Scotland, to which certain Loyal and Conftitutional Refolutions were tranfmitted for fignatures, during a late season of alarm. The period to which I refer, was long before the tumultuous and unwarrantable attack on his Majefty's carriage. To thefe refolutions, the inhabitants firmly refused their affent, though strongly recommended from the pulpit, and enforced by a long fpeech and other arguments, from a noble Lord of confiderable influence and property. The general answer of the parishioners, was, "That they fincerely wifhed well to the King and Conftitution, but that while there exifted fuch urgent neceffity for Reform, which might eafily be put in practice, without danger to either, they could not think of figning any paper, in which Redrefs of Grievance, and Diminution of Public Expence was not the prevailing fentiment; nor would they on any account tie up their hands from endeavouring to procure by all lawful and tranquil methods, fuch defirable purposes." With this declaration they left the VOL. I.

to the astonished clergyman, and the thunder-ftruck Peer, who, if I mistake not, was the Earl of Kinnoul.

ADDINGTON, Dr. a phyfi

cian of Reading, in Berkfhire, who firft fignalized himself by his acuteness in detecting, his zeal in apprehending, and his evidence in condemning a wretched female, the dupe of vanity and illicit intercourfe, who was executed thirty years fince, for poifoning her father, Mr. Blandy, by the advice and affiftance of an honourable military paramour.

Our Doctor, equally keen and fcientific in his knowledge of medicine, as well as the meum & tuum in money matters, could never submit to the inconvenience of a profeffional competitor, with temper, liberality, or moderation.

This difpofition, and his availing himself of certain profeffional

tricks and manoeuvres to overreach his opponents, by establishing an intereft with nurfes and apothecaries, involved him in difputes with Dr. Piggot and Dr. B

Ruffell,

Ruffell, two phyficians of repute in their day, who practifed in his neighbourhood. On another occafion, by his bufy interference, and rude language, he incurred the rifque of a perfonal rencounter; but, as his antagonift obferved, "Dr. Addington loved a fee better "than fighting." The only reafon, or excufe, he could make for his grofs deviation from propriety and good manners, in the third inftance, was, that the gentleman he infulted, had not taken a degree at Oxford or Cambridge.

The enthufiaftic political attachments of the Doctor, father to the prefent Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, have been often mentioned, and his conduct compared to that of certain eccentric characters, who appear to be mad only on one fubject. His general conduct and deportment in private life were confiftent, moderate and proper, but whenever the name of Pitt or Burton Pynfent was mentioned, the meeknefs with which he commonly bore his faculties, inftantly forfook him, and he broke out in a peculiar ftrain of highflying rapturous panegyric, which nothing could moderate or arreft, however important the business, or folemn the occafion, in which he was occupied.

Yet in this madness, there was method as well as good policy, it acquired for himself, and fecured to his family the friendship and patronage of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, procured by collateral connection, rich and refpectable hufbands for his daughters, and ultimately placed his fon in that chair where Onflow once prefided; Onflow whofe fhade,

whatever regret he might feel front other fources, would fee with furprife and fatisfaction, so young a man, moderating the counfels of a great affembly with dignity, fpirit, and mildnefs, uniting a confiderable portion of parliamentary information, and rigid impartiality, with the habits and manners of a gentleman.

The following has been for feveral years, the common-place, after dinner ftory of a bon vivant, who differed a little in politics with the phyfician, and has been accufed of creating or improving by the force of a fertile imagination, thofe anecdotes, with which he fo frequently entertains a certain circle, and sets their tables in

a roar.

