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Pad 
34 sketches of the life of Mr Yohn Henderson. Nov. 4. 
band, if not on the bare neck, yet on his fhirt collar; and 
his fhoes were tied with strings, or fastened with very saab 
iron buckles that appeared to he rusty. 
In his scientific researches, his application was as intense 
as his curiosity was boundlefs. He slept but little, and 
that was generally in the day time; while the midnight, ; 
ad the early hours of the morning, when not spent in 
* company, were devoted to study. His knowledge extend- 
ed almost through the whole circle of the sciences ; and 
such were the wonderful powers of his mind, that he could 
A 
converse, or rather deliver the most masterly difsertations, 
in the most engaging manner, on subjects of divinity, ethics, 
metaphysics, medicine; chemistry, anatomy, law, pelitics, 
criticism, &c. &c. ° 
To wonderful powers for conversation, he superadded 
a talent for good natured raillery, and a fund of exquisite 
humour that was peculiarly his own, and that never failed 
him. He read almost every curious and original work 5 
and, like another Pascal, his memory retained almost all 
that he had read. 
He had every treatise that could be procured on magic ; 
and so prevalent was the opinion of his kill in this occult 
science with many, that a popular doctor, who is still living, 
and ‘whose name, therefore, it may be proper to conceal, 
wrote a letter to Mr Henderson, informing him, that he 
was afsured, from undoubted authority, he had the power 
of raising spirits, and therefore earnestly requested to be 
favoured with a specimen of his fkill; for which purpose 
he told him, he was ready to meet him in any part of the 
kingdom. Henderson could not supprefs a good natured.’ 
smile on receiving this ludicrous epistle, and after having 
mentioned it to’some of his intimate friends, returned the 
learned, but credulous doctor, such an evasive answer, as 
was calculated to leave him perfectly in doubt on the subr 
ject. 
