Dr. Thomson, however, dissents from the common view above that the Hebrew dukiphath is the ordinary hed-hood or hoopoe, on the ground that the latter '' is a small bird, (/ood to eat, comparatively rare, and there- fore not likely to have been mentioned at all by Moses, and still less to have been classed Avith the unclean." He proposes the English pewit, called by the natives now and bu-teet. "The bird appears in Palestine only in the depth of winter. It then disperses over the mountains, and remains until early spring, when it en- tirely disappears. It roosts on the ground wherever
The rewit.
night overtakes it. It utters a loud scream when about to fly, which sounds like the last of the above names. It is regarded as an unclean bird by the Arabs. The upper part of the body and wings are of a dull slate-col- or, the under parts of both are white. It has a topknot on the hinder part of the head pointing backward like a horn, and when running about on the ground it close- ly resembles a young hare" {Land and Bool; i, 104).
Lardner, Dionysius, LL.D., a distinguished Eng- lish writer on i)hysical science, was born in Dublin April 3, 1793, and was appointed professor of natural ]ihiloso- phy and astronomy in University College, London, in 1828. In 1830 he projected a sort of Encyclopa?dia, con- sisting of original treatises on history, science, econom- ics, etc., by the most eminent authors, and 134 volumes were accordingly published, under the general name of Lurdiier's Cyclopwdia, between 1830 and 1844. Some of these volumes were from his own pen. A second is- sue of this work was begun in 1853. He has published various scientific works, the most important of which are his " hand-books" of various branches of natural phi- losophy (1854-50). He is also the author of the Museum of Science and Art, an excellent popular exposition of the physical sciences, with their applications. He died in Paris April 29, 1859. — Chambers, Cyclojmdia, s. v.
Lardner, Nathaniel, D.D., a very noted English theologian and minister of the Presbyterian Church, of Arian tendency, was born in Hawkshurst, in Kent, in 1684. In early life he was a pupil of Dr. Joshua Old- field, a minister of eminence in that denomination, but, like many of the Dissenters of his time, he preferred to go abroad to prosecute his studies. He spent more than three years at the University of Utrecht, where he stud- ied under Gra?vius and Burmann, and was then some time at the University of Leyden. He returned to England in 1703, and continued to prosecute his theological stud- ies with a view to the ministry, which he entered at the age of twenty-five. He began preaching at Stoke-New- ington in 1709, but, owing to his want of power to mod- ulate his voice, soon became private chaplain and tutor in the family of lady Treby. In 1724 he was appointed lecturer at the Old .Jewry, where he delivered in outline his work. The Credibilifi/ of the Gospel Histoi-ij (London, 1727-43, 5 vols. 8vo), generallj- acknowledged as consti- tuting the most unanswerable defence of Christianity to our own day. " The work is unequalled for the extent and accuracy of its investigations. Kecent rtscarehee supplement it, but it is not likely that they will ever su- persede it" (W. J. Cox in Kitto). Sir James IMackin- tosh, in his remarks on Paley (in the View of the Pi-og- 7-ess ff Ethical Philosophi/\ rather discredits its general usefulness as an apologetical work, because it "soon wea- ries out the greater part of readers," though there are many eminent English critics who think otherwise (com- pare Allibone, Diet. ofEnr/l. and A m. A uthors, ii, 1060). But even sir J. JIackintosh concedes that with the scholar it has power : " The few who are more patient have almost always been gradually won over to feel pleasure in a dis- jilay of knowledge, probity, charity, and meek- ness inimatched by an avowed advocate in a case deeply interesting his warmest feelings" ( compare also Leland, Deistical Writers'). In 1 729 he was unexpectedly called to the Church ill Crutchwl Friars, which position he accept- ed and held for about twenty-two years. He died at his native place in 17(!8, having de- voted his long life to the prosecution of theo- logical inquiry, to the exclusion of almost any other subject. As a supplement to The Cred- ibiliti/, Lardner wrote History of the Apostles and KiHtngelists, writers of the N. Test. ( 1 756- 57. again 1760, 3 vols. 8vo; also in vol. ii of bishop Watson's Collection of Tracts). Dr. Lardner likewise wrote many other treatises, in which his store of learning is brought to bear on questions important in Christian the-
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ology. The most remarkable of these, his minor publi- cations, are his Letter on the Lor/os (1759), in which it dis- tinctly appears that he was of the Unitarian or Socinian scliool; and History of the Heretics of the first two Centu- ries after Christ (published alter his decease [1780, 4to], with "additions by John Hogg). The best edition of Lard- ner's works is that by Dr. Andrew Kippis (Lond. 1788, 11 vols. 8vo); but it is no mean proof of the estimation in which they are held, that, large as the collection is, they were reprinted entire as late as 1838 (Lond. 10 vols. 8vo", a very handsome edition). His writings, now more than a century old, are still regarded as " a bulwark on the side of truth," so much so that not only ministers and students of theology of our day can ill afford to be without them, but every intelligent layman who seeks to do his duty in the Church, of which he is a part, sliould possess and study them. " In the applause of Dr. Lardner," says T. H. Home {Bibl. Bib. p. 368), " aU parties of Christians are united, regarding him as the champion of their common and holy faith. Seeker, Por- teus, Watson, Tomline, Jortin, Hay, and Paley, of the Anglican Church ; Doddridge, Kippis, and Priestley, among the Dissenters^ and all foreign Protestant Bibli- cal critics have rendered public homage to his learning, his fairness, and his great merits as a Christian apolo- gist. The candid of the literati of the Romish com- munion have extolled his labors; and even ISIorgan and (iibbon, professed unbelievers, have awarded to him the meed of faithfulness and impartiality. By collecting a mass of scattered evidences in favor of the authenticity of the evangelical history, he established a bulwark on the side of truth which infidelity has never presumed to attack." See Dr. Kippis, Life of Lardner, in vol. i of the works of the latter ; Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A m. Authors, ii, lOGO; English Cijclop. s. v.; Farrar, Critical Hist, of Free Thoufjht, p. 4G8 ; Domer, Person of Christ, ii,pt. iii, App. p. 407.