DALTON (John), D. D. an eminent divine and poet, was the son of the rev. Mr John Dalton, rector of Deane, near Whitehaven in Cumberland, where he was born in 1709. He was educated at Queen's college, Oxford; and became tutor or governor to the lord Beauchamp, only son of the earl of Hertford, late duke of Somerset; during which time he adapted Milton's admirable Masque of Comus to the stage, by a judicious insertion of several songs and different passages selected from other of Milton's works, as well as of several songs and other elegant additions of his own, suited to the characters and to the manner of the original author. During the run of this piece he industriously fought out a grand-daughter of Milton's, oppressed both by age and poverty; and procured her a benefit from it, the profits of which amounted to a very considerable sum. He was promoted by the king to a prebend of Worcester; where he died, on the 22d of July 1763. Besides the above, he wrote a descriptive poem, addressed to two ladies at their return from viewing the coal-mines near Whitehaven; and Remarks on 12 historical designs of Raphael, and the Museum Græcum & Egyptiacum.