ALDRICH (Dr Henry), an eminent English divine and philosopher, born at London in 1647, was educated at Westminster school under the famous Dr Busby, and admitted of Christ-church college, Oxford. He
Aldrich. He had a great share in the controversy with the Papists in the reign of James II. and bishop Burnet ranks him among those who examined all the points of popery with a solidity of judgment, clearness of argument, depth of learning, and vivacity of writing, far beyond any who had before that time written in our language. He rendered himself so conspicuous, that at the revolution, when Massey the popish dean of Christ-church fled, his deanery was conferred on him. In this station he behaved in an exemplary manner, and that fabric owes much of its beauty to his ingenuity: it was Aldrich who designed the beautiful square called Peckwater-Quadrangle, which is esteemed an excellent piece of architecture. In imitation of his predecessor Dr Fell, he published, yearly, a piece of some ancient Greek author, as a present to the students of his house: he published A System of Logic, with some other pieces; and the reviving Clarendon's History of the Rebellion was intrusted to him and bishop Spratt; but it doth not appear that they made any additions, or considerable alterations in it, as has been asserted by Mr Oldmixon. Besides his preferments above mentioned, Dr Aldrich was also rector of Wem in Shropshire. He was chosen prolocutor of the convocation in 1702. This worthy person died at Christ-church on the 14th of December 1710. As to his character, he was a most universal scholar, and had a taste for all sorts of learning, especially architecture. Sir John Hawkins has favoured the public with several particulars relative to Dr Aldrich's skill in music; and on account of the Doctor's eminence in this respect, Sir John hath given his life, with his head prefixed. His abilities as a musician rank him, we are told, among the greatest masters of the science. He composed many services for the church, which are well known; as are also his anthems, nearly to the number of twenty. He adapted, with great skill and judgment, English words to many of the notes of Palestrina, Carissimi, Victoria, and other Italian composers for the church, some of which are frequently sung in our cathedrals as anthems. By the happy talent which Dr Aldrich possessed, of naturalizing the compositions of the old Italian masters, and accommodating them to an English ear, he increased the stores of our own church. Though the Doctor chiefly applied himself to the cultivation of sacred music, yet, being a man of humour, he could divert himself by producing pieces of a lighter kind. There are two catches of his; the one, "Hark the bonny Christ-church Bells," the other intitled, "a Smoking Catch," to be sung by four men smoking their pipes, which is not more difficult to sing than diverting to hear. His love of smoking was, it seems, so excessive as to be an entertaining topic of discourse in the university. Such was Dr Aldrich's regard for the advancement of music, and the honour of its professors, that he had formed a design of writing a history of the science; and the materials from which he proposed to compile it are yet extant in the library of his own college. It appears from these materials, that he had marked down every thing which he had met with concerning music and musicians; but that he had wrought no part of them into any kind of form.
Dr Aldrich is of some note as a Latin poet. In the Muse Anglicana, we find two elegant copies of verses by him; one on the accession of King William III.
and the other on the death of the Duke of Gloucester. Sir John Hawkins hath preserved a humorous translation by him of the well-known English ballad,
"A foldier and a failor,
"A tinker and a taylor," &c.
The following epigram, intitled "Causa Bibendi," is likewise ascribed to Dr Aldrich:
"Si bene quid memini, Causæ sunt quinque bibendi,
"Hospitis Adventus; præsens Sitis, atque futura;
"Aut Vini Bonitas; aut quæ libet altera Causa."
The epigram has been thus translated:
"If on my theme I rightly think,
"There are five reasons why men drink:
"Good wine, a friend, because I'm dry,
"Or lest I should be by and by,
"Or any other reason why."
The translation is not equal to the original. It is evident, from the verses cited and referred to, that Dr Aldrich was of a very cheerful and pleasant turn of mind. Indeed, he is always spoken of as having been a man of wit; and as one who, to his great talents and virtues, joined those amiable qualities, which rendered him the object of general affection, as well as of general esteem and respect. Having never been married, he appropriated his income to works of hospitality and beneficence, and in encouraging learning to the utmost of his power, of which he was a most munificent patron, as well as one of the greatest men in England, if considered as a Christian or a gentleman. He had always the interest of his college at heart, whereof he was an excellent governor. And, as he was remarkable for modesty and humility, concealing his name to those several learned tracts he published, so at his death he appointed to be buried without any memorial in the cathedral; which his thrifty nephew complied with, depositing him on the south side of bishop Fell's grave, December 22, eight days after his decease; which happened in the 63d or 64th year of his age.