The fubject of our prefent article having been fent for by a gentleman, whofe fon was fuppofed to be at the point of death; while the doctor was in the fick room, the family affembled below, in anxious expectation; and, after a long and painful pause, a near relation of the patient hurried out of the room, to enquire the reason of his delay. On the ftairs he found the phyfician and the apothecary, who was unfortunately a fhocking Foxite, involved in political difpute, and Dr. Addington, elaborately examining and comparing the obnoxious Bill of Mr. Fox, with the meliorated production of Mr. Pitt. "Dear Sir," faid the young man, labouring with fraternal affection, angry with the phyfician, but fearful of offending him, "Dear Sir, there is no

one in this house pretends to de"ny the tranfcendent merits of the "heroes and demi-gods at Burton Pynfent,

66

Pynfent, but my poor brother "will, I fear, be dead before you get through the India Bill." The practitioner felt he was wrong, hurried down ftairs, wrote his prescription, and left the house fomewhat ruffled, gallopped down the avenue after the apthecary, and rode two miles out of his road, to finish his argument, and returned with the triumphant idea, that he had made a profelyte.

DAIR, ROBERT, a Surgeon, a good-natured pleafant man, a favourite of princes, of women, and of fortune, whofe mediocrity of powers, and fuperficial acquirements have not been able to efcape the induftrious watchfulness of modern biography.

Detection in an early amour, drove him precipitately from Dub. lin, and he was fortunate enough, after practising as an army furgeon for fome years, to attract the notice of Lady Caroline Kepple, a daughter of the late Earl of Albemarle, and fifter to the Admiral, who fought, or would have fought the French handfomely, off Ufhant,

His marriage with this lady introduced him into good company, and he was foon appointed infpector general of military hofpitals, an office, in which his frugality in the expenditure of public money, was confpicuous and exemplary, while his affability and mildness of manners, were a happy contrast to the harsh severity and rugged peeviflinefs, of fome of his cotemporaries in the pro. feffion. He was also the best friend of the private foldier, and of a rank of men who may often look with envy on the condition of a

private foldier, I mean thofe unhappy fubalterns, whofe parents having been mad and cruel enough to fink the whole of their fon's fortune in an enfigncy, or a lieutenant's commilion, have doomed him to exift in fplendid poverty on three fhillings a day.

Lady Caroline who died confumptive a few years after her marriage, ought not to be mentioned without a reflection on what are called great matches. That in many inftances they conduct a private individual to honour and wealth, and that they are, as in the prefent cafe, often productive of nuptial happiness, is an undoubted fact; but the young and gay before they pafs the Rubicon, fhould maturely weigh the chances of the field, and recollect that indifference, reproach and family difcord are the probable confequence of unequal alliance; that enchanting form, immenfe wealth, and brilliant accomplishment, are by no means effential to happinefs, that the woman most likely to bring peace and comfort at the laft, is one with more humble acquirements, the ufeful domeftic companion, whofe fortune, rank, and intellectual endowments, are nearly upon an equality with her husband's.

I have faid that Adair was a favourite of the fair as well as of fortune, and a hafty sketch of a lady is given in his life, which has perplexed the critics in amorous anecdote, and private fcandal, to find out who was meant.

She is described as an early and generous friend of this fortunate Irishman, and as a woman of fafhion, at that time well known in polite

B 2

polite circles, a famous demi-rep and free-thinker, on the wrong fide of nine and thirty, who had spent the best part of her life in adopting every wild opinion, and gratifying every paffion.

At this juncture, being accidentally at Bath during the feafon, the attracted the attention of an old Peer, and by virtue of a plump face, good fpirits, and agreeable fmall talk, won the heart of a decayed rake at fixty-five; flattered by her attentions, and miftaking the pertnefs of dotage and the effects of a good fire and ftrong punch for vigour, he fettled on her an enormous jointure; inftead of an additional flannel waistcoat, took a wife to his bofom, and when he ought to have ordered a hot pan of coals, he determined on a bed-fellow; but his courage was fuperior to his conftitution, and he funk under this autumnal effort.

The widow fubmitted to fate without murmuring, and wore her weeds with decent compofure; but advancing in years as well as infirmities, qualms for the fins of her youth came on, her spirits and infidelity forfook her, and the made a bold leap from Spinoza and whift, to Whitfield and coniac.

Adair having by a brilliant marriage, as well as by fuccefsful intrigue, attached a current value to his character among the women, many of them are faid to have longed "to prefs the dear deftroyer "to their arms," not content 'till they had afcertained the irresistible powers of a hero, for whom the heart of the wife, the widow, and the heirefs, had alternately throbbed with defire.

