FOSTER, REV. JOHN. 



FOUCHK, JOSEPH. 



tioo for bii general good qualities, rather than for high powers as an 

 Hirf-architect. 



FOSTKIt, REV. JOHN, was the ton of a small farmer residing 

 between Wainwright and Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Yorkshire, where he 

 wa* born September 17, 1770. He was, aa a youth, placed with a wearer; 

 bat hating in his seventeenth year joined the church of the Rev. Dr. 

 Fawcett, baptist minuter, of Hebden Bridge, he quickly attracted 

 the notice of that gentleman, and by his interest he waa entered a 

 tndent of the Baptist College, Bristol, in 1791. 



Having completed hia studies he became a preacher, and in 1797 

 accepted the charge of a congregation at Chicbester, Sussex. There 

 be remained for about two yean and a half; he then continued 

 till 1S04 without any pastoral connection, hia attention being much 

 occupied with literature. In 1804 he became the minuter of a chapel 

 at Frame in Somersetshire, but a morbid state of the thyroid gland 

 unfitted him for preaching with energy, and he resigned his office in 

 1806. He now became regularly connected as contributor to the 

 Eclectic Keview,' in which his first article appeared in November 

 1806, and his but in July 1839. For eleven years he remained uncon- 

 nected with any church as minister, when his health being thoroughly 

 established, he, in 1817, accepted a charge at Downend, near Bristol. 

 But his preaching being unacceptable to hia congregation by no means 

 a literary one he, after a trial of only a few months, relinquished 

 active pastoral duties, and for the last eighteen or twenty years of 

 his life resided at Stapleton, near Bristol, chiefly occupied in literary 

 occupation*, and preaching only occasionally. He died at Stapleton, 

 October 15, 1843. 



Foster's reputation as an author is chiefly founded on his ' Essays,' 

 which were first published in 1805, in the form of a series of letters, 

 which, though intended for publication, were really addressed to the 

 lady who soon afterwards became his wife. The ' Essays ' are on the 

 following subjects: 1, 'On a Han's Writing Memoirs of Himself;' 

 2, ' On Decision of Character ; ' 3, 'On the Application of the epithet 

 Romantic ;' 4, On some of the Causes by which Evangelical Religion 

 has been rendered Unacceptable to Persons of Cultivated Taste.' 

 'I he only other work which he published in a separate form was ' An 

 Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance,' which grew out of the 

 topics of a discourse delivered at a public anniversary meeting in aid 

 of the British and Foreign School Society, and which he afterwards 

 expanded into a volume of moderate size. To the ' Eclectic Review ' 

 he contributed altogether 185 articles, of whicli fifty were selected 

 and published in a separate form in 1844. Two volumes of lectures, 

 delivered at Broadmead in 1822, and edited from Foster's notes by 

 his friend Mr. J. K. Rylaud, have been published since Mr. Foster's 

 death. 



John Foster's writings occupy only a small space, but they are of 

 great merit. The ' Essays' have gone through some twenty editions, 

 and their popularity has certainly not diminished. Foster's intellect 

 is of a high order, clear, comprehensive, and of strong grasp. He 

 displays an intimate knowledge of the various forms of human character, 

 draws bis remarks from a wide extent of personal observation as well 

 as a large acquaintance with books, and is almost entirely free from 

 party views or sectarian feelings. Hia thoughts are unborrowed, his 

 morality high and pure, and his views, whether relating to public 

 government or private conduct, are independent, lofty, and liberal 

 His composition is 1 very elaborate, yet natural and graceful ; it has no 

 appearance of having been modelled on the style of any other writer, 

 but always seems to flow with the unrestrained current of his thoughts, 

 generally with a tendency towards expansion, yet often concise, nervous, 

 and impressive. 



The ' Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance ' consists of a series 

 of arguments on the necessity of a comprehensive scheme of popular 

 education. It is very powerfully written. To some of the editions is 

 annexed his sermon in defence of Christian missions, which is much 

 admired. 



Foster was eminently qualified for a reviewer as well ss an essayist 

 His strong good sense, his wide range of knowledge from books and 

 observation, bis perfect independence of mind, thorough oonscientious- 

 DCM, power of sarcasm as well as of eulogy, pure taste, and attractive 

 style, all contributed to fit him for sitting in judgment on works of 

 general literature. 



In person Foster was rather above the middle size. His counte- 

 nance was handsome and striking. His social character is described 

 as having been very attractive. His range of topics in conversation 

 was extensive, embracing not only such subjects as those treated of in 

 his writings, but including the fine arts, of which he was an enthusi- 

 astic admirer, and almost every department of ancient and modern 

 literature. 



Jitntltmani Mayatiae, January, 1844; Eclectic Review, February 

 May, 1844 ; Kvland, Lift and Corrapandmct of John Potter.) 

 FOTHKKOIIX, JOHN, was born of a Quaker family, on the 8th 

 of March 171.', at Can-End, near Richmond, in Yorkshire. After 

 obtaining the elements of education in the school of Sedbcrgh, in the 

 same county, he learned pharmacy from nn apothecary named 

 Bartlett, and then proceeded to Edinburgh. Here he took his degree 

 of M.D. in 1737, the thesis which he published on this occasion bring 

 on the use of emetics. (' De Kmetioorum Usu in variis Mnrbis trac- 

 tandi*.') In order to become a pbytidan in practice as well ss theory, 



he now diligently attended St. Thomas's Hospital, in London. In 

 1740 ho travelled into Holland, France, and Germany, and then settled 

 in London. In 1748, an ulcerated or gangrenous sore throat, which 

 had prevailed epidemically, gave FothergUl an opportunity of di.play. 

 ing his great practical talents. This kind of sore throat is now 

 believed to be related to scarlet fever, and indeed to be the essential 

 and dangerous part of that disease, of which the eruption is merely 

 the outward and harmless indication. In Fothergill's time however 

 this malady was confounded with the ordinary or inflammatory son 

 throat, and being treated accordingly, with bleeding and purgatives, 

 was very fatal. Fothergill, on the contrary, used emetics, mineral 

 ncids, bitters, and a little wine, and lost but few cases. 



