1823.] 
erring from misplaced excitement, nor 
‘from allowing the eccentricity and 
flights of genius to overcome the 
sound decisions of his judgment. 
He was fortunate in his family. An 
amiable widow survives him. His 
sister andhe were devoted to each other. 
His daughter is known to the pub- 
lic by many productions in the higher 
walks of literature. His eldest son is 
the approved secretary to the Society 
of Arts, and author of many useful 
works, and his second son practises as 
a surgeon with eminence and advan- 
tage. If he made no discoveries in the 
Sciences, and if he produced no origi- 
nal work which will live as long as our 
language, he has, nevertheless, done 
much to promote the interests both of 
philosophy and of literature; and he 
lived a valuable example of the best 
fruits in his own personal happiness 
during the first seventy years of his ex- 
istence, and in the welfare and credit 
of his children. 
In his political opinions, so important 
in the age in which he flourished, Dr. 
Aikin was a steady friend of civil 
liberty ; and, whenever he was warm, 
it was in the assertion of its principles. 
On religious topics he was sceptical, 
buat his scepticism never rendered his 
writings offensive to any class of be- 
lieyers, and he wisely forebore to en- 
gage in contreversies about opinions 
which are defended by the terrors of 
imprisonment or the stake. 
In literature, Dr. Aikin was, beyond 
doubt, the soundest writer of his age, 
and his opinions will long be justly re- 
sorted to as authorities on many inter- 
esting subjects. His habits of compo- 
sition were rapid, and the even tenor 
of his mind enabled him, like Shake- 
Speare, to discuss the most intricate 
points without a blot. If he had been 
a man, of display, and a man of the 
world, his mental attainments qualified 
him to take the station of Johnson in 
the literary circles of the metropolis ; 
but his were the retired habits of the 
practical philosopher, who avoids the 
mixed applause and envy of the vulgar 
crowd, Wisely secking the solid and un- 
qualified enjoyments of his own fire- 
side, and the silent approbation of the 
discerning part of mankind. 
= 
The late PRINCE PRIMATE of the CON- 
FEDERATION Of the RUINE. 
Charles -'Tlieodore - Anthony - Mary: 
Dalberg, Baron of the Empire, and 
Monruty Mac, No, 376. 
Prince Primate of the Confederation of the Rhine. 
521 
successively Elector of Mayence, 
Grand Chancellor, Prince Primate, 
Grand Duke of Frankfort, Archbishop 
of Ratisbon, Bishop of Werms and 
Constance, was born on the 8th of 
February, 1744, in the family mansion 
of his parents, at Hernsheim, near 
Worms. His father was Francis- 
Henry Dalberg, Privy Counscllor of 
the Elector of Mayence, Governor of 
Worms, and the clected Burgraf or 
Sovereign Seigneur of Friedberg: his 
mother was of the family of the Counts 
of Eltz. The Daibergs were the first 
barons of the empire, and enjoyed a 
peculiar privilege m Germany: at the 
coronation of every emperor it was 
customary for the new sovereign to in- 
stal a number of knights ; at the com- 
mencement of the ceremony a herald 
called aloud, *‘Is there no Datberg 
present?” Upon which the head of the 
family, completely clad in armour, 
advanced, and was constantly honour- 
ed with the first investiture. 
The education of Charles-Theodore 
was attended to with peculiar care, 
and adapted to the ecclesiastical du- 
ties, to which he devoted himself. 
Distinguished for classical erudition, 
and for a penetrating activity of mind, 
his progress to the highest. dignities 
was carly predicted; and it was thought 
essential to his prospects, that he 
should visit the most civilized parts of 
the Continent: in his travels he col- 
lected a rich harvest of observation on 
men, manners, and governments ; and 
Was soon nominated capitulary canon 
of the Grand Chapter of Mayence, as 
well as canon of the Grand Chapter 
of Wurzburg and Worms. 
By the late Elector of Mayence he 
was appointed in 1772 Privy Counsel- 
lor in activity, and Governor of Er- 
furth: here he had an opportunity of 
displaying those talents for adminis- 
tration and regularity of arrangement 
which became the object of admira- 
tion of his superiors, and a source of 
comfort to those with whom he had to 
communicate. In all political or ee- 
clesiastical conferences, the same lu- 
minous explanation obtained him ge- 
neral approbation: his mind embraced 
every part of his subject, seized its 
true point of view, and decided ac- 
cording to the immutable principles 
of justice. To this hour, the inhabi- 
tants revere the sentences which he 
pronounced, nor was there an example 
during his long administration of any 
having been repealed, 
Her, His 
