106 NATURAL HISTORY. 



literary part of my days; much of this was owing to 

 the riding exercise of my extensive tours, to my manner 

 of living, and to my temperance. I go to rest at ten ; 

 and rise winter and summer at seven, and shave regularly 

 at the same hour, being a true misopogon. I avoid the 

 meal of excess, a supper; and my soul rises with vigour 

 to its employs, and (I trust) does not disappoint the 

 end of its Creator.' 



This happy, healthy, energetic vitality remained with 

 Pennant almost to the very end of his long life. In 

 his later years his body doubtless ' abated of its wonted 

 vigour ;' but his mind still retained ' its powers, its long- 

 ing after improvements, its wish to receive new light 

 through chinks which time hath made.' When close on 

 seventy years of age, he projected, and energetically 

 commenced his colossal 'Outlines of the Globe;' and 

 though he did not live to carry out this bold con- 

 ception, he will command universal assent when he 

 says : ' Happy is the old age that could thus beguile 

 its fleeting hours, without injury to any one, and, with 

 the addition of years, continue to rise in its pursuits/ 

 After a comparatively brief period of decay and illness, 

 Pennant passed away on the i6th of December 1798, 

 at the age of seventy-two years. In the long roll of 

 British naturalists he will always hold an honourable 

 place. In the words of Swainson, ' whatever he touched, 

 he beautified, either by the elegance of his diction, 

 the historic illustrations he introduced, or the popular 

 charm he gave to things well known before.' 





