wife for the Dublin stage for two years at £800 a year; but Macklin's violent temper soon brought the engagement to a close. Returning to London, he played Mercutio in Covent Garden. He took a formal leave of the stage in 1754, and opened a tavern and coffee-house in the Piazza of Covent Garden, with which he combined lectures on the drama by himself. Here he was the constant butt of Foote's ridicule, and was soon forced to close his doors. Bankruptcy followed, and he had again to take to the stage. Accordingly he joined Barry and Woodward in opening the new theatre of Crow Street in Dublin in 1757. On the death of his wife he returned to England to a good engagement at Drury Lane, where he brought out his farce of "Love a la Mode" in 1760, and the following year he produced "The Married Libertine" at Covent Garden. He revisited Dublin in 1763, where he played Shylock, Sir Archy and Peachem with great success in Smock Alley. Again in London in 1774 he appeared in the character of Macbeth. A plot was formed against him by some of the company, which ended in Macklin's dismissal. He brought an action, obtained large damages, but compromised for his expenses, and £300 worth of tickets. Macklin's powers now began to fail; while playing Sir Pertinax MacSycophant in his own comedy, his memory failed, and he could not proceed. In May, 1789, he attempted Shylock with a similar result; the part was finished by another actor, and Macklin never again came forward. He survived till the 11th July, 1797. To his talents as an actor Macklin added the merit of a successful dramatic writer. Of his ten plays two are so excellent that they still retain their place on the acting list—"Love a la Mode," and "The Man of the World;" the last is his chef d'œuvre. His temper was violent and splenetic, involving him in perpetual quarrels; his appearance was unprepossessing, and his features harsh and sinister. "If the Deity," said Quin of him, "writes a legible hand, that fellow is a villain," a remark more bitter than true.—J. F. W.
M'KNIGHT, James, D.D., the commentator, was born 17th September, 1721, at Irvine where his father was parish minister; and was educated for the ministry at the universities of Glasgow and Leyden. After being licensed to preach by the presbytery of Irvine, he officiated for some time at the Gorbals, Glasgow, and at Kilwinning, before he was ordained. In 1753 he was ordained minister of Maybole, where he continued for sixteen years, and where he commenced his literary labours. In 1756 he published his "Harmony of the Gospels," the plan of which he had conceived while still at college, and of which a second edition with improvements appeared in 1763. In the latter year he published the "Truth of the Gospel History," including a view both of the internal and external evidences of christianity. These works procured him a high reputation for theological learning, and were rewarded with the degree of D.D. from the university of Edinburgh, and with his nomination to the moderator's chair of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1769. In the same year he was translated to Jedburgh, and three years later to Edinburgh, where he was first minister of Lady Tester's church, and next of the Old church, in which latter he continued from 1778 till his death, 13th January, 1800. After the death of Dr. Webster he was appointed joint-collector with Sir Henry Moncrieff of the Widow's fund of the church. As his parochial charge was a collegiate one (he had for some years as his colleague Dr. Henry, author of the History of Great Britain), he was able to command considerable leisure for his critical studies; and for thirty years he worked without interruption upon the preparation of his principal work, "The New Translation of the Apostolical Epistles, with a Commentary and Notes," which appeared in 1795, in 6 vols., quarto. It included a "Life of the Apostle Paul," and was frequently republished in 8vo. It was everywhere well received, not only in Scotland but in England, and was no doubt a considerable advance upon previous works of a similar kind. It has not been able, however, to maintain its position in competition with the claims of later commentaries. The author's theology was defective, his spiritual sympathies with the apostle were far from full-toned or complete; and in exact knowledge of the peculiarities of the New Testament Greek, he has been far outdone by later critics and commentators. But judged by the standard of his own age, he was a meritorious scholar and interpreter; and his merits were acknowledged not only by his own church, but by many bishops and other dignitaries of the Church of England.—P. L.
