LIFE OF 



and here his milk supper was taken up to him ; for, to 

 avoid any loss of time, he refused to sup with his family, 

 though earnestly entreated so to do, as his mother already 

 began to dread the effects of this severe and unremitting 

 application. The law was his first pursuit, to which his 

 papers show he had applied himself with such industry, 

 as to make it wonderful that he could have found time, 

 busied as his days were, for anything else. Greek and 

 Latin were the next objects ; at the same time he made 

 himself a tolerable Italian scholar, and acquired some 

 knowledge both of the Spanish and Portuguese. His 

 medical friends say that the knowledge he had obtained 

 of chemistry was very respectable. Astronomy and elec- 

 tricity were among his studies ; some attention he paid 

 to drawing, in which it is probable he would have ex- 

 celled. He was passionately fond of music, and could 

 play very pleasingly by ear on the pianoforte, composing 

 the bass to the air he was playing ; but this propensity 

 he checked, lest it might interfere with more important 

 objects. He had a turn for mechanics, and all the fit- 

 tings up of his study were the work of his own hands. 



At a very early age, indeed soon after he was taken 

 from school, Henry was ambitious of being admitted a 

 member of a Literary Society then existing in Notting- 

 ham, but was objected to on account of his youth ; after 

 repeated attem[jts, and repeated failures, he succeeded 

 in his wish, through the exertions of some of his friends, 

 and was elected. In a very short time, to the great sur- 

 prise of the society, he proposed to give them a lecture, 

 and they, probably from curiosity, acceded to the propo- 

 sal. The next evening they assembled ; he lectured upon 

 Genius, and spoke extempore for above tv/o hours, in such 

 a manner, that he received the unanimous thanks of the 

 society, and they elected this young Roscius of oratory 

 their Professor of Literature. There are certain courts 

 at Nottingham, in which it is necessary for an attorney 

 to plead ; and he wished to qualify himself for an elo- 

 quent speaker, as well as a sound lawyer. 



With the profession in which he was placed, he was 

 well pleased, and suffered no pursuit, numerous as his 



