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which he flood, which placed him as a benefactor to mankind, far above kings, or the favourites of kings, Hunter took fire at the treatment. He addreffed the fecretary in manly, bold, but respectful language: he told his lordship, he was not afking a favour, but conferring one; that he would now give him no further trouble, as he was refolved to rely rather on his own private refources, than the generosity of the public. It was a language, which none but fools and cowards ever take offence at, which minds, truly great, are confcious is the proper mode, by which man ought to be addressed by man.

A happy and a peculiar art of communicating inftruction was the diftinct characteristic merit of this

gentleman: clear, concife, and patient, he amused the volatile, while he fixed their attention: the dull of of comprehenfion and the timid, he led by the hand, with the anxiety and temper of a parent: the ardent, the curious, and the diligent, he interested, gratified, and rewarded. Few men, I believe, fent pupils out into the world with more obligations to their profeffor. "Be diligent, "deserve well, and you must fuc"ceed," was his animating advice to young men, on their launching into life.

"Cold is that hand, which nature's paths "display'd;

"Dead are those lips, on which inftruction

"The tir'd attention he would oft re“lieve,

"While ftriking anecdotes the doctrine "fix'd.

66 hung;

"Fix'd are thofe eyes, enlivening all he
"faid;

"For ever mute is that perfuafive tongue!
"When a dry fubject claim'd the win-
"ter's eve,
"With useful knowledge he the pleafing
« mix'd;

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I have fomewhere feen fome lines on his death, in which this didactic

"that liberality of difpofition, "which makes the poffeffors of col"lections eager to communicate

qualification is adverted to: thefe « their ftores, and to diffuse both the

I believe are fome of them :

"tafte for fcience, as well as the 66 means for gratifying it. Content"ed with their own enjoyments, or "the limited applause of a narrow "circle, they defire no more. Το "collect is often to hide. A con"trary conduct does not always en"fure applaufe; and thofe, whom "the cynic cannot cenfure as avaricious, he will fometimes despise as "vain.

66

ACCOUNT

writer, fpeaking of Dr Hunter, It has been juftly obferved by a

"that we do not often meet with

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ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DR DRYSDALE :

FROM DRYSDALE'S SERMONS, PUBLISHED BY PROFESSOR DALZEL.

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DR JOHN DRYSDALE was born at Kirkaldy, in the county of Fife, on the 29th of April 1718; being the third fon of the Rev. Mr John Dryfdale, minister of Kirkaldy, and of Anne Fergufon, daughter of William Ferguson, Efq. Provoft or chief Magiftrate of the fame town. He received the elements of claffical learning at the parish school, under David Miller, a man who had alfo the honour of inftructing the celebrated Adam Smith, and James Of wald of Dunikeir, perfons who have reflected fo much luftre on their country, the one as a philofopher and man of letters, and the other as an eminent statesman. Under the fame maiter, were alo educated Dr John Ofwald, Bishop of Raphoe, in Ireland, and Dr George Kay, one of the minifters of Edinburgh, men likewife of confiderable talents and accomplishments. So that Miller had reafon to boaft that few individual mafters of the most opulent and celebrated fchools, had fent from their tuition a greater number of eminent men,than had been fent by him from the obfcure fchool of Kirkaldy.

While at fchool, John Dryfdále greatly diftinguifhed himfelf as a claffical fcholar; and there he contracted that strict friendship with the molt eminent of his fchool-fellows, particularly Mr Ofwald and Mr Smith, which continued unimpaired through life. When he was thought to be fufficiently prepared for the University, to which young men go at a much earlier period in this country than in England, he was fent to college at Edinburgh, in the year 1732. He there profecuted his ftudies with great fuccefs, and foon attracted the notice of the profeffors, by the rapid progrefs he made in the acquifition of knowledge. After paf

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fing through the ordinary courfes of. languages and philofophy, he engaged in the ftudy of divinity, the ultimate object of his repairing to the univerfity; and having profecuted this the ufual time, he was admitted to trials, according to the forms of the Church of Scotland, before the prefbytery of Kirkaldy; and by them licenfed to preach the gofpel, in the year 1740.

Having, for feveral years, been employed as affiftant minuter in the college church at Edinburgh,

He, in the year 1748, obtained a crown prefentation to the church of Kirklifton in West Lothian, by the intereft of the late John Earl of Hopetoun, to whom he had been recommended by William Adam, Efq. of Maryburgh, architect; whose third daughter he afterwards married.

