the Dr. had been dismissed by him' as a phyfician. For Mr. Hutchinfon would never have been fo folicitous about the publication of the left behind him, had he, as papers this report would infinuate, repented of thofe already publifhed in his life-time. This perfon is living, and ready to teftify the truth of what is here related. The following let. ter wrote by the reve end Mr. Julius Bate to a friend, w:.h their leave to publish it, may ferve as a refutation of this report. • DEAR SIR, I am greatly furp-ifed at a story a lady, it feems, propagates, at Epfom, that Mr. Rowe told her, 'that Dr. Mead told him, that Mr. • Hutchinfon apprehended his writings would do mifchief, and that upon his death-bed he recanted the publication of them. The Doctor is dead, but Mr. Rowe, I hope, living, and, by what I could judge when I had the pleasure of being introduced to him by you, a man of great worth and merit, and if he will justify the lady's ftory, it muft then lay upon the deceafed 'Dr. Mead; to whom, I am firinly convinced, as I can be of any negative, that no fuch words were Spoken by Mr. Hutchinson, or a y thing tending that way. I was 'with Mr. Hutchinfon all the illness that robbed us of that invaluable life: and am pofitive Dr. Mead was never with him, but when I was by; and it was but few hours, 'day or night, that I was from 6 him. Mr. Hutchinfon had not been long ill when he took a difgult to Dr. • Mead, and fo: bad his further attendance; which the Dr. much ⚫ wondered at, and feemed greatly ' to refent. Lucas, myfelf, and fome body elfe, I forgot who, were • ftanding by the bedfide one day 66 6. 66 when Dr. Mead came in; and L • believe it was the laft time he was up ftairs. "Mr. Hutchinson, fays the Dr. among other things, I "cannot help looking upon you as one of the old prophets with his difciples, ftanding about him with concern and attention in their "faces, catching up the golden "words as they drop," 6 or to that effect. Doctor, fays Mr. Hutchinfon, If I am a prophet, what are you? I have given you fuch evidence -look to it before it is too "late." I well remember the compliment above; and it is hardly to be fuppoled that Dr. Mead meant to call him a falfe prophet, who, no doubt, believed in the prophets; and would not make to bad a compliment to his patient as calling him a falfe one: nor did Mr.Hutchisfon acknowledge him felf as a falfe one, as now is faid. am very pofitive as to the purport of the words above, and the filence it truck the Doctor into, His fentinents and Mr. Hutchinfon's in religion were widely diff ferent, but I cannot think, that the Doctor could, out of refentment,' or from any other motive, fling out 'fuch a story; and therefore, much question the lady having Mr. Rowe's authority; whom I thould I believe, that Dr. Mead told him fo, if he fays it. But that Mr. Hutchinfon ever faid any fuch thing to the Doctor, I as firmly difbelieve, and know to be falle, as far as any negative of that nature can be known to be fo. You may fhew thi to whom you pleate, ⚫ and I think the above confutes the ftory; for the Dr. would hardly have complimented Mr. Hutchinfon with being a prophet, had O N Sunday Jan. 4, 1761, died at his parfonage-houfe at Teddington, univerfally lamented, in the 83d year of his age, the reverend Dr. Stephen Hales, F.R.S. member of the royal academy of fciences at Paris, and clerk of the closet to her royal highness the princefs dowager of Wales. If any man might ever be faid to have devoted his whole life to the public good of mankind, it was Dr. Hales. He poffeffed a native innocence and fimplicity of manners, which the characters of other men, and the customs of the world, could never alter; and tho' he often met with many unworthy objects of his kind and charitable offices, yet they never once leffened his natural and unwearied difpofition of doing good and relieving distress. His temper, as well as the powers of his understanding, were happily fitted for the improvement of natural philofophy, poffeffing, as he did, in an uncommon degree, that induftry and patient thinking, which Sir Ifaac Newton ufed modeftly to declare, was his own only fecret by which he was enabled fo fortunately to trace the wonderful analysis of nature. Dr. Hales began his enquiries into natural knowledge very early in life, and he continued it uniformly as his darling amufement, being engaged in experiments till within a few weeks of his death. His induftry had likewife this farther excellence, that it was always pointed at the general good of his fellow creatures, agreeable to the unlimited benevolence of his heart; and being animated with the fuc cefs of fome of his more ufeful dif coveries, his knowledge appeared