BURGESS, THE RIGHT REV. THOMAS (1756-1837), bishop of Salisbury, was born at Odiham, in Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester, and in 1775 he removed to Oxford, where he gained a scholarship at Corpus Christi College. Before graduating, he edited a reprint of Burton's Pentctlogia. In 1781 he brought out an edition of Dawes's Miscellanea Critica, with numerous annotations, a work so favourably received on the Continent that it was reprinted verbatim at Leipsic in 1800. In 1783 he became a fellow of his college, and two years later undertook a journey to Holland, where he prosecuted his researches for some time. On his return lie was appointed chaplain to Shute Barrington, bishop of Salisbury, through whose influence he obtained a prebendal stall in the cathedral of that town. In 1789 he published his Considerations on the Abolition of Slavery, in which he advocated the principle of gradual emancipation. From Salisbury he removed to Durham, where he effected much good among the poorer classes, by publishing and distributing suitable religious works. In 1803 he was promoted by his old schoolfellow Addington, then prime minister, to the vacant see of St David's, which he held for twenty years, and where he gave evidence of his philanthropic disposition by establishing the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and founding the College of Lampeter, which he liberally endowed. In 1820 he was appointed first president of the Royal Society of Literature recently founded ; and three years later he was promoted to the see of Salisbury, over which he presided for twelve years, prosecuting his benevolent designs with unwearied industry. One of the most important of the many services which he rendered to the church, was the establishment of a Church Union Society for the assistance of infirm and distressed clergymen, to which lie bequeathed £3000. In the midst of his useful and laborious career, lie was cut off by an attack of dropsy, February 19, 1837. He bequeathed his library and a large sum of money to Lampeter College. A list of his works, which are very numerous, will be found in his biography by J. S. Harford, 2d ed., 1841. In addition to those already referred to may be mentioned his Essay oat the Study of Antiquities; The First Principles of Christian Knowledge ; Reflections on the Controversial Writings of Dr Priestley ; Emendationes in Suidwn et ifesychiu2n et alios Lexicographos Orcecos ; The Bible, and nothing but the Bible, the Religion of the Church of England.