Marsh, Narcissus

Marsh, Narcissus D.D., a learned Irish prelate, was born at Hannington, near Highworth, in Wiltshire, in 1638; was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and in 1658 became fellow of Exeter College. The degree of D.D. he received in 1671; some time previous he was made chaplain to the bishop of Exeter, and later to chancellor Hyde, earl of Clarendon. In 1673 he was appointed principal of St. Alban's Hall, Oxford, and in 1678 provost of Dublin College. In 1683 he became bishop of Leighlin and Ferns; archbishop of Cashel in 1690, of Dublin in 1694, and of Armagh in 1703. He died Nov. 2, 1713. Dr. Marsh was a pious and noble soul. He founded an almshouse at Drogheda for poor widows of clergymen, and provided for their support. He likewise repaired, at his own expense, many decayed churches within his diocese, and bought in several impropriations, which he restored to the Church. He also gave to the Bodleian Library a great number of MSS. in the Oriental languages, chiefly purchased out of Golius's collection. He was a very learned and accomplished man. Besides sacred and profane literature, he had applied himself to mathematics and natural philosophy; he was deep in the knowledge of languages, especially the Oriental; he was also skilled in music, the practice as well as the theory. He published Manuductio ad logicam, written by Philip de Trieu; to which he added the Greek text of Aristotle, and some tables and schemes, and Gassendus's small tract De demonstratione, which he illustrated with notes (Oxon. 1678): — Institutiones logicae, in usumjuventutis academicae (Dublin, 1681): — An Introductory Essay to the Doctrine of Sounds (published in the "Philosophical Transactions" of the Royal Society of London): — A Charge to his Clergy of the Diocese of Dublin (169:4, 4to). See Hook, Eccles. Biog. vol. vii, s.v.; Biog. Brit. s.v.; Wood, Athen. Oxon. vol. ii (see Index); Ware's Ireland, s.v.; Allibone, Dict. Brit. and Amer. Auth. s.v. (J. H. W.)