Account of 

 Dr Roebuck, 



(86) HISTORT of the SOCIETT, 



claffical and political knowledge, rendered him an agreeable 

 companion to the learned, almoft of every department, and pro- 

 cured him the attachment and friendihip of many of the firfl: 

 literary chara(fters in Britain. With his friend Dr Black he 

 lived, till his death, in clofe habits of intimacy ; and he often 

 acknowledged, with much franknefs, the advantages which he 

 derived, in his various purfuits, from a free and unreferved 

 communication with that eminent chemift. 



The amiable difpofitions of fenlibility, humanity, and gene- 

 rofity, which flrongly marked his chara6ler, in the general in- 

 tercourfe of fociety, were peculiarly prefer ved and exercifed in 

 the bofomof his family, and in the circle of his friends. In the 

 various relations of hufband, father, friend, or mafter, and in 

 the difcharge of the refpedive duties arifing from them, it 

 would not be eafy to do juflice to his charader, or to determine 

 in which of them he mod excelled ; nor muft it be forgot, for it 

 refle(5led much honour on his benovelent heart, that his work- 

 men not only found him at all times a kind and indulgent ma- 

 fter, b\it many of them, when their circumftances required it, 

 a fkilful and compaffionate phyfician, who cheerfully vifited the 

 humbleft receffes of poverty, and who attached them to his fer- 

 vice by multiplied a(fl:s of generofity and kindnefs. 



We cannot conclude this narrative, without expreiling our 

 regret, that talents fo great, and fervices fo ufeful to his coun- 

 try, as were thofe of Dr Roebuck, fhould have turned out of fo 

 little account to himfelf and his family. But this is, in fa(5t, no 

 uncommon cafe. The great benefa(5lors of fociety have never 

 been men adluated by gain or intereft, but thofe whofe ambition 

 was fixed on promoting the convenience and happinefs of men. 

 The Do(5lor had in fa(5l too little regard for money, and was ge- 

 nerous in the extreme. It muft be confeffed, too, that his con- 

 fidence and ardour prevented him from forefeeing fome of the 

 difficulties and obftacles he met with, and frequently tempted 



him 



