/ 



266 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



would do him more good than either 

 physic or confinement. 



In one of these morning excur- 

 sions, he gave a singular proof of 

 the ruling passion sticking touseven 

 in the hour of death. Calling at a 

 friend's house so faint and spiritless 

 that he was unable to walk up to 

 the drawing-room, he wa? told in as 

 delicalea manner aspossible, " that 

 as sickness always brought on addi- 

 tional expences, if he would give his 

 friend his address, he would very 

 readily lend him a guinea per week 

 until he recovered- 



The doctor received the promise 

 oftheloan with becoming gratitude, 

 but referred him for his address to 

 the usual place, "The Bedford cof- 

 fee-house." — " My ueardoctor, says 

 theotherj this is no time to trifle, I 

 assureyou in the most solemn man net 

 I do not make this inquir)' from any 

 impertinent curiosity, or idle wish 

 to extort a secret from yoo under 

 your present circumstances; my only 

 reason is, for the quicker dispatch 

 of sending you any thing that may 

 be needful." — The doctor still ex- 

 pressed his gratitude with a sigh, 

 and ardent gripe of the hand ; but 

 l.'ft the house by referring his friend 

 to the Bedford cof}ee-h(Juse. 



It was in vain to expostulate 

 farther : the gentleman sent on ihc 

 two following Saturdays a guinea 

 each day, sealed up in a letter, 

 which, on enquiry, he found the 

 doctor received ; but on the third 

 Saturday no messensrer arrivincc, 

 upon enquiry, it was tou'ud that the 

 docior was no more, having died the 

 preceding night, at his lougings, in 

 one of the little courts of 8t. Alar- 

 tin's lane, about the beginning of 

 June, 1777- 



Hitl'ernan was in his person a 

 short, thickset man, of a ruddy 



com.plexion ; black, observing eyes, 

 with a nose somewhat inclined to j 

 tJie aquiline, and upon the whole, ' 

 though not formed with much 

 symmetry, might be called an in- 

 telligent and well-looking man ; but 

 as he has humourously described 

 both liis peison and mind, in a 

 poem calieid " The Author on 

 Himself," we shall use his own pen- 

 cil : 



} 



" Pel haps some curious would my ;ier- 



son know ; 

 I liumbly answer, 'Tis but so and so 

 Not over iall — nor despicably low. 

 Black frowning brows ruy deep-sunk eyes 



o'ershade. 

 They were, I fear, for a physi Ian made ; 

 P'oresccing- Nature gave this anti-grace, 

 And mark'd me with a medical griiiKue ; 

 lu !imb<; proportion'd — body somewhat 



gross. 

 In humour various — affable — morose ; 

 The ladies servitor — in health a king ; 

 Good-natur'd, peevish, gay, fantastic 



fhing ; 

 That like fntnd Horace, grey before his 



time. 

 Seek fame in loosc-pac'd prose and fetter' J 



rhyme ; 

 TVhose liiCjhest wl.vh's a mere absurdity, 

 Nolhinf; to do — (tttd learnedly idle ie ; 

 Like to m) self to have a muse-bit (riend. 

 My vain chimeras to review and mend ; . 

 Ihc day to v.riic — by night infancy stray. 

 So, like true poets, dream my life away." 



As a writer, Hiffernan, as we be- 

 fore observed, had the materials oJ 

 scolarship ; but from not always 

 cultivating good company, and sa- 

 crificing occasionally too much to 

 Baccluis, he did not properly avail 

 himself of his stock of learning. 

 He was far from being, however, 

 a mere scholar ; he could deport 

 himself in good company with very 

 becoming uecorum, and enliven the 

 conservation with anecdote and ob- 

 servation, which rendered him at 

 times an agreeable companion. At 

 other times, and n'Sirticulaily when 



he 



