Whilst Dr. Parr, advancing beyond the age of seventy, had, like all who approach the extreme limits of human existence, to lament the loss of most of his earliest, and many of his best friends; there were still many, in whose society he sought and found the enjoyments, which social intercourse always afforded him in so high a degree. Among these, in his immediate neighbourhood, besides his old friends, Mr. Greatheed, Mr. Tomes, and Mr. Parkes, were Mr. Twamley of Warwick, Dr. Middleton of Leamington, and the late truly upright and amiable Bayes Cotton, Esq. of Kenilworth; for whom, and for all the members of his large family,1 he entertained a sincere and affectionate regard.
He had also, in 1813, the happiness of acquiring an excellent neighbour and friend, in the late J. H.
1 “I give a ring to Samuel Cotton, Esq. of Basinghall-street, as a mark of my personal esteem for him and his family, and of my thankfulness for his meritorious kindness to my grand-daughters.”—Dr. Parr’s will. |
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Another event of recent date, which Dr. Parr hailed, he said, “with swelling pride and thrilling joy,” as happy for Warwickshire, was, the appearance of a zealous patriot, where it might be least expected, in the ranks of its gentry: among whom, perhaps, more than in any other county, the highest toryism, it is well known, thrives in all its vigour. This was Arthur Gregory, Esq. of Stivichall; who, rejecting the more confined and less generous views of those immediately around him, adopted as the result of his own inquiries, and avowed, from the impulse of his own high and independent spirit, the wiser and sounder principles, which derive the origin of all just govern-
1 “Three Tracts, &c.—Juvenile Poems, &c. by Chandos Leigh, &c.—The gifts of the author, an ingenious poet, an elegant scholar, and my much-esteemed friend.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 523. |
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The writer is ambitious to record in his pages the honour of another distinguished patriot, ardent, active, long-tried, well-proved, of whom Dr. Parr entertained a high opinion; and whose exertions in cherishing the sacred flame of liberty, especially in times when it seemed to be almost expiring, have conferred the most important obligations on Warwickshire. To none, living within the precincts of the county, would it be necessary to subjoin the name of Francis Canning, Esq. of Foxcote.
Though from the days of John Rous,
the celebrated antiquary, who died in the reign of Henry
VII., through a long succession of years, Warwick has produced no person of
eminence in learning or science; yet now it may boast of having given birth to a man of
genius and a scholar, in Walter Savage Landor, Esq.,
author of “Gebirus,” and of
“Idyllia Heroica,”
&c., and is still more known to the public as the author of “Imaginary Conversations:” a work generally and
justly admired for the originality of thought, the depth of reflection, and the free and
fearless spirit of inquiry, which it exhibits; and for the style, always animated, and
often powerful, in which it is written. Mr. Landor has, for some time
past, ceased to reside in his native town; but, whilst a near neighbour, he was a frequent
visitor of Dr. Parr, at Hatton; who, in a letter of
introduction to a literary friend, thus speaks of him:—“In the course of the
summer, you will be called upon by Mr.
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 141 |
Warwick may also reckon with pride another in the number of its native
sons, Mr. Badams, who has acquired much and deserved
celebrity by great powers of mind, ardently devoted to the pursuits of science and the
improvement of the useful arts. Among the excellencies to be recorded by the biographer of
Dr. Parr, one is the care and the kindness, with
which he air ways noticed and fostered retired, modest, and especially youthful talent and
merit. Many are the young men whom, at different times, he received into his protection;
whom he aided by his instructions, guided by his advice, and encouraged by his praise; and
among these may be particularly mentioned Mr. Badams, and Wm. Lowndes, Esq. The former is now rising high in fame
and fortune, as an ingenious, laborious, and successful chymist, at Birmingham; the latter
has appeared with distinguished reputation, as a barrister, in the Court of Chancery; and
few have done more honour to the sagacity which first discerned and to the friendly anxiety
and assiduity, which
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The writer well remembers an interesting story told him by Dr. Parr, of a young man of promising abilities, whom he found in the station of a common servant; who, under his auspices, received an education sufficient to qualify him for entering into holy orders; who, in consequence of his strong recommendations, was regularly ordained by the bishop; and who is now a clergyman of the church, in the west of England. Other instances of a similar kind are well known to many of his friends.
