man; and he both detested, and scorned to imitate, the vituperative attacks of those who, by recurring to scurrility and personality, forget the first duty of a Christian divine.'-(Annual Biography and Obituary for 1817, p. 440.)

*6. 1813.-GRANVILLE SHARP DIED.

Granville Sharp first became known as a philanthropist by the remarkable case of Somerset, a poor negro. This person having been brought from the West Indies by his master, on falling into a bad state of health was abandoned by him, and turned into the streets of London. Mr. Sharp, struck with his deplorable condition, caused him to be admitted into St. Bartholomew's Hospital, attended personally to his wants, and, after his cure, provided him with a re-spectable service. His inhuman master, finding him in this situation, seized upon him as his property, and committed him to prison as a runaway slave. The poor negro made his case known to his former benefactor, who instantly applied to the Lord Mayor, by whom the parties were summoned before him. On hearing the cause, the magistrate pronounced Somerset perfectly free; but the master, immediately seizing him by the collar, insisted upon keeping him. Mr. Sharp claimed the protection of the English law for the slave, instituted a prosecution against the master for an assault, and in fine, after various legal proceedings, supported by him with the most determined spirit, the twelve judges unanimously concurred in an opinion that the master had acted criminally; and thus by Mr. Sharp's means the state of slavery was for ever banished from Great Britain.

Such an incident as that we have just related could not fail deeply to impress a benevolent mind, and slavery in every shape became the object of his unceasing hostility. His exertions in favour of one negro interested him in the condition of the many others who are seen deserted and begging about the streets of London; and, at his own expense, he col

lected a number of them, whom he sent back to Africa, where they formed a colony on the river Sierra Leone, which was the precursor of the later negro establishment in the same quarter. He performed a much more essential service to humanity by becoming the institutor of that Society for the abolition of the Slave Trade, which, after contending against a vast mass of prejudiced and interested opposition, at length gloriously succeeded. Similar principles led him to use his endeavours to restrain the arbitrary practice of marine impressment; and, a citizen of London having been carried off by a press warrant, Mr. Sharp took the pains of procuring a habeas corpus from the King's Bench to bring him back from a vessel at the Nore, and by his arguments obliged that court to liberate him.

Mr. Sharp was an able linguist, deeply read in divinity, and well acquainted with the scriptures in the original tongues. He was pious and devout without gloom, strictly moral and temperate, a great lover of music, and cheerful in conversation. His services to humanity were distinguished, and not many persons in private life have more deserved honourable commendation. He possessed a very extensive library, in which the theologian, lawyer, classical scholar, politician, antiquary, and orientalist, might find almost every thing of which they could stand in need; and his collection of Bibles was esteemed the best in the kingdom; some of these last he gave to the Library of the British and Foreign Bible Society, of which he was a zealous promoter. The works of Mr. Sharp consist of a variety of Tracts, many of them on important subjects, and are enumerated in Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary, vol. xxvii, p. 409. For further particulars of this excellent man, consult this work, and Aikin's Biographical Dictionary, vol. x, p. 456.

*6. 1815.-SAMUEL WHITBREAD DIED. The following tribute to the memory of this great man was delivered by the Marquis of Tavistock in the

House of Commons, on moving for a new writ for the borough of Bedford : 'Accustomed to defend his opinions with warmth and earnestness, the energies of his ample and comprehensive mind would never permit the least approach to tameness or indifference. But no particle of animosity ever found a place in his breast, and he never carried his political enmities beyond the threshold of this House. It was his uniform practice to do justice to the motives of his political opponents; and I am happy to feel, that the same justice is done to his motives by them. To those who were more immediately acquainted with his exalted character; who knew the directness of his mind, his zeal for truth, his unshaken love of his country, the ardour and boldness of a disposition incapable of dismay, his unaffected humanity, and his other various and excellent qualities, his loss is irreparable. But most of all will it be felt by the indigent in his neighbourhood. Truly might he be called the poor man's friend. Only those who, like myself, have had the opportunity of observing his conduct nearly, can be aware of his unabated zeal in promoting the happiness of all around him. His eloquent appeals to the House in favour of the unfortunate, will adorn the pages of the future historian; while, at the present moment, they afford a subject of melancholy retrospect to those who have formerly dwelt with delight on the benevolence of a heart that always beat, and on the vigour of an intellect which was always employed, for the benefit of his fellow creatures !'

