the king not to give his judgment hastily concerning points of religion then in difference in Holland, for that his majesty had information but of one side, the archbishop indulges himself in invective against the remonstrants. "Grotius," says he, "might have let his majesty know how factious a generation these contradicters are; how they are like to our puritans in England; how refractory they are to the authority of the civil magistrate, and other things of the like nature. After this oblique stroke at the puritans, we cannot easily credit the report that he secretly favoured them, and admitted their leading men to his private confidence.

We pass on to affairs in which our metropolitan appears with greater advantage. In the business of the divorce between the earl of Essex and lady Frances Howard, referred to a court of delegates, consisting of bishops and civilians, although it was well known that the king and the court were desirous of the divorce, the archbishop, who foresaw that it would afford public countenance to licentious gallantry, with inflexible firmness gave his vote against it, and afterwards wrote a vindication of himself, (Case of the earl of Essex and lady Frances Howard) which was answered by the king, but without producing any alteration in the archbishop's opinion or conduct.

From this time it is probable, that Dr. Abbot's interest with the king declined: he, however, made use of the queen's favour, to introduce to the royal patronage George Villiers, afterwards duke of Buckingham, who at first expressed the warmest gratitude to the archbishop, calling him father, and requesting his advice how to conduct himself in his new post, but whose subsequent enmity against his benefactor was such, as brought to the archbishop's recollection the reflection of Tacitus, that benefits while they may be requited are valued as such; but when they are so great that they cannot be repaid, they become occasions of hatred. (Rufhworth's Hist. Collect. vol. i. p. 460.)

The archbishop's zeal for the protestant interest, which never deserted him, was shewn, in the pains which he took to promote the marriage of the princess Elizabeth to the elector Palatine; in the polite attention which he paid to the elector during his visit to England; and in the importunity with which, in a letter (Cabala, 3d ed. p. 102.) written to the secretary of state while he was confined in bed by the gout, he urged the king to support, with a military force, the elector's claim to the crown of Bohemia.

In the year 1621 an accident happened, which occasioned the archbishop much trouble and vexation. The declining state of his health requiring that he should use much exercise, he sometimes took the diversion of hunting. Discharging from a cross-bow an arrow at one of the deer in lord Zouch's park, it unfortunately ftruck Peter Hawkins, his lordship's game-keeper, and the wound proved mortal. The affair, though it appears to have been a perfect casualty, without any indiscretion on the part of the archbishop, gave him such lasting uneasiness, that from that time till his death he kept, on this account, a monthly fast. He settled an annuity on the unfortunate man's widow. The archbishop's enemies did not fail to seize the oppor tunity, which this accident presented, of bringing him into discredit. They attempted to represent the affair in an unfavourable light to the king; but he smartly replied, " An angel might have miscarried in this sort." Doubts were raised, whether this action might not amount to an irregularity, which disqualified him for sacred offices. A commission was appointed to examine the merits of the case; and it was determined, that there had been an irregularity, and that it must be expurgated both by a pardon from the king, and by a dispensation to reinftate Abbot in his metropolitan authority. All this was not sufficient to remove the delicate scruples of those who were now waiting for consecration; and they obtained the king's permission to receive it from the hands of sundry bishops. It does not appear that this affair at all abated the archbishop's zeal and courage in withstanding any measures, which seemed injurious to the protestant cause. On this ground he strenuously opposed the marriage of prince Charles to the infanta of Spain, both by a personal address to the king on presenting the remonstrance of the house of lords; and by a letter (Rushworth's Collect. vol. ii. p. 85. Frankland's Annals of K. James, p. 80.) to his majesty, (if the letter be genuine, of which some doubts have been entertained) in which he reprobates in strong terms the toleration of popish doctrines. If we condemn the bigotry, we must admire the intrepidity, of this conduct; and it is pleasing to find that it did not diminish the archbishop's interest in the king's favour; though he seldom assisted him in the council, he attended him frequently during his last illness, and was with him when he expired.

