600 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



ideas of the character when he con. 

 ceiyed and wrote it. Mi. Home, 

 at the advanced age of seventy- 

 eight, pubhshed his long meditated 

 woric, entitled, "The History of the 

 Rebellion in Scotland, in 1745-6," 

 in which he recorded the exploits 

 and remarks of his youth. Of this 

 work it is sufficient to observe, that 

 the principles are just, and the opi- 

 nions liberal. For a considerable 

 time prior to his death, Mr. Home's 

 mind as well as his body seemed to 

 be much impaired. He lived in 

 the most secluded manner, so much 

 so, that the house he inhabited had 

 all the marks of a deserted dwel- 

 ling. So long as he continued to 

 possess sufficient strength, he used 

 to walk for a certain time every 

 day ; the most acute physiognomist, 

 however, who met him, could 

 scarcely have traced any remains 

 of the author of Douglas. He 

 seemed to pay no attention to what 

 was passing, and to possess little 

 more than mere existence. In this 

 distressful state, he lingered for 

 many years. A life so little varied 

 by incident as that of Mr. Home, 

 affiards few materials for personal 

 character. With a mind well stor- 

 ed with useful and ornamental 

 knovvledge, he appears at an early 

 age to have cultivated an acquaint- 

 ance with the most celebrated liter- 

 ary characters of his time. Fideli- 

 ty to his friends, and generosity to 

 hisenemies, were conspicuous traits 

 in his character. If, in his declin- 

 ing years, his temper appeared to 

 be soured and morose, and his 

 manners harsh and uninviting, we 

 must attribute it to the infirmity of 

 did age, rather th&n to original dis- 

 position. As a clergyman, he at- 

 tached himself to that party in the 



church, who, enlightened in their 

 views,and liberal in theirsentiments, 

 present their hearers with a rational 

 view ofthe doctrines of Christianity. 

 DivestingreJigionofunmeaningmys- 

 tery, and checking the spirit of su- 

 perstitious bigotry, he appears to 

 have performed his ministerial duty 

 with thatfidelityand attentionwhich 

 endeared him to his people, and 

 which their conduct at his resigna- 

 tion abundantly testify. As a man 

 of letters, he will be known to pos- 

 terity by his tragedies, and especi- 

 ally by his '• Douglas," which will 

 probably retain a place among the 

 most approved compositions of that 

 class, and will long continue to de- 

 light and interest a British audi- 

 ence. 



At Ross, Mrs. Flack, the last 

 surviving grandchild of Vanderford 

 Kyrle, esq. kinsman and heir to the 

 celebrated Man of Ross, 76. 



At Bath, Mr. Charles Fox, for- 

 merly a landscape and miniature 

 painter of Bristol. This gentleman 

 will long be remembered by his 

 friends, for his mild and unassum- 

 ing manners and considerable lite- 

 rary attainments. He was born in 

 the year 174'9,atFalmouth, atwhich 

 place he afterwards kept a book- 

 seller's shop. But the greater part 

 of his property being consumed by 

 fire, he was induued to follow the 

 bent of his inclination for the art of 

 landscape and portrait painting.— 

 The better to qualify himself for his 

 profession, and to divert his mind 

 from the painful recollection of his 

 misfortune, he accompanied his 

 brother, who was the master of a 

 merchant vessel, in a voyage to the 

 Baltic. Impelled by that enthusi- 

 asm which is the characteristic of a 

 superior mind, he made a tour, 



alone 



