404 



Miss Chohnondeley. — James R'ohfon, Esq. [Nov. I , 



the fame fpirit that pervades all his writings. 

 No man of the age, perh.ips, pofTeffed naore 

 of what is generally termed recondite learn- 

 ing, or was more profoundly verfed in claf- 

 fical chronology. As a fenator, he was con- 

 ftdercd in the firft clafs ; there were few im- 

 portant difcuflions in the Houfe of Lords, 

 efpecially when the topics referred to the 

 hierarchical ellabfiilinients of the country, 

 to the French revolutiun, or to the Africm 

 (lave-trade, of which he was a fyltematic op- 

 ponent, in which liis lordfliip did not parti- 

 cipate. As an orator, his voice was deep, 

 full-toned, and commanding, .his enunciation 

 diftinift, and his delivery in other rcfpecls 

 highly advantageous. His manner was ra- 

 ther dictatorial, yet he was nevertliclcfs an 

 argumentative fpeaiicr. He has been accuf- 

 ed of fupercilioufnefs, and a fpirit of perfe- 

 cution j and while it cannot be denied I hat 

 in the heat of controverfy his ttm-^er was 

 difjiofed to rife too high, and to vent itfelf 

 with too much energy againft bis opponents. 

 It muft at the fame time be admitted that he 

 was animated in the caufe ol' truth and vir- 

 tue, and that he exercifed his feverity only 

 en what lie confidcred as falfchood, fophif- 

 try, and vice. Though he h.id attained the 

 age of 69, the powers both of his body and 

 mind were fo vi^'orous as to promife ftill a 

 confiderable length of years. His remains 

 viere interred at Newington. 



Mijs Ch<!ri:oi:dihy, daughter of the late 

 Hon. and Kev. Robert C, (uncle of the pie- 

 fent Earl C), and fitter to the lady of Sir 

 William Bcllingham. Sh» had been on a 

 vifit for fome days to the Princefs of Wales 

 at Blackhcath, and accompanied by Lady 

 ShefEeld, fct out with lier royal highncfs in 

 her barouche and fix for Xorbury Park, in 

 Surrey, the feat of Mr. Locke. The party 

 had nearly reached Lcatherhe.id, wlicn the 

 vehicle (proceeding at the rate of fifteen miles 

 an hour) in turning a fliarp vo.ner, was un- 

 fortunately ovcrfet. Her two companions efcap- 

 ed without much injury, but MifsCholmondj- 

 lev was thrown with fo much violence againft 

 a port, that her IkuU was fractured and /he 

 was killed on the fpot. She wjs immediately 

 conveyed to the Swan Inn at I.eatherhead, 

 where furgical alTiftance was immedi,iti:ly pro- 

 cured, but the vital fpark had ficd never lo 

 return The melancholy refult of tliis cx- 

 curfion derives additional intereft from the ob- 

 ject lor which it was iiiulertaken : — Every 

 year the benevolent family of Mr. Lockeem- 

 ploy themfelves in making fancy articles, 

 fuch as work-bags, purlVs, &c. for Leithcr- 

 head .air, and the produce is applied lo the 

 relief of the neighbouring poor Her Royal 

 Highnefs, who had become acquainted \yith 

 Mrs. Lucke, at Mr. Angerllein's, rUckheath, 

 _(whofe fifter fne is) conceiving tlie laudable 

 defign of patronizing Mrs Locke's plan for 

 the relief of the poor, had made it her amufe- 

 ncrit .or fome weeks pail to prepare fome ar- 

 ticles which were to have been fold at the 



fair, for the purpofe already mentioned, and 

 in which preparation her Royal Highnefs had 

 been ailifted at her retirement at Blackh'^ath, 

 by Lady Sheffield and Mifs Cholmondeley.— 

 The whole of their little curious (lock was 

 completed, when the Frincefs and her twy 

 companions were eager to prcfent them to 

 Mrs Locke, that (he might difpofe of them 

 to the befc advantage at the fair. The arti- 

 cles confuted of curious fire-fcreens of the 

 richeft and moft beautiful needle work, land- 

 fcapes of the fame on fatin, rich paintings on 

 velvet, &c. &c. worth, it is fuppofed, 3001. 

 Mifs Cholmondeley was about forty years of 

 age, of the moit refined and elegant manners, 

 and poflelTing fuch a difpofition as conciliated 

 the aflccViens of all who had the honour of her 

 acquaintance. 



[Further part'culars of y antes Rohfon, efj. 

 -jikcfc death a inenfioncd ut p. 998 of our h/l 

 ««i»7fcr.— James Robfon, efq. was born in the 

 year l?^:i, at Sebergliam, in Cumberland, 

 where Iris family had been fettled from an- 

 tient times in the refpetlable condition of 

 yeomen j a clafs of men fr»in whom what- 

 ever is eftimable and fubftantial in the Eng- 

 li/h charafter might cafily be traced. He 

 was educated at a neighbouring grammar- 

 fchool ; and at the age of (ixteen came to 

 London, under tlic proteftion of his relation 

 Mr. Brindley, then an eminent bookfeller in 

 New Bond-ilrcct, publilhcr of a beautiful edi- 

 tion of the Latin Claflics, v.hich llill bears his 

 name. Mr. Robfon fucceeded him in bufi- 

 nefs in 17.)9, which he carried on for more 

 than forty years with integrity, fame, and 

 profit. He entered the career of aflive li e 

 with all the advantages of a folid and j)ioiis 

 educ.ition, habits of frugality without mein- 

 ncfs, perfevering induftry, and manners pe- 

 culiarly liberal and obliging, free alike from 

 the pernicious andoftenfive vanity of alfiiming 

 the habits of the higher ranks, or the infolent 

 aflisdlation of contemning them. He foon 

 obtained the friendfhip and patronage of the 

 principal Literati, and many of the mot ele- 

 vated characters of his time, particularly the 

 clergy, among whom we might enumerate 

 nearly the whole prelacy, for the lall fifty 

 years, as having favoured him with their 

 counicnance and kindnefs. Soon after he 

 fettled in bufinefs he made a confiderable ad- 

 dition to his domeftic comforts and his pro- 

 (lerty by marrying the only daughter of Mr, 

 Perrot, in eminent builder in the neighbour- 

 hood of Giofvtnor-fqaare, by whom he had a 

 numerous family. His eldelt fon, James, un- 

 happily lolt his life, at the age or twenty 

 years, by a fall from his horfe, while on a 

 vifit to his uncle at Sebergham ; an afHiiition 

 to his father which time, the balm of forrow, 

 hid never hculcd. His feeond fon, George, 

 was educated at {Queen's college, Oxford, the 

 leading members at that time being his fa- 

 ther's particular Iriends. Here he took the 

 regular dejiees ; and, entering into holy or- 

 ders, became domelUc thajilain to the late 



Dr. 



