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who is faid to have been affifted therein by Archbishop Secker. Mr. Blackburn affected to be alarmed at the progrels of popery in this kingdom, and echoed the puritanical complaint, that this was owing to the bishops. He alfo publifhed an octavo volume on the subject, in which he heaped up a number of anecdotes on the abfurdities and cruelties of the Roman Catholics. By a letter printed in the 2d vol. of the Monthly Magazine, page 888, it appears that Mr. Blackburn obtained his liberal principles, by perufing fome old books which had been the property of his great grandfather, (an oliverian juftice).

It should feem, however, that if our archdeacon was a puritan on politics and church government, he was either an arian, or a focinian in religion. How fuch a man could retain his dignity and preferment in a church, the conftitution and principles of which he disapproved, reconcileably with confcience and honour, I cannot imagine. Let this, however, be as it may, the archdeacon undoubtedly was a man of parts, and it is, therefore, a pity that a memoir of him thould be yet a defideratum.

6. JOHN PARKHURST, Divine.

IF induftry, learning, and piety, entitle a man to the refpect of pofterity, the name of Mr. John Parkhurft ought to be recorded. Students, for years to come, will have reason to be grateful to his memory for the help he has afforded them in his Hebrew and Greek Lexicons.

He was educated at Cambridge, where he took his degree of M. A. His first publication was a tract against the reveries of John Welley, and his last a shrewd reply to Dr. Priestley on the pre-existence of Chrift. Mr. Parkhurit was connected with that very refpectable body of men, known by the denomination of the Hutchinfonians. Bishop Horne, and Mr. William Jones were his intimate friends, and it is to be hoped that the latter gentleman, who has done fo much justice to the venerable bishop, will do a like service for his humble friend, the lexicographer.

7. JAMES UPTON, Critic.

IT is furprising that men who have laboured in refcuing the names and works of others from oblivion, fhould yet be fuffered to pass away without any fort of biographical record to atteft their private worth, and the value of their public labours. The refpectable critic abovementioned, is entitled to grateful remembrance for many very valuable performances. His first publication was an edition of Afcham's Scholemafter," enriched with learned notes, and a curious appendix, in 8vo. 1711. At that time he was fettled at Taunton in Somerseshire, and was also fellow of King's College, Cambridge. He afterwards published an excellent edition of " Epictetus, in 2 vols. 4to. 1739." Obfervations on Shakfpeare, in 1 vol. Svo," and " Spenjer's Fairie Queen, in 2 vols. 4to."

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JOHN WATKINS.

ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS.

MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF CHARLES
BERNS WADSTROM, BY HELEN MA-
RIA WILLIAMS.

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a claim to public regret; and perhaps no individual ever made more zealous efforts to promote the happiness of his fellow Creatures, to the entire facrifice of all felfish views; perhaps there never existed a tion of the term; perhaps no man ever detruer patriot in the most enlarged definiferved more of humanity than the perfon whole death we lament.

Charles Berns Wadstrom was born at

Stockholm, in the year 1746. Having finished his academical ftudies, he was

employed in the quality of engineer in the fervice of his Swedish majesty. From the knowledge he had acquired in mechanics, and mineralogy, the ftates of Sweden in 1767, and 1768, confided to his care the direction of a part of the works which they were then erecting in order to render na vigable the famous cataract of Trol

haétta ;

haétta; and in 1769, he was employed by the government in the working of the copper mines at Atvédaberg. He was afterwards engaged in the direction of various eftablishments; and I have heard him mention his having had frequent perfonal intercourfe with the late king of Sweden on thofe fubjects. But these were employments infufficient to fatisfy a mind glowing, like that of Wadftrom, for a wider fphere of usefulness, and benevolence. The various fchemes by which, through a long life devoted to the cause of philanthropy, he purposed to promote this great aim of his existence, were indeed fometimes romantic, and perhaps fometimes delufive. His heart feemed more enlarged than his understanding-his feelings were always in the right, but his judgment fometimes erred; and he had a kind of trufting fimplicity in his nature, which made him often the dupe of his own credulity. But let us not blame too feverely, this mifplaced reliance on others; there is no danger of the example becoming contagious; let us rather amidit that egotifm to which the prefent modes of fociety give rife, that wakeful fufpicion which puts every heart in a pofture of defence, that careful vigilance with which the old inculcate, and the young acquire, the lessons of selfish prudence, let us turn for relief to one mind, whofe weakneffes were only modifications of virtue, the failings of unguarded humanity, the exceffive confidence of too liberal a fpirit, the uncircumfcribed benevolence of too warm an heart.

