Lifs and Character of Nathaniel Bowditck. 41 



Why should I not still be grateful and happy, and confide in his 

 goodness ?" 



Dr. Bowditch was very familiar with the Scriptures, both of 

 the Old and New Testaments, more so than some professed theo- 

 logians who make it their special study. He had read the Bible 

 in his childhood, under the eye of a pious mother, and he loved 

 to quote and repeat the sublime and touching language of Holy 

 Writ. 



Such had been the life, and such the character of this distinr 

 guished man ; and such was he to the last, through all the ago- 

 nies of a most distressing illness. In the midst of health and 

 usefulness, in the full discharge of the duties of life, and in the 

 full enjoyment of its satisfactions, the summons suddenly comes 

 to him to leave it. And he meets the summons with the utmost 

 equanimity and composure, with the submission of a philosopher 

 and with the resignation of a Christian. He certainly had much 

 to live for — few have more — but he gave up all without repining 

 or complaint. He said he should have liked to live a little longer, 

 to complete his great work, and see his younger children grown 

 up and settled in life. " But I am perfectly happy," he added, 

 "and ready to go, and entirely resigned to the will of Provi- 

 dence." He arranged all his affairs, gave his directions with mi- 

 nuteness, and dictated and signec^ his last will and testament. 

 While his strength permitted, he continued to attend to the ne- 

 cessary affairs of his office, and on the day previous to his death, 

 put his name to an important instrument. In the intervals of 

 pain, he prepared, as I have already remarked, the remaining 

 copy, and corrected the proof-sheets, of the fourth volume of his 

 great work, the printing of which was nearly finished at the 

 time of his death. It is a little remarkable that the last page that 

 he read was the one thousandth. It was gratifying to him to 

 find that his mind was unenfeebled by disease and pain ; and one 

 day, after solving one of the hardest problems in the book, he ex- 

 claimed, in his enthusiastic way, " I feel that I am Nathaniel' 

 Bowditch still — only a little weaker." 



He continued, indeed, in all respects, the same man to the last. 

 He did not think that this was the time to put on a new face or 

 assume a new character. His feelings were unaffected, his man- 

 ners unchanged, by the prospect before him. He seemed to 

 those about him only to be going on a long journey. To the 



Vol. XXXV.— No. 1. 6 



