P. 636. Nathanael Chauncy, esq. was brother of Charles Chauncy, M.D. from whom he inherited a considerable fortune. They were the sons of Mr. Charles Chauncy, a very respectable old citizen of London, a wholesale linen-draper in Cornhill, nearly related, it is believed, to Charles Chauncy, a famous preacher and writer, of Massachusett's Bay. He died at Stoke Newington, Jan. 3, 1763, aged 89, leaving issue, 1. Charles, M.D. F. R. and A. SS. who married Miss Tahourdine, but died without issue, Dec. 25, 1777; 2. Nathaniel, above-mentioned, who left between two daughters 120,000l. (their mother died Jan. 29, 1784); 3. Philip, who died unmarried, April 30, 1783; 4. a daughter; married to William Snell, esq. of Austin Friers, merchant, and of Edmonton, Middlesex; by whom she had issue, inter alios, a son, Charles, who took the name of Chauncy, and married one of the two daughters of his uncle, Nathaniel Chauncy, abovementioned; the other married a Physician. The Libraries of Charles Chauncy, M. D. F. R. S. and F. S. A. and of his brother, Nathaniel Chauncy, esq. very able Scholars and able Bibliomaniacs," were sold by Leigh and Sotheby, in April 1790. 66 Against the wall of Mercers' Hall Ante-chapel is a mural mo nument, consisting of a pyramid of blue marble behind an urn, under which is a base with this inscription: "In the adjoining vault are deposited the remains of Philip Chauncy, Esq. who died April 30, 1763, aged 65 years; of Mrs. Mary Chauncy, who died Jan. 29, 1784, aged 52 years; and of Nathaniel Chauncy, Esq. who died Jan. 29, 1790, aged 73 years." The Rev. Charles Chauncy, Rector of Ayot St. Peter's, Herts, was of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge; B. A. 1757; M. A. 1786. He died in February 1804. P. 642. In the Chancel of St. Mary's Church, Warwick: 1." Sacred to the memory of William Hiorne, late one of the Aldermen of this Borough; whose public character was distinguished by his zeal and integrity, whose private life by humanity and friendship. He died April 22, 1776, aged 64. And of Mary Hiorne, to her husband an affectionate wife, 2. "Sacred to the memory of Francis Hiorne, Esq. F. S. A. many years an Alderman of this Borough. on the 9th day of December, 1789, aged 48 years. P. 659. The Rev. Philip Laurents, Master of the Grammarschool at Bury St. Edmund's, was born in the Island of Jersey, and and was intended by his Parents for the Sea. He embarked on board a Newfoundland vessel, to proceed to the Fishery; but a sudden turn of wind obliged the vessel to put back; and the short trial he had made of a sea-life disgusted him, it seems, from the pursuit of it, for he stayed on shore. From this time he applied to study with incessant assiduity. But the Island did not at that time afford opportunities of making a great progress in classical knowledge. In Arithmetick and other branches of Mathematicks he distinguished himself as a Scholar, and even as a Teacher. At the age of twenty he first crossed the Channel, and came over to England. He entered at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where he resided several years; but took the degree of M. A. in Trinity College, 1768. He was remarked for an insatiable thirst of knowledge, and for capacity and diligence equal to the greatest proficiency. He not only made himself a complete master of the Latin and Greek, but became well acquainted with the Oriental languages. His genius had a peculiar tint of originality. On his entrance into orders he found the avenues to Ecclesiastical Preferment in a great measure barred against a young man who had not great connexions or parliamentary interest. The wide field of Classical Education lay before him, and in this he determined to take his station. He soon entered into a connexion with a Mr. Galliardy, who kept a reputable Academy at Fulham. He married his daughter, and succeeded him. But this Seminary was not likely to confine his attention long. He often lamented the loss of a Scholar who, after having made, under his management, a considerable proficiency in the Classicks, and given him hopes that he would do him credit at the University, was suddenly called to measure tape, or to weigh raisins, behind a counter. When he was congratulating himself on the progress of another, who had presented him with a composition full of genius, he would be teazed with a complaint from the Parent, that the Child was still in Reduction. He took the first opportunity of resigning an employment so grating to a liberal mind, and confined himself for some time to the instruction of a few private pupils. In the year 1776 he was removed into a situation more congenial with the bent of his genius, the Mastership of Bury School. That School was in a comparative state of degradation from the rank which it had enjoyed under a Leeds, a Kynnesman, and a Garnham. In less