to the last days of her earthly existence, establishes beyond all doubt the truth of this declaration.

The violence of the Hungarians increased the strength of the royal interest, and a pestilence, which spread its awful ravages through this distracted kingdom, so far destroyed the army of the invaders, that the King of Hungary was obliged to retire from the Neapolitan territory. Joanna returned home, accompanied by her cousin, Louis of Taranto, whom she had married, with the approbation of her council. He shewed himself worthy of the alliance, and successfully maintained the rights of his wife and the independence of his country. A subsequent attempt of the Hungarian monarch to gain the ascendency, was frustrated by the firmness of the court of Naples, and the threatened hostilities of the Venetians. That sovereign finally retired to his own dominions, displaying a lofty and noble spirit quite unusual in political treaties, and on that very account rendering him more worthy of our esteem. He relinquished his claims, and refused the pecuniary consideration which the Pope had stipulated to be paid to him.

During a succession of years Joanna cultivated the arts of peace, and the improvement of her kingdom, subject however to those interruptions to which a feudal government ever has been liable. Her reputation for wisdom and goodness extended itself to the neighbouring island of Sicily, and a powerful party there invited her to take upon herself the government of that country, which had been assigned to her ancestors by Pope Clement IV. In the following year she was crowned at Messina, but the turbulence of the Neapolitan princes soon compelled her to return to her capital.

The disorders inherent in the feudal state of society, have always rendered it expedient for the sovereign, being a female, to unite herself in marriage to some prince, or nobleman, whose territorial resources, alliances, or abilities, might strengthen her authority. Joanna feit this during her whole life; and having been deprived by death of her second husband, Louis of Taranto, she now married James of Majorca, whose father was treacherously seized, about the period of her nuptials, by Peter the Cruel, of Arragon, and afterward murdered. This union was productive of little benefit, either to the queen or her kingdom; and when James died in Spain, a few years after, she rejected the solicitations of her counsellors to marry again, and declared her resolution to live in a state of widowhood.

In this age such a resolution might be consistent with prudence, but in the fourteenth century it was pregnant with danger. Joanna bestowed on her cousin, Charles of Durazzo, the hand of her niece, Margaret of Taranto, and declared them inheritors of her throne. Mature consideration suggested this, as the most prudent measure that could be adopted; although subsequent events proved it to be the source of great calamities, particularly to the innocent and unintentional cause of them.

The difficulties and dangers to which the queen was exposed, rendered it prudent for her, some time after, to bestow her hand on Otho of Brunswick, a prince renowned for wisdom, valour, and moderation, who combined a handsome exterior and noble manners, with the virtues most admirable in the man and the prince. Happily the event fully justified her choice.

After several years of peace, this kingdom was visited with its share

of evils, from the contests between the Popes Clement VII. and Urban VI. Charles of Durazzo, whose ambition had never slept, and who had never been restrained by any ties of love or gratitude, accepted the investiture of Naples from Urban; and after carrying on war against his sovereign and benefactor, to which he was stimulated, and in which he was supported, by Louis of Hungary, he finally obtained possession of her person. She suffered all the torments of a close imprisonment for more than nine months, during which period Charles meanly supplicated her to bestow on him her Transalpine provinces, which she nobly refusing, he caused her to be murdered.

During eight months, all the miseries of a harsh captivity were inflicted on Joanna, in hopes that the privations she suffered might subdue her proud spirit, to purchase some amelioration of her condition, by the cession of Provence; but constant to her resolution, the only fruits of these measures was a new testament, made in prison, confirming her former grant to Louis of Anjou.

Whether Joanna was, from any peculiar circumstance, led to suspect that the crisis of her fate was at hand, is unknown; but immediately before the time secretly appointed for her death, she made so powerful an appeal to Charles to spare the life of Otho, that he yielded to her intercession, and probably, as some sort of reparation for his offences to her, treated him well, and finally restored him to liberty.

In the days of her most brilliant prosperity, Joanna had been remarkable for her constant attention to religious observances, and probably, in the hour of her bitter reverse of fortune, they constituted her only consolation. At stated hours, she performed her devotions alone in the chapel of the castle. On the morning of the twenty-second of May, she repaired as usual to the sacred spot, and while she knelt before the altar, imploring forgiveness at the throne of grace for her past offences, whatever they might have been, the Hungarian soldiers secretly entered, and whilst two of them guarded the door, the other two passed a silk cord round her neck, and instantly strangled her.

