928 
kindnefs of a gentleman who makes no paufe | 
in bis ‘* jabours-of love,” and whofe difinter- 
efted friendfhip, enlightened zeal, and active 
benevolence, cannot be exceeded, he was ap- 
pointed to fuperintend one department of the 
trade of the Mefirs. Parker, in Fleet-ftreet. 
Here his bufinefs was chiefiy to regulate the 
delivery of phials to the chemifts and apothe- 
caries, to go out for orders, and to receive 
and account for money paid. Whilft he was 
engaged in this office of tru%, the filverfmith 
with whom he had firft lived fought after 
him, upon the removal of his head clerk; and 
thus bore the moft unambiguous tefimony to 
Mr. Wiche’s faithfulnefs and attention at that 
early period. In the mean time, the friends of 
Mr. Wiche, eager to co-operate with him in his” 
endeavours after an honourable independence, 
continued their inquiries and exertions on-his 
account. To pack inguirles and exertions 
it was owing, that about ‘the beginning of the 
prefent year, he was invited to go to New 
York, as agent to a mercantile houfe in Man- 
cheer: Accepting the invitation, he auit- 
ted England, accordingly, in March: But, 
whatever were his hopes of happinefs in the 
difcharge of nis commiffion, they feem to 
have been foon and entirely selinguifhed. 
When he reached the place of his deftination, 
he faw, he abhorred,and inftantlyrefuled to en- 
courage the commercial {piritand practices of 
the merchants in that part of the United 
States. He now bafened to join his beloved 
friend, Mr. Toulmjn, in the difant province 
of Kentucky. ‘¢ After an interview with 
fuch a friend,” he wrote, ‘* My foul hungers 
and thirfts:? with him it was his intention 
to concert, and probably to purfue, a plan of 
private education. But it pteafed the Su- 
preme Difpofer of all Events to deny him the 
fulfillment of his eager wifh. The yellow 
fever was raging in Philadelphia: in his 
way through that city, Mr. Wiche teok the 
inieCtion, and after an ilinefs of two days, 
fell a vitim to the diforder; “leaving a wi- 
dowed mother to bewail, with poignant regret, 
though to bear with pious refignation, the 
lofs of an only and mot exemplary fon. 
Even from. this imperfect fketch of Mr. 
Wiche’s life, the reader may in fome degree 
infer, what were the prominent features of 
his intelleétual and moral charater, as well 
as his page opinions cf men and things. 
Yet for the farther ee on of them, it may 
‘te ufeful to eae a few obiervations,avhich could 
Not properly be interwoven ae the narrative, 
Mr. Wiche pofiefled a delicate perception 
of fimplicity and beauty, both in writing, and 
in the produdtion of what are ufually deno- 
minated the fine arts. Indeed, a tafte of 
this nature, extending alfo to the regulation 
of his own condua, and to his judgment upon 
that of others, was, perhaps, the moft con- 
fpicuous qualityin his mental frame. He 
had been much in habits of reading. Theo- 
logy, morals, hittory, biography, had each 
Account of Mr. Wiche. ° 
[December, 
occupied a confiderable fhare of his attention; 
and, previoufly to his removal from Monton, 
he had gained fome acquaintance with bota- 
ny. His mind was certainly more difciplined 
to obfervation and refletion, and more richly 
furnifhed with elegant and ufeful knowledge 
than the underftandings of marsy perfons, 
who were his fuperiors in age and literary ad- 
vantages. In mixed fociety, he was com- 
Saie the filent, attentive, and candid hear- 
er; nior did his unaffected modefty. forfake 
him, even in moments of the frankeft and 
moft confidential intercourfe. To his inti- 
mate friends, neverthelefs, he was always 
fond of communicating his opinions upon 
characters, events, and books; and thefe 
opinions were the more interefting, as 
they generally received their colour from 
a very high degree of ‘moral fenfibility. 
A gentleman, who had frequent oppor- 
tunities of feeing him during the three years 
ot his gees in London, who was quali- 
fied to appreciate his opcel ees and who - 
obtained and merited his friendfhip, gives the 
following teftimony to his eminence in Vir 
tue: ** All that 1 have known of him con- 
meee me, that Mr. Wiche was one of thofe 
re characters who confider, praétically and 
Pay , this life as nothing but the intro- 
du€tion to tes ; that morality and purity 
are alone worthy to be the conftant purfuit 
of human beings ; that every man has chief 
to do with histown moral ftate and feelings ; 
and that by them his individual condué 
cught to be determined ; that to fecure this 
moral excellence, no fone is too great ; 
and that he was ready in purfuit of his objeé&t 
to have become, 1f necefiary, a day labourer, 
and to have “ferved the meaneft offices.’? 
The whole of Mr. -Wiche’s behaviour e- 
vinces the faithfulnefs of this delineation. 
For the purpofe of reaching this, his fove- 
reign ‘* end and aim,” he actually iubmitted — 
to Reticle hardthips, wearinefs, and felf- 
denial; with this view, he literally ** rofe 
up early, fat up late, and ate the bread of 
care.” _ Though he feverely felt the unplea- 
fantnefs of he fituation, fill he always faid, 
«© Yet Ihave derived from it moral good; 
T advance by this lefion in the knowledge oF 
life, and in the adaptation of myfelf to any 
condition jit is better than my profefiion 
for we” —meaning, that his former proteffion 
upon the plan of living by it, was,more than 
his moral feelings were, able to endure. 
Such a mind is abfolutely invulnerable; 
and fuch a charaéter is beyond the compre- 
henfion of worldly men, and nominal Chril- 
tians ; 5 and is in fa& as rare as it is excellent. 
Tt ought not, however, to be concealed, that 
whilit Mr. Wiche converfed upon the faba 
of leaving his original profeflion, with all the 
delicacy of the fineft fenfibility, he was toe 
-much guided in this inftance by-hits feelings. 
But then thofe feelings hada firi€tly virtuous 
direétion 5 and bo _pseferve them uncorrapt 
"MRS 
