exertions. M. Chron. duous enterprize involved. His wickshire,) and early placed is labours were unremitted-his pru- the world, he never suffered tempdence was not inferior to his zeal, tation to lead him astray from and his success in promoting civil. the path of conscious rectitude. ization and Christianity, in a place Though only in the middle walk where he found both literally and of life, the public and private acts morally a wretched wilderness, was of charity and beneficence, in such as to afford to his benevolent which he was either a principal or mind, no mean recompence for participator, would not have dishis disinterested and persevering graced persons in a much more elevated situation. One leading feature of his character, was the pleasure he took in training up 1812, Feb. 17, at Trowbridge, and virtue; but his concern for young men to habits of industry Wilts, the REV. WILLIAM JONES, their welfare, ceased not when they minister of the General Baptist quitted his house, for he continued church in that town. He was a native of Wales and educated for considerate adviser to them in all as long as he lived, a kind and the ministry, under the Rev. J. their troubles, and a true and wise Evans, of Islington. He was very friend to them in their prosperity. recently settled at Trowbridge, In a word, his life might be taken having commenced his labours at Chichester, where he continued tradesmen. The magnanimity which as a pattern for imitation by young only a few months-preferring the he displayed, and the danger to situation in which he died, as be- which his person was exposed in ing nearer to his native Principality. the disgraceful riots at Birming He was ill for a considerable time, ham, of 1791, will long be but bore his affliction with exem- remembered by many persons still plary resignation. Cut off in the living. Educated in the principrime of life, he affords an addi- ples of religious dissent, he never tional proof of the precarious deserted them, and at the time of tenure on which we hold every his death, had been thirty-nine earthly blessing. We are born, years a member of the Old Meetwe live a longer or shorter period, ing congregation: his remains were and are buried! Melancholy would interred in the burial ground adbe this history of the human race, joining, on the 14th instant, atwere it not for the hope of a blessed tended to the grave by his eight immortality. nephews, and several young men, Islington. who deeply felt their loss, considering him as possessing all the feelings of a wise and affectionate parent. He has also left five sis. ters and two nieces, who feel all that human nature can on so mournful an occasion; yet, blessed be God, they mourn not as those who have no hope, trusting in the revelation of their Lord and Savi E., 1812, March 5, the day on which he compleated his 54th year, MR JOHN BURTON, of Birming ham. Descended from highly respectable parents, he did not dis grace his lineage, for though de. prived in youth of his father, (Mr. G. Burton, of Mancetter, War our Jesus Christ, that at the last day he shall again stand on the earth and that the just and righ teous man shall receive the recompence of the reward. Birmingham, March 12, 1812. him to his friends, and to all who of his mind alone be embalmed in Mr. Roe their remembrance. was gifted by nature with a voice of almost unexampled power, To this he sweetness and extent. had added an uncommon facility in reading music. It was his most 1812, March 11, at Norwich, favourite amusement. His taste Mr. JOHN WIGGETT ROE, aged was formed on the best models; 36. His death was occasioned by his perception was remarkably the bursting of a tumour, which nice, and his judgment accurate. had formed on one of the principal He was a bigot to no school in arteries A man of more spotless music, but his two favourite comcharacter will scarcely be found. posers were Handel and Webbe. Benevolent, cheerful, unassuming His remains were interred on in his manners, he was respected the Sunday after his death, and by all who knew him; and by his he was followed to the grave by family and friends he was sincerely the tears of his relatives and friends, and tenderly beloved. His death and by the blessings of the poor. has made a void in their circle, If a stranger had witnessed his which must be long and deeply funeral, he would have supposed deplored, and which cannot easily some great public character was be replaced. It is one of those deceased, so large was the number dispensations of Providence, which of persons present; but the tribute teaches us the uncertain tenure by was paid, not to exalted rank, to which we hold all our earthly title, to splendid talents, but to blessings, and which a firm reliance modest worth, to active benevo on the infinite wisdom and goodness lence-in a word, to the virtues of our Creator can alone enable which adorned and graced the life us to support. He was early edu- and character of a true Christian. cated in Calvinistic principles, but Norwich, he afterwards embraced the great doctrines of the Unity and supremacy of God, and of his infinite 1812. March 18, at his house goodness and placability. These important doctrines he adopted at Wimbledon, JOHN HORNE from sincere conviction, and he TooKE.