1798.] 
its meetings for difcipline taking fo much 
pains to find out delinquents in tythes, and 
the elders and minifters at the fame time 
{upporting war in its molt {plendid auxiliary.” 
Yet the Quakers {till tontinue to do it by 
lending money to government. Friends, 
where is your confiftency ?—Phyficians, 
heal yourfelves! 
This information I received fince I wrote 
the above letter. 
TERRA SR A 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
EMUEL HOPKINS was born in 
Waterbury, Connecticut, about the 
‘year 1755 or 6. His father, a wealthy 
farmer of that town, beftowed on all his 
_ehildren a good fchool education, and 
brought them all up to the labours of 
the field. What determined his fon to 
the ftudy of phytic, is not now diftinétly 
remembered; but the writer of this article 
believes it to have been the obfervation of 
the gradual decline of fome near connec- 
tions, who fell a facrifice to the confump- 
tion; amd that this event, and the cir- 
cumftance of an hereditary predifpofition 
to that difeafe, led Dr. HopkINs to its 
particular cenfideration, and laid the 
foundation of his future fame. Be this 
as it may, having refolved to devote him- 
felf to medicine, Mr. Horx1ns applied 
himfelf, in the firft place, to the ftudy of 
the Latin, and to other academic ftudies ; 
and, after fome preparation, placed him- 
felf under the direction of a phyfician of 
fome eminence—Dr. Potter, of Walling- 
ford. Here he applied himfelf with great 
fidelity to his profeflional inquiries, won 
the confidence of his preceptor, and was 
often admitted to fhare in the labours of 
his practice, if not in its emoluments. 
After fpending the ufual time in pre- 
paration, Mr. Hopkins repaired to 
Lichfield, and commenced bufinefs. This 
was fome time in the year 1776 or 7. The 
fingularity of his appearance, manners, 
and opinions, and the boldne{s, humour, 
and ingenuity with which he maintained 
the lait, attracted general notice, and the 
fuecefs with which his exertions were at- 
tended in feveral cafes of chronic-difeafe, 
in perfons who vifited Lichfield on ac- 
count of friends, or for the reputed 
healthinefs of the fituation, conferred on 
him a fudden and extenfiye celebrity. 
Pupils and patients reforted to him for 
inftruf&tion and advice; and he obtained 
a re{pectable thare of employment abroad, 
before he had effeéted any flattering efta- 
blifhment at home. At Lichfield Dr. 
HOopkxINs remained till fome time in 
4784 or 5; and during this period com- 
Account of Dr. Hopkins, an American Poet. 
343 
menced his intimacy with the moft di- 
ftineuithed literary charaéters in the ftate, 
fome of whom then refided, and a few 
ftill refide, at that alece, on leaving 
Lichfield, he removed to Hartford ; where 
he has continued ever fince, and which 
has been the fcene of his literary ex- 
ertions, and the point from which his 
profeffional reputation has diffufed itfelf. 
‘This, however, has neither been foftered 
nor extended by any publications; for 
though Dr. Hopxins is faid to have 
compofed feyeral medical Works, he has 
publifhed nothing. ‘This has arifen, in 
part, from the fubjeéts on which he has 
employed his pen, and partly from his 
repugnance to add to the number of im- 
perfect works which are every day ap- 
pearing. Having been prefented with 
unufual opportunities for obfervation on 
phthifical and other chronic complaints, 
it has been his with to colle&t and leave 
behind hint a mafs of fadts, which, amid 
all the contentions of conjectures, and re- 
volution of things, fhould be reforted to 
with confidence and improvement. 
Strictly connected, both with the for- 
mer and prefent literary aflociation in 
Hartford, Dr. Hopxins has borne a2 full 
fhare in the numerous publications of 
wit and humout which have raifed the 
character of that place. But his writ- 
ings have never been feparated from the 
common ftock; ‘and, except three {mall 
poems of fingular humour, inferted in 
the ** Amirican Poems,’ vol. i. none of 
his pieces have been collected. Asa h- 
terary man, Dr. HOPKINS is more re- 
markable for invention than for execu- 
tion: for the firft he is indebted toa 
bold, original, but unchattifed, and often 
outré imagination ; the laft is the effeét 
of an early-negleéted education. He is 
the reputed projector of ‘* The Anarchiad;”? 
and feveral of the wildeft flights in that 
curious publication are attributed to him. 
Of this performance, fo often mentioned, 
the knowledge of which is probably con- . 
fined to America, as it may not be unin- 
terelting to the Englifh reader, I fhall 
fubjoin fome account. ‘But, firit, it ma 
not be improper to enumerate the Sue 
who partly compofed the original literary 
circle at Hartford. 
The fettlement of Dr. DwiGcuT at 
Greenfield, a place remote from the re- 
fidence of Ris early affociates in {cientific - 
and poetical purfuits, infulated and de- 
prived him of the pleafures of their fo- 
ciety, His labours were, therefore, pers 
haps, of a more ferious complexion. The 
charms of fociety, and the pee 
oO 