No project could be more fublime than that which occupied the greater part of the life of Wadftrom; which was the emancipation and civilization of that numerous portion of the human race inhabiting the vaft continent of Africa. With the view of obtaining authentic information refpecting the fituation of the natives of Africa, and of studying their dispofitions, characters, and manners, he undertook a voyage to that continent, where he remained two years. I have indeed, fometimes heard this "circumnavigation of philanthropy" afcribed to other motives than thofe of pure benevolence. As Ponce de Leon and his companions roved amidst the Lucayo Islands, not merely animated by the general spirit of difcovery, but in the vifionary fearch of a fountain of fuch wonderful virtue as to renew the youth, and recall the vigour of every perfon who bathed in its waters; fo Wadftrom's view in his expedition to Africa has been reprefented not to have been the emancipa

tion of the flaves, but the discovery of the New Jerufalem, which it feems, in illuminated charts of Swedenborg, lies fomewhere concealed, amidit those hitherto unexplored regions. But it is certain that Wadarom, though perhaps courteous to fome errors of that travelled apoftle, never carried his complaisance so far as to undertake a voyage to Africa in his fervice. That voyage was a crufade of humanity; the liberty of the Africans was the favorite project of Wadftrom's mind, and he lived to enjoy the mott noble recompenfe of his labours in their caufe. Too long condemned to bear the fcorn of thofe commercial fpeculators in blood, who fmile at the folly of fympathy, and deride the energies of benevolence, condemned to fuffer the torment of meditating on calamities which he was unable to relieve, with what exulting triumph did he contemplate the fetters of the flave torn off in the French colonies, and the destinies of that portion of our fpecies which feemed only born to fuffer, for ever linked with thofe of that glorious republic whose liberty is durable as its power!-With what tranfport did he of late, behold France, after having broken the fetters of the Africans in diftant regions, preparing to teach them on their native foil, the noble leffons of enlightened freedom! he knew that the yearly caravan which travels from Egypt to Abyffinia with fplendid toys, and bears back in exchange, over the far-ftretched defart, its load of faves, had, the paft autumn, conveyed to thefe diftant regions a new and aftonishing hiftory of Europeans; that for the firit time, that name had been pronounced in Africa without horror, and unconnected with images of defpair. For the first time Europeans had been called not the deftroyers, but the deliverers of mankind; and tidings had been proclaimed, not of free-men fettered, but of flaves made free, of nations emancipa ted by that hero, whofe fublime genius, borrowing no force from age, and no fuccour from experience, has marked its illuftrious career by no gradations, but foared at once to the pinnacle of glorythat hero who has ever victory in his van, and liberty in his rear! Yes, our philanthropic enthusiast muft have difcerned with transport, that liberty, irresistible in its progrefs as the majestic waters of the Nile, when they overflow their banks and rush over the land, and, benevolent in its effects, as that fructifying ftream which fpreads only bleffings in its courfe; liberty would foon diffuse over the African con

tinent

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tinent the benign influence of civilization; and no one felt more ftrongly than Wadfrom what a wide meaning of happiness that word contains! No one deplored more fincerely than himself, that humanity has been fo long infulted by partial civilization; and that even in thofe parts of the globe where flavery does not exist, particular portions of fociety have made a monopoly of knowledge, as if a certain degree of education were not the right of

all.

