Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 18.djvu/301

 of these were ‘The Interest of England Stated,’ &c., published in 1659; ‘The Life of Dr. Henry Hammond,’ published in 1661 and reprinted in 1662; ‘Grammatica Rationis sive Institutiones Logicæ’ (Oxford, 1673 and 1685); ‘The Vanity of Scoffing, in a Letter to a Gentleman,’ 1674; ‘Life of Dr. Allestree,’ prefixed to an edition of his sermons (1684). He also prepared for the press works of Alcinous on Plato (1667), of Athenagoras (1682), of Clemens Alexandrinus (1683), of Nemesius of Emesa (1671), and of Theophilus of Antioch (1682). His edition of Aratus and Eratosthenes (Oxford, 1672) is still very valuable; but his great critical edition of the works of Cyprian (Oxford, 1682) is his most remarkable publication. Bishop Pearson, for whose attainments Fell expressed the highest regard, aided him with suggestions, and he employed William Nichols, John Massey, afterwards dean of Christ Church, John Mill, and Dr. Burton in collating manuscripts. Taswell (Autobiog. Camd. Soc. p. 23) also helped him. Jean Le Clerc gives the book unstinted praise in his ‘Bibliothèque Universelle,’ xii. 208. Fell issued an English translation of ‘Cyprian on the Unity of the Church’ (1681). He is said to have also edited ‘A Paraphrase and Annotations upon the Epistles of St. Paul’ (1675, 1684, 1705, and 1852), which is often quoted as ‘Fell's paraphrase.’ But Obadiah Walker seems to have first written the book with the assistance of Abraham Woodhead and Richard Allestree, and if Fell assisted at all, he only ‘corrected and improved’ it for the press. Bishop Jacobson, its latest editor, disputed Fell's share in it altogether. Prideaux (Life, pp. 17–19) thought that Fell was the author of ‘Reasons of the Decay of Christian Piety,’ attributed to the unknown author of ‘The Whole Duty of Man,’ and published with his other tracts in 1704. In 1706 the manuscript of this work came into the Bodleian Library, and Dr. Aldrich was of opinion that it was copied by Fell ‘with a disguised hand.’ Hearne detected Fell's handwriting in some alterations on the title-page (Collect. i. 281, 387). Fell was obviously in the secret of the authorship of the ‘Whole Duty.’ Hearne believed that that and other works claiming to be by the same hand came from a committee of which Fell was a member. But Fell declined on all occasions to admit his complicity (ib. ii. 299–300). He edited the ‘Ladies' Calling’ in 1677, another work attributed to the same anonymous writer. Some letters from him to Lord Scudamore are in Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 11046. His property was left to a nephew, Henry Jones of Sunningwell, who, dying in 1707, bequeathed many of Fell's books and papers to the Bodleian Library. Jones is said to have projected a life of his uncle (, ii. 73, 89, 117).

The epigram beginning ‘I do not like you, Dr. Fell,’ is commonly stated to have been paraphrased from Martial's ‘Non amo te, Sabidi,’ &c., by Tom Brown (1663–1704) [q. v.], an undergraduate of Christ Church while Fell was dean. Thomas Forde, however, in his ‘Virtus Rediviva,’ &c., 1661, p. 106, quotes Martial's lines, and translates them, ‘I love thee not, Nel! But why, I can't tell,’ &c. Brown doubtless parodied Forde's verses rather than Martial's. Two portraits of Fell are in Christ Church Hall: one together with Dolben and Allestree, the other in episcopal robes by Vandyck. There is a statue in the great quadrangle.

[Wood's Athenæ Oxon., ed. Bliss, iv. 193; Wood's Life, passim; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, 1885; Memoirs and Diary of John Evelyn; Burnet's History of his own Time, 1838; Welch's Alumni Westmonast. pp. 23–4; notes of great value by Professor J. E. B. Mayor in Notes and Queries, 5th ser. vi. 2; authorities cited above.]  FELL, JOHN (1735–1797), congregationalist minister and classical tutor, was born at Cockermouth, Cumberland, on 22 Aug. 1735. His father, Daniel Fell, was a schoolmaster, clerk to the dissenting congregation, and occasional village preacher. Fell was apprenticed to a tailor, and after serving his time obtained a situation in London. His bent was towards the dissenting ministry, and by the help of the ‘King's Head Society’ he was placed in 1757 at the Mile End academy under John Conder, D.D. [q. v.] The classical tutor was John Walker, D.D., an excellent scholar, who took a great fancy to Fell, and gave him private instructions. On leaving the academy he was for a short time assistant in a school at Norwich. In 1762 he was invited to take charge of an independent congregation at Beccles, Suffolk. He preached there for several years, but declined the pastorate, the church not being organised to his satisfaction.

In May 1770 he succeeded David Parry as minister of the congregational church at Thaxted, Essex, where he was ordained on 24 Oct. This was his happiest settlement; his congregation grew, he lived on intimate terms with successive rectors of the parish, and with Rayner Hickford, the Saxon scholar; and he had time for literary and theological pursuits and for private tuition. His writings in reply to Hugh Farmer [q. v.] are able, but too acrimonious. In 1787, on the retirement of Benjamin Davies, D.D., he accepted the post of classical tutor in his alma