greatest part dissolved; there will appear no reason for not allowing Dr Sydenham the laurel of eloquence as well as physic. * It is observable, that his Processus Integri, published after his death, discovers alone more skill in the Latin language than is commonly ascribed to him; and it surely will not be suspected, that the officiousness of his friends was continued after his death, or that he procured the book to be translated only that, by leaving it behind him, he might secure his claim to his other writings. It is asserted by Sir Hans Sloane, that Dr Sydenham, with whom he was familiarly acquainted, was particularly versed in the writings of the great Roman orator and philosopher; and there is evidently such a luxuriance in his style, as may discover the author which gave him most pleasure, and most engaged his imitation. About the same time that he became bachelor of physic, he obtained, by the interest of a relation, a fellowship of All Souls college, having sub Since the foregoing was written, we have seen Mr Ward's Lives of the Professors of Gresham College; who, in the life of Dr Mapletoft, says, that in 1676 Dr Sydenham published his Observationes medicæ circa morborum acutorum historiam et curationem, which he dedicated to Dr Mapletoft, who at the desire of the author had translated them into Latin ; and that the other pieces of that excellent physician were translated into that language by Mr Gilbert Havers of Trinity College Cambridge, a student in physio and friend of Dr Mapletoft. But as Mr Ward, like others, neglects to bring any proof of his assertion, the question cannot fairly be decided by his authority. Orig. Edit. mitted, by the subscription required, to the authority of the visitors appointed by the parliament; upon what principles, or how consistently with his former conduct, it is now impossible to discover. When he thought himself qualified for practice, he fixed his residence in Westminster, became doctor of physic at Cambridge, received a license from the college of physicians, and lived in the first degree of reputation, and the greatest affluence of practice, for many years, without any other enemies than those which he raised by the superior merit of his conduct, the brighter lustre of his abilities, or his improvements of his science, and his contempt of pernicious methods supported only by authority in opposition to sound reason and indubitable experience. These men are indebted to him for concealing their names, when he records their malice, since they have thereby escaped the contempt and detestation of posterity. It is a melancholy reflection, that they who have obtained the highest reputation, by preserving or restoring the health of others, have often been hurried away before the natural decline of life, or have passed many of their years under the torments of those distempers which they profess to relieve. In this number was Sydenham, whose health began to fail in the 52d year of his age, by the frequent attacks of the gout, to which he was subject for a great part of his life, and which was afterwards accompanied with the stone in the kidneys, and, its natural consequence, bloody urine. These were distempers which even the art of Sydenham could only palliate, without hope of a perfect cure, but which, if he has not been able by his precepts to instruct us to remove, he has, at least, by his example, taught us to bear; for he never betrayed any indecent impatience, or unmanly dejection, under his torments, but supported himself by the reflections of philosophy, and the consolations of religion, and in every interval of ease applied himself to the assistance of others with his usual assiduity. After a life thus usefully employed, he died at his house in Pall-mall, on the 29th of December 1689, and was buried in the aisle, near the south door, of the church of St James in Westminster. What was his character as a physician, appears from the treatises which he has left, which it is not necessary to epitomize or transcribe; and from them it may likewise be collected, that his skill in physic was not his highest excellence; that his whole character was amiable; that his chief view was the benefit of mankind, and the chief motive of his actions the will of God, whom he mentions with reverence, well becoming the most enlightened and most penetrating mind. He was benevolent, candid, and communicative, sincere, and religious; qualities, which it were happy if they could copy from him, who emulate his knowledge, and imitatę his methods. CHEYNEL.* THERE is always this advantage in contending with illustrious adversaries, that the combatant is equally immortalized by conquest or defeat. He that dies by the sword of a hero, will always be mentioned when the acts of his enemy are mentioned. The man, of whose life the following account is offered to the public, was indeed eminent among his own party, and had qualities, which, employed in a good cause, would have given him some claim to distinction; but no one is now so much blinded with bigotry, as to imagine him equal either to Hammond or Chillingworth; nor would his memory, perhaps, have been preserved, had he not, by being conjoined with illustrious names, become the object of public curiosity. FRANCIS CHEYNEL was born in 1608 at Oxford,† where his father Dr John Cheynel, who had been fellow of Corpus Christi College, practised physic with great reputation. He was educated in one of grammar schools of his native city, and in the the *First printed in The Student, 1751. H. beginning of the year 1623 became a member of the university. It is probable that he lost his father when he was very young; for it appears, that before 1629 his mother had married Dr Abbot, bishop of Salisbury, whom she had likewise buried. From this marriage he received great advantage; for his mother being now allied to Dr Brent, then warden of Merton College, exerted her interest so vigorously that he was admitted there a probationer, and afterwards obtained a fellowship.* Having taken the degree of master of arts, he was admitted to orders according to the rites of the church of England, and held a curacy near Oxford, together with his fellowship. He continued in his college till he was qualified by his years of residence for the degree of bachelor of divinity, which he attempted to take in 1641, but was denied his grace,t for disputing concerning predestination, contrary to the King's injunctions, This refusal of his degree he mentions in his dedication to his account of Mr Chillingworth: "Do not conceive that I snatch up my pen in an angry mood, that I might vent my dangerous wit, and ease my overburdened spleen; no, no, I have almost forgotten the visitation of Merton College, and the denial of my grace, the plundering of my house, and little library: I know when, and where, and of whom, to demand satisfaction for all these injuries and indignities. I have learnt centum pla * Vide Wood's Ath. Ox. Orig. Edit. + Vide Wood's Hist. Univ. Ox. Orig. Edit. |