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answer to the inquiries of this cor- man in the ways and customs of respondent, I shall avoid a discus- the college.

sion of the points alluded to by Mr. Henderson passing some him, and shall content myself hours of that day with me, I was with exhibiting a few traits of gratified with a rich feast of intelMr. Henderson's character and lectual entertainment. The exdeportment, collected during that tent and variety of his knowledge, acquaintance which I maintained the intrinsic politeness of his man. with him at the university of which ners, his inexhaustible fund of he was a member. humour and anecdote, concurred to instruct, please, and amuse me.

It may not perhaps be impertinent or superfluous to mention some particulars relative to the commencement of our acquaint ance. I had never seen Mr. Henderson before he entered at Pembroke College, though his fame had previously reached my ears. One morning while I was occupied in my apartments at this college, I was surprised by the unexpected appearance of the joint tutors of our society, introducing to me a stranger, who from the singularity of his dress, and the uncouthness of his aspect (I speak not with any disrespect), attracted my no. tice in an uncommon degree. His clothes were made in a fashion peculiar to himself; he wore no stock or neckcloth; his buckles were so small as not to exceed the dimensions of an ordinary knee. buckle, at a time when very large buckles were in vogue. Though he was then twenty-four years of age, he wore his hair like that of a school-boy of six. This stran. ger was no less a person than Mr. Henderson, who had that morning been enrolled in our fraternity, and had been recommended to apartments situated exactly under mine, which I believe was the sole reason of his being introduced to me in particular, as it was not otherwise probable that I should have been singled out as the person who was to initiate this fresh

From this period to the time of my relinquishing an academical residence (a space of about four years), I was frequently honoured with the society of Mr. Henderson. I had therefore many opportunities of being acquainted with his natural disposition, his habits of life, and his moral as well as literary character.

His temper was mild, placable, and humane. He possessed such a spirit of philanthropy, that he was ready to oblige every individual as far as lay in his power. His benevolence knew no bounds; and his liberality was so diffusive that it submitted with difficulty to the circumscription of a narrow income.

He was fond of society,

and well qualified to shine in it. He was frank, open, and commu. nicative, averse to suspicion, and untinctured with pride or moroseness.

His mode of life was singular. He generally retired to rest about day-break, and rose in the afternoon: a practice, however, that was frequently interrupted by the occasional attendance which he was obliged to give to the morning service of the college chapel. He spent a great part of the day in smoking, and, except when in company, he usually read while he smoked. He had no objection to the liberal use of wine and spi

rituous liquors; and, notwith- as if he had been enfeebled by the co-operation of age and disease.

standing his philosophic self-denial in other respects, he did not With regard to his moral and always scrupulously adhere to the religious character, he was a patrules of temperance in this parti- tern highly worthy of imitation. cular. But this failing, which, He was in the strict sense of the I believe he did not often practice, phrase, integer vitæ scelerisque and which never led him into any purus. He shewed a constant glaring impropriety of conduct, regard to the obligations of honour was lost amidst the general blaze and justice: and recommended of merit and virtues with which his character was adorned.

both by precept and example, an attention to moral rectitude in all The following remarkable cus- its ramifications. He had the tom was frequently observed by courage to reprove vice and immohim before he retired to repose. rality wherever they appeared; He used to strip himself naked as and though he was sometimes low as the waist, and taking his treated on these occasions with constation at a pump near his rooms, tumely and insult, he bore with would completely sluice his head a moderation truly Christian, so and the upper part of his body: ill a return for his well-meant enafter which he would pump over deavours. In his principles of his shirt, so as to make it perfectly religion he was orthodox, without wet, and putting it on in that condition, would immediately go to bed. This he jocularly termed "an excellent cold bath." The latter part of this ceremony, how ever, he did not practice with such frequency as the former.

being rigid. His devotion was fervent, without making too near an approach to enthusiasm or superstition. He was perfectly acquainted with the religious dogmas of every different sect, and could readily detect the respective falla. cies of each. But, however he might differ from these sectarists, he behaved to them, on all occasions, with great politeness and liberality, and conversed with them on the most amicable terms of genera! sociability.

