The autumn of that year, or the fpring afterwards, (I forget which) my father got leave of his Colonel to fix me at school-which he did near Halifax, with an able mafter, with whom I said some time, till by God's care of me, my cousin Sterne, of Elvington, became a father to me, and fent me to the university, &c. &c. To purfue the thread of our story, my father's regiment was the year after ordered to Londonderry, where another fifter was brought forth, Catharine, ftill living, but most unhappily eftranged from me by my uncle's wickedness, and her own folly. From this station the regiment was fent to defend Gibraltar, at the fiege, where my father was run through the body by Capt. Phillips, in a duel, (the quarrel begun about a goofe) with much difficulty he furvived-though with an impaired conftitution, which was not able to withstand the hardships it was put to-for he was fent to Jamaica, where he foon fell by the country fever, which took away his fenfes first, and made a child of him, and then, in a month or two, walking about continually without complaining, till the moment he fat down in an arm-chair, and breathed his last-which was at Port Antonio, on the north of the island. My father was a little smart man active to the last degree, in all exercifes-most patient of fatigue and disappointment, of which it pleafed God to give him full measure. He was in his temper fomewhat rapid and hafty-but of a kindly, fweet difpofition, void of all defign; and fo innocent in his own intentions, that he suspected no one; fo that you might have cheated him ten times in a day, if nine had not been fufficient for your purpose.My poor father died in March, 1731. I remained at Halifax till about the latter end of that year, and cannot omit mentioning this anecdote of myself and schoolmaßler. He had had the cieling of the school-room new white-washed the ladder remained there-I one unlucky day mounted it, and wrote with a brush, in large capital letters, LAU. STERNE, for which the ufher feverely whipped me. My mafter was very much hurt at this, and faid, before me, that never should that name be effaced, for I was a boy of genius, and he was fure I fhould come to preferment. -This expreffion made me forget the ftripes I had received.—In the year 1732 my cousin fent me to the university, where I ftaid fome time. 'Twas there that I commenced a friendship with Mr. H which has been most lafting on both fides. I then came to York, and my uncle got me the living of Sutton-and at York I became acquainted with your mother, and courted her for two years.She owned he liked me, but thought herfelf not rich enough, or me too poor, to be joined together.-She went to her fifter's in S——————, and I wrote to her often.I believe then fhe was partly determined to have me, but would not say so.At her return fhe fell into a confumption-and, one evening that I was fitting by her with an almost broken heart to see her so ill, the faid, "My dear Laurey, I can never be yours, for I verily believe I have not long to live-but I have left you every fhilling of my fortune."-Upon that the fhewed me her will: this generosity overpowered me. It pleased God that The fhe recovered, and I married her in the year 1741. My uncle and myfelf were then upon very good terms, for he foon got me the prebendary of York-but he quarrelled with me afterwards, because I would not write paragraphs in the newspapers.-Though he was a partyman, I was not, and detefted fuch dirty work, thinking it beneath inexpreffible joy of seeing my girl every thing I wished her. I have fet down thefe particulars relating to my family, and felf, for my Lydia, in cafe hereafter the might have a curiofity, or a kinder motive to know them. Dr. Hawkefworth. me. From that period, he became Sketch of the Character of the late my bitterest enemy.-By my wife's means I got the living of Stillington-a friend of her's in the fouth ried a clergyman in Yorkshire, when the living became vacant, he would make her a compliment of it. I remained near twenty years at Sut ton, doing duty at both places. I had then very good health.Books, painting, fiddling, and fhooting, were my amufements. As to the 'Squire of the parifh, I cannot fay we were upon a very friendly footing-but at Stillington the family of the C-s thewed us every kindness-'twas most truly agreeable to be within a mile and a half of an amiable family, who were ever cordial friends. In the year 1760 I took a houfe at York for your mother and yourfelf, and went up to London to publish my two first volumes of Shandy.