Church of St. Pancras *, on Tuesday the 11th of

Mr. Sare, one of the earliest and steadiest friends of the elder Bowyer, died Feb. 2, 1723, aged 68; and a short but very just character of him by a contemporary has been given in p. 61; on which I hope to stand excused for enlarging, in the words of the very excellent Preacher, on a subject congenial to the feelings which originally produced the present production: "An acquaintance of more than thirty years enables me to say much concerning him; yet the little I shall add will, I hope, prevail with them also to be of the same opinion. His descent. was from the Clergy; to which order his whole character and con duct was not only suitable, but an ornament and a blessing: for he both believed, and lived, as became one so born and bred; and was a true son of the Christian in general, and of the Church of England in particular. And this, not from fashion, or education, or interest only; but upon principle, and judgment, and such well-weighed conviction, as enabled him, with great readiness, to give an answer,' as St. Peter exhorts, 1 Pet. iii. 15, to every one that should ask him a reason of the hope that was in him.' His knowledge of books and men, the candour and ingenuity of his temper, the obliging manner of his behaviour, and the grateful acknowledgments of any favours and benefits received, did indeed long time since effectually recommend him, not only to the countenance and conversation, but also the friendship and special regards of many persons, eminent both in post and learning. Nor ought I to omit, that I scarce ever heard his name come out of the mouth of our present most reverend Primate [Wake] without being honoured by some epithet which spoke affection and esteem for him. His fortune, like most of those who are sons of our order, was originally very moderate: but given him by his father, with this comfortable declaration, that he might depend upon that little wearing like Iron, since there was not one dishonest penny in it. So carefully had that maxim of the Psalmist been instilled in this son; A small thing that the righteous hath, is better than great riches of the ungodly.' Psal. xxxvii. 16. As that saying of the good old man made great impression, so, he told me, the experience which verified it made it continually greater, and confirmed him more and more in his good purposes, of taking the same honest course to insure a blessing upon whatsoever addition to those slender beginnings the kind providence of God should enable him to make. How constant he was to this resolution, they who dealt with him in the way of trade best can, and will, I doubt not, bear him testimony. One instance of it he hath often told me, which ought not to be passed over in silence, because much to his honour. It is, that he would never suffer himself, by any temptation of profit, to be concerned in publishing any book obnoxious to the censure of our governors, either in Church or State, or any way prejudicial to religion or good-manners. A reader therefore

may,

February, 1723, at the Funeral of Mr. Richard Sare, of London, Bookseller. By George Stan

may, with great security, after his name seen in the title-page, go on, and depend upon finding the whole that follows, innocent at least always; and for the most part useful and greatly edifying. I hope, of this commendable conduct we have many more examples; and happy sure it were, if all of the same profession would walk by the same rule. Then should we see no more of those infamous births with which our presses now too often travail. Those monsters of irreligion and profaneness, of heresy and schism, of sedition and scandal, of malice and detraction, of obscenity and ribaldry, which mercenary wretches, void of shame, do, for the sake of a paltry present gain, without remorse or scruple, bring into the world, in despite to laws and virtue, in defiance of modesty and decency; thereby, so far as in them lies, not only debauching the principles of the age we live in, but, if such detestable compositions can (as God forbid they should) survive so long, propagating the poison to posterity, and furnishing the Devil with nets and snares, for drawing in, and sinking down to Hell, numbers of unwary souls, which are yet unborn. But to go on: He always expressed great compassion for persons under any sort of distress; and I presume, and indeed am well informed, he acted proportionably, for their consolation and support. This much is certain, that one of the noblest and most necessary charities for which our Nation is at present in so just renown (I mean that for relieving poor widows and orphans of Clergymen) had most happy experience of his prudent zeal and indefatigable diligence; and this, at a very critical juncture, when a most generous benefaction stood in need of persons so qualified, to dispose and settle it in the best manner, for serving the pious uses to which it was designed. The later years of his life God was pleased to make a remarkable exercise of patience. My opportunities of seeing him were then but few. In those, he expressed much submission to, and trust in God, through the merits of Jesus Christ. If any thing stuck closer than were to be wished, it seemed to be the concern for his nearest and dearest relations. And this is an infirmity so natural and humane, that we have reason to hope, he, who implanted that tenderness in all our breasts, would graciously pity, and pardon some excesses of it: especially those, which decays of bodily strength, and a sometimes much enfeebled mind, might now and then occasion; for even this affection, strong as it was, he in more lucid intervals appeared to have got the better of."—A strong confirmation of Dr. Stanhope's remark respecting the publications in which Mr. Sare was concerned may here be noticed, from "A Narrative of the Prosecution against Mr. Sare and his servant, for selling 'The Rights of the Christian' Church,' in answer to what relates to that prosecution in the second part of the Defence of the book; by Samuel Hilliard, M. A. prebendary of Lincoln: printed for H. Clements, 1709," Svo. Mr. Sare's

conduct

hope, D.D. Dean of Canterbury, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty. Printed for Richard Williamson* near Gray's-Inn Gate in Holborn.”