-This extraordinary man constantly defended them with has flourished so long, and acted a firmness. He exemplified their part in the world so remarkable effects in his life. The meekness, and diversified, that it is not within the unaffected piety, the zeal and our limits to attempt any outline Neither, indeed, is it the resignation of a true Christian, of his life. adorned and dignified his charac- necessary, to those who are at all ter; they were conspicuous in acquainted with literature or our every action of his life, they domestic history for the last forty formed the charm, which endeared years, to delineate a man who has March, 18, 1812. ET. been so conspicuous in both. We any rate, the supporters of future consider his literary character to administrations will probably be be already immoveably, fixed, and satisfied with classing him among that there is no man of ingenuity, the Hampdens, the Miltons, and who does not lament to see the close similar disturbers of quiet governof his philological labours. As a ment and order.-In his public man of wit and general talents, he character, he may fairly be allowed will be likewise allowed on all the praise of being disinterested, hands to stand in the highest rank; for he exposed himself to sufferings as a companion, well-bred, aflable, and loss when he failed, without cheerful, entertaining, instructive, personal advantage from success. and in raillery to have been perhaps Nor let it be thought that his exwithout an equal.-But when we ertions in the cause of liberty were proceed to his politics, we find vain, because they were so generourselves on contentious ground, ally repelied. The abuse of power and feel the embers hot under our has no greater restraint than the feet. Gay and lively in his general dread of some stubborn mind, habits, here only he was inflexible which fines and prisons cannot and severe. Whether it was the subdue; and we are persuaded love of mankind or impatience of that ministers and even judges, power, let men dispute according have sometimes been awed into to their fancies. It is a sufficient moderation, by a man who not motive for our praise that he was only sacrificed to liberty, but was constantly on the side of freedom. willing to yield him elf up as the -We, ourselves, who have always offering.-The marked and invetepreferred, from love as well as rate hostility which he so long in. principle, to tread in the footsteps dulged against the purest and most of another leader, may have disinterested patriot of our times, thought Mr. Tooke culpably fas- took its rise in the memorable petidious and intractable. But, to riod of 1782, when on the demise say nothing of his just confidence of the Marquis of Rockingham, in himself, he must be allowed to Mr. Fox felt himselt compelled have had some ground for caution to resign, in consequence of the and distrust in forming connections appointment of the Earl of Shelwith public men: for he had sup- burne to be First Lord of the Treaported Wilkes, and was betrayed; sury. Mr. Tooke closely allied and had united with Pitt, and was himself with, and became the acpersecuted. By those who are tive partizan of that ministry; ready to approve every encroach. and though in the end he detected ment of power, his writings may the inordinate lust of power, at the still be termed libels, and his con- shrine of which Mr. Pitt sacrificed duct turbulence. Yet the nation every principle of his youth. Mr. has long since come to agree with Tooke never seemed to forgive the him respecting the American war, keener penetration of Mr, Fox, and the "murders of Lexington;" in discovering at once the real and if the judgment of a jury shall character and views of that youthbe confirmed by posterity, the in- ful statesman. Added to which, famy that was prepared for Tooke Mr. Tooke had in his nature a may fall on his prosecutors. At jealous and unrelenting enmity to M. Chron. March 21. all intellectual endowments supe- his eyes, and seeing who offered rior to his own. He would be the the draught, took the glass and master of his circle. He did not drank the contents with eagerness. envy Mr. Fox his political superi. He had previously observed, that ority more than he did Mr. Porson he should not be like the man at his literary attainments-and this Strasburgh, who, when doomed humour was not of a character to to death, requested time to pray, be corrected by age. We fear it till the patience of the magistrates went with him to his death-bed. was exhausted, and then, as a last Mr. Tooke was in the 77th year of expedient, begged to be permitted his age. He had been for several to close his life with his favourite weeks in a declining state, and amusement of nine-pins, but who had lost the use of his lower ex- kept bowling on, with an evident tremities. A few days ago, mor- determination never to finish the tification appeared and rapidly ad- game. He desired that no funeral vanced. Dr. Pearson, Mr. Cline, ceremony should be said over his Mr. Tooke's two daughters, and remains, and that six of the poorest Sir Francis Burdett, attended on men