Under the next reign, the current of court favour turned towards the ecclesiastical party which countenanced the Roman catholics; and the enemies of the archbishop, among whom the

most forward was the ungrateful duke of Buckingham, determined to bring him to disgrace. When an occasion of offence is wanted, it is soon found. A sermon was preached at the Lent assises in 1627 by Dr. Sibthorpe, the purport of which was, to justify and support the loan which Charles had demanded. This sermon was transmitted to the archbishop, with the king's order to license it for the press. Abbot, whose political principles appear at this time to have been more liberal than in the early part of his life, refused to obey the king's command; and the sermon, after some corrections, was licensed by the bishop of London. Such was the resentment of the king and the court at this refusal, that the archbishop received a command to retire, and was suspended from the offices of metropolitan jurisdiction. (Rush-. worth's Collections, vol. ii. p. 435. 438.) It was soon, however, found necessary to recal him; and he returned to his public post, with the same notions of constitutional rights, and the same firmness in maintaining them: for when the Petition of Right was under consideration, he gave it his decided support; and when Dr. Manwaring was brought to the bar of the house of lords, for maintaining, in two sermons, the right of the king to impose taxes. and loans upon the people without consent of parliament, he officially reprimanded him, declaring that he disliked and abhorred his doctrine. (Parliament. Hist. vol. iii. p. 209.)

In his clerical, as well as in his civil capacity, archbishop Abbot acted with great steadiness and consistency. As in the former reign he refused to read the king's proclamation permitting sports and pastimes on the Lord's day, so now he ventured, in several instances, to act contrary to certain instructions, which, through the influence of bishop Laud, were sent by the king to the bishops of his province, and were intended to favour the opinions of the prevailing party. If archbishop Abbot was less zealous for ceremonies than some of his brethren, it does not appear that he, in any instance, neglected his clerical duty, or betrayed the interests of the church in which he presided. One of his last official actions was, an order to the parishioners of Crayford in Kent to receive the sacrament kneeling at the steps of the communion table. About a month after this order was given, in the year 1633, the archbishop died at. his palace of Croydon. His remains were interred in the parish church of Guildford.

Neither the political nor the religious principles of archbishop Abbot agreeing with those of

the ruling party under Charles I. it is no won der that towards the latter part of his life he had many enemies, and suffered much obloquy. He seems to have been particularly obnoxious to bishop Laud; and the mutual dislike, which early sprung up between them at the university, appears to have continued through life. We see no reason to with-hold from Abbot the praise of having uniformly supported the character of an upright and worthy man. His natural temper seems to have leaned towards the extreme of severe gravity. No suspicion lies against his personal virtues, and numerous testimonies remain of his liberality and munificence; among which one of the principal is the erection and endowment of the hospital at Guildford, upon which he expended considerable sums during his life-time. His deep contrition on account of the innocent homicide which he unfortunately perpetrated, displays a feeling heart. If his religious zeal was deeply tinged with bigotry, the fault was chiefly in the times: even protestants, of all sects, were still strangers to the first principles of religious freedom. His political principles seem to have undergone some change, but his religious system remained the same; and while Calvinism was his idol, popery and Arminianism were his aversion. The trait of his character which appears most respectable, and most worthy of honourable remembrance, is the integrity with which in all situations he adhered to his principles, and the firmness with which he supported them, in defiance of powerful opposition, and at the hazard of incurring royal displeasure.

Besides the work already mentioned, archbishop Abbot wrote "An Exposition of Jonah," published in 1600; a geographical work entitled, "A brief Description of the whole World," first printed in 1617, and afterwards frequently reprinted; and some temporary pieces. Fuller's Abel Redivivus. Wood's Athen. Oxon. and Fasti Oxon. Aubrey's Hist. and Antiq. of Surry. Neve's Lives of Protest. Archbishops. Biogr. Brit.-E.

ABBOT, ROBERT, the elder brother of the archbishop, born at Guildford in 1560, shared his good fortune, and perhaps was not his inferior in merit. Having passed, with great credit, through the same course of education with his brother, he early distinguished himself as a preacher, and his popular talents procured him. the living of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire. In 1594, he appeared as a writer against popery, in a piece entitled, "A Mirror of Popish Subtlety." King James, who had, at least, the

