longer period, was univerfally lamented as a public, no lefs than a private lofs; and fcience, genius, and worth, will long weep over his grave.

"Dr. Gregory married in 152, Elizabeth, daughter of William lord Forbes he loft this amiable lady in 1761: fhe left the doctor three fons and three daughters, viz. James Gregory, M. D. now profeffor of medicine in Edinburgh Dorothea-Anne-Elizabeth William, ftudent of Baliol College, Oxford, and now in orders :-John --all now living, except Elizabeth, who died in 1771.

"His works.

"I. Comparative View of the State and Faculties of Man with thofe of the Animal World.

"This work was first read to a private literary fociety at Aberdeen, and without the most distant view to publication. Many hints are thrown out in it on fubjects of confequence, with lefs formality, and more freedom, than if publication had been originally intended. The fize of the book may have fuffered by this circumstance; but the value of the matter has probably been increased, by a greater degree of originality, and of variety. The author indulges himself in the privileges of an effayift; he touches many interesting fubjects, but with a masterly, a bold, yet a judicious hand. This work, like another of great fame, may be called a chain, the links of which are very numerous, and yet all connected toge ther. We know the author the better for the rapid judgment he paffes, and cannot help admiring the goodness of his heart, and the benevolence of his views, which have an obvious direction to raise the genius, and to mend the heart; and we concur with him in think

ing that, "That view of human nature may be the fafeft, which confiders it as formed for every thing that is good and great, and fets no bounds to its capacity and power; but looks on its prefent attainments as trifling, and of no account."

"The comparative anatomy of brute animals has (as obferved by our author) been the fource of moit useful difcoveries in the anatomy of the human body; but the comparative animal economy of mankind, and of other animals-comparative views of their ftates and manner of life, have been little regarded. Instinct is a principle common to us, and the whole animal world: to animals, as far as it extends, it is an infallible guide. In man, reafon is but a weak principle, and an unfate guide, when compared to inftinct. Of this, cu rious instances are mentioned. In the bringing forth, and in the nurfing of their young, the advantages of brute infinct over the euftoms which have been taken up by rational beings, are placed in a strong light. Numbers of mothers, as well as infants, die by the management of prepofterous art in childbearing, and afterwards, by mothers omitting the duty of nurfing. A natural duty and obligation, which contributes no lefs to the fafety, health, and beauty of mothers, than it does to preferve the lives and health of their offspring.

"The recent improvements which have been made in the art of midwifery, and in the methods of nurfing children, are owing to the obfervations of nature, and the imitation of its instinctive propenfities.

In this firft difcourfe, our au thor propofes many improvements of the health and faculties of the

human

-Handel difcovered to be the cafe and then, inftantly, with the greateft good humour and humility, faid, "I pec your barton-I am a very odd tog-maifhter Schmitt is to plame."

"When Frafi told him, that fhe fhould study hard, and was going to learn thorough-bafe, in order to accompany herself: Handel, who well knew how little this pleating finger was addicted to application and diligence, fays, Oh-vaat may we not expect!"

Handel wore an enormous white wig, and, when things went well at the oratorio, it had a certain nod, or vibration, which manifefted his pleafure and fatisfaction. Without it, nice obfervers were certain that he was out of humour.

"At the close of an air, the voice with which he used to cry out "Chorus!" was extremely formidable indeed; and, at the rehearsals of his oratorios, at Carleton-houfe, if the prince and princefs of Wales were not exact in coming into the mufic-room, he used to be very violent; yet, fuch was the reverence with which his royal highnefs treated him, that admitting Handel to have had caufe of complaint, he has been heard to fay, "Indeed, it is cruel to have kept thefe poor people (meaning the performers), fo long from their scholars, and other concerns." But if the maids of honour, or any other female attendants, talked during the performance, I fear that our modern Timotheus, not only fwore, but called names; yet, at fuch times, the princess of Wales, with her accustomed mildnefs and benignity, ufed to fay, "Hufh! hufh! Handel's in a paffion."