than two years he restored it to its former eminence. His Plan of Education, conceived by a judgment like his, matured by long experience, and supported by his industry and application, was inferior to none of those Systems which time has sanctioned in the great Schools of Westminster, Eton, and Winchester. The Universities, particularly that of Cambridge, can attest the success of his labours. His grammatical and critical accuracy was such as baffled investigation in any composition which he had corrected. In the exercise of Latin Versification his Scholars were constantly employed; and their consequent improve ment ment in the collateral branches of Literature and of Taste verifies the observation, that none decry that exercise in a public school but those who are willing to conceal their ignorance of the art. His favourite relaxation from the laborious duties of his profession was Botany, in which he reached that eminence which he had attained in every literary pursuit. It was his custom, in the Midsummer vacation, to make a tour on the Continent. His Observations on Flanders, in Arthur Young's "Annals of Agriculture," will please the Scholar, the Farmer, and the Naturalist. Several other papers of his, printed in that truly interesting and patriotic work, deserve to be ranked next to those of a Symonds. In his disposition he was friendly and generous. The various branches of his family often experienced his liberality. He bought a living in Worcestershire, to which he presented one of his Brothers; to one of his Sisters he gave an estate which he inherited in Jersey; and to most of his Relations his purse and his instructions were freely given. To justify these remarkable instances of liberality, it must be observed that he had no children, and that at his death, which happened in November 1787, he left a very ample provision to his widow. In his temper he was open and undisguised. Such was the opinion which the Publick entertained of his abilities and of his application, that, in a dependent situation, he always maintained an independent spirit. P. 660. The Right Hon. Charles Wolfran Cornwall was bred to the Bar; but marrying a Sister of the first Lord Hawkesbury, left the Bar, and came into Parliament. After the Peace of 1763 he was appointed one of the persons to liquidate the German Accompts; for which service he had a pension allowed him. Some time afterwards he joined Lord Shelburne's Party, and was with the Opposition in all the questions concerning the Middlesex Election, the prosecutions respecting Junius's Letters, &c. But in 1774 he was made a Lord of the Treasury; which place he held till the General Election in 1780. Sir Fletcher Norton, who had been Speaker, having given some offence to the Court, when the new Parliament met was refused the chair, and Mr. Cornwall appointed in his room. After this appointment he was made Chief Justice North of Trent; which place he held when he died, together with a pension of 1500l. a year.Mr. Cornwall was very well on Dec. 27, 1788, and dined with a Friend, to whom he facetiously observed, that he should "weather out this storm." On Jan. 1, 1789, at 8 o'clock in the morning, he was considered as out of danger; and a message to that effect was sent to the House of Commons. At 12 the disorder took a fatal turn, and he expired the next morning.-As Speaker, he uniformly conducted himself with affability, dignity, and rectitude of conduct highly becoming his elevated situation. In private life, his behaviour was always that of a Gentleman. His remains were interred at the family burial-place at St. Croix, Wilts, on the 12th. The following is a copy of his Will: "I Charles Charles Wolfran Cornwall do make my last Will and Testament, to the effect following: I do appoint the Rev. Dr. Sturges, of Winchester, John Downes, Attorney-at-law, of the same place, and Samuel Dunn, my Secretary, to be Executors; and I do give them five hundred pounds each. All the rest and residue of my landed or personal property, of what nature soever, and all my estate and interest in the same, I do give to my Execu tors, in trust, that they do apply the whole income and annual produce of such property to the use and behoof of my dear Wife, for her life, in bar of all dower and settlement upon her whatsoever. And from and after her decease, I give to Dr. Sturges the sum of five thousand pounds; and the remainder I give to be equally divided between such Children of Sir George and Lady Cornwall as shall be living at the time of my Wife's death. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, this first day of May 1787. C. W. CORNWALL."