-In that year Lord F-prefented me with the curacy of Coxwold-a fweet retirement in comparison of Sutton. In 1762 I went to France before the peace was concluded, and you both followed me.-I left you both in France, and in two years after I went to Italy for the recovery of my health-and when I called upon you, I tried to engage your mother to return to England with me-the and yourfelf are at length come and I have had the N Ature had endowed him with an uncommon fine underftanding, which had been improved not only by long study, but by converfe with mankind. His fertile mind teemed with ideas, which he delivered in fo clear, and yet concife a manner, that no one could be at a lofs perfectly to comprehend his meaning, or ever tired by hearing him fpeak: efpecially as his diction was fo unaffectedly pure, and his language fo fimply elegant, that the learned and unlearned attended with equal pleafure to that unftudied flow of eloquence, which, without feeming to look for them, always adapted those words which were moft fuitable to the fubject, as well as most pleafing to his hearers. It has been objected to this gentleman, that he fuffered his paffions to hold too strong a dominion over him: it must be confeffed, a too keen fenfibility feemed to him, as indeed it ever is to all who poffefs it, a pleafing but unfortunate gift. Alive to every tender fentiment of friendship, his heart dilated with joy whenever Heaven put it in his power to be beneficial to those he loved; but this feeling difpofition was the means of leading him into fuch frequent though tranfient gufts of paffion, as were too much for his E 3 delicate delicate conftitution to bear, with R. Paul Whitehead was the our feeling the effects of them. Yet, M fon of a reputable tradefman Their with all thefe quick fenfations, he in Westminster, where he was was incapable of lafting refent- born in 1710. Having received an ment, or revenge; and had he ne- education suitable to his birth and ver found an enemy till he had done circumstances, he was apprenticed an injury, he would, we may ven- to a woollen-draper in which fitu ture to pronounce, have left the ation he became acquainted with world without having known one. Mr. Lowth, as well known for his Dr. Hawkefworth was certainly deferving character as a man, as of a ferious turn of mind, and his for the confidential distinction it fert in writing was on fubjects of obtained him, in being appointed the graver kind; yet his Edgar and Emmeline, feveral little detached dian Mr. Quin. executor to the celebrated tragepieces fcattered in the Gentleman's Magazine, as well as many of his papers in the Adventurer, abound with a ftrain of wit and humour, which affords fufficient proof to any one of his fportive powers of fancy, whenever he gave it play. All who have enjoyed his fociety, when mirth circulated round the convivial board, will acknowledge the pleafure they have often felt at thofe inoffenfive fallies of imagination, which were never employed to ridicule religion, or expofe the infirmities of his fellow-creatures. To fum up the whole in a few words: He was the scholar and the gentleman joined-two characters which feldom meet in one; and, if we add to this the good man, furely it is all that humanity can arrive at. Such was Dr. Hawkefworth. While remembrance remains in the minds of those who knew and loved him, he will ever be lamented. He was born in the year 1719, and died in the year 1774 Anecdotes of the Life, with Obfervations on the Character and Writings, of the late Paul Whitehead, Eq. Mr. Lowth being apprenticed to the fame master, an intimacy naturally arcfe between two fellowfervants of congenial difpofitions, if not of equal talents. acquaintances and friendships of courfe became in a great degree reciprocal; fo that it was probably owing to Mr. Lowth's intimacy with Quin, that Mr. Whitehead first became acquainted with Fleetwood, the manager of Drury-Lane theatre, an acquaintance which proved fatal to Mr. Whitehead's affairs in the early part of his life. Mr. Fleetwood, it seems, whose diffipated character and neceffitous circumftances were as well known, as the defperate means he frequently employed to extricate himself from them, had influence enough over his friend Paul to induce him to enter into a joint fecurity with him for the payment of three thoufand pounds. Not, fays Fleetwood, "that the obligation will be bind, ing on you at all, but another name is wanting as a matter of "courfe." How