Among those in his immediate neighbourhood, with whom Dr. Parr most frequently associated, and to whom he was most indebted for those little personal attentions which contributed to the ease and comfort of his later years, were the Rev. Elias Webb,1 and the Rev. John Kendall. For some time past, the Rev. Dr. Wade2 has been necessarily resident at Cambridge; yet he always rejoiced
1 “Virgilii Opera, cura et studio H. Justice.—This volume was given to Dr. Parr by his much-esteemed neighbour, the Rev. Elias Webb.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 695. 2 This gentleman adopts for his model the subject of these “Memoirs,” as the most perfect and attractive example of religious charity, which has been, in our time, exhibited. That he has largely imbibed the spirit he professes to admire, and that he is a disciple worthy of the master he has chosen to follow, is proved by his excellent “Letter to the late Mr. Canning,” in which he nobly declares himself the advocate of unlimited toleration; and by another letter, which is here, with his permission, subjoined. It is addressed to the present writer; |
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But there was no one of his friends in whom he
who is sure that his readers, if capable in any degree of admiring generous sentiments of candour, clothed in the most graceful and engaging forms, will peruse it with high delight. “Reverend Sir,—A gentleman, who officiated for me a few Sundays ago, took occasion to direct an attack against those persons, who used the liberty, which, by undoubted right, they possess, of leaving the Church of St. Nicholas, for the advantage of being your auditors. I beg leave to assure you that such use of my pulpit was as disagreeable to me as it was unexpected. I wish my pulpit to be a place for delivering exhortations, relative to the great principles of our common Christianity, and not for uttering harsh or angry animadversions on the tenets or the conduct of those who may conscientiously dissent.—I am, Rev. Sir, with much respect, your obliged servant, “A. S. Wade.” “Vicarage St. Nicholas, March 21, 1821.”
1 See a tribute to the memory of Dr. Parr, given by the Rev. Mr. Yates in a sermon delivered at the New Meeting-house, Birmingham.—App. No. VIII. |
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Dr. Parr’s love of social intercourse led him to seek the pleasures of it, beyond the limits of his own neighbourhood, by frequent excursions to the residence of distant friends; and so extensive was his acquaintance, that he found, in almost every part of the kingdom, those whose doors gladly opened to receive him. There were few of his numerous visits of which he was accustomed to speak with more satisfaction than those to Mr. Dealtry of Bradenham, Mr. Bartlam of Alcester, and Dr. Maltby of Bugden. It was impossible that he should not feel the honour and the pleasure of having been several times a welcomed guest at Arundel Castle, at Woburn Abbey, at Cossey Hall,1 and in the mansion of the Princess of Wales at Blackheath.
But gratifying to him, above most others, were his visits to Holkham, the seat of Thomas William Coke, Esq.; in whose friendly regards he had the happiness to obtain a high place. Here he often passed several weeks, in the full enjoyment of all the pleasures which a princely abode, surrounded
1 The seat of the present Lord Stafford. |
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The pure and exalted character, traced by a few strokes in the above letter, is drawn with a stronger hand, and somewhat more at length, in the following dedicatory lines, beginning with what the distinguished patriot probably regards as not the least part of his praise. They are addressed to him, “as the personal and political friend of the late Charles James Fox—the faithful and independent representative of the county of Norfolk—the judicious and munificent promoter of agricultural improvements—the steady guardian of constitutional freedom—the resolute opposer of intolerance, corruption, and unnecessary war—a gentleman in his manners and spirit—and a Christian in his faith and practice.”
Speaking of the “great commoner,” as he loved to
designate him, when his fair claims to the honours of the peerage had been the subject of
discussion, Dr. Parr said, “Talk of titles!
why, Coke of Norfolk is a higher title than any
that kings can bestow!” A last grateful and admiring
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But even the charms of Holkham scarcely exceeded, in Dr. Parr’s estimation, the pleasures which his visits afforded him at Allerton Hall, near Liverpool, at that time the residence of William Roscoe, Esq.1 The publication of “the Life of Lorenzo de Medici,” as already noticed, led to an epistolary correspondence; and from that time Dr. Parr conceived and cherished the desire of forming a personal acquaintance with the author: but it was not till the year 1806 that a favourable opportunity occurred. Early in the spring of that year, for the first time, he visited Mr. Roscoe at Allerton: and how much he was delighted by the attentions which he received, and by the society to which he was introduced, he has himself expressed in a letter, dated Hatton, March 25, 1806, of which the following is an extract:—“Dear Mr. Roscoe,—I am now in my sixtieth year. I have conversed with the wisest and most learned of my contemporaries; and I say to you, with great sincerity, that the days, I spent with you and your family, were among the happiest days of my life.