His external appearance was as singular as his habits of life. I have already mentioned those exterior traits which struck me in my first interview with him, and the same peculiarities remained with him during the whole time of my being honoured with his ac- His abilities and understanding quaintance, and, I believe, to the were eminently conspicuous. His end of his life. He would never penetration was so great as to have suffer his hair to be strewed with the appearance of intuition. So white dust (to use his own expres retentive was his memory that he sions), daubed with pomatum, or remembered whatever he learned; distorted by the curling irons of and this facility of recollection, the friseur. Though under two combined with a pregnancy of and thirty years of age at his imagination and solidity of judgdeath, he walked when he appeared in public, with as much apparent caution and solemnity,

ment, enabled him to acquire a surprising fund of erudition and argument; a fund ready at every

call, and adequate to every emer. gency.

His skill in physiognomy remains to be mentioned: he spoke His learning was deep and mul- of the certainty of this science with tifarious. He was admirably skilled all the confidence of a Lavater. in logic, ethics, metaphysics, and He constantly maintained that by scholastic theology. Duns Scotus, the mere inspection of the coun Thomas Aquinas, and Burgersdi. tenance of any individual in the cius, were authors with whom he world, he was able, without hav was intimately conversant. He ing either seen or heard of the had studied the healing art with person before, to give a decisive particular attention, and added opinion of his disposition and cha-to a sound theoretic knowledge of racter. Though I am inclined to it, some degree of practice. His consider this as an extravagant skill in this art he rendered sub- boast, I am ready to allow that servient to his philanthropy; for the characters of many persons he gratuitously attended the valetu- may be discovered by such inspecdinarian poor wherever he resided, tion, and that Mr. Henderson and favoured them with medical frequently succeeded in a wonderadvice, as well as pecuniary assis- ful manner in his attempts of this tance. He had a competent know. kind. ledge of geometry, astronomy, and every branch of natural and experimental philosophy. He astrology. Whether this was, or was well acquainted with the civil and canon laws, and the law of nature and nations. In classical learning and the belles lettres he was by no means deficient. He was master of the Greek and Latin tongues, as well as of several mo. I never knew any one whose dern languages. He affected not company was so universally courtelegance, either in his Latin or ed as that of Mr. Henderson. His English style; but was happy in talents of conversation were of so a manly, perspicuous, and forci- attractive a nature, so variable ble diction, which he preferred and multiform, that he was a to the empty flow of harmonious companion equally acceptable to periods. He was versed in his- the philosopher and the man of tory, grammar, and rhetoric. In the world, to the grave and the politics, he was a firm Tory, and gay, the learned and the illiterate, greatly disapproved the general the young and the old of both conduct of the Whig party. In sexes. this respect he resembled his friend

Dr. Johnson.

He pretended to a knowledge of the occult sciences of magic and

was not, a mere pretence, I leave to the judgment of the enlightened reader. Suffice it to remark, that his library was well stored with the magical and astrological books of the last century.

Yours, &c.

C. C.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

Whereas human nature admits of such es

Dr. Enfield's Sermon on the Pro- est ages of the world. gress of Religious Knowledge.

Dr. ENFIELD has left the cha- sential improvement, from the racter of an elegant, accomplished continued labours of individuals writer; but there is one sermon of through a succession of generahis, particularly, which entitles him tions, that there is not perhaps a to the higher praise of a Christian greater difference between the most Reformer, no discourse extant, sagacious and the most stupid ani. not excepting Dr. Priestley's on mal existing on the face of the Free Inquiry, breathing a more earth, than between the human ardent spirit of improvement, or savage, who subsists on the plunmore nervously and eloquently ex. der of the forest, and the ingenious pressing the bold speculations, the artist, or the deep-judging sage,' glowing anticipations, which have, formed in the polished state of soin all ages, animated great minds. ciety." He next notices the rise of the This sermon is "On the Progress of Religious Knowledge," and is greatest amendments in the human the first of" Three Discourses," condition from the smallest be by three separate authors, (Dr. ginnings: "little did the man who Enfield, Mr. Godwin and Mr. first observed the polarity of the P. Holland,) published in one 8vo. load-stone, or he who executed volume, in the year 1780: the the first rude sketch of the art of volume is dedicated to "Samuel printing, imagine to what valuable Shore, Esquire, of Norton Hall, purposes their respective discoDerbyshire," who (agreeably to the veries would afterwards be apprayer of the authors) still lives plied." "to bless his nearest connections," and whose “name and influence" still " support the schemes of use fulness and benevolence," by encouraging which, in their day, he attracted the respect of these united friends.

