ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
to be evaded or abused ; strongly 
recommending, that to all such en- 
quiries answer should be given ac- 
cording to the strictest truth, and 
information dealt to us in the clear- 
est terms, as a sacred duty never to 
be departed from. I have broken 
in upon him many a time in his 
hours of study, when he would put 
his book aside, ring his hand-bell 
for his servant, aud be Jed to his 
shelves to take down a picture 
book for my amusement. I donot 
say that his good nature always 
gained its object, as the pictures 
which his books generally supplied 
me with were anatomical drawings 
of dissected bodies, very little cal- 
culated to communicate delight ; 
but he had nothing better to pro- 
duce ; and surely such an effort on 
his part, however unsuccessful, was 
no feature of a cynic : a cynic should 
be made of sterner stuff. 1 have had 
from him, at times, whilst standing 
at his elbow, a complete and enter- 
taining narrative of his school-boy 
days, with the characters of his dif- 
ferent masters very humourously 
displayed, and the punishments de- 
scribed, which they at times would 
wrongfully inflict upon him for 
seeming to be idle and regardless 
of his task, ** When the dunces,” 
he would say, ‘* could not discover 
that I was pondering it in my mind, 
and fixing it more firmly in my me- 
mory, than if 1 had been bauling it 
out amongst the rest of my school- 
fellows.’ 
‘¢ Once, and only once, I recollect 
his giving me a gentle rebuke for 
making a most outrageous noise in 
the room over his library and dis. 
turbing him in his studies; I had no 
apprehension of anger from him, 
and confidently answered that I 
could not help it, as I had been at 
1075 
battledore and shuttlecock with 
master Gooch, the bishop of Ely’s 
son. ‘* And I have been at this 
sport with his father,” he replied ; 
‘¢ but thine has. been the more 
amusing game; so there’s no harm 
done.” 
‘¢ These are puerile anecdotes, 
but my history itself is only in its 
nonage ; and even these will serve in 
some degree to establish what L 
affirmed, and present his character 
in those mild and unimposing lights, — 
which may prevail with those who 
know him only as a critic and con. 
troversialist. 
As slashing Bentley with his despe- 
rate hook, 
to reform and soften their opinions 
of him. 
** He recommended it as a very 
essential duty in parents to be parti- 
cularly attentive to the first dawn. 
ings of reason in their children ; 
and his own practice was the best 
illustration of his doctrine; for he 
was the most patient hearer and 
most favourable interpreter of first 
attempts at argument and meaning 
that lever knew. When I was ral- 
lied by my mother, for roundly as- 
serting that I never slept, 1 remem- 
ber full well his calling on me to 
account for it; and when | ex- 
plained it by saying I never knew 
myself to be asleep, and therefore 
supposed I never slept at all, he 
gave me credit for my defence, and 
said to my mother, ** Leave your 
boy in possession of his opinion ; he 
has as clear a conception of sleep, 
and at least as comfortable an one, 
as the philosophers who puzzle their 
brains about it, and do not rest so 
well.” 
*¢ Though bishop Lowth, in the 
3Z2 flippancy 
