His intention being notified, was received by Dr. Hope with suitable thanks; for he was tenderly attached to his father, and loved to humour him in all the eccentricities of age. He often reminded his father of his promise, but the fulfilment of it was always deferred to some season of becoming gravity.

It ought to be premised, that Mr. Hope had a supreme contempt for the medical profession. Having attained the age of nearly eighty, without having, to his remembrance, taken a dose of medicine, he ascribed his good health and great activity mainly to having "kept out of the doctor's hands." He therefore concluded that all medical practitioners must necessarily be either fools or knaves. Still, being both fond and proud of his son, he hoped that, by dint of good advice, he might form a bright exception to the rule. To this end, he did not fail to recommend to his especial notice a book of no ordinary quack receipts which he possessed, and which, according to his belief, comprised the whole of medical art and science-a recommendation which Dr. Hope never failed to receive with suitable respect.

At length, the day before Dr. Hope was to leave his father's house, Mr. Hope invited him to take a walk in the adjoining park of a nobleman. The invitation was accepted. For some time they talked on indifferent subjects. Suddenly Mr. Hope stopped, drew himself erect with an air of great dignity, and, as if preparing for an important speech, said, "Now, James,

I shall give you the advice that I promised, and if you follow it, you will be sure to succeed in your profession." Many thanks having been given, and due obedience promised, he continued,

"First,-Never keep a patient ill longer than you can possibly help.

"Secondly,-Never take a fee to which you do not feel yourself to be justly entitled. And,

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Thirdly,-Always pray for your patients.”

A short time before his death, Dr. Hope said that these maxims had been the rule of his conduct, and that he could testify to their success.

PERIOD III.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE-AUTHORSHIP-LECTURING.

CHAPTER I.

WE have brought the subject of this Memoir to the termination of his preliminary studies. We have pointed out the influence of trivial incidents in calling out the natural tastes and qualities of mind; the importance of early habits and systematic training in modelling the future man; and, what is more rare, we have shewn how the strongest antipathy may be overcome by a powerful mind, and all the previous cultivation of the intellectual faculties concentrated and made to bear on that which, however distasteful, is to form the sphere of future usefulness, and the criterion of future renown or insignificance. We are arrived at the point which is to try the efficacy of the previous educational training, to realise or destroy for ever the ambitious hopes of the young aspirant to fame, no less than the fond prophecies of admiring relatives and friends, who had already, in imagination, placed Dr. Hope at the head of his profession. How many a clever,

brilliant youth has deservedly won the applause of provincial societies, and yet, like Crabbe's country squire, has dwindled into comparative nothingness when placed beside the brighter luminaries of the metropolis. Family connexions, superficial qualities, a higher species of charlatanism may gain a reputation in the country, where comparatively few are qualified judges; but in London, every action is exposed to jealous and able scrutiny; and in order to come out of the large crowd of men who really are possessed of very good average abilities and education, a man must be truly superior. In London every man finds his level, be it mediocrity, or a grade higher or lower.

Fully aware of what was required to be at the head of the profession in London, Dr. Hope shrunk not from the ordeal through which he had to pass, in order to attain what he esteemed the sole object worthy of his ambition. He had already refused the most flattering prospects at Florence; he was now urged to settle in Edinburgh, in Manchester, in York, in various other places where he had connexions, or where his former fellow-students were already beginning to taste the sweets of success. He turned a deaf ear to such solicitations, determining either to be nothing, or to be the first physician in the first metropolis of the world. His past success in every situation in which he had been placed, justified him in believing that his natural abilities were not inferior to those of others, and he had taken care that none should gain an advantage over him by more assi

duous application, or by superior opportunities for study. His cool judgment, therefore, formed the rational conclusion that where his equals or inferiors had succeeded, he could only fail through his own fault. The knowledge of the dangers and difficulties which awaited him, served to awaken his prudence and animate his zeal; but his predominant feeling was that of impatience to enter the field. This sentiment is expressed in the following letter to Dr. George Julius, written from Cheshire :

"August 28th, 1828. "You could not easily have devised a stronger temptation than the York Festival in such company; but, alas! the obstacles are insuperable. I am pledged to appear before the College of Physicians at the end of September: three or four weeks' preparation will be necessary, and I shall be previously occupied in househunting. After all, I think I should be a damper on your merriment at York, and, accordingly, should not enjoy the amusements: for I am so weary of idleness, and so impatient to expose myself to the onus which you, from repletion, reprobate, that every other object has lost its charms for me."

Dr. Hope came to town a few days after this letter was written, passed the College as a licentiate, and, on the 8th December, 1828, took possession of his house in Lower Seymour-street, the same which he continued to occupy till he retired from practice. In the choice. of this situation, he afterwards found reason to believe