PAYNE SMITH, ROBERT (1819-95). An English theologian and Orientalist. He was born at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and en tered Pembroke College, Oxford. where he pur sued Oriental studies, and took the Sanskrit scholarship in 1840 and a Hebrew scholarship in 1S43. After his ordination he spent three years in pastoral work at Crendon, Long Win chenden, and Thame, then became classical mas ter at the Edinburgh Academy and later preached also at Trinity Chapel. In 18:',3 lie went to London as head master of the Kensington pro prietary school, and pursued his favorite Orien tal studies at the British Museum. In 1857 he became sub-librarian at the Bodleian Library. and here he began his great work, the Thesaurus Syriacu.s, the first part of which was published in From 1805 to 1870 be was regius pro fessor of divinity at Oxford, and in 1809 be de livered the Hampton lectures, published as Prophecy a Preparation for Christ (1S09). In
1870 he became Dean of Canterbury. his posi tion in the Church was one of sympathy with the evangelicals and his popularity extended widely, even in Non-Conformist bodies. For fif teen years he was a member of the Old Testament revision committee. Besides the Syriac lexicon and the Bampton lectures, he published: 8. Cyrilli dlexandrhr zirelliepiseopi Commentarii in Luew Erangelium Supersunt 8yriace (1858) Saint Cyril's Commentary on Saint Luke's Gos pel, in English (1859) ; The Third Part of the Ecclesiastical Ilis4ory of John, Bishop of Ephe sus, now first Translated from the Original 8yriac ( 1860) ; ratalogi Codieum Manuseripto rum Bibliothrew Bodleianw Pars 8exta, Codices Nyriaeos, Carshanicos, Jlcndaos Completens, and commentaries on Daniel, Jeremiah, Samuel, and Genesis.