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recollection of his conflicts under thefe circumstances, in one particular cafe, is grievous, but the recital of them would be tedious, poffibly uninterefting, and, perhaps, credible.

"It must fuffice to fay, that his little bark was obliged to flip an chor, while its mafter, thoroughly fenfible of preceding obligations during his ftay in port, was diffident of his own ability to guide the helm And, having been led to expect both a pilot and a convoy, was lefs prepared to contend with the winds and the waves which he mut neceffarily expect in the open fea. This diftrefs led him at once to commit the fuccefs of his voyage to the blefling of God alone; while certain partial attachments fixed his eye on the coaft, as it retreated from him. The motto which he affumed for his carriage, under thefe circumstances, was ignificant and well chofen, "favente Deo et ainicis."

"To this, however, it may be prefumed he gave a more fignificant tranflation, than would have occurred to an indifferent fpectator.

"A great part of three months, in the year 1779, was employed in attending on feveral of fir Richard Jebb's patients, during his abfence from town, on account of his health; this, added to his own practice, and attendance on the lectures of Dr. Hunter, Dr. Keir, and of Da Cofta, and at the hofpitals, fully employed his time.

Dr. Hinckley, a worthy and refpectable character, and phyfician to Guy's hofpital, dying the first of November this year, it was propofed by one of the faculty, who is univerfally esteemed an ornament to it, that Dr. Jebb fhould offer himself as fucceffor.

He accordingly applied for the

appointment, and was well fup. ported, but declined the profecu, tion of it.

"The warm affection which Dr.

Jebb had for the civil liberties of mankind, and the hare he was dif poled to take in their fupport, first appeared before the public eye, in "An Addrefs to the Freeholders of Middlefex," affembled at Free mafon's tavern in Great Queen-freet, on Monday, December the 20th, 1779, for the purpose of establish, ing meetings to maintain and fupport the freedom of election. Upon this occafion, he communicated to James Townfend, efq. chairman of that meeting, the above address, under the fignature of "Salus publica," prefuming, that if the fentiments, "appeared to be founded in reafon, they would not be the lefs regarded, on account of their being fuggefted by an unknown individual."

"This addrefs was immediately printed, and very foon pafled through three editions, each bing enlarged, by the addition of freth matter; and in 1782, followed "the fourth edition corrected,”. which alfo bore our author's name in the title page.

"On the 2d of February 1780, a very large and refpectable meeting of the clectors and inhabitants of the city and liberty of Westmin. fter, was held in Welminther-hall, for the purpofe of petitioning par liament, for the correcting of the grofs abufes in the expenditure of public money; for the reduction of all exorbitant emoluments; for the refcinding and abolishing all finecure places and unmerited penfions; and for the appropriation of the produce to the neceflities of the ftate. The petition being unanimoufly voted, and Mr. Fox appoint ed to prefent the fame to the houfe

of

of commons, that gentleman declared the strongest reprobation of the principles and conduct of the administration of that time, with all his ufual force of argument and eloquence.

About the latter end of the fame month, Dr. Jebb was appointed by the committee of the county of Huntingdon, one of their deputies, to attend a meeting in London of reprefentatives from certain other petitioning counties, in order to concert measures for the more effectual reform of the prefent conftitution of the houfe of

commons.

"Several gentlemen, friends of the liberties of their country, and confident in the excellence and congeniality of the constitution of England with the manly fpirit of its inhabitants; conceiving that their equal and legal rights needed but to be known, to be fupported; formed an inftitution in London for the very detirable purpofe of circulating a better knowledge of our rights. In the month of April, this defign took place, by the efta blishment of the fociety for constitutional information." Dr. Jebb was one of the most zealous promoters of this inftitution at its commencement, and was a conftant at tendant at their meetings, and an occafional contributor to their publications. The fociety have already published several valuable papers, and done great and extenfive good. The compafs of their defign, and their inducement to the underta<ing are well expreffed by themfelves the defign of this fociety," fay they, is to diffufe throughout the kingdom, as univerfally as poffible, a knowledge of the great principles of conftitutional freedom, particularly fuch as repect the election and duration of

With

the reprefentative body. this view, conftitutional tracts, intended for the extenfion of this knowledge, and to communicate it to perfons of all ranks, are printed and distributed gratis, at the expence of the fociety. Effays, and extracts from various authors, calculated to promote the fame defign, are alfo publifhed under the direc tion of the fociety, in feveral of the news-papers: and it is the with of the fociety to extend this knowledge throughout every part of the united kingdoms, and to convince men of all ranks, that it is their intereft, as well as their duty, to fupport a free conflitution, and to maintain and affert thofe common rights, which are effential to the dignity and to the happiness of human nature.