1 “Thesaurus Cornucopiæ et Horti Adonidis Græce, folio, &c.—This book was given me by my most enlightened and honourable friend, William Roscoe, Esq. of Liverpool. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 268. |
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A second visit to the same friendly circle, and to the same hospitable mansion, took place in the autumn of 1815; the pleasures of which Dr. Parr anticipated in the following letter, dated Hatton, Sept. 5, 1815:—
“Dear and excellent Mr. Roscoe,—I am looking eagerly forward to the visit which I am to pay you at Liverpool; and most sincerely do I rejoice that my long-tried friend, and much-respected patron, Mr. Coke, is to be of the party. Now, dear sir, I will open to you a little of my views, with unfeigned and unusual gladness. I shall first sojourn with you at Allerton, and shall take care my stay be not tiresome to you. I have promised to spend two or three days with Mr. Martin. I shall give one day to Dr. Crompton, and another to Mr. Shepherd.1 I very seldom preach, except in my own parish church; but, having lately made two sermons, I shall, perhaps, deliver them in your neighbourhood, if the Principal of Brazen-nose should be resident at Liverpool,
1 “Microcosmography, or a Piece of the World Discovered, &c.—The gift of my learned friend, the Rev. Mr. Shepherd of Gateacre, Oct. 6, 1815. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 377. Of the same friend Dr. Parr thus speaks in a letter to Mr. Roscoe:—“Give my best compliments and best wishes to my intelligent, high-spirited, and very honest brother pastor, Mr. Shepherd.” |
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His renewed intercourse with a family, whom he so much esteemed, in company with his excellent friend and patron, and the enlightened society, which he met, rendered his second visit to Allerton Hall as delightful as the first. Thus he expressed his happy and grateful feelings, in a few lines of acknowledgment to his kind host and hostess:—
“And now, dear sir, I must entreat you and Mrs. Roscoe to accept my warm and unfeigned thanks for the hospitable and friendly reception, with which you honoured me at Allerton. To the latest hour of my life shall I remember my tour, with joy and even triumph. Within the same space of time, never was so much happiness, intellectual and moral, crowded upon my mind. Within the same circuit of place, I never met with so many enlightened and interesting companions. As I lay great stress on all the little courtesies, which endear man to man, I beg you will remember me, in strong terms of tenderness and respect, to Mrs. and Misses Roscoe and your sons, to Mr. and Mrs. Martin and their little ones, to Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, to Dr. Bostock, Dr. Trail, &c. &c. &c. I am, with high regard, yours,—
Among his distant excursions, one of the most frequent and most agreeable
to Dr. Parr was a visit to the metropolis. Here, when
his stay was
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 149 |
On his arrival in Carey-street, Dr. Parr soon found himself numerously attended by friends, who hastened to him with their kind inquiries and obliging invitations; and often by strangers, who were desirous, from the celebrity of his name, to be introduced to his acquaintance. During his whole stay, though extended to the length of five or six weeks, he was generally engaged to dine out every day, with some public or private party.
From the time of rising to a late hour in the afternoon, he usually remained at his lodgings; and during almost the whole interval, he might have been said to hold a levee, so great was the number, and so constant the succession of persons, who came to see and converse with him. Though he was delighted with all this homage, yet he
1 New Monthly Mag. Aug. 1826. |
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There was another tax upon his time and his patience, which he was obliged to pay for the privilege of being “so notorious,” in sitting to artists for his picture or his bust: of the former of which there are probably not less than eight or ten, and of the latter, three or four. But that this was a tax not very reluctantly paid, may appear from the following letter addressed to his friend, Mrs. Edwards:—
“Dear Mrs. Edwards,—I thank you for sending the important papers. I have taken care to have what you told me conveyed to the Princess of Wales. Perhaps, in a few days, I shall see her. I dine with a grand party to-morrow. How would you rejoice to see the picture for which I am sitting at this very moment! It is a half-length; and is admired by dukes, archbishops, bishops, lords, and ladies. To-morrow it is to be inspected by some of the royal family. The frame is grand, like those at Guy’s Cliff.—Farewell!—To be sure, after all my fine doings here, I shall be quite stupid in the company of borough-babblers and country bumpkins. Oh! what would you give to ex-
1 New Monthly Mag. July, 1806. |
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About the same time, and much in the same strain, he wrote to another of his friends:—
“Dear Mr. P.—I hope this will find you in the best health and spirits. I am overwhelmed and distracted by the kindness of my friends. Actually, I have not one moment clear from the engagements of calls, letters, and visitings. I am sitting for my picture to one artist, who will soon finish it; and must sacrifice hours to another, who is equally anxious to take my visage. You do right to tell me of B—’s misfortune. I shall give him a guinea. Again, I repeat, never, never was I so overwhelmed by dukes, bishops, lords, ladies, baronets, and scholars. Your true friend,—S. P.”
