Tiele (Cornelis Petrus), Dutch scholar, b. Leyden, 16 Dec. 1830. Although brought up in the Church, his works all tell in the service of Freethought, and he has shown his liberality of views in editing the poems of Genestet together with his life, ’68. He has written many articles on comparative religion, and two of his works have been translated into English, viz., Outlines of the History of Religion, a valuable sketch of the old faiths, fourth ed. ’88; and Comparative History of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Religions, ’82.
Tillier (Claude), French writer, b. of poor parents, Clamecy, 11 April, 1801. He served as a conscript, and wrote some telling pamphlets directed against tyranny and superstition, and some novels, of which we note My Uncle Benjamin. Died at Nevers, 12 Oct. 1844. His works were edited by F. Pyat.
Tindal (Matthew), LL.D., English Deist, b. Beer-ferris, Devon, 1657. Educated at Oxford, and at first a High Churchman, he was induced to turn Romanist in the reign of James II., but returned to Protestantism and wrote The Rights of the Christian Church. This work was much attacked by the clergy, who even indicted the vendors. A defence which he published was ordered to be burnt by the House of Commons. In 1730 he published Christianity as Old as the Creation, to which no less than 150 answers were published. He died 16 Aug. 1733, and a second volume, which he left in MS., was destroyed by order of Gibson, Bishop of London.
Toland (John), Irish writer, b. Redcastle, near Londonderry, 30 Nov. 1669. Educated as a Catholic, he renounced that faith in early youth, went to Edinburgh University, where he became M.A. in 1690, and proceeded to Leyden, studying under Spanheim, and becoming a sceptic. He also studied at Oxford, reading deeply in the Bodleian Library, and became the correspondent of Le Clerc and Bayle. In 1696 he startled the orthodox with his Christianity not Mysterious, which was “presented” by the Grand Jury of Middlesex and condemned by the Lower House of Convocation. The work was also burnt at Dublin, Sept. 1697. He wrote a Life of Milton (1698), in which, mentioning Eikon Basilike, he referred to the “suppositious pieces under the name of Christ, his apostles and other great persons.” For this he was denounced by Dr. Blackhall before Parliament. He replied with Amytor, in which he gives a catalogue of such pieces. He went abroad and was well received by the Queen of Prussia, to whom he wrote Letters to Serena (1704), which, says Lange, “handles the kernel of the whole question of Materialism.” In 1709 he published Adeisidænon and Origines Judaicæ. In 1718 Nazarenus, on Jewish, Gentile and Mahommedan Christianity, in which he gave an account of the Gospel of Barnabus. He also wrote four pieces entitled Tetradymus and Pantheisticon, which described a society of Pantheists with a liturgy burlesquing that of the Catholics. Toland died with the calmness of a philosopher, at Putney, 11 March, 1722. Lange praises him highly.
Tollemache (Hon. Lionel Arthur), b. 1838, son of Baron Tollemache, a friend of C. Austin, of whom he has written. Wrote many articles in Fortnightly Review, reprinted (privately) as Stones of Stumbling, ’84. Has also written Safe Studies, ’84; Recollections of Pallison, ’85; and Mr. Romanes’s Catechism, ’87.
Tone (Theobald Wolfe), Irish patriot, b. Dublin, 20 June, 1763. Educated at Trinity College in 1784, he obtained a scholarship in 1786, B.A. He founded the Society of United Irishmen, 1791. Kept relations with the French revolutionists, and in 1796 induced the French Directory to send an expedition against England. He was taken prisoner and committed suicide in prison, dying 19 Nov. 1798.
Topinard (Paul), M.D., French anthropologist, b. Isle-Adam 1830. Editor of the Revue d’Anthropologie, and author of a standard work on that subject published in the Library of Contemporary Science.
Toulmin (George Hoggart), M.D., of Wolverhampton. Author of The Antiquity and Duration of the World, 1785; The Eternity of the Universe, 1789; the last being republished in 1825.
Tournai (Simon de). See [Simon].
Traina (Tommaso), Italian jurist. Author of a work on The Ethics of Herbert Spencer, Turin, 1881.