to every body near him to feed his mind with a nourishment which gave him, in the decline of life, and even in its laft ftages, that vigour and ferenity of understanding, and clearnefs of ideas, which fo few poffefs, even in the flower of manhood; and which he used often to fay, hé valued as the most perfect of all human pleasures. His great invention of the ventilators, after much uncandid oppofition, was at laft univerfally adopted; and will be a lafting memorial what service even one man, in private life, may render to the community. His great merit did not pafs unnoticed in his retirement at Teddington, her royal highness the princefs dowager of Wales having been pleafed unfolicited to appoint him to be her clerk of the closet, very wifely confidering him as a valuable acquifition to any court. There were two things in his character, which particularly dif tinguished him from almoft every other man: The first was, that his mind was fo habitually bent on acquiring knowledge, that, having what he thought an abundant income, he was folicitous to avoid any further preferment in the church, left his time and attention might thereby be diverted from his other favoutite and useful occupations. The other feature of his charac ter Legiflator prudentiffimus, Vel Solone et Lycurgo illuftrior, Leges, quafcunque voluit, Statuit, fixit, promulgavit; Omnes quidem cum civibus fuis, vero hofpitibus, advenis, peregrinis Gratas, jocundas, utiles. Voluptatum arbiter et minifter, Sed gravis, fed elegans, fed urbanus, Et in fummâ comitate fatis adhibens feveritatis, Imprimis curavit, Ut in virorum et fœminarum cœtibus. § Civitatem hanc celeberrimam, Non modò pulcherrimis ædificiis auxit, Sed præclarâ difciplinâ et moribus ornavit : Quippe nemo quifquam To wperov melius intellexit, excoluit, docuit. Juftus, liberalis, benignus, facetus, Atque amicus omnibus, præcipuè miferis et egenis, Nullos habuit inimicos,. Præter magnos quofdam ardeliones, Et declamatores eos triftes et fanaticos, Qui generi humano funt inimiciffimi. Pacis et patriæ amans Ut nullus alteri petulanter maledicere, Fuit quanquam potentiffimus, Omnia arbitrio fuo gubernans : Haud tamen ipfa libertas Magis ufquam floruit Gratiâ, gloriâ, auctoritate. Singulare enim temperamentum invenit, (Rem magnæ cogitationis, Et rerum omnium fortaffe difficillimam). Quo ignobiles cum nobilibus, pauperes cum divitibus, Talem virum, tantumque ademptum, Lugeant Mufe, Charitefque ! Lugeant Veneres, Cupidinefque ! Lugeant omnes juvenum et nympharum His figure fingular, but comely and The A Lthough I doe not foe often as is defired (by mee) acquaint you how it is with me, yet I doubt not of your prayers on my behalfe, that in all things I may walk as becometh the gospel. Truly I never more needed all helps from my Chriftian friends than nowe; fain would I have my service accepted of the faints (if the Lord will) but it is not foe, beinge of different judgments, and of each fort fome feekinge to propagate their owne, that fpirit of kindneffe that is to them all, is hardly accepted of any: I hope I can fay, it, my life has been a willing facrifice, and my hope is for them all, yet it much falls out, as when the two Hebrews were rebuked, you knowe upon whom they turned theire displeasure: But the Lord is wife, and will, I truft, make manifeft that I am no enemie. VOL. IV. O howe eafie is mercie to be abused! Perfuade friendes with you to be very fober; if the day of the Lord be fo neare (as fome fay) howe fhould our moderation appear! If every one instead of contendinge, would juftify his forme by love and meekneffe, Wisdom would be juftified of her children; but, alafs! I am in my temptation ready to say, O would I had winges like a dove, then would I fle away and be at reft! But this I fear is my hafte. I bleffe the Lord, I have fomewhat keepes me alive, fome fparkes of the light of his countenance, and fome fynceritye above man's judg ment. Excufe mee thus unbowelling myfelfe to you, and pray for mee, and defire my friendes to doe foe alfo. My love to thy dear wife, whome I indeed entyrely love, both naturally, and upon the best account; and my bleffinge, if it be worth any thinge, upon thy little babe. Sir George Afcough having occafions with you, defired my letters to you on his behalfe; if hee come or fend, I pray you fhow him what favour you can; indeed his fervices have been confiderable for the state, and I doubt he has not beene anfwered with suitable respect; therefore againe I defire you and the commiffioners to take him into a very peculiar care, and helpe him soe farr as juftice and reafon will any waies afford: Remember my hearty affections to all the officers; the Lord bleffe you all, foe prayeth |