68 
MEMOIR OF 
confinement made him very desirous to see any 
of his old acquaintance to amuse him. During 
this latter part of his life, he was frequently peti- 
tioned for charity by some decayed branches of 
families of eminent men, late of his acquaintance, 
who were famous for their learned works, &c. 
which petitions he always received, and considered 
with attention ; and provided they were not found 
fraudulent, they were always answered by his 
charitable donations. He has often desired that I 
would inquire into the merits of such petitions ; 
and if found satisfactory, he commissioned me to 
convey his bounty to the distressed. The last 
time I saw him, I was greatly surprised and con- 
cerned to find so good a man in the agonies of 
death. This was on the tenth day of January, 
1 753, at four o’clock in the afternoon. He died on 
the eleventh, at four in the morning, being aged 
ninety-three years. I continued with him later 
than any one of his relatives, but was obliged 
to retire — his last agonies being beyond what I 
could bear ; though under his pain and weakness 
of body, he seemed to retain a great firmness of 
mind, and resignation to the will of God.” * 
Sir Hans bad married, in 1695, Elizabeth, 
daughter of Alderman Langley, of London. She 
died in 1724, and was buried at Chelsea, where, 
on the 18th of January, 1753, her husband’s body 
Essays upon Natural History, 8vo. 1770, pp. 122, 124. 
