ments shew him what he cannot at tain. The man of common underftanding has no idea of obftacles; he denies that there are any, because he has never had ftrength to go their length.

Few people are economists of their words; and by a common fatality, it is the poor that are prodigal, and the the rich that are niggard; the more ideas one has, the less one speaks, and vice verfa.

A filent man may be compared to a closet that is locked; no one will venture to say that it does not contain a library.

What fweet and confolatory ideas does not a forest afford! Are you difpofed for contemplation? there you have filence and folitude. Are you perfecuted? a foreft feems a fate afylum. Are you oppreffed with heat? there you find coolness and fhade. Do you with for repofe? how foft is the turf beneath the fpreading foliage! Are you thirty? a foreft never fails to promise a rivulet! Are you hungry? among fo many trees there muft be fruit. Laftly, do you wish for fociety? Soft, make no noife, and a thoufand birds will flutter and chatter around you.

How vaft the difference between a forest and an open field covered with the most luxuriant harvest! Every thing there must be bought for money, for by money it is produced; and were you dying of hunger you could not without money touch a fingle grain; and after all, what would you do with growing corn? you would need twenty men with their machines to make the grain an agreeable and a nourishing food.

Senfibility and imagination are two

qualities of the mind that wonderful ly aid and fortify each other.

Senfibility, in my mind, is nothing more than the habit of connecting all or almost all our ideas, with fome idea of pleasure or of pain; but imagination confifts in connecting with each idea the perfect picture of one or more objects.

If you attentively analyfe the works of Racine, in which the most affecting fenfibility is fo confpicuous, you will, if I am not mistaken, find that each idea gently carries along with it, an idea of pleasure or of pain you will feel that the delightful emotion, caufed by an affecting expreffion, confifts in that fort of undulation of foul, which, if I may fo fpeak, vibrates gently between different fears and different hopes, between the ideas of pain and of pleasure; a kind of foft and yet fluctuating fituation which unites two things effential to our na ture; that of happiness and variety.

People of fenfibility generally fpeak in a tone expreffive of pleafure or of pain; and this is the circumftance which makes fenfibility fo oper fuafive, and fo eloquent in the opinion of those who are themfelves endowed with the fame difpofition. Writers like Racine, Fenelon, and Rouffeau, may be compared to cords, the vibrations of which make all the cords around that are in unifon with them, to vibrate.

In the works of men of fenfibility, we often find more interesting than original matter; in thofe of perfons endowed with a fine imagination, we discover more novelty and lefs intereft; for a new combination of objects which we call an image, amufes us often as if it were new, without interefting us as ufeful to our happiness.

Anecdotes

THIS

HIS extraordinary man was the fon of an upholsterer, or car. pet-warehouseman, in Long Lane, Weft Smithfield, who was allied to the families of Tatnall, Cholmley, and Barnardifton, and to Samuel Whitbread, Efq; M. P. for Bedford. It has been fuppofed he was born at Enfield in Middlefex, in or about the year 1724; but he is not entered in the parish regifter of that town in any preceding or following year; and the regifter belonging to the Prefbyterian congregation there does not commence till 1727. The mistake seems to have originated from his having fome landed property in that parish, which was difpofed of before his last expedition. It is therefore moft probable that this place has been miftaken for fome other near the metropolis, and in the fame county. He was put apprentice to Mr Nathaniel Newnham, a wholefale grocer. in a court on the South fide of Watlingfireet, between Friday-freet and the Old Change, grandfather to the prefent Alderman.-His father died, leaving only this fon and a daughter, to both of whom he bequeathed handfome fortunes; and by his will directed

that his fon thould not be confidered of age till he was five and twenty. His conftitution was thought very weak, and his health appeared to have been injured by the neceffary duties of his apprenticeship; and therefore, at the expiration of it, he took an apartment in a lodging-houfe in Churchftreet, Stoke Newington, Middlesex but not meeting with the tendereft treatmentthere, he removed to another lodging-house in the fame ftreet, which was kept by Mrs Sarah Lardeau, widow of a man who had been clerk at Sir James Creed's White-lead works, a worthy, fenfible woman, but a poor invalid, who had not had a day's health for twenty years. Here he was VOL. XI. No. 64.

Ff

nurfed with the utmoff care and attention; and during this time he ufed to ride out in the morning for a few miles with a book in his pocket, difmount, turn his horfe to graze upon a common, and spend several hours in reading. At length he became fo fond of his landlady, that he refolved to marry her, out of gratitude for her kindness to him. In vain the expoftulated with him upon the extravagance of fuch a proceeding, he being about 28, and the about 51 years of age, and twenty years older in conftitution; but nothing could deter him; and they were privately married about the year 1752. She was poffeffed of a fmall fortune, which he prefented to her fifter. During his refidence at Newington, the Minister of the Diffenting Meeting-house there refigned his office, and a fucceffor was elected; and Mr Howard, who was bred a Diffenter, and stedfastly adhered all his life to that profeffion, propofed to purchase the leafe of a houfe near the Meeting-houfe, and to appropriate it as a parfonage houfe for the ufe of the Minifter for the time being, and generously contributed 50 1. for that purpofe. His wife died Nov. 10, 1755, aged 54; and he was a fincere and affectionate mourner for her death. About this time, it is believed, he was elected F. R. S. After mature confultation with a Diffenting minifter, his intimate friend, on his intention of vifiting Lifbon after the earthquake of Nov, 1, 1755; and being earneftly diffuaded from his purpofe, as tempting Providence, from the rifque of being taken by fome of the fhips of France, then at war with this country, he refolved to vifit that defolated capital, and left his houfe at Newington at Midfummer 1756. He fet fail for Lifbon on board the Hanover packet, which was taken by a French pri

vateer;

