Sir Thomas, an eminent physician and celebrated writer, was born at London on the 19th of October 1605. Having studied at Winchester College, and afterwards at Oxford, he travelled through France and Italy; and returning by the way of Holland, he took his degree of doctor of physic at Leyden. In 1636 he settled at Norwich, and the year following was incorporated as doctor of physic at Oxford. His Religio Medici made a great noise; and being translated into Latin, instantly spread throughout Europe, and gained him a prodigious reputation. It was then translated into almost every language in Europe. This book has been heavily censured by some as tending to infidelity, and even atheism; whilst others, with much more reason, have applauded the piety, as well as the parts and learning, of the author. His Treatise on Vulgar Errors was read with equal avidity; he also published Hydriotaphia, or a Discourse of Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk. His reputation in his profession was equal to his fame for learning in other respects; and therefore the college of physicians were pleased to take him into their number as an honorary member; and King Charles II. coming to Norwich in his progress in 1671, was pleased to knight him, with singular marks of favour and respect. He died on his birthday in 1681, leaving several manuscripts behind him, which were published under the title of The Posthumous Works of the learned Sir Thomas Browne, Knt. M.D.

Browne, Edward, the son of the former, physician to King Charles II. and president of the Royal College of London. He was born in the year 1642; and studied at Cambridge, and afterwards at Merton College, Oxford. He then travelled; and on his return published a brief account of some travels in Hungary, Servia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thessaly, Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Friuli, and other parts. He also published an account of several travels through great part of Germany, and joined his name to those of many other eminent men in a translation of Plutarch's Lives. He was acquainted with Hebrew, was a critic in Greek, and no man of his age wrote better Latin. High Dutch, Italian, French, and other modern languages, he spoke and wrote with as much ease as his mother tongue. King Charles said of him, that he was as learned as any of the college, and as well bred as any at court. He died on the 27th August 1708.

Browne, William George. This eminent traveller was born on Great-Tower-Hill, London, on the 25th July 1768. His father was a respectable wine merchant, descended from a good family in Cumberland. His constitution being originally so weak as to require constant attention, he was educated privately under Dr Whalley, editor of Ben Jonson's works, a man of considerable parts and learning, who inspired him with a taste for study. At seventeen he was sent to Oriel College, Oxford; and, though he complained of the want of encouragement and assistance, he there went through an extensive course of classical reading, studying often from twelve to fifteen hours a day. On leaving the university he hesitated for some time between the three learned professions, but at length determined to remain contented with the moderate competence left to him by his father, and applied himself entirely to the pursuit of knowledge. He embarked deeply in political questions, embracing with ardour the popular cause. He republished some political tracts, among which was part of Buchanan, De Jure Regni apud Scotos, and formed the plan of reprinting a regular series of such writings. But the fame of Mr Bruce's travels, and of the first discoveries made by the African Association, inflamed his ardent mind, and he determined to devote himself to the cause of discovery on that continent.

Mr Browne left England at the close of 1791, and arrived at Alexandria in January 1792. He spent a few months in visiting Siwah, the supposed site of the temple of Jupiter Ammon; and employed the remainder of the year in examining the whole of Egypt. In the spring of 1793 he visited Suez and Sinai, and in May set out for Darfur. This was his most important journey, in which he acquired a great variety of original information. He endured much hardship, and was unable to effect his purpose of returning by Abyssinia. He did not reach Egypt till 1796, after which he spent a year in Syria, and did not arrive in London till September 1798. In 1800 he published his travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the year 1792 to 1798, in one volume 4to. The work was highly esteemed, and is classed by Major Rennell among the first performances of the kind; but, from the Brownists, abruptness and dryness of the style, it never became very popular.

In 1800 Mr Brown again left England, and spent three years in visiting Greece, some parts of Asia Minor, and Sicily. He had made some progress in preparing for the press an account of this journey, but gave up his intention, for some reason unknown.

Mr Browne now spent some years in retirement, employed in oriental studies, and showing indifference to British objects and scenery, though he enjoyed greatly an excursion into Ireland.

Tired of this inactivity, in 1812 he set out on a more extensive journey than formerly, proposing to penetrate to Samarcard, and survey the most interesting regions of Central Asia. He spent the winter in Smyrna, and in the spring of 1813 proceeded through Asia Minor and Armenia, made a short stay at Erzerum, and arrived on the first of June at Tabriz, where he met with Sir Gore Ouseley. About the end of the summer of 1813 he left Tabriz for Teheran, intending to proceed thence into Tartary; but unhappily he never reached that destination. Near the banks of the Kizil-Ozan his party were attacked by banditti, and, according to the report of the survivors, Mr Browne was dragged to a short distance from the road, where he was plundered and murdered. Suspicion attached to his companions, and even to the Persian government, but nothing occurred to confirm these surmises. Some bones, believed to be his, were afterwards found and interred near the grave of Thevenot, the celebrated French traveller.

Mr Browne, in his person, was thin, rather above the middle size, with a grave and pensive cast of countenance. He entertained an extraordinary predilection for the manners and character of the orientals. Like them, he was in general society silent, reserved, and even repulsive. Even among his most intimate friends he would remain long gloomy and reserved; but after indulging in a pipe his eye brightened, and he related with great animation the interesting scenes through which he had passed. His disposition was friendly, liberal, and generous, and he was distinguished by a strict regard to veracity. Under a cold exterior he cherished an ardent desire to distinguish himself by some memorable achievement, in pursuit of which he was ready to brave danger and death.

His volume of travels in Africa has already been mentioned. Mr Walpole, in the second volume of his Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey (4to, 1820), has published, from papers left by him, the account of his journey in 1809 through Asia Minor to Antioch and Cyprus; also Remarks written at Constantinople. No account is preserved of his last journey, except what is contained in a letter to Mr Smithson Tennant.