_to the uncle’s profeilion, which he‘ kindly- 
“-relinquifhed in favour of his younger brother, 
_Obtained for him, 
1802.) 
folk, who, facrificing every thing to his love 
of company, left his family, at his deceafe, 
in a ftate of abfolute want. Thete were two 
fons, who experienced a fatherly care from 
theiruncle, Mr. Cook, a furgeon, of “Hart- 
ftone, probably the place of their nativity. 
Roger, the elder, had the ofter of being bred 
himfelf entering: into the fervice of ‘Sir 
Charles Bunbury, in which he remained un+ 
til his death, a period of near forty years. Mr.» 
Roger Rufh was well known as clerk of the 
courfe at Newmarket, and beloved by all,’ 
as a man of a moft benevolent and friendly 
difpofition. At the expence-of this good 
brother, the fubjeCtof the prefent memoir, 
was fupported at the hofpitals in London, in . 
order to obtain the neceflary qualifications as 
a furgeon, after having completed ‘his appren - 
ticefhip, From the hofpital. Mr. Ruth re- 
turned to the country, where he ferved as 
an ailiftant feveral years, at Sibyl Hedingham, 
and Colchefter, in Effex, and would ‘doubtlefs 
have fpent his days in the obfcurity which 
envelopes the life of acommon.country prac- 
titioner,but for the interventions of certain ac- 
cidental circumftances. Love had no little 
hand in his removal from Hedingham, and 
the tale would afford no trifling example of fe- 
male caprice, and fupercilioufnefs ; but to the 
advice of an intimate friend it was entirely 
ewing {as Mr. Ruth himfelf has often fince 
acknowledged,) that he took that ftep which 
led to reputation and fortune-~going ovt to” 
America with the army: yet his treatment 
of this friend after his elevation, and’ the 
eftablithment of his fortune, is faid to have 
been ungenerous, and even harfh inthe ex-' 
treme, a fa& totally irreconcileable with his 
general excellent character, and with the ac- 
knowledged deferts of that friend in various 
ways, At the expence of his good brother, 
Mr.Ruth was fitted out as a furgeons’-matein 
the guards, an appointment moft -probably 
bury. On their arrival at New York, he 
was furtunate enough to be appointed to the 
furgeancy almoft immediately, Mr. Smythers 
quitting the regiment, with the view of fet. 
tling in that city,. From this period tovhis 
death, fortune feems never to have quitted 
this minion of her’s, but to have attended 
him conftantly with an open hand, or rather 
with a carte blanche, on which he had but to 
infcribe whatever he defired, of conneétion, 
of the power of pleafing, or of profeffional 
fuccefs ; and indeed, no fmall fhare of this 
was moft juftly merited, by an unwearied 
‘induftry, and univerial attention, onthe part 
of Mr. Rufh, who was equally beloved and’ 
refpected by all ranks; who with the {mal- 
left poffible facrifice to indolence or even res 
pofe, gave up every inftant of his time to 
protefhhonal, or convivial duties ; forthefe laft 
he was admirably calculated by nature, a gift, - 
which, had he been habituated to reflection, 
Account of Mer. Rufl. 
‘lodgings, in Stafford-ftreer, 
by Sir Charies Bun-° 
78 
he would have lamented, from the violent 
inroads thence made on his conftitution. He 
continued in America, attached te the guards, 
throughout the war, and whilt ina fonthera 
province, had the opportunity of liftening 
to a'converfation of the utmoft importance, 
managed with great ‘heat between the par-- 
ties. dt involves the reputation of a diftin- 
guifhed ‘charaéter, whofe fubfequent mis- 
fortune, it feems, was clearly and literally 
foretola, Ruth, with a mind of a very com- 
mon caft, had a talent for obfervation, as 
well as imitation; he always {poke with the 
utmoft. contempt of the profeffional abilities 
and moral character of another preminent 
perfonage, who laboured hard to imprefs the 
world with an exalted opinion of himfelf 
After the conclufion of the American war, 
we find Mr. Ruth fettled as a furgeon, in 
Bond-ftreet 5 
where he remained fome years, practifing the 
laudable virtucs of induftry and ceconomy, 
to bis very confiderable’ emolument. His 
early practice, as may eafily be conjeCtured, 
was chiefly among his brother officers, who 
had the moft implicit reliance on his fkills 
and thefe being, many of them, men of 
rank, their favour and patronage, im procefs 
of time, brought Mr. Rufh fo much inte 
vogue, asa furgeon, that ef late years, no 
profeffional cafe, of any confequence, oc- 
curred, to which he was not called, This 
reputation was farther ftrengthened by fignal 
good fortune in feveral cafes, wherein others 
of the profeflion had not fucceeded, which 
created a ftrong attachment In the patients, 
and brought him very liberal remunerationc. 
Previoufly to the departure of a noble marquis 
for India, it is believed his lordfhip made 
very advantageous ofters teMr. Ruth, which 
however he thought proper to decline, on thie 
ftrength of that certain profpest which for- 
tune was opening to his view, in his native 
country. . His chief preferment he probabiy 
owed to fome member of the Royal Family, 
both his Royal Highneds the Prince, and tite 
Duke of York, being extremely partial to 
him, ‘and entertaining an high opinion of his 
capacity and profeffional experience. A cer 
tain French author remarks, ‘the commercial — 
{pirit “is fo univerfally predominant in Eng- 
land, that if a man do but poflefs property, — 
he may always ge to market for reputation, 
and fuit himfelf3 and that the lberty of 
the prefs, is more completely under the con- 
troul of the ariftécracy of property, than of * 
the Executive Government.” ris fit we re- 
pel fuch infinuations in the moft pointed and 
practical way; one mean to effect which isy 
by conferring on the public, the eminent as- 
vantage of a detail of impartial pofthumous 
characters, inftead of indulging the partiali- 
ties or interefted views of a private circle, 
with unfounded and fulfome eulogiumss 
The life before.us is a ftriking example of 
the fuccefs which may be expe@ted from a 
fedulous and appropriate application of ta- 
24EHts, 