In his intrigues, he was often

rallied on the moderate fhare of beauty enjoyed by fome of his fair favourites, but he preferred them to very handfome women, who devoting more time to perfections of the body, than those of the mind, feldom are agreeable companions.

Could I be permitted (fays his biographer) in the choice of a wife, to employ the arts of a magician; during her childhood and education, her person should be by no means attractive, but when marriage-rites had made her mine, I would exert the omnipotence of my talifman, to give beauty and expreffion to her form.

Although this writer does not pretend to deny the laxity of Adair's morals in thefe trying inftances, yet he afferts with a degree of honeft exultation, that his amours were never productive either of desertion or mifery, that it was the policy of our fortunate Irifhman, to pursue pleasure with the refined ardour of a rational voluptuary, and never to facrifice the peace of a family, or betray and abuse that confidence which had once made him happy: a conduct well worthy the imitation of many right honourable seducers, who infect our streets, and crowd our work-houses, with wretched infants and unhappy prostitutes, a prey to disease, infamy and death.

On the death of Mr. Ranby the furgeon, a man of strong paffions, harth voice, and inelegant manners, the fubject of this article fucceeded him in a lucrative profeffional poft, and is faid to have prevailed on a good-natured King to break his word, as it had been promised to David Middleton, a veteran in

the

the fervice of his mafter's family; Adair, notwithstanding, fecured a good thing, and David, as has been the fate of many a greater man, died with a King in his

After the public had given him credit for faving the Duke of Gloucefter's life, and after enjoying in his Italian journey with that royal wanderer, the friendship and approbation of Ganganelli, who has been called a proteftant Pope, he returned to England, and at an advanced age, for he was upwards of feventy, an opportunity offered of exerting his benevolence and philanthropy, with fingular efficacy and fuccefs.

His friend Mr. Heffe of the army pay-office, and I believe a commiffary of mufters, a man of pleafing manners, general acquaintance in polite circles, and at a certain time, of competent income, (but not of a folid understanding) had unhappily been feduced by the diffipating madnefs of the times, to form habits and indulge in expences, inconfiftent with his rank and fortune.

Though his affairs had for fome time been defperate, his pride would not fuffer him to retrench, he regarded with dread the contemptuous fneer of the world, at leaft that defpicable diffipated drove which paffes for it-a vile,unmanly, fatal fear, which makes and keeps us fools and beggars half our lives. Wine, company, gaming, an unceafing round of amufements, together with certain chimerical hopes of advancing his fortune, for fome time ferved to fhut out intruding thoughts, and fupport a wounded fpirit.

But evils which we ought to oppose with spirit and refolution, have never been long evaded by riot, folly, and diffipation; Premit atra Comes, fequiturque fugacem:

his expectations were disappointed, his creditors were urgent, and he retired with a smile on his countenance but mortal chagrin at his heart, to one of those nocturnal affociations for getting rid of time, money, and reflection, which have been called "little earthly Pandomoniums," where how bitter foever our difappointments,however hopelefs our profpects, unprincipled our actions, or indelible our difgrace, we may be certain of meeting companions, equally miferable, difhonoured, or ruined with ourfelves, alike fmarting under the reproaches, falfehood, and ill treatment, of mankind or themfelves, ready to receive us with open arms, and sympathy, and in the diftraction of play, the tumult of wine, or the roar of merriment, fetting at defiance, God and man.

Cards and dice, here level every mortifying diftinction, and mix in familiar intimacy, the prince and prize-fighter, the peer and horfejockey, the beggar and nabob, the gambler and the heir.

This unhappy man paffed part of the night in one of thefe fplendid receptacles of desperate adventure, which attract by their bulky magnificence, the wonder and figh of the indignant public. With that timid caution which often accompanies fatal defign, he exhibited nothing peculiar in his deportment or appearance, but at the ufual time, and in the ufual` mode, taking leave of thofe he

was