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Society, and other ingenious gentlemen, many 

 of whom I was weekly conyerfant with ^ and I 

 feidom miffed drinking coffee with him on a 

 Saturday, during the whole time of his retire- 

 ment at Chelfea. He was fo infirm as to be 

 wholly confined to his houfe, except fometimes, 

 though rarely, taking a little air in his garden in 

 a wheeled chair : and this confinement made 

 him very defirous to fee any of his old acquaint- 

 ance to amufe him. During this latter part of 

 his life, he was frequently petitioned for charity 

 by fome decayed branches of families of emi- 

 nent men, late of his acquaintance, who were fa- 

 mous for their learned works, &c. which peti- 

 tions he always received, and confidered with 

 attention -, and, provided they were not found 

 fraudulent, they were always anfwered by his 

 charitable donations. He has often defired that 

 Î would inquire into the merits of fuch peti- 

 tioners -, and, if found fatisfa6lory, he commif- 

 fioned me to convey his bounty to the diftreffed. 

 — The laft time I faw him, I was greatly fur- 

 prifed and concerned to find fo good a man in 

 the agonies of death : this was on the tenth day 

 of January 1753, at four o'clock in the after- 

 noon : 



