red the esteem of both those powers. He died in the year 1508, in the 71st year of his age; several of the Venetian nobility and all the principal Jews there attending his funeral with great pomp. Notwithstanding his frequent peregrinations, he wrote commentaries on most books of the old testament, which were much esteemed by the learned. The persecutions of the Jews, under which he had been a considerable sufferer, irritated him greatly against the chrisans, so that there is hardly one of his books, in which he has omitted to shew his resentment and desire of revenge and whatever the subject may be, he never fails somehow or other, to bring in the distressed condition of the Jews. He was a most assiduous man in his studies, in which he would spend whole nights, and would fast for a considerable time.

ACHILLES, one of the greatest heroes of ancient Greece, was the son of Peleus and Thetis, and was a native of Phthia, in Thessaly. To prevent his going to the siege of Troy, his mother disguised him in female apparel, and hid him among the maidens at the court of king Lycomedes: but Ulysses discovering him, persuaded him to follow the Greeks. Achilles distinguished himself by a number of heroic actions at the siege. Being disgusted, however, with Agamemnon, for the loss of Briseis, he retired from the camp. But returning to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus, he slew Hector, fastened his corpse to his chariot, and dragged it round the walls of Troy. At last Paris, the brother of Hector, wounded him in the heel with an arrow, while he was in the temple treating about his marriage with Philoxena, daughter to king Priam. Of this wound he died, and was interred on the promontory of Sigæum ; and after Troy was taken, the Greeks sacrificed Philoxena on his tomb, in obedience to his desire, that he might enjoy her company in the Elysian fields. It is said that

Alexander, seeing his tomb, honoured it by placing a crown upon it; at the same time crying out, that "Achilles was happy in having, during his life, such "a friend as Patroclus, and after his death a poet, like "Homer," Achilles is supposed to have died 1183 years before the Christian æra.

ACOSTA (URIEL), a Portuguese, born at Oporto, towards the close of the sixteenth century, was educated in the Romish religion, which his father also sincerely professed, though descended from one of those Jewish families, who had been in a manner forced to receive baptism. Uriel had a liberal education, and had been instructed in several sciences. He had by nature, a good disposition; and religion had made so deep an impression on his mind, that he ardently desired to conform to all the precepts of the church, in order to avoid eternal death, which he greatly feared. He applied with great assiduity to reading the scriptures and other spiritual books, but the more he dived into these matters, the more difficulties occurred, which perplexed him at length to such a degree, that he fell into the most terrible agonies of mind. He looked upon it as impossible to fulfil his duty, with regard to the conditions required for absolution, according to good casuists; so that he despaired of salvation, if he could find no other means of attaining it; and it proved difficult to abandon a religion in which he had been bred up from his infancy, and which had been deeply rooted in his mind by the force of persuasion. However he began to inquire, whether several particulars mentioned about the other life were agreeable to reason; and upon inquiry and deliberation, he imagined that reason suggested many arguments against them. Acosta was about two and twenty, when he was thus perplexed with doubts; and the result of his reflections was, that he could not be saved by the religion which

Being naturally of a made uneasy by the study Moses and the

he had imbibed in his infancy. religious disposition, and now popish doctrines, he began to prophets; where he thought he found more satisfaction than in the gospel, and at length became convinced that Judaism was the true religion; and as he could not profess it in Portugal, he embarked for Amsterdam with his mother and brothers; whom he had ventured to instruct in the principles of the Jewish religion, even when in Portugal. Soon after their arrival in this city they became members of the synagogue, and were circumcised, when he changed his name of Gabriel for that of Uriel. A little time was sufficient to shew him, that the Jews did neither. in their rites nor morals, conform to the law of Moses, of which he could not but declare his disapprobation : but the chiefs of the synagogue gave him to understand, that if he did not exactly observe all their tenets and customs, he would be excommunicated. This threat, however, did not in the least deter him he therefore persisted in his invectives, and in consequence was excommunicated the effect of which was such, that his own brothers durst not speak to him. Finding himself thus situated, he wrote a book in his justification; wherein he endeavours to shew, that the rites and traditions of the Pharisees are contrary to the writings of Moses, and soon after adopted the opinion of the Sadducees: because Moses no where mentions the joys of Heaven or the torments of Hell. His adversaries were overjoyed at his embracing this tenet; foreseeing, that it would tend greatly. to justify, in the sight of christians, the proceedings of the synagogue against him. Before his book was printed, there appeared a piece upon the immortality of the soul, written by a physician, who omitted nothing he could suggest to make Acosta pass for an Atheist. The very children were even spirited up to insult him in the streets, all which however did not prevent him from writing a treatise against the phy

