DANFORTH, THOMAS, president of the district of Maine, was born in England in 1622. After his arrival in this country, he resided at Cambridge, and had great influence in the management of public affairs, and conducted himself with great firmness and resolution in the most difficult times. He led the opposition, and, assisted by Cooke and Goskin, he vindicated the chartered rights of his country, and would yield no privilege which the charter gave them. Hence he was obnoxious to Randolph, Andross, and to the ministry of Great Britain. For the same reason he was the idol of the populace in New-England. In 1679, the inhabitants of the district of Maine being no longer attached to Massachusetts, as a county, elected him president of the province. He died in 1699, aged seventy-seven years. DAVENPORT, JOHN, first minister of New-Haven, and one of the founders of that colony, was born in Coventry, England, 1597. He was graduated at Brazen-Nose college, Oxford, and soon after began to preach. Retiring to London, he became an eminent preacher among the puritans. In 1630, he united with Dr. Gouge, Dr. Libs, and others, in purchasing impropriations, and with the profits of them, to provide ministers for poor and destitute congregations. But archbishop Laud took umbrage at it, as favouring non-conformity, and caused the company to be dissolved, and the money to be confiscated to the use of his majesty. In 1673, Mr. Davenport, in order to escape the impending storm, came to Boston, and was received with great respect. In 1638, he sailed with his followers for Quinnipiack, or New-Haven, to found a new colony. On the 18th April, the first Sabbath after their arrival, he preached under an oak, and was their minister for nearly thirty years afterwards. In the government which was established, it was ordained, that none but members of the church should enjoy the privileges of freemen. He endeavoured to establish a civil and religious order, more strictly in conformity to the word of God, than he had seen exhibited in any part of the world. His intrepidity saved Whalley and Goffe, the judges of king Charles I., who fled to New-Haven in 1661, and by his preaching instigated the people to protect these unfortunate men from their executioners. In 1667, he succeeded the Rev. Mr. Wilson, as pastor of the first church in Boston, but his labours were of short duration, for he died of an appoplexy, March 15, 1670. He was a distinguished scholar, and a man of exemplary piety and virtue. Such was his reputation, that he was invited with Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Hooker, to take a seat among the Westminster divines. His portrait is preserved in the museum of Yale college. His publications are, "The Saint's Anchor," "A Treatise upon Civil Government," "Sermons," &c. DAVIES, SAMUEL, DD. president of Princeton college, in New-Jersey, was born November 3, 1724, His father was a planter, in the county of Newcastle, on the Delaware, of great simplicity of manners, and of great piety. He was an only son. His mother, an eminent christian, had earnestly besought him of heaven, and believing him to be given in answer to prayer, she named him Samuel. She superintended his education till about his tenth year, when he was sent from home to a school, at which he continued till his twelfth year. Soon after this period, he experienced a change of heart, and after repeated and impartial self-examinations, he attained a confidence respecting his state which continued to the close of life. Having tasted the joys of religion, he became eagerly desirous of imparting to his fellow sinners the knowledge of the truth. With this object before him, he engaged with new ardour in literary and theological pursuits. After undergoing the necessary examinations, he passed, with distinguished approbation, and was licensed to preach the gospel. He now applied himself to unfold and enforce those precious truths, whose power he had experienced on his own heart. His fervent zeal and undissembled piety, his popular talents, and great eloquence, soon excited general admiration. In 1747, the presbytery of Newcastle appointed him to officiate in four meeting-houses in Hanover county, Virginia, where it pleased God to bless his labours with great success. In 1753, the synod of New-York, at the instance of the trustees of New-Jersey college, chose him to accompany the Rev. Gilbert Tenent to Great Britain, to solicit benefactions for the college. This service he cheerfully undertook, and executed it with singular spirit and success. The liberal benefactions which were received, placed the college in a respectable condition. After his return, he again faithfully preached to his flock in Hanover, till 1759, when he was chosen president of the college, as successor of president Edwards. He hesitated at first to accept of the appointment, but being urged by repeated applications, he at length accepted it, and was inducted into the office in July, 1759. Here the vigour and versatility of his genius were strikingly displayed: scarcely had his usefulness begun to be felt, when he was called to an eternal world. He died February 4th, 1761. He was succeeded in the office of president by the Rev. Dr. Finley. Mr. Davies was endowed with a vigorous understanding, a glowing imagination, and a retentive memory. He was bold and enterprising, and destined to excel in whatever he undertook. In the pulpit he presented a model of the most striking oratory. When he spoke, he seemed to have the glories and terrors of the unseen world in his eye; and seldom preached without making a visible impression upon his hearers./ His sermons, which fully exhibit his sentiments, have passed through a number of editions. They abound with the beauties and elegancies of expression, and with the richest imagery. The best edition is in three volumes octavo, 1811. DECATUR, STEPHEN, commodore in the navy of. the United States, was born on the 5th January, 1779, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,/ whither his parents had retired, whilst the British were in possession of Philadelphia. (In March, 1798, he received a midshipman's warrant, and shortly after was promoted to a lieutenancy. He then sailed with commodore Dale's squadron to the Mediterranean. On his return to the United States, he was promoted to the command of the Argus, and was ordered to join commodore Preble's squadron, then in the Mediterranean. On his arrival there, he was transferred to the schooner Enterprise, and proceeded to Syracuse, where he learned the fate of the frigate Philadelphia. He immediately proposed to commodore Preble, to re-capture, or destroy her. The consent of the commodore having been obtained, he sailed from Syracuse in the ketch Intrepid, manned with seventy men; accompanied by the Syren, lieutenant Stewart, who was to aid with his boats, and to receive the ketch, in case it should be found expedient to use her as a fireship. On the 8th February, he arrived before Tripoli, but the Syren in consequence of a change of wind, was thrown six miles off from the Intrepid. Notwithstanding this misfortune, lieutenant Decatur, determined not to await a junction, lest a delay might be fatal to the enterprise, and entered the harbour of Tripoli within a half gun shot of the bashaw's castle, and of the principal batteries, beside the enemy's cruisers, who lay around the frigate-such were the imminent perils which his daring courage so nobly surmounted. About 11 o'clock at night, he boarded the frigate Philadelphia, and in a few minutes gained entire possession. The enemy had by this time opened his batteries upon him, and a number of launches were seen rowing towards him. He then ordered the ship to be set on fire, and such was the rapidity of the flames, that it was with the utmost difficulty they preserved the ketch. At this critical moment a breeze sprung up, blowing directly out of the harbour, which in a few minutes carried him beyond the reach of the enemy's guns, and they made good their retreat without the loss of a single man, and with but four wounded. For this gallant and romantic achievement he was made post-captain, with the consent of the officers over whose heads he was raised. In the ensuing spring commodore Preble made an attack upon Tripoli, when one of the divisions were commanded by captain Decatur. In this action, he acted with undaunted bravery. He took two of the enemy's vessels, the commander of one of which had treacherously shot his brother, and while making for the harbour, captain Decatur pursued him and avenged the death of his brother so |