and invention difplayed in Peregrine Pickle, we cannot help thinking it is inferior, in what may be called naivete, a thing better conceived than expreffed, to Roderick Random.

These were not the only original compofitions of this fiamp, with which the Doctor has favoured the Public. Ferdinand Count Fathom and Sir Lancelot Greaves are still in the lift of what may be called reading Novels, and have gone through feveral editions; but there is no injuftice in placing them in a rank far below the former. No doubt invention, character, compofition, and contrivance, are to be found in both; but then fituations are defcribed which are hardly poffible, and characters are painted, which, if not altogether unexampled, are at least incompatible with modern manners; and which ought not to be, as the scenes are laid in modern times.

The last Work which we believe the Doctor published, was of much the fame fpecies, but caft into a different form The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker. It confifts of a series of letters, written by different perfons to their respective correfpondents. He has carefully avoided the faults which may be justly charged to his two former productions. Here are no extravagant characters nor unnatural fi tuations. On the contrary, an admirable knowledge of life and manners is difplayed; and most useful leffons are given applicable to interefting, but to very common fituations.

We know not that ever the remark has been made, but there is certainly a very obvious fimilitude between the characters of the three heroes of the Doctor's chief productions. Roderick Kandom, Peregrine Pickle, and Matthew Bramble, are all brothers of the fame family. The fame fatirical, cynical difpofition, the fame generofity and benevolence, are the diftinguishing and characteristical features of all three. But they are far from beIng fervile copies or imitations of each other. They differ as much as the Ajax, Diomed, and Achilles of Homer. This was undoubtedly a great effort of genius; and the Doctor feems to have defcribed his own character at the different tages and fituations of his life.

He was bred to Phyfic, and in the early part of his life ferved as Surgeon's Mate in the Navy. It appears from Roderick Random, that he was at the fiege of Carthagena; of which expedition he gives a faithful, though no very pleafing account. Soon after his return he must have taken his degree of Doctor of Phyfic, though

we have not been able to learn at what time or at what place. It is faid, that, before he took a house at Chelsea, he attempted to fettle as practitioner of phyfic at Bath; and, with that view, wrote a Treatife on the Waters-but was unfuccessful; chiefly because he could not render himself agreeable to the Women, whofe favour is certainly of great confequence to all candidates for eminence, whether in Medicine or Divinity. This, however, was a little extraordinary; for thofe who remember Dr. Smollet at that time, cannot but acknowledge that he was as graceful and handfome a man as any of the age he lived in; befides, there was a certain dignity in his air and manner which could not but infpire refpect wherever he appeared. Perhaps he was too foon difcouraged; in all probability, had he perfevered, a man of his great learning, profound fagacity and intenfe application, befides being endued with every other external as well as internal accomplishment, must have at lafi fucceeded, and, had he attained to common old age, been at the head of his profeffi

on.

Abandoning Phyfic altogether as a profeffion, he fixed his refidence at Chelfea, and turned his thoughts entirely to writing. Yet, as an author, he was not near fo fuccefsful as his happy genius and acknowledged merit certainly deserved. He never acquired a patron among the Great, who by his favour or beneficence relieved him from the neceffity of writing for a fubfiftence. The truth is, Dr. Smollet poffefled a loftinefs and elevation of fentiment and character which appears to have difqualified him from currying favour among thofe who are able to confer fa vours. It would be wrong to call this difpofition of his, pride or haughtiness; for to his equals and inferiors he was ever polite, friendly, and generous. Bookfellers may therefore be said to have been his only patrons; and from them he had conftant employment in tranflating, compiling, and reviewing. He tranflated Gil Blas and Don Quixote both fo happily, that all the former tranflations of these excellent productions of genius are in a fair way of being fuperfeded by his. His name likewife appears to a translation of Voltaire's Profe Works, but little of it was done by his own hand; he only revifed it, and added a few Notes. He was concerned in a great variety of compilations. His Hiftory of England was the principal work of that kind. It has in itself real intrinfic merit; but confidering the time and circumftances in which it

was

was written, it is indeed a prodigy of genius, and a great effort of application. It had a moft extenfive fale, and the Doctor is faid to have received 2000l. for writing it and the Continuation. He was employed, during the last years of his life, in abridging the Modern Univerfal Hiftory, great part of which he had originally written himself, particularly the Hiftories of France, Italy, and Germany. He lived nearly to complete this Work, and it is faid it will foon be published.

