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EACHARD, John, a divine of the Church of England, was born about 1636, and died in 1697. He was educated at Cambridge, and in 1670 published his first work, entitled "The Grounds and Reasons of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion Enquired into, in a letter to R. L." This book, like most of Eachard's, was characterized by an exquisite facetiousness, and acquired an immediate popularity. It called forth several answers, one of which was by the celebrated John Owen. To the first of these Eachard replied in "a second letter to R. L." In 1671 appeared the first of his two dialogues on Hobbes' theory on the "state of nature"—a subject which few will deny to have been excellently well suited to his admirable powers of raillery and humour. It has, however, been remarked by Swift, who seems to have studied his works, that he signally failed in serious writing. On the death of the learned Lightfoot, Eachard was chosen master of Catherine hall, Cambridge.—R. M., A.
EACHARD. See Echard.
* EADIE, John, D.D., LL.D., an eminent biblical critic, born at Alva in Stirlingshire in 1814. He manifested, under the care of his first preceptor. Rev. Mr. Browning of Tillicoultry, those extraordinary powers of acquiring knowledge, which, with his superior gifts as a preacher and a writer, have rendered his whole career in an eminent degree prosperous and useful. After completing his curriculum at the university of Glasgow, he prepared for the ministry in the divinity hall of the Secession Church (now united with the Relief under the name of the United Presbyterian Church), and in 1835 at the early age of twenty-one was appointed pastor of the congregation in Glasgow, among whom he still labours. In 1843 he was nominated, in succession to one of his own teachers (Dr. Mitchell), professor of biblical literature in the divinity hall of the United Presbyterian Church; the synod of that denomination marking in this striking way their appreciation of the talents and scholarship of the young preacher. In 1844 he was made LL.D. of Glasgow, and in 1850 D.D. of St. Andrews. Twice, during this period, he was offered an important charge in Edinburgh. His merits as a professor are attested by the unbounded popularity which he enjoys among the young men who have attended his lectures; and his faithfulness and talents as a preacher, by the flourishing condition of his congregation, and the frequency with which he is requested to further the interests of the church by preaching at the opening of churches in rural districts. Dr. Eadie's works are of two classes—popular and scientific. Of the former class the best known are "Cruden's Concordance," "Biblical Cyclopædia," "Early Oriental History," "Divine Love," "Paul the Preacher," "Life of Dr. Kitto." In the latter class rank his commentaries on Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians. His style as a commentator unites, in a high degree, the patient research and laborious criticism of the German school, with the weighty practical wisdom and ample range of argument of a school, at the head of which are the old divines of the Church of England whom Dr. Eadie has so profoundly and reverently studied. Dr. Eadie has enriched the pages of this Dictionary with numerous contributions of high merit; and the theological department of the work has had the benefit throughout of his careful supervision.—J. B.
EADMER or EDMER, monk of Canterbury, probably a native of England, and born about the middle of the eleventh century, but we have no precise information respecting his birth or parentage. He was appointed by the pope spiritual director to Anselm, who had been raised to the see of Canterbury in 1093, and he was the friend, disciple, and biographer of that distinguished prelate. In 1120 Eadmer was appointed archbishop of St. Andrews at the desire of Alexander I. of Scotland; but a misunderstanding having occurred between him and the king relative to his consecration, he resigned his preferment, and returned to the monastery of Canterbury, where he died, according to Wharton, in 1124. The published works of Eadmer are "A History of his own Times," lives of St. Anselm, St. Wilfrid, St. Oswald, St. Dunstan; and tracts on the "Excellency of the Virgin Mary," and on the "Happiness of the Heavenly Country." They are written in Latin, and have been highly commended by no less competent a judge than Selden, who edited the history. There are several unpublished manuscripts of Eadmer in Corpus Christi college, Cambridge. He was a man of learning, and deeply imbued with the liberal christian spirit of Anselm.—J. B. J.
EAGLES, John, the Rev., the well-known author of the "Sketcher" in Blackwood's Magazine, was the son of Thomas Eagles, Esq., comptroller of the customs at Bristol, where he was born in 1784. He received his early education at Sayer's school at Bristol, whence he was removed first to Winchester, and afterwards to Wadham college, Oxford, where he took his degree of B.A. in 1812. Soon afterwards he was ordained by the bishop of Salisbury to a Wiltshire curacy. Having had for a time the lectureship of St. Nicholas, Bristol, in 1819 he accepted the curacy of Hatherton in Devonshire, which he retained under Sydney Smith till 1834, from which year till 1838 he was curate of Winford, near Bristol. In the latter year he accepted the rectory of Kennersley, Herefordshire, but resigned that preferment in 1842. From that date till his death he was a constant contributor to the best of periodical literature. He was a graceful, easy, and pointed writer, and when local politics ran high, his epigrammatic pen was frequently employed in the war of parties, though his wit was always tempered with good-nature and good taste. He was an accomplished artist himself, as well as a critic on art; and dividing his time between his studies and his books, he continued down to his death to be a constant contributor to the pages of Blackwood. His papers entitled the "Sketcher," have recently been collected and republished in a separate form. He died at Clifton, near Bristol, November 9, 1855.—E. W.
EAGLESFIELD. See Egglesfield.
EALRED. See Ailred.
EAMES, John, F.R.S., was a native of London, where he received his education at Merchant Taylors' school. He afterwards studied for the ministry among the dissenters; but a defect in his utterance, combined with extreme diffidence, prevented his ever entering on that work. He became classical and mathematical tutor in a dissenting college in London, and devoted his spare time to scientific pursuits. He was intimate with Sir Isaac Newton, and sometimes worked for him. The Royal Society employed him, along with another, to draw up an abridgment of their Transactions, which appeared in 1719-33, in two vols. 4to. He died in 1744. Dr. Watts calls him the most learned man he ever knew.—W. L. A.
EARLE, John, was born at York, it is supposed about the year 1601. He went to Oxford, and was first a commoner at Christ church, and afterwards in 1620 entered as a fellow of Merton college. He took the degrees of master of arts and doctor in divinity respectively in 1624 and 1642. Through the influence of Philip, earl of Pembroke, he was advanced to be chaplain and tutor to Prince Charles, and chancellor of Salisbury cathedral; but on the breaking out of the civil wars he was stripped of his preferments, and when the battle of Worcester sent Charles II. back to his exile, Earle fled also, and became his chaplain at Rouen. When the wheel of fortune turned once more, he came in the king's train to England, and was immediately made dean of Westminster, then bishop of Worcester, and in 1662 he was translated to the see of Salisbury. We