"Dr. Petit, one of the phyficians of St. Bartholomew's hofpital, dying the 26th of May, Dr. Jebb offered himself a candidate to fuc ceed to that appointment. The election came on the 23d of June; when Dr. Budd, his antagonist, fucceeded by a great majority.

"Dr. Jebb's failure in his elec tion into St. Bartholomew's hofpital, may be confidered as a public lofs, as he had formed two defigns, friendly to the improvement and extenfion of medical knowledge; and thefe were dependent on his fuccefs. The first was, to have the cafe of every patient particu larly stated; and every fymptom and application in the progrefs of the difeafe minutely taken down by the ftudent. So that the hiftory of one cafe being applied to another, the fimilarity might be afcertained by a minute registration of all the fymptoms; and a certainty introduced in regard to the knowledge of the difcafe and its remedy, hitherto unknown in medicine. The

other

other was, to give a course of liberal and familiar lectures in medicine, which might be completed by the pupil's attendance in town for fix weeks or two months; and thefe he more particularly defigned for young gentlemen and clergymen, previous to their retreat into fituations in the country, where valuable profeffional affiftance is very iparingly fcattered.

66

The oppofition which was made to his election at St. Bartholomew's, followed him in the winter, when he offered himself at St. Thomas's hofpital in the Borough. Indeed he relinquished his preten fions there fooner than in the former place, but for no other reafon than because he found that all his political principles were likely to be again objected to him, and to hazard his fuccefs.

On the 20th of March, 1782, lord North refigned his place in his majefty's councils. Dr. Jebb wrote to Mr. Fox a congratulatory letter upon the occafion, and, in a few days, a new adminitiration was formed, wherein the late lord Rockingham was appointed first lord of the treatury, and lord Shelburne and Mr. Fox the two principal fecretaries of fate.

"Dr. Jebb cordially concurred in the addrefs which was prefented to the king on this occation from the inhabitants of Westminster; but declined to go up with it, that, "he might be esteemed free in the great point of reform."

In the midst of the feveral changes which took place at this time in the adminiftration of government, no confideration was taken by the new minifters to avail themselves of the abilities of Dr. Jebb; this is mentioned as a fact, and with a view to contradict a contrary report. And it is equally

certain, that he had determined never to accept of any place. From a very refpectable quarter it was fuggefted to Dr. Jebb, that his fervices would be very acceptable in the corporation of London, and that an alderman's gown only waited his acceptance. But the duties of magiftracy in the metropolis were incompatible with his medical attentions; and, therefore, he did not hetate to decline an office, which he could not discharge. And yet, fingular as it may feem to fuppofe our author enrobed in aldermanic fur, few men were better calculated than he was, for the impartial adminiftration of justice, or the internal regulation of the police of London, confiftent with every fecurity of liberty and morals.

"In refpect to the pursuit of feriptural knowledge in which he was tingularly happy and able, he was convinced of his duty to attend to it, as appears from a former extract from his private book, and was again reminded or it by the mention made of his rare talents in this branch of learning, by Mr. Lindfey.

"It was with a view to the furtherance of this object, that he was one among the few perfons who first fet on foot" The fociety for promoting the knowledge of the Scriptures," which was inftituted on the 29th of September, 1783, and whofe meetings continue to be held at Effex-houfe. The "Sketch of their plan" was chiefly written by Dr. Jebb; and though his following ill health and many avoca tions prevented him from furnithing any fubfequent papers, much praife is due to him for marking out the only fure and legitimate way of afcertaining the true fenfe of the facred book, although it may

only

1

only belong to men like himself fuccetsfully to walk in the path that he hath pointed out to them.

"In the fpring of the year 1784, Dr. Jebb was again confined to his houfe feveral weeks, by an inflammatory complaint, which formed an abfcefs in his groin. In the fummer he went to Buxton, but returned without any fenfible benefit.

"In the autumn this year, Dr. Jebb went to Cheltenham, but returned from thence with as little advantage to his health as he had the preceding year vifited Buxton. While at Cheltenham. and, for feveral weeks afterwards, during his confinement at home he ftudied the Saxon language, the AngloSaxon laws, English hiftory and antiquities, with a view to examine into our criminal code, and particular points of liberty. The vigour of his mind was fill equal to the furnishing himself with this fresh store of knowledge; he forefaw the advantage of fuch an acquifition in the invetiigation of the legal rights of Englifhmen, and had defigned to have employed it in the support of fome great conflitutional questions, which he confidered as cffential to the freedom of his country.

