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stows high praise, as very curious and well-digested. 4. Origines Habsburgo-Austriacæ," Leipsic, 1721, folio. 5. "Leges Francorum et Ripuariorum," &c. ibid. 1730, fol. 6. "Historia genealogica principum Saxoniæ superioris, necnon origines Anhaltinæ et Sabaudicæ," ibid. 1722, fol. 7. "Cathechesis theotisca monachi Weissenburgensis, interpretatione illustrata.” 8. "Leibnitzii collectanea etymologica." 9. "Brevis ad historiam Germaniæ introductio." 10. "Programma de antiquissimo Helmstadii statu," Helmstadt, 1709. 11. "De diplomate Caroli magni pro scholis Osnaburgensibus Græcis et Latinis." 12. "Animadversiones historicæ et criticæ in Joannis Frederici Schannati diœcesim et hierarchiam Fuldensem." 13. "Annales Franciæ orientalis et episcopatus Wurceburgensis," 2 vols. 1731. 14. "De origine Germanorum," Gottingen, 1750, 4to. He wrote also some numismatical tracts, &c.1

ECCHELLENSIS (ABRAHAM), a learned Maronite of the seventeenth century, was professor of Syriac and Arabic in the royal college at Paris, to which city he had been invited from Rome by M. le Jay, that he might supply the place of Gabriel Sionita, another Maronite, whom he had employed in his edition of the Polyglot Bible. Gabriel Sionita complained to the parliament, abused his countryman, and involved him in difficulties, which made much noise. The abilities of Ecchellensis were also attacked by M. de Flavigny, a learned doctor of the house and society of the Sorbonne, and they wrote with much unbecoming warmth against each other. There is, however, no doubt but that Ecchellensis was well acquainted with the Arabic and Syriac languages. The congregation de propaganda Fidei associated him, 1636, with those whom they employed to translate the Bible into Arabic; and, recalling him from Paris, appointed him professor of Oriental languages at Rome. It was at that time that the grand duke, Ferdinand II. engaged Ecchellensis to translate the 5th, 6th, and 7th books of the Conics of Apollonius from Arabic into Latin, in which he was assisted by the celebrated John Alphonso Borelli, who added commentaries to them. The whole is printed with Archimedes "De Assumptis," Florence, 1661, fol. Abraham Ecchellensis died at Rome, 1664, leaving many other works, in which he combines the

Moreri, Saxii Onomasticon.

sentiments of the Orientals with those of the church of Rome against the Protestants; "Euthychius vindicatus," against Selden and Hottinger, Rome, 1661, 4to; "Remarks on the Catalogue of Chaldee Writers composed by Ebed-jesu, and published at Rome," 1653; "Chronicon Orientale," printed at the Louvre, 1651, fol. which is joined to the Byzantine; "Institutio ling. Syriaca," Rome, 1628, 12mo; "Synopsis Philosophiæ Orientalium," Paris, 1641, 4to; "Versio Durrhamani de medicis virtutibus Animalium, Plantarum, et Gemmarum," Paris, 1647, 8vo.'

ECCLES (SOLOMON), an English musician, was much admired for many years for his surprising skill on several instruments, but while in the zenith of his fame, became a quaker, and practised so many follies in this new profes sion that he was the ridicule of the whole town. He burnt his lute and his violins, and by meditation found out a new expedient for ascertaining the true religion; this was, to collect under one roof the most virtuous men of the several sects that divide Christianity; who should unanimously fall to prayer for seven days without taking any nourishment. "Then," said he, "those on whom the spirit of God shall manifest itself in a sensible manner, that is to say, by the trembling of the limbs, and interior illuminations, may oblige the rest to subscribe to their decisions." He found, however, none that would put this strange conceit to the trial; and while he persisted in propagating his folly, his prophecies, his invectives, his pretended miracles, only served to pass him from one prison into another: till at length, by this sort of discipline he was brought to confess the vanity of his prophecies, and he finished his life in tranquillity, but without religion. He died about the close of the seventeenth century.

2

ECCLES (JOHN) was the son of the preceding, and from the instructions of his father became an eminent and popular composer for the theatre, furnishing it with act tunes, dance tunes, and incidental songs, in most of the new comedies, after the death of Purcell. The air which he set to "A Soldier and a Sailor," sung by Ben, in Congreve's comedy of "Love for Love," is so truly original and characteristic, that it can never be superseded for any other air. He set an ode, written by Congreve for St.

Moreri.-Gen. Dict.-Saxii Onomast. 2 Preceding edit. of this Dict.

Cecilia's day in 1701. He likewise set Congreve's "Judg ment of Paris," when there was a contention for prizes, and gained the second, of 50 guineas. Several of his single songs were the best of the time, and have still the merit of originality. In his slightest compositions, whether catch, ballad, or rope-dancing tune, there is some mark of genius. Upon the death of Dr. Staggins, about 1698, Eccles, at a very early period of his professional life, was appointed master of queen Anne's band; and after the decease of Dr. Crofts, in 1727, he seems only to have set the odes, and to have retired from all other professional employments to Kingston, for the convenience of angling, in which amusement he appears to have been as much delighted as Walton. He died in 1735, and was succeeded as master of the king's band, and composer to his majesty, by Dr. Green.

