Dr Conyers, a very celebrated English divine, the son of a clergyman in Yorkshire, was born at Richmond in 1683. He distinguished himself, while fellow of Trinity college, Cambridge, by his controversy with Dr Bentley his master, relating to some mercenary conduct of the latter in that station. He afterwards had a controversy with the whole body of physicians, on the dignity of the medical profession; concerning which he published De medicorum apud veteres Romanos degentium conditio et differentia; qua, contra viros celeberrimos Jacobum Sponium et Richardum Medium, servilum aequo ignobilium eam juvfe offenditur; and in the course of this dispute much resentment and many pamphlets appeared. Hitherto he had stood well with his clerical brethren; but he drew the resentment of the church on him in 1729, by writing "A Letter from Rome, showing an exact conformity between Popery and Paganism," &c.; as this letter, though politely written, yet attacked Popish miracles with a gaiety that appeared dangerous to the cause of miracles in general. Nor were his Objections to Dr. Waterland's manner of vindicating Scripture against Tindal's "Christianity as old as the Creation," looked on in a more favourable point of view. In 1741, came out his great work, "The history of the life of M. Tullius Cicero." Cicero," 2 vols 4to: which is indeed a fine performance, and will probably be read as long as false and polite literature subsist among us: the author has nevertheless fallen into the common error of biographers, who often give panegyrics instead of history. In 1748, he published, "A free inquiry into the miraculous powers which are supposed to have subsisted in the Christian church from the earliest ages, through several successive centuries." He was now attacked from all quarters; but before he took any notice of his antagonists, he supplied them with another subject, in "An examination of the Lord Bishop of London's discourses concerning the use and extent of prophecy," &c.

Thus Dr Middleton continued to display talents and learning, which are highly esteemed by men of a free turn of mind, but by no means in a method calculated to invite promotion in the clerical line. He was in 1723 chosen principal librarian of the public library at Cambridge; and if he rose not to dignities in the church, he was in easy circumstances, which permitted him to assert a dignity of mind often forgotten in the career of preferment. He died in 1753, at Hildersham in Cambridgeshire, an estate of his own purchasing; and in 1752, all his works, except the life of Cicero, were collected in 4 vols. 4to.