In the year 1755 he fet on foot the Critical Review, and continued the principal manager of it, till he went abroad for the first time in the year 1763. To fpeak impartially, he was, perhaps, too acrimonious fometimes in the conduct of that Work, and at the fame time too fore, and difplayed too much fenfibility when any of the unfortunate authors whose Works he had, it may be, juftly cenfured, attempted to retaliate. He had made fome very fevere ftrictures on a pamphlet published by Admiral Knowles, as well as on the character of that gentleman, who commenced a profecution against the Printer, declaring he only wanted to know the Author, that if a gentleman, he might obtain the fatisfaction of a gentleman from him. In this affair the Doctor behaved with great fpirit. Juft as fentence was going to be pronounced against the Printer, he came into Court, avowed himself the Author, and declared himself ready to give the Admiral any satisfaction he chofe. The Admiral forgot his declaration, and began a fresh action against the Doctor, who was found guilty, fined rool. and condemned to three months imprisonment in the King's-Bench. It is there he is faid to have written The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Greaves; in which he has described some remarkable characters, then his fellow-prifoners.

When Lord Bute was called to the chief administration of affairs, he was prevailed upon by him to write in defence of his measures; which he did in a Weekly Paper, called The Briton. This gave rife to the famous North Briton; wherein, according to the opinion of the Public, he was rather baffled. The truth is, the Doctor did not feem to poffefs the talents neceffary for political altercation. He wanted temper and coolnefs. Befides, his patron is fuppofed to have denied him the neceffary information, and to have neglected fulfilling his engagements with him. The Door has not forgotten him in his fubfequent performances. He is defcribed under the

character of Yak Strot, in The Adventures of an Atom.

His conftitution being at laft greatly impaired by a fedentary life, and affiduous application to study, he went abroad for his health in the year 1763. He wrote an account of his travels in a Series of Letters to fome friends, which were afterwards publifhed in Two Volumes Octavo. During all that time he appears to have laboured under a conflant fit of chagrin. But the ftate of his mind will be beft learnt from himself. Thus he writes in his firft Letter: "In gratifying your curiofity I fhall find fome amufement to beguile the tedious hours; which, without fome fuch employment, would be rendered infupportable by diftemper and difquiet. You knew and pitied my fituation, traduced by malice, persecuted by faction, abandoned by falle patrons, and overwhelmed by the fenfe of a domeftic calamity, which it was not in the power of fortune to repair." By this domeftic calamity he means the lofs of his only child, a daughter, whom he loved with the tenderet affection. The Doctor lived to return to his native couatry: but his health continuing to decline, and meeting with fresh mortifications and difappointments, he went back to Italy, where he died on October 21, 1771, having been born in the year 1720.

It would be needlefs to expatiate on the character of a man fo well known as Dr. Smollet, who has befides given fo many strictures of his own character and manner of living in his writings, particularly in Humphrey Clinker; where he appears under the appellation of Mr. Serle, and has an interview with Mr. Bramble; and his manner of living is described in another letter, where Young Melford is fuppofed to dine with him at his house in Chelsea. No doubt he made a great deal of money by his connexions with Bookfellers; and had he been a rigid economist, or endued with the gift of retenfion (an expreffion of his own), he might have lived and died very independant. However, to do juftice to his memory, his difficulties, whatever they were, proceeded not from extravagance or want of economy. He was hofpitable, but not oftentatioufly fo; and his table was plentiful, but not extravagant. No doubt he had his failings; but ftill it would be difficult to name a man who was fo refpectable for the qualities of his head, or amiable for the virtues of his heart.

