His earlier years have been pourtrayed by himself in a preceding
part of the work, but ah! how changed was he in his latter days! His
characteristic of mind was an extraordinary quickness; his characteristic
of temper was cheerfulness. The first of these qualities he retained as
long as we knew him. He could compose any thing in prose or in verse, as
the physicians say, “_pro re nata_,” with a facility which seemed hardly
credible, and with an accuracy which excited surprize. He has been known
to write a sermon in the evenings which he preached on the following
morning. In four mornings he wrote a book, which he intended as an
amusement for his children. Some friends recommended him to print it, and
though many years have elapsed since it was written, it still continues
so great a favourite with younger readers, that an edition is every year
published.
In one morning, indeed in a few hours, he turned into verse that
beautiful chapter of Ecclesiasticus, in which Wisdom praiseth herself,
and expatiates on her accomplishments. Whoever is desirous of examining
with what effect this task was performed, has only to refer to the
translation of Bishop Lowth’s Lectures on Isaiah, by Dr. Gregory, at
whose request he so employed himself. Other examples might be specified,
but these seem enough.
With respect to his characteristic cheerfulness, sooth to say, he had
some hard trials; he had such an unsuspecting frankness of temper, that
there could not be an easier task than to impose upon him. In more
than one instance, he was defrauded of large sums of money, eventually
to have been received, by a hasty confidence in plausible manners and
fallacious representations. Knavery was greatly aided in every artifice
and stratagem against his interest, by two things. The first was his
necessities. He had a large family, and nothing to educate and maintain
them, but what his activity and abilities provided. Consequently, he had
never any thing in store, but as he used to say of himself, was obliged
to scramble on in life as well as he could. Under such circumstance, a
smaller immediate benefit was caught at, than one which, though splendid,
was only visible at a distance.
The other auxiliary of knavery, was our friend’s impatience of temper.
He could not endure delay, or any thing in the shape of procrastination.
Whatever was to be done, was to be done quickly. He considered any thing
like a process, as insupportable tediousness. There are many subtle
spirits on the watch for individuals of such infirmities; and of such
spirits, he was more than once the victim.
One other trial was bitterness itself, but as he himself has detailed it
with no ordinary pathos, the circumstances need not here be revived. This
also originated in a too easy disposition to believe every man honest who
appeared so, and from his never exercising his mind to discover, beneath
the veil of vivacity and good humour, the most nefarious intentions, and
most abominable dishonesty.
This last event certainly preyed upon his mind, broke his spirits,
impaired his health, and materially deteriorated his circumstances. Yet
through this dark and oppressive gloom, rays of cheerfulness would often
penetrate, enlivening himself and his connections with hopes of better
days to come.
As life continued to wear itself away, he appears to have had his full
share of those dark days, which, however, afflicting from their pressure,
tend to render the prospect of the grave less formidable. As was before
remarked, he abruptly withdrew himself from the ken of those, to whom his
society had been familiar, and not undesireable.
Where or when, or under what circumstances, he ultimately paid the last
awful tribute of nature, are not known with sufficient accuracy to admit
of being introduced in our narrative. He does not, however, appear to
have been altogether without consolation. Where a tree shoots out into
many branches, some will be goodlier, more vigorous, and more productive
than others. Some will bear fruit which is sweet and nutritious; some
will bear none at all. In this respect he shared the common lot of
humanity, but where he had cause he was, nevertheless, uncomplaining,
except in the soft whispers of family confidence. He used, however, a
bolder and a louder tone to one lofty personage, who volunteered to be
the instrument of obtaining for him compensation for one of the greatest
injuries and afflictions, which can either be encountered or sustained.
Great, certain, and immediate loss, as to property, was not the sorest
of the evils; this was exasperated by the sneers of the envious, the
insinuations of the invidious, the taunts of the malignant,
The whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes.
Conscious integrity, however, ere long, armed him with a dignified
confidence, but he never spoke without indignation of the great man above
alluded to, who after raising his hopes to the highest pitch, smiled, and
smiled, and smiled, and deserted him.
Of his talents and attainments, it is necessary to say but little. The
productions of his pen again and again appeared before the public, on
various occasions, and in a great multitude of shapes. Most of his works
were received with respect, and many are still popular. Some unfinished
things remained among his papers, and there are a few scattered memoranda
in our Recollections, from which it appears that he had others in
contemplation.
To specify some of these can do no harm, and may perhaps be the means of
inducing others to exercise their leisure on the different subjects.
He had commenced and prosecuted to some extent, an elaborate Essay on
the Revival of Learning, which he purposed to enliven by a variety of
literary anecdotes, illustrative of an æra so greatly, and so honourably
distinguished. He had also prepared biographical sketches of the most
eminent and learned of those Greeks, who, when Constantinople was taken
and plundered by the Turks, under Mahomet II. in 1453, took refuge in
Italy, and found a secure and hospitable asylum in the protection of the
illustrious house of Medici, at Florence.
The principal names of these accomplished exiles, with very learned
and interesting details concerning them, may be found in Hodius de
illustribus Græcis, a work not so well known as it deserves.
