vate distribution; and a valuable Essay on the metre and phraseology of Shakspeare, the materials for which were partly collected by Mr. Malone; but the arrangement and completion of them were the work of Mr. Boswell; and upon these he is known to have bestowed considerable labour and attention.

From the attractions that the metropolis holds out to every lover of good society, Mr. Boswell felt and professed an attachment to London, that might be deemed hereditary, so closely did it coincide with those feelings which his father has, upon various occasions, forcibly described. Few men were better fitted to appreciate and contribute to the pleasures of social intercourse; his conversational powers, and the unfailing cheerfulness of his disposition, rendered him a most acceptable guest; but it was the goodness of his heart, that warmth of friendship which knew no bounds when a call was made upon his services, that formed the sterling excellence and the brightest feature of Mr. Boswell's character. A feeling of deeper regret has seldom been evinced than upon the event here recorded ; aggravated, as it was, by the unlooked-for termination of a life, that promised many years of happiness to himself and others.

Mr. Boswell was a Barrister at Law, and a Commissioner of Bankrupts. He died, at his chambers in the Middle Temple, Feb. 24, 1822, aged 43; and was interred on the 6th of March in the Temple church-yard, attended by his brother Sir Alexander Boswell, and a few of his oldest friends, including Sir A. Macdonald, Mr. Heber, Mr. Serjeant Bosanquet, Mr. Murray, Mr. Markland, Mr. Phelps, and Mr. Symmons. Had it been deemed advisable, the number would have been greatly increased; anxious were the friends of the deceased to pay the last sad tribute of respect to his memory.

* Killed unfortunately, twenty days afterwards, in a duel with James Stuart, esq. Sce Gent, Mag. vol. XCII. i. p. 365.

The RIGHT HON. WILLIAM WINDHAM*.

"The Courtier's, Soldier's, Scholar's, eye, tongue, sword ;The observ'd of all observers!" SHAKSPEARE.

Quem dii immortales nasci voluerunt, ut esset in quo se virtus per omnes numeros hominibus efficaciter ostenderet." VAL. MAXIMUS.

June 4, 1810, died at his house in Pall-mall, at half past eleven in the morning, the Right Hon. William Windham, M. P. D. C. L. one of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, and a Governor of the Charter-house.

Of the illustrious person whose death is above recorded, whose high reputation was not confined to his own country, but has for many years been extended over a large part of Europe, and whose loss is universally considered a public calamity, an account, more ample and less unworthy of his virtues and talents, will, it is hoped, at some future time be given to the world: in the mean while the following brief memorials may not be wholly unacceptable.

Mr. Windham was descended from a very antient and highly respectable family in the county of Norfolk, where they had resided for several generations, and possessed a considerable property. His father, William Windham, was one of the most admired characters of his time; and consequently was ex

The first sketch of this short Account of the ever-to-belamented Mr. Windham, appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, for June 1810. It is now re-printed, with corrections and numerous additions. In its original form, from circumstances not necessary to be here recited, it was hastily composed, principally with a view to prevent the Publick's being misled by very erroneous statements, which had been circulated through various channels. The facts, however, it is believed, are perfectly accurate; but the characteristic description with which they are interwoven, is so inadequate to the feelings and conceptions of the Writer, and to the transcendent merits of the illustrious person whom it delineates, that it can only claim indulgence, as a tribute of the warmest admiration and most affectionate esteem, grounded on an intimate and uninterupted friendship of nearly thirty years. E. MALOne.

tremely popular in his native county. He had been long distinguished for his military ardour; and hence in 1756, soon after the plan of a National Militia was formed by Mr. Pitt (afterwards Earl of Chatham), he, in conjunction with his friend the late Marquis Townshend, was extremely zealous and active in promoting and carrying into execution that scheme, which has since proved so salutary to his country. On this subject he published a very animated Address to the People of England; and also some useful Regulations for the Norfolk Militia, of which he was finally Lieutenant-colonel. He died Oct. 30, 1761, leaving his son, then in his twelfth year, under the care of the executors of his will; three of whom were, Benjamin Stillingfleet, the Rev. Dr. Dampier, then Under-Master of Etonschool, (afterwards Dean of Durham,) and David Garrick, of whom, from his first appearance on the stage in 1741, he had been a warm admirer, and a most zealous patron.