The two most prominent points in the life of Dr. Fothergill arc 

 the remarkable success with which he practised his profession and the 

 unwearied benevolence with which he distributed the fruits of his 

 labours. It is supposed that he gave away at least 200,000V. 



Dr. Fothergill published several papers in the ' Philosophical Trans- 

 actions ' on the origin of ambergris, the rupture of the diaphragm, <!tc. ; 

 and he is also the author of essays on the plant producing Aleppo 

 scammony ; on the use of bark combined with small doses of calomel 

 in scrofula, and calomel alone in sciatica, lumbago, and worms ; on the 

 use of hemlock in cancer ; on the botanical, chemical, and medical 

 history of the cortex Winteranus and catechu ; on the treatment of 

 hooping-cough by very small doses of tartar emetic combined with an 

 absorbent earth; on dropsy, and the disadvantages of putting off 

 tapping too long ; on chronic ulcers of the legs; on phthisis, and the 

 abuse of balsams and bark in this disease ; on febrile rheumatism of 

 the face; on angina pectoris; on the ulcerous sore throat; on 

 bydrocephalus interims, an essay thought by Vicq-d'Azyr to be one 

 of the most perfect descriptions to be found in medicine ; and advice 

 to women between forty and forty-five years of age, or rules to be 

 observed on the cessation of the catainenia. 



Fothergill improved the art of recovering the drowned; showed 

 the necessity of prohibiting burials in towns, and the means of 

 diminishing the frequency of fires. The editions of his works are 

 those of London, 1781, 8vo ; 1783, 3 vola, 8vo ; 1784, 4to. Fother- 

 gill died on the 26th of December 1780, in the sixty-ninth year of 



Ills ;igr. 



FOUCHE, JOSEPH, Duke of Otranto, was born in 1763 at Nantes, 

 and educated in the college of the Peres de 1'Oratoire. Beiug unable 

 on account of his delicate constitution to follow the profession of his 

 father, who was captain of a vessel, he applied himself to study, and 

 after having completed his course at Paris he lectured in diBVrent 

 towns of France on various philosophical subjects, till on bis marriage 

 he finally settled in his native town, and began to practise as an 

 advocate. In 1792 he was returned by the department of the Loire- 

 Infdrieure as a member of the National Convention, in which capacity 

 he voted for the death of the king, and against the appeal to the 

 nation. In 1793 he was sent with Collot d'Herbois on that mission 

 which deluged Lyon with blood, but still he bad the courage to oppose 

 some measures of his infamous colleague. On his return to Paris he 

 was elected (1794) president of the Jacobin Club, but he was soon 

 expelled from it by the enmity of Robespierre. After th fall of 

 Robespierre, Foucbd being considered as a dangerous terrorist was 

 arrested, but afterwards liberated under the proclamation for a general 

 amnesty, on the 26th of October 1 795. He remained in private life 

 till 1798, when ha was employed in Italy, and after his return to Paris 

 the Directory nominated him minister of the police of the republic. 

 It was in this capacity that he displayed hu great talents, which were 

 united with an extraordinary degree of courage, firmness, and activity. 

 He had the boldness to adopt vigorous measures for the suppression 

 of popular assemblies. Having supported Bonaparte after his return 

 from Egypt, he was confirmed in his office upon the establishment of 

 the consulate. He had the address to render himself necessary to all 

 parties by tormenting Bonaparte on the one hand with rumours of 

 conspiracies, and on the other by screening from his vengeance many 

 royalists. Bonaparte however dismissed Fouclid in 1802 from his 

 ollice, but on his accession to the throne he restored him to his former 

 post. Fouohe"s vigilance maintained the tranquillity of the empire 

 while Napoleon L was occupied in foreign ware ; and having the duties 

 of minister of the interior added to those of his office, ho greatly 

 contributed by his arrangements to prevent the success of the English 

 expedition against Holland in 1809. In the last-mentioned year he 

 was created Duke of Otranto, but he fell out of favour for having used 

 in his proclamation to the national guards the following expression 

 " Let us prove that Napoleon's presence is not necessary in order to 

 repel our enemies." lu 1810 he was nominated governor of Itome on 

 condition of delivering his correspondence to Napoleon, which having 

 refused to do, he was sent to Aix. He was again recalled, but as big 

 views did not coincide with those of the emperor, Fouchu retired into 

 the country. In 1813 Fouchd wan made governor of the Illyriau 

 provinces, but the progress of the allied troops compelled him to 

 relinquish his post and to retire to Italy. 



After the abdication of Napoleon I., Kouche' again retired to his 

 estates in the country, and refused to take any part in political in- 

 trigues. On Napoleon's return from Elba, he was suspected by the 

 Bourbons, and an order was given for his arrest, but ho contrived to 

 make his escape. Napoleon again nominated Foucho minister of 



