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that beautiful line of Pope, in which it is fo ftrikingly comprehended

An honeft man's the nobleft work of God!'

The arguments made ufe of by Lord John Cavendish, in fupport of his motion refpecting the peace, on Friday, the 21ft of February, and in juftifi. cation of the coalition then recently formed, will furnish our readers with the true reafons which induced that measure, and at the fame time inform them on what principle his well-known friendship for Mr. Fox is founded..

administration was formed, that carried this nation to a pitch of glory unknown before. So, at prefent, nothing but an union of great and able men could fave the country; and he owned it gave him great comfort, that he had been able to effect fuch an union. With regard to the fort of connections he had lived in, he said, they had been the chief happiness of his life, He had feen an honourable friend, (whose early indifcretions made the obtainment of high fituation as desirable as his great and brilliant talents entitled him to have fuch an ambition) from an impulfe of principle fo extraordinary and unexampled, that he could scarcely have believed any man, under any circumstances, could have carried his principle to fuch an uncommon length, abandon place and power, and give up every thing that his ambition could defire, fooner than act with duplicity. Such conduct had rendered his honourable friend dearer to him than ever; and feeling for his honour in conformity to an action that fo forcibly spoke it, he never would advise his honourable friend to do what he thought either derogatory to him, or improper in itself. His lordship, after this, dwelt for fome time on the nature of political connections; and faid it had ever been cuftomary for men of great abilities, and men of high rank and weight in the country, to unite. It rarely happened, he obferved, that the abilities and the fortunes of perfons went together. Men of the greateft affluence feldom poffeffed the most powerful talents: in order, therefore, to do their country fervice, it became the one defcription of perfons to connect itself with the other. He had followed that rule; and though others might not have fo affluent a fortune as he was blessed with, they had greater abilities; and, in effecting the union of both, he was convinced he rendered himself refpectable, and effentially contributed to the public good.

After a juft eulogium by Mr. Powys, on the character of Lord John Cavendish, blended with a difapprobation of the proposed motion, as well as of the coalition just formed, his lordship rofe with fome warmth, and advised his honourable friend not to let his wit outrun his judgment. He faid, he fhould have felt his compliments more forcibly, and thought they better deferved his thanks, had they been unaccompanied by thofe farcafms levelled at the prefent motion, and at what the honourable gentleman had been pleased to term an unnatural alliance. With regard to the facts on which his motion was grounded, the honourable gentleman had himself admitted them; and he would venture to fay, there was not a man in the house who could lay his hand on his heart and deny that the peace was a bad one, and fuch a peace as, , under the relative circumftances of Great Britain and her enemies, ought not to have been made. As to the alliance, refpecting which so much had been faid, let gentlemen look back to the year 1757, when the country had been more torn by violent parties than ever was known before or fince. Adminiftration came in after administration, and no one set of men ftaid in for any long period; nay, for eight months together, in a time of war, the country might be faid to have no government. What was done then? Men of all parties faw the neceffity for uniting. They did fo. The several factions forgot their animofities; and, out of all the different fets of men, an

In conformity to thefe fentiments Lord John Cavendish has ever invariably acted; nor are his abilities the

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HIS celebrated anatomist, whofe great profeffional skill has given him a juft claim to our attention, was a native of Kilbride, in the county of Lanerk, Scotland.

Dr. William Hunter was born in the year 1716; and his father intending him for the church, he was with this view fent to Glasgow, at an early age. After five years study at that univerfity, he began, however, to feel ftrong objections to theological purfuits; and having, during his academical attendance at Glasgow, contracted an intimacy with Dr. Cullen, the prefent famous profeffor at Edinburgh, who was then juft fettled in practice at Hamilton, he was advised by that gentleman to direct his attention to phyfic. Having procured the confent of his father for this important profeffional change, he was immediately placed with Dr. Cullen, at whofe house he remained two years; and, as the doctor was always remarkable for indefatigable zeal in communicating knowledge to his pupils, as well as for infpiring them with an enthufiaftic love of ftudy, it was a fortunate circumftance for Dr. Hunter that he was thus advantageoufly fituated.

