‘don about the year 1798. 
.sons, where he ultimately died. 
1628. ] 
[ 549 J 
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
MR. VAN DYK. 
Harry Stoe Van Dyk was born in Lon- 
His father, as 
we learn from a contemporary publication, 
“was a native of Holland; his mother, of 
the Cape of Good Hope. ‘They came to 
_reside in London about the year 1797. 
_Mr. Van Dyk was principal owner and 
captain of a ship, in which he made voyages 
between London and Demerara. On the 
passage home of his last voyage, he was 
boarded on the south-west coast by a 
. French privateer, commanded by the cele- 
brated Captain Blacke; and after making 
considerable resistance, in which he was 
severely wounded, was taken, carried to 
France, confined in one of the French pri- 
Shortly 
after this event, Mrs. Van Dyk quitted 
London for Demerara, with her family, to 
take possession of a plantation there, which 
was, in consequence of her husband’s death, 
involved in some difficulty. She, however, 
succeeded in her undertaking, resided there 
for some years, married, in 1817, Dr. Page, 
a gentleman in the medical profession, and 
died not long afterwards.” The youth, her 
_son, then left Demerara for Holland, and 
_ for some time resided at Westmaas, with a 
clergyman, a friend of his parents. With 
him he acquired his knowledge of the Latin 
and French languages, in the former of 
which he was a proficient. In his own lan- 
guage, also, he subsequently acquired a 
critical correctness. His talent for poetry 
_ was evinced at an early age. 
_ the year 1821. 
Mr. Van Dyk returned to London about 
For some time he relied 
for his support chiefly on remittances from 
_ his brother, who occupied the plantation in 
- Demerara; but latterly, that resource fail- 
_ ing, he rested on his own exertions for the 
booksellers, music publishers, the periodical 
press, &c. His “‘ Theatrical Portraits” dis- _ 
played considerable smartness. As a song 
. writer, Byron and Moore were his models; 
_ able originality of genius. 
yet his efiusions were not without consider- 
“ In 1825, he 
_ translated, in conjunction with Mr. Bow- 
_ ring, Specimens of the Dutch Poets, in one 
uvolme, entitled Batavian Anthology, for 
which each obtained a very handsome medal 
_ from His Majesty the King of Holland, 
through his ambassador in London, with a | 
flattering letter, acknowledging the receipt 
. of the copies which were forwarded by the 
_ translators to his majesty.” 
. Share in this volume, Mr. Van Dyk’s pub- 
Besides his 
_ lications are, “Theatrical Portraits,” “The 
Gondola,” “Songs set to Music,”’ &c. Had 
he lived, another volume of his, consisting 
_ principally of short legendary poems, would 
probably ere this have seen the light. Un- 
fortunately, on Christmas-day last; he was 
seized with a pulmonary affection, which 
terminated fatally, at Brompton, on the 5th 
of June. 
The turn of Mr. Van Dyk’s mind was 
romantic and melancholy; yet, in society, 
he was the life of all around him. It is 
gratifying to know, that his friends watched 
him in his illness with the most anxious 
affection ; and that, though unayailing, he 
had the best medical assistance. His re- 
mains were interred in Kensington church- 
yard. 
THE RIGHT HON. DENIS BROWNE. 
This gentleman, brother of the late, and 
uncle of the present Marquis of Sligo, was 
born in August 1763. His mother, the 
Countess, was Elizabeth, only daughter and 
heiress of Denis Kelly, Esq., Chief Justice 
of the Island of Jamaica. 
Mr. Browne was one of the representa- 
tives of the county of Mayo in Parliament 
“more than five-and-thirty years; during 
which extended period, he was considered 
to hold paramount sway over its internal 
discipline and local interests. Excepting 
as a grand juror of the county, he had, for 
some years previously to his decease, retired 
from public life.» While in his performance 
of the duties appertaining to the office just 
mentioned, at the late assizes, he was seized 
with an illness, which terminated his exist- 
ence, at his residence, Claremorris, on the 
14th of August. 
Mr. Browne was governor of the county 
of Mayo, and a member of His Majesty’s 
ptivy council in Freland. He married, in 
1790, Anne, the daughter of Ross Mahon, 
Esq., by whom he had a family of eight or 
nine children. 
LORD ORIEL. 
The Right Honourable John Foster, 
Lord Oriel, of Ferrard, in the county of 
Louth—a privy councillor in England—a 
. governor of the county of Louth—one of 
the corporation for improving the port of 
Dublin—a trustee of the linen manufac- 
ture—a member of the Royal Irish Aca- 
demy, &c.—was born on the 28th of Sep- 
tember, 1740. His lordship was the eldest 
son and heir of Anthony Foster, of Collon, 
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ire- 
land, by his wife, Elizabeth, the youngest 
daughter of William Burgh, of Dublin, 
Esq. He received his education at the 
University of Dublin, where he was con- 
temporary with the celebrated Mr. Grattan, 
Mr. Fitzgibbon, afterwards Chancellor of 
Ireland, &c. In 1776 he was called to the 
Trish bar, while his father, the Chief Baron, 
was yet on the bench. To him, however, 
law was little more than a nominal pursuit. 
