ago.

-

In Kilmainham Hospital, John Henderson, pensioner. He completed his 106th year, on the 5th of last March. He was present at the battle of Culloden; the capture of Quebec, under Wolfe; of the Havannah, under Pocock; the battles of Bunker's Hill, &c.

Lately. Captain Felix M'Donough, the author of a work entitled "The Hermit in London," which originally appeared in weekly numbers in the Literary Gazette, and afterwards in 3 vols. 182.. Also of "The Hermit in the Country," and many other works of light literature.

Mr. R. Seymour, the caricaturist, who, it appears, with all his relish for, and quick perception of, the humourous, was subject to dreadful fits of melancholy and despondency, in one of which he committed suicide. His illustrations of "The Book of Christmas," and "The Library of Fiction," gave good promise of his becoming a distinguished artist. He supplied, from its commencement to his death, a period of nearly five years, the political sketches of the weekly sheet called "Figaro in London."

APRIL

2. At the Cape of Good Hope, aged 78, William Wilberforce Bird, esq., late comptroller of customs for that colony, formerly M.P. for the city of Coventry, and uncle to the bishops of Chester and Winchester.

4. At Ely-house, Dover-street, aged 76, the right rev. Bowyer Edward Sparke, D.D., Lord Bishop of Ely, official visitor of Peterhouse, St. John's, and Trinity colleges, Cambridge, and visitor to the Master of Trinity college, F.R.S. and F.S.A. His lordship was the son of William Sparke, esq. major of the 48th regiment; He distinguished himself at the University of Cambridge, where he was a scholar, and afterwards a Fellow, of Pembroke college. In 1779 he obtained sir W. Brown's medal for a Greek Ode; in 1782 he took his Bachelor's degree as Seventh Wrangler; in 1783, and again in 1784, he obtained the second member's prize. He proceeded M.A. 1785, B. and D.D. 1803. He was tutor to the present duke of Rutland, and to that circumstance owed his elevaHis Grace aption in the church. pointed him one of his chaplains, and presented him, in 1789, to the rectory of Waltham on the Wolds, in Leicestershire; in 1800, to the vicarage of Scalford; and before the close of the same year, to the rectory of Redmile, both in the same county. In May, 1803, he was appointed dean of Bristol; and in Oct. following, he took the vicarage of St. Augustine's in that city. At the close of 1808 he was collated by bishop Dampier to the rectory of Leverington, in the isle of Ely (which is now held by his son). In Oct., 1809, he was nominated bishop of Chester, and in May, 1812, translated to Ely. Bishop Sparke was the author of "Elegia Thomæ Gray Græcè reddita. Curavit B. E. Sparke, A.M." 1794, being one of several translations of Gray's Elegy made about that period. He also published: "Concio apud Synodum Cantuariensem, Æde Paulina habita in kal. Junii, 1807." "A Charge at his Primary Visitation of the Diocese of Ely 1813; another at his second Quadrennial Visitation 1817. Also the following single sermons on the 30th January, 1810, before the House of Lords; at the Foundling Hospital 1810; for the Royal Humane Society

1814.

congregation. William was one of many children, neither the oldest nor the youngest. Having received the first rudiments of his education under the care of a schoolmaster in the neighbourhood, he was placed with a private tutor in Norwich, whom he left in 1773 for the Dissenting College, Hoxton. At this seminary he studied above five years under the tuition of doctors Rees and Kippis. Young Godwin had been bred a Calvinist, and the opinions of his present teachers were inclined to Unitarianism; but his persuasions were so firmly fixed, that opposition only made him more tenaciously adhere to them. On leaving the abovenamed college he was, in 1778, admitted a member of the non-conforming church, and entrusted with the care of a congregation near London; but he shortly after became minister of a meeting-house at Stowmarket, in Suffolk. In a few years (1782) he gave up the office and duties of a preacher, and repaired to London, resolving to gain a livelihood and subsistence by literature alone. His first publication, on arriving there, was a series of six sermons, called "Sketches of History," which appeared in 1784. He soon got himself engaged as a principal conductor of the "New Annual Register," a situation from which he derived a small but certain income. the historical part of this work he had occasion to treat of the affairs of the United Provinces, at the time when the Dutch endeavoured to throw off the yoke of the Stadtholder. This sketch he re-issued separately. Mixing amidst the violent and democratic politicians of the day, Mr. Godwin's name fast hastened into notoriety. He was particularly noticed by Fox and Sheridan, who, finding the opinions he expressed in unison with theirs, courted and recompensed his natural bias, by enlisting him as one of their advocates. The French Revolution breaking out in 1789, gave an impetus to the powers of his mind, which nourished and produced an extraordinary work called "Political Justice," put forth in 1793. This was a bold and astounding piece of writing, which became so popular, that the poorest mechanics were known to club subscriptions for its purchase.

