BELLENDEN, WILLIANI, a Scotish author of high accomplishments, was one of the masters of the English court of requests. According to Dempster, he had been a professor of humanity in the university, and an advocate in the parliament of Paris. (Hi.st. 1..cclesiast. Gent. Scolor. p. 119.) The time of his birth and of his death has not been ascertained ; but he flourished after the accession of King James to the crown of England. His three books De Statu are known to every man of letters ; and it is sufficient praise to say, that they have been found capable of attracting the attention of an editor so accomplished as Dr Parr. (Lond. 1787, Svo.) On the ingenuity, learning, and taste of Bellenden, this excellent scho lar has bestowed unreserved commendation. Beller'. den's posthumous work De Tribes Lunzinibus manorum, (Paris, 1634, fol.) though it extends to no fewer than eight hundred and twenty-four pages, is only to be considered as a fragment. The first of his three ornaments of Rome is Cicero ; and the other two, whom he had in view, are supposed to have been Seneca and the elder Pliny. The apparent object of that portion of his work which is completed, is to combine, in an historical form, such of the observa tions and sentiments of Cicero as relate to the religi. ous and political affairs of Rome. His plan is exe cuted in such a manner as to display the spirit and essence of the Roman history. The latter part of the work, or that which relates to the times of Cice ro himself, is very copious and 'satisfactory. The epistles of Cicero have furnished him with an histori cal detail similar to that exhibited in the biography of Dr Middleton ; and Dr Parr has asserted in the strongest terms, that Middleton has not only selected many valuable materials from the production of Bel lenden, but, when it suits his purpose, has even, re tained their form as well as their substance. A si
milar accusation had likewise been preferred by Dr Warton ; but the admirers of Dr Middletom may still urge, and with some appearance of reason, that such marks of plagiarism arc extremely equivocal. As the materials which he is supposed to have pur. loined lie scattered through the works of Cicero, they are accessible to every scholar ; and as Bellen. den and Middleton had clearly the same object in view, it need not excite our astonishment, that two scholars, possessed of the same elegance of taste, should conduct their researches on similar principles. Bellenden has been solicitilus to retain the identical expressions of his favourite author ; and, by means of a skilful combination, has exhibited a production of no trivial importance. This work," says Dr Parr, displays the highest ingenuity and industry. Whatever in the various writings of Cicero is either sagaciously conceived or elegantly expressed, Bellen den has adapted to one great plan, and exhibited in a more splendid view. He, therefore, who is familiar ly acquainted with this performance, will be enabled •to appretiate the genius of antiquity, and to profit by the examples which it supplies. He will obtain an extensive knowledge of the jurisprudence and po litical science of the Romans ; and, as from a splen did storehouse, may select all the varieties of exqui site diction." (Prof. in Bellendenum, p. lxx.) What plan bellenden purpowd to adopt in relation to Se.. .ncea and Pliny cannot easily he ascertained. It may, perhaps, be regarded as no absurd conjecture, that, by availing himself of their productions, lie intended to exhibit an. enlarged view of the intellectual and physical science of the Romans. See. Irving's.Dis ..sertation on the Literary History of Scotland, p. 104. (e)