A second edition of Mr. Webster's "Life of General Monk (see p. 260); with his Effigies curiously engraved from an original Painting.'

"Dr. Mead's Harveian Öration, delivered 1723; with an Appendix †, by Mr. Chishull, under the

conduct in this transaction appears to have been uniform with his general good character through life. He was not the origi nal publisher of the book in question; but a copy of it was sold by his servant in the ordinary course of his trade. He had given offence, however, to some violent party-men, by having published some treatises of his friend Dean Hickes; and Mr. Hilliard took the opportunity of the above-mentioned obnoxious treatise to harass Mr. Sare with a prosecution, which ended in exposing the malevolence of his accuser, and an acknowlegment of Mr. Sare's " integrity and good affection to the church and establishment.” Dean Kennett, who had countenanced Mr. Hilliard in presenting the " Rights of the Christian Church," became disgusted at the attempt to prosecute a reputable bookseller for a servant's selling a book in his absence; and in consequence received his share of abuse in the pamphlet, from which he is properly vindicated in the "Life," published in 1730, Svo, p. 107.

* Mr. Richard Williamson, the faithful servant alluded to in the preceding note, succeeded to his master's business. He was deputy receiver-general of the Post-office revenue; and clerk of the mis-sent and mis-directed letters. He died Jan. 7, 1736-7, aged 51. Like his predecessor, he was also a firm friend to both the Bowyers; and the younger of them, at the distance of more than half a century, evinced his grateful sense of former favours by the following clause in his last will: "I give to the two sons and one daughter of the late Rev. Mr. Maurice, of Gothenburg in Sweden, who married the only daughter of Mr. Williamson, bookseller (in return for her father's friendship to mine), 1000l. Four per Cent. Consolidated Annuities, to be divided equally between them."-Philip, the eldest, a cadet in the Swedish East India service, was born in London, 1751; Jacob, the second, in Gothenburg, 1760; and Catharine, in September 1761.-Mr. Williamson was succeeded in business by Mr. Trye; who was the predecessor of the late Mr. William Flexney; who died Jan. 7, 1808, aged 77.

Both were reprinted in 1725, Svo, ex officina Boutestanianâ.

The following learned treatises take their rise from Dr. Mead's Oration: 1. " Middletoni Dissertatio de statu Medicorum apud veteres Romanos, 1726;" translated and published in 8vo, 1734. 2. "Notæ breves in eam per P. W. M. D. 1726."

title of "Dissertatio de Nummis quibusdam à Smyrnæis in Medicorum honorem percussis;"

