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The REV. GEORGE BURTON, A. M.

George Burton*, the subject of this notice, was the second son of George Burton, of Burton Lazars in Leicestershire, Esq. and the younger brother of Philip Burton, Esq. the father of Mrs. Horne, the wife of that amiable, accomplished, and learned Prelate, Dr. George Horne, Bishop of Norwich.

He was born in 1717, and received his academical education at Catherine-hall, Cambridge, where he proceeded to the degree of A. B. in 1736, and to that of A. M. in 1740, being then a Member of King's college in that University. In 1740 he was presented to the Rectory of Elvedon, and in 1751 to that of Herringswell, both in the county of Suffolk. He married a sister of William Reeve, of MeltonMowbray, Esq.; and, dying at Bath on the 3d of November 1791, was interred in the Church of Walcot.

Mr. Burton was a person of great industry in his favourite study of Chronology; and had generally three or four boys boarding in his house for instruction. He built, and again entirely re-built, the Glebe-house at Elvedon, which, unfortunately, had been burnt down by some fire, brought from a farm-house then in flames a mile distant, and which lighted on the thatched roof of a well that joined the dwelling, and which was the only thatch about the premises.

Mr. Burton was the author of the following works viz.: "An Essay towards reconciling the Numbers of Daniel and St. John, determining the Birth of our Saviour, and fixing a precise time for the continuance of the present Desolation of the Jews;

* In vol. III. pp. 394-399, of this Work, are inserted three letters from Mr. Burton to the learned antiquary Dr. Ducarel. For an account of the Burton family the reader is referred to Nichols's "History of Leicestershire,' vol. II. p. 268.

with some Conjectures, pointing out the year 1764 to have been one of the most remarkable Epochas in History. Norwich, 1767." 8vo.*

"A Supplement to the Essay upon the Numbers of Daniel and St. John, confirming those of 2436 and 3430, mentioned in the Essay, from two Numerical Prophecies of Moses and our Saviour. 1768." 8vo.; in which the author says that, "when he published his Essay, his utmost hopes were to offer a few hints that might be rendered serviceable to religion, when improved by some able writer, but had since happily succeeded in discovering what seemed to carry conviction along with them +."

"The Analysis of Two Chronological Tables,

* In the preface Mr. Burton thus expresses himself: "If in the course of this Essay towards fixing the æra of events, which have hitherto been looked upon as in a great measure inexplicable, I have erred, the public, I hope, will kindly throw a veil over the mistakes, as arising from an earnest zeal for advancing the honour of God, and a hearty endeavour to render even the difficult parts of the Holy Scriptures more universally intelligible; and the severest critic will indulge me with that favourable sentence pronounced by the Heathen moralist, humanum est errare. Whilst I conduct myself with that decorum in the course of these inquiries, which should ever be strictly observed by those who write in defence of the best of religions, in favour of a gospel of peace, I promise myself the candour of the public voice, a well known voice for distinguishing justly between the pedantry of the mere scholar and the sober inquiries of a real searcher after truth; especially as I profess not to interfere with the opinions of any man, and only mean to express my own private sentiments, which, I hope, may be rendered useful to the interests of religion, when impressed upon, and regulated by an abler pen."

† According to Mr. Burton's calculations, the conversion of the Gentiles and the Millenium will commence in the year 2436; the battle of Gog and Magog will begin in 3430; and the Millenium terminate in 3436. It will shake the confidence of the reader in our author's wisdom and calculations, when he is informed that the numerical prophecy of Moses referred to is Lev. ch. xxvi. v. 18-28, "I will punish you seven times more for your sins," &c.; and that of our Saviour, Luke, ch. xvii. v. 4, "If thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a day," &c. Orme's Bibliotheca Biblica, p. 69. 3 L

VOL. VI.

submitted to the consideration of the Public. The one being a Table to associate Scripturally the different Chronologies of all Ages and Nations; the other to settle the Paschal Feast from the Beginning to the End of Time. 1787." 4to.*

The following character of this eccentric divine is from the pen of that ingenious antiquary, the late Rev. George Ashby, B. D. F. S. A. Rector of Barrow and of Stansfield, in the county of Suffolk, who appears to have been well acquainted with Mr. Burton, and to have pourtrayed his talents and foibles with accuracy and discrimination. It is transcribed from the blank leaves of a MS. to which is prefixed the following title, viz. "A Table of Julian, Lunar, and Solar Years, for the Term of the Julian Period. To the Rev. Mr. Ashby. The gift of the author, George Burton."

