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His laft literary production was his Hiftory of Henry the Second, elaborated by the fearches and deliberations of twenty years, and published with fuch anxiety as only vanity can dictate.

The story of this publication is remarkable. The whole work was printed twice over, a great part of it three times, and many fheets four or five times. The bookfellers paid for the first impression; but the charges and repeated operations of the prefs were at the expence of the author, whofe ambitious accuracy is known to have coft him at least a thoufand pounds. He began to print in 1755. Three volumes appeared in 1764, a second edition of them in 1767, a third edition in 1768, and the conclufion in 1771.

Andrew Reid, a man not without confiderable abilities, and not unacquainted with letters or with life, undertook to perfuade Lyttelton, as he had perfuaded himself, that he was mafter of the fecret of punctuation; and, as fear begets credulity, he was emVOL. IV. ployed,

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ployed, I know not at what price, to point the pages of Henry the Second. The book was at last pointed and printed, and fent into the world. Lyttelton took money for his copy, of which, when he had paid the Pointer, he probably gave the reft away; for he was very liberal to the indigent.

When time brought the History to a third edition, Reid was either dead or discarded; and the fuperintendence of typography and punctuation was committed to a man originally a comb-maker, but then known by the ftyle of Dr. Saunders. Something uncommon was probably expected, and fomething uncommon was at laft done; for to the edition of Dr. Saunders is appended, what the world had hardly feen before, a lift of errors of nineteen pages.

But to politicks and literature there must be an end. Lord Lyttelton had never the appearance of a strong or of a healthy man ; he had a flender uncompacted frame, and a meagre face he lafted however fixty years, and then was feized with his laft illness. his death a very affecting and inftructive ac

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count has been given by his physician, which will spare me the task of his moral character..

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"On Sunday evening the symptoms of his lordfhip's, diforder, which for a week past had alarmed us, put on a fatal appearance, and his lordship believed him"felf to be a dying man. From this time

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he fuffered by restleffness rather than pain; though his nerves were apparently much "fluttered, his mental faculties never feem"ed ftronger, when he was thoroughly "awake.

His lordship's bilious and hepatic complaints feemed alone not equal to the expected mournful event; his long want of

fleep, whether the confequence of the irri"tation in the bowels, or, which is more probable, of causes of a different kind, accounts for his lofs of strength, and for his death, very fufficiently.

Though his lordfhip wifhed his approaching diffolution not to be lingering, "he waited for it with refignation. He

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faid, It is a folly, a keeping me in mifery, now to attempt to prolong life;' yet he was easily perfuaded, for the fatif"faction of others, to do or take any thing thought proper for him. for him. On Saturday he "had been remarkably better, and we were not without some hopes of his recovery.

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"On Sunday, about eleven in the forenoon, his lordship fent for me, and faid "he felt a great hurry, and wished to have

a little converfation with me in order to "divert it. He then proceeded to open the "fountain of that heart, from whence good"nefs had fo long flowed as from a copious

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fpring. 'Doctor,' faid he, you fhall be

my confeffor: when I first set out in the "world, I had friends who endeavoured to "shake my belief in the Chriftian religion. " I saw difficulties which staggered me; but ' I kept my mind open to conviction. The " evidences and doctrines of Christianity, "ftudied with attention, made me a most "firm and perfuaded believer of the Chrif "tian religion. I have made it the rule of my life, and it is the ground of my fu

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ture hopes. I have erred and finned;

" but

"but have repented, and never indulged any " vicious habit. In politicks, and publick

life, I have made publick good the rule of my conduct. I never gave counfels which "I did not at the time think the best. I "have seen that I was fometimes in the

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wrong, but I did not err defignedly. I "have endeavoured, in private life, to do "all the good in my power, and never for "a moment could indulge malicious or unjust designs upon any person whatsoever.”

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"At another time he faid, 'I must leave my foul in the fame state it was in before "this illness; I find this a very inconvenient "time for folicitude about any thing.'

"On the evening, when the symptoms of "death came on, he faid, I fhall die; "but it will not be your fault.' When "lord and lady Valentia came to fee his lordship, he gave them his folemn benedic

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tion, and faid, Be good, be virtuous,

my lord; you must come to this.' Thus

"he continued giving his dying benediction to all around him. On Monday morning "a lucid interval gave fome fmall hopes,

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