In

In a

short time the author himself saw he had transgressed the bounds of pru dence, and in what was called a second edition, recanted many of the most

erroneous and alarming doctrines of the first. The next year he published the novel of "Caleb Williams," This novel was written to exhibit

a general review of the modes of domestic despotism by which man becomes the destroyer of man." Mr. Godwin did not appear again as an author till 1797, when he published a series of essays under the title of "The Enquirer," chiefly following up and illustrating the political tenets of his former works. In this year he was united to the well known Mary Wolstonecraft, authoress of a "Vindication of the Rights of Woman," whose independent and more than masculine spirit of defiance to the authority of man he most ardently admired. He had lived with her for some short time before their marriage, and "the principal motive (he says) for complying with the ceremony was the circumstance of Mary's being in a state of pregnancy." His wife likewise brought with her a natural daughter, then about three years of age, the consequence of a former connexion. A few months after her marriage, Mrs. Godwin died in giving birth to a daughter, now widow of the poet Shelley, and authoress of "Frankenstein." The following year Mr. Godwin wrote and published the " Memoirs of Mary Wolstonecraft." His next work was the romance of "St. Leon," published in 1799. In the year 1800 he went to Ireland, where he resided a short time with Curran, and associated with Grattan and other Irish patriots. During his absence, a tragedy he had written, called "Antonio; or, the Soldier's Return," was represented at Drury-lane Theatre, and performed only one night. In 1801, Mr. Godwin again married. In this year he published "Thoughts on Dr. Parr's Spital Sermon," being a reply to the attacks made on him by Dr. Parr, Mr. Mackintosh, and others. The next publication to which we find his name attached is a "Life of Chaucer, 1803," which was followed in 1804 by a third novel, entitled "Fleetwood," but which was not equal to its predecessors. After this period Mr. Godwin was for some time little heard of. He was, however, still in London; and in one of its most populous parts, Skinner-street, had opened a bookseller's shop, where, under the assumed name of Edward Baldwin, he was ushering forth little

66

works for the instruction and entertainment of young people: many of these were written by himself, under the name already mentioned, and bear the following titles:-"Pantheon; or, the History of the Gods of Greece and Rome." "A History of England," "Outlines of English History," for very young children. "History of Rome." "History of Greece." "Outlines of English Grammar;" and "Fables," ancient and modern. These little books are still on sale, and some of them have passed through several editions. In 1807 he made another unfortunate dramatic attempt in producing "Faulkner," a tragedy, at Drury-lane Theatre. The year following he published an "Essay on Sepulchres; or, a proposal for erecting some memorial of the Illustrious Dead in all Ages, in the spot where their remains have been interred." After a short pause he again came forth with "The Lives of Edward and John Philips," Milton's nephews and pupils. (4to., 1815.) a work written in a pleasing style. He also communicated some letters to the Morning Chronicle newspaper, under the signature Edax, " On the assumed grounds of the War," which were collected and republished in the same year. In 1817 "Mandeville" appeared; and his next work was " A Controversial Essay on Population" (1820), in opposition to the "Theories of Malthus that subject. He was now busily engaged in writing "A History of the Commonwealth of England, from its Commencement to the Restoration of Charles the Second;" the first volume of which came from the press in 1824; the others followed annually, the last appearing in 1828. In 1830 he published "Cloudesley," a dull though clever novel; and, in 1831, " Thoughts on Man; his Nature, Productions, and Discoveries, interspersed with some particulars respecting the author," a series of essays in the style and manner of his earlier works. His last work, “The Lives of the Necromancers," appeared in 1834. His last few years were rendered comfortable by an appointment, which he received during the adminis tration of earl Grey, to the sinecure office of Yeoman Usher of the Exchequer. He resided latterly in the residence attached to this office, adjoining the Speaker's gateway in New Palaceyard, and which was pulled down only a

on

few months ago. By his second wife Mr. Godwin had one child, a son, who a few years since fell a victim to the Asiatic cholera, leaving behind him an unfinished work of fiction, entitled "Transfusion." Of the portraits of Mr. Godwin, the best and most approved is by Northcote, painted in 1800; this Mr. Godwin had retained in his own possession. Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait, now in the possession of Dr. Batty, is good-but excelled by his spirited sketch of Godwin and Holcroft, taken as they were sitting side by side after the trial of the latter. Mr. Godwin received for his work on "Political Justice," 7004.; for "Caleb Williams," 84l.; and for "St. Leon," 400 guineas.

8. At his seat Thorncroft, near Leatherhead, James Trower, esq., one of the masters of the High Court of Chancery, one of his Majesty's counsel, and a bencher of Lincoln's Inn.