The Sexagenarian had also collected many curious particulars concerning
the celebrated Florentine library, the foundation of which was laid by
the learned Greeks above alluded to, who were sent back to their country,
by the magnificent Lorenzo, to rescue from barbarian hands, the literary
treasures, which they had been compelled to forsake. One anecdote occurs
among the memoranda, relating to this library, which seems to merit
insertion, and is detailed in the following words in the Recollections,
but without reference to the authority from whence it was taken.
On the expulsion of the house of Medici from Florence, that city was
occupied by the troops of Charles the VIIIth. and the library, with the
possessions of the illustrious owners, fell into the hands of the French.
The King of England at that time, Henry VIII., employed emissaries
to purchase of the French officers and soldiers, as many books and
manuscripts as they could possibly obtain. Whether before or after their
arrival in this country, has not been ascertained, but Catherine of
Medicis had the artifice and address to procure their restoration, on
the pretence of their being the property of her family; this portion,
therefore, whatever it might have been, now forms part of the royal
library at Paris.
The residue of this splendid library remained at Florence, till the
popularity of Cardinal John de Medicis, afterwards Pope Leo X. seemed
to open to him a reasonable prospect of succeeding to the papal throne.
At this juncture, Soderini was Dictator of Florence, who, anxious to
remove from the Cardinal every remaining temptation to revisit Florence,
collected what was yet left of the library, and dispatched the whole to
him at Rome, as a present, conceiving himself thus to have performed an
act of great political sagacity. Thus, therefore, the contents of this
magnificent repository of literary treasure was divided, and such a
proportion of them will be found in the Vatican, as the French, in their
different predatory excursions, suffered to remain.
Another of the Sexagenarian’s meditated works, was one or more
Dissertations upon Emblems, a species of literature which at one period
greatly occupied the attention of the curious, upon which the exalted
talents of the first poets and artists were formerly exercised, and of
which there are many specimens of extraordinary rarity and beauty. He had
evidently revolved the subject much in his mind, to which he was induced
by the consideration, that nothing of the kind had ever appeared in
the English language. Such a work certainly might be made a vehicle of
great and various entertainment, by a judicious introduction of literary
anecdotes, and by well-chosen specimens from the different performances.
It also appears that a work of some extent on the present state
of literature, and literary men, in this country, had been nearly
compleated. It was written in the administration of Mr. Pitt, and was
inscribed to the Right Hon. W. Windham. The idea originated, in what
was perhaps a misconception, that literature was on the decline among
us, from the want of patrons. As he advanced in life, he was probably
convinced that he was in error, for the work was never published, and as
it should seem, never finished.
Our friend had also prepared for publication, some notes on two plays
of Shakspeare. He, somewhere in “the Recollections,” confesses, that he
was prompted to this, by a wish to exercise the irritable curiosity of
George Stevens. He first began with intimating in some Morning Paper, the
intention of examining the edition of Shakspeare by Malone, then recently
published, with the hint that the critical attention of the author would
also be extended to all the other annotators. Several columns were
accordingly filled with notes on the Tempest. The bait took, Mr. S. ever
restless and impatient where Shakspeare was concerned, used every effort
in his power to discover the author, and even condescended to reply to
some of his observations, through the same channel of communication with
the public. But he did not succeed; the work, however, became, in its
progress, so very amusing, that annotations on two plays were ready for
publication. Something more serious, in all probability, diverted his
attention from this lighter employment, which he seems to have laid aside
altogether.
Preparations were also made for a publication of a facetious kind. He
proposed to give an account of the witty publications of earlier days,
and had taken as a motto,
Jest and youthful jollity,
Quips and cranks and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks and wreathed smiles,
Sport that wrinkled care derides,
And laughter holding both his sides.
The following books formed part of the stores from which he intended to
have extracted his materials.
“Dainty Conceits, with a number of rare and witty Inventions,
never before printed. Made and invented for honest Recreation,
to passe away idle Houres. By Thomas Johnson. 1630.”
“Wit’s Private Wealth stored with Choice of Commodities to
contente the Minde. 1639.”
“Essays and Characters. By J. Stephens. 1615.”
“Sir T. Overbury’s Characters. 1627.”
“Coffee House Jests. 1677.”
“Wit Restored. 1658.”
“A Banquet of Jests. 1640.”
“Micro-cosmographie, or Characters. By Earle. 1628.”
“Pasquil’s Jests, with Mother Bunch’s Meriments. 1629.”
“Wits, or Sport upon Sport. 1672.”
“Richard Ward of Wit, Wisdom, Folly, &c. 1674.”
“F. Mere’s Wits Commonwealth. 1636.”
“Wits Recreation, ingenious Conceits, Medicines for Melancholy.
1667.”
“Ford’s Panegyrick, Apothegms, &c. 1660.”
“The Book of merry Riddles. 1629.”
“Rowland’s Doctor Merryman. No date.”
“Taylor’s Wit and Mirth. 1629.”
“Humourous Tracts, in a large quarto Volume. From 1629 to 1691.”
“Flecknoe’s Characters of all Sorts. 1658.”
The motive for inserting the titles of the above books, was the
probability that others might be induced to prosecute what the
Sexagenarian contemplated.
I saw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool, that
has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he’s out of his
guard already; unless you laugh and minister occasion to him,
he is gagged.
Bonos dies.—For as the old hermit of Prague, that never saw her
wink, very wittily said to a niece of King Gorboduc, _That,
that is, is_; so I being Master Parson, am Master Parson, for
what is that but that, and is, but is.