having any friendly communications with others less wealthy or less fortunate than themselves. He was elevated, not lowered; enriched not impoverished, by the acts of kindness which be showed-by the attentions he bestowed on others. He was loved by many, and respected by all; but his ambition was to add something to that "mass of useful truths which is eternal, and to which each individual carries his particular tribute, in the certainty that no power can retrench the smallest fraction from the great imperishable treasure." He wished "to bequeath to posterity, the most valuable portion of himself, the fruits of his intellect."

He published" Observations on Darwin's Zoonomia," 1798, 8vo; "Poems," 2 vols. 1804, 12mo; "A Short Criticism on the Terms of the Charges against Mr. Leslie in the Protest of the Ministers of Edinburgh," 1806, 8vo.

REV. ARTHUR MAHON.

Feb. 25. At Cavetown, near Boyle, in the county of Roscommon, the Rev. Arthur Mahon, vicar of Easter Snow and Kelcold in the diocese of Elphin; descended from an antient and ennobled family. The whole tenor of Mr. Mahon's useful life marked him as a Christian, a gentleman, and a steady friend to the Constitution of the Empire. Immediately on finishing his studies in a French College, the Rebellion broke out; and he joined a corps of Yeomanry in the city of Dublin, in which, as well as in his subsequent capacity of a Lieutenant in the Roscommon Militia, he was distinguished for his steadiness on many trying occasions; having been several times engaged with the rebel forces at that disastrous time. In the year 1799 he married the daughter of Major Waldron of the Roscommon Regiment; and soon afterwards retired to bis hereditary property at Cavetown, where he took orders, and obtained a benefice. He lived in the practice of every Christian virtue, and died most sincerely deplored by a large family and a numerous circle of friends.-Mr. Mahon was the grandson of the Rev. Dean Mahon, author of the Latin Poem called "Rus Delanianum," in reply to Dean Swift's animadversions on the smallness of Dr. Delany's villa at Glassnevin. The original of which is printed in volume LXXXVIII. ii. p. 447; and a tran-lation by the Rev. Mr. Grabam of Lifford, in vol. LXXXIX. i. 635.

REV. WILLIAM HOLLINGS. March 25. The Rev. William Hollings, of St. Owen's strect, Hreford, in

the 75th year of his age. He was a native of that city, brought up in the Grammar School there, and afterwards graduated in Brazenose College, Oxford. Taking holy orders, he officiated seve ral years as Curate of Ullingswick, in that county, under Dr. Talbot; but left the situation in disgust, and under a Vow that he would never resume his clerical functions. This resolution was strictly adhered to during the remainder of his life; and it originated in the disappointment and mortification which he experienced in the refusal of the pa tron to appoint him to the vacant benefice, on the recommendation of the parishioners, in the year 1789.

ment.

His understanding was good; his education respectable; and his conversa-* tion not unpleasant. Cleanliness did not distinguish his person, and his dress was singular and shabby. Avarice was the ruling passion of his mind, and its sway was never disputed but in the instance already mentioned, of his voluntary dereliction of professional emoluHis house and furniture strictly corresponded with the appearance of their master; no domestics of any description were admitted within his walls, lest they should rob him; and every office, culinary or otherwise, was performed by himself. His diet was cheap and homely a few pennyworths of tripe and a quart of the water in which it had been boiled, occasionally constituted, with the aid of a sixpenny loaf, two meals of more than usual indulgence. The cookery was simple and efficient; it consisted in soaking the crumb hollowed out from the loaf in the liquor of the tripe, for the first day's repast; and in placing the tripe itself in the cavity of the loaf, for the next day's junket. steak from the butcher was an extravagance of very rare occurrence; his gun and his fishing rod afforded a casual supply; but his principal reliance was on the bounty of his relatives, or rbe donations of the numerous friends, who, from their own assiduities, or from his professions, considered themselves reasonable expectants of his property. He left his bed at the earliest hours, in search of some kind of game or other: if he was observed in a wood, his gun was his excuse; if near a river, his rod, whilst bis fishing basket on his hack answered the double purpose of containing his plunder and concealing the hole

in his coat.

