Saurch, near Erlangen, on the 20th December, 1626. His father was sprung from an ancient and noble Franconian family, and was deeply involved in the troubles of the Thirty Years' war, in which he lost first his liberty, and finally, in 1642, his head. He received his early education in the gymnasium of Coburg, where the talents he displayed were so remarkable as to attract the attention of Duke Ernest of Gotha, who took him into his service as a page, and caused him to be trained in all knightly exercises and accomplishments. In 1642 he repaired to the university of Strasburg, where he spent three busy years in the study of philosophy, theology, and law. In 1646 he visited the court of the Landgraf George II. of Hesse-Darmstadt, where he was well received, and appointed an ensign in the landgraf's bodyguard. But he soon grew weary of a soldier's life, and entered into the civil service of his early patron, Duke Ernest of Gotha. Here he rose rapidly. In 1651 he was made hofrath and kirchenrath, and for the next thirty years he took a large share in the civil and ecclesiastical administration of the duchies of Gotha, Altenburg, Saxe-Zeitz, and Electoral Saxony. In 1681 he resigned most of his public offices, and withdrew to his estate of Meuselwitz, near Altenburg, where he devoted the next ten years of his life to the completion of several literary works, which in the midst of innumerable public avocations he had found leisure in earlier years to commence. In 1691 he was induced to leave his much-loved retirement by the Elector Frederick III. of Brandenburg, in order to assume the chancellorship of the newly founded university of Halle; but he held this distinguished post only for a short time, for in the following year he was cut off by repeated attacks of the stone. His character was highly esteemed by his contemporaries, who spoke of him as "omnium nobilium christianissimus, et omnium christianorum nobilissimus." He also acquired high reputation as an author in the departments of law and church history. In the former his "Deutsche Fürstenstaat," published in 1664, long retained its popularity as a manual of government; while his "Christenstaat," published in 1684, manifested the liveliest and most enlightened zeal in the service of christian truth, and of the evangelical church. In the department of church history his earliest work was his "Compendium historiæ ecclesiasticæ," which appeared in 1660, and continued to be reprinted till the middle of last century. His "Dissertatio historica et apologetica pro doctrina D. Lutheri de Missa," was published at Jena in 1686. But the most important and valuable of all his writings was his "Commentarius historicus et apologeticus de Lutheranismo, seu de Reformatione religionis," which appeared first at Leipsic in 1688, in 4to, and then in a more complete form at Frankfort in 1692, in folio. It was called forth by the publication of Maimbourg's Histoire du Luthéranisme, whose attacks upon protestantism were all the more dangerous that he abstained from the gross abuse of Luther and the other reformers, in which popish writers had always up to his time indulged. Seckendorf adopted the method of presenting to his readers the whole of Maimbourg's text in a Latin translation, and accompanying it step by step with a historical and polemical commentary, in which he exposed, seriatim, all its inaccuracies, perversions, omissions, and additions. He had access to all the historical archives of Saxony, and of these and all the other original sources of the history of the Reformation he made such indefatigable, learned, and sagacious use, that his work, though not readable as a narrative, is still highly valued as a rich repository of the most trustworthy materials for the history of that important period. It has always been regarded indeed as an indispensable help to a thorough knowledge especially of the Saxon reformation, and is continually referred to by later historians.—P. L.
