_ thelate Mr. Henry. 237 
In very advanced age, though his body, 
was enfeebled, his mind retained much of that 
wholesome elasticity and vigour, which always 
belonged to it. He was still enabled, by the 
almost perfect preservation of his sight,; to 
spend agreat portion of every. day in reading ; 
but,, at,this period, he derived greater pleasure, 
from, works of literature, than from. those .,of, 
science, and especially from, his favorite study, 
of history. , During the winter immediately 
preceding his death, beside, severalstandard — 
historical, works, he read. with, ayidity..one 
which had been recently published ;* and en- 
tered into a critical examination of its merits, 
with a strength of memory and judgment, 
that would not have discredited the meridian 
of his faculties. . In his moral character, no 
change was. observable, except that.atoogreat 
quickness of. feeling, of which he had himself 
been, fully conscious, was softened into.a/se- 
rene and complacent.temper of) mind, varied 
only by, the occasional glow, of those benevo- 
lent feelings, which continued to exist in.him, 
with unabated ardour, almost ‘to. his latest 
hour: , He still continued to. receive ; great 
pleasure from the society.of, the young ;. and 
to them he was peculiarly, acceptable, from 
* Dr. Stanier,Clark’s Life ef James the Second. 
