and encouragement, that he directed his views to the profeffion of a diffenting minifter, and to thofe literary pursuits, in which he afterwards fo much excelled. At the age of fixteen he was admitted into the academy at Northampton under the care of Dr. Doddridge. This inftitution was at that time in a very high state of reputation and profperity; and it fupplied the country with a very confiderable number of minifters, who were no lefs diftinguithed by their acceptance and usefulness as preachers, than by their literary accomplishments and exemplary conduct. Dr. Kippis availed himself of the fingular advantages for improvement which he enjoyed in this feminary; and his proficiency and general deportment conciliated the affectionate esteem and partial attachment of his tutor. How much he loved and refpected this excellent man, and how juftly he has appreciated his eminent talents and indefatigable labours, he has had an opportunity of teftifying to the public in the elaborate account of his life and writings, lately published. When he had completed his course of five years at the academy, he was invited to take the charge of a diffenting congregation at Dorchester; but having at the fame time received another invitation to fettle at Boston in Lincolnshire, he preferred the latter fituation, and went to refide there in September 1746. From Bofton he removed to Dorking in Surry, in 1750: and a vacancy having been occafioned in this place, foon after his fettlement there, by the death of Dr. Hughes, he was invited to fucceed him, and he undertook the office of paftor to this fociety in 1753. In the month of September of this year he married Mifs Elizabeth Bott, the daughter of a refpectable merchant at Boston; and in the October following he came to refide in Weftminfter. Whether we confider his literary talents, his minifterial abilities, or his external accomplishments, no perfon perfon could have been better qualified for the fituation into which he was introduced than himself. His fettlement with this fociety laid the foundation of that celebrity, which he afterwards acquired, and of that extenfive ufefulness, which difinguifhed his future life. He was thus foon introduced into a connection with the prefbyterian fund, to which this congregation had been in the habit of liberally contributing, and to the profperity of which he was afterwards very ardently devoted. In June 1762 he fucceeded Dr. Benfon as a member of Dr. Williams's Truft and this appointment afforded him an additional opportunity of being eminently and extenfively useful in a variety of refpects. His connection with the general body of proteftant diffenting minifters, belonging to the cities of London and Westminster, and with many charitable inftitutions, which the liberality of diffenters has established, gave him frequent occafion to exercife his talents for the honour and intereft of the cause, to which, both by his fentiments and profeffion, he was zealously attached. His literary abilities and attainments were acknowledged by all who knew him. It was, therefore, natural to imagine, that when a favourable opportunity offered, he would be employed in the department of public education. Accordingly, when the death of the Rev. Dr. Jennings rendered it neceffary to make a new arrangement of tutors in the academy, fupported in London by the funds of William Coward, Efq. the trustees directed their views to our honoured friend; and in the year 1763 he was appointed claffical and philological tutor to that inftitution. In 1767 he received the degree of doctor in divinty from the university of Edinburgh; an honour, in the unfolicited grant of which the principal and profeffors very cordially concurred. How much he merited this diftinction at the time, when it was conferred, and what he has fince done to justify the pro Sf2 priety priety of its being bestowed, it is needlefs for me to itate. No one can dispute his peculiar claim to fuch a token of respect. In March 1778 he was elected a fellow of the fociety of antiquaries; and in June 1779 a fellow of the royal fociety. He was a member of the council of the former fociety from 1782 to 1784, and of that of the latter from 1786 to 1787. In both thefe focieties he was a regular attendant, and a refpectable and useful member. As he advanced in life and acquired increasing reputation, his literary engagements became more numerous, and fo much demanded his attention and encroached upon his time, that he found himself under a neceffity of quitting his connection with Mr. Coward's academy in the year 1784. In the following year the two other tutors of this inftitution withdrew from it; and the academy itself, which had been for many years of fingular utility, and which had produced many minifters of diftinguished reputation, was difcontinued. In the year 1786 a very confiderable body of diffenters, lamenting the total