merit of being the patron of learned men, appointed Dr. Robert Abbot one of his chaplains in ordinary. The strong aversion to popery, which he, together with his brother, inherited from his parents and retained through life, appeared in all his writings. One of these, entitled, “Antichristi Demonstratio" [A Demonstration of Antichrist] was so much admired by the king, that he ordered his own "Paraphrase on the Apocalypse" to be printed with it: "by which," says Mr. Granger, "he paid himself a much greater compliment than he did the doctor." In 1609, Robert Abbot was elected master of Baliol College; and the manner, in which he conducted himself in this difficult post, did credit to the choice. His college was distinguished by the industry, sobriety, and harmony of its members, and was a fertile nursery of literature and science. His zeal against popery was ably displayed in a course of lectures, read in his college, and published after his death, "On the King's Supremacy:" it was also expressed, with singular keenness, in a sermon preached before the university, in which he laid open the secret methods by which certain persons were attempting to undermine the reformation, with so manifest a reference to Dr. Laud, who was present, that the whole auditory made the application. The doctor wrote to his friend Dr. Neal, bishop of Lincoln, complaining, that "he was fain to sit patiently at the rehearsal of this sermon, though abused almost an hour together, being pointed at as he sat," (Rushworth's Collect. vol. i. p. 62.) and consulting him, whether he ought to take public notice of the insult. As we hear nothing more of the affair, it is probable that the bishop, aware that the attack had not been unprovoked, advised the doctor to remain quiet. Robert Abbot's talents and zeal, united probably with the interest of the archbishop, at last obtained for him the see of Salisbury, and his brother had the gratification of performing upon him the ceremony of consecration. On his departure from the university, he delivered a farewell oration in Latin, which was much admired. He possessed his episcopal dignity little more than two years; but discharged his duty, during that short period, with great diligence and fidelity, and left behind him an unblemished reputation. Comparing the Comparing the merits of the two brothers, Robert and George, Fuller remarks, (Worthies of England, Surry, p. 82.) that "George was the more plausible preacher, Robert the greater scholar; George wa the abler statesman, Robert the deeper divine." Robert Abbot died in the year 1617, being one of five bishops, who succeeded to the

see of Salisbury within six years. The writings of this prelate were chiefly levelled against popery. He wrote several commentaries on the scriptures which were not printed: among these is a Latin commentary on the whole epistle to the Romans, in four volumes folio, which has remained to this time, unpublished, in the Bodleian library; a circumstance which will be the less regretted, when it is observed, what numerous volumes of printed commentaries on the scriptures are permitted, by modern divines, to sleep undisturbed on the shelves of our public. libraries. Fuller's Worthies of England. Wood's Athen. Oxon. Biogr. Brit. Grainger's Biogr. Hist. of England. James I. Class 1.-E.

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ABBT, THOMAS, was born in 1738, at Ulin, and died in 1766, at Bückeberg, a privycounsellor of the count of Schaumburg-Lippe. Nicolai, of Berlin, composed his biography. He translated successfully the historian Sallust into German. He also published an original volume concerning Merit," and another "concerning Death for one's Country," which display boldness of style, compression of thought, and intimate familiarity with the ancient historians. He is one of the earliest writers of the Germans who retain a classical rank, and would probably have excelled in history had he lived longer.-J. ABDALLA-EBN-ZOBEIR. When the caliph Moawiyah procured his son Yezid to be recognised as his successor, several of the Arabian chiefs at Medina opposed this design of rendering the caliphate hereditary, among whom was Abdalla the son of Zobeir. Moawiyah, describing to his son the characters of his opponents, told him, "Abdalla-ebn-Zobeir is the man you ought most to fear: he is of an enterprising genius, and capable of any undertaking; he will attack you with the strength of the lion, and the subtlety of the fox; and death alone can free you from such an enemy." Abdalla made good the prediction of Moawiyah. He retired to Mecca; and after the battle of Kerbela, in. which Houssain, the son of Ali, was killed, the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina, with whom Abdalla had much ingratiated himself by his religious zeal and engaging behaviour, proclaimed him caliph, A. D. 680. Hegir. 62. On the news of this event, Yezid sent an officer to Mecca, with a silver collar, commanding him to tell Abdalla, that if he would acknowledge his authority he should remain in peace at Mecca, otherwise, he must put the collar round his neck, and bring him to Damascus. Abdalla refusing the proposition, Yezid raised an army, which first pillaged Medina, and then besieged Abdalla in Mecca. The siege was carried on

with vigour, but in the mean time the death of Yezid happening, the army was withdrawn, and Abdalla was left in peaceable possession of the caliphate.