"But, as the year began to dawn, it was very obfervable to many of his friends that, accord. ing to every appearance, and with out fome very great and fingular effort of nature, his increafed debility, would defcat every exertion of the mott judicious medical atfiftance, and terminate the remaining sparks of human life. ·

In this enfeebled ftate, his mind was active. His "Thoughts on Prifons," were printed, and circulated in the county of Suffolk in 1785, by his much valued friend

Mr. Lofft; and there is fufficient reafon for concluding that this little tract had effect on the deliberations of the juftices at Ipfwich, and Bury, then engaged in erecting a new gaol for the divifion of Ipfwich, and a new houfe of correction for that of Bury. In the former, the exterior wall was reduced in height to fifteen feet above the furface; at Bury the outer wall was rejected.

"The good effects of this very excellent tract it was apprehended would be extended by a more general publication. In this hope Dr. Jebb revifed and corrected it with his dying hand and his furviving friend published it soon after his death, adding thereto "an abftract or felonies created by ftatute and other articles relative to the penal law.

Dr. Jebb was able to prefcribe without any lofs of judgment, during his own laft illness, to fuch indifpofitions of his friends as would admit of their attendance at his own houfe. Even when the month of January was contiderably advanced, one who is very near and dear to myfel, benefitted molt effentially by his medical directions; and, enfeebled as he was, he prefcribed, not merely with the skill of the phyfician, but with all the ardour and affection of the friend. The fcene made a deep imprethion upon me, and I do not wish that time fhould obliterate it.

"In February he moved to Egham for a fortnight or three weeks, but without any other apparent profpect than a speedy diffclution. And yet, in this late period, his mind was fentibly delighted with the openings of nature, and he exprefled himfelf to that effect in a letter to his intimate and much va lued friend, Mr. Brand Hollis ;

"The

"The fight of nature," fays he, in her first exertions, is itfelf enough to make a man better. I think I feel its force."

"He furvived his return to his houfe in Parliament-ftreet about a week, and on the evening of Thurfday, March the 2d, 1786, about eight o'clock, he breathed his laft, having only a few weeks before enered on the gift year of his age. "His remains were buried in Bunhill-fields burying-ground, on Thurfday, March the th, attended by many of his friends to the place of interment. The fcene was awful, as there feemed not an heart infentible of the lofs fuftained in the death of fo excellent a

man.

"To draw out his character at length, would be again to recite his life and labours, or to obtrude the partial judgment of a friend, when the cader is made fully competent to form his own. The reputation of Dr. Jebb refts on the moft folid and lafting bafis, while it is left to reft upon his own unfullied, amiable, and useful life,

"Examine his conduct, and the nearer you view it, the more diftinctly will you obferve his never

ceafing purfuit of knowledge and truth; and his never once depart ing from his own well-formed principles and convictions. And in all his differences with others, you cannot fail to mark his candour in fpeaking of the perfons and motives of his adverfaries, however feverely he reprobated their opinions and conduct.

"In every point of view, he appears to advantage, and is deferving of much praise. In his own acquirements he united the various merits which have been aferihed to men of the most diftinguifhed eminence. As a divine, he truly deferved the character which was given by Erafmus .of William Latimer, "vere theologus, integritate vitæ confpicuus." As a phyfician, we may, with great truth, apply to him, what Cafaubon faid of Galen, "criticorum, non minus. quam medicorum principem." As a patriot, we may mark him in the character of Sydney, "fanctus amor patriæ dat animum."

"In fine, "fuit ille vir, patres confcripti, ficut fcitis, cum foris clarus, tum domi admirandus; neque rebus externis magis laudandus, quam inftitutis domefticis."

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[From PUGH's Remarkable Occurrences in his Life.]

“MR

R. Hanway in his perfon was of the middle fize, of a thin fpare habit, but well fhaped; his limbs were fafhioned with the nicelt fymmetry. In the latter years of his life he stooped very much, and when he walked, found it conduce to eafe to let his head incline towards one fide. When he went

first to Ruffia at the age of thirty, his face was full and comely, and his perfon altogether fuch as obtained for him the appellation of the "Handfome Englishman." But the fhock which his health received in Perfia, made him much thinner; and though he recovered his health, fo as to live in England twenty

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