partly of a series of original essays, which are valuable as containing the germs of his future discoveries. To this work Mr Henry added, in the notes, occasional views of the labours of contemporary English chemists.

Mr Henry's next appearance as the author of a separate work arose out of an accidental circumstance. He had found that the water of a large still-tub was preserved sweet for several months by impregnating it with lime, though, without this precaution, it soon became extremely putrid. This fact suggested to him an eligible method of preserving water at sea; but, as lime-water is unfit for almost every culinary purpose, some simple and practicable method was required of separating that earth from the water, before being applied to use. This he ascertained might be accomplished at little expense by carbonic acid: the gas from a pound of chalk and twelve ounces of oil of vitriol, being found sufficient for the decomposition of 120 gallons of lime-water. Since that time, the preservation of water at sea has been accomplished by the simple expedient of stowing it in vessels constructed or lined with some substance which is not capable of impregnating water with any putrescible ingredient; for good spring water contains essentially nothing that disposes it to putrefaction.

The philosophical pursuits of Mr Henry not long after this period, received an additional stimulus by the establishment of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical society. To him, on this society's being first regularly organized, in the winter of 1781, was confided the office of one of the secretaries. At a subsequent period he was advanced to the station of vice-president; and in the year 1807, on the death of the Rev. George Walker, F. R. S., he was elected president, which office he retained during the rest of his life. During the long season of Mr Henry's activity as a member of this institution, his communications to it were very frequent. Many of these were intended only to excite an evening's discussion; and, having served that purpose, were withdrawn by their author; but the number is still considerable which are preserved in the society's published volumes.

In the year 1783 an institution arose out of this society, which had great merit, not only in its plan and objects, as setting the first example of a popular school of arts, but in the ability exerted by the several persons who were concerned in their fulfilment. It was destined to occupy, in a rational and instructive manner, the evening-leisure of young men whose time during the day was devoted to commercial employments. For this purpose, regular courses of lectures were delivered on the belles lettres, on moral philosophy, on anatomy and physiology, and on natural philosophy and chemistry. Mr Henry, assisted by a son, whose loss he had afterwards to deplore, and whose promising talents and attainments obtained for him at an early period of life a mark of the approbation of this society, delivered several courses of lectures on chemistry to numerous and attentive audiences. Besides the lectures on the general principles of chemistry, Mr Henry delivered a course on the arts of bleaching, dyeing, and calico-printing; and, to render this course more extensively useful, the terms of access to it were made easy to the superior class of operative artisans.

Mr Henry had now reached a period of life when the vigour of the bodily powers, and the activity of the mind begin, in most persons, to manifest a sensible decay. From this time, however, though he did not

embark in new experimental inquiries, yet he continued for many years to feel a warm interest in the advancement of science, and to maintain an occasional correspondence with persons eminent for their rank as philosophers, both in this and other countries. His medical occupations had greatly increased, and, for a further interval of fifteen or twenty years, he had a share of professional employment which falls to the lot of very few. This, and the superintendence of some chemical concerns, prevented him from attempting more than to keep pace with the progress of knowledge. He was in no haste, however, to claim that exemption from active labour to which advanced age is fairly entitled ; and it was not till a very few years before his death, that he retired from the exercise of the medical profession. He died 18th of June, 1816, when he had nearly completed his 82d year.

Adam Fergusson.

BORN A. D. 1723.-DIED A. D. 1816.

He was

ADAM FERGUSSON was born at Logierait, in Perthshire, in June, 1723. His father was minister of the parish of Logierait. educated at Perth, and at the university of St Andrews.

Having studied divinity, and obtained license, he went, says Sir Walter Scott," as chaplain to the Black Watch, or 42d Highland regiment, when that corps was first sent to the continent. As the regiment advanced to the battle of Fontenoy, the commanding officer, Sir Robert Munro, was astonished to see the chaplain at the head of the column, with a broadsword drawn in his hand. He desired him to go to the rear with the surgeons, a proposal which Adam Fergusson spurned. Sir Robert at length told him that his commission did not entitle him to be present in the post which he had assumed. 'D-n my commission,' said the warlike chaplain, throwing it towards his colonel. It may be easily supposed that the matter was only remembered as a good jest; but the future historian of Rome shared the honours and dangers of that dreadful day, where, according to the account of the French themselves, 'the Highland furies rushed in upon them with more violence than ever did a sea driven by a tempest."