3. " Ad Middletoni Dissertationem Responsio J. W[ard], 1727. 4. "In Dissertationem Animadversio brevis, 1727." 5. " Middletoni Dissertationis suæ Defensio, 1727." 6. "Defensio supradicta examinata," 1728. Some ascribe this to Dr. Letherland, others to Professor Ward: the latter, from the printer and type, seems most probable; and is confirmed by this quotation from Dr. Maty : "Dr. Mead's cause was defended by the learned Ward, whose answer to Middleton's reply seems to have disarmed this redoubted enemy of the physicians. There is reason however to believe the Doctor would have either qualified or confirmed his thesis, had he been able to finish a Latin work, which was to have been entitled Medicina vetus collectitia, ex auctoribus antiquis non Medicis,' for he had a greatness of mind that would not suffer him knowingly to persist in his errors." Life of Mead, p. 39.-Notwithstanding the heat with which this controversy was managed, Dr. Middleton every where expresses the greatest regard for Dr. Mead; and many years after, when he had occasion to mention his name in his book of the Greek and Egyptian Antiquities, on account of an antient piece of painting in the Doctor's possession, he draws his character in such expressions, as I cannot forbear transcribing, "Meadius noster, artis medica decus, qui vitæ reverà nobilis, vel principibus in republicâ viris, exemplum præbet, pro eo, quo omnibus ferè præstat, artium veterum amore, alias postea quasdam (imagines) et splendidiores, opinor, Româ quoque deportandas curavit." 7." Essay on the State and Condition of Physicians among the Antients, occasioned by a late Dissertation of Dr. Middleton. By Charles La Motte, A. M. chaplain to the duke of Montague, and F. A. S. 1728," Svo. 8. "Shacheri Dissertatio de Honoribus Medicorum apud veteres. Lipsia, 1732," 4to. 9. "Schlægeri Historia Litis de Medicorum Conditione. Helmstad. 1740." 4to. 10. "Dissertationis de servili Medicorum Conditione Appendix, seu Defensionis Pars Secunda. Cui accedit ad Dominum La Motte Epistola Apologetica, Anglicè conscripta. Auctore Conyers Middleton, S.T.P. Protobibliothecario Academiæ Cantabrigiensis, 1761." The learned reader cannot but be gratified with the following advertisement, prefixed by its editor Dr. Heberden to this curious little treatise: "Triginta & quinque anni jam elapsi sunt, ex quo Middletonus impugnavit Meadi sententiam de conditione Medicorum Romæ degentium. Inter viros doctos, qui à Meadi partibus steterunt, fuit Wardus professor rhetorices Greshamensis, qui uno & altero scripto auctori nostro respondit. Contra primum horum se tueri cœperat Middletonus editâ defensionis parte primâ, quæ in omnium manibus est. Partem secundam jamjam vulgaturus erat, cum ad villam Harleii Comitis Oxoniensis propè Cantabrigiam, in quâ tum fortè aderat Middletonus, Meadus etiam arcessitus esset, ut inviseret Comitis filiam ægrotantem. Har

*

of a very

a work which occasioned a controversy interesting nature to the professors of this useful

leius, hâe oblatâ occasione, ut erat utrique eorum amicissimus, facilè eos redegit in gratiam. Quapropter Middletonus unicum, quod habuit, defensionis exemplar in nobilis hospitis sui manus ultrò tradidit, pluris faciens Meadi amicitiam, quàm famam, quae ex hujusmodi victorià, vel saltem ex ingenio, sperari poterat. Harleiani codices MSS. postea in Museum Britannicum devenerunt, et unà cum his hoc ipsum defensionis exemplar, auctoris manu magnâ ex parte descriptum; quod proinde ex legibus Musei omnibus adeuntibus patet, & quodammodo publici juris factum est; neque sanè, si penès privatum esset, ulla subest eausa diutius premendi hoc opusculum, Middletono, & Meado, et Wardo jam fato functis, et consopità omni illâ animorum contentione, quà hæc quæstio fuerat agitata. Quamobrem visum est id prelo committere, ut et commodius, et à pluribus, evolvi possit. Qui antiquitatis studio tenentur, non inviti legent quod reliquum erat ad hanc disputationem penitùs absolvendam ; nonnullos forsan, de quæstione ipsà unicè securos, sola stili jucunditas satis delectabit. Epistola Anglica, quæ post mortem auctoris inter chartas ejus reperta fuit, propterea subjungitur, quia in eodem versatur argumento. Vale."-A friend observes : I have now before me Middleton's De Medicorum apud veteres Romanos degentium Conditione Dissertatio, 1726,' and Nota breves, &e.' 1726, most undoubtedly written by Dr. Joseph Letherland (notwithstanding the disguise of P. W.) as was also • Animadversio brevis, 1727.' But your No. 6 was, I can warrant, Professor Ward's; as you rather suppose it to be. There is an 8vo, with this title, all I know of it, Dan. Vink Amanitates Physico-medicæ, in quibus Medicina à servitute liberatur. Traject. 1730'." J. L.

"It was by no means at all interesting to the professors, but a mere literary question. J. J. Rousseau has observed, that Physicians of all men least like your sporting with them. Perhaps Churchmen have been laughed at so long that they are grown callous. The question by no means was, whether they were vile and despicable, but whether they were slaves: and that the fact was so, I suppose nobody doubts now. Epictetus, though a slave, was no more vile and despicable, than the truly great Marcus Antoninus. Mead and his friends might be mistaken; yet Middleton must, if he spoke of him at all, allow that he was a famous practitioner, a princely Maecenas to all the learned that wanted his services, and a great importer of Virtù." T. F.

+ "The system which the learned Chishull, and after him Dr. Mead, grounded upon some medals found at Smyrna, about a College of Physicians settled in that city from the most antient times, and distinguished by the privilege of celebrating annual games in honour of Esculapius, and of Hygeia the goddess of

h, was at least very ingenious; but whether Mr. Wise has

shewn