154 Notice of British Natiiralisfs. 



stant dependence upon his Creator. The distresses in which his 

 poor neighbors were involved; gave him unfeigned uneasiness j 

 and he endeavored to reHeve them by every means in his power. 

 His name was long remembered by them with love and respect. 

 But we cannot do better than to let him speak for himself, as re- 

 gards his occupations and character. *- 1 still haunt the bench of 

 justices (1793). I am now active in hastening levies of our gen- 

 erous Britons into the field. However unequal, I still retain the 

 same zeal in the services of my country, and have grown indig- 

 nant at injuries offered to my native land; or have incited a vig- 

 orous defence against the lunatic designs of enthusiastic tyranny, 

 or tlie presumptuous plans of fanatical atheists to spread their 

 reign or force their tenets on the contented moral part of their 

 fellow creatures." "I am often astonished at the muhiphcity of 

 my publications, especially when I reflect on the various duties 

 which it has fallen to my lot to discharge^ as a father of a fam- 

 ily, landlord of a small but very numerous tenantry, and not an 



inactive magistrate. I had a great share of health during the lit- 



D 



erary part of my days : much of this was owing to the riding ex- 

 ercise of my extensive tours, to my manner of living, and to my 

 temperance. I go to rest at ten ; and rise, summer and winter, at 

 seven ; and shave regularly at the same hour. I avoid the meal of 

 excess — a supper ; and my soul rises with vigor to its employ- 

 ments, and I hope does not disappoint the end of its Creator." 

 " Thus far has passed my active life, even to the present year, 

 92, in which I have passed half way of my sixty-seventh year, 



1 



My body may have abated its wonted vigor, but my mind stiU 

 retains its wonted power, its longing for improvements, its wish 

 to receive new lights through chinks which nature has made." 



In his zoological works he includes tlie whole of the British 

 vertebrated animals — tcstacea, cruslacea, (fee. His arrangement 

 is founded upon that of Linnaeus; but he occasionally alters his 

 plan to that which seemed to him better adapted to the subject, 

 instead of confining himself to mere description and classification, 

 which was a prominent fault in previous works on natural history 

 and one which has not been avoided by succeeding British Natu- 

 ralists, he, as far as he is able, both introduces notices of habits 

 and manners, and indulges in detail. His writings are still con- 

 sidered as standard works, and are still constantly referred to and 



quoted. In some departments, very little has since been added, 



', 