:

vateer; and he behaved with fo much hauteur, so much à l'Anglois, to the captain of the privateer, as might probably be the cause of his fuffering fo feverely as it appears he did (fee State of Prisons,' pp. 22. and 23, Note) and perhaps what be fuffered on this occafion increafed, (if it did not first call forth) his fympathy with the unhappy people whofe caufe is the fubject of this book.'-He afterwards, it is believed, made the tour of Italy; and at his return fettled at Brokenhurst, a retired and pleasant villa in the New Foreft near Lymington in Hampshire, having, April 25, 1758, married Harriot, only daughter of Edward Leeds, Efq; of Croxton, co. Camb, King's ferjeant, and fifter of Edward Leeds, Efq; mafter in Chancery, M. P. for Ryegate, 184, and of Jofeph Leeds, Elq; of Croydon, Surry. [The two last named gentlemen are his executors.] Mrs H. died in 1765, in childbed, of her only child, a fon, who unfortunately has been for feveral years lunatic, and now is, or lately was, under the care of T. Arnold, M. D. of Leicester. This youth was for a long time educated at a ladies boarding School at Chefhunt, and thence removed to the care of Mr Magick, who kept a fchool for Diffenting youths at Pinner, in order that he might be qualified for the miniftry, notwithftanding an impediment in his fpeech gave little profpect of his fuccefs in that vocation. But all profpects were blasted by paternal feverity, which reduced the young man to fuch an unhappy fituation as to require his being placed where he now is, or lately was. To those who knew the fingularity of Mr H.'s ideas and temper, it will not appear extraordinary that that benevolence which interested itself in the care of the human race fhould have yielded fo fmall a portion of the milk of human kindhefs' to an only and even beloved

child. But in Mr H. as in the Turks, rivetted Predeftinarianifm became flern intrepidity. After the death of his fecond wife, he left Lymington, and purchased an estate at Cardington, near Bedford, adjoining to that of his relation Mr Whitbread. He was alfo proprietor of a remarkable ancient houfe at Clapton, Hackney, nearly oppofite Mr Newcome's fchool, and of fome houses in or near Ivy-lane, Paternofter-Row. While he refided at Cardington, he very much conciliated the etteem of the poor, by employing them, building cottages for them, &c. Every Sunday he went to Bedford, attended both morning and evening service at one of the Diffenting Meeting-houfes, and then returned home. He was univerfally esteemed by the Prefbyterians, Moravians, and all the other fectaries with which that borough abounds; and at the general election in 1774 offered himfelf, with Mr Whitbread, as a candidate to reprefent it in Parliament. They were oppofed by Sir W. Wake, Bart. and R. Sparrow, Efq; who were returned; and Mr Whitbread and Mr Howard petitioning, the committee determined that Sir W. Wake and Mr Whitbread were duly elected. confequence of the act 19 Geo. III. for establishing Penitentiary-houfes, the late Dr Fothergill, Mr Howard, and Geo. Whatley, Efq; treasurer of the Foundling Hofpital, were appointed by his Majesty fupervisors of them. The Doctor and Mr Howard

In

6

6

Mr Howard fent a letter to Earl Bathurit, Lord Prefident of the Council, requesting his Majefty to accept his relignation of the office; (for which, fee his Account of Lazarettos,' p. 226.)-His fifter died unmarried, and left him her house in Great Ormond-street, together with a confiderable fortune in the funds (without making any provifion for his fon), which he conftrued into an approbation, on the part of Providence, of his fchemes for the relief of Prifoners, and made ufe of the money accordingly. In 1773 he ferved the office of theriff of the county of Bedford. This office, as he obferves, brought the diftrefs of prifoners more immediately under his notice ;' and with a view to its alleviation, he began his labours by vifiting molt of the county goals in England,' and afterwards 6 the Bridewells, Houfes of Correction, City and Town-Goals,' where he found multitudes both of felons and debtors' 6 dying of the goal-fever and the small-pox.' Upon this fubject he was examined in the Houfe of Commons in March 1774, when he had the honour of their thanks.' This encouraged him to proceed in his defigns; he travelled again and again through Great-Britain and Ireland, and alfo into France, Flanders, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland; and published The State of the Prifons in England and Wales, with preliminary obfervations, and an account of fome Foreign Prifons, 1777, 4to. with a Dedication to the House of Commons, dated April 5, 1777. In 1780 he published an Appendix to this Account, in which he extended the narrative of his travels to Italy, and gave fome obfervations concerning the management of prifoners of war, and the hylks on the Thames. This Appendix he republifhed in 1784; which publication included alfo an account of his vifit to Denmark, Sweden, Ruffia, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