in the parish should have a him, and he was informed that guinea each for bearing him to the his dissolution was approaching. vault which had been prepared in He signified, with a placid look, his garden. that he was fully prepared, and had reason to be grateful for having passed so long and so happy a 1812. Jan. 16. At Upminster, life, which he would willingly Essex, JAMES ESDAILE, Esq. have had extended if it had been a man, endeared to his neigh possible. He expressed much bourhood by that active benevo satisfaction that he should be sur lence, which rendered him at once rounded in his last moments by an example and a blessing; to those who were most dear to him. his family, by the habitual exercise He professed his perfect confidence of all the gentler affections, which in the existence of a Supreme constitute the charm of domestic Being, whose final purpose was life; to his personal friends, by the happiness of his creatures. the cordial interest, which he took The eccentric facetiousness for in all their concerns; and to the which he was so remarkable, did friends of rational Christianity, by not forsake him till he became the steadiness of his religious prinspeechless, and even then his looks ciples, and the corresponding fruits wore an aspect of cheerful resig. of a good life.-For the early imnation. A short time before his pressions of that piety, which con death, when he was supposed to stituted a prominent feature in his be in a state of entire insensibility, character, he was indebted to the Sir Francis Burdett mixed up a care of his excellent mother, Lady cordial for him, which his medical Esdaile; and the seed thus sown, friends told the Baronet it would with maternal solicitude, was che-be to no purpose to administer, rished in its growth, under the but Sir Francis persevered in ministry of Dr. Jas. Fordyce, than offering it, and raised Mr. Tooke whom no preacher knew better with that view. The latter opened the happy art of applying the beauties of nature, which elevate the soul so pleasingly to the fountain of beauty, and of all that exalts and delights the rational man. Whilst his body and his truths of religion with effect, to panied in Mr. Esdaile, as it genethe conviction and improvement of rally is in minds of much sensibiyouth. But though Paul may lity, by a congenial taste for those plant, and Apollos water, it is God that giveth the increase," and he gives it, not by any super. natural interference, but by blessing the diligent use of our own powers, when sincerely exerted in mind were in health, he althe search of truth. In religion, ways expressed the highest satisas well as in science, those who faction, in surveying that sublime would be educated well, must edu- and romantic scenery, which accate themselves. Having received cords so well with pious feeling, the elements of knowledge, they and disposes so much to a cordia must combine, arrange, and im- acquiescence in all the ways of prove them, till they are formed divine wisdom. This acquiescence into consistent notions, and become was severely tried on different leading principles in the mind, occasions, by domestic losses, peimpelling and regulating its move. culiarly distressing; and few men men's, and producing that harmo. have ever discovered more than he ny of action, which principle alone did, of that genuine resignation, can ensure. This can be accom. founded upon Christian principles, plished only by personal medita- which, without outraging the tion and research; by taking our feelings of nature, checks her creed, not from the authority of murmurs, and enforces submission, man, but from the word of God. Such was the course pursued by Mr. Esdaile, who devoted a large portion of his leisure to the exami nation of the sacred volume, and has left ample proof, in his manuscript notes, of the diligence and impartiality, which he employed to discover and apply its genuine doctrines. The consequence was, that the devotional spirit, which he had so happily imbibed in his tender age, was enlightened and guided, as he advanced in years, by the most liberal views of the Christian dispensation, and settled into a habit of piety, uniformly cheerful; equally remote from the coldness of formality, and the intemperance of fanaticism; warm, but well regulated, and always connected in his mind with the formation of a virtuous' character. This devotional spirit was accom even when she is deeply wounded in the tenderest part.-Mr. Esdaile was educated a dissenter; and the habit of thinking for him. self confirmed him in dissenting principles. He was fully alive to the importance of fixing the right of private judgment upon a wide and solid base: and when the interests of truth and freedom were at stake, no man was better disposed to come to their aid, both with his substance and his personal exertions. In the support and management of our charitable institutions, his advice and his exertions were prompt and disinterested; and no support was ever less ostentatious, or less actuated by vain glory. For a simplicity, bordering upon diffidence, was the basis of his mental constitution; and, though he was active in encouraging and conducting public |