Ijgi. LITERARY INTELLIGEVCER. 1 65 



but expofed to view the circumftances which had mif- 

 led him, that his pupils might be put upon their guard 

 againft fimilar deceptions in future. It is little mindi 

 alone, who are incapable of acknowledging, and cheer- 

 full j correfting an error. CuUen felt he had no need 

 of fuch punj aids to fupport his character. Truth was 

 in all caftis the objeft of his refearch. In quell of this, 

 though he never wilhed to degrade aaather, he refpedl- 

 ed no name fo much as to prevent his candid flriftures 

 when he did perceive them v»'rong. If even a Boer- 

 haave, whofe great talents Doftor Cullen much ad- 

 mired, could not efcape reprehenfion where he had er- 

 red ; fo neither could a Cullen himfelf efcape correc- 

 tion, where any Icind of miltake could be made appa- 

 rent to Doctor Cullen. 



The above remarks apply to Doctor Cullen when in 

 his prime. But for fome years before his death, his 

 friends perceived a fenfible decline of that ardour and 

 energy of mind, which fo ftrongly charatterifed him at 

 a former period. Strangers, who had never feen him 

 before, could not be fenfible of this change; nor did 

 any marked decline in him flrike them ; for his natural 

 vivacity 'lill was fuch as might pafs in general as the 

 unabated vigour of one in prime of life. Yet then, 

 though hi'; vigour of body and mind were greater than 

 others of his own age, it fliould never be forgot that the 

 vigour of old age is but feeble, and the utmofl; energy 

 of fenihty bears no refcmblance to that gigantic ardour 

 which charafterifes the man of genius in the prime of 

 life. Cullen to the lall was great ; but how differerit 

 from what he had been, thofe alone can tell who had an 

 opportunity of knowing him in both lituations, and 

 who had at the fame time not an opportunity of per- 

 ceiving the change imperceptibly advance upon him, 

 during the lapfe of a continued intercourfe. Let not 

 thofe, therefore, who knew him only in the decline of 

 life, pretend to judge of the accuracy of tliefe fketches, . 

 J r is to tliofe who knew him at the diitance of twenty 



