LOWTH, lauth, ROBERT: Bishop of London; b. at Winchester Nov. 27, 1710; d. in London Nov. 3, 1787. He was a son of William Lowth (q.v.)

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and studied at Winchester and at New College, Oxford (B.A., 1733; M.A., 173?; D.D., 1754). In 1735 he was instituted to the vicarage of Overton, Hampshire, and, in 1741, was appointed to the professorship of poetry at Oxford, which he held till 1750. He became archdeacon of Winchester in 1750, rector of Woodhay, Hampshire, in 1753, prebendary of Durham and rector of Sedgefield in 1755, and bishop of St. David's in 1766. He was translated to the see of Oxford the same year and to the see of London in 1777. In this position he remained till his death, having declined the primacy in 1783. Lowth achieved permanent fame by his lectures on Hebrew poetry, De sacra Itoeai Hebräeorum prtelectiones academieta Oxonii habitta (Oxford, 1753; 3d ed., 1775; ed. J. D. Michaelis, 2 parts, Göttingen, 1770; ed. E. F. C. Roaenmiiller, Leipsic,1815; reprinted, with notes by Rosenmüller, C. Weiss, K. F. Richter and others, Oxford, 1821; Eng. transl., 2 vols., London, 1787, and frequently); and by his Isaiah, a New Translation, with . .

Notes (London, 1778; 13th ed., 1842; Germ. transl., 4 vols., Leipsic, 1779-81). Another important work by Lowth is his Life of William of Wykeham (London, 1758; 3d ed., Oxford, 1777). P. Hall collected and edited, with introductory memoir, his Sermons and Other Remains (London, 1834).

Bibliography: An anonymous Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Bishop LowEh appeared London, 1787; DNB, :zziv. 214-218 gives a list of scattered references. Consult further: 8. A. Allibone, Critical Dictionary of English Literature, i. 114D-1141, Philadelphia, 1891; C. A. Briggs, Study of Holy Scripture, pp. 228 sqq. et passim, New York, 1899; J. H. Overton and F. R.elton, The English Church (1714-1800), pp. 170-172 et passim, London, 1908.

LOWTH, WILLIAM: English theologian; b. at London Sept. 3, 1660; d. at Buriton (17 m. e.s.e. of Winchester), Hampshire, May 17, 1732. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, London, and at St. John's College, Oxford (B.A. 1679; M.A., 1683; B.D. and D.D., 1688), where he became a fellow. With his Vindication of the Divine Authority and Inspiration of the . . . Old and New Testament (London, 1692), an answer to Le Clerc, he attracted the attention of Peter Mew, bishop of Winchester, who made him his chaplain, gave him a pretend in Winchester Cathedral in 1696, and presented him to the living of Buriton and Petersfield, Hampshire, in 1699. While lees eminent than his son, Robert Lowth, he was probably the profounder scholar of the two. Many scholars were indebted to him for valuable aesiatance. In addition to the work mentioned he published Directions for the Profitable Reading of the Holy Scriptures (London, 1708), a little work that has gone through many editions; and a now superseded commentary on the prophets (1714-25), which has been frequently reprinted as a continuation of Bishop Patrick's commentary.

Bibliography: S. A. Allibone Critical Dictionary of Enp lisn Literature, p, 1141, Philadelphia, 1891; DNB, zzriv. 218-217.