MATY (Paul Henry), M. A. F. R. S. son of the former, was educated at Westminster and Trinity college Cambridge, and had their travelling fellowship for three years. He was afterwards chaplain to Lord Stormont at Paris in 1777, and soon after vacated his next fellowship by marrying one of the three daughters of Joseph Clark, Esq; sister of the late Captain Charles Clark (who succeeded to the command on the death of Captain Cook). On his father's death in 1776, he succeeded to the office of one of the under librarians of
of the British museum, and was afterwards preferred to a superior department, having the care of the antiquities, for which he was eminently well qualified. In 1776 he also succeeded his father in the office of secretary to the royal society. On the disputes respecting the reinstatement of Dr Hutton in the department of secretary for foreign correspondence 1784, Mr Maty took a warm and distinguished part, and resigned the office of secretary; after which he undertook to assist gentlemen or ladies in perfecting their knowledge of the Greek, Latin, French, and Italian classes. Mr Maty was a thinking conscientious man; and having conceived some doubts about the articles he had subscribed in early life, he never could be prevailed upon to place himself in the way of ecclesiastical preferment, though his connections were amongst those who could have served him essentially in this point; and soon after his father's death he withdrew himself from ministering in the established church, his reasons for which he published in the 47th volume of the Gent. Magazine, p. 466. His whole life was thenceforwards taken up in literary pursuits. He received 1000. from the duke of Marlborough, with a copy of that beautiful work the Gemma Marburienfis, of which only 100 copies were worked off for presents; and of which Mr Maty wrote the French account, as Mr Bryant did the Latin. In January 1782 he set on foot a Review of publications, principally foreign, which he carried on, with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the public, for near five years, when he was obliged to discontinue it from ill health. He had long laboured under an asthmatic complaint, which at times made great ravages in his constitution, and at last put a period to his life in Jan. 1787, at the age of 42; leaving behind him one son.—Mr Maty enjoyed a respectable rank in the republic of letters, and by his talents and attainments was fully intitled to it. He was eminently acquainted with ancient and modern literature, and particularly conversant in critical researches. The purity and probity of his nature were unquestionable; and his humanity was as exquisite as it would have been extensive, had it been seconded by his fortune.