Wadftrom, in having powerfully contributed to the abolition of the flave trade, may be confidered not merely as the benefactor of the Africans, but has a claim to the honors of more extenfive benevolence; fince the fyftem of flavery is perhaps no Tefs fatal to the Europeans than to the Africans. Where flavery prevails, all the paffions rage with ungovernable violence; every generous fentiment is obliterated; corruption degrades, licentioufnefs debafes, power hardens the mind, and the dignity of human nature, violated in the perfon of the flave, is avenged by the confequent depravity of the mafter Even women in thofe regions, they, who fhould feel pity an irrefiftible inftinet, they who feem born to footh with fympathizing tears every mifery, and to plead with mild accents for every fufferer, even they, where flavery prevails, difplay the monftrous contrait of weakness and ferocity; of voluptuous indolence, and active cruelty; of a frame enervated by all the refinements of luxury, and an heart fteeled by familiarity with crimes. And their children, on whofe ductile minds thofe leffons of mercy fhould be impreffed, to which the uncorrupted heart beats refponfive; who fhould be taught to lip the glowing tale of the oppreffor punished, and the good made happy, imbibe, from example, all the caprices of cruelty, and before they can difcern the diftinctions of vice and virtue, are curfed with the inheritance of guilt:

If then we are grateful to the memory of Wadftrom for his efforts to confer happinefs on the Africans, we ought alfo to remember with gratitude that he has refcued the colonifts from mifery; for furely miferable amidst all that fortune can be ftow, is he, who is condemned to look back on the record of life without finding the sweet memorial of one generous action, one wrong redreffed, one tear fhed without witness, for the unhappy!

On his return from Africa, Wadftrom vifited England, where thofe perfons who were acquainted with his philanthropic,

principles, folicited him ftrongly to remain fome time. The great question of the abolition of the flave trade, was at that period brought forward in the British parliament, and Wadftrom obtained permiffion from the king of Sweden to remain in England during the important difcuffion. He was repeatedly examined at the bar of the Houfe of Commons on this fubject, and produced the journal he had kept of the tranfactions of every day, during his ftay in Africa. His evidence was confidered as highly curious, ufeful, and interefting, and was often referred to in the debates which took place on that occafion. The opinions he delivered refpecting the abolition of the slave trade, and the establishment of philanthropic colonies, gave rife to the foundation of Sierra Leona, and Boulama, which may justly be confidered as monuments erected in favour of humanity and liberty, by generous and enlightened friends of mankind.

Wadftrom publifhed feven years fince in London, an octavo volume, containing much interefting information refpecting his African expedition, and many important obfervations on colonization. Buonaparte, when departing for Egypt, wifhed to obtain a copy of this work, and enquired of Wadftrom where it could be purchased. On account of the difficulty of communication between France and England, Wadftrom had. of late been unable to fupply himself with any copies of this work, and had but one copy left in his poffeffion, which he immediately prefented to the general.

But while Wadftrom, the friend of human kind, continued to exert all the energies of his mind in the great cause of humanity, a mortal malady was undermining his conftitution, and leading him by gradual steps to the grave. The fatigues of body, the anxieties of mind he had fuffered, together with the great tranfitions of climate, had brought on a pulmonary confumption, of which, after a long ftruggle with the natural vigour of his frame: he died on the fifteenth of Germinal, 7th year.

Wadftrom felt what the English poet

calls

"The ruling paffion ftrong in death;" the triumphs of the French Republic were to him a continual fource of enjoyment, becaufe he believed the liberty, and confequently the happiness of the world depended on its fuccefs. A friend, who vifited him in his last hours, endeavoured to cheer his mind with thofe confolations which he thought most congenial to his

religious

religious opinions; Wadftrom heard him in filence; his head, funk on his breaft, and his eyes were almoft clofed; but when his friend, changing the theme, related to him the triumphs of the French armies on the opening of the campaign, Wadftrom raised himself on his bed, his countenance became irradiated, and a gleam of pleasure lighted up his eye; he defired to hear again the tale of Maffena's victories; and when his friend added that news of further victories was expected in three days, he exclaimed, with a feeling of regret, "Alas! that I have not three days to live!"

Swift, after having written that celebrated fatire on human nature, entitled "Gulliver's Travels," exclaimed, while meditating on the rare virtues of his friend Arbuthnot, "Oh, were there ten Arbuthnots in the world, I would burn my book!"-It is difficult to contemplate the character of Wadftrom without a fimilar fentiment; without feeling that, were there many Wadftroms in the world, we fhould learn to think better of mankind. HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS.

Paris, 20th Germinal, 7th year.

LIFE OF SAUSSURE THE NATURALIST.