—" I direct that my funeral shall be at whatever place, and in whatever manner, my Wife shall appoint; provided that not more than five hundred pounds be expended on the same, inclusive of any monument to be placed where I am buried. C. W. CORNWALL." P. 668. Russel Plumptre was of Queen's College, Cambridge, where he proceeded M. B. 1733, M. D. 1738; appointed Regius Professor of Physick in 1741. He died Oct. 15, 1793, aged 84. He had one daughter, married to Ward, esq. of Wilbraham, co. Cambridge, and since dead. Dr. Plumptre had been for several years Father of the University; and there is no remem brance of so long a resident there as himself. P. 669. Of Dr. Cornewall Tathwell see vol. VI. p. 114. He was a Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford; M. A. 1748; M. B. 1751; M. D. 1755. He was for some time Vicar of Hitchin; and afterwards marrying the daughter of Governor Roberts, of Stamford, April 17, 1759, he removed to that town, where he died in 1773. The following Letter was addressed by him to Dr. Z. Grey : "REVEREND DOCTOR, Edinburgh, April 24, 1748. "I have had the pleasure of hearing you was well several times from my Father since I have been here; and 1 should have done myself the honour to pay my respects by letter before; but, as this place is happily no longer the seat of Rebellion, news from hence is of much less consequence than it was some time ago. However, I very readily embraced this opportunity by a couple of Gentlemen, who, after studying here this Winter, are, like dutiful children, now returning to their Alma Mater. Another of your University, as well as myself, finding the great advantages of this place in the improvement of medical knowledge, are willing to enjoy them something longer. "I had been told so many shocking stories of this place, that I found it much better than I expected. They have one grand Street, which they boast has none equal to it in Europe; only one that comes near it is said to be in Constantinople. The the Castle Castle seems very strong, but is more indebted to Nature than Art; for it stands on all sides, except the entrance from the Town, upon inaccessible rocks. I should have mentioned that the rest of the Town is little more than a kind of Alleys running down on each side from the High Street above. As the Castle is at the upper end, the Palace (Holyrood House), which at present consists of a good Stone Court with a Piazza, and is generally the residence of the Commanding Officer in this part of Britain, is at the lower. Here is a Gallery, furnished with Pictures of the Scotish Kings from Fergus, who bears the date of 300 years before Christ, to James the Seventh; and Shakspeare certainly took his Macbeth from real History, as well as most of his other Plays; for here we find Duncan A. D. 1034, and Macbeth, Malcolm, and Donalbaine, successively reigning after him. The Infirmary is much the prettiest building in Edinburgh, and very well attended, all the Physicians and Surgeons in Town taking care of it in their turns, by which means we have an opportunity of seeing variety of practice; and one of the Professors this Spring has given us Clinical Lectures upon the Patients. Besides other conveniences, it contains one of the most commodious rooms for operations of Chirurgery, being a sort of Amphitheatre, which will hold a great number of people, and the light extremely well thrown upon the area in the middle. "The College is scarce worth describing to you who have so many better before your eyes; but has a pretty good Library; among the curiosities of which are preserved a whole Chest-full of Love Letters of Mary Queen of Scots, and the original Marriage Contract between her and the Dauphin, signed François and Marie; the Protest of the Bohemian Nobility, about Huss and Jerom of Prague (from whence the Reformed got the name of Protestants), which is hung round with their Seals; the Piece of Servetus, called Christianismi Restitutio, for which he was burnt at Geneva; Buchanan's Skull; but I am told they have another edition of this at St. Andrew's, and dispute with them which is the most genuine; perhaps both have an equal title. "In another part of the Suburbs stands a Charity-school for the Maintenance and Education of several Boys, founded by G. Herriot, a Jeweller in King Charles's time, who amassed an immense fortune, and was so intimate with Dr. Harvey, that some ascribe the honour of the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood to him. This is called Herriot's Work, a large square stone building, with a kind of towers at each corner, whose spouts come out like so many cannons, and, together with several quaint inscriptions about it, discover the odd taste of the age in which it was built. Thus his Arms, being three stars, have this motto, Pietas ligat Astra Terris. Over the door, within the court inclosed by the building, is the Founder's Statue, holding a ring set with several stones; under, Hæc corporis effigies, hoc opus est animi; and on the other side of the court is the most curious |