ALEXANDER, an excellent draughtman, and a good Greek scholar, who resided many years in Italy, visited most parts of that country, and had also travelled into France, Germany, &c. was secretary to the Society for Encouragement of Learning; and afterwards to the Egyptian Club, composed of gentlemen who had visited Egypt viz. Lord Sandwich, Dr Shaw, Dr Pococke, &c. He succeeded Dr Stukeley as secretary to the Antiquarian Society, which office he resigned in 1741 to Mr Joseph Ames. He went to Carolina with Governor Glen, where, besides a grant of land, he had several offices, such as register of the province, &c.; and died a justice of the peace, leaving a handsome estate to his family. He published, 1. Itinerarium Septentrionale, or a Journey through most parts of the Counties of Scotland, in two parts, with 66 copperplates, 1726, folio. 2. Supplement to the Itinerarium, 1732, folio. 3. The Lives of Pope Alexander VI. and his son Cesar Borgia. 4. A complete History of the Ancient Amphitheatres, 1739, 8vo. afterwards enlarged in a second edition. 5. An Essay towards explaining the hieroglyphical figures on the Coffin of the ancient Mummy belonging to Capt. William Lethieuller, 1737, folio, with cuts. 6. Twenty-five Plates of all the Egyptian Mummies and other Egyptian Antiquities in England, 1739, folio.

Thomas, noted for his translations and political writings, was born at Kirkcudbright in North Britain. He came young to London; where he supported himself by teaching languages, until he procured employment under the earl of Oxford in Queen Anne's time, but in what capacity is not now known. He first distinguished himself in the defence of Dr Hoadley in the Bangorian controversy; which recommended him to Mr Trenchard, in conjunction with whom he wrote the well-known Cato's Letters, upon a variety of important public subjects. These were followed by another periodical paper, under the title of the Independent Whig; which was continued some years after Mr Trenchard's death, by Gordon alone, against the hierarchy of the church; but with more acrimony than was shown in Cato's Letters. At length Sir Robert Walpole retained him to defend his administration, to which end he wrote several pamphlets. At the time of his death, July 28th 1750, he was first commissioner of the wine licences, an office which he had enjoyed many years. He was twice married. His second wife was the widow of his great friend Trenchard, by whom he had children.—He published English translations of Sallust and Tacitus, with additional discourses to each author, which contain much good matter. Also, two collections of his tracts have been preserved: the first entitled, A Cordial for Low-spirits, in three volumes: and the second, The Pillars of Priestcraft and Orthodoxy shaken, in two volumes. But these, like many other posthumous things, had better have been suppressed. In his translations as well as his other works he places his verbs at the ends of sentences, according to the Latin idiom, in a very stiff and affected manner.