Mr. Whitehead, who, in the latter part of his life, wanted not for prudence or caution, came came to be fo egregiously over. * Mr. Whitehead's father was by profeffion a taylor, and lived in the parish of St. Martin's. reached reached in this matter-of-course, is hard to account, unless we may fuppofe his latter fhrewdness the artificial effect of dear-bought experience, as fufpicion is the natural confequence of difappointed credulity. On the other hand, it is but doing justice to Mr. Fleetwood to obferve, that, though he must be allowed to have greatly deviated from the truth on this occafion, he might flatter himfelf with hopes, and even have fome kind of affurance, that things would take fuch a turn in his favour, as in the cnd not to prove fo injurious to his too credulous and good-natured friend. Fleetwood, indeed, to a real carelefinefs and extreme inattention to his affairs, added an affected opennefs and unconcern, that, joined to his natural, eafy, and infinuating behaviour, would impofe the moft, defigning mask of duplicity for the genuine countenance of fimplicity and fecurity. It were otherwife difficult to account for a man of Mr. Whitehead's understanding and knowledge of the world, (for he was then no boy) becoming fo great a dupe. Be this, however, as it may, Fleetwood's failure to dif charge the obligation fubjected Mr. Whitehead to the penalty of the bond; and he was accordingly reduced to the neceffity of refiding in the rules of the Fleet for a confiderable time. This circumftance happened about the year 1742, fome years before which he had distinguished himself in the career of political party by converfation and action, and in the world of letters by his writings. It was principally to Mr. Whitewas indebted for head the town that hearty laugh it enjoyed many years ago from the mock pro ceffion, whofe juft and timely ridicule put the anniversary parade of the free-mafons fo much out of countenance, that it has been ever fince difcontinued *. In the famous contefted election between Trentham and Vandeput for Westminster, Mr. Whitehead, exerted all his activity, frequently heading numerous bodies of the electors in perfon, and supplying the prefs with daily advertisements and electioneering fquibs in favour of Sir George Vandeputt. As to his political principles in general, if we may judge of them by his writings, he appears to have been animated with that laudable zeal for liberty, which ufually dif plays its greatest warmth in the breaft of men of genius. apoftrophe to the Patriot on this fubject is animated and beautiful: His In this he was affifted by the well-known Mr. Squire Carey. Alexander Murray, Efq, which owed its origin to the fame election. E 4 parties parties in particular, he either acted or wrote from any other principle than perfonal views or attachments, motives that have actuated political partizans from the days of SalJuft to the prefent. Bonum publicum fic certabat. Mr. Whitehead, indeed, was generally supposed to be what they call a rank Tory, with a ftrong tincture of the Jacobite, for which fuppofition he gave no little reafon. Among other fre quent fpeers at the royal houfe of Hanover, he has the following, in a note to a paffage in one of his poems, celebrating the rowingmatch for the prize given by Dog get to be annually contested for on the first of August: "As among the ancients, games and Sports "were celebrated on mournful as "well as joyful events, there has "been fome controverfy, whether our loyal comedian meant the compliment to the fetting or rifing monarch of that day; but, "as the plate has a borse for its "device, I am induced to impute "it to the latter: and, doubtless, "he prudently confidered, that, as a living dog is better than a "dead lion, the living horfe had, "at least, an equal title to the fame preference." From fo grofs a fneer might be inferred a rooted diflike to the reigning family on the throne, and a grounded partiality to the line of Stuarts; but if we pay any regard to the warmth with which this writer breathes the spirit of independence, the enthufiafm with which he fpeaks of public virtue, and the feverity with which he lafhes private vice, we may juftly call in question his having any attachment to a race of tyrants from principle. 1 free: Then purpled guilt was dragg'd to public fhame, And each offence ftood flagrant with a Polluted ermine no refpect could win, no aurong. lord. The little knave the law's last tribute pays, While crowns around the great one's chariot blaze. Blaze |