HIGGINS or HIGINS, JOHN, was born about 1541. He was educated at Oxford, but whether he took a degree is uncertain. Ile became • clergyman, and was employed as a schoolmaster or tutor. Whilst so employed he compiled a manual for the use of his scholars, under the title of the Floaculi of Terence,' which became a very popular school-book ; he published likewise an enlarged and amended edition of Holcot's Latin, English, and French Dictionary (folio, 1572), and the ' Nomenclator ' of Juuius. But he is best known as one of the contributors to the ' Mirror for Magistrates,' of which he edited in /574 a new edition, aud to which be wrote a new Induction,' aud supplied forty legends, relating mostly to the mythical history of England. In one of the' envoys; he tells us that he did not "take the pain to learn the tongues and write" until he was twenty; that French and Latin were his chief studies; and that he published his part of the ' Mirror for Magistrates' when thirty. One stanza from the introduction will give a fair specimen of his manner, and at the same time supply information on the nature of the poem. He tells us that he bought the book on which he was then employed in making additions, and goes on to enumerate those who wero celebrated therein :— " Some perdy were kings or high estate, And some were dukes and same of regal race ; Some princes, lords, and judges great, that sate In council still, decreeing every case. Some other, knights, that vices did embrace; Some gentlemen ; some poor exalted high ; Yet every one had played his tragedy." The 'Mirror for Magistrates' went through many editions from its first appearance as Lidgate's 'Fall of Princes' to its latest shape in the impression of 1610. The date of the death of Higgins is not known ; he was probably living in 1602, as in that year a controversial tract of Christ's Desceut into Hell' was written and published by him.
IllGIIMORE, JOSEPH, a portrait and historical painter of some reputation in his day, was born in London in 1692. He was tho nephew of Highmore, serjeautpainter to William III., and was originally bred to the law ; but having a decided disposition for painting, he gave up the law, and became the pupil of Sir Godfrey Moeller, in whose style he painted. Tho city was the first field of his labours, whence he removed to Lincoln 'a-Inn-Fields, where he painted a set of portraits of the Knights of the Order of the Bath, which has been engraved by John l'ioe. Highmore was a man of tench general information ; he had a good knowledge of anatomy, and was thoroughly acquainted with perspective. He used to attend Cheselden's lectures, and he made the drawings for his treatise on anatomy : we owe to him also one of the best practical books on perspective, The Practice of Perspective, on the principles of Dr.
Brook Taylor, in a Series of Examples, from the most simple and easy to the most complicated and difficult cases,' London, 1763. He published also a critical examination of the apotheosis of James 1., painted by Ruben. on the ceiling of the Banqueting-House at White hall. Highmore painted many portraits of royalty, nobility, and gentry, one of the best of which is that of Young, the poet, at All Sonia' College, Oxford. His historical pieces are of little merit : one of the best, ' Hagar and Ishmael,' was presented by him to the Foundling lloepitaL llighmore painted several pictures from the works of Richardson the novelist, but his chief works are taken from the Scriptures. He died at Canterbury in 1780, in the house of his daughter, who was married to one of the prebendaries of that city, and he was buried in the cathedral.