In entering upon this charge, he met with fore flight oppofition, owing to an opinion induftrioufly propagated, that the ftile and method of his preaching were not fufficiently popular, and that his difcourfes con tained too great a proportion of the doctrines of morality. But this ob jection was foon obviated, after the people of the parish became better acquainted with him; among whom he had not remained long, till he became the object of a very general regard and efteem, not only by the kindness of his difpofition and his unwearied beneficence, but from the interefting and animated manner in which he inculcated the great truths of religion and morality in his fermons. Even the lowest of the people refpected and revered his character; fuch was the fuccefs with which his inftructions were attended, that it was observed of the morals of the inhabitants of the village in particular, which had been formerly noted

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noted for irregularity and vice, that they underwent a furprifing change for the better, during the time of Mr Dryfdale's miniftry ;-a ftrong proof of the great utility of well qualified teachers of pure and undefiled religion in any state!

Thus he lived for fifteen years, discharging, with fidelity, the functions of a country clergyman, enjoying the domeftic fociety of his own family, and the converfation of many literary and clerical friends, who occafionally vifited him.

every refolution of thất fort.

The fame native diffidence and modefty were likewife the cause of his declining to appear as a speaker, in the judicatories of the church. While he remained in the country, he feemed rather to avoid taking much concern in the management of church affairs; but on his coming to Edinburgh, he found himself so much connected with Dr Robertson, to whom he was always greatly attached as a friend, and to whom he confidered himself as under great obligations, particularly for the earnest and effectual manner in which he had efpoufed his intereft, in his translation to town, that he refolved to give that eminent leader every affiftance with the town-council of Edinburgh, in his power, in fupport of what was that Mr Dryfdale might be admitted called the moderate party in the one of the ministers of that city. church.

At length, in the year 1763, his fincere and stedfast friend Mr Ofwald, found an opportunity of ferving him, by prevailing with the late Earl of Bute, to ufe his influence

Being appointed minifter of Lady Yefter's, the fermons which he preached in that church, attracted always a great concourfe of hearers, whom he never failed to delight and inftruct, by an eloquence of the most nervous and interesting kind. Both his train of thought, and his manier of expreffion, were evidently fuch as ftrongly indicated a vigorous underftanding, an original genius, and profound knowledge of the human heart.

Without any folicitation on his part and even without his knowledge, the Marifchal College of Aberdeen conferred on him the degree of Doctor in Divinity, by Diploma bearing date the 15th of April 1765: and the following year, the death of the Reverend Dr John Jardine having produced a vacancy in the Tron Church, which is collegiate, Dr Dryfdale was tranflated thi ther, from Lady Yefter's, which is a fingle charge. He there had the good fortune to have for his colleague the Reverend Dr George Wilhart, principal clerk to the church, for whom he had long entertained the higheit efteem and refpect. Dr Wilhart, in his turn, having a molt fincere affection for him, they found the greatest comfort in being now fo nearly connected. Never did two colleagues live together in more cordial and uninterrupted habits of friendship; their conftant ftudy being to oblige each other, by a perpetual feries of good offices.

By the death of Dr Jardine likewife, Dr Dryfdale now obtained a procraftinate, and at last to relinquish, share in the few clerical offices, which

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His reputation as a preacher afterwards rofe fo high, that on occafion of an excurfion which he made to London, to vifit his friends and relations there, the late Mr Strahan earneftly requested, that he would furnish him with a volume of fermons for publication. His friends preffed him much to embrace this propofal; and he feemed at length difpofed to comply with their withes. For, on his return to Scotland, he began to revife his fermons, with a view to make a selection for publication; but he had not proceeded far, till his diffidence induced him to

the Crown has to beftow on the cler-
gy of Scotland. By royal warrant he
was appointed one of his Majefly's
chaplains, with one third of the emo-
luments of the deanery of the chapel
royal. The late Marquis of Rocking
ham was then prime minifler; and
he was
determined in his choice
of Dr Dryfdale, folely by the recom-
mendation of Dr Robertfon.

is not to be wondered, that in a few years he should have had a very great influence in the church; and that the party with which he was connected thould have derived effential advantage from his fteady activity, prudence, and popularity.

In the year 1773, Dr Dryfdale's numerous friends thought it due time to raife him to the dignity of Moderator of the General Aflembly; the greatest mark of refpect which an ecclefiaftical commonwealth can beflow on any of its members; and being accordingly chofen without oppofition, he difcharged the duties of the office with great fatisfaction to the venerable court, and credit to himself.

In 1784, Dr Dryfdale was, by a very great majority of votes, feated a fecond time in the moderator's chair.

