PREFACE.

A new Volume requires a new bow, and a seasonable compliment or return of thanks. It has been our strenuous endeavour, by originality and variety, to merit the great encouragement, which our NEW SERIES has experienced, and it would be pitiful affectation in us to conceal the conviction of our deserts. ADDISON has written an admirable paper to shew that "Every man should be pleased with his own face," and the folly of being discontented with it is put in such a very ludicrous light that we are rejoiced not to have cause to desire a change. Our Subscribers seem wisely satisfied that we should neither be perpetually se- – rious, nor perpetually laughing—for as the SPECTATOR well observes, "Human nature is not so miserable, as that we should be always melancholy; nor so happy as that we should be always merry.” (No. 598.) As a mixture of the two is the most perfect character in life, so is it in works of this description; and we shall be scrupulously careful not to tarnish or impair our fame.

**SIR ROBERT KER PORTER's Picture. See the ast page.

THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS

THE

MONTHLY MIRROR,

FOR

JULY, 1809.

MEMOIRS OF DR. THORNTON.
(With a Portrait.)

DOCTOR MILNE, with a thorough knowledge of all the estimable qualities of DOCTOR THORNTON, has, in the preface to his Botanical Dictionary, thus spoken of him.

"With the literary character of this gentleman the world is so well acquainted, that any endeavour of the author to add to his well-earned fame, would be superfluous. But though it be generally known that his eminence in his favourite science can only be equalled by the generous ardour he manifests in its pursuit, and the disinterested public-spirited sacrifices, which for years he has been making for the advancement of its objects, it belongs to those alone, who enjoy the happiness of his friendship, to remark the superior qualities of his mind and heartthat noble independence which, in matters of science, disdains the fetters of authority, and dares to think for itself that candour so estimable, because so rare, which, on even the shadow of merit, is eager to bestow its due portion of applause-that mild forbearance, which he never fails to exercise towards those who, envious of abilities which they despair to reach, have not the magnanimity to emulate his candour;-above all, that love of virtue (not the inseparable concomitant of learning) which pervades every page of his writings, prompting him to render every talent and pursuit subservient to the advancement of the essential interests of morality and religion. In praise of such a man, (and the portrait is neither ideal, nor drawn by the flattering hand of partial friendship) it were scarce possible to exceed; nor of his fate with the most distant posterity, requires it much prophetical sagacity to pronounce,

SEMPER HONOS, NOMENQUE SUUM, LAUDESQUE MANEBUNT.'" An eulogy so just, so discriminating, and so valuable, coming " à laudato viro," must necessarily interest the reader greatly in every thing that relates to the subject of these memoirs.

Our task here will be easy, as the life of this gentleman has frequently been written, and we have only to make such selectious as suit our space, while we correct and improve what has

preceded the present date, by the documents with which we have been favoured.

ROBERT JOHN THORNTON, M. D. may, like him in Homer, glory in the father that begot him. He is the son of BONNELL THORNTON, the translator of Plautus, and the coadjutor of COLMAN in The Adventurer, and The Connoisseur. Honourable, however, as this descent is, the son takes no honour from the father, which he does not reflect with additional lustre. What the Trojan prayed that some one might say of his offspring, we may say of Dr. Thornton-Halgos d'oye wodλoy Mμɛlywy.

From the wit and learning of this parent, his education derived no advantage. Bonnell Thornton died while the Doctor was an infant, and his instruction fell at first, to the superintendance of his mother, a very intelligent woman. It has been related of him, that instead of devoting his play-hours and holidays to juvenile recreation; he was either in the fields collecting wild plants for his garden, or laying gins for birds. He kept a large and curious assortment of different pigeons, besides having collected many species of English birds, which he stuffed to form a

museum.

In these early days, an accident as alarming in the outset, as extraordinary in the event, had nearly deprived us of the pleasure of recording his future fame. His mother had just returned from a journey where she had been for the benefit of her health. Fearful of fainting on the road, a two-ounce phial of eau de luce was put into the chaise-pocket to smell at in case of necessity. Young Thornton was then come for the vacation to Kensington, where his mother resided with her brother and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Armitage. He having a sore throat, certain draughts were ordered for him, which draughts were, by some mistake, taken into Mr. Thornton's room, and, to render the confusion worse, placed on the night-table, where, very unguardedly, stood the phial of eau de luce without a label. The hour of taking the medicine arrived, young Thornton seized the eau de luce, and The smell might have detected the mistake, for after two or three attempts to swallow it, he put it on the table, e, and said, “ he could not tal take it, there was so much hartshorn in it. He was then chided for a seemingly foolish repugnance, when one of his cousins held his nose, and instantly the whole was swallowed. As by miracle, not a particle particle went the wrong way, or he must have been instantly suffocated. Feeling, immediately, the burning effects, in his throat and stomach, of this most corrosive caustic, (the caustic volatile alkali) of which

poured it out.