HUMPHRY, a very learned clergyman of the Church of England, was born at Padstow in Cornwall in 1648. He studied three years at Westminster under Dr Busby, and was then removed to Christ Church, Oxford. Here, in 1676, he published his Marmora Oxoniensis. This introduced him to the Lord Chancellor Finch, afterwards Earl of Nottingham, who in 1679 presented him to the rectory of St Clement's, near Oxford, and in 1681 bestowed on him a prebend of Norwich. Some years afterwards he was engaged in a controversy with the Catholics at Norwich concerning the validity of the orders of the Church of England, which produced his book upon that subject. In 1688 he was installed in the archdeaconry of Suffolk, to which he was collated by Dr Lloyd, then bishop of Norwich. In 1691, upon the death of Dr Edward Pococke, the Hebrew professorship at Oxford, being vacant, was offered to Dr Prideaux; but he refused it. In 1697 he published his Life of Mohammed; and in 1702 he was installed dean of Norwich. Some time after his return to London he proceeded with his Connection of the History of the Old and New Testament, which he had commenced when he laid aside the design of writing the History of Appropriations. He died in 1724.

JOHN, an eminent dignitary of the English Church, was born in 1578 at Stowford, an obscure hamlet near Ivy-Bridge in Devonshire. His rise in life began amid great embarrassments. While a poor village lad, he aspired to be clerk of the neighbouring parish of Ugborough, and was unsuccessful. The failure depressed his spirits very much, until a kind country lady sent him at her own expense to a school in the vicinity. There he unweariedly plodded on for some time, acquiring with great difficulty a small smattering of classical learning. A rustic-looking youth of eighteen, clad in breeches which were no better than leather, and had very little in their pockets, he then set out to travel on foot to the distant university of Oxford. On his arrival it was accepted by him as a great boon that he was allowed to become a student of Exeter College, on condition that he should also become a menial of Exeter kitchen. In spite of all these difficulties, however, Prideaux soon rose to eminence. His attainments recommended him to a probationer fellowship in 1602. The repute of his theological learning placed him in the rectorsip in 1612. Nor in this important position did he fail to advance his reputation. His gentle and fatherly government won every heart. The students under his charge increased till they outnumbered those under any of the other rectors of the university. Some even came from abroad for the purpose of sitting at his feet. His fame was established; and no ecclesiastical preferment was beyond his reach. Several benefices, the office of regius professor of divinity, and the vice-chancellorship were conferred upon him. At length, in 1641, he was promoted by Charles I. to the see of Worcester. Bishop Prideaux, in the discharge of his high office, showed himself to be a fine specimen of the English clergymen of that period. Among his flock he was simple and gentle, a child in the affairs of this world, and