458 
Colonel he married his reli, Mrs. Pole, 
with a jointure of 6col. per annum, to 
which rool. was added, by eftablifhing 
the validity of a promiffory-note, which 
had been given to her by her former hut- 
band. The marriage of Dr. Darwin oc- 
ealioned his immediate removal from Litch- 
field to Radbourse, where he refided till 
he could be accommodated with a houfe in 
Derby: in this la& fituation he remained till 
about three months before his death, when 
he removed toan old manfion, calledBread- 
wall Priory, about three miles diftant 
from Derby, which was a commodious 
and peaceful retirement for his old age. 
During the laft few years Dr. Darwin was 
much {ubject to inflammation in his breaft 
and lungs: he had a-very ferious attack of 
this difeafe in the courfe of the laft {pring, 
from which, after repeated bleedings by 
himfelf and a furgeon, he with great diffi- 
culty recovered. On the roth of April 
fait he was attacked with a fevere thiver- 
ing fit, followed by a correfpondent hot 
one, and accompanied with fymptoms of 
inflammation in his lungs: his furgeon, 
Mr. Hadley, tock from him, in the courfe 
of the day, twenty-five ounces of blood: 
the fever was removed, and in two or 
three days he became, to all appearance, 
quite well, and declared himfelf perfetly 
recovered. On Saturday, the 17th, he 
amuled him‘elfin his garden, with all his 
children, who were come home from 
ichool, probably, on account of the Eafter- 
holidays: in the evening, as he was walk- 
ing with Mrs. Darwin, and 2 lady of 
about h’s own age, the latter remarked, 
that he would have fufficient employment 
for ten years in bringing all his plans 
ahout the place to perfection. “* You, 
BMacam (he replicd} have as good a pro- 
{pect as any body ] know, of your age, of 
living ten years—I have not.”—Mrs, 
Darwin remarked his good locks, fypirits, 
and firength: he faid, ‘‘ I always appear 
particularly well immediately before “I 
become ill.°? He fat with his family in 
the evening, converfing with his ufual 
cheerfulnefs, went to bed, rofe at fix on 
the following morning, and wrote fome 
letters: he thencalled his fervant, fell into 
2 violent fit of paffion with him on account 
of his horfes, and was feized with a cold 
fhivering fit, which increafed, and was at- 
tended with thir: he then fat down by 
the kitchen-fire, and drank a confiderabie 
quantity-ef butter-milk, but feeling him- 
felf much indifpofed, he lay down on a 
fofa, when becoming more cold and torpid, 
he was raifed up, and placed in an arm- 
chair, where, without pain, or any emo- 
Biographical Memoirs of the late Dr. Darwin. 
[ June 4; 
tion, he expired, between eight and nine 
o'clock, in the 71ft year of his age. 
The death of Dr. Darwin is varioufiy 
accounted for: it is fuppofed to have been 
caufed by the cold fit of an inflammatory 
fever; Dr. Fox, of Derby, confiders the 
difeafe which occafioned it to have been 
angina pectoris; but Dr. Garlike, of the 
fame place, thinks this opinion not fuifi- 
ciently well-founded: whatever was the 
difeafe, it is not improbable, furely, 
that the fatal event was haftened by the 
violent fit of paffion with which he was 
feized in the morning. 
Dr. Darwin has left a widow and fix 
children by his Jaft marriage: befides 
thefe, there are two natural daughters 
(Milfs Parkers) whom he has eftablifhed 
at a {chool at Afhbourne, and for whofe 
inftruétion and affiftance he compofed and 
publithed his Treatife on Female Educa- 
tion. 3 
During the whole of his life Dr. Dar- 
win was remarkable for great benevo- 
lence of difpofition, and it was particu- 
larly confpicuous in the care he took even 
of the loweft animals. He had frequently 
exprefied a ftrong defire, that the termina- 
tion of his exiftence might be without 
pain, having always looked upon death as 
the lefs evil of thetwo. He was of a mid- 
dle ftature, in perfon gro{s and corpulent; 
his features were coarfe, and his counte- 
nance heavy; if not wholly void of ani- 
mation, it certainly was by no means ex- 
prefive. ‘The print of him, from a paint- 
ing of Mr. Wright, is a good likenefs. 
In his gait and dreis he was rather clumfy ' 
and flovenly, and frequently walked with 
his tongue hanging out of his mouth. 
A genileman witlr whom he was many 
years in habits of intimacy, relates, ‘that 
in his youth Dr. Darwin was fond of f{a- 
crificing to both Bacchus and Venus: but 
he foon difcovered that he could not con- 
tinue his devotions to both thefe Deities 
without defroying his health and confti- 
tution.* He therefore refolved to relin- 
quifh Bacchus, but his affeétion for Venus 
was retained to the laft period of life.” 
* At this period of ne when he was he- 
fitating from which of the two favourite 
altars he muft difcontinue his facrifices, we 
may fuppofe him to have tranflated, with fo 
much fpirit and efie@t, the following epigram 
of Martial :— ; si 
Balnea, Vina, Venus, corrumpunt corpora nofiray 
At faciunt vitum Balnea, Kina, Venus. 
Wine, women, warmth, againit our lives 
combines ve z 
But what is life without warmth, women, 
wine! 
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