Among “the grandees,” as Dr.
Parr usually styled them, alluded to in the above letter, who honoured him
with their notice, the first mention is due to His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, by whom he was graciously received on the
terms, not of mere acquaintance, but of friendly intimacy. His reverential and grateful
testimony to the illustrious character of the Royal Duke, ennobled more by his excellent
qualities than by his elevated rank, Dr. Parr has thus recorded in his
“Last Will:”—“I leave a ring, value five guineas, to His Royal
Highness the Duke of Sussex, as a mark of my well-founded and
unalterable respect for his highly-cultivated understanding, his exalted spirit, and
his truly constitutional prin-
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On his part, the Royal Duke has proclaimed, in a manner worthy of himself, his high regard at once, for two eminent scholars and divines, distinguished in different ways, and attached to different religious communities—yet the object to each other of unfeigned esteem and affection—by placing, in his noble library at Kensington, as companion-pictures, the portraits of Dr. Parr and of Dr. Rees, painted by Mr. Lonsdale. Thus he has displayed the superiority of a mind, which, regarding all other differences as comparatively nothing, looks only to the great distinction of intellectual and moral excellence. When a friend of the writer, a member of the body corporate of London, well known for his attachment to the cause of constitutional liberty, and for his active exertions in its support,1 was visiting the Royal Duke, in his library—having first viewed the fine portrait of Dr. Parr, he turned to that of Dr. Rees, and uttered some expressions of surprise and pleasure at the honour thus done to a divine not of the national church. The liberal and enlightened prince, speaking with fervour, exclaimed, in reply, “I love that good old Non-Con!”
Dr. Parr often talked with high delight of the attentions which he received from another member of the royal family, the Duke of Gloucester; who, though he has not pursued exactly the same bold and decided course of political conduct as his royal rela-
1 Samuel Favell, Esq. |
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Next to royalty, of the high and the old nobility, always the object of his profound veneration,1 Dr. Parr had the honour and the happiness to reckon, in the number of his friends, the late and the present Dukes of Norfolk, the late and the
1 “Ilium ordinem ab adolescentia gravissimum sanctissimumque duxisset”—Cic. |
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The lumina civitatis just mentioned, belong most of them to the age gone by. Of those of the present time, inspired by the same patriotic spirit, and guided by the yet more enlightened views which increasing knowledge continually unfolds, occur, in the list of Dr. Parr’s friends, the following names, worthy of all honour—the Marquis of Tavistock, Lord John Russell,3 Lord Althorpe, Sir Francis Burdett, Sir James Mackintosh, and Robert Smith, Henry Brougham, and Thomas Denman, Esqrs.
