men of learning, and was esteemed by all the most able magistrates. He died at Paris, January 9, 1728, aged 69, leaving many valuable works, some of which he wrote in conjunction with Claude Berroyer, another eminent advocate of Paris. The principal are, 1. "De l'origine du Droit d'Amortissement," 1692, 12mo; 2. "Texte des Coutumes de la Prévôté et Vicomté de Paris, avec des Notes," 12mo; 3. "Bibliotheque des Coutumes," 4to; 4. M. Loisel's "Instituts Coutumiers," with notes, Paris, 1710, 2 vols. 12mo, a very valuable edition; 5. "Traité des Institutions et des Substitutions contractuelles," 2 vols. 12mo. 6. The first and second volumes of the collection of "Ordinances" of the French kings, which valuable and very interesting work has been continued by M. Secousse, a member of the academy of inscriptions and belles-lettres, and M. de Villeraut, to 11 vols. fol.; 7. "Le Glossaire du Droit François," 1704, 4to, &c.1

LAVATER (JOHN CASPAR), the celebrated physiognomist, was born at Zurich, Nov. 15, 1741. He was from his earliest years of a gentle, timid disposition, but restless in the pursuit of knowledge. At school he was perpetually varying his studies by attempting mechanical operations, and often showed indications of genius and invention in his amusements. When he reached the upper classes of school, his diligence in study was encouraged by the advice of Bodmer and Breitenger, and quickened by a wish to emulate some school-fellows of superior talent. His turn of thinking was original, liberal, and manly. As he grew up he wrote some essays on subjects of morals and religion, which gained him the hearts of his countrymen. Having gone through the usual course of reading and instruction for the ecclesiastical profession, he was admitted into orders in May 1761, and two years afterwards he travelled with the brothers Hess, two amiable friends, of whom death deprived him, and, with Henry Fuseli, our celebrated painter. They went over Prussia, under the tuition of professor Sulzer, and Lavater made a considerable stay with Spalding, then curate of Barth in Pomeranian Prussia, and afterwards counsellor of the grand consistory. On his return to Zurich he became a very eloquent and much admired preacher, and proved himself the father of his flock by the most benevolent attention to their wants bodily and

! Chaufepie. Niceron, vol. XXXVII.-Dict. Hist..

mental. After having been for some years deacon of the Orphans' church, he was in 1774 appointed first pastor. In 1778 the parishioners of the church of St. Peter, the only persons in the canton of Zurich who have a right to chuse their own minister, made choice of Lavater as deacon; and, in 1786, as first pastor. Here he remained, intent on the duties of his office, and on his physiognomical studies until Zurich was stormed in 1797. On this occasion he was wounded by a Swiss soldier, on whom he had conferred important benefits; from the effects of this he never recovered, although he lived in full possession of his faculties till Jan. 2, 1801, when he expired in the sixtieth year of his age. His principal works are, 1. "Swiss Songs," which he composed at the desire of the Helvetic society, aud which were sung in that society, and in other cantons. 2. Three collections of "Spiritual Songs, or Hymns," and two volumes of "Odes," in blank verse. 3. 66 Jesus Messiah, or the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles," 4 vois. a poetical history of our Saviour, ornamented with 72 engravings from his designs, executed by Chodoweiki, Lips, &c. 4. "A Look into Eternity," which being severely criticised by Gothe, Lavater, who loved truth in every shape, instead of being offended at the liberties he took, sought out the author, and became his friend and correspondent. 5. "The secret Journal of a Self-Observer,” which was published here in 1795. In this Lavater unveils his secret conduct, and displays the motions of his heart*. It may justly be said that every good heart is, generally in unison with him, but it is impossible not to differ from many of his opinions, and not to perceive in them an uncommon degree of extravagance and enthusiasm. We learn from his Journal, however, and indeed from all his works, that a warm desire to promote the honour of God, and the good of his fellow creatures, was the principal feature in his character, and the leading motive of all he did. Next to these were an indefatigable placability, and an inexhaustible love for his enemies.

But his physiognomical work is that which procured him most reputation in Europe. Accident is said to have led him to the study of physiognomy; standing one day at a window with Dr. Zimmerman, he was led to make such

* Many of his opinions and singu- "Aphorisms," a translation of which larities are also perceivable in his was published by Mr. Fuseli in 1788.

remarks on the singular countenance of a soldier that was passing by, as induced Zimmerman to urge him to pursue and methodize his ideas. He accordingly considered the subject more seriously, and acquired not only a fondness for it, but a steady conviction of the reality of the physiognomical science, and of the vast importance of the discoveries he had made in it. In 1776, he published the first fruits of his labours in a quarto volume, entitled “ Fragments," in which he took a wide range of inquiry, and carried his ideas of physiognomy beyond the observation of those parts of the countenance which exhibit to a common eye the impressions of mental qualities and affections, and maintained, as a leading position, "that the powers and faculties of the mind have representative signs in the solid parts of the countenance." Two more volumes appeared in succession, which presented a most extraordinary assemblage of ourious observations, subtle and refined reasoning, delicate feeling, and philanthropical and pious sentiment, together with a large admixture of paradox, mysticism, whim, and extravagance. The whole is illustrated with a great number of engravings; many of which are highly finished and singularly expressive. The work 'was soon translated into the French and English languages, and for a time became the favourite topic of literary discussion, but has now ceased to maintain much interest. Lavater, we are told, was not only an enthusiast in this art, but was so far carried away by his imagination, as to believe in the continuation of miracles, and the power of casting out spirits to these days; opinions which he did not scruple to make public, and maintain with all boldness.'

