12 LIFE OF SIR HANS SLOANE. 



even to the ninetieth year of his age. From that time, however, he 

 became sensible of a gradual decay, and his friend, George Edwards, 

 the naturalist, has left us the following interesting but melancholy nar- 

 rative of his latter days : "Sir Hans Sloane employed me for a great 

 number of years in drawing miniature figures of animals, &c, after 

 nature, in water colours, to increase his very great collection of fine 

 drawings by other hands ; which drawings are now all fixed in the 

 British Museum for the help and information of those in future gene- 

 rations that maybe curious or studious in Natural History. Sir Hans 

 in the decline of life left London, and retired to his manor-house at 

 Chelsea, where he resided about fourteen years before he died. After 

 his retirement to Chelsea, he requested it as a favour to him (though I 

 embraced his request as an honour done to myself), that I would visit 

 him every week, in order to divert him for an hour or two with the 

 common views of the town, and with anything particular that should 

 happen amongst his acquaintances of the Royal Society, and other 

 ingenious gentlemen, many of whom I was weekly conversant with, 

 and I seldom missed drinking coffee with him on a Saturday during the 

 whole time of his retirement at Chelsea. He was so infirm as to be 

 wholly confined to the house ; except sometimes, though rarely, taking 

 a little air in his garden in a wheeled chair. Confinement made 

 him very desirous to see any of his old acquaintances to amuse 

 him. During this latter part of his life he was frequently petitioned 

 for charity by some decayed branches of families of eminent men,, 

 late of his acquaintance, who were famous for their learned works, 

 &c, which petitions he always received, and considered with atten- 

 tion, and provided they were not found fraudulent, they were 

 always answered by his charitable donations. He often desired 

 that I would inquire into the merits of such petitions ; and, if 

 found satisfactory, he commissioned me to convey his bounty to the 

 distressed. The last time I saw him, I was greatly surprised and 

 concerned to find so good a man in the agonies of death. This 

 was on the 10th day of .January, H53, at four o'clock in the after- 

 noon, lie died on the eleventh, at four in the morning, being aged 

 93 years. I continued with him later than any one of his relations, 

 but was obliged to retire, his last agonies being beyond what I could 

 bear J though under his pain and weakness (if body he seemed to retain 



a great firmness "I' mind, and resignation to the will of (iod '" 



