Interefting Account of Thomas Garratte 
graphical, ‘hiftotic, and biographical know- 
ledge, as relating to modern ages, though 
unqueftionably lefs confpicuous, circum- 
fcribed within narrow limits. In the. ele- 
‘gancies, as well as.in the exactnefs, of Eng- 
lith compofition, he had attained to no {mall 
fkill; for to this much of his time had been 
devoted: and, if the period of life at which 
he arrived he confidered, he muft be pro- 
nounced to-have poflefled fertility of imagi- 
nation, great accuracy of judgment, and great 
delicacy of tafte. Of thefe qualities of the 
mind indifputable evidences were afforded by 
. the remarks which he made when he read, 
as well as by the compofitions which he pro- 
duced. The latter were extremely numerous. 
Some of them filled aconfiderable number of 
pages; and, in all of them that were writ- 
ten in the laf&t year of his life, though ex- 
uberances, which it was better to cut away, 
eccafionally occured, different beauties of 
ftyle were interf{perfed. They were of vari- 
ous kinds: and fometimes they were diftin- | 
guithed by novelty of illuttration, fometimes 
by cogency of argument, foimetimes by a fe- 
licity in the choice of words, fometimes by 
a judicious and fkilful arrangement of the 
contents, and fometimes by a pertinent and 
copious accumulation of fadts. He had, in- 
deed, a quick fenfibility to literary excel- 
tence. He felt, and admired, in the feveral 
languages in which they wrote, the wit of 
Plautus and Boileau; the perfpicwjty of dic- 
tion in Xenephen, Arrian, and Cefar; the 
judgment of Virgil, Metaftafio, Addifen, and 
Pope; the elegance of Ifucrates and Nepos, 
ef Hawkefworth, and Barbauld, of Jean 
Baptifte Roufleau and Harris of Salifbury; 
the fublimity of Homer and Milton; the 
beautiful morality in Fenelon and Rollin; 
the vigour of genius in Taffo and Dryden, in 
Congreve and Fawcett; the eloquence of 
Salluft and of Florus; the energy of John- 
fon; the pathetic tendernefs of Racine and 
of Sterne; the acumen of Hooke and Vol- 
taire im hiftoric reflexions; the defcriptive 
powers of Thompfon and Goldf{mith, of Dy« 
er, Shenftone, and Gray 5, and the mafterly 
delineation of character in Shakefpeare, in 
Schreder, and in Goldoni. But he was not 
accuftomed merely to feel the beauties of ce- 
lebrated productions; and it may reafonably 
be doubted, whether there is any one of thefe 
merits of any one of thefe writers, which 
has not conftituted one cf the topics of his 
converfation. ‘To politics, asa fcience, his 
attention had not been pointed; but into the 
the great events, fucceflively exhibited on 
the theatre of Europe, he enquired with that 
ardour of folicitude, which is generally cha- 
ratte, iftic of the man, long pra¢tifed. in the 
affiirs, and deeply interefted in the revolu- 
tious, of the world. Ahappy fund of native 
humour he frequently difplayed. On any 
fubje&t, with which he was acquainted, he 
could {peak extempore with readinefs, with 
energy, with viyacity of conception, and 
with no fmall degree of propriety. Of his 
growing excellency as a fpeaker, as this isa 
2.04 
habit fufceptible of perpetual improvementse: 
it would, indeed, have been difficult to have, 
formed too elevated expeCtations, In akin- 
dred accomplifhment, to which he had much. 
longer attended, little remained for him to 
learn. When he recited from memory, to 
a {mall circle of relations or friends, any 
compofition in profe or poetry, his dee 
livery was highly.interefting and impref- 
five, and commanded approbation: for he 
pofleffed a memory, accurate and reten- 
tive 3 a promptitude and perfpicuity of dif 
cernment ; action varied, graceful, and ap-. 
propriate ; features, uncommonly beautiful, 
and capable of being inftantancoufly lighted 
up; and a voice of fingular flexibility, fkil- 
fully modulated, and uniting great ftrength 
to unufwal fweetnefs: and it was difficult te 
decide, whether he excelled in foftnefs or in 
energy, in repeating the calm produétions of 
didactic compofition, or thofe of eloquence or 
of wit. Such were the principal acquifitions 
of Thomas Garrat. When fnatched by death 
from his friends, he was not 13 years anda 
half old. Attached to literature “as he wasy 
he confined not himfelf within its limits. 
Into the caufesof things he was eager to pe- 
metrate. External nature had, in his eyes, 
numerous charms; and its diverfified appear- 
ances and products appeared to him to demand, 
inveftigation. That he would hereafter have 
viewed human nature alfo with a penetrats 
ing glance, and have nicely difcriminated the 
varying propagstions of light and fhade in dif- 
ferent charaéters, his obfervations clearly 
evinced. 4 P 
That he was eminent for induftry, will 
perhaps beconcluded. But, though this be 
an encomium, to which he had not any pecu- 
liar claim, his industry, within ‘the laft 
eighteen monthsof his life, was confiderably 
increafed 5 and he was {till more eftimable 
for the qualities of the heart, than for thofe 
of the underftanding. His general beha- 
viour (and this is ahappy medium rarely at-. 
tained to in the dawn of life) was equally 
remote from the bafhfulnefs which difcon- 
certs, and from the confidence which elates. 
Though highly accomplifhed, he was detti- 
tute of pride; thoughambitious of praife, he 
was pertettly free from envy and jealoufy 3. 
whilft fprightly in his converfation, and gay 
in his difpofition, his charaéter was exalted 
by piety, and se had a ftrong convidtion of 
the importance of virtue. Generofity and 
difintereftednefs predominated in his conduét, 
and gratitude, in his brealt, was a principle 
of vigorous operation. Forgivenefs, in cafe 
of any injury or affront, whether fuppofed or 
real, appeared to bein him a virtue, for the 
practice of which no effort was requifite. He 
was graceful and attra€tive in his manners: 
his flow of fpirits was fcarcely ever fubjc& 
either to languor or to intermiffion: and he 
feemed forward to enjoy, and to communi« 
cate, pleafure. Cold indifference to the inte- 
refts cf others was a ftranger to his bofom ; 
the quicknefs of his tread, the illumination 
of his face, and the expreffion of his fine 
eyes 
Ph 
