About fourteen hours before his death, he exclaimed, "leave me to myself, I am dying." He expired without a groan, on the 7th of October, 1798.

"What upright mind," fays Dr. Tiffot, " does not regret the lofs of a man, who has given himself up with a perfeverance, perhaps without example, to the good of humanity; who having feen fpring up, and quickly become powerful, an affociation, whofe aim feems to be the deftruction of every bafe on which, for fo many ages, the order and happiness of society has reposed; who first, and for a long time alone, combatted all its principles, and oppofed himself to its progrefs, with a force and constancy, of which few, very few men, would have been capable ; who, without any other view than that of the general good, and animated by the admirable principle, that to fpare the wicked is to hurt the good, expofed himself to the most violent criticism, to the refentment, to the hatred, of a multitude of men, redoubtable by their talents, by their credit, and even by their principles; who has facrificed his pleasures, his fortune, his repofe, his health, and even his life, to the defire of putting a stop to a defolating scourge." Tiflot's Life of Zimmerman

EDMUND BURKE, Esq

EDMUND BURKE, a celebrated statesman, was the fon of a worthy and able attorney, and born in Limerick in Ireland, 1729. He was first sent to an academy, and thence to Dublin college. Having completed his education at the univerfity, he went to London, and entered himself a student of the Middle Temple, with a view of being

called to the bar. Animated by the firft examples of antiquity, he bent all the powers of his capacious mind to the acquifition of knowledge. But his health was not equal to this intense application, and a dangerous illness threatened to deprive himself, his friends, and the world, of the fruits of fuch unparalled industry and talents.

Soon after his recovery, he married Mifs Nugent, daughter of the phyfician who attended him in his ficknefs. Returning health again enabled him to pursue his ftudies, and the firft efforts of his genius were exhibited in "An Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of our Ideas respecting the Sublime and Beautiful." From this work we may date the commencement of his fame as an author.

In the year 1776, he was made fecretary to the marquis of Rockingham; and through the favour of Lord Verney, was soon after returned a representative of the borough of Wendover. His firft exertions in parliament were in oppofition to the defign of taxing the Americans. All his public fpeeches were eminently diftinguished for eloquence, and brilliancy of imagination.

In 1790, he published his Reflections on the change which had been effected in France. He had long viewed with anxiety the new philofophy become fashionable in that kingdom; and bestowed the most accurate attention on the defigns of its votaries, as they gradually unfolded themselves. Being firmly convinced of the truth of Divine Revelation, his mind was strongly impreffed with the neceffity of religion to the well being of foeiety; for he faw that morals would fail without its support; and that religious fcepticism had a tendency to produce political confufion.

During the recefs of 1794, he quitted the fenate in favour of his fon; but he did not live to fulfil the expectations of his beloved father, who was deeply affected with his death.

This great man's moral character was as amiable and refpectable, as his intellectual was admirable; and his conduct was exemplary in all the duties and relations of life. His affections were ardent, and his friendfhips fervid and active. He united the wisdom of the philofopher with the urbanity and elegance of the polite gentleman, and held an elevated rank among the ftatefmen of Europe.

During his last illness, his understanding operated with undiminished force, and uncontracted range; and his difpofition retained its ufual fweetnefs. He continued regularly to perform the duties of benevolence and religion. His concern for the happiness of his friends, and the welfare of mankind, were equally vivid. He frequently, during his ficknefs, declared his unfhaken belief of the christian religion, his veneration for chriftians of all perfuafions, but his own preference for the church of England. He bore his long and painful illness with the fortitude of a chriftian and looked forward with trembling hope to that eternal reft, which he had long fought with unfeigned humiliation. He appeared neither to wish nor to dread, but patiently and placidly to wait the hour appointed for all living. A short time before his death, he recapitulated the most important actions of his life, the circumftances in which he acted, and the motives by which he was prompted; and spoke with pleasure of the confcious rectitude of his intentions. He expreffed his cordial forgiveness of all those who had endeavoured to injure him. His end was

fuited to the fimple greatnefs of mind he had displayed through life, calm without levity, and full of dignity with out oftentation. He had been liftening to fome effays of Addison, in which he ever took delight; had recommended himself in many affectionate meffages to the remembrance of thofe abfent friends, whom he had never ceafed to love; had conversed fome time with his accustomed energy of thought and expreffion, on the awful fituation of his country, for the welfare of which his heart was interested to its last beat; had given with steady composure fome private directions, in contemplation of his approaching death, when, as his attendants were conveying him to his bed, funk down, and, after a fhort ftruggle, expired without a groan, July 8th, 1797, at his feat at Beaconffield, in the fixty eighth year of his age.

Biffet's Life of Burke.-Annual Necrology, 1797.

WILLIAM COWPER, Esq.

WILLIAM COWPER, an eminent poet, was born in 1731. He was defcended from an ancient family, who were diftinguished both for rank and talents. His father, the reverend John Cowper, was chaplain to King George II. and rector of Great Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire. His mother, whofe merits are feelingly recorded by the filial tenderness of the poet, died in 1737.* * The lofs of this excellent parent in his childhood, was his first misfortune, and perhaps contributed greatly to the dark colouring of

* Mr. Cowper published a beautiful little poem, fifty years after the decease of his mother, on receiving her picture from Norfolk.

his fubfequent life. He appeared peculiarly to require maternal attention; for his infancy was delicate in no common degree, and his conftitution discovered at a very early season, that morbid tendency to diffidence, to melancholy and despair, which darkened as he advanced in years, into periodical fits of the moft deplorable depreffion.

At nine years old, Cowper was fent to Westminster fchool. This fituation was ill fuited to his natural tenderness and timidity; and the cruel treatment of his older afsociates, left an indelible impreffion on his mind. However, it did not prevent him from cultivating his intellectual faculties with affiduity and fuccefs.

After quitting Weftminfter fchool, at the age of eighteen, he was sent to a celebrated attorney, with whom he continued three years, and then entered himself, as a regular student in law, at the Inner Temple. His genius and inclinations rendered him totally unfit to encounter the buftle and perplexities of public life. His biographer obferves, that," referved as he was to an extraordinary and painful degree, his heart and mind were yet admirably fashioned by nature, for all the refined intercourfe and con. fidential delights of friendship and of love; but though apparently formed to poffefs, and to communicate an extraordinary portion of mortal felicity, the incidents of his life were fuch, that, confpiring with the peculiarities of his nature, they rendered him, at different times, the most unhappy of mankind."

In his thirty third year, he was nominated to the office of reading clerk, and clerk of the private cominittees in the Houfe of Lords. But as the idea of reading in public proved a fource of torture to his tender and apprehensive

R