Eccles had two brothers: HENRY, a performer on the violin, said to have been in the king of France's band, and to have been the author of twelve excellent solos for his own instrument, printed at Paris, 1720; and THOMAS, who had been taught the violin by Henry, and had the character of a very fine player, but preferred the life of a strolling fidler at taverns to that of a regular professor, and was more fond of drinking than either of good company or clean linen. He seems to have been one of the last vagrant bards, who used to inquire at taverns if there were any gentlemen in the house who wished to hear music? Since smoking has been discontinued, few evenings are spent in taverns, which has diminished the number of modern minstrels, particularly such as are as well qualified to amuse good company and lovers of music as Tom Eccles, who used to regale his hearers with Corelli's solos and Handel's best opera songs, which he executed with precision and sweetness of tone, equal to the most eminent performers of the time. He survived his brother, John, more than twenty years; and continued to officiate as a priest of Bacchus to the last. 1

ECHARD (JAMES), an useful French biographer, was born at Rouen, Sept. 22, 1644, and entered among the Dominicans in 1660, whose order he has celebrated to posterity by writing the lives of their authors, under the title "Scriptores ordinis Prædicatorum recensiti, notisque

1 Hawkins's History of Music.-Rees's Cyclopædia.

historicis et criticis illustrati," Paris, 1719-1721, 2 vols. fol. It is a work of great accuracy, as he inserted nothing without referring to good authority, and he is very correct in the bibliographical part. Quetif, also a Dominican, who died in 1698, had begun this work, but had made so little progress, that the whole merit may be ascribed to father Echard, who died at Paris, March 15, 1724.1

ECHARD (LAURENCE), a clergyman, and author of several historical and other works, was nearly related to Dr. John Eachard, although they chose to spell the name differently. He was born at Cassam, near Beccles, in Suffolk, about 1671, and was the son of a clergyman, who, by the death of an elder brother, became possessed of a good estate in that county. Having passed through a course of grammar-learning, he was sent to Christ's college, Cambridge, and, in 1691, he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and that of master in 1695. He afterwards entered into holy orders, and was ordained by More, bishop of Norwich, being presented for ordination by Whiston, then the bishop's chaplain, who says that his character was unexceptionable. Echard then was promoted to the livings of Welton and Elkinton, in Lincolnshire, where he spent above twenty years of his life; and, during that time, he published a variety of works. One of his first publications was, "The Roman History, from the building of the City to the perfect Settlement of the Empire by Augustus CæThis was so well received, that the fourth edition, in one volume 8vo, was published in 1699. He also published "The History, from the Settlement of the Empire, by Augustus Cæsar, to the removal of the Imperial Seat of Constantine the Great," said to be "for the use of his highness the duke of Gloucester," to whom it was dedicated; and the second edition, in 8vo, was printed in 1699. Two continuations of this work, one of which was revised by Mr. Echard, were afterwards published in 3 vols. 8vo. In 1702, our author published, in folio, with a dedication to queen Anne, "A General Ecclesiastical History, from the Nativity of our blessed Saviour to the first establishment of Christianity by Human Laws, under the emperor Constantine the Great. Containing the space of about 313 years. With so much of the Jewish and Roman History as is necessary and convenient to illustrate the work. To

1 Moreri.

which is added, a large chronological table of all the Roman and Ecclesiastical affairs, included in the same period of time.” This work was so well received, that the sixth edition of it was published in 1722, in 2 vols. 8vo. Dean Prideaux says, that it is the best of its kind in the English tongue.

In 1707, when he was become prebendary of Lincoln, and chaplain to the bishop of that diocese, he published, in one volume folio, "The History of England: from the first entrance of Julius Cæsar and the Rómans to the end of the reign of king James the First," dedicated to the duke of Ormond; by whom, he informs us in the dedication, he was excited to engage in the undertaking. In his preface, he gives some account of the materials and authors from which his work was collected. He particularly enumerates the Roman, Saxon, English, and monkish historians; together with Hall, Grafton, Polydore Vergil, Holinshed, Stow, Speed, Baker, Brady, and Tyrrell; and, among the writers of particular lives and reigns, he mentions Barnes, Howard, Goodwin, Camden, Bacon, Herbert, and Habington. "From all these several writers," says he, "and many others, I have collected and formed this present history; always taking the liberty either to copy or to imitate any parts of them, if I found them really conducing to the usefulness or the ornament of my work. And, from all these, I have compiled an history as full, comprehensive, and complete, as I could bring into the compass of the proposed size and bigness. And, that nothing might be wanting, I have all the way enriched it with the best and wisest sayings of great men, that I could find in larger volumes, and likewise with such short moral reflections, and such proper characters of men, as might give life as well as add instruction to the history."

In 1712, Mr. Echard was installed archdeacon of Stowe ; and, in 1718, he published the second and third volumes of his History of England, which brings it down to the revolution. To these volumes he prefixed a dedication to king George the First. The same year, Dr. Edmund Calamy published, in 8vo, "A Letter to Mr. archdeacon Echard, upon occasion of his History of England: wherein the true principles of the Revolution are defended, the Whigs and Dissenters vindicated, several persons of distinction cleared from aspersions, and a number of historical mistakes