As this office much improved Dr Dryfdale's pecuniary circumftances, it furnished him with the means of indulging his inclination for domeftic hofpitality, to a much greater extent than he had hitherto done. His Loufe was open at all times to his numerous friends and acquaintance; and it was their frequent place of refort. There, in particular, many of the younger clergy, and other young men, enjoyed the advantage of his agreeable converfation, and never were happier than when in his company. There was fomething fo cheerful, fo unaffuming, fo benign, and, at the fame time, fo upright and decided in his manner, that he gained the esteem and good will of all who had any connection with him, without ever exciting the leaft degree of envy. Even fuch as were of different fentiments in church affairs efteemed the man; and with feveral of these he maintained a very friendly intercourse. As his turn of think ing on all fubjects was clear, acute, and judicious, he was very expert in the method of conducting affairs. He had a peculiar facility and elegance of expreffion in the numerous letters he had occafion to write, in a most extenfive correfpondence which he carried on throughout the church. Whoever applied to him for a favour, even from the remoteft parts of the kingdom, never found the application treated with neglect; but, on the contrary, was foon convinced, that Dr Dryfdale had made every practicable exertion in his behalf. With fuch talents and fuch difpofitions, it

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At the meeting of the Affembly in May 1788,he appeared in his place, and acted as principal clerk the first day; but finding his frength unequal to the remaining parts of the duty, on the fecond day he requested permiffion of the court to be affifted by his friend and relation, who now pays this willing tribute to his memory; and his requeft was unanimoufly granted.

But he did not long furvive the affembly of that year. Early in the month of June, his cough attacked him with extraordinary violence, and foon weakened him fo much, that he could no longer rife from his bed. He fill however retained his wonted endearing manner to his family, only lefs animated, but affecting in the utmoft degree. Thus he continued to grow weaker and weaker, until his conftitution at last feeted to be quite worn out; and in him the Church of Scotland loft one of her greateft ornaments, on the 16th of June 1788.

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Such was the conclufion of the well-fpent life of this excellent per

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of

fon; whofe integrity was inflexible, cel in manly fimplicity and energy whofe amiable converfation and man- ftyle :-but their greatest praise is, ners were expreffive of the extreme that they abound with good fenfe, worth and benevolence of his heart, and breathe a warm spirit of piety whofe refpectable character adorned and virtue. Many general topics of his facred profeffion, and who was practical religion are difcuffed, with the delight of his friends, and of his a variety of matter which difcovers family. Though gentle, unfufpicious, a mind inured to reflection and oband candid, in an extraordinary de- fervation, and frequently with a degree, yet, as his foul was infpired gree of animation which leaves the with that noble elevation which reader impreffed at the fame time arifes from confcious virtue, and free- that he is inftructed. Preferving a dom from all deceit, his indigna- happy medium between infipid tritetion was excited, whenever he de- nefs, and fcholaftic refinement, they tected in others any duplicity in con- will afford young preachers a good duct, or any deviation from the road pattern for popular addrefs. Though, of honour. As, in his public appear- in doctrinal points, the fyftem of the ances, the energy and animation with Church of Scotland is followed, even which he delivered and enforced his controverted fubjects are treated inftructions, carried a conviction that practically. The method is every they flowed directly from the heart where clear, the arrangement is acfo it was univerfally allowed by all curate, and a unity of defign is comthose who were acquainted with his monly preferved. In the words of private life, that never any man more Mr Moodie, one of the minifters of fuccefsfully illuftrated what he taught, Edinburgh, in a character of these by his own conduct and manners." fermons prefixed to the volumes, which we could without much fcruple have adopted, we add," These fermons feem admirably calculated to infpire the mind with high fentiments of piety to God, truft in Providence, independance on the world, admiration of virtue, fteady and refolute attchment to duty, and contempt of every thing that is base and difhonourable.

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From the preceding biographical sketch, the public will be prepared to give Dr Dryfdale's fermons a favourable reception; and those who eftimate the merit of fermons by their utility, will find these volumes a very valuable addition to the public ftock of inftruction. Though not ftudiously ornamented with the lighter decorations of rhetoric, they ex

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE COAST of COROMANDELTOWN OF MADRAS.

FROM HODGES' TRAVELS IN INDIA,

TH

HE whole extent of the Coast of Coromandel is an even, low, fandy country; and about Madras the land rifes fo little and fo gradually from the fea, that the fpectator is fcarcely able to mark the distinction, till he is affifted by the appearance of the different objects which prefent themselves upon the shore.

The English town, rifing from within Fort St George, has from the

fea a rich and beautiful appearance; the houfes being covered with a ftucco called Chunam, which in itself is nearly as compact as the finest marble, and, as it bears as high a polish, is equally fplendid with that elegant material. The file of the buildings is in general handfome. They confift of long colonades, with open porticoes, and flat roofs, and offer to the eye an appearance fimilar to what

we

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