candidates for poetic fame. These amiable virtues, this divine. temper of mind, did not fail of their due reward; the best and the greatest men of his time, honored him with their friendship and protection; the applause of the public attended all his productions; his friends loved him with an enthusiastic ardour, and sincerely lamented his death, at an age when the greatest expectations were rationally formed that they might enjoy his society, and the entertaining productions of his pen, for many years.

The works of this poet, particularly the "Seasons," have been frequently reprinted; and in the year 1762, two editions of all his works, with his last corrections and improvements, were published by Mr. Patrick Murdoch, who has prefixed an account of his life and writings one of these editions is in 2 vols. 4to. the other in 4 vols. Svo. and to them we stand indebted for the chief incidents in these memoirs.

THE LIFE OF

SIR HANS SLOANE, BART.

[A. D. 1660, to 1752.]

THE greatest discoveries and improvements in the medical art, and in natural philosophy, have been made in the present century; to which our countrymen have largely contributed. In philosophy, our Newton and Boyle hold the first rank; the palm in physic must be given to Boerhaave, the celebrated Dutch physician; but Sloane and Mead deservedly lay claim to the second degree of honor in this useful profession. To the first, the nation stands most considerably indeld; and as the requisite variety, and limits of our work, oblige us to give a preference, having determined in favór of his life, we beg leave to refer the curious for that of Dr. Mead, to an excellent performance, entitled, "Authentic Memoirs of the Life of RICHARD MEAD, M. D. 8vo. 1755.”

Sir Hans Sloane was descended from a family of some antiquity

in Scotland, a branch of which, during the troubles in queen Mary's reign, settled at Killileagh, in the North of Ireland; where he was born in the year 1660.

We are told, that the first dawnings of his genius discovered a strong propensity to researches into the curiosities and secrets of nature; and this directed his parents to put him upon a mode of education adapted to this disposition. Natural history, and by an easy transition, the medical art, became his favorite studies, and soon determined him to make choice of the latter, as a profession for life. With a view of acquiring improvement in every class of science, connected with the study or practice of the medical art, he repaired to London, that general academy of knowledge, where he attended all the public lectures on anatomy and physic; commenced pupil to Stafforth, a celebrated chemist, and studied botany at the very small physical garden at that time belonging to the company of apothecaries, at Chelsea; but we are not informed who had then the management of it.

His attachment to natural history, and experimental philosophy, procured him the notice, and gained him the esteem and friendship of Mr. Boyle, and of Mr. Ray, the most eminent naturalists of his time. These gentlemen bestowed great attention on Sloane, taking every opportunity to improve his natural abilities, by cultivating his understanding; and in return, he communicated to them many useful discoveries and observations, which he made in the course of his studies. After about four years passed in this manner at London, he was advised to travel in pursuit of a more extensive field of knowledge.

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The principal professors of anatomy, of medicine, and of botany, at Paris, at this time, were men of the first eminence; he therefore determined to visit that university, and to reside some time in that famous city. There he frequented the public hospitals; the botanical lectures of Tournefort; the anatomical of Du Verney, and became acquainted with the first phyucians of the court. From Paris he went to Montpellier, warmly recommended by Tournefort to M. de Chirac, chancellor and professor of medecine to that university, who received him with great respect, and introduced him to all the learned men of that province. Amongst these was the ingenious Mr. Magnol, who made botany his chief study; this

gentleman took great pains to make Mr. Sloane acquainted with the various spontaneous productions of nature, which are almost innumerable in that happy climate; and he taught him how to class them in their order. proper He spent a whole with Mr. Magnol in this agreeable and useful employment; after which, he travelled through Languedoc, continuing the same pursuits.

year

About the latter end of the year 1684, he arrived at London, with a resolution to settle, and to practice as a physician. In this design he was greatly encouraged by the celebrated Dr. Sydenham, who generously took our young physician into his own house, introduced him to practice, and recommended him in all companies. How very different this from the conduct of the ge nerality, who oppose and circumvent each other as much as pos

sible!

