SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE. 



In attempting to furnish the readers of " The Book of Nature" with a 

 deUneation of the hfe and character of its distinguished author, even a 

 more experienced biographer might approach the task with hesitancy. 

 The writer of the following sketch will not therefore affect to conceal his 

 apprehensions that in so brief a space as is allotted to him, he may fail of 

 doing justice to the name and memory of one possessed of such rare in- 

 tellectual and m.oral endowments. Happily, however, the name of Dr. 

 John Mason Good has become identified with the history of our own times, 

 and his numerous and able contributions to our stock of knowledge, of a 

 literary, professional, and religious nature, furnish a monument to his me- 

 mory more imperishable than brass. His friend and contemporary. Dr. 

 Olinthus Gregory, in his " Memoirs," embracing his life, writings, and 

 character, has given to the world ample testimonials of his surprising 

 genius, untiring industry, and extraordinary erudition. And though the 

 lines are traced by the hand of affection, yet we discover no marks of ful- 

 some adulation or enthusiastic eulogy. The writer seemed to feel that to 

 depart from the simple and artless narrative of facts would but detract from 

 the merits of the individual whose learning and virtues constituted his theme, 

 liittle else than a summary of this interesting biography will be attempted 

 in the present sketch. 



Dr. John Mason Good was the son of the Rev. Peter Good, a minister 

 of the Independent or Congregational class of Dissenters, at Epping, in 

 Essex. He was born May 25th, 1764, and received his name from the 

 celebrated John Mason, author of the treatise on " Self-knowledge," who 

 was his maternal uncle. 



His first studied were under the superintendence of his father ; who, 

 for the sake of educating his sons to his own mind, organized a semi- 

 nary, in which were also the sons of a few of his personal friends, — 

 the number of pupils being limited to sixteen. There he very early 

 acquired those habits of study, and that taste for literary pursuits, in which 

 he was destined to excel in after-life. He acquired, while very young, an 

 accurate knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and French languages, and thus 

 laid the foundation for his subsequent high attainments as a linguist. 



When he was a little more than twelve years of age, his indefatigable 

 studies began very seriously to impair his health, and his sedentary habits 

 produced a curvature of the spine, which interrupted his growth, and 

 well nigh destroyed his constitution. But even then, it was only at the 

 fervent importunity of his honoured father, that he consented to partake 



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