HORACE-Benedict De Saussure was born at

Geneva in the year 1740. His father, an enlightened agriculturist, to whom we are indebted for fome effays on rural economy, refided at Couches, on the banks of the Arve, about half a league from Geneva.

A country life, joined to an active education, tended no doubt to develope in Saussure that physical strength which is fo effential to the naturalift, who wishes to extend his knowledge by travelling. He walked every day to the town in order to go to fchool; and as he lived at the foot of the Saleve, that mountain which he has fince rendered fo famous, climbing the rugged road was nothing but fport to him. Born, as it were, in the midft of the phænomena of nature, he had every opportunity for ftudy, and thus avoided all the inconveniences in the fituation of those philofophers who form theories without leaving their closets, or those cultivators who, though always familiar with nature, are incapable of admiring her beauties.

Botany was his firft ftudy. A diverfified foil, fertile in a variety of plants, invites the inhabitant of the banks of the Lemanian lake to cultivate that delightful science. This tafte brought about an acquaintance between Sauffure and Haller. He vifited that great naturalist in 1764, during his retreat at Bex, and in his travels he expreffes his admiration of that aftonishing man, who excelled in all the branches of natural fcience. Sauffure was MONTHLY MAG. No. XLVI.

further excited to study the vegetable kingdom in confequence of his connection with C. Bonnet, who married his aunt, and who soon difcovered the dawning talents of his nephew. Bonnet was then engaged in examining the leaves of plants; Sauffure alfo turned his attention to thefe vegetable organs, and publifhed the refult of his labours under the title

of Obfervations fur l'ecorce des feuilles-Observa. tions on the skin of leaves.

This little book, which appeared about the year 1760, contained a number of new obfervations relative to the epidermis of leaves, and the miliary glands with which it is covered *.

At this time, the profefforship of philofophy at Geneva became vacant, and Sauffure, who was then only twenty-one, obtained the chair. Experience, in this inftance, proved that if of men who labour only for themselves, they early rewards generally extinguish the ardour ferve on the contrary to animate the zeal of thofe who make truth the object of their purfuit. In Geneva the two profeffors of philofophy taught alternately phyfics and logic, and Sauffure acquitted himself in this double task with equal succefs. He even gave to the teaching of logic, what may be called a practical or experimental turn. His course, which commenced with the ftudy of the fenfes, in order to arrive at the general laws of the understanding, at once announced an able obferver of nature.

Experimental philofophy was the branch of which he was fondeft; it conducted him to the ftudy of chymiftry and mineralogy. It was then that he recommenced his journies. among the mountains, not in queft of herbs, but to examine the fubftances of which the elevated ridges of our globe are composed. Geology, a fcience which then scarcely exifted, gave a charm to his frequent wanderings among the Alps. There the talents of this great naturalift were fully developed. During the fifteen or twenty years of his profefforship, he was alternately employed in fulfilling the duties which his fituation impofed, and in traverfing the different mountains in the neighbourhood of Geneva. He even extended his excurfions on one fide to the Rhine, and on the other to Piedmont. About this time, too, he travelled to Auvergne, for the purpose of examining fome extinguished volcanos; and foon after he undertook a tour to Paris, Holland, and England. Afterwards he went to Italy, and croffed over to Sicily. These journies were not commenced for the purpose of haftening forward to a particular place: his object was conftantly the study of nature. He always carried with him the inftruments neceffary for his obfervations, and never fet out without having formed for himself a regular plan of experiments. He often remarks in his works, that this method was highly useful to him in the progress of his studies.

*He had refumed the study of this subject about eighteen months before his death. 30

In

In 1779, he published the first volume of his Travels in the Alps." It contains a detailed defcription of the environs of Geneva, and an account of an excurfion as far as Chamouni, a village at the foot of Mont-Blanc. All maturalifts have read with pleasure the defcription he has given, in this volume, of his Magnetometre. The more he examined the mountains, the more he felt the importance of Mineralogy: to enable him to study this branch of fcience with still greater advantage, he learnt the German language. The new mineralogical knowledge which he acquired, may be eafily feen by comparing the latter volume of his travels with the first.