His friend Mr. Ray, to whom he had transmitted a great variety of seeds and plants soon after his return home, proposed him as a member to the royal society; and he was accepted in a distinguished manner by that learned body. Mr. Ray likewise gave descriptions of such plants as he had sent him, with proper acknowledgments, in his Historia Plantarum. He was elected a fellow of the Royal college of physicians the following year; and his reputation was now so well established, that he must have come into very great practice, but his ruling passion getting the better of all pecuniary considerations, he listened to a proposal made to him by the duke of Albermarle, just appointed governor of Jamaica, to go over with him in quality of his physician. No dissuasions had any effect he made a joke of the representation made to him of the unhealthiness of the climate, and thought no sacrifice too great for his favorite pursuit. In Jamaica he resided fifteen months; and during this short time he made such a large collection of plants, as a man of less ingenuity and industry would have been some years in finding out. Mr. Ray, upon his return, expressed his astonishment, having no conception that such a variety could be met with in all Asia.

Dr. Sloane now applied himself very assiduously to his profession, and became so eminent, that upon the first vacancy, he was chosen physician to Christ's-hospital; and we are now to mention a circumstance which is almost as uncommon as his great abilities: He

applied the whole salary annexed to this appointment, to the relief of those who were the greatest objects of compassion in the hospital, being determined not to derive any emolument from the hu mane duty of restoring health to the poor.

In the year 1693, he was elected secretary to the Royal-Society; and he immediately revived the publication of "The Philosophical Transactions ;" which had been omitted for some time: he continued to be the editor of these volumes till the year 1712: and he greatly enriched the collection from the time he took the management of it, with papers written by himself.

All this time he had been making a collection of uncommon, singular, extraordinary, and scarce productions of nature and art; of such he had formed a considerable cabinent, well worthy the inspection of the learned. His ingenuity and industry in forming this repository, attracted the attention of the curious who visited it, and amongst others, of William Courten, esq. a gentleman of fortune, who had employed the greatest part of his income and of his time in the same pursuit. Pleased to find in Mr. Sloane a mind congenial to his own, he thought he could not take a better method of transmitting his name to posterity, and of being assured that his own valuable collection would be carefully preserved, than by bequeathing it to the doctor, whose cabinet with this addition, became one of the first in Europe. His great merit was universally acknowledged, and seemed to demand some conspicuous honors, that might shew to foreigners, as well as to his own countrymen, that he was considered as the first man in his profession, and as an ornament to his country, for his great learning and skill in natural history.

Accordingly, about the year 1720, he was created a baronet by George I. to whom he had been appointed first physician some time before he was likewise elected president of the college of physicians; and upon the death of sir Isaac Newton, in 1727, he succeeded that great philosopher in the presidential-chair of the Royal Society.

His great reputation acquired him the esteem and correspondence of learned foreigners in all parts of Europe, and he was made a member of the Royal Academy at Paris. From this time to the year 1740, sir Hans Sloane and Dr. Mead were the only physicians

in vogue amongst all ranks of people; and it is supposed that they made from 5 to £7000 per annum of their practice. It is also very remarkable, that they were both introduced to business by the most eminent men of their profession, when they were in the decline of life; Sloane by Sydenham; and Mead by Radcliffe.

In 1749, sir Hans loaded with years as with honors, retired to Chelsea, to enjoy in peaceful retirement the remains of a well spent life. Here he continued to receive the visits of the people of dis.. tinction, and of all learned foreigners; a day was likewise set apart for admitting them to see his collection of curiosities; and the office of shewing them, with the necessary explanations, was undertaken by the late Dr. Cromwell Mortimer, then secretary to the Royal Society: another day in the week was employed in administering advice and medicines to the poor, to whom he was a most liberal benefactor.

Sir Hans Sloane was always more or less subject to a dangerous disorder, spitting of blood; he was first seized with it at sixteen years of age, and was confined by it near 3 years; yet by sobriety, temperance, and an occasional use of bark, he so far conquered this radical infirmity, that he protracted life far beyond its usual duration and after an illness of three days, he expired almost without a pang, in January, 1752, in the ninety-first year of his age.

In his person he was tall and well proportioned; in his manners easy and engaging; and in his conversation sprightly and agreeable. Any proposal whatever, having the public good for its object, was sure to meet with his zealous encouragement: but his chief regard was extended to the poor. He was a- governor of almost every hospital in and near London, and a liberal benefactor to them, both in his life-time, and by his will. He drew up the plan of a dispensary for supplying the poor with medecines at prime-cost; which the college of physicians in some measure carried into execution, by ordering the company of apothecaries to retail medecines at their hall: but if we are rightly informed, this institution is now greatly abused, every private chemist selling medicines cheaper than they can be had at the apothecaries-hall. Yet sir Hans Sloane was a very great benefactor to this very company, for he made them a present of their botanical garden at Chelsea; in the centre of which they have indeed erected a statue to his memory; admir