JOHN CLAUDIUS LOUDON. 



569 



respecting- his pecuniary afiairs. On the 13ih 

 of December 



" He appeared very ill," (sa^ his widow), 

 'and told me he thougrht he should never live 

 to finish ' Self Instmction," but that he would ask 

 his friend Dr. Jamieson. to whom he had previ- 

 ously spoken on tlie subject, to finish the work 

 for him. Soon after this he became very rest- 

 less, and walked several times from the dra\v- 

 ing-room to his bedroom and back airain. I feel 

 that I cannot continue die melancholy details : 

 it is sufficient to say that, ihouch his body be- 

 came weaker every moment, his mind retained 

 all its vigor to the last and that he died standing 

 on his feet. Fortunately, I perceived a change 

 taking place in his countenance, and I had just 

 lime to clasp my arms round him. to save him 

 from falling, when his head sank upon my shoul- 

 der and he was do more. 



•• I do not attempt to give any description of the 

 talents or character of my late husband as an au- 

 thor : his works are before the world, and by 

 tliem he will be judged ; but I trust I may be 

 excused for adding, that in his private capacity 

 he was equally estimable as a husband and a 

 father, and as a master and a friend. He was 

 also a most dutiful son and most affeetionate 

 brother. 



•' It was on the anniversary of the death of 

 Wasliington ^ihe 14ih of December) that Mr. 

 Loudon died, and he -was buried, on the Slst of 

 December, in the cemetery at Kensail Green. 

 When the coffin was lowered int3rthe grave, a 

 stranger stepped forward fi-om the crov^-d and 

 tlire w in a few strips of ivy. This person. 1 was 

 afterward informed, was an artificial flower 

 maker, who felt grateful to Mr. Loudon for hav- 

 ing given him. though a stranger, tickets for ad- 

 mission to the Horticultural Gardens, and who. 

 having never been able to thank Mr. Loudon in 

 person, took this means of paying a tribute to his 

 memory. 



What remains is taken fiwm some anecdotes 

 of Mr. Loudon, communicated for an English 

 paper, by a young man who had lived -with him 

 many years as draughtsman. After giving in- 

 stances to show his strict love of truth and his 

 personal determination, he adds, as to his love 

 of orier — which we the rather publish from al- 

 ways having felt the \%-ant of it : 



" His love of order was also very great The 

 books in tlie library, and manuscripts in his study 

 were so arranged that he could at any time put 

 his hand upon any book or paper that he might 

 want even in the dark. He instilled this system 

 of order into the minds of his clerks too : for, 

 when any new one came, his invariable in- 

 structions were — • Put everj-thing away before 

 you leave at lught as if you never intended to 

 return.' 



•• He was also a man of great punctuality as to 

 time, money matters, and in everj- other respect 

 When any of his clerks happened to be behind 

 time in the morning, he would take no notice 

 for a few time.* : but. if it were often repeated, he 

 ^v^uld say very quietly but sarcastically — * Oh, 

 if 9 o'clock is too early for you. you had better 

 come at 11 or li : bat let there just be a fixed 

 hour, Uiat I may depend upon you.' 



•' Mr. Loudon was a man of great fortitude and 

 unwearied industry. The morning that Doctors 

 Thompson and Laader called upon him for the 

 purpose of amputating his risht arm, they met 

 him in the warden, and asked if he had fullv 



I made up his mind to undergo the operation. 

 • Oh. yes. certainly,' he said : ■ it was for that 

 purpose I sent for you :' and added very cool- 

 ly, ^ but you had better step in, and just have 

 I a lit'le lanch first before you begin.' After 

 lunch he walked up stairs qoite composedlv, 

 talking to the doctors on general subjects. When 

 j all the ligatures were tied, and everjthing com- 

 j plete, he was about to step down stairs, as a mat- 

 , ter of course, to gooa -with his business ; and the 

 I doctors had great difficulty to prevail upon him 

 ] to go to bed. 



•• As a man of industry, he was not surpassed 

 by any one. Deducting for the time he has been 

 poorly, he has, during three fourths of his litera- 

 ry career, dictated about five and a half primed 

 octavo pages of matter every day on an averase. 

 1 He has been frequently known to dictate to 

 two amanuenses at the same time. He often 

 used to work until 11 and 12 o'clock at nieht 

 and sometimes all night It may not be amiss 

 to mention here, as illustrative of'his love of la- 

 bor, that while his man-servant was dressing 

 him for church on the day of his marriage, he 

 \vas actually dictating to his amanuensis the 

 whole time. 



■• Although Mr. Loudon •was a matter-of- 

 fact man. he had nevertheless a good deal of 

 poetry in his soul. The writer happened to 

 dine with him the day that he attended Dr. 

 Southwood Smith's Anatomical Lecture on the 

 body of his friend Jeremy Bentham. Just at the 

 moment the lecturer wi-.hdrew tlie covering 

 from the face of the corpse, the lightnins- 

 flashed, and an awful burst of thunder pealed 

 forth — 



' Crush'd horrible, convulsina heaven and earth !' 



Mr. Loudon, during &iner. gave a most touch- 

 ing, poetical, and graphic description of the lec- 

 ture, and the circumstances atteudin? it : and 

 every one present could see how deeply he felt 

 the loss of his friend Bentham. 



•■ Mr. Loudon was a man. like most eood men, 

 rather easily imposed upon. He, contrary to 

 the ways of the world, looked upon every man 

 as a good man until he had proved him other- 

 wise ; but when he had done so. he Nvas firm in 

 his parpose. He was a warm friend, an excel- 

 lent husband, an amiable brother, and a most af- 

 fectionate and dutiful son. Altogether 



' He was a man. take him for all is all. 

 We shall not look upon his like sg&in.' 



•' ELEGY. 

 ■■ Habk ! hark ! the sound — 'tis a funeral knell 



Borne on the breath of day — 

 The moumt'ul voice of the deep-toned bell — 

 For a spirit has winged his way. 



"Tis not the man of wealth and slate 

 Thai the world has now to mourn ; 



Tis not the man thai gold makes great 

 ^^'ho now to the tomb is borne. 



No ! no ! we grieve in the friend now gone. 



No flattering slave of state : 

 But the world has lost by the death of one 



Whose mind was truly great. 



He wielded no sword in his cotmtry's cause, 



But his pen was never still : 

 He studied each form of Nanire's laws, 



To le^en each human ilL 



That voice is hushed ! — and lost the sound 



Employed to raise the poor ; 

 But "he echo shall, by his works, be found 



To n at'n ihe rich man's dt-or. 



