1799] 
that warns me,” adds he, *¢ to hang up my 
pen in time, before its powers are weakened, 
and rendered vifibly impaired. I wait not 
for the admonition of friends. I have the 
“Archbifhop of Grenada in my eye; and fear 
the imbecillity of human nature might pro- 
duce in long warn-age the fame treatment of 
my kind advifers as poor Gil Blas had from 
his molt reverend patron. My literary bey 
quefts to future times, and more ferious con- 
cerns muft occupy the remnant of my days. 
This clofes my public labours.” 
Notwichftanding his parting addrefs, the 
example of the Archbifhop of Grenada, and 
the concluding fentence of *¢ Valete @ Plau- 
ite,’ we find Mr. Pennant adventuring once 
more in the ocean of literature, at’a late pe- 
riod of his life, and trying his fortune again 
with all the eagernefs of a young author. 
He accordingly publifhed the Natural Hif- 
tory of the parifhes of Holywell aid Down- 
ing*, within che precinG@s of the latter of 
which he had refided about half a century. 
Ia the courte of the laft year he alfo pre- 
fented the public with a fplendid work, con- 
fitting of 2 vols. ato. entitled ¢* the View of 
Hindooftan,” in the preface to which he . 
candidly ftates his motives for this new at- 
tempt. -¢¢ I had many folicitations from 
private friends,” fays he, ‘* anda few withes 
from perfons unknown delivered in the public 
prints, to commit to the prefs a part, inthe 
forming which the pofthumous volumes might 
hereafter make their appearance. I might 
have pleaded the imprudence of the attempt 
at my time of iife, of beginning fo arduous 
an undertaking in my 71¢t year. 
«© T happily, till very lately, had fearcely , 
any admonition of the advanced feafon. JI 
plunged into the fea of trouble, and with my 
Papers in one. hand, made my way throuzh 
the waves with the other, and brought them 
fecure to land. This, alas! is finite boating. 
I mutt fubmit to the judgment of the public, 
and learn from thence how far Iam to be 
cenfured for fo grievous an offence againft the 
maxim of Ariftotle, who fixes the decline of 
human abilites to the 49th year. 
“© T ought to fhudder when I confider the 
wear and tear of 22 years; and feel fhocked 
at the remark of the elegant Delanty, who 
obferves, ‘‘ that itis generally agreedamong 
wife men, that few attempts at leaft in a 
learned way have ever been wifely under- 
taken and happily executed after that period !” 
4 © Lcaanot defend the wifdom: yet from 
the good fortune of my life 1 will attempt 
the execution.” j 
Thefe valuable volumes are drawn up by 
M» Pennant, in the manner of his intro- 
_duéton to the ‘* Ardtic Zoology.” ‘The 
plates. 234 in number, are admirably engraved, 
and one (the Napaul pheafant) is beautifully 
coloured. 

‘ 
* 3 vol. gto. 
Account of Thomas Pennant, E/q. 
TT 
In addition ‘to the lit of literary labours 
already enumerated, is a letter on an earth. 
quake*telt at Downing, in Flinthhire, in.17545 
another inferted in the fame publication*, 
in 1756, on coralloid bo lies (xogarrosvdye) 
collected by him: his Synopfis of Quadrue 
pedes publifhed in 17713 a pamphlet on the 
Militia; apaper on the Turkey3 and ai vos 
lume of Mifcellanies. | / 
Mr. Pennant attained academical. honours 
of all kinds, having had the degree of LL. D. 
conferred on hina by the Univerfity in which 
he was educated, he was a Fellow of the 
Royal Society, and a member of the Society 
of Antiquaries, a Fellow of the Royal Se- 
ciety of Upfal in Sweden, a member of the 
American Philofophical Society, an honorary 
member of the Angko-Linngan Society, &c. 
The ample fortune left him by his father 
enabled Mr. Pennant to keep an hofpitable 
table, and alfo to prefent the profits of feve- 
ral of his’ works to public inftitutions, par- 
ticularly the Welfh charity-fchool in Gray’s- 
inn-Jane. He encouraged feveral engravers 
by his patronage, and was not a little fer- 
viceable to the advancement of the fine arts, 
In 1775 he, married a fecond time, on 
which occafion he became united to: Milfs 
Moftyn, fifter of his neighbour the late Sir 
Roger Moftyn, in Flintthire. The fatter 
part of his life was chea ful, and he fcarcely 
felt the approaches of old age. Hevdied at 
his feat at Downing in his 72d year. 
He has left feveral works behind him) in 
MS. under the, tétle of |“ Outlines of the 
Globe,” and as a proof that it will be.a very 
voluminous and interefting publication, it is 
only neceflary to obferve, that ‘* The View 
of Hindooftan,”’? compofed the xivth and xvth 
volumes. , Nees - 
Mr. Pennant .poflefled a well-compaéted 
frame of body, an open and intelligent afoect, 
an active and chearful difpofition, anda viye~ 
city which rendered him always-entertaining, 
as well in converfation as in writing. Though 
not without a fhare of-irrafcibility, his heart 
was kind and benevolent. He was exemplary 
in the relations of domeftic lite ; and fenfibly 
felt for the diftreffes of his poor neighbours, 
whoie relief in feafons of hardfhip he protacted 
with great zeal and liberality. His. candour 
and freedom from ordinary prejudices, ave 
fufficiently difplayed- in his writings; and 
Scotland was forward to.confefs, that he was 
the firft traveller from this fide the Tweed, 
who had vifited the country with fo un- 
friendly fpirit, and had fairly prefented it 
under its favourable as well 4s its lefs pleafing 
afpeéts. Asa writer, his ftyle is. lively and 
expreflive, but not. perieétly correct. : His 
principles of arrangement in zoology are judi- 
cious, and his defcriptions characteriftic. If 
in fome of his later works a little variety 
appears, and a propenfity to think that im- 
‘ 

* Se Te Philcloppical Tranfa&ions.” 
partant 