It is satisfactory to a mind imbued with just feelings, to know that Charles became the instrument of driving from his capital, Urban, who had granted him the investiture of Joanna's throne and kingdom; and that, in his own turn, he fell by the hands of Hungarians, in an attempt to wrest the government of that country from the family of Louis, by whose assistance he had been enabled to destroy his excellent benefactor.

The history of this period is connected with that of the Troubadours, and mere particularly with the names of the best authors in the brightest period of Italian literature. To the contents of this work we refer our readers, for much valuable information on both these subjects, related in a very pleasing and agreeable style. The remarks are just and appropriate, and we congratulate the public on this addition to the literary stores of our native land. We regret that the author has not prefixed his name, which is always of importance in an historical work. In a romance mystery may attract notice, or raise curiosity; but in the sober matter-of-fact business of history, we require to know the historian, as well as the actors. Considerable diligence, penetration, and perseverance, with great candour and impartiality, are exhibited, and a constant reference to authorities; but we cannot be satisfied without a better acquaintance with the writer.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOCIAL LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE LATE DR. JENNER, M. D. LL. D. &c. &c.

By one of his most intimate Friends.

THERE is so much in the contemplation of such a life as Dr. Jenner's, that redeems our opinions of the general corruption and nullity of most human characters, that it is a most agreeable subject of particular speculation.

Having possessed his confidence and friendship in a particular degree, during a considerable period spent under his roof, I can best speak of his domestic habitudes, of his social qualities, of those personal characteristics, which endeared him to his friends. These details will serve to complete the unity of his character, to shew that he was no less amiable in private, than useful in public, life. He was early distinguished in his profession; but natural history, and especially ornithology, was his favourite study; and he unknowingly proposed to Sir Joseph Banks a plan of study for the advancement of this science, which corresponded with that proposed by Addison in the Spectator, viz. the dedication of a whole mind to the consideration of two or three individuals only of the animal kingdom. In pursuance of this plan he chose the cuckoo and the cow; of the one he gave a history, which established his title to originality of mind, and attention to the other elicited the cow-pox. His published writings are, 1. History of the Cuckoo; 2. Inquiry relative to the Qrigin of Variola Vaccina; 3. Observations on the Interference of Herpetic Eruptions with the regular progress of the Vaccine Vesicle, in various medical periodicals, tracts, and circular letters; 4. Letter to Dr. Charles Parry on Artificial Eruptions.

A most interesting inquiry relative to the causes of the migration of birds, made many years ago, at the request of the Royal Society, was revised by Dr. Jenner, with the Rev. G. C. Jenner and myself, for presentation this year, which has been now done by the Rev. G. C. Jenner.

Through the constant and harrassing correspondence relative to vaccination, he had little time to bring forward the great stores of his mind. Vaccination was the steep aim of his ambition; and, with few exceptions, it has achieved more for men's good than any preceding or contemporary invention.

These being his claims as a philosopher, we have now to consider him as a man. He possessed great humility, suavity, and simplicity of manners, with nature's own dignity. His mind was very open, and some times, when it was hinted that he was not enough reserved in many things, he used to say, that "he shewed every thing to his friends but his back." His conversation turned chiefly on topics of a scientific and philosophical cast. In the illustration of such subjects, he made choice of a style particularly simple and perspicuous, though abounding in the use of metaphoric and imaginative terms, which gave to every thing he said a peculiar interest and effect. His diction was free, and not impeded or embarrassed except in public speaking, in which he told me that he could never overcome the difficulty of leading the trembling spirit forth. He grew very animated in discourse, if he saw that he made strong impressions on the minds of his hearers; and was particularly happy in assembling all the analogies that related to the subjects of his conversation, and surrounded them with many sparkling touches of fancy, and many allusions familiar to the heart.

In his rides, when in early practice as a surgeon, he was accustomed frequently to have the society of some friend, to whom he would discourse of favourite topics, and impart his ideas. If any struck the hearer as new or profound, he would request him to take minutes. One anecdote of his literary habits may be given with propriety. It was his practice to pass some time in reflection before rising in a morning; and he often brought detached ideas, or medical aphorisms, on slips of paper, to his breakfast-table, and made these the subject of discussion. These sibylline inspirations often accumulated, till they presented a scene of which he used to say, "Poets speak of but one chaos, but in my house there are many."