12. At Sussex-place, Regent's-park, aged 78, Nathaniel Gosling, esq.

At Oakhill, the hon. Mrs. Tuson. 13. Aged 64, the right hon. Harriet lady Carteret.

At Southampton. aged 52, Peter Rainier, esq., a post captain in the Royal Navy, a naval aid-de-camp to his majesty,

and C.B.

At Southsea, commodore Henry Deacon, R.N. He served in admiral Byng's fleet in the action off Minorca in 1758, and was present at the execution of that officer in the following year in Portsmouth harbour.

15. At Glasgow, lieut.-colonel James M'Nair, of Greenfield, K. H., lieut.colonel of the 73rd regiment.

At Jenner's Hill, Cheshunt, aged 84, sir Joseph Esdaile, knt., many years silver stick in waiting to King George the Third.

16. In New Ormond-street, aged 42, Mr. Edmund Edmonds, formerly editor of an unstamped weekly paper, called the "Metropolitan Gazette," but latterly an attorney's clerk at the police-offices, and in the Central Criminal Court. A coroner's jury returned a verdict, "That the deceased destroyed himself in a state of temporary mental derangement." He was the son of a Baptist minister, and brother to Mr. George Edmonds, the radical leader of Birmingham.

18. At Charlton, aged 60, the right hon. Elizabeth Jane, countess of Suffolk and Berkshire.

18. At Bath, in her 83rd year, lady Pegge, widow of sir Christopher Pegge, Regius professor of medicine at Oxford. 19. At Wardour Castle, aged 26, the right hon. Francis Catharine lady Arundell.

At Southwell, Nottinghamshire, in his 82nd year, the rev. William Barrow, LL.D. and F.A.S., Prebendary of Southwell and rector of Beelsby. He was a native of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and received the former part of his education at the school of Sedbergh, and the latter at Queen's College, Oxford. In 1778, he obtained one of the Chancellor's prizes for an "English Essay on the right improvement of an Academical Education." He gra

duated B.A. 1778, M.A. 1783, B. and D.C.L. 1785. In 1782 he became master of the academy in Soho-square, which flourished under his care until his retirement from it in 1799. In the spring of that year he preached the

Bampton Lectures," before the University of Oxford, and shortly afterwards, he went to reside at Southwell, where the first fruits of his leisure was an "Essay on Education." In the years 1806 and 1807, he filled the office of select preacher to the University of Oxford, and in 1808 was specially appointed to preach upon Oriental Translations, in consequence of a donation of sixty guineas by the rev. Dr. Claudius Buchanan, to be bestowed upon two members of the University for two sermons upon that subject. The other preacher was Dr. Nares, the present professor of modern languages, and both sermons were published.

20. At Gloucester, in his 80th year, James Wood, esq., banker. He was born at Gloucester, October 7, 1756. In combination with the bank, Mr. Wood to the day of his death kept a shop, such as comes within the description of a chandler's shop, in which he sold almost anything that any person might be inclined to purchase-from the mousetrap to the supply for a merchant shipping order. At one end of this shop, the business of the "Old Gloucester Bank" was transacted, and the whole establishment consisted of the deceased, and two clerks or assistants. His habits were very penurious. The personal property of the deceased was sworn under 900,000%.

22. At Downhill, county Londonderry, aged 47, Sir James Robertson Bruce,

the second baronet of that place, vicelieutenant of the county, and major of the Londonderry militia.

Sir William Sheridan, K.C.H., a lieut.-general in the army.

25. At Wouldham, aged 21, the hon. Francis de Grey, of Worcester College, Oxford, youngest son of lord Walsingham. He imprudently entered the water with all his clothes on to secure a boat that was drifting down the Medway. He was unable to reach the boat, and becoming exhausted, sank.[See p. 53.]

26. At Halswell-house, Anne, wife of colonel Tynte, M.P. for Bridgewater, and mother of the member for West Somerset.

27. At Bain, aged 73, major-general George Wm. Dixon, R.A.

30. At Southall, aged 77, Vitruvius Lawes, esq., serjeant-at-law.

At Pinner Grove, aged 81, lady Milman, relict of sir Francis Milman, bart., M.D.

At Bungay, the rev. J. W. Morris, the biographer of the late revds. Andrew Fuller and Robert Hall.

- At Woolwich, col. John C. Williamson, C.B.

Lately. At Cheltenham, aged 58, lieut.-colonel J. G. D. Jordan, inspecting field officer of the Northern District.

MAY.

1. At Doncaster, aged 104, Sarah, widow of Benjamin Barnshaw, better known by the name of Ben Jersey, who for nearly half a century, was grave-digger at the parish church. She was followed to the grave by her only daughter, who was born when her mother had attained the age of fifty.

