1822.}) 
previously admitted into priest’s orders. 
At anearly period of life he was in posses- 
sion of a very valuable preferment in the 
city of his nativity. On America declar- 
ing herindependence of Great Britain, as’ 
his conduct was regulated by a’ steady: 
adherence to his allegiance, he soon be- 
eame obnoxious to the raling party. -He 
was arrested by the Executive Counsel of 
Philadelphia, upon a general charge of 
having uniformly evinced a disposition in- 
imical to the cause of America; and was 
sentenced te Augusta County, in Virginia; 
the execution of which cruel and unjust 
decree, notwithstanding the remonstrance 
of many corporate bodies, was only: in- 
terrapted by an illness which rendered his 
removalimpracticable. In the mean time 
the British army arrived, and under its 
protection he was enabled to reach New 
York, from whence (with a letter of high 
recommendation from the commissioners, 
Lord Carlisle, Mr. Eden, and governor 
Jolnstone) he came to England, (in 1779) 
content to relinquish his country and 
connexions solely trom considerations of 
conscience, and from motives of loyalty to 
his sovereign. In 1780 Dr. Coombe was 
nominated chaplain to the Earl of Carlisle, 
and accompanied his lordship upon his 
appointment to the vice-royalty of Ireland, 
and was there advanced by him to the 
situation of private secretary. In 1781 
he obtained ‘from the lord-lieutenant the 
rectory of Donagh-Henry, county of 
Tyrone, (which was afterwards resigned,) 
and, in the same year, was gratified by an 
unsolicited mark of respect from the Uni- 
versity of Dublin, being admitted by that 
learned body to the degree of Doctor of 
Divinity. Upon the breaking-up of Lord 
North's; admmistration in 1783, he re- 
turned to England with Lord Carlisle. In 
1789 he had an offer from Lord Aucland, 
to accompany him to the Hague as chap- 
Jain to the embassy, but which was de- 
clined. from. motives. of prior obligation. 
Dr. Coombe was appointed chaplain in 
ordinary to the King in 1794, and was for 
many years: minister of Curzon Chapel. 
In 1800, through the medium of his friend 
and patron the Earl of Carlisle, he was 
pestered to a prebendal stall at Canter- 
yury; andin 1801 he, was presented by the 
dean and chapter of that cathedral to the 
vicarage of Tenterden, Kent, and which 
he was permitted to resign in favour of his 
eldest son, in 1806. In 1808 the dean 
and chapter presented him to the rectory 
of St. Michael's, Queenhithe. Dr. Coombe 
was an eloquent and impressive preacher; 
as a scholar, he was entitled to a distin- 
guished place among the learned of his 
time; his reading was various and exten- 
sive, and, under the veilof an unambitious 
retirement, he had acquired a knowledge 
of general principles which would have 
Deaths in and near London. 
469 
added Justre’ to. the highest » situations, 
Among. his: acquaintances were, Sir Joshua 
Reynolds, Johnson, Goldsmith, Jortin; and 
Beattie, with the latter of whom |he:was 
in habits of correspondence. © He “also 
possessed, by inheritance, the affectionate 
friendship: of Dr. Frauklin. . Hence his 
conversation, enriched with literary au- 
ecdote; and tempered ‘by a fine and ju- 
dicious) taste, was both entertaining and 
instructive, while a peculiar benevolence 
of disposition, joined to» the most: un- 
affected piety, rendered this wise and 
unpretending man a pattern of Cliistian 
excellence, 
At his apartments, \in» Robert-street, 
Bedford-row, Mr. John Dougall, welt 
known for his great literary attainments, 
and for along life devoted to classical and 
useful literature. He was born at Kir. 
kaldy, Fifeshire, where his: father) was 
master of the grammar-school,.was sonie 
time at the University of Edinburgh, and 
intended for the Scoteh church, but left it 
at an early period, and wholly devoted 
himself to classical learning,» for which 
his mind was unusually gifted; he was 
esteemed a scholar of the first class, and, 
besides being a proficient in ancient and 
modern geography and mathematics, was 
well versed in the Greek, Latin, French, 
Spanish, Italian, and most of the Northern 
languages. He had travelled several 
times over the Continent, both as private 
tutor and companion; was some ume 
private secretary of the late learned Ge- 
neral Melville. He was the author, of 
“ Military Memoirs,” in 1 vol. 8vo.: of 
“ The Modern Preceptor,” in2 vols. 8vo.z 
of “The Cabinet of: Arts, including 
Arithmetic, Gcometry, , and). Chemis- 
try,” 2 vols. 8vo. He had been en- 
gaged in many other scientific and useful 
publications, and contributed largely to 
many standard works, and _also.to several 
periodical publications, as well as trans. 
lated from works in the French and 
Italian languages. He for some. years 
employed himself in preparing a new. 
translation of *‘ Casar’s Commentaries,” 
with copious notes and illustvations, for 
which he had obtained the sanction of the 
Duke of York; and which, from the ma- 
terials,e had collected, and the informa- 
tion which he possessed, would, it is 
concluded, have been a valuable addition 
to the stock of classical literature. He 
had also long intended to present. the 
public -with an English translation _ of 
Strabo, as well as to. clear up many doubt. 
ful passages in Poly bius, for which he was 
considered eminently qualified; but. the 
want of encouragement, and, the narrow. 
ness of his circumstances, chilled his Jie 
terary ardour, and frustrated, his inten. 
tions. Itis to be regretted that his abilities 
and worth were not properly apenericren 
au 