"Mr. Burton was a person of great industry in

* In the dedication to the Bishop of Norwich, we are informed that Mr. Burton had arrived at the "age of well nigh three score and ten, with a constitution enfeebled with many infirmisies;" and in the preface we are further informed that the author had struggled under many adversities; among others, that he was obliged to "re-build his Parsonage-house, which was burnt to the ground soon after he had in a manner re-built it." He adds, "a natural concern for an increasing family of ten grandchildren, together with the infirmities incident to his years, and too sedentary a life, had further discouraged him;" having, however, completed his work, and by the assistance of his friends brought forward this Analysis, he hopes "it will meet with such an indulgent reception as may countenance and encourage the end of all his wishes, namely, the publication and happy success of his Tables."

He says that," very few leading principles are wanting to govern the Chronological Tables. — We are instructed in many parts of Scripture, that there is a fixed period when time shall be no more; and such a period is the first principle to be established. The second principle is the lunar year; to explain the extent of that period, which is of so much consequence to us all, namely, 7980 years. The third principle is the solar year; by which may be presumed, a shortening of that period for the elect's sake. The fourth principle is an acquired period; by which the Easter limit is to be ascertained for ever; and the second ascension, towards a final judgment, is pointed out."

his favourite study of Chronology, as appears by the many copies of the following pages, which he took the pains to transcribe over and over again; but I could never perceive what the principles or foundations were, although I have attended in hopes of learning them. Mr. Burton would often repeat, turning over the following leaves, All this is quite certain and indisputable, figures cannot deceive; you know fifty and fifty make an hundred, and an hundred and hundred make two hundred.' To this I was necessarily obliged to assent; but when I asked him, 'Why do you assume fifty and fifty, and an hundred and hundred?' I never could get an answer from him; nor does he seem to have settled a single æra, or cleared up one point of the many doubtful ones in this branch of science. He ever seemed greatly deficient in the books on the subject, as I do not remember to have seen more than an English Helvicus, which does not give a regular series of years, as Isaacson, Tallent, Marshall, and Blair do, and Playfair has since. Either of these books would have saved him a vast deal of trouble in writing; indeed, he seems to have been misled from the first by two expressions of Bishop Beveridge, who, when thirty-three years old, published in quarto, 'Ars Chronologica,' in which the learned writer, speaking of the Julian period, says, 'Egregia hæc Periodus (cujus utilitates in temporibus distinguendis opinionem superant) Juliana dicitur;' and again, Hic enim, cùm probè noverit quantum conducunt Cyclus solis et lunæ et indictionis ad annum unum ab aliis secernendum, istos tres cyclos in se invicem multiplicavit, cujus productum 7980 periodum Julianum nominavit.'

"These two sentences seem quite to have disconcerted my friend, who, not content with the general opinion that prevailed in the Bishop's time of the vast utility of this period in Chronology, firmly believed that it pointed out the exact beginning and

end of the world; whereas Scaliger, the inventor, meant no more than to form a cycle or number of years, that should comprehend the year of the creation of the world, according to the various opinions of learned writers on this subject; and extend far enough for any use that the men of this generation could have for such a scale. He thought he had taken room enough, but even in the first particular he was sadly disappointed, as he was immediately told that the three Christian Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, ascribed a still higher origin to this grand event; placing it 796, 799, and 780 earlier than the commencement even of his period, in the 765th year of which he had placed it. As to the latter particular, or end of the world, as it never entered Scaliger's head to fix that, the less that is said about it the better.

"Mr. Burton's researches seemed to have been confined to prophetic and visionary chronology in a degree hardly credible. Once, when he had talked a great deal, I thought it was proper to say something. You seem, Sir, to be very fond of these studies; have you ever paid any attention towards endeavouring to reconcile the discordant accounts of the Samaritan, Hebrew, and Septuagint Chronology?' He affirmed over and over again that he had never heard of any such difference; but added, that he would consider it, and did not doubt but that he should succeed. Some time after, on my meeting him at the Generals*, or Archdeacon's Visitation, at Mildenhall, he came and stood behind my chair, and said, that he had reconciled the differences completely. I only remarked, that he was doing great service to the Scripture Chronology. Soon after this, a paragraph appeared in the Bury Post, that a learned clergyman in that neighbourhood had reconciled the above differences; but

* The term used for the Archidiaconal Visitations in the Diocese of Norwich. See Forby's Vocabulary, p. 130.