The

R

George Holroyd Christopher Hall Thomas Bonnell George Hall

OBERT PERREAU, Efquire, was indicted for falfely making, forging, and counterfeiting a Bond in the penal fum of fifteen thousand pounds, condition for the payment of feven thoufand five hundred pounds, in the name of William Adair, Efquire, with intention to defraud the said William Adair, against the statute.

Second Count. For feloniously forging and counterfeiting the faid Bond, with intention to defraud Robert Drummond, Efquire, and Henry Drummond, Efquire, against the statute.

Third Count. For felonioufly uttering and publifhing the fame Bond as true, well knowing it to be forged, with intention to defraud the faid William Adair, against the statute.

Fourth Count. For feloniously uttering and publishing the fame as a true Bond, well knowing it to be forged, with intention to defraud the faid Robert Drummond, Esquire, and the faid Henry Drummond, Esquire.

Henry Drummond, Efq. I am a banker, in partnership with my brother, Robert Drummond, and the executors of the late John Drummond. The prifoner, Mr. Robert Perreau, came to me about the middle of last January, the 15th or 16th. He faid, he defired the favour of me to let him have the loan of fourteen hundred pounds; that he had occafion for this money, as he had lately made a purchafe in Suffolk or Norfolk, to the amount of twelve or fourteen thoufand pounds. I told him, that the title deeds of fuch an estate were a good fecurity, and if he would leave them, that he might have the money. Mr. Perreau faid, that could not be, because the purchase-money was to be paid in the country. Then he faid, he had got a bond of a gentleman whofe name he was not at liberty at that time to mention, but, that if I knew the perfon, he was fure I could make no objection to it. I faid,

every thing depends upon the name, for fome mens bonds are as good as other mens mortgages. Then he faid, he had a houfe in Harley-ftreet, Cavendishsquare, which cost four thousand pounds; and he would leave with me the deeds of that house and the infurance of it, as a fecurity for this fourteen hundred pounds. Accordingly he came the next day, and did leave the deeds of the house as a fecurity; and he received the money upon a note promifing to affign the deeds, and to do every thing that was neceffary: but as he only wanted it for ten days, I only took a note for it, without any further promife; this was about the 15th or 16th of January. I did not fee him again till Tuesday the 7th of March. I was acquainted with him before, as an. apothecary, having known and feen him in two or three families, particularly Lord Egmont's, and Lard When he came upon the 7th of March, he made an apology for not having kept his word, as to the fourteen hundred pounds, which he borrowed but for about ten days, and he came then to borrow five thousand pounds. He then told me, that he had got leave of the gentleman, whofe bond he formerly mentioned, to give me his name. I asked my brother Robert to come in to confult about the propriety of lending fuch a fum as that; the prifoner then produced this bond; as foon as we faw it, we both expreffed a difbelief of its being Mr. Adair's bond; and asked the prifoner if it was Mr. William Adair's, the late agent, that lived in Pall-mall? He faid, yes, it was, and that there could be no doubt about it; for that Arthur Jones, who was the folicitor of Mr. Adair, was a witnefs, and Start was his fervant. ftill expreffed my doubts about the authenticity of the bond: upon which the prifoner faid, Mr. Adair was his particular friend, that there were family connections between them; that Mr. Adair had money of his in his hands, and that he allowed him intereft for it. I underflood likewife from him, but I cannot be certain of that particular fact, that the prifoner at that time faid, that this bond was given by Mr. Adair to him as the balance of the account fubfifting between Mr. Adair and him. Notwithstanding that, we told him that we did not believe it to be the hand-writing of Mr. William Adair, because we had dealings with him a good while ago, and feen his draughts; and we defired him to call the next day.