"Handel was in the habit of talking to himself, fo loud, that it was eafy for perfons not very near

him, to hear the fubject of his foliloquies. He had, by much perfua fion, received under his roof and protection, a boy, who had been reprefented, not only as having an uncommon difpofition for mufic, but for fobriety and diligence: this boy, however, turned out ill, and ran away, no one, for a confiderable time, knew whither. During this period, Handel walking in the Park, as he thought alone, was heard to commune with himself in the fol lowing manner:-" Der teifel! de fater was defheeved ;-de mutter was defheeved ;--but I was not defheeved; he is ein td fhcauntrel and coot for nutting."

"Handel's general look was fomewhat heavy and four; but when he did finile, it was his fire the fun, bursting out of a black cloud. There was a fudden flafh of intelligence, wit, and good humour, beaming in his countenance, which I hardly ever faw in any other.

"It has, been faid of him, that, out of his profeffion, he was ignorant and dull; but though I do not admit the fact, yet, if the charge were as true as it is fevere, it mu be allowed, in extenuation, that to poffefs a difficult art in the perfect manner he did, and to be poffeffed by it, feems a natural confequence; and all that the public had a right to expect, as he pretended to nothing more. Accomplishments can only amufe our private friends, ard ourfelves, in leifure hours; but io occupied and abforbed was Handel, by the ftudy and exercife of his profeffion, that he had little time to bestow, either on private amusements, or the cultivation of friendfhip. Indeed, the credit and reverence arifing from these, had Handel poffeffed them, would have been tranfient, and confined to his own age and acquaintance; whereas the

fame

fame acquired by filent and clofe application to his profeffional butinefs,

Nec Jovis ira, nec ignes, Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetuftas.

And it is probable, that his name, like that of many of his brethren, will long furvive his works. The moft learned man can give us no information concerning either the private life or compofitions of Orpheus, Amphion, Linus, Olympus, Terpander, or Timotheus; yet every fchool-boy can tell us, that they were great musicians, the delight of their feveral ages, and, many years after, of posterity.

"Though totally free from the fordid vices of meannefs and avarice, and poffeffed of their oppofite virtues, charity and generofity, in fpite of temporary adverfity, powerful enemies, and frequent maladies of body, which fometimes extended to intellect, Handel died worth upwards of twenty thoufand pounds; which, except one thou

fand to the fund for decayed muficians and their families, he chiefly bequeathed to his relations on the

continent.

"His funeral was not public, like that of Rameau, in France; of Jomelli, in Italy; or of our Dryden, and Garrick, in England: yet, when he was buried in Weftminiter-Abbey, April the 20th, 1759, the dean, Dr. Pearce, bishop of Rochester, affifted by the choir, performed the funeral folemnity., More general and national teftimonies of regard were left to the prefent period, when all enmities, jealoufies, and operations of envy were fubfided; and time, examination, and reflexion, had given new charms and importance to his works. And this pleafing task has been performed in a way fo ample, magnificent, and honourable, that it will be difficult to find, either in an ancient or modern hiftory, a more liberal and fplendid example of gratitude to a deceafed artift, in any other country."

MANNERS

"Tardour of both the British

HE bravery and martial

nations never appeared more confpicuous than in the prefent period, particularly in the reign of Henry V. The English under that heroic prince feemed to be invincible; and fought with fo much courage and fuccefs, that towards the end of his reign, they had a very probable prospect of making a complete conqueft of the great and populous kingdom of France. The Scots were much admired for the fteady intrepidity with which they defended themfelves, and the feasonable and fuccefsful fuccours they fent to their ancient allies in their greatest diftrefs, when they were on the brink of ruin, and forfaken by all the world.

