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PRE finished he was not altogether blind, and corrected with his own hand a copy of the work printed in large type. It is almost incredible, but the statement was made by a personal friend at the meeting of the Massachusetts Historical Society, held just after his death to do honour to his memory, that even when the history was thus in type, Prescott was so diffident that he intended to place the corrected copy on his shelves, and not give the work to the world. According to the same authority he had to be persuaded into publishing. Published it was, and at the Christmas of 1837—within the twenty years which he had allowed himself in 1819—as the "History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic." The period chosen was one of the most interesting in Spanish history, that which saw Spain become one kingdom, and which reckoned among its heroes Columbus, Gonsalvez de Cordova, and Cardinal Ximenes. Much of the information was novel; the style was polished, elevated, and animated. Prescott's work was immediately successful in America and England, and the Royal Spanish Academy in gratitude made the historian of Ferdinand and Isabella one of its members. Prescott now resolved to undertake a history of the conquest of Mexico; and Washington Irving, who had formed a similar scheme, gracefully gave way, and abandoned the ground when he heard who thought of occupying it. Through Navarrete the Spanish archives, public and private, were explored for him, and in 1843 appeared his "History of the Conquest of Mexico," in which the biography of the central figure, Cortez, was continued to his death, and which was enriched by a most elaborate and careful account of the civilization of the ancient Mexicans. This work was even more popular than its predecessor; and in 1845 its author had the honour of succeeding Navarrete as corresponding member of the class of moral and political philosophy in the French Institute. A companion work, the "History of the Conquest of Peru," with Pizarro for its hero, followed in 1847. Prescott now began what he intended to be his magnum opus, a "History of the reign of Philip II. of Spain." With the active and useful co-operation, on this side of the Atlantic, of Pascal de Gayangos, one of the first to explore the archives of Simancas, Prescott succeeded in publishing in 1855 two volumes of his new history. A third appeared during the last weeks of 1858, closing with the building of the Escurial and the death of Anne of Austria, and containing a singularly picturesque and vivid narrative of the Morisco rebellion. The subject was undoubtedly the most important that Prescott had undertaken. The English critics had just pronounced the work to be in style and interest the best which he had produced, and the reading world looked hopefully forward to new volumes, when the tidings came that Prescott was dead. He died suddenly and unexpectedly of apoplexy at Boston, on the 28th of January, 1859. After his fame was well established he had visited England, where his modesty, amiability, and geniality made the man as much admired as the writer was before, and where the university of Oxford conferred on him the degree of D.C.L. Although he had not hesitated in his "Philip II." to compete with Watson, he refused all invitations to enter into competition with Robertson, and to write a history of the reign of Charles V. Of Robertson's work, however, he published an edition in 1857, with, among other additions, an account of Charles from his abdication to his death, a subject which had already been illustrated with novelty by M. Mignet and Mr. Stirling of Keir. In 1843 he had collected his contributions to the North American Review, and more than one edition has appeared of these "Biographical and Critical Essays." They include his interesting memoir of Charles Brockden Brown, contributed in 1834 to Sparks' American Biography.—F. E.  PRESTEL,, a German engraver, was born at Grünenbach in Suabia in 1739. He completed his studies at Vienna under Joseph Wagner. Prestel settled in Nuremberg, and there engraved a large number of prints—above one hundred and forty—chiefly after the great masters—including Raphael's Descent from the Cross, and a Holy Family, and several others after Albert Dürer; but many of them are slight, being merely etchings finished in aquatint. Several of his engravings are from his own designs. He also painted several pictures. He died at Frankfort in 1808. in many of his earlier plates, especially of landscapes, he was assisted by his wife, ; but in consequence of some disagreement they separated, and she came to England (1786), where she engraved a good many landscapes in mingled etching and aquatint, after Gainsborough, Webber, and other English artists, as well as the old masters. She died in London in 1794. Her prints must not be confounded with those of her daughter Catharine, who engraved in a similar manner.—J. T—e.  PRESTON,, a celebrated Calvinistic divine, born at Heyford in Northamptonshire in 1587, and educated first at Northampton free grammar-school. From thence he removed to Cambridge, where he entered King's college, but soon emigrated to Queen's, where he became distinguished for his knowledge of the Aristotelian philosophy. He was elected fellow of his college in 1609. When James I. visited the university, he disputed before that monarch with great applause. In theology he adopted the theories of Calvin, and was obnoxious to the suspicion of Puritan disloyalty. So high, however, was his reputation, that Prince Charles appointed him one of his chaplains in ordinary, and he was chosen preacher of Lincoln's inn. On being elected master of Emanuel college in 1622, he took his degree of D.D. Even the duke of Buckingham was his patron, and obtained for him the lectureship of Trinity church, Cambridge. He wrote a treatise "On the Covenant," 1629, 4to; and several other tracts and sermons posthumously published. Echard praises him as "the most celebrated of the Puritans." Fuller says "he was all judgment and gravity, and a perfect master of his passions; an excellent preacher, a celebrated disputant, and a perfect politician." He died in 1628.—T. J.  PRESTON,, a dramatic writer of the age of Elizabeth, was educated at Cambridge, where he became fellow of King's college, and afterwards was created a doctor of civil law and master of Trinity hall in that university, a post which he retained about fourteen years, till his death in 1598. When Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Cambridge in 1564, Preston's acting in the tragedy of Dido so pleased her majesty, that she bestowed on him a pension of £20 per annum. He is the author of one play, written in the irregular rhyming metre which was in use before the introduction of blank verse, and entitled "A Lamentable Tragedy mixed ful of pleasant mirth, conteyning the life of Cambyses, King of Persia," &c., &c. This is a most absurd production; and Langbaine reasonably conjectured that Shakspeare meant to glance at it when he made Falstaff speak in "King Cambyses' vein." He might have added that the title of Bottom's play in Midsummer Night's Dream—

was probably meant as a parody on the ridiculous title of Preston's play.—T. A.  PRESTRE,. See.  PREVOST,, a celebrated French engraver, was born at Paris in 1797. He was a scholar of Regnault and of Bervic, and first published on his own account some vignettes after various masters in 1822. M. Prevost has engraved a large number of plates after the old masters and the principal modern French painters. His two great prints are, "Jesus in the house of Simon," 1857, and the "Wedding at Cana," 1852, after the famous pictures in the Louvre by Paul Veronese. M. Prevost's manner was peculiar, but effective. Except in his largest works he made more use than usual of etching, reserving the graver for the heads and more important parts. M. Prevost obtained a medal of the second class in 1828, of the first in 1839, and the cross of the legion of honour in 1852. He died in 1861.—J. T—e.  PREVOT D'EXILES,, one of the most fertile writers of the eighteenth century, was born at Hesain in Artois in 1697. An intense love of worldly pleasure seems to have held alternate sway in his breast with sentiments of serious devotion. He twice left the society of the jesuits to revel in the dissipation of military life; and after finally enrolling himself among the Benedictines of St. Maur, he broke from his vows and fled to Holland, where he is said to have formed a connection with a young French protestant of great wit and beauty. After a visit to England, during which he wrote two novels, and conducted a periodical journal up to the twentieth volume, he returned to France and pursued an active literary career under the patronage of the prince of Conti. His death in 1763 was most melancholy, his body having been prematurely opened while he lay to all appearance dead in a fit of apoplexy. His industry was very great. Besides some novels of considerable merit, the chief of which is the charming "Manon Lescaut," he wrote, at the suggestion of the Chancellor D'Aguesseau, a "General History of Voyages," a work demanding 