As Dr. Cullen had always a diflike to the chirurgical part of his profef fion *, notwithstanding the unwearied affiduity with which he constantly cul

tivated the study of phyfic and chemiftry, it was agreed that his pupil fhould firft vifit the college at Edinburgh, and afterwards proceed to London, for the purposes of obferving the hofpital practice, and of improving himself in furgery and anatomy; on his return from which laft place, a partnership fhould commence in the bufinefs which Dr. Cullen had established at Hamil ton.

On his arrival in London, Dr. James Douglas, the well-known author of a Treatife on the Muscles, and other profeffional tracts, to whom he carried recommendatory letters, and who was then in high reputation and extenfive practice, as a phyfician and manmidwife, recommended him to attend St. George's Hofpital, and Dr. Nicholl's lectures; where he might, by becoming a perpetual pupil, attain a perfect knowledge of all that gentleman's art in making anatomical preparations.

Dr. Douglas foon difcovering the very promifing abilities of Dr. Hunter, on his preparing to return to Hamilton, advised him to alter his intended plan, and proposed that he fhould for fome time continue to affift him in his anatomical pursuits, after which he might vifit Paris and Holland with his fon, (then a medical ftudent) fettle in London on his return, and commence teacher of anatomy. This propofal being communicated to Dr. Cullen, that gentleman readily acquiefced in his friend's pursuing a profpect of evident advantage, who accordingly accepted Dr. Douglas's liberal offer.

On the death of his kind patron, Dr. Hunter began to teach anatomy; and his eafy, agreeable method, of delivering his lectures, with the new and clear points of view in which he placed the different parts of his fubject, added to the variety and uncommon elegance of his preparations, procured him an aftonishing number of pupils. About the year 1747, Dr. Hunter

The diftinctions which prevail in England among the feveral branches of the faculty, are (if we except Edinburgh) wholly unknown in Scotland; where the physicians not only prepare their own medicines, but likewife practise surgery.

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was admitted a member of the Company of Surgeons in London; and his anatomical repute foon obtained him an extenfive practice, particularly in midwifery.

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Soon after his eftablishment in London, he fent for his brother, Mr. John Hunter, then only eighteen years of age, and placed him in his diffecting room; where thofe aftonishing abilities which have fo eminently diftinguished the two brothers, foon became manifeft.

The univerfity of Glasgow, proud to acknowledge Dr. Hunter as one of it's fons, about this time complimented him with the degree of Doctor of Phyfic; and, in 1756, he was admitted a member of the College of Phyficians.

Shortly after this, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; in whofe Philofophical Tranfactions, he had fo early as the year 1743, rendered him felf confpicuous, by an ingenious paper on the Structure of Cartilages. This was his first contribution to that cele brated work, which has fince received feveral valuable articles from his pen.

On the queen's becoming preg. nant, Dr. Hunter was confulted, and he was at the fame time appointed Phyfician-Extraordinary to her Majefty; in the year 1769, when the Royal Academy of Arts was first founded, he was nominated Anatomical Profeffor to that institution; and in or about the year 1781, on the decease of one of the Eight Foreign Affociates of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, he was elected to filled up the vacancy.

Notwithstanding the abftemious manner of living to which Dr. Hunter had conftantly habituated himself, he was for years afflicted with a wandering gout, which feldom continued twenty-four hours in the fame part. This complaint had for fome days been troublesome; and, on his return from a vifity on the 15th of March, his pain was fo confiderably increased, that he was obliged immediately to go to bed, where he continued till the Thursday following; when, finding himfelf able to ftand, his anxiety for

his pupils made him determine to give them the Introductory Lecture to the Operations of Surgery, contrary to the advice of his friends, who in vain represented the impropriety of the mea fure. He accordingly gave it; and the fatigue he underwent from the exer tions he made during upwards of an hour and a half, produced a relapse, which occafioned him to be immedi ately carried away to bed. In the beginning of the fucceeding week, all expectations of his recovery were given up; he died about half paft two, on Sunday, the 30th of March, in the fixty-feventh year of his age; and his remains were, on the following Saturday, depofited in the vault of St. James's church, Piccadilly.