This militant chaplain remained with his regiment until 1757, when he accepted of the situation of head-librarian to the faculty of advocates, Edinburgh. He resigned this office soon after, on being elected professor of natural philosophy in the university of Edinburgh. It is said that, like another very celebrated professor of chemistry in one of our southern universities, he only began to study the physical sciences after his election to this chair, but by five months' diligent study qualified himself for the discharge of its duties with credit to himself and advantage to his students.

About 1762, in concert with Lord Elibank, John Home, and David Hume, he founded a convivial association called the 'Poker-club,' “because its purpose was to stir up and encourage the public spirit of Scotland, the people of which were then much exasperated at not being permitted to raise a militia in the same manner as England. Dr Fergusson, upon the occasion, composed a continuation of Arbuthnot's Satirical His

tory of John Bull, which he entitled the History of Margaret, otherwise called Sister Peg.' The work was distinguished for humour and satire ; and led to a curious jest on the part of David Hume. He had been left out of the secret, as not being supposed a good counsel-keeper, and he took his revenge by gravely writing a letter to Dr Carlyle, claiming the work as his own, with an air of sober reality, which, had the letter been found after any lapse of time, would have appeared an indubitable proof of his being really the author. The Poker-club served its purpose; and, many years afterwards, symptoms of discontent on the subject of the militia were to be found in Scotland. Burns says of his

native country—

'Lang time she's been in fractious mood,

Her lost militia fired her blood,

De'il nor they never mair do good,

Play'd her that pliskie.'

Most of the members of the Poker were fast friends to the Hanoverian dynasty, though opposed to the actual administration, on account of the neglect, and, as they accounted it, the affront put upon their native country. Lord Elibank, however, had, in all probability, ulterior views; for, notwithstanding his talents and his prudence, his love of paradox, perhaps, had induced him to place himself at the head of the scattered remnant of the Jacobites, from which party every person else was taking the means of deserting. It is now ascertained by documents among the Stuart papers, that he carried on a correspondence with the Chevalier, which was not suspected by his most intimate friends."

In 1764 Mr Fergusson was chosen professor of moral philosophy, and soon after gave to the world his admirable essay on the History of Civil Society.' In 1774 he went to the continent with Charles, Earl of Chesterfield, having accepted the tutorship of this young nobleman : this connexion, however, was soon after dissolved by mutual consent. In the year 1778 he went out to America as secretary to the colonial commission of inquiry. In 1783 he published his History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic,' in three vols. 4to. 1784 he resigned his chair to Mr Dugald Stewart, and devoted himself to preparing his lectures for the press. They appeared in 1792, in two vols. 4to. under the title Principles of Moral and Political Science.'

6

In

"He recovered," says Sir Walter Scott, in the article already quoted, "from a decided shock of paralysis in the sixtieth year of his life; from which period he became a strict Pythagorean in his diet, eating nothing but vegetables, and drinking only water or milk. He survived till the year 1816, when he died in full possession of his mental faculties, at the advanced age of ninety-three. The deep interest which he took in the eventful war had long seemed to be the main tie that connected him with passing existence; and the news of Waterloo acted on the aged patriot as a nunc dimittis. From that hour the feeling that had almost alone given him energy decayed, and he avowedly relinquished all desire for prolonged life. It is the belief of his family that he might have remained with them much longer, had he desired to do so, and continued the exercise which had hitherto promoted his health. Long after

Sir Walter Scott in Quarterly Review, No. 71

his eightieth year he was one of the most striking old men whom it was possible to look at. His firm step and ruddy cheek contrasted agreeably and unexpectedly with his silver locks; and the dress which he usually wore, much resembling that of the Flemish peasant, gave an air of peculiarity to his whole figure. In his conversation, the mixture of original thinking with high moral feeling and extensive learning; his love of country; contempt of luxury; and, especially, the strong subjection of his passions and feelings to the dominion of his reason, made him, perhaps, the most striking example of the Stoic philosopher which could be seen in modern days. His house, while he continued to reside in Edinburgh, was a general point of re-union among his friends, particularly of a Sunday, where there generally met, at a hospitable dinner-party, the most distinguished literati of the old time who still remained, with such young persons as were thought worthy to approach their circle, and listen to their conversation. The place of his residence was an insulated house, at some distance from the town, which its visitors (notwithstanding its internal comforts) chose to call, for that reason, Kamtschatka."