SECKER, Thomas, an eminent prelate of the Church of England in the eighteenth century. He was born of dissenting parents in Nottinghamshire, and educated as a dissenting preacher. He received the rudiments of his education at various seminaries in the counties of Derby and York, and at length entered a theological academy kept at Tewkesbury by a Mr. Jones, who, if we may judge from the distinguished men who received their education under him, must have been a remarkable man. Among Seeker's companions in study were Joseph Butler and Samuel Chandler, with both of whom Seeker formed a close intimacy, which continued throughout their lives. It was here that Seeker laid the foundation of his theological acquirements. After completing his education among the dissenters, he appears to have preached occasionally to their congregations; but scruples as to their principles had arisen in his mind, probably before leaving the college at Tewkesbury, and he never became a settled minister among them. In 1719 he went to Paris to prosecute the study of medicine, to which he had betaken himself in the uncertainty of his ecclesiastical opinions. While here he received an introduction from his friend Butler, who had then become preacher at the Rolls chapel, to Mr. Talbot, son of the bishop of Durham, the result of which was that a very cordial friendship sprang up between them, Talbot promised him his father's patronage and support, should he enter the Church of England and devote himself to its ministry, This appears to have been the turning-point of Seeker's life. He avowed the scruples which he had long entertained, and sought admission to the established church. He entered himself a gentleman commoner at Exeter college, Oxford; and as some difficulties existed about his taking a primary degree there, he repaired to Leyden for three months, and there took the degree of doctor of medicine. He thereafter became a bachelor of arts at Oxford, was ordained by Bishop Talbot, and in two years afterwards appointed to the rectory of Houghton-le-Spring. His rise was thenceforth very rapid. He succeeded in 1727 to a stall in Durham cathedral, with the rectory of Ryton, near Newcastle, attached. This he exchanged in a few years for the rectory of St. James', Westminster, having in this interval been appointed a queen's chaplain. In 1729 he was elevated to the see of Bristol, and in 1739 he was translated to that of Oxford, along with which he held the valuable deanery of St. Paul's. On the death of Archbishop Hutton in 1758 he was unexpectedly nominated to the vacant dignity. He discharged the duties of this high office with great urbanity, moderation, and firmness. He can scarcely be called a learned prelate, and neither his temper nor the times in which he lived invited him to any active participation in the affairs of government. He had the sense to appreciate and adapt himself to his position. Shortly after his accession to the primacy he officiated at the coronation of George III., and his placid manners, correct and elegant, if somewhat cold theology, and moderate constitutional principles, seem to have been fitly accommodated to the atmosphere surrounding him. He is chiefly known by his "Sermons," and "Lectures on the Catechism of the Church of England." They are not very interesting reading now-a-days, but they had a high reputation and were widely circulated in their day. Secker died ten years after his appointment to the primacy, in 1768, and is buried in a humble grave in Lambeth churchyard.—T.
SECUNDUS. See Everard.
SEDAINE, Michel Jean, a clever French dramatist, was born at Paris on 4th July, 1719, his father being an architect in that city. On his death the young Sedaine was so much reduced in circumstances, that he was glad to work as a stonemason under Baron, the architect. He, however, continued his studies, and his employer soon discovering his talents, took him into partnership. This act Sedaine repaid by educating David, Baron's grandson, destined afterwards to become the founder of a new school of painting in France. In 1756 Sedaine first appeared as a dramatist in a piece founded on Le Sage's Devil on Two Sticks, which was brought out at the Opéra comique, and had a successful run. After writing for some years for the Opéra comique, he wrote the "Philosophe sans le Savoir" for the theâtre Français, and achieved a reputation as a writer of high comedy. He subsequently wrote "Richard Cœur de Lion" for the Grand opera, which was produced with the music composed by Grétry. This and the "Déserteur" are generally considered as his best works. At the age of sixty-five he was admitted a member of the Academy, which honour he enjoyed for thirteen years, dying on the 17th of May, 1797.—W. J. P.
* SEDGWICK, Adam, one of the most eminent geologists of the present day, occupies the situation of Woodwardian professor of geology in Cambridge. He was born in 1785 at Dent in Yorkshire. He prosecuted his studies at the university of Cambridge, and took the degree of B.A. in 1808. He became a fellow of Trinity in 1809, and on the death of Professor Hailstone, was elected to his present office. He is one of the prebendaries of Norwich cathedral, a fellow of the Royal, Geological, and Cambridge Philosophical Societies, to all of which he has contributed papers. He has paid great attention to the lower series of rocks, and has given important and valuable papers on the Cambrian, and on the lower Palæozoic rocks. He has made large collections of rocks, minerals, and fossils, and has contri-
