404 Biographical Sketch of the. [Dec. 



tions to his stock of historical knowledge, both ancient and 

 modern. He applied himself so effectually to the French and 

 Italian languages, as to be able in a short time to converse 

 fluently, and to obtain all the advantages of acquirement and 

 information in both ; and, what was less to be expected, by dint 

 of constant and persevering references to those classical authors, 

 whose writings have contributed, either directly or indirectly, to 

 illustrate the scenery or the antiquities of Italy, he made greater 

 advances in Greek and Latin than he had done before, during 

 the whole period of his education. He studied with great atten- 

 tion the history and progress of the arts, and, more particularly, 

 of the different schools of Painting in Italy ; reading carefully 

 the best authors, conversing frequently with the most intelligent 

 natives, and then, with all the advantage of his own good taste 

 and discernment, comparing the results of his inquiries with 

 those of his own actual observation. 



Nor was his attention less powerfully attracted towards those 

 rich treasures of Natural History, which the peculiar resources 

 of the country, or the industry of collectors daily presented to 

 him. Vesuvius, with all its various phenomena and productions, 

 was his particular study and delight. He was the historian and 

 the guide of the mountain, to every intelligent and distinguished 

 Englishman, who came to Naples during his stay ; and connect- 

 ing, as he did, a considerable degree of science and philosophy, 

 with all the accurate local knowledge, and more than the spirit 

 and adroitness of the most experienced of the native guides, his 

 assistance was as eagerly sought after as it was highly appre- 

 ciated by his countrymen. He made a large collection of vases 

 and medals, many of which have since found their way into 

 different cabinets of Europe; and besides numerous valuable 

 additions which he made to his own specimens of minerals, he 

 formed several complete collections of Italian marbles and vol- 

 canic products for his friends. With his own hands he constructed 

 models of the most remarkable temples and other interesting 

 objects of art or nature in Italy ; and one particularly of Vesu- 

 vius, upon a great scale, of the materials of the mountain, with 

 such accuracy of outline and justness of proportion, that Sir 

 William Hamilton pronounced it to be the best ever produced of 

 the kind, either by foreigner or native ; it is now at Lord Ber- 

 wick's seat at Attingham, in Shropshire. These things he 

 did, and much more, within an interrupted space of two years, 

 during which, as it appears from his journal, so many of his 

 hours were placed by his own good nature at the disposal of his 

 countrymen in their literary or philosophical inquiries, so many 

 others were dedicated as a matter of duty to Lord Berwick and 

 his concerns, and so many more were devoted to the pleasures 

 of society, and to those active amusements which our country- 

 men usually assemble round them whenever they take up their 



