Ix Mr. Pickering’s Eulogy on 
the public, till a short time before his death. When apprized him- 
self of the apprehensions of his friends, in the first instance, and, 
afterwards, of the opinion of his eminent medical attendant, * that 
his malady must soon terminate fatally, he received the notice with- 
out dismay. He expressed a wish,—and what parent could feel 
otherwise !— that he could have lived to see his younger children 
grown up and established in life; but at the same time, with a heart 
full of gratitude to a kind Providence that had crowned him with 
innumerable blessings in this life, he declared his entire resignation 
and his readiness to depart. 
The short interval remaining was employed, while his strength 
permitted, in arranging his official and private affairs, and in receiv- 
ing the last sad visits of his near friends and other persons, who 
had peculiar claims upon him; during all which, his usual cheer- 
fulness did not forsake him. One of those interviews, of a most 
affecting character, was given by him to the present distinguished 
Head of the University, with whom he had been associated for 
many years as a member of the corporate body of that Institution ; 
and one of no less interest took place only a few days before his 
death with our distinguished associate, the chief magistrate of this 
State ; the particulars of which are already known to you. 
During his illness, among other occupations, he continued to em- 
ploy himself in correcting the sheets of the last volume of his great 
work ; but the progress of his disease was so unremitting, that, — 
as had happened to one of his illustrious predecessors, Lagrange, 
in whose life Dr. Bowditch had himself not long before regretted 
the unfortunate occurrence, — he had not sufficient strength remain- 
ing to enable him to complete the final revision of the whole 
volume. When he had reached the thousandth page, on which 
* Dr. James Jackson. 
