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treaty of Amiens was signed, to May 10. 1803, when a renewal of hostilities ensued.

After an interview with the cabinet ministers in London, Lord Whitworth repaired to Knowle, where for some years his lordship chiefly resided, rendering himself exceedingly popular by his attention and politeness to all descriptions of persons. His native county, in the course of the war, furnished large bodies of volunteers and yeomanry, and he himself was not wanting in his exertions to encourage their patriotic efforts. No sooner was the country menaced with a descent, than he raised and clothed, at his own expence, the Holmesdale battalion of infantry, composed of 600 men; and he frequently repaired to their head-quarters at Maidstone to inspect their condition.

On March 2. 1813, Lord Whitworth was made a lord of the King's bed-chamber; on the 14th of June following he was created a peer of Great Britain, by the title of Viscount Whitworth, of Adbaston, in the county of Stafford; and in August succeeded the Duke of Richmond as viceroy of Ireland. At the enlargement of the Order of the Bath in January, 1815, he was made one of the twelve Civil Knights Grand Crosses; and November 25. that year, was advanced to the dignities of Baron Adbaston and Earl Whitworth. He resigned the lieutenancy of Ireland in September, 1817, when Lord Talbot was appointed to succeed him.

The noble Earl's decease took place at Knowle, after only three days illness, on the 13th of May, 1825.

His Lordship's loss is universally lamented by his neighbours, and especially by the poor, to whom he was a sincere, active, and judicious friend. It was his habit and delight to employ, in occupations suited to their strength, poor old men and women about his house, garden, park, and farm. In this useful charity he spent some thousand pounds a year; and the aid privately rendered to objects of compassion in other ways by the earl and his consort were extensive. He was an amiable and kind-hearted man in all the relations of private

life, and was considered by all who knew him, one of the best examples of an English nobleman.

From the "Public Characters," and the "History of the Wars of the French Revolution," the materials of the foregoing memoir have been principally derived. We have also looked at "The Gentleman's Magazine," and "The Monthly Magazine."

121

THE

No. VI.

THE REV. SAMUEL PARR, LL. D.

HE profound erudition, inflexible integrity, and unaffected benevolence of the late Dr. Parr, were so universally acknowledged, and so eminently venerated, that, whatever difference of opinion may exist, with respect to the soundness of some of his opinions, he will ever rank highly among the many excellent and admirable persons who have in the present age conferred honour upon their country, and reflected lustre upon letters. Of his scholastic attainments it becomes few to speak, for few can be found capable of appreciating their value, or of estimating their extent. Equalled, perhaps, by some of his contemporaries in the art of verbal criticism, in rare and elegant classical knowledge he was unquestionably pre-eminent in the learned world. His vast and varied literary resources were acquired, too, not in the ease and leisure of affluence, but under the pressure of haste and poverty; in a situation subject to many mortifications, and wholly unsupported and uncheered by any adventitious advantage or encouragement.

Dr. Samuel Parr was born at Harrow, January 15. 1746-7. His great grandfather was rector of Kirkby Malory, in Lei cestershire, and his grandfather was vicar of Hinckley, in the same county. His father, to use Dr. Parr's own words, in a letter to Dr. Percival, was "an apothecary and surgeon at Harrow, a man of a very robust and vigorous intellect." The family (of which a pedigree is printed in Nichols's Leicestershire, iv. 725.), was of the highest respectability, and had produced many divines; but was greatly reduced through persevering Jacobitism, and Mr. Parr himself advanced nearly his whole property (8007) in aid of the Pretender. The son, there

fore, was brought up a Tory; but Dr. Parr has said, that his father, by giving him Rapin to read when very young, first loosened his early political sentiments. He was considered a boy of very precocious talents, and had attained extraordinary grammatical knowledge of Latin at four years of age. Of his critical acumen he gave the first specimen at that early period of his life; on an occasion when, being called from his boyish play to the surgery, to compound medicines, he revengefully pointed out to his father a mistake he had made in a genitive case in a Latin prescription, which drew from the latter the animated correction of, "Sam, d-n the prescription, make the mixture."-There is another characteristic anecdote of Dr. Parr at that period of his life, which he was himself in the habit of telling with great glee, The use of laudanum, then, we believe, called "Thebaic tincture," was at that time rare among country practitioners. Dr. Parr's father, like many other men of strong intellect, was somewhat of an experimentalist; and he began cautiously to introduce this medicine into his prescriptions. One old lady among his patients was suffering from some painful complaint which he was at a loss how to palliate or relieve. Returning from visiting her one morning, he sat down to enter a prescription in his day-book; in doing which he paused, and after some hesitation wrote, erased, and wrote again. The prescription was made up by his son, and the next morning Mr. Parr, after having seen his patient, came back in high spirits. "Sam," said he, " you will live to see this new medicine work wonders."-" Indeed, Sir." "Yes, my boy; I ventured yesterday to increase the dose from ten drops to fifteen; and Mrs. — has passed a more comfortable night than she has known for the last two months; and I think I shall venture fifteen drops again."-"You may do that, Sir, safely."-" Don't be rash, boy. Beginners are always too bold. How should you know what is safe?"-" Because, Sir, when I made up the prescription, I doubled the dose you ordered."—"Doubled the dose! you dog, how dared you do that?""Because, Sir, I saw you hesitate."

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When between nine and ten years old, he lost a tender mother, for whom he ever felt and avowed a strong affection; and on his father marrying again before the expiration of twelve months, the son refused to exchange his mourning weeds for the new coat with lappets, ordered for him on occasion of the new wedding.

The

At Easter, 1756, young Parr was admitted on the foundation of Harrow School, where he became head boy in January, 1761, at the early age of fourteen; at that time particularly attracting the notice of the head-master, Dr. Sumner. Here he was contemporary with Mr. Halhed, Sir William Jones, and Dr. Bennett, late Bishop of Cloyne; with the two latter of whom he devised a political play. With those personages his friendship was ardent and constant through life. elite of the school were accustomed to perform voluntary exercises; and an interesting detail is given in Lord Teignmouth's Memoirs of Sir William Jones, of their manly games and principles. The first literary attempt of Dr. Parr was reported by himself to have been a drama founded on the Book of Ruth; and possibly, had he been born in Milton's age, he would have been a poet. It is to be regretted that all the youthful exercises of this singular republic of boys were subsequently stolen and taken to Holland. Sermons are in existence, written by Dr. Parr, at the early age of fourteen.

Soon after the above-mentioned date, Dr. Parr left school, his father wishing to educate him in his own profession, and "for two or three years," says he, "I attended to his business." He had a most yearning desire to obtain the advantages of academic education and honours, but his step-mother was opposed to the expence, and influenced his father to make the condition of his going to the University, his entry as a sizar. This was what his independent spirit could not brook after quitting his school-fellows as an equal. His father gave him a month to determine whether he would accept the prof fered terms, or relinquish college altogether; he chose the latter alternative; but parental pride subsequently advanced

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