A

The appearance of Mr. Hollings was grotesque in the extreme: the capacity of the pockets seemed to be the principal object in the construction of his coat; it was formed of cloth of the

enarsest

preparatory education, being originally intended for the Bar; but a taste for the Drama, which he bad imbibed in early life, diverted his elocutionary powers from Forensic to Thespian appropriation. We have heard that previously to his appearance on the stage, he applied, himself, to Mr. Macklin, for his opinion as to his capabilities, and for his advice as to the pursuit of his object; and that the veteran did not encourage him in his scheme. But, it appears, the advice had not been asked, till a determination had been formed-for the young candidate for theatrical honours immediately commenced his career in a provincial company. He acted for several years in various parts of England; and from Chester, he was transplanted to Coventgarden, where he soon became a decided favourite with the London public, by the assiduity he constantly evinced in embodying and identifying himself with the characters he assumed; making some of them, which in common hands only ranked thirds or fourths, stand prominent in the scene, and securing to himself the fullest approval of the judicious part of his auditors. His Count Cassel, his Farmer Ashfield, his Tag, and his Sim (characters of very distinct families), were rendered, in his hands, of the first importance; and our late venerable and venerated Monarch was so much pleased by his representation of the latter character, that he acted it (by command) three times before his Majesty. During the time Mr. Knight remained an actor he was always remarkable for his attention to propriety of costume, aud for a deportment accurately assimilating with the rank of life he pourtrayed on the stage. In the great rebellion at Covent-garden, Mr. Knight was one of the "Glorious Eight," as they were called; and soon afterwards a bad state of health induced him to turn his thoughts to an avocation less laborious than that of acting; and for this reason he joined with the late Mr. Lewis, of Covent-garden, and became joint-manager of the Liverpool Theatre; and in 1811, with the same gentleman, in conjunction with Messrs. Ward and Banks, of the theatre in Manchester. Mr. Knight was the author of several dramatic pieces, among which "The Turnpike Gate" was the most successful. To this brief memoir we have only to add, that Mr. Knight was of most gentlemanly and amiable manners; and, with a highly-cultivated mind, was possessed of a most acute discernment and sensibility of what was elegant and proper; while to all that was ridiculous or obnoxious the force of his satirical

exposure would have been unmercifully severe, if he had used all his powers for its infliction; but in this he was held in check by his suavity, which had a constant tendency to direct his great conversational talents to conciliation.

MR. THOMAS WILKINSON.

Jun. 26. At Curigg, in the parish of Castle-Sowerby, near Carlisle, Mr. Thos. Wilkinson, aged 59. He was born in the same house where he breathed his last, and was the only child of Mr. T. Wilkinson of the same place, and Susannab his wife. His father was a native of Yorkshire, and was born somewhere about Sutton in the Forest. The author of this Memoir has frequently heard him describe the person and manners of Sterne. He died at Curigg, which place be bad purchased by the fruits of his own industry, about the year 1804, at the advanced age of 104. His mother was a native of Carlisle, whose maiden name was Bulman.

Mr. Wilkinson was in the early part of his life instructed in the village school at Sebergham, situated near the place of his nativity, under the superintendance of the Rev. J. Stubbs. Mr. Stubbs was well known as a celebrated classical teacher, not only in his own neighbourhood, but almost in every part of the kingdom. Under his care, Wilkinson acquired the first rudiments of English and Latin. After completing his education, he continued to live with his father and mother, and assisted in managing the farm; for which, however, he never manifested much inclination. His mind seemed by nature formed for greater things. About the age of twentyfive or six, be showed a manifest predilection for mathematical pursuits. Poetry, History, Travels, and the principles of Morals, and general Jurisprudence, occupied the more early part of his life. There were few authors on these respective subjects which he had not read and digested.

