C H A R A C T E R S. 



753 



dicating it to be sent into the world 

 hy departed literary spirit. From 

 this time he declares himself deter- 

 mined to appear in no new works 

 before the public, yet the activity 

 of his mind would not suiier him, 

 even in this advanced age, entirely 

 to resign him'^elf to private labours 

 and donestic concerns ; accordingly 

 he wrote, and in 1796 printed, the 

 *' History of Whitford and Holy- 

 well," the word 



RESURGAM 

 appropriately occupying the leaf 

 preceding the title. He afterwards 

 publi.^hed also the two first volumes 

 of the •' Outlines of the Globe." 



The loss of an amiable da;ighter, 

 in the year 1794, had so great an 

 effect upon his mind, that he was 

 never able perfectly to recover it. 

 la April ensuing he had the misfor- 

 tune to snap the patella of his knee 

 in descending a Hight of steps. This 

 accident confined him long to his 

 room, but he recovered from it in a 

 wonderful manner. 



Towards the latter end of the 

 year 1796 he began to be affected 

 by the pulmonary complaint, which 

 at length terminated his life. His 

 mental faculties, however, still con- 

 tinued in a greatmeasure unimpaired, 

 till the month of October, 1798, 

 when his disorder began to wear a 

 serious aspect. He was from this 

 time confined to his bed, and on the 

 sixteenth of December, closed his 

 existence without a groan. Consci- 

 ous of approaching dissolution, he 

 met the stroke with the utmost 

 composure and resignation. 



Thus was society deprived of one 

 of its most active, and one of its 

 most valuable members. Of the 

 industry and talents of Mr. Pen- 

 nant, his election as member of 



various literary 

 Vol. XL VI. 



Institiitious, both 



at home and abroad, bear satisfac- 

 tory evidence : 



Antiquarian Society, Nov. 1754. 



Royal Society at Upsai, Feb. 

 1737. 



Royal Society of London, Feb. 

 1767. 



Roval Academy of Drontbiem, 

 Ma:, "l 769. 



L. L. D. at Oxford, May 1771. 



Societas Phisiographica, Lond, 

 June 1783. 



American Philosophical Society at 

 Philadelphia, April 17S1. 



Royil Academy of Sciences at 

 Stockholm, May 1784. 



R jyal Society at Edinburgh, Hon. 

 Mem. Jan. 1783. 



Society of Antiquaries at Perth, 

 lion. Mem. Dec. 1785. 



Linnean Society of London, Hon. 

 Mem. 



In the writings of Mr. Pennant 

 we are not to look for any of thosa 

 brilli^.nt effusions of genius that mark 

 the pen of some of the modern na- 

 turalists and travellers. But if he 

 did not possess their fire, he had the 

 more valuable requisites of untar- 

 nished principle, and a scrupulous 

 adherence to truth. Perseverance, 

 industry, and correctness, are their 

 leading characteristics. His reading 

 was extensive, particularly in tho 

 zoological branches of natural his- 

 tory. He possessed a retentive me- 

 mory, and a considerable rapidity 

 of composition, his works being ge- 

 nerally printed, with little or no 

 correction, as they llowed from the 

 pen. 



As to his private character, he 

 was religious without bigotry ; and, 

 from principles the most pure and 

 disinterested, firmly attached to the 

 established church. He was a steady 

 friend to our excellent constifution ; 

 and, when the spirit of democracy 



3 C witl» 



