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giving the same arguments in a different and probably a less attractive form." * Notwithstanding the general merit of the work, on its first appearance Mr. Kett was assailed by a host of critics, great and small; and it was remarked that few men could have kept their temper so well as he did in refraining from any reply, or have acted so judiciously in availing himself of all their corrections and suggestions which appeared worthy of adoption for the improvement of the later editions, without even deigning to notice his opponents. The ninth edition has been very lately published.

In 1809, he published "Logic made easy, or a short View of Aristotle's Method of Reasoning." Some palpable inaccuracies in this treatise arising from haste, and too great compression of the subject, exposed him to a very smart attack; but, as usual, he offered no apology, and silently withdrew the work from circulation. In the same year appeared "Emily, a Moral Tale," of which a second edition, much enlarged, was published in 1812. A new edition of "The Beauties of English Poetry," by Mr. Headley, who had been a scholar of Trinity College, was undertaken by Mr. Kett in 1810; to which he prefixed "A Sketch of the Life" of that elegant and accomplished scholar. A translation of Chateaubriand's work on the spirit or genius of Christianity, under the title of "The Beauties of Christianity," published in 1812, has been ascribed to Mr. Kett. We believe, however, that it was not written by him; although he certainly furnished the preface and notes, and probably revised the whole. In 1814, appeared, in two volumes 12mo., "The Flowers of Wit, or a Collection of Bon Mots, Ancient and Modern." For several years before his death, Mr. Kett was employed in preparing an edition of the Greek Proverbs, by Lubinus, with an English translation and notes; and we understand this is left among his manuscripts, which will be noticed in the sequel.

In 1808, Mr. Kett relinquished the office of Public Tutor of Trinity College (in which he was succeeded by Dr. Ingram,

* Advertisement to the second edition of an Essay on Education.

now President of Trinity College), and he shortly afterwards gave up all college offices, though he continued to reside in college during a great part of the year. Even when he found his health declining, he still lingered in those academic shades which had become familiar and dear to him from his earliest youth; and having surrendered his rooms in college, he took lodgings in Oxford. Here he remained until his marriage in December 1823, with Miss White, of Charlton, near Cheltenham, a lady of considerable accomplishments; after which period he lived chiefly at Charlton, making occasional excursions to visit his friends. It was on one of those excursions that the fatal accident occurred which put a period to his existence. Having been for several days, in the latter end of June last, at the seat of his friend Sir J. Gibbons, Bart., at Stanwell, on the 30th of that month he, as usual, breakfasted with the family party in excellent spirits. About noon, the weather being hot, he proceeded to take a cold bath, when it is supposed that venturing out of his depth he was seized with cramp, and sank to rise no more. His clothes were found on the bank where he had undressed for bathing.

Mr. Kett's first preferment was the small perpetual curacy of Elsfield, near Oxford, for which he is said to have been indebted to the kindness of Dr. Chapman, the President of his college. He was also a king's preacher at Whitehall. In 1814, his friend and patron, Bishop Tomline, presented him to the perpetual curacy of Hykeham, in the county of Lincoln, the only preferment of which he died possessed; and which, as having neither church nor parsonage-house, partook very much of the nature of a sinecure.

During the last twenty years of his life, Mr. Kett, however, had the option of all the best places of preferment belonging to his college; but he constantly relinquished them without hesitation in favor of his juniors; and after he might have been considered eligible to the presidentship, he twice saw it given to others without an expression of disappointment. But the same was the case in regard to that distinguished scholar and amiable man, Thomas Warton, B. D. and poet laureate,

who was passed over in an election to the headship, and at the time of his death held no other college preferment than a small donative in Somersetshire. Mr. Kett, indeed, was so far from aspiring to any thing his college had to bestow, that he made it some very handsome presents, which were acknowledged by having his coat of arms put up in the hall among other benefactors; and at one time, it is believed on good authority, that he had made a will, in which a considerable sum of money was left for the purchase of an advowson for the benefit of the society to which he belonged. But in consequence of his marriage, it now appears that the bulk of his fortune, sworn to be under 25,000l., after the payment of some small legacies on the demise of his widow, to whom the interest and income are left for life, is bequeathed to three public charities (one of which is the Radcliffe Infirmary at Oxford) in equal portions, thus evincing the benevolence of his disposition, by what may be regarded as the last act of his life.