The three first of distinguished noble family,—
1 “Lord John Russell’s Memoirs of the Affairs of Europe, &c—The gift of his Grace the Duke of Bedford. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 41]. 2 “Morcelli Inscriptiones.—From his sincere friend, Vassall Holland. There is no writer on the subject of inscriptions worthy to be compared with Morcellus. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 377. 3 “Quis est illo aut nobilitate, aut probitate, aut optimarum artium studio, aut innocentiâ, aut ullo genere laudis præstantior?”—Cic. Orat. pro Marcello. |
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Among the literati, whom his visits to London gave him opportunities of meeting, Dr. Parr always mentioned with marked distinction, Samuel Rogers, Esq,1 and Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Burges, and Mr. Baly of Cumberland-place. The first he admired as a poet, and greatly esteemed as a friend; and the last he praised for qualities which few would appreciate at a higher rate than himself, “as an acute verbal critic, and as a skilful writer of Greek heroics.” In the “Bibliotheca Sussexiana,” lately published, Mr. Pettigrew has displayed his accurate and extensive knowledge as a bibliographer; and Dr. Parr owed to him many obligations for information on the subject, and for assistance in the purchase of books.2 To his “learned friend,”
1 “I give a ring in token of high regard to Samuel Rogers, Esq., author of the justly celebrated poem on the ‘Pleasures of Memory.’”—Last Will of Dr. Parr. 2 “Pettigrew’s Memoirs of Dr. Lettsom, 2 vols Ptttigrew’s Eulogy on Dr. Lettsom.—The above two works were given me by my much respected friend, Mr. T. J. Pettigrew, surgeon, who purchased several books for me with great judgment. S. P.”~Bibl. Parr. p. 408. |
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During a visit in London, in the year 1813, Dr. Parr became acquainted with one of the most extraordinary men of his time, Lord Byron. Though, on his first introduction, he was not very graciously received by the high-born poet, yet this was succeeded by other and more agreeable interviews; and Dr. Parr was led to form a more favourable opinion of his temper and manners. It is at least certain that he was always eager to render the homage of his praise to the elevated genius by which that nobleman was distinguished;2 and that his writings were in the number of the very few works of modern poetry which Dr. Parr could be induced to read. His “Childe Harold,” he thought, incomparably his best production.
It is well known that Dr. Parr was severely
1 Bibl. Parr. p. 514. 2 “Speaking of Lord Byron to a friend—‘He holds my attention,’ said Dr. Parr, ‘and excites my feelings more strongly than any poet I ever read; except,’ added he, after a short pause, ‘the chorusses of Æschylus, and they make me mad.’—‘Byron! the sorcerer! he can do with me as he will. If it be to place me on the summit of a dizzy cliff; if it be to throw me headlong into an abyss; or if to transport me into Elysium, or to leave me alone, on a desert isle—his power is the same!’”—Monthly Mag. Jan. 1826. |
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Writing, during one of his visits in London, to his friend, Mrs. Edwards, thus he exultingly describes the pleasures and the gaieties of his town life:—
“Dear Mrs. Edwards,—This is written by B—, whom I detain in London, that he may see some
1 “Gray’s Works, edited by T. J. Matthias.—Presentation Copy.—No editor ever surpassed Matthias: whom I consider one of the most accomplished scholars of the present day. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 520. |
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On occasion of another visit in London, much in the same strain, he writes to the same friend:—
“Dear Mrs.
Edwards,—I write this to inform you that I am very well; and
that my friends in town are more numerous than ever. I have seen the Duke of Bedford. I have dined with the Duke of Norfolk, and with the Duke of Gloucester, at his Royal Highness’s
mansion; where I met Lord Erskine, who
calls upon me to-day, to give me some books. I dined last Monday with Lords
Donoughmore and Hutchinson; and met Mr. Grattan. He is by far the most wonderful man I
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Dr. Parr was accustomed to speak with something of the gallantry of old times, of the intelligent and accomplished females, whom he had the pleasure to reckon in the number of his friends or acquaintance. In one of his early publications, he has noticed, with approbation, the higher rank in the scale of intellectual and moral improvement, and even of literary distinction, to which women, of late years, have successfully aspired. “They are no longer considered,” says he, “as being what the God of heaven and earth never intended they should be—a useless incumbrance, or a glittering but empty ornament. They are found to be capable both of contributing to our convenience, and of refining our pleasures. Their weakness is, therefore, protected; their fine sensibilities become the object of a regard, which is founded on principle as well as on affection; and their talents are called forth into public notice. Hence the excellence which some of them have displayed in the elegant accomplishments of painting, music, and poetry, in the nice discriminations of biography, in the broader researches of history, and in moral compositions, where the subject is illuminated by the graces of an unaffected and natural eloquence. The truth of this assertion will be readily admitted in an age like our own, which may boast of an
1 See vol. i. p. 219, 220. |
