1799-1] 
but he contented himfelf with difcharging 
the duties of a poor parith prieft, at his 
livings of Great and Little Cheverel, in 
Wiltthire; and becaufe the ftate of his 
health rendered it neceffary for him to be 
at Briftol the greateft part of the winter, 
he ferved the afternoon lefturefhip of All- 
Saints in that city, for nothing, refolving 
hot to be idle in his mafter’s fervice, 
though he had entered the minifterial vine- 
ye at alate hour. He was greatly fol- 
owed at Briftol as a preacher ; his man- 
ner being folemn and perfuative, and his 
difcourfes plain and pathetic. 
In the fhort fketch of Mifs H. More, 
ina late publication entituled ‘* Briti/b 
Public Charaéiers,” I oblerve two good 
and entertaining anecdotes of the doétor 
and his friend Garrick. 
Not long before his death he fucceeded 
to the title of baronet. 
He wrote feveral {mall tracts on re- 
ligious fubje&ts, all greatly efteemed by 
ferious perfons, and I believe moft of 
them are in the lift of books diftributed 
by the fociety for promoting chriftian 
knowledge. 
I faw fometime fince with pleafure,; a 
notice in the ** Brili/b Critic” announcing 
a volume of the doétor’s letters for publi- 
cation, and from a conviction that the 
collection will be interefting, I earneftly 
hope that it will foon appear. 
4 JOHN SHEBBEARE, M.D. Political 
Writer. 
Nor the flighteft notice of this acute 
olitician is given in the ‘* General Bio- 
graphical Dittiwnary,” atthough his works 
are very refpectable, and his name is cele- 
’ brated. He was born at Bideford, in 
Devonfhire, in 1709, and was bred an 
apothecary in that town, from whence he 
went to Briftol, where he commenced 
chemift, and publifhed a traé on the 
<¢ Hotwell Waters.’ He left Briftol about 
the year 1740, and fettled in London. I 
believe he devoted himfelf in the metro- 
polis principally to writing againft the 
miniftry and reigning family. When the 
aét paffing for preventing clandeftine mar- 
riages, Shebbeare publifhed a political 
novel entituled ‘¢‘ Tle Marriage Ad?” but 
being threatened with a profecution for 
the fame, the publifher thought it prudent 
to change the title tothat of ** Matrimony.” 
He alfo printed another novel, with lefs 
of politics in it, foon after, entitled 
«© Lydia, or Filial Piety’ But his two 
beit performances are ‘* Chry/fal, or the 
Adventures of a Guinea,” and ** Letters 
gt, the Englifh Nation” by Battifia Ange- 
Negle&ted Biography. No. Ill. 
461 
loni, a jefuit.” Thefe letters however, 
which are very curious and entertaining, 
Were never in any other language than 
Englifh. When that unfortunate victim 
Admiral Byng was {crificed, Shebbeare 
publifhed fome ftrong and cutting pam- 
phlets in his behalt, but the public were 
too far carried away by prejudices to at- 
tend to his remonttrances. He next com- 
menced a feries of ‘¢ Letters to the People 
of England,” the chief objeét of which 
went to fhew that the nation was opprefied 
and injured by its connexion with Hano- 
ver. For the feventh of thefe, the au- 
thor was profecuted in the court of king’s 
bench, and fentenced to ftand in the pil- 
lory at Charing-crofs, and to be im- 
prifoned for two years. [he firft part of 
the fentence he underwent amidft a large 
afflembly of people, none of whom offered 
him any infult: but Mr. Beardmore, the 
fheriff, was fined afterwards, for thewing 
him improper indulgence. While in 
prifon he publifhed propofals for a Hittory 
of England, which he iever completed. 
On the acceffion of his prefent majefty, a 
penfion of 200]. a year was granted to 
him, and a like fumto Dr. Samuel John- 
fon, though both ftrongly addi@ed to_ 
jacobitical principles. On this occafion 
a wag jocofely obferved that the king had 
commenced his reign by ‘* penfioning a 
He-Bear and a She-Bear.”’ From that 
time the doétor exercifed his pen on the 
fide of government, but then it muft be 
allowed that it had loft its energy. His 
publications previous to his becoming a 
penfioner, were only a few pamphlets, 
and thofe of little account. Befides the 
works abovementioned, he publithed “¢ The 
Praétice of Phyfic, in 2 vols. 8vo."” inthe - 
title page of which he ftiles himfelf Fellow 
of the Academy of Sciences at Paris. The 
dogtor was hit off by Hogarth in his 
eleCtion-print ; by Smollett, under the 
character of Ferret, in ‘* Sir Launcelot 
Greaves,’ andby otherc ontemporary witse 
Dr. Johnfon, however, had a high opi- 
nion of his talents, and recommended it 
to Mr. Bofwell to cultivate an acquaint- 
ance with him. 
He died in Auguft, 1788. 
5. FRANCIS BLACKBURN, Divine. 
Turis gentleman acquired a great fhare 
of celebrity about thirty ycars ago, by 
the publication of a work to which he 
gave the name of the ‘* Confeffional,” and 
which, on account of its holtility to the 
ecclefiaftical eftablifhment, was anfwered 
by a lift of writers. The heft reply to 
it, was that of Dr. Gloucefter Ridley, 
whe 