"But national as well as perfonal courage is fubject to fudden and furpriting changes, which are fometimes produced by very trifling caufes. There is not a more remarkable example of this in hiftory, than that extraordinary revolution in the fpirits of the French and English armies, at the fiege of Orleans, A. D. 1428, which hath been already mentioned. Before that period, the English fought like lions, and the French fled before them like fheep. But as foon as the Maid of Orleans, a poor obfcure fervant-girl, about feventeen years

action, the fortune of the war, and

of age, appeared on the scene of

the fpirits of the contending nations, were entirely changed. The French became bold and daring, the English daftardly and defponding. The terror of that dreaded heroine was not confined to the English army in France, but feized the great body of the people at home, and made many who had enlisted in the fervice, defert, and hide themselves in holes and corners. This appears from the proclamations iffued in England, commanding the fheriffs of London, and of feveral counties, to apprehend those who had deferted and concealed themselves for fear of the Maid. As it is imprudent to difcover any distrust of national courage when war is neceffary, it is no lefs imprudent to plunge a nation into a war, from too great a reliance on a quality that may fail when it is leaft expected.

The hofpitality of our anceftors, particularly of the great and opulent barons, hath been much admired, and confidered as a certain proof of the noblenefs and generofity of their spirits. The fact is well attefted. The caftles of the powerful barons were capacious palaces, daily crowded with their numerous retainers, who were always welcome to their plentiful tables.

They.

of his apprehenfion, and the general brilliancy of his parts. While he was yet very young, he had the misfortune to lofe his father, who died at Bath in the year 1766. This lofs was, however, in a great measure fupplied by the care of his mother, who yet furvives to be a bleffing to her friends; and by the counfel and example of his brother, who, though very young, already difplayed an uncommon degree of prudence and virtue. By them, Dr. Bell was placed at the public school of Annan, then conducted by the rev. Mr. Wright, in whofe house he refided. Here he continued feveral years, and made a rapid progrefs in claffical literature. In the year 1769, Mr. Wright being appointed minifter of the parith of New-Abbey, in the neighbourhood of Dumfries, gave up public teaching; but Dr. Bell was continued fome time longer in his family, as a private pupil. Under the care of this excellent fcholar, he had great advantages. At the time he left him, which was before the completion of his fifteenth year, he had obtained a perfect acquaintance with the Roman claffics, a competent knowledge of Greek, he was initiated in the French language, was well fkilled in geography, history, and the elements of mathematics, and had commenced a critic in the English belles let

tres.

In the autumn of the year 1770, he was fent to the univerfity of Glafgow, where he continued for one feffion, in the purfuits of general study. In the latter end of 1771, he was removed to Edinburgh, and began his profeffional studies under the care and direction of his friend and relation Mr. Benjamin Bell, whose name is now well known in the medical world. At

this univerfity he continued till the fummer of the year 1777, when he obtained the degree of doctor of medicine, and publifhed the Inaugural Differtation, to which you are about to give a place in your records. During this long period, Dr. Bell had time to apply himself, not only to the various branches of medicine, but to the different departments of philofophy and polite literature, neceffary to a plan of liberal and general education. As his application was great, his acquirements were very confiderable; and he was fo happy as to attract the notice of feveral perfons eminent for science and learning. Of this number, was the prefent learned profeffor of botany in Edinburgh, Dr. Hope, who early discovered his acute and enterprizing genius, and diftinguifhed him by his patronage and counfel. Of this number likewife was the celebrated Dr. Cullen, who honoured him with his parti cular friendship, and introduced him to the late lord Kames, in a manner which was extremely flattering. His lordship, when engaged in the compolition of the work, which he afterwards published under the title of, The Gentleman Farmer; applied to Dr. Cullen for information on fome fubjects connected with the philofophy of vegetation. The learned profeffor, being deeply engaged with other fubjects, referred him to Dr. Bell, then in his twentieth year, whom, on that occafion, he introduced to his lordship. An acquaintance, thus begun, was matured into intimacy, and Dr. Bell fpent a confiderable part of one or two autumn vacations at the country feat of this venerable old man, in the fouth of Scotland. Lord Kames mentioned him with honour, in the work to which I have alluded, and entertained a particular

regard