1078 
‘Societatis hujus spes altera 
Et decus gemellum ; 
Cui ad summam doctrine laudem, 
Omnes morum virtutumque dotes 
In cumulum accesserunt ; 
Eo magis spectabiles amabilesque, 
Quod in formoso corpore 
Gratiores venirent. 
Natus Burbagii 
In agro Leicestriensi. 
Jul. x. MDCLxXXXxII. 
Obiit. Jun. y. mpcexvi.” 
‘¢ fJisdomestichabits,whenI knew 
him, were still those of unabated 
study; he sleptin the room adjoin. 
ing to his library, and was never 
with his family till the hour of din- 
ner; at these times he seemed to 
have’ detached himself most com- 
pletely from his studies; never ap- 
pearing thoughtful and abstracted, 
but social, gay, and possessing per- 
fect serenity of mind and equability 
of temper. He never dictated to- 
pics of conversation to the company 
he was with, but took them up as 
they came in his way, and was a 
patient listener to other people’s 
discourse, however trivial or unin- 
teresting it might be. When The 
Spectator’s were in publication, I 
have heard my mother say he took 
a greatdelight in hearing them read to 
him, and was so particularly amused 
by the character of sir Roger de 
Caverley, that he took his literary 
decease most seriously to heart, 
She also told me, that, when in con- 
versation with him on the subject 
of his works, she found occasion to 
Jament that he had bestowed so 
great a portion of his time and ta- 
lents upon criticism, instead of em- 
ploying them upon original compo- 
sition, he acknowledged the justice 
ef her regret with extreme sensibi- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
lity, and remained for a considerable 
time thoughtful, and seemingly em- 
barrassed by the nature of her re- 
mark; at last recollecting himself 
he said—‘‘ Child, I am _ sensible 
I have not always turned my talents 
to the proper use for which I 
should presume they were given 
to me: yet I have done some- 
thing for the honour of my God 
and the edification of my fellow 
creatures; but the wit and genius 
of those old heathens beguiled me, 
and as I despaired of raising myself 
up to their standard upon fair 
ground, | thought the only chance 
I had of looking over their heads 
was to get upon their shoulders.” 
“« Of his pecuniary affairs he took 
no account; he had no use for 
money, and dismissed it entirely 
from his thoughts: his establish. 
ment in the mean time was respect- 
able, and his table affluently and 
hospitably served. All these mat- 
ters were conducted and arranged 
in the best manner possible, by one 
of the best women living ; for such, 
by the testimony of. all who knew 
her, was Mrs. Bentley, daughter of 
sir John Bernard, of Brampton, in 
Huntingdonshire, a family of great 
opulence and respectability, allied 
to the Cromwells and Saint Johns, 
and by intermarriages connected 
with other great and noble houses. 
i have perfect recollection of the 
person of my grandmother, and a 
full impression of her manners and 
habits, which, though in some de- 
gree tinctured with hereditary re- 
serve and the primitive cast of cha- 
racter, were entirely free from the 
hypocritical cant and afleeted sanc- 
tity of the Oliverians. Her. whole 
life was- modelled on the purest 
principles of piety, benevolence, 
and 
