434 
Mr. Tennant was tall and slene 
der in his person, with a thin face 
and light complexion. His ap- 
pearance, notwithstanding some 
singularity of manners, and great 
negligence of dress, was on the 
whole striking and agreeable. His 
countenance in early life had been 
singularly engaging; and at fa- 
vourable times, when he was in 
good spirits and tolerable health, 
was still very pleasing. The ge- 
neral cast of hisfeatures was ex- 
pressive, and bore strong marks 
of intelligence; and several per- 
sons have been struck witha ge- 
neral resemblance in his counte- 
nance to the well-known portraits 
of Locke. 
The leading parts of his moral 
and intellectual character are ap- 
parent in the principal transac- 
tions of his life. But in this me- 
morial, however imperfect, of the 
talents and virtues of so extraor- 
dinary a man, some attempt must 
be made to delineate those cha- 
racteristic peculiarities, of which 
there are no distinct traces in the 
preceding narrative. 
Of his intellectual character, 
the distinguishing and fundamen- 
tal principle was good sense; a 
prompt and intuitive perception 
of truth, both upon those ques- 
tions in which certainty is attain- 
able, and those which must be de- 
termined by the nicer results of 
moral evidence. In quick pene- 
tration, united with soundness 
and accuracy of judgment, he was 
perhaps without an equal. He 
saw immediately, and with great 
distinctness, where the strength 
of an argument lay, and upon 
what points the decision was ul- 
timately to depend; and he was 
remarkable for the faculty of stat- 
gy 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815, 
ing the merits of an obscure and 
complicated question very shortly, 
and with great simplicity and pre- 
cision. The calmness and tem- 
per, as well as the singular per- 
spicuity, which he displayed on 
such occasions, were alike admi- 
rable; and seldom failed to con- 
vince the unprejudiced, and to 
disconcert or silence his oppo- 
nents. 
These powers of understanding 
were so generally acknowledged, 
that great deference was paid to 
his authority, not only upon ques- 
tions in science, but upon most 
others of general interest and im- 
portance. What Mr. Tennant 
thought or said upon such sub- 
jects, his friends were always anx- 
ious to ascertain; and his opin- 
ions had that species: of influence 
over a numerous class of society 
which is one of the most certain 
proofs of superior talents. 
Next to rectitude of under- 
standing, the quality by which he 
was most distinguished, was a 
lofty and powerful imagination. 
From hence resulted a great {ex- 
pansion of mind, and sublimity of 
conception; which, being united 
with deep moral feelings, and an 
ardent zeal for the happiness and 
improvement of mankind, gave 
a very peculiar and original cha- 
racter to his conversation in his 
intercourse with familiar friends. 
He partook with others in the 
pleasure derived from the striking 
scenes of nature; but was more 
particularly affected by the sight 
or contemplation of the triumphs 
of human genius, of the energies 
of intelligent and successful in- 
dustry, of the diffusion of know- 
ledge and civilization, and of 
whatever was new and beautiful 
: in 