His only son was born in London, in the parish of St. James, May 3d, O. S. 1750. He received the early part of his education at Eton, where he was very generally acknowledged to surpass all his fellows in whatever he undertook to perform: in addition to his superiority in classical attainments, he was the best cricketer, the best leaper, swimmer, rower, skaiter; the best fencer, the best boxer, the best runner, and the best horseman, of his time. Here he continued from 1762 to the autumn of 1766, when he removed to the University of Glasgow, and resided there for about a year in the house of Dr. Anderson, Professor of Natural Philosophy; during which time he diligently attended his Lectures and those of Dr. Robert Simson, Professor of Mathematicks, the well known author of a Treatise

* See a character of Mr. Windham by Mr. Neville, (extracted from Coxe's Life of Stillingfleet,) in vol. I. of this work p. 506, accompanied by a very fine portrait of Mr. Windham.

on Conick Sections, and of other learned works*. Of this profound Mathematician he was a great favourite; and here first probably he became fond of those studies, to which he was ever afterwards strongly addicted. In Sept. 1767, he was admitted a Gentleman-commoner of University College in Oxford, Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) Chambers being his tutor +. During his academic course (1767 to 1771) he was highly distinguished for his application to various studies; for his love of enterprise, for that frank and graceful address, and that honourable deportment, which gave a lustre to his character through every period of his life.

In 1773, when he was but twenty-three years old, his inclination to adventure, and his thirst of knowledge, induced him to accompany his friend, Constantine Lord Mulgrave, in his voyage towards the North Pole but he was so harassed with sea-sickness, that he was under the necessity of being landed in Norway, and of abandoning his purpose.

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In 1778, being then a Major in the Norfolk Militia, by his intrepidity and personal exertion he

* He published a valuable edition of Euclid's Elements, in two volumes, 8vo. Glasgow, 1756.

† Mr. Windham left among his MSS. three Treatises on Mathematical subjects, which he directed to be put into the hands of his friend, the Bishop of Rochester (Dr. Horsley, who was then living): adding, that if he should think them of any value, they might be published.

In 1782 he was created M. A., and D. C. L. in 1793, at the Installation of the Duke of Portland; when so high was the admiration of his character, that on his entering the Theatre, almost the whole assembly rose from their seats, and hailed him with loud applause.

§ Of his dauntless courage many instances might be given. In May 1785, he ascended from Moulsey-Hurst in a balloon, with Mr. Sadler; and in 1793, having visited our army engaged in the siege of Valenciennes, he surveyed all the works with the most minute attention, in company with Captain (afterwards Colonel) Thornton, and approached so near the enemy, that he was often within the reach of their cannon.-In his voyage with Lord Mulgrave, he went up to the main-top-mast with such firmness and intrepidity, that the shipmen conceived him to be a tried and experienced sailor.

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quelled a dangerous mutiny, which broke out, notwithstanding he was highly beloved by the regiment, just before they marched from Norwich for their new quarters at Southolt and Aldborough in Suffolk. On one of the mutineers laying hold of a part of his dress, he felled him down, and put him into confinement; and, on a band of his comrades surrounding him, and insisting on the release of the delinquent, he drew his sword, and kept them at bay, till a party of his own company joined and rescued him. Soon afterwards, in consequence of his being obliged to remain for several hours in wet clothes, he was seized at Bury with a bilious fever, which nearly deprived him of his life. Early in the next year, partly with a view of restoring his health, he went abroad, and spent that and the following year in Switzerland and Italy. Previously to his leaving England, he was chosen a Member of the LITERARY CLUB, founded by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Dr. Johnson (who had the greatest esteem for Mr. Windham *); and, notwithstanding his engagements in consequence of his Parliamentary business and the important offices which he filled, he was a very frequent attendant at the meetings of that most respectable Society, (for which he always expressed the highest value,) from 1781 to near the time of his death.

So early as in 1769, when he was a student at Oxford, and had not yet attained his twentieth year, the first Marquis Townshend, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whom he twice visited during his residence in that country, offered him the important office of his Principal Secretary; but he declined

* See Boswell's Life of Johnson, passim. Dr. Johnson in a Letter to Dr. Brocklesby, written at Ashbourne in Sept. 1784, "Mr. Windham has been here to see me; he came, I says: think, forty miles out of his way, and staid about a day and a half; perhaps I make the time shorter than it was. Such conversation I shall not have again till I come back to the regions of Literature, and there Windham is inter stellas [ignes] Luna minores." Ibid. IV. 382.