It is known from an inspection of his testamentary papers, wholly in his own hand-writing, that he has left several manuscripts, among the rest a considerable number of sermons, all of which he directs to be submitted to the decision of his friend Dr. Mavor, of Woodstock, whether they are worthy of publication or not. That the lamented author intended them for the press there can be little doubt; and it is to be hoped that, in due time, they will see the light, or, at least, such of them as appear likely to be acceptable to the public, and to add to the well-earned fame of the writer. As a man of correct taste and an elegant scholar, whatever Mr. Kett produced could not be destitute of a considerable portion of merit; and as a divine, at once sound and deep, his works will be duly appreciated by impartial posterity. To his Right Reverend and venerable friend and patron, the present Bishop of Winchester, he has left the copyright of his "History, the Interpreter of Prophecy," which, as we have already remarked, has been highly spoken of by the best judges, and, among the rest, by the bishop himself.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, in a work of this kind, to do justice to the various merits of Mr. Kett. He had filled the important office of tutor of his college for more than twenty years, and had trained up many in sound learning and good principles, who are now filling very respectable stations with credit to themselves; he had been some years an examining master under the new system, was for a short time one of the select preachers, which appointment he resigned, and at an early period of his life was chosen Bampton Lecturer. All those situations he filled with propriety, and to the satisfaction of the illustrious University to which he belonged; and had he been of an ambitious turn of mind, he was certainly qualified for, and might have had the means of procuring, a much higher station than ever fell to his lot. But he possessed an independence of principle which prevented him from soliciting what, perhaps, he felt to be his due; and enjoying enough to satisfy all his moderate wants, he left the scramble for preferment to more bustling candidates. Perhaps it would have contributed to the comfort of the latter years of his life, had he felt the necessity for exertion, and been placed in a situation where it was required. Though naturally cheerful and acceptable to all classes and descriptions of persons, after he retired from the active business and engagements of his college he was occasionally subject to a depression of spirits, the common malady of literary men. In company, however, he was, to the last, affable, entertaining, and instructive, without the slightest degree of pedantry or affectation; and it was only when presuming ignorance attempted to dogmatize, that he assumed the scholar, and set down the silly pretender to knowledge, in a manner peculiarly

his own.

Among his friends were the late Dr. Samuel Parr, to whom he was much attached, and to whose interests on a particular occasion he showed a high degree of benevolent attention. The present learned President of Magdalen College, and

* See the Memoir of Dr. Parr in the present volume.

Dr. Tournay, Warden of Wadham, were always among his particular friends and associates in the University, and they did honor to his choice. In short, there were few persons of any literary celebrity who were wholly unknown to Mr. Kett; and young men of merit were always sure to find in his kind-heartedness and advice, not only counsel, but assistance in their various pursuits.

It may be added, that as a preacher he was animated and impressive, without the slightest tincture of enthusiasm, which he always discouraged, as being inimical to the best interests of the church to which he was sincerely devoted. As a writer, his general style partook more of neatness and elegance, than of originality of thought and expression. Like his conversation, it was rather calculated to please and convince, than to astonish and confound. In short, he was a man who bore his faculties meekly, and was beloved and esteemed by those who knew him best.

The seventh volume of the Public Characters has furnished us with the earlier part of the preceding memoir. For the latter part (with the exception of two or three paragraphs from the Gentleman's Magazine, and a few interesting facts from another quarter) we are indebted to a gentleman, long on terms of the strictest intimacy with Mr. Kett, and eminently qualified to appreciate his merits in every respect.

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