Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 16.djvu/94

 substance and even the treatment of three remarkable sermons by Duchal on the spirit of Christianity (1762).

Duchal is less known as a biographer, but his character portraits of Irish non-subscribing clergy are of great value. The original draft of seven sketches, without names, has been printed (Christian Moderator, April 1827, p. 431) from a copy by Thomas Drennan; the first three are (1686-1735) [q. v.], [q. v.], and Abernethy. They were worked up, with some softening of the criticism, in the funeral sermon for Abernethy, with appended biographies (1741). Witherow quite erroneously assigns these biographies to, D.D. [q. v.]

Duchal was assisted at Wood Street in 1745 by Archibald Maclaine, D.D., the translator of Mosheim, but he had no regular colleague till 1747, when Samuel Bruce (1722-1767), father of, D.D. (1757-1841) [q. v.], was appointed. In the opinion of his friends, Duchal's laborious fulfilment of the demands of his calling shortened his days. He died unmarried on 4 May 1761, having completed his sixty-fourth year.

He published: Also funeral sermons for:  Mrs. Bristow, Belfast, 1736, 8vo;  Rev. Hugh Scot, Belfast, 1736, 8vo;  J. Arbuckle, M.D., Dublin, 1747, 8vo.  Prefatory 'Letter' to Cornwall's Essay on the Character of W. Bruce, 1755, 8vo (dated 25 Aug.) Posthumous were:  'Sermons,' vol. i., Dublin, 1762, 8vo, vols. ii. iii., Dublin, 1764, 8vo.  'On the Obligation of Truth, as concerned in Subscriptions to Articles,' &c. (published in 'Theological Repository,' 1770, ii. 191 sq.)  'Letter to Dr. Taylor on the Doctrine of Atonement' (' Theol. Repos.' 1770, ii. 328 sq.; reprinted in William Graham's 'The Doctrine of Atonement,' 1772).  Other essays from Duchal's manuscripts sent to Priestley for publication were lost in the passage to Liverpool. Six small volumes, containing forty-seven autograph sermons by Duchal, 1721-40, which on 18 Nov. 1783 were in the possession of, D.D. [q. v.], were presented by James Gibson, Q.C., to the library of Magee College, Derry.
 * 1) 'The Practice of Religion,' &c., 1728, 8vo (three sermons; one of these is reprinted in 'The Protestant System,' vol. i. 1758).
 * 2) 'A Letter from a Gentleman,' &c., Dublin, 1731, 8vo (anon., answered by Holmes, 'Plain Reasons,' &c., Dublin, 1732, 8vo).
 * 3) 'Remarks upon "Plain Reasons,"' &c., Belfast, 1732, 8vo (anon., answered by Holmes, 'Impartial Reflections,' &c., Belfast, 1732, 8vo).
 * 4) 'A Sermon on occasion of the &hellip; death of &hellip; John Abernethy,' &c., Belfast, 1741, 8vo (preached at Antrim 7 Dec. 1740; appended are Duchal's Memoirs of the Revs. T. Shaw, W. Taylor, M. Bruce, and S. Haliday; the publication was edited by Kirkpatrick, who added a 'conclusion').
 * 5) 'Memoir' (anon.) of Abernethy, prefixed to his posthumous 'Sermons,' 1748, 8vo.
 * 6) 'Second Thoughts concerning the Sufferings and Death of Christ,' &c., 1748, 8vo (anon.)
 * 7) 'Presumptive Arguments for the &hellip; Christian Religion,' &c., 1753, 8vo (eleven sermons, with explanatory preface).



DUCIE, (1802–1853). [See .]

DUCK, ARTHUR (1580–1648), civilian, second son of Richard Duck by Joanna, his wife, was born at Heavitree, Devonshire, in 1580, entered Exeter College, Oxford, in 1595, and there graduated B. A. in June 1599. He afterwards migrated to Hart Hall, where he proceeded M.A. on 18 May 1602. In 1604 he was elected a fellow of All Souls (Lansd. MS. 985, f. 77). He took the degree of LL.B. on 16 Dec. 1607, and that of LL.D. on 9 July 1612, having spent some years in foreign travel. In 1614 he was admitted an advocate at Doctors' Commons. Between this date and 1617 he made a journey into Scotland in some official capacity, but in what does not appear (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1611-18, p. 496). On 16 Jan. 1623-4 he was returned to parliament for Minehead, Somersetshire, having on 5 Jan. preceding been appointed king's advocate in the earl marshal's court (ib, 1623-1625, p. 145). He is said to have held the office of master of requests, but the date of his appointment is not clear. He certainly acted in a judicial capacity as early as May 1625 (ib. 1625-6, p. 33). An opinion of Duck's, advising that a statute drafted by Laud in 1626 for Wadham College, Oxford, by which