Dr. Ferriar. 1 79 



we have often wondered why no edition of him has been 

 spread among the public, and his power and beauty shown. 

 And yet why do we wonder ? The reason seems to be in 

 the absurd idea that the exact words and all the words of 

 an author ought to be given. And thus, when a great 

 author is low enough, or we may add foolish enough, we 

 prefer to say wicked enough, to be indecent, his powers are 

 lost to the world simply because people will insist on 

 nothing being reserved, whilst certain portions excommuni- 

 cate the whole unless removed. But the world will learn 

 to throw aside the evils of the good and the follies of the 

 great some day, and detest low language even if it comes 

 from the pen of a Shakspeare, hiding it as we would gladly 

 have hidden his failings if we had seen him overpowered 

 with wine. We have so many great and good teachers, 

 that we are simply base if we pick up the vile portions of 

 any one's thoughts, still baser if we write mean thoughts 

 ourselves, stimulating vice. We hear of some quibblers 

 defending their low ideas by saying that the Bible had 

 some such thoughts. No honest man says this, because if 

 honest he would read to prove it, and he would find no one 

 place where the Bible rejoices in iniquity. The idea of 

 selling low words for money was not invented in Jerusalem. 

 It seems to rise and fall as a fashion, unguided by principle. 

 Dr. Ferrfar's comments and other essays and verses were 

 afterwards published in two volumes in 1812. 



Although we have spoken of Dr. Ferriar as a literary 

 man, his real value to Manchester was as a physician ; his 

 professional works were published in three volumes, en- 

 titled ' Medical Histories and Reflections/ These we have 

 not seen, and it is out of our province to describe. We 

 shall leave also behind stories of his professional jealousy 



N 2 