sician, wherein he endeavored to confute the doctrine of the soul's immortality. The Jews now made application to the magistrates of Amsterdam, and informed against him, as one who wanted to undermine the foundation of both the Jewish and Christian religions. Hereupon he was thrown into prison, but bailed out within a week or ten days after; however all the copies of his pieces were seized, and he himself severely fined. Nevertheless he proceeded still farther in his scepticism. He now began to examine, whether the laws of Moses came from God; and he supposed he had at length found reason to convince him, that it was only a political invention. Yet, instead of drawing this inference from thence, "I ought not to return to the Jewish communion," he thus argued with himself, "Why should I continue all my life cut off from the communion, exposed to so many inconveniences, especially as I am in a country, where I am a stranger, and unacquainted with the language? Had I not better play the ape amongst apes?" He accordingly returned to the Jewish church, after he had been excommunicated fifteen years; and, after having made a recantation of what he had written, subscrib ed every thing as they directed. A few days after, he was accused by a nephew, who lived in his house, that he did not, as to his eating, conform to the laws of the synagogue. This accusation was attended with very bad consequences; for a relation of Acosta, who had got him reconciled to the synagogue, thought he was in honour bound to persecute him with the utmost violence. The Rabbi's and the rest of the Jews were animated with the same spirit. He was accordingly summoned before the grand council of the synagogue; when it was declared to him, that he must be again excommunicated, if he did not give such satisfaction as should be required. He found the terms so hard that he could not comply.The Jews thereupon again expelled him from their communion; and he afterwards suffered various hardVOL. I. C

ships and persecutions. After remaining seven years in a most wretched situation, he at length declared he was willing to submit to the synagogue, having been told that he might easily accommodate matters; for, that the judges would soften the severity of the discipline. Acosta, however, was caught in a snare; for they made him undergo the sentence in, its utmost rigour. These particulars, relating to the life of Acosta, are taken from his piece, intitled, "Exemplar humanæ Vitæ," published and refuted by Limborch. It is supposed that he composed it a few days before his death, after having determined to lay violent hands on himself. He executed this horrid resolution, a little after he had failed in his attempt to kill his principal enemy; for the pistol, with which he intended to have shot him as he passed his house, having missed fire, he immediately shut the door, and shot himself with another. This happened at Amsterdam, about the year 1647.

ADAM (ROBERT), a celebrated architect, was born in 1728, at Kirkaldy, in the county of Fife, Scotland. He was the second son of William Adam, esquire, of Maryburgh, an architect of distinguished merit. He received his education at the university of Edinburgh. The friendships he formed were with men, who have since eminently distinguished themselves by their literary productions; amongst whom were Mr. David Hume, Dr. Robertson, Dr. Adam Smith, Dr. Adam Ferguson, and Mr. John Home. At a more advanced time of life he had the good fortune to enjoy the friendship and society of Archibald, duke of Argyle, the late Mr. Charles Townsend, the Earl of Mansfield, and several other of the most illustrious men of the age. Mr. Adam, after his return from Italy, was appointed architect to his majesty, in the year 1762; which office being incompatible with a seat in parliament, he resigned in 1768, on his being elected to