The author then turns to the proper subject of his discourse, the progress of religious know. ledge; and sketches with a beautiful pencil the history of the Di. vine Dispensations from Adam to Moses, from Moses to Christ, and from the establishment to the cor Here ruption of Christianity.

Dr. Enfield's text is Matt, xiii. 33-the leaven in the measures of meal. The subject is introduced occurs a fine eulogium on the by some elegant remarks upon the Unitarian Reformers." Scon difference between man and other after the first dawn of the Reform. animals in point of improvement. ation, several great men arose, who "The bee, the ant, or the beaver possessed such strength and acuteof the present race, appears to have ness of understanding, and freeno larger portion of knowledge or dom of spirit, as to be able, at one skill, and to be capable of ne effort, to separate the pure religion greater variety in its productions, of Christ from the mass of absurdithan the same animal in the earli- ties and superstitions with which

it had been mixed; and to con- pered with moderation; and that

they will settle into the respectable character of rational Christians."-The pages of this work attest the preacher's sagacity.

ceive themselves, and represent to others, a system of faith so rational and scriptural, that all the labours of modern times have done little to improve it. These bold Other obstacles to the spread of innovators, however, placed them- true religion are particularizedselves on a ground so far removed in the spirit of indifference; in from the old establishment, and slothfulness, timidity and sel even from the commonly received fishness. The following observasystem of the reformed church, tion, found in this part of the serthat they gained few followers, mon, is admirable: "In accomand only brought upon themselves, plishing schemes of reformation, and those who had penetration discretion should be employed to and fortitude enough to become regulate, not to restrain, the opetheir adherents, the censures and rations of courage." anathemas of those churches which The reader's heart will kindle claimed to themselves the merit of into delight at the preacher's vivid orthodoxy. By appearing at the picture of Christian ministers sushead of a small and despised sect, taining the character of reformers. they only furnished the multitude "It is only from those who have with appellations of obloquy and established their principles on the contempt for free inquirers in firm basis of free inquiry, who succeeding ages." are duly sensible of the importance of knowledge, particularly moral and religious, to the happiness of mankind-and who at the same time possess inflexible integrity, a bold and enterprising temper, and an invincible independence of spirit, from whom great attempts in the work of reformation are to be expected. Such men, instead of timidly keeping out of the way of danger by insisting wholly on general truths, or on a nearer ap. proach to the ground of contro. versy, making a cowardly retreat behind a set of phrases of doubtful meaning, will avow and support, with all plainness and frankness, whatever they judge to be important and seasonable truths. They will not think it sufficient that they barely teach no error, but will esteem it their duty to assist their hearers in searching after truth, and establishing rational principles of religion and morals. Having

Two causes are next specified as hindering "the progress of free inquiry, and of its natural off spring, rational ideas on religious subjects," in later times; viz. subscription to articles of faith, and the propensity of the vulgar to mysticism and enthusiasm. Notwithstanding these obstructions however, the preacher represents the cause of truth as surely, though gradually, advancing, and expa tiates, with an unusual spirit of eloquence, upon the happy signs of the times. He prophecies of the Methodists, that "when the rage of novelty is over, and the heat of passion is abated, many who now despise the name of reason, will listen to her still small voice;' that their present blind attachment to their leaders will give way to the desire of knowledge and love of truth; that their zeal will be directed by judgment, and tem

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