PSALMANAZAR, GEORGE, a somewhat remarkable impostor, was born about the year 1680. His real name and the place of his birth are unknown, but he is presumed to have been a native of Switzerland or the s. of France. He received a good education, and gave early indication of talent, more especially for the acquisition of languages. Impelled by a restless and impatient temper, which indisposed him to any regular-pursuit, for some years he roamed over Europe as a mere vagabond adventurer, assuming at first the dis guise of an Irish pilgrim, exiled on account of his religion; and afterward as soldier, menial, preceptor, beggar, or vagrant nondescript, living on his wits as he could, accord ing to the whim or necessity of the hour. In the course of his wanderings he was thrown into contact with a col. Lauder, commanding a Scotch regiment at Sluys, on whom he first passed the imposture to which he subsequently owed his notoriety, assuming the name by which he is since known, and representing himself as a Japanese convert to Christianity and native of the island Formosa. The good col. seems to have been com pletely deceived by him; not so, however, the chaplain of the regiment, oue Lures, man equally acute and unprincipled, who speedily detected the deception, but was not the less willing to use it for the furtherance of his own ends. By hums, Psalmanazar was brought to England, and instantly became the religious lion of the day, his patron skill fully availing himself of the connection to secure for himself preferment in the church. Dignitaries of the church contended for the honor of being serviceable to him; and through the influence of the bishop of Oxford, apartments were assigned him at the uni versity, in order that he might prosecute his studies there. The talent, ingenuity, and
resource which he displayed in keeping up the deception, go far to account for what may scan to us the stranga credulity with which his story was received. He published, in Latin, a fabulous account of the island Formosa, the consistency and verisimilitude of which imposed upon the learned world. Ile also invented a language, compact and somewhat complex in structure; and was able, in virtue of a memory not less than aston ishing, to defy the ordinary methods of detection. In the midst of iris success, however, at the age of about 32, he became the subject of religious impressions, and his conscience awoke to the ignominy of the deceit which he was practicing. Urged by what seems to have been a genuine feeling of penitence, he withdrew himself from ‘public notice, and for the rest of his life honorably earned his livelihood by literature, in which Inc had is moderate success. Besides much assiduous compilation for the book-sellers, of history, geography, and the like, he published several works anonymously, one of which, An Essay on Miracles, by a Layman, was for some time exceedingly popular. On his death in London, in 1762, it was found that he had also busied himself in preparing, for post humous publication au account of his curious career, which, under the title Memoirs of — commonly known as George Pealmanazar, a reputed native of Formosa, written by hi ots'elf, was some years after given to the world.