There is an Eloge on M. l'Abbé Le Beuf, published in the "Histoire de l'Acad. des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Vol. XXIXth," by which it appears that gentleman had precisely the same idea with Mr. Gray on this subject; and, by pursuing it, had arrived at the same degree of skill. "Les Voyages et les Lectures de M. l'Abbé Le Beuf l'avoient tellement familiarisé avec les monumens, qu'il apercevoit les differences les plus delicates de l'ancienne architecture: il demêloit du premier coup-d'œil, les caracteres de chaque siecle; à l'inspection d'un bâtiment il pouvoit dire, quelquefois à vingt années prés, dans quel temps il avoit été construit: les ceintres, les chapiteaux, les moulures portoient à ses yeux la date de leur bâtisse: beaucoup de grands edifices ont été l'ouvrage de plusieurs siecles; plus encore ont été reparés en des siecles differens; il décomposoit un meme bâtiment avec une facilitè singulière, il fixoit l'age des diverses parties, et ses decisions etoient toujours fondées sur des preuves indubitables; on en trouve une foule d'exemples dans son Histoire du Diocese de Paris." His panegyrist also informs us, that he was solicited by his friend, M. Joly de Fleury, to reduce into a body of science the discoveries which he had made, that his ill health prevented him; but that the work is now in the hands of a person very capable of perfecting his idea. Yet I question whether a work of this kind, from a French writer, will be of any great importance, since I am informed by a very competent judge, that the resemblance between Gothic architecture in England and in France is surprisingly slight, except in the cathedral at

Amiens, and a few other churches, supposed to be built by the English while in possession of French provinces. The public has much more to hope from Mr. T. Warton's late promise to it, as he, of all other living writers, is best qualified to give complete satisfaction to the curious on this subject; in the meanwhile, it may not be amiss to inform the reader, that Mr. Bentham's Remarks on Saxon Churches, which make a part of an elaborate Introduction to his History of Ely Cathedral, lately published, will convey to chim many sentiments of Mr. Gray; as, amongst other antiquaries, he contributed his assistance to that gentleman; who, in his preface, has accordingly mentioned the obligation.a rekre

-But the favourite study of Mr. Gray, for the last ten years of this life, was natural history, which he then rather resumed than began; as, by the instructions of his uncle Antrobus, he was a considerable botanist at fifteen. He followed it closely, and often said that he thought it a singular felicity to have engaged in it; as, besides the constant amusement it gave him in his chamber, it led him more frequently out into the fields; and, by making his life ddess sedentary, improved the general course of his health and spirits.

Habituated, as he had long been, to apply only to first-rate cauthors, as to the fountain-head of that knowledge, which he was at the time solicitous to acquire, it is obvious that, when he resolved to make himself master of natural history, he would immediately become the disciple of the great Linnæus. His first business was to understand accurately his "termini artis," which he

called justly the learning a new original language. He then went regularly through the vegetable, animal, and fossile kingdoms. The marginal notes which he has left, not only on Linnæus, but the many other authors which he read on these subjects, are very numerous: but the most considerable are on Hudson's Flora Anglica, and the tenth edition of the Systema Nature; which latter he interleaved, and filled almost entirely. While employed on zoology, he also read Aristotle's treas tise on that subject with great care, and explained many difficult passages of that obscure ancient, from the lights he had acquired from modern naturalists.

Having now given a general account of that variety of literary pursuits, which, in their turns, principally engaged his attention, and which were either not mentioned, or only glanced at in the preceding letters, let me be permitted to say a word or two of his amusements. The chief, and almost the only one of these, (if we except the frequent experiments he made on flowers, in or der to mark the mode and progress of their vege tation) was music. His taste in this art was equal to his skill in any more important science. It was founded on the best models, those great masters in Italy, who flourished about the same time with his favourite Pergolesi. Of his and of Leo's, Bononcini's, Vinci's, and Hasse's works, he made a valuable collection while abroad, chiefly of such of their vocal compositions as he had himself heard and admired; observing in his choice of these, the same judicious rule which he followed in making his collection of prints; which was not

so much to get together complete sets of the works of any master, as to select those (the best in their kind) which would recal to his memory the capital pictures, statues, and buildings which he had seen and studied. By this means, as he acquired in painting great facility and accuracy in the knowledge of hands, so in music he gained supreme skill in the more refined powers of expression; especially when we consider that art as an adjunct to poetry: for vocal music, and that only, (excepting perhaps the lessons of the younger Scarlatti) was what he chiefly regarded. His instrument was the harpsicord; on which, though he had little execution, yet, when he sung to it, he so modulated the small powers of his voice,* as to be able to convey to the intelligent hearer no common degree of satisfaction. This, however, he could seldom be prevailed upon to do, even by his most intimate acquaintance.

To conclude this slight sketch of his literary character, I believe I may with great truth assert, that excepting pure mathematics, and the studies dependent on that science, there was hardly any part of human learning, in which he had not acquired a competent skill: in most of them a consummate mastery.

I proceed now, as I did in the former sections, to select, for the reader's perusal, the last series of his letters. They are few in number; yet contain all the incidents that occurred in that very short

* He was much admired for his singing in his youth; yet he was so shy in exercising this talent, that Mr. Walpole tells me he never could but once prevail on him to give a proof of it; and then it was with so much pain to himself, that it gave him no manner of pleasure.

space of time, during which Providence was pleased further to continue him a blessing to his friends, and an ornament to his country.

LETTER I.

MR. GRAY TO MR. NICHOLLS.

I was absent from college, and did not receive your melancholy letter, till my return hither yesterday; so you must not attribute this delay to me, but to accident: to sympathize with you in such a loss* is an easy task for me, but to comfort you not so easy; can I wish to see you unaffected with the sad scene now before your eyes, or with the loss of a person that, through a great part of your life, has proved himself so kind a friend to you? He who best knows our nature (for he made us what we are) by such affliction recals us from our wandering thoughts and idle merriment; from the insolence of youth and prosperity, to serious reflection, to our duty, and to himself; nor need we hasten to get rid of these impressions; time (by appointment of the same Power) will cure the smart, and in some hearts soon blot out all the traces of sorrow: but such as preserve them longest (for it is partly left in our own power) do perhaps best acquiesce in the will of the chastiser.

For the consequences of this sudden loss, I see them well, and I think, in a like situation, could

* The death of his uncle, Governor Floyer.

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