As a lecturer, Dr. Hunter was unrivalled: his perfpicuity of expreffion, and an uncommon zeal to facilitate the ftudy of his pupils, were peculiar traits in his profeffional character; and, of all others, he was the most happy in blending the utile et dulce, by intro ducing appofite and pleasing stories, to illuftrate and enliven the most abstruse parts of anatomy. There is, perhaps, fcarce a town in England, or a city in Europe, that does not contain fome medical practitioner, who is capable of doing justice to his memory, by the grateful acknowledgment of his excellence as a public teacher.

Dr. Hunter was laborious and inde fatigable in all his purfuits; but we cannot fay his induftry was greatly affifted by genius indeed, he has often declared in his lectures, as a laudable incitement to affiduity and perseverance in young men, that induftry and attention are capable of furmounting the greateft difficulties, and that genius is by no means neceffary to enable them to make a confpicuous figure in the world; how far this pofition will influence mankind, is not easily deter mined, in the inftance of Dr. Hunter it has certainly been verified.

If we confider Dr. Hunter as an

anatomift, we must allow him all the praife to which unremitted application and diligence can entitle him; but it is impoffible to pronounce him

the

the very first anatomift of the prefent century: we have had a Haller, and a Hewfon, and a Monro ftill exifts; it will be fufficient to say, that they were not exceeded by Dr. Hunter.

The love of fame was certainly his ruling paffion; and this paffion is no doubt extremely laudable, when it animates to fuch purfuits as tend to promote great and ufeful difcoveries, and are eventually of general benefit to mankind.

Few characters are without their fhade; and it has been more than fu fpected, that Dr. Hunter (who did not always liften to the dictates of juftice on thefe occasions) has put in his claim to many more difcoveries than thofe to which he has any just pretenfions.

This was the fource of the mifunderstanding between him and his brother, Mr. John Hunter, the furgeon, who claimed the merit of fome difcoveries which the doctor had previously laid before the Royal Society as his

own.

The Lacteal Difpute as yet remains undetermined; but the majority of the world give the discovery to the late Mr. Hewfon.

Dr. Hunter's controverfy with Mr. Pott, concerning the Hernia Congenita, reflected no great credit on the doctor's character: that disease was certainly first noticed in this country by Mr. Pott, who so justly stands on the fummit of his profeffion, and whofe abilities are univerfally acknowledged and admired. The discovery of the Membrana Decidua is confeffedly Dr. Hunter's; but of what importance this may be in the practice of midwifery it is not for us to determine: the generality of thofe difcoveries which are confidered as properly his own, are neither very important nor useful.

The wealth which he accumulated, he employed in collecting a Mufeam, which is one of the moft ftupendous in Europe. His anatomical varieties were never equalled, and he had the fingular felicity of feeing them augment gradually for near fifty years. But the specimens of human and comparative anatomy form only a small part of

Dr. Hunter's Mufeum: the collection of scarce and valuable books is to be equalled only by public libraries; and his cabinet of medals, particularly Greek and Roman, is far more compleat than the Imperial collection at Vienna. It is but juftice to mention, that many of the anatomical preparations were made by the late Meffrs. Hewfon and Falconer, Mr. John Hunter, and the prefent ingenious Mr. Cruickshank, who fucceeds Dr. Hun ter.

The expence of building Dr. Hunter's houfe in Windmill Street, and of fitting up and furnishing his Mufeum, is faid to have been near 100,000l.

Dr. Hunter's literary productions, which are numerous, contain many yaluable practical obfervations; and his plates of the Gravid Uterus are peculiarly excellent. But his attacks on the immortal Harvey, who first difcovered the circulation of the blood, have been always confidered as uncandid and acrimonious.

As a phyfician, we can fay but little in his favour; he always despised medicine, and in general confidered it as ufelefs.

In his temper and difpofition he was captious and over-bearing, attached to his own opinions with unexampled obftinacy, and avaricious to a very high degree.

