1979S» ~ hints to the learned. © } : 325- 
him, when opprefsed by some severe fit of it, -‘ that 
‘his present distrefs, and the then certain consequence 
of it, were to him only light matters, as he well knew 
that a fhort time would put an end to all his afflic- 
tions; but that his greatest anxiety and uneasinefs 
was only for the fate of his children, whom he was 
now about to leave to the rasamaeaR of a wicked 
and insnaring world.” 
After struggling some months with a lingering 
complaint, he, upon the 13th October 1762, paid the 
debt of nature. He retained his senses to the last, 
and was heard, just at the very instant he was expir- 
ing, saying ‘* Receive my soul, thou eternal King of 
glory 99 ‘ E 
Peace to his fhade ;—ea few revolving years, 
And all he /ov’d, like him, fhall be no more! 
. 
HINTS TO THE LEARNED. 
Iy the whole range of literary history, beginning 
from the first dawn of science, after the dark ages 
that succeeded to the subversion of the Roman em- 
pire, the eras of Petrarcha, the Medici, of Peiresc, 
of Newton, and that which is now pafsing before 
our eyes, may serve for fixed points, around which a 
learned and enlightened commentator might gather. 
together, and concentrate all the characteristic cir- 
cumstances that have contributed to the improve- 
ment of the republic of learning, embellifhing his 
narration with sprightly and interesting anecdotes of 
the illustrious and learned men who adorned those 
ages. 