During his school instruction, he became acquainted with the principles of common arithmetic, mensuration, bookkeeping, &c. At this period he had not attained a knowledge of the principles of algebra; and, afterwards, when he had, he never seemed to enter fully into its merits. As he was entirely unacquainted with the subtle reasonings, and extensive applications of modern analytical investigation, he was too apt to look upon the whole system as little more than a mechanical contrivance for the solution of certain geometrical problems, the analysis and construction of which, when exhibited in a proper form,

are

are certainly much more convincing and elegant. Geometry was indeed his favourite pursuit. In this, in its purest form, he delighted; in this he excelled. In proof of this assertion, we need only appeal to his various solutions and questions published in the Gentleman's Diary, at that time under the direction of Mr. Wildbore; and which perhaps may be said to have then arrived at its meridian splendour. We cannot help noticing, by the bye, the very great usefulness of this and such like periodical publications, which, according to the opinion of one of the most distinguished Mathematicians of this country (and who was himself, at one period of his life, a constant contributor to, and for some time Editor of, one of these publications) have contributed more to form mathematicians than all the works put together, which have been expressly written upon the subject. Since the publication of these periodical works, almost all the mathematicians which this country has produced, have contributed their assistance in early life. The model of the above-named writer, Mr. T. Simpson, Mr. Wilkinson invariably proposed to himself. Though alive to the merits of Professor Simson of Glasgow, he preferred his rival.

Mr. Wilkinson was never deeply conversant with the writings of Newton, nor with any of the modern authors on mechanical philosophy; not that he by any means considered these subjects as unworthy of his notice; but his genius seemed to direct him almost exclusively to the study of the antient Analysis. He was, however, well acquainted with most of the works of Emerson; and he was always induced to consider that author as deficient in geometrical accuracy and precision.

In Mathematics, Mr. Wilkinson was almost literally a self-taught genius. The simple practical parts of these subjects were what alone he derived from education. By the strength of his native genius he made himself familiar with the best geometrical writers, both antient and modern. Plane geometry, or that where constructions are effected by means of a right line and circle, without the further assistance of the conic sections, or curves of a superior order, was what he chiefly delighted in, and upon which he exerted every effort of his mind, and to which he applied him self with the most unremitting industry. It has often been observed, that the study of the Elements of Euclid has contributed more to form and strengthen the reasoning powers of the mind, than any express treatise upon the subject of

Logic. This was exemplified in Mr. Wilkinson. The habits of reasoning which he had acquired from this source, invariably influenced his decisions in the common affairs of business, and led him to consider the various transactions in which he was necessarily involved, with an eye very different from that of ordinary men. He was, as might be expected, frequently consulted by his less informed neighbours, upon subjects of Law. In these, his information was uniformly correct, if the question depended upon any of the great and leading principles of general jurisprudence, or the fundamental parts of the Constitution of England: if the matter was of trifling import, and such as rested more immediately upon a knowledge of late Acts of Parliament, he was not always so unerring. With the spirit of Montesquieu, Blackstone, and De Lolme, he was perfectly familiar. Mr. Wilkinson, in addition to his other information, had an extensive knowledge of mathematical works, and was perfectly acquainted with some of the leading mathemati cians of the present day.

MR. JOHN DAY.

Lately. At New York, John Day, at the age of 103 years, a native of England, but for more than 60 years a resident of New York. Perhaps few men have ever lived, whose characters were more eccentric, and whose deportment corresponded in every respect with the principles he professed. From his his tory it appears, that, at an early period of life, he was placed on-board of a line of battle ship, in which situation he remained until he was of age. After which, from one office to another, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and served on-board his Britannic Majesty's ship Bellerophon in this capacity. This ship remained for a considerable length of time at a British out-port; and during this interval he engaged the affections of a young lady, who subsequently agreed, at a suitable period, to be united in the bands of wedlock. Unexpectedly to the officers and crew of the Bellerophon, she was ordered to the East India station by the Government; as it was supposed, for a service of one year, but which, from causes not known, continued three years before the return of the ship to England. Arrived in his native country, he found the object of his affection and early love connected with another. This unlooked-for disappointment preyed upon his feelings : he challenged his successful rival to single combat, and an interchange of shots terminated the life of his antagonist.

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