Samuel Webbe.

BORN A. D. 1740.-DIED A. D. 1816.

THIS eminent musical composer was born in 1740, of parents of high respectability and independent fortune. His father was sent to Minorca under some government appointment,-while Samuel was yet an infant of scarcely a year old,—and died there, leaving his family affairs unsettled, and his wife reduced to a state of comparative penury, which proved disastrous to the future fortunes of her infant son. She could extend to him little advantage of education, but, being intent upon rendering him capable of providing for himself, she bound him apprentice to a cabinet-maker, at the early age of eleven years. This arrangement, however, was so little to his taste, that no sooner were the seven long years of his apprenticeship expired, than he determined to abandon the workshop.

Within a year after this emancipation, (for such he always considered it,) he lost his mother, and with her the little means of support derived from her slender income. Thus destitute of any visible means of support, and still under twenty years of age, he turned his attention to the employment of copying music, as connected with an art of which he was passionately fond, but with which as yet he was totally unacquainted. He obtained his principal employment from Mr Welcher, keeper of a wellknown old music shop in Gerrard-street, Soho, through whom he became acquainted with a musician of the name of Barbandt, organist of the Bavarian chapel, a professor of no particular skill, but from whom he rapidly acquired the rudiments of music, which his own intense study and observation soon enlarged into a thorough knowledge of the art. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he applied himself sedulously to the acquirement of Latin, and did not allow himself to be interrupted by the necessity of copying music for a subsistence, though, when fully employed, he would sit till past twelve at night, and return to it by five in

the morning, for a week in succession. His necessities were augmented by his marrying at the age of twenty-three; but as difficulties increased, so also seemed to increase his thirst of knowledge; and soon after the birth of his first child, he furnished himself with an Italian master. About this time he ventured to become a teacher of music. His literary studies were subsequently enlarged by the successive acquisition of the German, Greek, and lastly, the Hebrew language. His works are extremely numerous as well as varied; his anthems are in use in almost every cathedral in the country; he composed also two or three operas, many quartetts and instrumental lessons, and numerous songs and glees. As an English composer he will always rank with Locke, Morley, Purcell, and Arne. He died on the 26th of May, 1816, in the seventysixth year of his age, at his chambers in Gray's Inn.

His glees and part songs have been collected and published in three volumes. Those which have most contributed to his fame are the glees, 'As o'er the varied Meads;'Arise, ye Winds;' Around the festive Board;' Balmy Zephyrs;' 'Bid me, when forty Winters;' 'Come rosy Health; Divine Cecilia;'' Hither all ye lovers; Hail happy Meeting; Hence, all ye vain Delights;' Live to-day; Me, Bacchus fires;' 'My fair is beautiful;' In care and sorrow;' Now I'm prepared; O, Night!' 'O, Love!' On his Death-bed; Pretty Warbler;'Quand io bevo;' 'Rise, my joy;'Sister of Phœbus ;' 'Seek not to draw me;' 'Surely, that's the charming Maid;' Since I'm born a mortal Man;' So full of Life;' Swiftly from the Mountain's Brow;'Thy voice, O Harmony;' 'The Spring;' To the festive Board; When shall we Three meet again?' 'Who can be hap¬ py?' 'Where'er my Delia comes.'

William Beloe.

BORN A. D. 1756.—died a. D. 1817.

WILLIAM BELOE was born in 1756, at Norwich. His father was a respectable tradesman. "One of the earliest things," he says, "I recollect of myself is, that I had a certain pruriency of parts, which induced my friends to suppose, that there was something in me beyond the level of boys of my age. I fear, however, that the harvest did not correspond with the promise of the spring; or rather, perhaps, that the partiality of parents and relatives was in the first instance delusive. This, however, was not their fault, for they certainly bestowed on me the best education which their means and opportunities afforded. Of the first schools to which I was put, I remember very little; I fear that I did not learn very much: at length I was told that I was to go to a Latin school. I retain the strong impression, that this intelligence electrified my whole frame. A train was laid to my ambition, and I had already conceived myself at the very summit of literary honour and distinction. But I was bitterly disappointed; my instructor knew nothing of the matter; he began at the wrong end, and I was plunged into the midst of a crabbed Latin author, without even knowing my accidence. For a time, however, I kept blundering on, conscious to myself that I was making no progress, and having credit with my master for a large portion of dulness. How