which are made the Constituents of his Character, for a Man so mild and gentle to temper his Rage was not difficult.

The next Line is unharmonious in its Sound, and mean in its Conception, the Opposition is obvious, and the Word lash used absolutely, and without any Modification, is gross and improper.

To be above Temptation in Poverty, and free from Corruption among the Great, is indeed such a Peculiarity as deserved Notice. But to be a fafe Companion is Praise merely negative, arifing not from the Possession of Virtue, but the Absence of a Vice, and that one of the most odious.

As little can be added to his Character, by asserting that he was lamented in his End. Every Man that dies is at least, by the Writer of his Epitaph, supposed to be lamented, and therefore this general Lamentation does no Honour to Gay.

The eight first Lines have no Grammar, the Adjectives are without any Substantive, and the Epithets without a Subject.

The Thought in the last Line, that Gay is buried in the Bofoms of the Worthy and the Good, who are diftinguished only to lengthen the Line, is so dark that few understand it; and so harsh, when it is explained, that still fewer approve.

XII..

Intended for Sir ISAAC NEWTON. In Westminster

Abbey.

ISAACUS NEWTONIUS:
Quem Immortalem

Festantur, Tempus, Natura, Cœlum:

• Mortalem

Hoc marmor fatetur.

Nature, and Nature's Laws, lay hid in Night: • GOD faid, Let Newton be! And all was Light.'

:

1

Of

HERMAN BOERHAAVE.

HERMAN BOERHAAVE was born on

the last Day of December, 1668, about One in the Morning, at Voorhout, a Village two Miles distant from Leyden. His Father, James Boerhaave, was Minister of Voorhout, of whom his Son, in a small Account of his own Life, has given a very amiable Character, for the Simplicity and Openness of his Behaviour, for his exact Frugality, in the Management of a narrow Fortune, and the Prudence, Tenderness, and Diligence with which he educated a numerous Family of nine Children. He was eminently skilled in History and Genealogy, and well versed in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Languages.

His Mother was Hagar Daelder, a Tradesman's Daughter of Amsterdam, from whom he might perhaps derive an hereditary Inclination to the Study of Physic; in which she was very inquisitive, and had obtained a Knowledge of it, not common in female Students.

This Knowledge, however, she did not live to communicate to her Son; for she died in 1673, ten Years after her Marriage.

His Father finding himself incumbered with the Care of seven Children, thought it neceffary to take a fecond

2 second Wife, and in July, 1674, was married to Eve du Bois, Daughter of a Minifter of Leyden, who, by her prudent and impartial Conduct, fo endeared herself to her Husband's Children, that they all regarded her as their own Mother.

Herman Boerhaave was always designed by his Father for the Ministry, and with that View instructed by him in grammatical Learning, and the first Elements of Languages; in which he made such a Proficiency, that he was, at the Age of eleven Years, not only Master of the Rules of Grammar, but capable of tranflating, wth tolerable Accuracy; and not wholly ignorant of critical Niceties.

At Intervals, to recreate his Mind, and strengthen his Conftitution, it was his Father's Custom to fend him into the Fields, and employ him in Agriculture, and fuch Kind of rural Occupations, which he continued through all his Life to love and prac tife; and by this Viciffitude of Study and Exercise, preserved himself, in a great Measure, from those Distempers and Depreffions, which are frequently the Consequences of indifcreet Diligence, and uninterrupted Application; and from which Students, not well acquainted with the Conftitution of the human Body, fometimes fly for Relief to Wine, instead of Exercise, and purchase temporary Eafe, at the Hazard of chronical Distempers.

The Studies of young Boerhaave were about this Time interrupted by an Accident, which deserves a particular Mention, as it first inclined him to that Science, to which he was by Nature so well adapted, and which he afterwards carried to so great Perfection.

In the twelfth Year of his Age a stubborn painful, and malignant Ulcer hroke out upon his left Thigh, which, for near five Years, defeated all the Art of the Surgeons and Physicians, and not only afflicted him with the most excruciating Pains, but VOL. II.

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exposed him to such sharp and tormenting Applications, that the Disease and Remedies were equally infufferable. Then it was that his own Anguish taught him to compassionate that of others; and his Experience of the Inefficacy of the Methods then in Ufe, incited him to attempt the Discovery of others more certain.

He began to practise at least honestly, for he began upon himself, and his first Eslay was a Prelude to his future Success; for having laid aside all the Prescriptions of his Physicians, and all the Applications of his Surgeons, he at last, by fomenting the Part with Salt and Urine, effected a Cure.

That he might on this Occasion obtain the Afsistance of Surgeons with less Inconvenience and Expence, he was brought by his Father, at Fourteen, to Leyden, and placed in the fourth Class of the public School, after having been examined by the Master: Here his Application and Abilitics were equally confpicuous. In fix Months, by gaining the first Prize in the fourth Class, he was raised to the Fifth; and in fix Months more, upon the fame Proof of the Superiority of his Genius, rewarded with another Prize, and tranflated to the Sixth; from whence it is usual, in fix Months more, to be removed to the University.

Thus did our young Student advance in Learn ing and Reputation, when, as he was within View of the University, a fudden and unexpected Blow threatened to defeat all his Expectations.

On the 12th of November, 1682, bis Father died, and left behind him a very flender Provifion for his Widow and nine Children, of which the Eldest was not feventeen Years old.

This was a most afflicting Loss to the young Scholar, whose Fortune was by no means fufficient to bear the Expences of a learned Education, and who therefore now seemed to be summoned by Neceflity

1

cessity to some Way of Life more immediately and certainly lucrative; but with a Resolution equal to his Abilities, and a Spirit not to be depreffed or shaken, he determined to break through the Obstacles of Poverty, and supply by Diligence the Want of Fortune.

He therefore afked and obtained the Consent of his Guardian, to profecute his Studies as long as his Patrimony would support him; and, continuing his wonted Industry, gained another Prize.

He was now to quit the School for the Univerfity; but, on Account of the Weakness yet remaining in his Thigh, was, at his own Intreaty, continued fix Months longer, under the Care of his Mafter the learned Wynschoton, where he once more was honoured with the Prize.

At his Removal to the University, the same Genius and Industry met with the same Encouragement and Applause. The learned Triglandius, one of his Father's Friends, made foon after Professor of Divinity of Leyden, distinguished him in a particular Manner, and recommended him to the Friendship of Mr. Van Apphen, in whom he found a generous and conftant Patron.

He became now a diligent Hearer of the most celebrated Professors, and made great Advances in all the Sciences, still regulating his Studies with a View principally to Divinity, for which he was originally intended by his Father; and for that Reason he exerted his utmost Application to attain an exact Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue.

Being convinced of the Necessity of mathematical Learning, he began to study those Sciences in 1687, but without that intenfe Industry with which the Pleasure he found in that Kind of Knowledge induced him afterwards to cultivate them.

In 1690, having performed the Exercises of the

University with uncommon Reputation, he took his Degree

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