbourhood of Uxbridge, where he chiefly resided during the remainder of his life. In 1745, he printed a sermon from Jonah iii. 8, 9; and in 1768, another" On Repentance and Remission of Sins, with a Prayer adapted to the Subject;" a discourse well calculated to answer the views of the societies formed for the promotion of christian knowledge, and the

practice of piety and virtue, by the distribution of useful and practical books. A larger and fuller treatise on the same subject came from his pen in 1776, entitled, " A Discourse on Repentance.'

In the early period of his ministry, Mr. Mole was engaged, jointly with several others of his brethren, in carrying on that course of lectures on a Tuesday evening, at the Old Jewry, of which we have given an account in our Life of Dr. Lardner. The latter part of his days he employed in writing, in the Latin language, a Life of the celebrated Laurentius Valla, including the religious and literary history of his time. Owing either to the ignorance, or very blameable inattention of his executors, the manuscript of this work was permitted to be sold with his books at a common auction, and has, probably, been consumed as waste paper. Some other fruits of his retirement, however, were happily preserved. Our author died near Uxbridge about the year 1780, at a very advanced age. After his decease, in 1782, an anonymous author published two pieces, as his compositions; one entitled, "Piety, or, the happy Mean between Profaneness and Superstition;" and the other, "The Case of a Dissent and Separation from a civil Establishment of the Christian Religion, fairly stated." The piece last mentioned affords pleasing specimens of the manner, in which the author could make advantageous use of the funds of learning which he possessed; and, in common with all his tracts and sermons, shews that he was distinguished by a sound judgment, accuracy and precision of thought, and a truly liberal spirit. Dr. Kippis ranks him, in point of learning, with Lardner, Benson, and Chandler. In his remarks on Dr. Ward's "Dissertations," Dr. Lardner calls him his "much esteemed friend," and has shewn his respect for Mr. Mole's critical skill, by adopting and incorporating with his own, some very correct and ingenious observations which he received from him, on the case of the demoniac who resided among the tombs on the coast of Gadara. What his peculiar notions were, relative to the doctrinal points which divide Protestants into jarring and contending parties, we are not informed; but that in adopting them he followed the only genuine protestant guide to truth and certainty, may be fairly concluded from what he has advanced in his first printed sermon. "It is much to be wished," says he, "that, in all enquiries about the christian religion, that only should

be considered as such, and come into question, which lies originally in the sacred writings of the New Testament; for christianity, as it is there laid down, and as it has been since established in the various writings and laws of men, are different things, and very wide of one another. To interest christianity, not in what Christ, but in what men have made it, and to direct our enquiries and determine our sentiments about it from these later glosses, is much the same thing, as if we were to judge of the nature and meaning of the law of Moses, from the false interpretations and spurious additions with which the Pharisees had corrupted it; which, however they went under the name of the Jewish religion, very widely differed from it; as what the systems and formulas of many modern churches set forth for the christian religion, does differ from what is truly such." Note to Kippis's Life of Lardner, and incidental remarks. Toulmin's Communication to the Monthly Mag. April 1804.-M.

MOLESWORTH, ROBERT, Viscount Molesworth of the kingdom of Ireland, descended from an ancient English family, and son of an eminent merchant at Dublin, was born, after his father's death, in that city, in 1656. He was educated in Dublia college, and married, at an early age, a sister of the earl of Bellamont. When the prince of Orange came over to England in 1688, he made himself conspicuous as a friend to liberty and the protestant religion, for which he was attainted, and his estate sequestered by king James's Irish parliament. The establishment of king William on the throne, however, left him on the right side with respect to politics, and that prince appointed him one of his privy-council. In 1692 he was sent envoy extraordinary to the court of Denmark, where he resided three years. At the beginning of his residence he appears to have been sufliciently acceptable to the Danish king and ministry; but his free spirit soon met with disgusts in that newly enslaved country; and his pertinacity in insisting on some privileges which he thought his due as ambassador, gave so much offence that he was forbid the court. Without taking leave, he withdrew to Flanders on pretence of business, and thence returned to England, where he immediately employed himself in writing "An Account of Denmark." This work, probably composed in ill-humour, and by one whose principles were in direct opposition to those which had there obtained the