.

"O'er each dark prison plays the cheering light,
"Like nothern luftres o'er the vault of night,

"From realm to realm, with cross or crefcent crown'd,
"Where'er mankind and misery are found;

"O'er burning fands, deep waves, on wilds of snow,
“Thy Howard, journeying, feeks the house of woe;
"O'er many a winding step, through dungeons dank,
"Where anguish wails aloud, and fetters clank;
"To caves, bestrew'd with many a mouldering bone,
"And cells, whose echoes only learn to groan;
“Where no kind bars a whispering friend disclose,
"No fun-beam enters, and no zephyr blows;
"He treads, inemulous of fame or wealth,
"Profufe of toil, and prodigal of health;

* With soft, affuafive eloquence expands

"Power's rigid heart, and opes her clenching hands, "Leads ftern eyed justice to the dark domain,

"If not to fever, to relax the chain;

"Or guides awaken'd mercy through the gloom,
"And fhews the prison, fister to the tomb!
"Gives to her babes, the felf devoted wife,
"To her fond husband, liberty and life.

"Ye fpirits of the good, who bend from high,
"Wide o'er these earthly scenes, their partial eye,
"When first array'd in Virtue's pureft robe,
"They faw her Howard traversing the globe,
"Saw round his brows the fun-like glory blaze,
"In arrowy circles of unwearied rays;
"Mistook a mortal for an angel guest,

“And ask'd what Seraph foot the earth impress'd, "Onward he moves, disease and death retire,

And murmuring demons hate him, and admire."

Aikin's Life of Howard.-General

Biographical Dictionary.

JOHN THORNTON, Esq.

JOHN THORNTON, a gentleman diftinguished for lib erality and piety, who difpofed of various fums for charitable purposes, with an unremitting conftancy, during a long courfe of years. His benefactions were much larger than is common for opulent perfons, who are celebrated for their benevolence. Hence he was regarded rather as a prodigy, that might excite aftonishment, than as an example, which men of equal affluence were obliged to imitate.

His grand object in difpenfing his bounty, was to promote the knowledge and practice of religion among mankind; and to induce the careless, the ignorant, and profligate, to attend to their eternal welfare. Hence he was the pattern of all pious and laborious clergymen, frequently educating young men, whom he found religiously dif pofed, and purchasing many livings, in which his ultimate design was, to plant useful ministers in those parts, where he supposed the people to be perishing for lack of vision. He alfo difperfed a great number of Bibles, in different languages, into diftant countries, perhaps even in all quarters of the globe, and with them vaft quantities of pious and useful publications.

But though this was the grand object of his liberality, yet it was by no means conducted on an exclusive principle. He aimed to adorn and recommend, as well as to extend the religion which he professed, and to exhibit its genuine tendency towards all men. In fubferviency to this defign, and from the most enlarged and expanded philanthropy, he adopted, fupported, and patronized, every undertaking calculated to supply the wants, to relieve the

diftreffes, or to increase the comforts of any of the human fpecies, in whatever climate, or of whatever defcription, provided they properly fell within his fphere of action. Perhaps it would even be difficult to mention one public or private charity, of evident utility, to which he was not, at one time or another, in fome measure a benefactor.

Mr. Thornton's beneficence was not always withheld, even on account of the extreme wickedness of those who were to receive the advantage of it; but he was guided in this refpect by the profpect of doing them good, either in refpect of their temporal or eternal welfare.

His extenfive charitable donations did not embarrass his affairs, interfere with the real interefts of his family, or oblige him to alter his very hofpitable, though fimple manner of life. A proper and prudent economy furnished him with fufficient funds for his profufe bounty. He had no relish for extravagance and luxury, and unneceffary pomp and magnificence. Though he was courteous to all men, and not forgetful to entertain ftrangers, he was not restrained from the exercise of his active benevolence by a slavish subjection to the human opinions and fashions, by which public good fuffers so much, and private happinefs gains fo little.

This excellent man rendered his bufinefs fubfervient to his beneficence; for he not only made the gains of his commerce, in a great degree, a fund for the fupport of his charity; but his commerce itself was frequently an introduction to the knowledge of the wants and calamities of mankind in distant regions; and a medium through which to relieve their neceffities, and to circulate among them Bibles and other religious books.

His piety was equal to his philanthropy. He affiduouf

Q

ly ftudied the facred fcriptures, as the rule of his faith and practice; and was punctual in the public and private exercifes of devotion. Though he was attached to the doctrine, worship, and discipline of the church of England, he was equally a cordial friend to pious perfons among the diffenters. His rule of judgment was not determined by a minute regard to his own sentiments in the more difputable points, but was formed on the great outlines of doctrine and practice, which are evidently contained in the fcriptures.

His unaffected and deep humility may be confidered as another distinguishing trait în his character. His liberality, useful industry, and piety, appeared not to himself in any degree meritorious. Nay, he was convinced, that in every respect, he fell fhort of his duty, and was entirely dependant on the mercy of God, in Jefus Chrift, for the pardon of his fins, and for final acceptance and felicity.

Though Mr. Thornton was in general healthy, and poffeffed a good conftitution, yet for a long time before his death, he was fenfible that he grew old, and often spoke of his nearness to the eternal world, with a ferenity that showed such reflections to be familiar, and even fatisfactory to him ; and when the folemn feafon was arrived, he calmly prepared for his diffolution, bleffing his furro unding children, and exhorted them to devote their lives to the fervice of their Creator. This pious and benevolent man died 1790.

Difcourfe on the Death of John Thornton.

DR. JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN. JOHN GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, a celebrated phyfician

and ingenious author, was born at Brugg, a town on the German part of the canton of Berne, on the 8th of December, 1728. His father, the fenator J. Zimmerman, anxious for his future eminence as a fcholar, fuperintended his education until he had attained the age of fourteen, when he was fent to a German university, where he diftinguished himself by his unremitting attention to the vari

ous branches of literature.

After leaving the univerfity, he determined to ftudy phyfic under the celebrated Haller, who had recently been promoted by George II. to a profefforfhip in the univerfity of Gottingen. The promifing genius of his young pupil induced Haller to receive him with the greateft cordiality, and he behaved to him through life as a father, preceptor, patron, and friend.

The genius of Zimmerman was too expanfive to be confined exclufively to the ftudy of medicine; mathematics, natural philofophy, and politics, alfo engaged his attention. In order to relax his mind from feverer studies, he acquired a complete knowledge of the English language, through which he formed an intimacy with the best British poets, particularly Shakespeare, Pope, and Thomfon. Amidst these pursuits, he felt a strong prefentiment of future greatnefs; and in 1748, writes thus to Dr. Tiffot of Berne, his particular friend and biographer. "I pass every moment of my life here, like a man who is determined not to be forgotten by pofterity." But his ardent pursuit of knowledge began materially to affect his health, and produced many alarming symptoms of that grievous malady, the hypocondria, a disorder which afflicted him, and impeded his usefullness through the whole courfe of his life.