IF

F, to have paffed a life of active benevolence, and to have died with the regret of every good man to whom he was known :-if, to have been ever ready to affift indigence, to foothe affliction, to encourage merit, and to relieve diftrefs, be fufficient claims for notice beyond that record,

where, to be born and die,

Of rich and poor makes all the history: the name of SEWARD will not be loft in the undiftinguished mafs of those who, without any laudable exertion or praifeworthy endeavour to improve or benefit mankind, obfcurely creep through life; Paving no trace of their exiftence in the memory of their furviving contemporaries, nor the remembrance of any action worthy to be held up as an example for the imitation of pofterity.

WILLIAM SEWARD was the fon of Mr. Seward, partner in the brewhouse under the firm of Calvert and Seward, and was born in January 1747. He first went to a fmall feminary in the neighbourhood of Cripplegate, and afterwards to the Charter-houfe fchool, where he was contemporary with Mr. Day, the Author of Sandford and Merton, and Mr. Bicknell, the Author of Joel Collyer's Travels. At the Charter-house he acquired a competent knowledge of Greek and Latin, which he improved at Oxford. Having no inclination to en

gage in bufinefs, he relinquished his concern in the brew-houfe at his father's death; and, being poffeffed of an easy fortune, he did not apply to any profellion, but devoted his time to learned leifure, cultivating his talents for his own amufement, and the entertainment and inftruction of the public. This plan of life, though in many refpe&s an eligible one, he fometimes doubted the wildom of adopting; for, having no fettled employment, he fometimes felt in a very fevere manner what is understood by the French term ennui. To divert, and relieve himself from this unpleasant fenfation, he first amufed himself with collecting the materials for what he called DROSSIANA in the prefent Magazine; which he began in October 1789, and continued without intermillion to the end of his life. After he had published in this manner for fome time, he was advised to make a felection, which in 1794 he began with two Volumes, and thefe were followed in the three fucceeding years by three more, under the title of "Anecdotes of fome Dittinguished Perfons, chiefly of the present and two preceding Centuries ;" a work which met with general approbation, and has been fince reprinted. In 1799 he publifhed two Volumes more ou the plan of the former work, which he entitled "Biographiana." There were finished a very short time before his death.

Mr. Seward was in every refpect a defirable acquaintance; he, had travelled abroad with great improvement, and was known to most of those who had diftinguished themfelves by genius or learning, by natural or acquired endowments, or even by eccentricity of character; and he had ftored his memory with anecdotes which made his converfation extremely entertaining. To have diftinguished himfelf from the common herd of mankind was motive fufficient with Mr. Seward to defire to fee fuch a perfon; but though he wished to obferve the manner of eminent or extraordinary men, he did not indifcriminately form friendfhips with them. He knew many, but was intimate with few. He was the friend of Dr. Johnfon, had converfed with Mr. Howard, and condescended to know Tom Paine. Party diftinctions appeared to have but little weight with him. He visited and received the vifits of many whofe opinions were directly oppofite to each other, and equally to his own. In his prefence, good-humour put controverfy to flight, and it may be faid with truth, that few men had the art more than himself of diverting to more pleafing objects the violence and acri mony of party difputations. He saw the contentions for power in the light they deferved to be viewed in, and thought himfelf at liberty to refufe joining either fide. He however always profeffed an enmity towards thofe who attempted to bring into contempt, the facrednefs of Religion, or to overthrow the Government of the country.

He fpent his time like an English Gentleman, with hofpitality and without oftentation. In the winter he refided in London; and of late years, in the fum

At

mer, he varied his place of abode. At one time he refided in Mr. Coxe's houfe, near Salisbury; at another, near Reading; and the fummer preceding his death, he made Richmond his refidence. all thefe places, and indeed wherever he came, he found acquaintances who refpected and valued him for his amiable qualities, and at each has left those who lament the lofs of an agreeable companion.

The pleafantry of his converfation was often aided by fterling wit and genuine humour, though he did not difdain the affiftance of a pun or quibble, where the occafion warranted fuch a liberty. It has been faid, not without fome degree of truth, that he was fond of his joke, and would fometimes indulge it at the expence of his good-nature. This however happened but feldom; he was incapable of deliberately hurting any living creature, either by word or deed. His purfe was open to every application, and to many perfons, efpecially artists, he was liberal beyond what might be expected from his fortune. Few of thofe with whom he was intimate, but at fome period have had to acknowledge favours conferred in the moft obliging manner.

He bore a tedious illness with fortitude and refignation. Without expreffing any impatience, he viewed the progress of his diforder, which he early discovered was a dangerous one; and faw life recede from his grafp without any unmanly repining. He continued his literary purfuits, and received his friends, until a few hours of his diffolution, which took place the 24th April 1799; and, a few days after, his remains were interred in the family vault at Finchley.

HAMBURGH is one of the largeft, and most populous cities in Germany. It is pleafantly fituated on the River Elbe, in the Circle of Lower Saxony, the Duchy of Holftein, and Province of Stormar, at the distance of about feventy miles from the German Ocean. In its form, it is almoft circular, and near five miles in circumference; containing, by a computation made about thirty years fince, at leaft

118,000 inhabitants. It is partly built on Islands, and partly on the Continent of the North fide of the Elbe, which brings fhips of burden into the heart of the city. This River is divided two or three miles above the town into two principal channels, called the North and South Elbe, which, with fome fmaller channels, form feveral beautiful Islands towards Harburgh, all belonging to the Elector of Hanover, and re-unite in one

fream