E D W ARDS. 
jfnd lie'Would frequently tranfmit my letters to my father 
and mother. This excited in my mind a fpirit of emu¬ 
lation, and, I believe, gave me the firft tafte for correct 
and elegant compofition. I acquired, however, all this 
time, but very little learning; and, when my uncle (on 
my father’s death) took me under his proteftion, his 
agent in Briftol confidered me as neglefted by Mr. Foot, 
a'iid immediately removed me to a French boarding-fchool 
in the fame city, where I foon obtained the French lan¬ 
guage ; and, having accefs to a circulating library, I ac¬ 
quired a paflibn for books, which has fince become the 
fela.ce of my life. 
“ In 1759, a younger and the only brother of my great 
and good uncle came to England, and, fettling in Lon¬ 
don, took me to refide with him, in a high and elegant 
ftile of life. He was a reprefentative in parliament for 
Abingdon, arid afterwards for. his native town. Farther 
I cannot fpeak of him fo favourably as I could with, for 
I remember that, at the period I allude to, his conduct 
towards me was fuch as not to-infpire me with much re- 
fpedt: he perceived it, and foon after, in the latter end 
of the fame year, lent me to Jamaica. This proved a 
liappy and fortunate change in my life, for I found my 
eldcft uncle the reverfe, in every poflible circumftance, 
of bis brother-. To the rnoft enlarged and enlightened 
mind he added the fweeteft temper, and the molt gene¬ 
rous difpofition. His tendernefs towards me was exceffive, 
and I regarded him with more than filial affedtion and 
veneration. Obferving my paffion for books, and think¬ 
ing favourably of my capacity, he engaged a clergyman 
(my loved and ever to be lamented friend Ilaac Teale) 
to refide in his family, chieflytto fupply by his inftruc- 
tions my deficiency in the learned languages. Mr. Teale 
had been mailer of a free grammar-lchool, and befides 
being a molt accomplifhed fcholar, poftefled an exquifite 
Tafie for poetry. I dare not fay, however, that I made 
any great progrefs in the languages under his tuition; I 
acquired “ final 1 Latin and let's Greek;” even now, I 
find it difficult to read the Roman poets in their own lan¬ 
guage. The cafe was, that not having been grounded 
in the Latin grammar- at an earlier period-of life, I found 
the ftudy of it infupportably difgufting, after I had ac¬ 
quired a tafie for the beauties of fine writing. Poetry 
was our chief amufement; for my friend, as well as my- 
felf, preferred the-charms of Dryden and Pope to the 
dull drudgery of poring over fyntax and profody. We 
preferred belies lettres. We laughed away many a happy 
hour over the plays of Moliere, and wrote yerfes on local 
and temporary fubjefits, which we fometimes publifhed 
in the colonial newfpapers. Yet the Latin dallies were 
not altogether neglefted; my friend delighted to point 
out to me the beauties of Horace, and would frequently 
impofe on me the talk of tranflating an ode into Englifh 
verfe, which, with his affiftance in confiruing the words, 
ITometimes accomplifhed. 
“ Having made mylelf known to the public by my 
writings, it is probable that after I am in the grave, Tome 
collector of anecdotes, or biographical compiler, may 
pretend to furnifh fome particulars concerning my life and 
manners. It is not pleafant to think that mifreprefentation 
ormalice may fallen on my memory; and I have there¬ 
fore made it the amufement of an idle hour, to compile 
a fiiort account of mylelf. My perlonal hiftory, however, 
is of little importance to-the world. It will furnifh no di- 
verfified feenes of fortune,.nor relate many ctrcumftances 
of myfelf, worth remembering. Yet I fe.el the fond'am¬ 
bition of an author, and am willing to hope, that thofe 
who have read my book with approbation, will be glad 
Jo know fomething farther concerning me ; 
For wito, to dumb forgetfulnefs a prey, See. 
For the fatisfaftion then of fuch kind readers (if fuch 
there are) and the information of my .pofterity, I have 
drawn up this paper, which I defire my bookl'ellef to pre¬ 
fix to t);c next edition of my Hifiory of the Well Indies. 
