political posts, including that of sec. to a mission to France in 1781.  Returning to England in 1787 he pub. his Rights of Man (1790-92), in reply to Burke’s Reflections on the French Revolution.  It had an enormous circulation, 1,500,000 copies having been sold in England alone; but it made it necessary for him to escape to France to avoid prosecution.  Arrived in that country he was elected to the National Convention.  He opposed the execution of Louis XVI., and was, in 1794, imprisoned by Robespierre, whose fall saved his life.  He had then just completed the first part of his Age of Reason, of which the other two appeared respectively in 1795 and 1807.  It is directed alike against Christianity and Atheism, and supports Deism.  Becoming disgusted with the course of French politics, he returned to America in 1802, but found himself largely ostracised by society there, became embroiled in various controversies, and is said to have become intemperate.  He d. at New York in 1809.  Though apparently sincere in his views, and courageous in the expression of them, P. was vain and prejudiced.  The extraordinary lucidity and force of his style did much to gain currency for his writings.

PAINTER, WILLIAM (1540?-1594).—­Translator, etc., ed. at Camb., was then successively schoolmaster at Sevenoaks, and Clerk of the Ordnance, in which position his intromissions appear to have been of more advantage to himself than to the public service.  He was the author of The Palace of Pleasure (1566), largely consisting of translations from Boccaccio, Bandello, and other Italian writers, and also from the classics.  It formed a quarry in which many dramatists, including Shakespeare, found the plots for their plays.

PALEY, WILLIAM (1743-1805).—­Theologian, s. of a minor canon of Peterborough, where he was b., went at 15 as a sizar to Christ’s Coll., Camb., where he was Senior Wrangler, and became a Fellow and Tutor of his coll.  Taking orders in 1767 he held many benefices, and rose to be Archdeacon of Carlisle, and Sub-Dean of Lincoln.  P., who holds one of the highest places among English theologians, was the author of four important works—­Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785), Horae Paulinae, his most original, but least popular, book (1790), View of the Evidences of Christianity (1794), and Natural Theology (1802).  Though now to a large extent superseded, these works had an immense popularity and influence in their day, and are characterised by singular clearness of expression and power of apt illustration.  The system of morals inculcated by P. is Utilitarian, modified by theological ideas.  His view of the “divine right of Kings” as on a level with “the divine right of constables” was unpleasing to George III., notwithstanding which his ecclesiastical career was eminently successful.  His manners were plain and kindly.