ceffation of Mr. Coward's academy, and having reafon to believe that it was not likely to be revived, made an effort, which, whatever be the event, will do them lafting honour, for establishing a new inftitution in the neighbourhood of London, with a view of educating minifters and other young gentlemen intended for civil life. Dr. Kippis was very atiduous and active in his endeavours to accomplish this laudable defign; and though his other engagements rendered it very inconvenient for him to accept any official connection with it, he was urged to unite with other perfons, for whom he entertained a peculiar refpect; and he, at length, though not without reluctance, acquiefced in the appointment to be one of the tutors of this new inftitution. The distance of his refidence from Hackney, where the college was fixed, and fome other circumftances which it is unneceffary to recite, but which I fhall always recollect with concern, induced him in a few years to withdraw from it, as a tutor: though he ftill continued to ferve it by a liberal subscription, and by his intereft with opulent friends. This was an event, which the original founders of the inftitution very much regretted, and which they had indulged the hope of averting, as long as his health and life permitted his attendance. They little imagined, however, that the most extended period of his fervices, if they had enjoyed the benefit of them to his death, would have terminated fo foon. Dr. Kippis continued to profecute his other ufeful labours without intermiffion; and till within a fortnight of his death, his friends had no reason to imagine, that they were fo near their clofe. In the courfe of the fummer, a few weeks before his death, he took a long journey on public business, and returned, as his fellow travellers apprehended, with recruited fpirits and establifhed health; and they were equally furprised and grieved when they heard, that he was confined to his bed with a fever, which baffled the fkill of the most eminent phyficians, and which hastily advanced to the fatal crifis. His diforder was of fuch a nature, that he found himself both difinclined and unable to make any exertion, or to converfe much even with his most constant attendants. There is reason, however, to believe, that in a very early stage of his diforder he was not without apprehenfions of its terminating in his diffolution. The laft public fervice he performed was on the 20th of September; and on Thursday evening, the 8th of October, he awoke after a tranquil fleep of fome continuance, and in a little while expired: having ferved his generation according to the will of God, and attained the age of 70 years and 6 months. His mild and gentle temper, his polished manners, his eafy and graceful address, and a variety of external accomplishments, prepoffeffed those who first saw him in his favour, and could not fail to conciliate efteem and attachment Sf3 attachment on a more intimate acquaintance. These qualities contributed very much to recommend him to perfons in the higher ranks of life, to feveral of whom he had occafional accefs; and qualified him, in a very eminent degree, for the fituation in which he exercifed his minifterial office. But he was no lefs condefcending, courteous, and affable to his inferiors, than to those who occupied fuperior ftations. Dr. Kippis had nothing of that aufterity and reserve, of that haughtiness and supercilioufnefs, of that parade and felf-importance and oftentatious affectation of dignity, which forbid access, and which mar the freedom and the plea fure of all the focial intercourfes of life. And yet these disgustful and odious qualities fometimes accompany literary men, and efpecially those who have acquired any confiderable degree of eminence and reputation. His mental abilities were of the fuperior End. He poffeffed a comprehenfive understanding, a foun judgment, a retentive memory, a correct imaginaion, a refined tafte, a quick nefs and a facility of exertig his faculties on any fubject or occafion, however fuldenly they might occur. The natural powers of his mind were cultivatedwith an affiduity and perfeverance of application, in which he had few fuperiors and not many equals. They had been habituated through life to regular and confent exercife, and had acquired ftrength and vigour from ufe. He was never hurried and diftracted by the variety of his literary purfuits; and though he ha many engagements which required his attention, and which diverted his mind from the objects of study to which he was devoted, he never feemed to want time. Every kind of bufinefs was referred to its proper feafon. By a judicious arrangement of his ftudies as well as of his other occupations, the number and variety of which he never oftentatioufly difplayed, and by the punctuality of his attention to every kind of bufinefs in which he was employed, he avoided confufion; he re |