amatic pieces, our author wrote a Poem upon the Naval
Victory over the Dutch by the Duke of York, a subject which Dryden has
likewise celebrated in his Annus Mirabilis. He published a translation
of part of Lucian, said to be done by Mr. Francis Hicks, to which he
added some dialogues of his own, though Winstanley is of opinion, that
the whole translation is also his. In the year 1646, --47, --52, --62,
he published several sermons, and entered into a controversy with the
famous Presbyterian leader, Mr. Francis Cheynel, and his Sermon
against False Prophets was particularly levelled at him. Cheynel's
Life is written by a gentleman of great eminence in literature, and
published in some of the latter numbers of of the Student, in which
the character of that celebrated teacher is fully displayed. Dr. Main
likewise published in the year 1647 a book called The People's War
examined according to the Principles of Scripture and Reason, which he
wrote at the desire of a person of quality. He also translated Dr.
Donne's Latin Epigrams into English, and published them under the
title of, A Sheaf of Epigrams.

On the 6th of December, 1642, he died, and his remains were deposited
on the North side of the choir in Christ's Church. In his will he left
several legacies for pious uses: fifty pounds for the rebuilding of
St. Paul's; a hundred pounds to be distributed by the two vicars of
Cassington and Burton, for the use of the poor in those parishes, with
many other legacies.

He was a man of a very singular turn of humour, and though, without
the abilities, bore some resemblance to the famous dean of St.
Patrick's, and perhaps was not so subject to those capricious whims
which produced so much uneasiness to all who attended upon dean Swift.
It is said of Dr. Main, that his propension to innocent raillery was
so great, that it kept him company even after death. Among other
legacies, he bequeathed to an old servant an old trunk, and somewhat
in it, as he said, that would make him drink: no sooner did the Dr.
expire, than the servant, full of expectation, visited the trunk, in
hopes of finding some money, or other treasure left him by his master,
and to his great disappointment, the legacy, with which he had filled
his imagination, proved no other than a Red Herring.

The ecclesiastical works of our author are as follow,

1. A Sermon concerning Unity and Agreement, preached at Carfax Church
in Oxford, August 9, 1646. 1 Cor. i. 10.