HERVEY, James, a divine of the church of England in the eighteenth century, and a writer of great popularity amongst a certain class of persons, was born at Harding-stone in the year 1714. He was educated at the free grammar school of Northampton, where he acquired a competent knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages; and in 1731 he was sent to the university of Oxford. The first two or three years of his residence at that seminary were spent, we are told, without serious application to study, and therefore without making much improvement; but afterwards becoming acquainted with those who zealously studied what they called primitive Christianity, and who were afterwards termed Methodists, he became strongly attached both to piety and to learning. Independently of his other studies, he learned anatomy from Dr Keil, and natural philosophy from Dr Derham’s Physicoand Astro-theology; and by the perusal of Mr Spence’s essay on Pope’s Odyssey, he improved his style. He attempted the Hebrew without a teacher, but afterwards relinquished the study in despair; he resumed his labours, however, and in time became a tolerable proficient in that language. In the year 1740 he was appointed curate of Biddeford in Devonshire, where he had only L.60 a year, including a stated collection made by his friends. Upon the death of the rector he was dismissed by the new incumbent, contrary to the earnest expostulation of the parishioners, who offered to maintain him independently of the rector. In 1743 he became curate to his father, who held the living of Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, and continued in that station till 1750, when his health was rapidly declining. Having been induced to repair to London for change of air, he continued about two years in the metropolis, when he was recalled to Weston Favell to succeed his father. He obtained the livings of Weston and Collingtree in the same neighbourhood, and in 1752 took his degree of master of arts. He attended to the duties of both parishes alternately with a curate, in the discharge of which he was fervent and indefatigable. So great were his exertions, indeed, that he brought on a decline, accompanied with incessant cough and acute pains, all which he supported, not only with fortitude, but without a single expression of peevishness, and died without a groan on the 25th of December 1758, at the age of about forty-four. His piety was ardent and sincere, although in the estimation of some judges he was rather enthusiastic. He was a man of unblemished moral deportment; his temper was disinterested, and he was humble without the affectation of humility. To society he was just and punctual, and candid to people of every description. ∙ The L.700 which he received for his Meditations were applied to the relief of the indigent and distressed. He was so rigid a Calvinist, that whenever he spoke of imputed righteousness, he became almost an Antinomian. His erudition was respectable, but not such as to place him amongst scholars of the first rank, although he seems to have been well acquainted with the classics. Many persons have admired the style of his writings; but competent judges must pronounce it as by far too flowery and diffuse to be termed elegant, and regard it as equally destitute of vigour and simplicity. The writings of Hervey are, 1. Meditations and Contemplations, 1746, 8vo; 2. Contemplations on the Night and Starry [7:11:286] Heavens, 1747, in 8vo; 3. Remarks on Lord Bolingbroke*s Letters on the Study of History, so far as they relate to the History of the Old Testament, 1753, in 8vo; 4. Theron and Aspasio, or a series of Dialogues on the most important Subjects, 1755, in three vols. 8vo; 5. Sermons, 1759; 6. An Edition of Jeuk’s Méditations; 7. A Preface to Burnham’s Pious Memorials, 1753, in 8vo; 8. Eleven Letters to Wesley; 9. Letters to Lady Francis Shirley, 1782, in 8vo. All these are included in the edition of his works in six vols. 8vo, published by the Rivingtons; but, in 1811, there appeared, for the first time, what may be considered as a seventh volume, consisting of Letters, illustrative of the author’s amiable character, and of many circumstances in his early history.