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The excellencies of female character, as presented to his own immediate observation, Dr. Parr was always quick in discerning, and fervent in admiring. Of Mrs. Sheridan,2 the mother of the celebrated orator, the third among the names just enumerated, he often spoke in terms of high and enthusiastic praise. He said that he had several times seen her, and that she was “quite celestial.” A monumental inscription, drawn up by him, commemorates the honour and the happiness of the husband, in having for his wife “the ingenious and amiable author of Sydney Biddulph, and of several dramatic pieces, which have been well received.”3 With equal or greater admiration, Dr. Parr used to talk of the first wife of Mr. Sheridan; and delighted to describe the extraordinary fascination of her person and manners, and the still more powerful attractions of her understanding and her heart. He cordially joined in the compliment of a distinguished prelate, that “she seemed to be the connecting link between angels and women.” During his occasional visits in London, he generally passed a day or two with her venerable mother, Mrs. Linley, then living, at an advanced age, in Southampton-street, Covent-garden. He said that he could discern in her countenance many of the traits which he had admired in her daughter; and, in reference to her,
1 Discourse on Education, p. 59. 77. 2 Moore’s Life of Sheridan, vol. i. p. 11. 3 See App. No. III. |
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Of the literary ladies of his time, whose works he praised, and in whose society he delighted, one was Mrs. Opie. “She unites in herself,” said he to a friend, “qualities which we seldom see combined in the same female. She is well-looking; she writes well; she talks well, sings well, dances well; and is altogether not only a very amiable, but a very fascinating woman.”2 The writer, who had the pleasure of meeting, some years ago, Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton, at Hatton, well remembers the cordial welcome, and the respectful attentions, with which she was received and entertained by her delighted host. Always animated in company, he seemed on that occasion to exceed himself in vivacity and gaiety of spirits; and to rejoice in the opportunity of doing honour to a lady of much literary fame; and still more nobly distinguished by the deep-fixed religious principles, and the high-toned moral sentiments, which marked her character. Dr. Parr entertained the highest respect for the genius and virtues of Mrs. Barbauld,3
1 ChMarsh1835.Parriana. Nov. 1826. 2Ibid. Aug. 1826. 3 Some one said, in Dr. Parr’s presence, that Mrs. Barbauld had written an excellent imitation of the style of Dr. Johnson. Parr—‘She imitate Dr. Johnson! Sir, she has the nodosity of the oak, without its strength—the noise of the thunder without its bolt—the contorsions of the sibyl, without her inspiration.’”—Dr. Gooch in Blackwood’s Mag. Oct. 1815. This |
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Of one excellent lady, now living, Dr. Parr said, “she is for angels to admire, and for men to imitate;” and of another lady, “that her heart has the purity of crystal, without its hardness, and all its brightness, without any of its coldness.” In the fly-leaf of “Rivarol-Discours préliminaire du nouveau Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise,” is inscribed as follows:—“This book was given to Dr. Parr by his beautiful, witty, sagacious, truth-speaking, warm-hearted, and unfortunate friend, Mrs. A. Green, of Lan-Saint-Frede, Monmouthshire.”
Writing to a female friend, thus he expresses himself:—“My dear H—,—Your eyes would have started with tears of joy, if you had read a letter which came to me this morning from two enlightened and pure-hearted ladies. If my frame were stronger, earth would be, in my present condition, almost an anticipation of heaven: and to Him who dwelleth in heaven, my soul ought to be and is
speech, ascribed by mistake to Dr. Parr, was uttered by Mr. Burke. There is in it far more wit than truth. It is remarkable that, of all his imitators, in Dr. Johnson’s own opinion, the best was Mrs. Barbauld: “for she had imitated,” he said, “not only the cadences of his sentences, but the cast of his thoughts.” |
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The following portraiture of female loveliness and dignity, shining forth with mild lustre in the character of a deceased lady whom he greatly venerated, is drawn with extraordinary beauty and energy. She was the daughter of Richard Langley, Esq. of Wykeham Abbey, in Yorkshire, and the relict of John Dealtry, M. D., once the highly-favoured pupil of Boerhaave, and afterwards an eminent physician in the city of York.
“The memory of this excellent woman was retentive: her judgment
was exact; and the knowledge, which she had acquired from books, was both ornamental
and useful; diffusing itself, without ostentation, over the gayest and the most serious
subjects, and adapting itself without effort to the lighter and more important concerns
of social life. Her penetration into the characters of those, with whom she conversed,
was acute, not precipitate; and her remarks upon all their prominent and all their
latent varieties were luminous from good sense, not dazzling from refinement. In the
distinctions, which she made between merit and demerit, her understanding was neither
misled by prejudice, nor warped by envy. Her praise was appropriate without
exaggeration, and her censure was significant without asperity. Formed upon that plan
of education, which prevailed in the reign of George
II., her manners were agreeable and even impressive, from dignified case
and uniform propriety; and she united the most unruffled tem-
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