taining the perpetual obligation of christians to abstain from things strangled and from blood. He excited more criticism by a volume published in 1738 called ‘Reflections upon Polygamy and the encouragement given to that practice by the Scriptures of the Old Testament,’ by Phileleutherus Dubliniensis; a second edition appeared in 1739, with an apologetic preface addressed to Boulter. He argues in this that polygamy is not favourable to population. A further result of these investigations was ‘An Historical Account of the Life and Reign of David, King of Israel,’ of which the first volume appeared in 1740, the second and third in 1742. Delany defends David against Bayle, but it was said that the author was ‘too fond of his hero,’ and apologised even for crimes of which David repented. Delany's first wife died on 6 Dec. 1741. In the spring of 1743 he went to England to offer himself to Mrs. Pendarves, whose acquaintance he had made during her visit to Ireland at the time of his first marriage [see Delany, Mary]. He probably knew from Swift that she remembered him kindly. Her letters to Swift in the interval generally contain a friendly message to Delany, and refer to the ‘many agreeable friends’ gathered at his ‘sociable Thursdays.’ They were married on 9 June 1743, and through her interest with her relations he was appointed in May 1744 to the deanery of Down. The Delanys lived when in Ireland between Down and Delville, built by him and Dr. Helsham, another fellow of Trinity and an eminent physician. It was called originally Hel Del Ville. Its minute size is ridiculed in some verses by Sheridan printed in Swift's works. It still remains nearly in the state in which it was left by the Delanys, with shell decorations of the ceilings and a fresco portrait of Stella, attributed to Mrs. Delany (Craik's Swift, p. 435). Many accounts of their hospitalities, and the bills of fare of their solid dinners, may be found in Mrs. Delany's autobiography. They paid frequent visits to England, and in 1754 Mrs. Delany bought a house in Spring Gardens, with which she parted just before Delany's death. In 1754 appeared his ‘Observations upon Lord Orrery's Remarks upon the Life and Writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift.’ The book was intended to vindicate Swift from some of Orrery's insinuations. It is well written, and especially interesting as the only account of Swift by one who had known him in the full force of his intellect. Swift had left a medal to Delany and appointed him one of his executors.
Delany was much worried by a lawsuit arising out of his first marriage. He had been imprudent enough to destroy a settlement made at the time of his marriage by himself and his wife. His wife's heirs called for an account of the property, charging him with dishonourable conduct. The case was decided against him by the Irish chancellor of Ireland on 23 Dec. 1752; but upon an appeal to the English House of Lords, the decree was reversed in March 1758, Lord Mansfield stating the argument, according to Mrs. Delany, in ‘an hour and a half's angelic oratory’ (Autobiog. 1st ser. iii. 490).
Delany's health had been decaying since a severe illness in 1754. So late as 1757 he started a paper called the ‘Humanist,’ in which he denounced, among other things, the practice of docking horses' tails. He spent most of his time in Ireland after the decision of his case, but in 1767 returned to try the effect of Bath. Here he gradually sank, dying on 6 May 1768, in the eighty-third year of his age. Delany was clearly a man of great talent and vivacity, rather flighty in his speculations, and apparently not very steady in his politics. He was warm-hearted and impetuous, and hospitable beyond his means, leaving nothing but his books and furniture.
Besides the works above mentioned, he wrote:
- ‘Sermon on Martyrdom of Charles I,’ 1738.
- ‘Fifteen Sermons upon Social Duties,’ 1744; 2nd ed. in 1747, with five additional sermons.
- ‘Essay towards evidencing the Divine Original of Tythes,’ 1748.
- ‘An humble Apology for Christian Orthodoxy,’ 1761.
- ‘Three Discourses on Public Occasions,’ 1763.
- ‘The Doctrine of Transubstantiation clearly and fully confuted,’ 1766.
- ‘Eighteen Discourses and Dissertations upon various very important and interesting Subjects,’ 1766.
[Biog. Brit.; Swift's Works; Mrs. Delany's Autobiography; Cotton's Fasti, ii. 58, 79; Boulter's Letters, 1770, i. 48, 54, 58, ii. 20, 67; Josiah Brown's Cases in Parliament, 1783, v. 300–25.]
DELAP, JOHN, D.D. (1725–1812), poet and dramatist, son of John Delap, gentleman, of Spilsby in Lincolnshire, was originally entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, but migrated to Magdalene College, and was admitted pensioner on 15 March 1743. He took the degrees of B.A. in 1747, M.A. in 1750, and D.D. in 1762, being described on the last occasion as of Trinity College. On 30 Dec. 1748 he was elected to a fellowship at Magdalene, and on 4 March 1749 was admitted into its emoluments. He was ordained in the English church, and was once curate to Mason the poet. The united benefices of
