plundering and enslaving of Europeans. It affords, , at the same time, a demonstration of the futility of the arguments in defence of the slave trade, and of the strength of mind and ingenuity of the author, at his advanced period of life. It furnished too, a no less convincing proof of his power of imitating the style of other times and nations, than his celebrated parable against persecution. And as the latter led many persons to search the scriptures with a view to find it, so the latter caused many persons to search the book stores and libraries for the work from which it was said to be extracted. During the greater part of his life, the doctor had been very healthy. In the year 1735, indeed, he was attacked by a pleurisy, which ended in a suppuration of the left lobe of the lungs, so that he was almost suffocated by the quantity of matter thrown up. But from this, as well as another attack of the same kind afterwards, he recovered so completely, that his breathing was not affected in the least. As he advanced in years, however, he became subject to fits of the gout, to which, in the year 1782, a nephritic cholic was superadded. From this time, he became subject to the stone as well as the gout, and for the last twelve months of his life, these complaints almost entirely confined him to his bed. Notwithstanding his distressed situation, however, neither his mental abilities nor his natural cheerfulness ever forsook him. His memory was tenacious to the very last; and he seemed to be an exception to the general rule, that, at a certain period of life, the organs, which are subservient to memory become callous; a remarkable instance of which is, that he learned to speak French after he had attained the age of seventy. About sixteen days beføre his death, he was seized with a feverish indisposition without any particular symptoms attending it, till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in his left breast, which encreased till it became extremely acute, attended with a cough and la borious breathing. During this state, when the severity of his pains sometimes drew forth a groan of complaint, he would observe, that he was afraid he did not bear them as he ought; acknowledged his grateful sense of the many blessings he had received from the Supreme Being, who had raised him from small and low beginnings, to such high rank and consideration amongst men; and made no doubt but his present afflictions were kindly intended to wean him from a world in which he was no longer fit to act the part assigned him. In this frame of body and mind he continued till five days before his death, when his pain and difficulty of breathing entirely left him, and his family were flattering themselves with the hopes of his recovery, when an imposthumation, which had formed itself in his lungs, snddenly burst and discharg ed a great quantity of matter, which he continued to throw up while he had sufficient strength to do it; but as that failed, the organs of respiration became gradually oppressed; a calm lethargic state succeeded, and on the 17th of April, 1790, about eleven o'clock at night, he quietly expired, closing a long and useful life of eighty-four years and three months. He made various bequests and donations, to cities, public bodies and individuals, of which we shall only take notice of the following, as it tends to shew that high respect which he entertained for the character of the late immortal Washington, although some newspaper scriblers have, since the death of Franklin, frequently insinuated that there was a misunderstanding between these two illustrious patriots in consequence of a difference in political opinions. "My fine crabtree walking stick," says Dr. Franklin, in his will, "with a gold head, curiously wrought in the form of the cap of Liberty, I give to my friend, and the friend of mankind, General Washington. If it were a sceptre he has merited it, and would become it." Dr. Franklin left one son, Governor William Franklin of New-Jersey, a zealous royalist, and a daughter, mar ried to Mr. William Bache, merchant, in Philadel phia. Dr. Franklin was author of many tracts on electricity, and other branches of natural philosophy, as well as on many political and miscellaneous subjects. His first publication, in 1753, was entitled, " Experiments and Observations on Electricity, made at Philadelphia, in two parts 4to." New experiments on the same subject, appeared in a third part, the following year; and these three parts with the addition of some explanatary notes, and of" Lettess and Papers on Philosophi cal subjects," were published in one volume, illustrat ed with copper-plates in 1769. In 1759, he published, without his name, "An Historical View of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania," occa sioned by the disputes, which had long subsisted between the governor and assembly of that province. In 1760, he published an anonymous pamphlet, entitled, "The Interest of Great Britain considered with respect to her colonies, and the acquisition of Canada and Guadaloupe." In 1779, an edition ap. peared both in 4to and 8vo of his "Political, Miscel laneous and Philosophical pieces," none of which had beeen collected before. The aim of this great man was, to be generally useful. His advice to ser vants, to settlers in America, his rules for clubs and conversation, his directions for the cure of smoky chimneys, &c. &c. &c. abundantly evince that he deemed no subject too humble for his pen, in which it was possible to be of service. Dr. Franklin, likewise, commenced the history of his own life, which he intended for his son, but it reaches no farther than 1757. He there speaks of himself, as he would have done of another person, delineating his thoughts, his actions, and even his errors and foibles; and he describes the unfolding of his genius and talents, with the simplicity of a great man, who knows how to do justice to himself, and with the testimony of a clear conscience void of re proach. In short, the whole life of Franklin, his me ditations, his labours, were all directed to public utility; but the grand object, which he had always in view did not shut his heart, against private friendship; he loved his family, his friends, and was extremely beneficent. In society he was sententious, but not fluent ; a listener rather than a talker; an informing rather than a facetious companion. Impatient of interruption, he often mentioned the custom of the Indians, who always remain silent sometime before they give an answer to a question, which they have heard attentively, unlike some of the most polite societies in civilized life, where a sentence can scarcely be finished without interruption. The whole time of his life was a perpetual lecture against the idle, the extravagant and the proud. It was his principal aim to inspire mankind with a love of industry, temperance and frugality; and to inculcate such duties as promote the important interests of humanity. By a judicious division of time, he acquired the art of doing every thing to advantage; in the midst of his greatest occupations for the liberty of his country, he had some physical experiment near him in his closet; and the sciences which he had rather discovered than studied, afforded him a continual source of innocent and rational pleasures. We shall conclude this memoir, by observing, that such was the opinion, which the virtuous and intelligent part of mankind entertained for the wisdom, patriotism and philanthropy of this exalted character, that, since the first settlement of America, no death has happened in it, which has excited so universal regret as his, except that of his late illustrious friend and co-patriot, the immortal Washington. Dr. Franklin wrote the following epitaph on himself, several years previous to his death: VOL. II. No. 15. F 3 "THE BODY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, PRINTER. (LIKE THE COVER OF AN OLD BOOK AND STRIPT OF ITS LETTERING AND GILDING,) YET THE WORK ITSELF SHALL NOT BE LOST, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL EDITION, BY THE AUTHOR." GALE, (JOHN) an eminent and learned minister among the Baptists, was born at London, in 1680. His father was a citizen of good repute, and observing the natural turn of his son to be from his infancy grave and composed, he resolved to breed him up to the pulpit. He spared no cost in his education, and the boy's diligence was such, that he became not only master of the Greek and Latin, but also of the Hebrew language, and at the age of 17, he was sent to Leyden, to finish what he had so happily begun. In that university, his progress in academical learning was so surprising, that he was thought worthy of the degree of doctor of philosophy, in his 19th year; and accordingly received that honor in 1699, having performed the usual exercises with universal applause. Upon his return home, he resumed his studies with equal ardour; and improving himself particularly in the oriental languages, obtained thereby a critical skill in the books of the Old and New Testaments. He had not been above four years thus employed, when the university of Leyden sent him an offer of a doctor's degree in divinity, provided he would assent |