fyftems. The refult of this investigation was a full conviction of the divine original and authority of the gospel. The evidence of revelation appeared to him folid and invincible, and the nature of it fuch as must demand the moft grateful acceptance. During the latter part of his life, he devoted much time to the study of divinity.

He died in 1782, in the feventy fifth year of his age, and was interred in St. James' Church, with great funeral folemnity. As a teftimony of regard to his diftinguished merit, at the firft meeting of the college of phyficians at Edinburgh after his deceafe, all the members appeared in deep mourning. A monument was erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey.

Biographical Dictionary, Vol. XII.—Biographia.
Medica, Vol. I.

BARON HALLER.

ALBERT VAN HALLER, an illuftrious physician, was born at Berne, 1708. From the first period of his education, he discovered very great talents for the acquirement of every fpecies of literature. According to the accounts which are given us, the progress of his ftudies at the earlieft periods of his life, were rapid almoft beyond belief. When other children were beginning only to read, he was engaged in perufing Bayle and Moreni, and at nine years of age was able to tranflate Greek, and had commenced the ftudy of Hebrew. After the death of his father, who was an advocate of confiderable eminence, he was fent to the public fchool at Berne, where he exhibited many

fpecimens of uncommon ability and knowledge. He was well verfed in all the dead, and moft of the living languages; French, English, and Italian, were as familiar to him as the German. He was alfo celebrated for his poetical genius; and his poems, which were published in the German language, were read and admired throughout the whole empire.

He began the ftudy of medicine at Tubingen, under two eminent teachers, and having continued with them two years, the great reputation of Boerhaave drew him to Leyden. Animated by the illuftrious examples of his tutors, he spent all day, and the greatest part of the night, in intenfe ftudy, and his rapid progrefs in knowledge acquired him univerfal esteem, both from his teachers and fellow ftudents. He is fuppofed to have been the most acute, various, and original genius that had appeared in the medical world fince Boerhaave.

Notwithstanding Haller's extraordinary abilities and extenfive information, his merit was at firft neglected in Berne. This neglect however neither diminished his ardour for literary pursuits, nor detracted from his reputation. His diftinguished worth, at length, after encountering feveral disappointments, met with a fuitable reward. King George II. nominated him profeffor of medicine in the university of Gottingen.* This important office afforded an ample field for the exertion of his fuperiour talents; he filled fucceffively the botanical, chemical, and anatomical chairs; and raised the reputation of that univerfity to a very high pitch. The king of Great Britain

* Soon after this appointment, Haller had the misfortune to lofe his amiable wife.

honoured him with every mark of diftinction that he could bestow, and through his intereft he was made a baron of the empire.

On the death of Dillenius,* this celebrated physician had an offer of the profefforfhip of botany at Oxford; the states of Holland invited him to the chair of the younger Albinus; the king of Pruffia was anxious that he fhould be the fucceffour of Marpertuis at Berlin; Marshal Keith wrote to him in the name of his fovereign, offering him the chancellorship of the univerfity of Halle, vacated by the death of the celebrated Wolfe; Count Orlow invited him to Ruffia, in the name of his mistress the emprefs, offering him a distinguished place at St. Petersburg; the king of Sweden conferred on him an unfolicited honour, by raising him to the rank of knighthood of the order of the polar ftar; and the emperour of Germany made him a visit, and paffed fome time with him in the moft familiar converfation.

Thus honoured by fovereigns, revered by men of letters, and esteemed by all Europe, he had it in his power to have held the higheft rank in the republic of letters ; yet declining all the tempting offers which were made him, he continued at Gottingen, anxioufly endeavouring to extend the rifing fame of that medical school. But after seventeen years refidence at that university, an ill state of health rendered him less capable of discharging the duties of that important office; he therefore folicited, and obtained permiffion from the regency of Hanover, to return to Berne. His fellow citizens were now fenfible of his fuperiour merit; a penfion was fettled upon him for life,

* A celebrated botanift, born in Germany in the year 1681.

and he was nominated, at times, to fill the most important offices in the state. Thefe occupations however did not diminish his ardour for ufeful improvements. He was the firft prefident, as well as the greatest promoter of the Economical Society at Berne; and may be confidered as the father and founder of the Orphan Hospital of that city. Declining health however reftrained his exertions in the more active fcenes of life, and for many years he was confined entirely to his own houfe. Even this could not put a period to his usefulness; for with indefatigable industry, he continued his favourite ftudies, till within a few days of his death, which took place December 12th, 1777, in the feventieth year of his age. He was no less diftinguished as a philofopher, than beloved as a man ; nor more eminent for his improvement in every department of medical science, than for his piety to God, and benevolence to all mankind.

Baron Haller, in the earlier part of his life, had entertained doubts concerning the truth of chriftianity, which were dispelled by a fuccefsful application to every branch of science, and a candid examination of the sacred oracles. Being fully convinced of the truth of divine revelation, he eagerly seized the numberless opportunities, which his profeffion as a phyfician gave him, of convincing those with whom he conversed, of the truth, and converting them to the practice of the chriftian religion. And this he effected, not only by his inftructions, but by his example. he was charitable to the poor; fympathized in the tendereft manner with the diftreffed; and was humane and just in all his dealings with mankind. His foul was gen. tle, and his heart replete with fenfibility.

For

This excellent man had a daughter, to whom he addreffed at different times, but in a regular fucceffion, Letters on the Truth of the Chriftian Religion. He introduced his arguments with the following remarks. "What churchmen have written on religious matters, has in general gained but inferiour credit. Their arguments have loft much of their weight, from the confideration of their having been urged by perfons who were bound, both by honour and intereft, to defend the profeffion in which they were engaged. Some perfons have been of opinion, that if a layman, who in the courfe of a long life, hath had occafion to teftify his love for the truth, and has facrificed to it great temporary advantages, were to write in defence of the faith, and to found his arguments on such facts only as were inconteftible, his fuffrage would carry with it much greater weight and authority." Encyclopedia.-Haller's Letters.-Biographia Medica, Vol. I.

LORD LYTTLETON.

GEORGE LYTTLETON, an elegant and ingenious writer, was born at Hagley in Worcestershire, England, 1709. He received the elements of his education at Eton, and thence removed to Chrift Church, where he was diftinguished for his fuperiour abilities. He was a very early writer, both in profe and verfe; and whilst at the university, sketched the plan of his Perfian Letters, a work which was afterwards highly applauded.

In the year 1728, he fet out on the tour of Europe,