Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/354

 College, Cambridge, on ioth January 1689, and he took the degree of B.A. on 13th January 1693 (both of these years are perhaps according to old style). On 21st March in the latter year he was appointed Librarian of his College, and held that appointment till ioth August 1695. He was elected to the mastership of the Free Grammar School in Sheffield (in succession to Thomas Balguy, B.A.), on 23rd September 1696. This office he held for a short time only; for he soon departed to undertake the duties of a Vicar-Choral at Southwell. In the spring of 1699 he was presented by the Dean and Chapter of York to the Vicarage of Brotherton in the West Riding, and on July 22 of that year he took the degree of M.A. Ralph Thoresby, who always calls him “Parson Daubuz,” had a sister, Mrs. Rayner, who lived in the village of Brotherton, and secured him as a learned correspondent — also, as a contributor to his collection of autographs and coins; “he gave me some original papers subscribed by eminent statesmen of the French nation, and one by Louis-le-Grand himself.”

The early promise of scholarship and biblical learning which characterised Mr. Daubuz had perhaps been fostered by the refugee divine and author, De la Mothe, as I find that he married one of the connections of that family, Anne Philota, daughter of Philippe Guide, M.D. They had eight children, of whom I have the names of five, — Stephen, perhaps the eldest son; Claudius (perhaps named after Monsieur de la Mothe), born 1704; Charles, born 1710; and Theophilus, who founded the modern families of Daubuz in England; and John, a posthumous child. The living of Brotherton yielded only £60 or £70 per annum, so that the learned vicar “was under the necessity of engaging himself in the education of several gentlemen’s sons, in the neighbourhood. Notwithstanding his contracted income he made some additions to the vicarage house; in 1789 part of it was repaired, and three gold coins of the reign of Louis XIV. were found in the wall, which were no doubt placed there by him.” He was a diligent student and writer; he published, in 1703, a translation of a French brochure, “The Maxims of Popish Policy in England,” and in 1706 a treatise entitled, Pro testimonio Flavii Josephi de Jesu Christo. On 30th April 1712 Mrs. Thoresby “called at the vicarage; viewed two large volumes [in manuscript] of parson Daubuz’s learned and curious commentary upon the Revelation.” Mr. Daubuz died in the prime of life, and he is described as “tall and graceful in his person — of a strong and healthy constitution — of a swarthy complexion — wearing his own black hair flowing in curls — his voice full of energy, with a persuasive and impressive delivery of his sermons” — as to his character, “pious, humble, and benevolent,” according to the testimony of his parishioners, whom he served for eighteen years. He left in manuscript a magnificent commentary on the Apocalypse, which was published in 1720; it is entitled “A Perpetual Commentary on the Revelation of St. John,” and extends to 1068 closely-printed folio pages. Upon it have been founded all the modern Dictionaries of Prophetic Symbols. It is a valuable book of reference, if studied by the help of an analysis, published in 1730, whose title-page is an abridgement of the folio title-page, containing Mr. Daubuz’s name as author, and adding that the new edition is “new modell’d, abridg’d and render’d plain to the meanest capacity by Peter Lancaster, A.M., Vicar of Bowden in Cheshire;” the abridgment occupies 630 quarto pages. This precious and darling offspring of Mr. Daubuz’s sacred learning and consecrated labour may be said to have been the innocent occasion of his death. There are two explanations. Dr. Zouch, writing in 1792, says:—

“When he had finished his Commentary he went to Cambridge to consult Dr. Bentley, the great critic of the age, who (as is supposed) thinking that Mr. Daubuz would outshine him in learning and eclipse his glory, or, which is more probable, knowing that works of that kind, however excellent they might be, were little relished in those times, did not encourage him to publish it; upon which, Mr. Daubuz returned home, wearied in body and unhappy in mind, sickened of a pleuretic fever and died in a few days.”

Another writer, who seems to have possessed more information regarding the family, says:—

“Rev. Charles Daubuz died June 14th, 1717, of a pleuretic fever caught by sleeping in a damp bed, when returning from London, where he had been on the subject of printing his Commentary on the Revelations.”

His mother survived him for six months, and died aged seventy-seven.

A marble slab in the church of Brotherton is thus inscribed:—

“Near the east window in the church-yard lie interred the remains of Charles Daubuz, formerly vicar of this parish, who departed this life 14th June 1717, aged 43 years. And