ENFIELD, William, LL.D, an elegant and justly admired writer, was born in the year 1741, at Sudbury. His original destination was for the sacred office of the ministry, and he was educated amongst the Protestant dissenters at Daventry, where the high polish which he gave to his compositions distinguished him from many of his contemporaries. The congregation of Benn’s Garden of Liverpool made choice of him for their minister in tfie year 1763, when he was not more than twenty-two years of age; and in this situation he was soon taken notice of as an amiable member of society, and an engaging preacher. Whilst he resided in Liverpool, he published two volumes of sermons, duodecimo, as well as a collection of hymns and family prayers, which met with a very favourable reception. In the year 1770 he was appointed tutor and lecturer in the belles-lettres at Warrington academy, which he filled for some years with general approbation and unwearied diligence. He was the compiler of many useful books, amongst the most popular of which we may rank his Speaker, consisting of pieces for recitation selected from the best and most approved English authors. At the beginning of this collection there is an excellent essay on elocution. The Preachers Directory, the English Preacher, a collection of sermons in 9 vols. 12mo, from the most celebrated authors, and Biographical Sermons on the principal characters in the Old and New Testament, with a number of single sermons on particular occasions, were also the productions of his pen. The controversy relative to literary property likewise engaged his attention, and on this he wrote a quarto pamphlet. He also published, in one volume quarto, Institutes of Natural Philosophy, theoretical and experimental; and during the time of his residence at Warrington, as teacher in the academy, the university of Edinburgh conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. When that academy was dissolved in 1783, Dr Enfield continued for two years at Warrington in the capacity of private tutor, after which he was chosen pastor[7:8:700] of the Octagon meeting-house at Norwich, in the year 1785. He at length gave up his private tuition, and entirely devoted his time to literary labours, and the peculiar duties of his pastoral charge. About this time he lost his eldest son, who had been appointed to the office of town-clerk of Nottingham. This event would have been productive of very serious effects on his health and spirits, had it not been for the consolations of religion and philosophy, which are sufficient to support the human mind under the pressure of the severest calamities. He undertook and executed the laborious task of abridging Brucker’s History of Philosophy, which, in 1791, he published in 2 vols. 4to. It has been generally acknowledged that the tenets of the different sects of philosophers were never before exhibited to the world with such perspicuity and elegance; qualifications for which Dr Enfield was undoubtedly eminent. He contributed largely to the Biographical Dictionary published under the inspection of Dr Aiken and others.

An unsuspected distemper hastened the termination of his useful life, and, on the 3d of November 1797, he expired in the fifty-seventh year of his age. That general love of mankind which Dr Enfield possessed, falls to the lot of but few; nor does it often happen that an individual dies so universally lamented. It was essential to him to be amiable in every station and condition of life. His posthumous sermons, in 3 vols. 8vo, had a very numerous list of subscribers; a strong proof of the estimation in which he was held by all who knew him, either personally or by report. In these discourses be treats chiefly on moral topics, which he discusses with the nicest discrimination, and in a train of the most pleasing and manly eloquence.

Enfield, a village of the hundred of Edmonton, in the county of Middlesex, nine miles from London. There are the remains of an ancient royal palace, in which Edward VI. kept his court, and where Elizabeth rested on her way to London in order to assume the crown. Near to it was Enfield chase, disforested in 1779, divided between several parishes and the crown, and now occupied by several country seats of the more opulent traders of London. The parish is extensive, and its population amounted in 1801 to 5881, in 1811 to 6884, in 1821 to 8227, and in 1831 to 8812.