In the midst of his numerous excurfions in the Alps, and even during the time of the troubled politics of Geneva, in 1782, he found opportunities to make his fine Hygro metrical experiments, the refult of which he published in 1783, under the title of " Effays on Hygrometry," This work, the beft that ever came from his pen, feated his reputation as a Naturalift. We are indebted to him for the invention of the Hygrometre. Deluc had already invented his whalebone Hygrometre, and a contest arose between him and Sauffure, which degenerated into a very obftinate difpute.

In 1786, Sauffure gave up his profefforfhip, the duties of which he had difcharged for about 25 years. He refigned in favour of his difciple, Pictet, who, with great nour to himself, fulfilled the difficult task of fucceeding this great naturalift.

From Sauffure's fituation as a profeffor, the ftate of public inftruction naturally became an object of his attention. He propofed a plan of reform in the education of Geneva, the chief design of which was to obtain regulations for teaching the natural fciences and mathematics to the youth of that city at an early age. He was even defirous that their phyfical education, if I may ufe that expreffion, fhould not be neglected; and therefore proposed the eftablishment of gymnaftic exercifes. This plan, as might be expected, occafioned much difcuffion in a town where every one feels the importance of education. It found many fupporters and many oppofers.

The mediocrity of pecuniary refources was, however, a great obftacle to any innovation of importance. It was befides fe red, that in changing the forms of inftruction the substance might be loft, and that what was known to be good might be facrificed in purfuit of fomething better. The people of Geneva were much attached to their fyftem of education; and for this predilection they cannot be blamed, fince it has not only diffufed knowledge very generally among them, but has produced many diftinguished mathematicians* and naturalifts.t

&c.

* Abauzit, Cramer, Lhuilier, J. Trembly,

Jalabert, A. Trembly, Bonnet, Lefage, Deluc, Senebier, Prevot, Pielet, Sauffure himfelf, &c.

But public education did not alone occupy the attention of Sauffure. He employed himfelf in educating his two fons and his daughter, who foon proved themselves worthy of fuch an inftructor. His daughter joins to all the accomplishments of her fex, an extenfive knowledge in natural fcience; and his eldest fon has already diftinguished himself by his chemical and philofophical experiments.

The fecond volume of the Travels of Sauffure was published in 1786: it contains a defcription of the Alps which furround Mont Blanc. The author examines them alternately as a mineralogist, a geologift, and a philofopher. In this volume he has given fome interefting experiments in electricity, and a defcription of his electrometre, which is the most perfect yet known. We are indebted to him for feveral other metrical inftruments, fuch as his cyanometre, deftined for measuring the intenfity of the blue colour of the sky, which varies according to the elevation of the obferver; his diaphanometre for meafuring the tranfparency of the air; and his anemometre, with which, by the means of a kind of balance, he weighed the force of the wind.

Some years after the publication of this volume, Sauffure was received as a foreign affociate in the academy of fciences at Paris; but our author not only honoured his country, he loved to ferve it. He was the founder of the fociety of arts, to which Geneva is indebted for that high degree of profperity her manufactures have reached within thefe 30 years. He prefided over this fociety until his death, and one of his last wishes was for the prefervation of this establishment.

He alfo teftified his zeal for his country in the council of two hundred, of which he be came a member after the diffolution of the national Affembly. After having undergone much fatigue in this affembly, his health be gan to be deranged, and in 1794, a paralytic ftroke deprived him of the ufe of almost the whole of one fide of his body; diftreffing, however, as his fituation then was, his mind loft nothing of its activity, and fince that accident he prepared for the prefs the two laft volumes of his travels, which appeared in 1796. They contain an account of his excurfions in the mountains of Piedmont, Switzerland, and, in particular, his afcenfion to the fummit of Mont Blanc. Thefe two laft volumes, far from exhibiting any fymptom of his understanding having fuffered from his diforder, prefent an enormous mafs of new facts and important philofophical obfervations.

He performed a last service to science by publishing the Agenda, which terminates his fourth volume. In that work this great man, furviving himfelf, conducts the young naturalift by the hand through mountains, and teaches him how to obferve them with advantage. This Agenda is a proof of the ge nius of our author, and of the mental vigour which he preferved during the decline of his health. During his fickness, he also published, se Obfervations

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