He was recognized in all the provinces of the empire, except Syria and Palestine; and enjoyed his dignity nine years, till the seventy-second year of his age, and seventy-third of the Hegira; for he was the first person born at Medina after Mahomet's arrival there. At this juncture, the caliph Abdalmelik, who had first defeated and slain Musab the brother of Abdalla, sent his general, Hegiage, to besiege Mecca. Abdalla defended himself for the space of seven months, with the greatest resolution, though deserted by his two sons. His courage was sustained by his mother, a woman of ninetv, named Asema, grandaughter to the caliph Abubeker; who supported his spirits by her exhortations, and brought refreshments with her own hand to him and his soldiers at the breach. At length, finding he could hold out no longer, he took leave of his mother, swallowed a cordial draught with musk, and sallied out on the enemy. He killed many of them with his own hand; but being at last obliged to retreat, he took his stand on a spot in Mecca where he could be attacked only in front, and still defended himself. The assailants threw tiles and stones at him; and when he felt the blood trickle down his face and beard, he is said to have recited this verse from an Arabian poet," The blood of our wounds falls not upon our heels, but our feet." The blows were repeated till he fell dead under them, when his head was cut off, and sent to Abdalmelik.

Abdalla is in great reputation among the Arabian writers for courage, but is noted as excessively avaricious; so that he has given rise to a kind of proverb, "That there was never a brave man who was not liberal, till Abdalla the son of Zobeir." He was in much esteem for piety, and is recorded to have been so intent on prayer, that a pigeon once alighted on his head while he was thus employed, and sat long without his perceiving it. D'Herbelot, Biblioth. Orient. Marigny, Hist. des Arabes.-A.

ABDALLA-EBN-ALI, an eminent captain of the Saracens, was uncle of the two first caliphs of the Abassides, and was very instrumental in raising that family to the throne. He was the general of his nephew Abul-Abbas-al-Jaffah, and gained for him a great battle against the caliph Merwan. After the death of that prince he caused his nephew to be proclaimed caliph, and was made by him governor of Syria. Here he used the most treacherous arts to get into his

possession the chiefs of the house of Ommijuh, whom he massacred in a very inhuman manner. The cruelties he inflicted upon the unfortunate partisans of this family are scarcely surpassed by any thing recorded in history, and render the memory of Abdallah detestable. They caused the surname of Al Jaffah, or Shedder of Blood, to be given to his nephew, though he is not accused of sharing in them. During the reign of this caliph, Abdallah possessed great authority; but at his death he could not fubmit to become a subject of his second nephew, Abu Giaffer Almanzor, but caused himself to be proclaimed at Damascus, alleging that the caliphate was not hereditary, but elective. He raised a strong army, and marched against his nephew; but he was met and totally defeated by the general Abu Moslein, and obliged to fly for refuge to Bosra. Here he concealed himself several months; but his retreat being at length discovered, he was enticed by his nephew, with the same arts he had himself used against the Ommijans, to venture himself at court, where he was at first graciously received. A house was built for him, the foundations of which are said to have consisted of salt. These suddenly giving way on the affusion of water, he, with many friends, was crushed to death under the ruins. This happened, A. D. 754. D'Herbelot, Bibl. Marigny, Hist. des Arabes.

-A.

ABDALMELIC, son of Merwan, and tenth caliph, was raised to the throne at his father's death, being about 40 years of age, A. D. 684, Hegir. 65. It is said that he received the news of his elevation when sitting with the Koran in his lap, and that he cried, folding it up, "Divine book, I must now take leave of thee!"

As Abdalla-ebn-Zobeir held Mecca against him, he with great policy substituted the religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem in place of that to Mecca, causing a relic, called Jacob's stone, to be set up for veneration in the mosque of Jerusalem. lem. The great business of his reign was to reduce the rebels who possessed part of the empire, in which he completely succeeded by means of his generals, so as to become the most potent of the caliphs who had hitherto reigned. Under him, likewise, some nations of the Indies were conquered, and the Mahometan arms first penetrated into Spain. Yet his own personal qualities were not worthy of such success. He was treacherous and cruel; and so avaricious, that he obtained the name of Rash-al-hegiarat, or sweat of a stone. Amru the son of Said, governor of Damascus, having revolted against him, supported by a strong party, the caliph agreed to an accommodation, and seemed reconciled to him.

founder of a monarchy which lasted near 200 years. Mod. Univers. Hist.-A.