LAVINGTON (GEORGE), an English prelate, and very eminent scholar, was descended from a family long settled in Wiltshire, and was born at the parsonage-house of Mildenhall, in the above county, and baptised Jan. 18, 1683, his grandfather, Constable, being then rector of that parish. Joseph, father to bishop Lavington, is supposed to have exchanged his original benefice of Broad Hinton, in Wiltshire, for Newton Longville, in Bucks, a living and a manor belonging to New college, in Oxford. Transplanted thither, and introduced to the acquaintance of several members of that society, he was encouraged to

I Meister's Portraits des hommes illustres de la Suisse.-Rees's Cyclopædia. -Saxii Onomasticon.

educate the eldest of his numerous children, George, the subject of this article, at Wykeham's foundation, near Winchester, from whence he succeeded to a fellowship of New college, early in the reign of queen Anne. George, while yet a schoolboy, had produced a Greek translation of Virgil's eclogues, in the style and dialect of Theocritus, which is still preserved at Winchester in manuscript. At the university he was distinguished by his wit and learning, and equally so by a marked attachment to the protestant succession, at a period when a zeal of that kind could promise him neither preferment nor popularity. But if some of his contemporaries thought his ardour in a good cause excessive, still their affection and esteem for him remained undiminished by any difference of political sentiment. In 1717, he was presented by his college to their rectory of Hayford Warren, in the diocese of Oxford. Before this his talents and principles had recommended him to the notice of many eminent persons in church and state. Among others Talbot, then bishop of Oxford, intended him for the benefice of Hook Norton, to which his successor, bishop Potter, collated him. Earl Coningsby not only appointed him his own domestic chaplain, but introduced him in the same capacity to the court of king George I. In this reign he was preferred to a stall in the cathedral church of Worcester, which he always esteemed as one of the happiest events of his life, since it laid the foundation of that close intimacy which ever after subsisted between him and the learned Dr. Francis Hare, the dean. No sooner was Dr. Hare removed to St. Paul's, than he exerted all his influence to draw his friend to the capital after him; and his endeavours were so successful that Dr. Lavington was appointed in 1732, to be a canon residentiary of that church, and in consequence of this station, obtained successively the rectories of St. Mary Aldermary, and St. Michael Bassishaw. In both parishes he was esteemed a minister attentive to his duty, and an instructive and awakening preacher. He would probably never have thought of any other advancement, if the death of Dr. Stillingfleet, dean of Worcester, in 1746, had not recalled to his memory the pleasing ideas of many years spent in that city, in the prime of life. His friends, however, had higher views for him; and, therefore, on the death of bishop Clagget, lord chancellor Hardwick, and the duke of Newcastle, recommended him to the king, to fill the

vacancy, without his solicitation or knowledge. From this time he resided at Exeter among his clergy, a faithful and vigilant pastor, and died universally lamented, Sept. 13, 1762; crowning a life that had been devoted to God's honour and service, by a pious act of resignation to his will; for the last words pronounced by his faultering tongue, were Aota ry "Glory to God." He married Francis Maria, daughter of Lave, of Corf Mullion, Dorset, who had taken refuge in this kingdom from the popish persecution in France. She survived the bishop little more than one year, after an union of forty years, Their only daughter is the wife of the rev. N. Nutcombe, of Nutcombe, in Devonshire, and chancellor of the cathedral at Exeter. Bishop Lavington published only a few occasional sermons, except his "Enthusiasm of the Methodists and Papists compared," three parts *; which involved him in a temporary controvery with Messrs. Whitfield and Wesley.'

LAVOISIER (ANTHONY LAWRENCE), a distinguished chemical philosopher, was born at Paris, on the 13th of August, 1743. His father, a man of opulence, sparing no expence on his education, he displayed very early proofs of the extent and success of his studies, especially in the circle of the physical sciences. In 1764, when the French government proposed a prize question, relative to the best method of lighting the streets of a large city, Lavoisier presented a dissertation on the subject, which was highly approved, printed at the expence of the academy of sciences, and obtained for him the present of a gold medal from the king, which was delivered to him by the president of the academy, at a public sitting, in April 1766. Two years afterwards, he was admitted a member of that learned body, of which he was constantly one of the most active and useful associates. About the same time, he was occupied in experimental researches on a variety of subjects; such as the analysis of the gypsum found in the

"The bishop of Exeter's book against the Methodists is, I think, on the whole, composed well enough (though it be a bad copy of StillingBeet's famous book of the "Fanaticism of the Church of Rome)" to do the execution he intended. In pushing the Methodists, to make them like every thing that is bad, he compares their fanaticism to the ancient mysteries;

but, as the mysteries, if they had ever been good, were not, in the bishop's opinion, bad enough for this purpose, he therefore endeavours to show against me, that they were abominations even from the beginning. As this contradicts all antiquity so evidently, I thought it would be ridiculous in me to take any notice of him."-Warbur ton's Letters to Hurd, p. 86, 4to edit.

! Polwhele's Hist. of Devonshire, vol. I. p. 313.