MACLAINE, Archibald, D.D., the author of the well-known translation of Mosheim's Church History, was born at Monaghan in Ireland in 1722. He studied at Glasgow under Mr. Hutcheson for the presbyterian ministry, and about 1745 was invited to the Hague to succeed his uncle, Dr. Milling, as pastor of the English church. Here he remained till 1794, when the French invasion obliged him to leave Holland. He afterwards resided at Bath, where he died in 1804. The first edition of his translation of Mosheim was published in 1765. It was well received, and has been often reprinted. Dr. Maclaine published also various sermons, and a reply to Mr. Soame Jenyns' view of the Internal Evidence of Christianity.—D. W. R.
MACLAURIN, Colin, a famous Scottish mathematician, was born at Kilmodan in 1698, and died at York on the 14th of June, 1746. He was educated at the university of Marischal college, Aberdeen, where, in 1717, he was appointed to the professorship of mathematics at the early age of nineteen, having proved his superiority to other candidates in a competitive examination. In 1722 he travelled for a time in France as tutor to the son of Lord Polwarth. He afterwards became assistant to James Gregory, then professor of mathematics in the university of Edinburgh; and on the death of Gregory, Maclaurin was appointed to the vacant chair. In 1745 he superintended the construction of some temporary fortifications, intended for the defence of Edinburgh against the army of Prince Charles Edward. On the unopposed entrance of the pretender's forces into that city, Maclaurin quitted it never to return. The great mathematical ability of Maclaurin caused him to be highly esteemed by Newton, who paid him an annuity during the time that elapsed between his appointment as assistant to Gregory and his succeeding to the chair of mathematics; and Maclaurin worthily repaid the benefit by becoming one of the most able of the mathematicians by whom the discoveries of Newton were expounded and developed, and his labours continued. His mathematical writings are remarkable for order, conciseness, and clearness, and are still well worthy of study. His principal works were—"Geometria Organica, seu descriptio linearum curvarum universalis," London, 1720; "A Treatise on Fluxions," Edinburgh, 1742, which was the best work on fluxions of its time; "A Treatise on Algebra," published after the author's death; and an "Exposition of the Philosophical Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton," also published posthumously, London, 1748. He also wrote several detached memoirs—one of which, on the collision of bodies, gained a prize offered by the French Academy of Sciences in 1724, and another, on the theory of the tides, shared a similar honour with memoirs on the same subject by Euler and Daniel Bernoulli (q. v.), in 1740.—W. J. M. R.
MACLAURIN, John, of Dreghorn, eldest son of Professor Maclaurin, was educated at the high school and university of Edinburgh, and was admitted an advocate in 1756. He practised successfully for many years, and was elevated to the bench in 1788, by the title of Lord Dreghorn. He died in 1796. His works, including an essay on literary property, a collection of criminal cases, &c., were published in 1798 in two volumes. He was also the author of an anonymous publication, entitled "Observations on some Points of Law," &c.—J. T.
MACLAURIN, John, an eminent preacher, was born at the manse, Glendaruel, Argyleshire, October, 1693. His father was minister of the parish. John was the second son; the eldest died in youth; and the third son, Colin, became one of the most famous mathematicians of the age. The family seems to have come originally from Tyree, one of the small Hebrides. Maclaurin's nephew, the son of Colin, who occupied a seat as a judge in the court of session by the title of Lord Dreghorn, took this legend for his coat of arms, "Tyrii tenuere coloni." Maclaurin after attending college and hall in Glasgow, and studying for a short time at Leyden, was licensed by the presbytery of Dumbarton, 1717, and ordained in 1719 at Luss, on the banks of Lochlomond. In 1723 he was translated to the north-west parish of Glasgow, then popularly called the Ram's Horn, and now St. David's. After labouring with great acceptance for many years in a catholic spirit, corresponding with such good men at home as Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, and such good men abroad as Jonathan Edwards, promoting vital piety by all means in his power, aiding evangelical truth and freedom, and promoting public charities, he died after a lingering illness on the 8th of September, 1754. Mr. Maclaurin married first in 1724, Lilias, daughter of Mr. Rae of Little Govan, and in 1749, after ten years of widowhood, Margaret, daughter of Mr. Patrick Bell of Cowcaddens. His