Yet, with all thefe imperfections, we must not expect haftily to fee so able an anatomical teacher: his pupils will long remember him with pleasure; his writings and collections will perpetuate his name; and his memory deferves to be revered by the public, to whose service his whole life was dedicated.

Dr. Hunter was never married; and he has bequeathed his Museum to his fifter's fon, Mr. Baily, (now about twenty-four years of age, and compleating his medical education at Oxford) for the term of thirty years: after this period, without any participation or incumbrance whatfoever, it goes to the Univerfity of Glasgow. But if, during the above time, Mr. Baily fhould happen to die, the property of the Mufeum, for the remain

der

der of the thirty years, is to be vefted in Mr. Cruickshank.

The fum of 4000l. with the intereft from time to time accruing, is likewife left in truft for the fupport and augmentation of the collection.

Dr. Pitcairn, Mr. Coombe the apothecary, and Dr. Fordyce of Effex Street, are appointed executors; to whom Dr. Hunter has left a legacy of twenty pounds a year each, during the thirty years in which they will be executing his will.

On a moderate computation of the value of Dr. Hunter's Museum, it is thought to be worth 70,000l. befides which, he was poffeffed of upwards of 20,000l. in money, the bulk of which is alfo left to his nephew.

The name of Mr. John Hunter is not mentioned in the will.

TH

MISS SEWARD.

HIS amiable young lady, whofe very extraordinary genius entitles her to rank in the higheft clafs of female excellence, is the daughter of the Rev. Mr. Seward, canon-refidentiary of the cathedral church of Litchfield, and rector of Eyam, in Derbyshire. Mr. Seward is one of the learned editors of the Works of Beaumont and Fletcher; author of a celebrated treatife on the Conformity between Popery and Paganism; and the ingenious writer of the Female Right to Literature, Verfes on Shakespeare's Monument at Stratford upon Avon, a tranflation from the Italian of Metaftafio, and other poems, in the fecond volume of Mr. Dodfley's collection.

Mifs Seward, we believe, was born at Eyam, in Derbyshire; where, it is certain, the family lived about the time of her birth, and from whence they removed, when she was only fourteen years of age, to the Bishop's Palace at Litchfield, in which they have from that period continued to refide. Mrs. Seward, who was a very exemplary character, and in her youth a celebrated Staffordshire beauty, had many children; but they all died in their infan

cy, except only a moft lovely young lady who living till the age of twenty expired on the eve of her intended nuptials, and Mifs Anna Seward the fubject of thefe memoirs. Mrs. Seward had for fome years a very infirm state of health, and died in 1780.

There can be little doubt that the intelligent and ingenious author of the Female Right to Literature would carefully prepare the mind of his infant daughter for a full participation of the privilege for which he has in that celebrated poem fo ably contended; and though the peculiar vivacity of his difpofition, as well as a remarkable attachment to thofe charms of fociety, the value of which he is himfelf fo well calculated to increase, might deter him from attempting the task of perfecting Mifs Seward in the Greek and Latin languages, he certainly contrived to give her a very early and accurate taste for English poetry.

We have been informed that the lifped the L'Allegro & 11 Penferofo of Milton fo early as in her third year; and fhe was, in her ninth, capable of repeating the most difficult books of Paradife Loft, with a spirit and propriety of emphafis which fufficiently proved how perfectly fhe felt and comprehended the beauties of that truly divine poem.

Indeed, a lady who knew Mifs Seward in her infancy, has confidently afferted, that when the was not more than five years of age, in the midst of that juvenile playfulness with which, in her evening walks, the bounded over the rocks and Alpine heights of her native mountains, the would often fuddenly ftop, and with eyes fwimming in delight, and an air of the most animated enthufiafm, repeat poetical paffages from her memory, and apply them with great propriety to every graceful, pleafing, or tremendous profpect, which attracted her wandering attention.

Mifs Seward paraphrased several of the Pfalms in her ninth year, and their harmony is faid to have been aftonishing; in her tenth, Mr. Seward having one day engaged to give her half a crown if fhe would compofe a copy of

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