BERNARD (Dr Edward), a learned astronomer, linguist, and critic, was born at Perry St Paul, on the 2d of May, 1638, and educated at Merchant-Taylor's school, and St John's college, Oxford. During his stay at school, he had laid in an uncommon fund of classical learning; so that, on his going to the university, he was a great master of all the elegancies of the Greek and Latin tongues, and not unacquainted with the Hebrew. On his settling in the university, he applied himself with great diligence to history, philology, and philosophy; and made himself master of the Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and Coptic languages, and then applied himself to the study of the mathematics under the famous Dr Wallis. Having successively taken the degrees of bachelor and master of arts, and afterwards that of bachelor of divinity in 1668, he went to Leyden to consult several oriental manuscripts left to that university by Joseph Scaliger and Levinus Warnerus. At his return to Oxford, he collated and examined the most valuable manuscripts in the Bodleian library; which
Bernard, which induced those who published any ancient authors, to apply to him for his observations or emendations from the manuscripts at Oxford; which he readily imparted, grudging neither time nor pains to serve the learned; and by this means he became engaged in a very extensive correspondence with the learned of most countries. In the year 1669, the famous Christopher Wren, Savilian professor of astronomy at Oxford, having been appointed surveyor-general of his majesty's works, and being much detained at London by this employment, he obtained leave to name a deputy at Oxford, and pitched upon Mr Bernard, which engaged the latter in a more particular application to the study of astronomy. In 1676, he was sent by the earl of Arlington to France, in order to be tutor to the dukes of Grafton and Northumberland, sons to King Charles II. by the ducless of Cleveland, who then lived with their mother at Paris: but the simplicity of his manners not suiting the gaiety of the ducless's family, he returned about a year after to Oxford, and pursued his studies; in which he made great proficiency, as his many learned astronomical and critical works show. He composed tables of the longitudes, latitudes, right ascensions, &c. of the fixed stars; Observations in Latin on the Obliquity of the Ecliptic; and other pieces inserted in the Philosophical Transactions. He also wrote, 1. A Treatise of the ancient Weights and Measures. 2. Chronologia Samaritana Synopsis, in two tables. 3. Testimonies of the Ancients concerning the Greek Version of the Old Testament by the Seventy; and several other learned works. He was a person of great piety, virtue, and humanity; and died on the 12th of January, 1696, in the 59th year of his age, leaving behind him a great number of learned and valuable manuscripts.