[ *7 ] 
His collection of drawings, which amounted to up* 
wards of nine hundred, were purchaJed by the Earl 
of 
<c ingenious gentlemen, many of whom I was weekly converfant with; 
(( and I feldom miffed drinking coffee with him on a Saturday, during the 
“ whole time of his retirement 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 acquaintance to amufe him Dur- 
“ ing this latter part of his life, he was frequently petitioned for charity 
“ by fome decayed branches of families of eminent men, late of his ac- 
“ quaintance, who were famous for their learned works, &c. which pe- 
<e titions he always received, and confidered with attention ; and, provided 
“ they were not found fraudulent, they were always anfwered by his cha- 
ritable donations.. He has often defired that I would enquire into the 
“ merits of fuch petitioners ; and, if found fatisfadory, he commiflioned 
“ me to convey his bounty to the diftreffed.—The laft time I faw him, I 
“ was greatly furprifed 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 afternoon : he died on the eleventh, at four in the morning. I 
“ continued with him later than any one of his relations, but was obliged 
“ to retire, his .laft agonies being beyond what I could bear; though, un- 
“ der his pain and weaknefs of body, he feemed to retain a great firmnefs 
of mind, and refignation to the will of God. 
“ The third of my patr.ns was the great Richard Mf.ad, M. D. 
“ He was certainly magnanimous beyond the common meafure, and do* 
ferved the title of Great in as extenfive a fenfe as any man in his ftatioit 
“ could do. He, as well as Sir Hans Sloane, died in the higheft fta- 
tions of phyfic they could arrive at, viz. Phyficians in Ordinary to the 
“ King. Dr. Mead, indeed, never was at the head of the College of 
“ Phyficians of London , but it was becaufe he always abfolutely declin- 
“ ed it; for he hath been eleded into that honourable ftation, but never 
F “ could 