Mr. Hunter's comprehensive spirit led him to form a design of adding lectures on Natural History, and Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, to those which he usually gave; and Dr. Jenner was asked to take a part in these. Mr. and Mrs. H. said, "You must come to us."-" No," said he, "I am too fond of the blackbirds at Berkeley." He was especially enamoured of rural scenes, and of those which were native. He preserved a number of associations with green lanes, and certain spots, and certain inanimate objects, from which he derived particular delight. He was fond of prolonging his walks to discuss natural appearances, and matural productions, and would form very interesting speculations concerning their origin and essential attributes, according to the principles of order and utility in the scheme of creation. The last time we walked out together, was one of those melancholy and pensive autumnal days, when the vestiges of summer are gradually receding and giving place to decay. He pointed out to me a recess, where he said there had been a holy well, the superstitions concerning which he explained by reference to natural causes; he marked the progress of a chesnut-tree planted by a relative; the accord of the song of a red-breast with the season; and the uses of some vegetable matter that overspread a pond by the road-side, in preserving the sweetness of the water. Human creatures always drew his attention; and he seemed displeased, if those who were with him stopped not to join in the conversation. I was often much diverted with the facility with which he conversed with the villagers in their own dialect, and adapted himself to their phraseology and capacities. He once said to another, "You pass by these little children as weeds; I treat them at least as vegetables."

Dr. Jenner confessed that he had a natural tendency to indolence. His mind was restless and active, but his execution was slow. He said that he had seldom read a book wholly through, but that he had dipped into all, and that he gained much by leading others to converse of that which they understood best. He could not long preserve uninterrupted attention to any subject, and was given to procrastination. He never attempted long compositions. His style of correspondence, which bore the impress of his original and peculiar ideas, was jocund, easy, and figurative, such, in fine, as, without a natural bias, would have resisted every effort of attainment. It was forcible, notwithstanding he disliked letter writing; his last letters shew his full power. He delayed the publication of his Inquiry into the Laws of the Variola Vaccina for a great length of time, and he has said, that the period might have been indefinite, had he not been told that he would be anticipated.

He was full of the richest scientific information, especially on chemistry and geology. He was more partial to inquiry by means of experiment

and ocular demonstration, than by means of books, according to the precepts and examples of Mr. Hunter, whom he often quoted. He was very acute in tracing cause and effect; and when any thing difficult was proposed, he was in the habit of making use of the phrase of Richard in the soliloquy at Pomfret," Yet I'll hammer it out."

He resembled Haller in many respects, if I can gather somewhat of personal character from the epistles and poetical sentiments of the latter. He took similar views of general and particular benevolence, and of human nature; was partial to similar pursuits, and resembled him in strong affections, though he had less of industry, of melancholy, of religious awe, and of metaphysical penetration. He wrote verses on rural and comic subjects, and, in conversation, produced much that was humorous and epigrammatic. Except some verses on the signs of the weather, his epigrams were the best. I have seen also parodies of Ossian, and facetious specimens of village dialogue. He loved too to trace the origin and analogy of words and names.

He was a great patron of genius without the profession of patronage. Some respectable, and now wealthy and eminent individuals, have been indebted to him at their beginnings. He had much active benevolence. Once on a journey to Bath, he stopped at an inn, the mistress of which had not prospered in her concerns: he immediately proposed to her a situation elsewhere, and undertook to manage the affair, though they had scarcely met before. I inquired of him, "Whence comes all this Doctor?"" It is in the family," said he, "all my family had it."

He ever acted upon the beautiful sentiment of Terence, "Nihil humani a me alienum puto." Col. once observed to me, "The Doctor is always picking up recruits, like a recruiting serjeant." He much wished that servants, and persons in the middle classes of life, should know something of the elementary principles of natural philosophy. I was present at an examination of an individual in the laws of gravitation; the Doctor let fall a knife, and asked why it fell? "Because you let it go," said the person. He then explained the cause; but the pupil seemed cordially to hate philosophy, and was glad to escape.

He condescended to men of low estate," and suffered them to have access to him at all times, and let them tell their own stories, with their usual diffuseness. He housed, clothed, and found instruction, for numbers.

Dr. Jenner had a great dislike to the artificial manners of very high orders of society. "It is all very well," he said, "to attain to a certain rank; but there is one beyond, where mind and nature cease, and man becomes a thing made of imaginary dignity, of form, rule, starch, and ruffles." He was very hospitable, and his house was open to all who came. Though scientific conversation best pleased him, he loved music, and sometimes sang. He did not like to be visited as a lion. He often complained of the way in which the ignorant part of his neighbours appreciated and misrepresented his pursuits. He was cheerful in society, and affected no superiority nor undue restraint. He was fond of little attentions, and remissness in these respects displeased him. His temper was irritable, but soon calmed.—I have said much, and have left much unsaid, of my departed friend, who had the wisdom of the serpent with the simplicity of the dove.