I

He accordingly took the bond with him and went away; but in about two hours,

he

he returned; my brother was then gone out, and I faw him alone. He told me, what my brother and I had thrown out refpecting the fignature to the bond, had alarmed him very much, and that he could not be easy in his own mind till he called upon Mr. Adair, whom he luckily met before he went to take his ride; that he produced the bond to Mr. Adair; and Mr. Adair faid, it was his fignature, and that he might poffibly have altered his hand, from the time we had formerly feen him write; but that we might let him have the five thoufand pounds, and that Mr. Adair faid, he would pay the bond in May; though in fact, it was not payable till July. Not withstanding all this, I ftill had my doubts; I did not exprefs them fo ftrong, but told the prifoner, that he fhould leave the bond with me, in order to get an affignment of it, which he did, as I was delirous to get poffeffion of the bond, in order to find out whether it was really a good bond or no. The prifoner very readily left the bond with me without any memorandum given by me; and I bid him call the next morning at eleven o'clock. I gave the bond to my clerk, I am certain this (looking upon the bond in queftion) is the bond I received of the prifoner.

brother followed us: we found Mr. Adair at home; upon our entrance Mr. Adair took me by the hand, but he made a bow to Mr. Perreau, as a perfon he had never seen before; I told Mr. Adair, I came to him upon a difagreeable fubject, I produced the bond, and asked him whether that was his fignature at the bottom of it. He looked at it, and faid, no; upon which Mr. Robert Perreau feemed fuprized very much, and said to Mr. Adair, Surely, Sir, you are jocular. I replied it was furely no time for a man to be jocular, when another man's life was at stake, which I then confidered to be the cafe; I asked him, what could all this mean; the perfon he pretended to be intimate with, did not seem so much as to know him? About that time my brother came in, a great deal of conver fation paffed backwards and forwards, at laft Mr. Perreau faid, he had the bond from his fifter, Mrs. Daniel Perreau, who he defired might be fent for, to which we all agreed, and fhe was sent for ; when the came, the was shewn the bond, and Mr. Perreau afked her, I believe, whether the did not give it him, the admitted fhe did, and in fhort took the whole upon herfelf, and acknowledged herself to be the forger of the bond and every thing. I afked him how it was poffible for him to fay he had received a letter from Mr. Adair, as he pretended, in that familiar file, from a man he did not fo much as know; and I defired to fee the letter, which he produced; which letter I thought it very material, as well as the bond, to keep in my poffeffion. We could get nothing from him but that he was an innocent man, and he did not mean to impofe upon us, and that his fitter could explain all. She did take it upon herself, expreffed much regard for Robert Perreau, and begged that an innocent man who had a family might not fuffer; that he had a very good character, and was of a very refpectable family, and that the was the caufe of the whole. She desired at first to speak with Mr. Adair in a separate room; but that Mr. Adair declined, and faid, the could have nothing to fay to him that would not be proper to fay before my brother, and me. That is all that paffed. We were three or four hours together; we fent for Daniel Perreau to fee if he could throw any light upon it; he declared he was quite a stranger to the whole affair. This was upon a Wednesday, we parted, and I faw no more of Robert Perreau till the Saturday following, when I was fent for to Sir John Field

My brother fhewed the bond to Mr. Stephens, of the Admiralty, a friend of Mr. Adair's. Mr. Perreau was to come again the next day at eleven o'clock; my mother and Mr. Stephens went that morning to Mr. Adair's. Mr. Perreau came to our house that morning about eleven o'clock, and my brother and I both expreffed our doubts about its being the fignature of Mr. Adair; but from what my brother told me, of his interview with Mr. Adair, I could have no doubt. Mr. Perreau perfifted in faying there could be no doubt about it; for that he had a letter from Mr. Adair, that Mr. Adair always wrote to him in a familiar style, and only figned the initial letters of his name. I understood that he received that letter the night before. He only fhewed me the initial letters, to prove the intimacy; we faid nothing would convince us of this being Mr. Adair's hand, but Mr. Perreau's going with us to Mr. Adair's, which he molt readily affented to. Mr. Perreau and I went together in his coach. I had my Carriage at the door, but his carriage being up firft, he faid, you had better go in mine, it is the quickelt. Mr. Perreau and I went together in the coach, to Mr. Adair's, nobody else was with us; my

June, 1775.

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ing