7.-THOMAS A BECKET.

This haughty prelate was born in London, in the year 1119, and was the son of Gilbert, a merchant, and Matilda, a Saracen lady, who is said to have fallen in love with him when he was a prisoner to her father in Jerusalem. Thomas received the first part of his education at Merton Abbey in Surrey, whence he went to Oxford, and afterwards studied at Paris,

In 1159, he made a campaign with King Henry to Toulouse, having in his own pay 1200 horse, besides a retinue of 700 knights or gentlemen.

For further particulars respecting Becket we refer to T. T. for 1814, pp. 166-172, and T. T. for 1815, p. 220.

*7. 1307.-Edward ii beGAN TO REIGN.

It is not easy to imagine a man more innocent or inoffensive than this unhappy king; nor a prince less fitted for governing that fierce and turbulent people subjected to his authority. He was obliged to devolve on others the weight of government, which he had neither ability nor inclination to bear; the same indolence and want of penetration led him to make choice of ministers and favourites, which were not always best qualified for the trust committed to them. The seditious grandees, pleased with his weakness, and complaining of it, under pretence of attacking his ministers, insulted his person, and invaded his authority; and the impatient populace, ignorant of the source of their grievances, threw all the blame upon the king, and increased the public disorders by their faction and insolence.-(Hume.)

*7. 1799.-WILLIAM CUrtis died.

Mr. Curtis was brought up to the medical profession, and practised in concert with a Mr. Talwin of Gracechurch-street; but his irresistible penchant for botany was found by his partner to interfere too much with his profession. The strec-walking duties of a city practitioner but ill accorded with the wild excursions of a naturalist; the apothecary was soon swallowed up in the botanist, and the shop exchanged for a garden. Mr. Curtis, therefore, became a lecturer on the principles of natural science, and a demonstrator of practical botany. His pupils frequented his garden, studied in his library, and followed him into the fields in his herborizing excursions. His first garden was situated at Bermondsey; afterwards he occupied a more extensive one at Lambeth Marsh, which he

finally exchanged for a more salubrious and commodious spot at Brompton. This last garden he continued to cultivate till his death.

His botanical labours have placed him in the very first rank of English writers in this department of science. The splendid Flora Londinensis,' of which a new edition has lately been announced; the Botanical Magazine,' now continued monthly by Dr. Sims; the Observations on British Grasses,' and 'Lectures on Botany,' bear ample testimony to his ability and industry, and are imperishable monuments of his fame as a botanist. The sale of the Botanical Magazine was extensive beyond all former example, and this work still preserves its well-merited celebrity. The Lectures on Botany are an excellent introduction to this pleasing science,

*13. 1718.-WILLIAM PENN DIED.

15. SAINT SWITHIN.

Swithin, in the Saxon Swithum, received his eleri. cal tonsure, and put on the monastic habit, in the old monastery at Winchester. He was of noble parentage, and passed his youth in the study of grammar, philosophy, and the scriptures. Swithin was promoted to holy orders by Helmstan, Bishop of Win chester, at whose death, in 852, King Ethelwolf granted him the see. In this he continued eleven years, and died in 868. Swithin desired that he might be buried in the open churchyard, and not in the chancel of the minster, as was usual with other bishops; and his request was complied with: but the monks on his being canonized, considering it disgraceful for the saint to lie in a public cemetery, resolved to remove his body into the choir, which was to have been done, with solemn procession, on the 15th of July. It rained, however, so violently for forty days succeeding, that the design was abandoned as heretical and blasphemous, and they honoured his memory by erecting a chapel over his grave, at which many miraculous cures of all kinds