2. At Woburn Abbey, aged 44, Jeremiah Holme Wiffen, esq., the Quaker poet, and librarian to the duke of Bedford. Mr. Wiffen was born of a respectable family, of the Society of Friends, and was brought up to the profession of a schoolmaster, in which he was for some years actively engaged. His first publication was the "Geographical Primer," for junior classes, 1812, 12mo. earliest poetical effusions were contributed to a volume entitled "Poems by Three Friends." These were succeeded by, perhaps, his happiest and most spirited effort-a series of stanzas, in allusion to the portraits at Woburn Abbey, in the rev. T. D. Parry's History of Woburn; which were afterwards

His

reprinted, with the title of "The Russells." In 1819, appeared his "Aonian Hours, and other Poems." A translation of "Garcilasso de la Vega," was his next work, completed in 1822. Mr. Wiffen's miscellaneous poems, at various periods would fill two or three volumes: some of them were published in the Annuals, "Time's Telescope," &c., &c. Among these are translations from Catullus, Propertius, and other Latin authors. The ballad of "The Luck of Eden Hall," is his happiest effort in that very attractive species of composition. But these and all his other works, including a poem on the pathetic fortunes of the devoted classical daughter, Julia Alpinula, were only introductory to his translation of Tasso. It was the work of six or seven years; and the greater part of the hours devoted to the first half of the translation were stolen from sleep, and spent by the midnight oil. In this work he adopted the Spenserian stanza to which he was much attached. The first edition was in two splendid royal octavo volumes, decorated with the best wood vignettes to each canto. A second edition was published in foolscap octavo. Soon after the appearance of Mr. Wiffen's "Aonian Hours," the duke of Bedford made him an offer of becoming his private secretary and librarian. The duke's allowance was liberal; and on his marriage, he furnished him with a pleasant house and grounds contiguous to his park. Here he commenced his "History of the Russell Family." He had some skill in architectural, feudal, and ballad lore; and in a pedestrian excursion which he once made to the lakes, &c., brought back several sketches of ancient relics. In addition to the accomplishment of a draughtsman, he possessed considerable taste for music; he had some knowledge of astronomy and botany, and was a tolerable classical scholar. He had also studied Hebrew; and, latterly, gave his attention to Welsh, from which he translated some of the "Triads" and pieces of the old bards. The happiest is entitled, "To the Cuckoo, in the Vale of Cuag," by Llywarch Hen. His sister is the wife of Mr. Alaric A. Watts.

3. In Grosvenor-square, in her 70th year, the right hon. Emilia, countess dowager of Glengall.

In Grosvenor square, aged 63, lady

Louisa Clements, sister to the earl of Leitrim.

5. In Park-street, aged 63, the right hon. lady Elizabeth Talbot, sister to the duke of Beaufort.

7. At Morben Lodge, near Machynlleth, Wales, aged 90, Margaret, last surviving daughter of E. Williams, esq., and of Jane viscountess Bulkeley, his wife, formerly of Peniath, county Merioneth.

10. At Edinburgh, aged 82, the hon. Robert Lindsay, uncle to the earl of Balcarres.

In his 65th year, Mr. Daniel Shea, one of the Professors of Oriental Languages at Haileybury College.

12. At Crawley's hotel, Albemarlestreet, aged 64, the right hon. Francis Gerard Lake, second viscount Lake (1807) and baron Lake of Delhi and Laswary, and of Ashton Clinton, county Buckingham, a licut-general in the army.

13. In Upper Grosvenor-street, general George Milner.

At east Moulsey, aged 98, Mary, widow of admiral sir Edmund Nagle. In Baker-street, Portman-square, aged 85, Sir Charles Wilkins, K.H. D.C.L. F.R.S. He was a native of Somersetshire, and went to Bengal, in the civil service, in the year 1770. While aiding in the superintendence of the company's factories at Malda, in Bengal proper, he had the courage and genius to commence, and successfully prosecute, the study of the Sanskrit language, which was, up to that time, little known to Europeans; and his translation of the 'Bhá gavad Gitá' into English, was sent to the court of directors, by the governor-general, Warren Hastings, who likewise wrote for it one of the most elegant dissertations ever prefixed to any work. The court of directors published and distributed it, in 1785, at their own expense. Combining mechanical ingenuity with literary acquirements, Mr. Wilkins, as a relaxation from his more laborious pursuits, prepared, with his own hands, the first types both Bengali and Persian, employed in Bengal. With the Bengali, Mr. Halhed's elegant Bengáli Grammar was printed; and with the latter, Balfour's Forms of Herkeru' (a collection of Persian letters, as models for correspondence). The company's laws and regulations, translated by Mr. Edmon