Soon after, however, sending for him to his palace on some pretence, he put him into fetters, bitterly upbraided him, and struck out two of his teeth. Being then summoned to the mosque, he gave orders to his brother to put Amru to death. The remonstrances of the unfortunate Amru had such an effect on the brother of Abdalmelic, that he was unable to execute the command. On which, the caliph, with his own hands, and in a butcherly manner, killed Amru; but the cruel action threw him into such a fit of trembling, that he fell down upon the body.

When the head of Musab, the brother of Abdalla, after his defeat, was brought to Abdal melic, an old officer present made an observation which strongly characterises those times. "I have seen, said he, the head of Hossein brought to Obeidollah, that of Obeidollah to Almoktar, that of Almoktar to Musab, and now Musab's is brought to you." This remark struck the caliph so deeply, that he left the castle where he was, and ordered it to be demolished. The success of his general in taking Mecca, with the death of his rival Abdalla, is mentioned under the latter person's life. Various rebellions took place after this, which gave rise to many vicissitudes of fortune, but in the end were all terminated by the valour of the caliph's general, Hegiage, who is said to have behaved with great cruelty towards the vanquished.

Abdalmelic died about the 21st year of his reign, and both of his age, A. D. 705, Hegir. 86. He left 16 sons, four of whom reigned after him in succession. This caliph was so great an enemy to the house of Ali, that he could not endure the praises that the poet Ferozdac had in several places of his works lavished on them. He is commended for moderation towards the Christians, whom he left in possession of a church at Damascus, which they would not give up at his demand. He is asserted to have been the first who coined Arabic money. D'Herbelot, Bibl. Marigny, Hist. des Arabes.-A.

ABDALRAHMAN I. surnamed the Just, was son of Moawijah, and grandson of the caliph Hesham, of the family of the Ommiades. After the ruin of his family in Asia, he came into Spain, in his 28th year, about A. D. 756, invited by the Saracens, who had revolted against their king, Joseph. Abdalrahman gained several battles against Joseph, who in the last was slain. He was then recognized throughout the weft as legitimate caliph, conquered with great bloodshed Castile, Arragon, Navarre, and Portugal, and took the title of king of Cordova. At this city he built the great mosque; and died in 790 after a reign of 32 years. He was the

ABDALRAHMAN, called by French historians ABDERAME, was captain-general and governor of Spain under the caliph Hesham, in the eighth century. Eudes, duke of Aquitain, being exposed to an attack from the French on one side, and apprehensive of a fresh irruption of the Saracens on the other, entered into an alliance with Munuza or Muniz a celebrated Saracen leader, and induced him to revolt against the caliph and his governor. Abdalrahman, however, defeated and pursued him, and forced him to put an end to his life. He then assembled a powerful army, which he led into France, and advancing to Arles, defeated a large body of troops which opposed him. He next pushed into Gascony, crossed the Garonne and Dordogne, and routed Eudes who ventured with a new army to engage my to engage him. Still following the duke of Aquitain, he marched through Perigord, Saintonge, and Poitou, every where committing dreadful ravages, and putting all to fire and sword. Having reached Tours, he was met by Charles Martel, who had been reinforced by a body of Germans and Gepida; and, after skirmishes for six successive days, a general action ensued on the seventh, in which the Saracen army was almost cut in pieces, and Abdalrahman himself fell in the field of battle. great event, which first broke the Saracen power, and taught the Europeans that they were not invincible, is placed by most writers in the year 732, Hegir. 114.

This

Some authors place this expedition some years earlier, and represent the irruption of the Saracens as a consequence of aid requested of them by Eudes, who had before been vanquished by Charles Martel. Mod. Univers. Hist. - A.

ABDAS, a Persian bishop, who flourished about the middle of the fifth century, in the reign of Theodosius the younger, only deserves mention as a memorable example of the folly of attempting to support any cause by persecution. In his intemperate zeal for the Christian religion, he destroyed a pagan temple, in which the Persians performed, according to the institutions of Zoroaster, the worship of fire. The king of Persia, on receiving the complaint of the injured Magi, ordered Abdas to rebuild the temple, at the same time threatening, in case of refusal, to pull down all the Christian temples. The bigoted priest refused to obey the king's equitable command: upon which a dreadful persecution of the Christians ensued, which lasted thirty years, accompanied by a war be