£ 2 ] 
An event happened about the middle of the term 
of his apprenticelhip, which it is necelfary to mem 
tion. Dr. Nicholas , a perlbn of eminence in the 
phyfical world, and a relative of his mailer, hap¬ 
pened to die. His books, which were very nu¬ 
merous, having been removed from Covent Garden to 
an apartment then occupied by our young naturalilt, 
he availed himfelf of this unexpefted incident, and 
pailed all the leifure of the day, and not unfrequent-* 
ly a conliderable part of the night, in turning over 
this collection of natural hillory, fculpture, painting, 
altronomy, and antiquities. 
The expectation of obtaining that opulence which 
commerce bellows on her adiduous votaries, now 
cealed. The Ihop and the exchange had loll all their 
delights; and, on the expiration of his lervitude, he 
conceived a delign to travel into foreign countries, 
to improve his talie, and enlarge his mind. 
In 1716, having no intention of entering on bull- 
nels, he took fbipping for Holland , and vilited moll 
of the principal towns of the United'Provinces., remain-* 
ing abient a month. On his return, he was two 
years unemployed in London and its neighbourhood, 
and 
