structures of our ancestors and their various im provements, particularly engaged his attention Hitherto there has nothing so authentic and ac curate on the subject of Gothic architecture ap peared, as the observations upon it drawn up b Mr. Gray, and inserted by Mr. Bentham in his His tory of Ely. Of heraldry, its correlative science he possessed the entire knowledge. But of th various pursuits which employed his studies fo the last ten years of his life, none were so a ceptable as those which explained the economy Nature. For botany he acquired a taste of h uncle when young: and the exercise which, fo the sake of improvement in this branch of th science, he induced himself to take, contribute not a little to the preservation of his health. Ho considerable his improvements in it were, tho gements of this kind Mr. Gray's ateither often nor long diverted. Ex ime he gave up to experiments on e purpose of investigating the process (which can scarcely be called a rehis stated employment) his only as music; nor was his acquaintance less than with others of much more His skill was acquired from the of the best composers, out of whose in Italy he had made a selection. he chiefly preferred. The harphis favourite instrument; but though arkable for a finished execution, yet ated his voice so judiciously to his give an auditor considerable pleasure. t in statuary and painting was ex As it was through t Duke of Grafton that folow the bent of his o of his studies, we shall im to write those ver Not long after the As it was through the unsolicited favour of the Duke of Grafton that Mr. Gray was enabled to follow the bent of his own inclination in the choice of his studies, we shall not be surprised to find, that on his Grace's being elected Chancellor of the University, Mr. Gray, unasked, took upon him to write those verses which are usually set to music on this occasion; and whatever the sarcastic Junius (notwithstanding his handsome compliment to the poet) might pretend, this was the offering of no venal Muse. The ode in its structure is dramatic, and it contains nothing of the complimentary kind which is not entirely suited to the characters employed. Not long after the bustle of the installation was over, Mr. Gray made an excursion to the seques See p. 48. ess of Claude. writing, in May 1771, friend, he complains of a violent I had troubled him for three months, g attacks of an h long been subjec C lar temperance cian advised him e called incurable, adding, that till this r knew what (mechanical) low spirits circumstance that without doubt conhe latter complaint, was the anxiety he ding as a sinecure an office the duties thought himself bound to perform. of his professorship being two-fold, ent allowing him to effect one of its eputy, it is understood that he liberally - that purpose the teachers in the Unilian and French. The other part he ared to execute; but though the prois instituted in 1724, none of his pred furnished a plan. Embarrassed by r difficulties, and retarded by ill health, ted a a journey to hi oped might re-est ons and hopes July, 1771, a vio le at dinner in the et on his stomach elicine. On the 2 ulsion, which th Sonal force, and t flying attacks of an hereditary gout, to which he had long been subject, and from which a life of singular temperance could not protect him. In London his indisposition having increased, the physician advised him to change his lodgings in Jermyn-street for others at Kensington. This change was of so much benefit, that he was soon enabled to return to Cambridge, whence he meditated a journey to his friend Dr. Wharton, which he hoped might re-establish his health; but his intentions and hopes were delusive. On the 24th of July, 1771, a violent sickness came on him while at dinner in the College-hall; the gout had fixed on his stomach, and resisted all the power medicine. On the 29th he was seized by a strong convulsion, which the next day returned with additional force, and the evening after he expired. of |