B. E.” 
t7f} 
Thofe who knew and were intimate with Mr. Bryan 
Edwards, will recognize, in this fiiort account of him- 
felf, the energy of mind,, the induftry, and the truth, 
which characterized his converfations and his life; but 
all mu ft allow, that much therein is omitted, which has 
ufual and proper place in biography, and which the edi¬ 
tor might be prefumed, or be called upon, to fupply. 
Some accbunt might be required, of his literary elfays 
and legiflative a£ts, fo efficient in the caufe of humanity 
towards the negroes, whilft a member of the aflembly in 
Jamaica. Some account might be demanded, of this good 
and independent man, whilft a member of the Britilh par¬ 
liament; and, efpecially, in the poll humous life of a lite¬ 
rary man, fome accurate detail of his literary purfuits 
and writings might be’expebted ; of his Correfpondence—» 
of his Eflays—and of his conduct in the judicious compi¬ 
lation and elegant recital of the Travels of Mungo Park— 
and, efpecially, of the origin and progrefs of his great 
work, the'“ Hiftory of the Britilh Colonies in the Weft 
Indies,” 3. vols. 4to.- To thefe, and otjier points, the 
recolledtion of the reader is thus awakened. The editor 
prefuffies no farther. He cannot venture to alter,.or add. 
to, thefacred depolit committed to his charge, but gives it 
to the public, as its author left, and willed it, to be given. 
The above fketch was haftily drawn by its author, 
as an outline of a portrait intended to be filled up and 
finifiied, had God permitted, and annexed with fome 
interefting prefatory matter to the third volume of 
his “ Weft Indies;” but ere the Lift flieet was revifed 
from the prefs, Bryan Edwards was no more! Lie had 
long fuffered from the diforder which brought him to 
the grave, and feemed to forefee the hour of diftblutiora 
haftening cn. Rendered incapable by weaknefs and dif- 
eafe, of completing his prefatory dilcourfe, yet, with a 
fond anxiety for honeft fame, he roufed the embers of 
his genius,—to claim a fair reputation with pofterity foe 
induftry, integrity, and candid expolition of the talents 
and acquirements which introduced him to public notice. 
The fivmnefs of his mind, and the cheerfulnefs of ins 
temper, which, throughout a long and checquered life, 
gave confidence to his friendlhips, and delight to his fo- 
ciety, forfook him not, even when he apprehended the 
laft ffiort hour was before him. This he clearly fitows, 
when turning from the awful confideration of futurity, 
to look back upon his pad: life, himfelf brings the retro- 
fpeff to Our view; and deferibes the feene in fo pure and 
lively colours, with no gloom from difeontent, and no 
fhade from remorfe, that we readily infer the nature of 
the light which fo beamed on his laft work, and to the 
laft hour;—and pronounce its emanation to be from the 
pure conference of- a benevolent and upright man ! He 
died in the polygon-houfe (his own eftate) at Southamp¬ 
ton, in 1800, in the fifty-feventh year of his age. His 
much-efteemed “Hiftory of the Weft Indies.” has already 
undergone two editions ; the copy-right of which he ge- 
neroully prefented to Mr.John Stockdale, in Piccadilly, 
as a reward for former civilities. He l.ikevvife kindly re¬ 
ceived the celebrious African traveller, Mr. Mungo Park, 
into his houfe at Southampton, affifting him in arranging 
the materials, and in compiling, judicioufly and elegantly, 
his interefting Travels in the interior Diftrifts of Africa, 
in 1795, 179 6 . and 1 797 » 4 -to- 
By the death of Bryan Edwards; the proprietor of 
this Encyclopaedia loft an invaluable friend, and a 
moft able afiiftant. He was the original proje&or of the 
work itfelf— furnifiied many interefting articles for it— 
had undertaken to write the prefatory matter, with a fyl- 
labus of its various parts—its general objefts—and par¬ 
ticular utility.—To us, therefore, his lofs is truly irre¬ 
parable, and never to be enough lamented!—He left a 
widow, fince re-married; afecond foil, Zachary Edwards, 
efq. of Southampton ; and orie daughter. His eldeft Ton 
Bryan Edwards died at Wi'nchefter, under the tuition of 
Dr. G. I. Huntingford, the present learned billiop of 
Gloucefter. , 
* 
ED'WAY 