By this time his character for active benevolence had engaged the public attention; and a writerin the Gentleman's Magazine for May 1786, who figned himself ANGLUS, propofed that a fubfcription fhould be fet on foot, to erect a ftatue to his honour. This idea being taken up and zea loufly forwarded by Mr Nichols, the printer, was fo well received, that, in 15 or 16 months, 615 perfons fubfcribed 15331. 13s. 6d; but fome of those who knew Mr Howard best never concurred in the scheme, being well affured that he would never countenance, nor accede to it; and the event justified their conduct; for the language that he held upon the fubject, when first advised of it, was,

Have not I one friend in England, that would put a stop to fuch a proceeding? In confequence of two letters from Mr Howard himself to the Subfcribers, the defign was laid afide; and the contributors were publicly invited, either to recall their money, or to leave it to the difpofition of the Committee. In 1787, 2001. was applied toward alleviating the diftreffes of 55 prifoners in the metropolis, many of whom had large families; and we learn, by the report of a meeting held March 15, 1790, that there ftill remains in hand 751l. 6s. for the difpofal of a general committee, to be held on the 19th of next month.-In 1789, Mr H. published

An Account of the principal Lazarettos in Europe, with various Papers relative to the Plague, together with further Obfervations on fome Foreign Prifons and Hofpitals, and additional Remarks on the prefent State of those in Great-Britain and Ireland,' with a great number of curious plates. Befide thefe, he published, in 1780, Hiftorical Remarks and Anecdotes on the Castle of the Baftile, tranflated from the French; and last year the Grand Duke of Tufcany's new Code of Criminal Law, with an English Tran

flation

flation: and of all his publications he gave away a vast number of copies among his acquaintance in the moft liberal manner. His laying open the horrors of defpotifm in a neighbouring country had very nearly expofed him to the fufferings of them; and had it not been for the timely notice of our Ambaffador, he had ended his days in the Baftile.

Not fatisfied, however, with what he had already done, he concludes his Account of Lazarettos' with announcing his intention again to quit his country for the purpose of re-vifiting Ruflia, Turkey, and fome other countries, and extending his tour in the East. I am not infenfible, fays he, of the dangers that must attend fuch a journey. Trufting, howéver, in the protection of that kind Providence which has hitherto preferved me, I calmly and chearfully commit myfelf to the difpofal of unerring wifdom. Should it pleafe GOD to cut off my life in the profecution of this defign, let not my conduct be uncandidly imputed to rafhness or enthufiafm, but to a feribus, deliberate conviction that I am purfuing the path of duty, and to a fincere defire of being made an inftrument of more extenfive usefulness to my fellowcreatures than could be expected in the narrower circle of a retired life.' To a man who holds fuch language, what elfe can be faid, but that the piety and benevolence of his heart deferve univerfal honour? What manent good may arife from his unwearied, well-intended labours, both in these kingdoms and the reft of Europe, time only can fhew. Certain it is that his plan has been adopted in many of our new-built goals, and will gradually extend to more. Although the advice of his friends could not poffefs that influence to reverfe his determination to encounter once more the contagion ofthe plague, with all its difmal concomitants; yet

per

furely that incorrupta fides, that nuđa veritas, which actuated his undertaking, fo elegantly difplayed by him-felf in his laft publication, will acquit him of temerity in the progrefs of his benevolent migration. His great abftemioufnefs was probably a mean of prolonging his life in the midft of his dangers: for a long time potatoes were almoft his whole fupport; at another time they were fucceeded by tea, and bread and butter; confequently it will not be thought wonderful that he never partook of the public or private repafts to which he was fo frequently invited. All that remains to be faid upon the fubject is, that in his fecond Tour in the Eaft it did please GOD to cut off his life :* for having spent fome time at Cherfon, a new fettlement of the Empress of Ruffia, in the mouth of the Dnieper or Boryfthenes, toward the Northern extremity of the Black-Sea, near Oczakow, he caught, in vifiting the Ruffian hofpital of that place, or as fome fay a young lady who was ill of the fame complaint, a malignant fever, which carried him off on the 20th of January, N. S. after an illnefs of about twelve days and after having been kept, according to his exprefs directions to his fervant, five days, he was buried, by his own defire, in the garden of a villa in the neighbourhood belonging to a French gentleman, from whom he had received great civilities by his faithful fervant who had attended him on his

former journeyings, and whom he exprefsly enjoined not to return home till five weeks from his death-In his way to Cherfon, his baggage was found to be miffing from behind the carriage while he and his fervant refreshed themselves with a nap. the difcovery of this lofs, Mr Howard haftened back to the nearest town or village where he recollected to have feen a party of Ruffian recruits, whom he charged with taking his property.

On