184 
ring which fome ufeful materials towards the 
‘Topographical Hiftory of the Kingdom were 
unqueftionably communicated. Amongtt 
other refearches, Mr. Shaw fpent part of the 
fummer of 1790 in Suffex, where he vifited 
many parifhes, and colleéted a large ftore of 
church notes, of which only a fmall number 
was exhaufted when the work clofed. In 
thefe perambulations, his own faithful and 
conftantly exercifed pencil, enabled him to 
be doubly ufeful.—In the fummer of 1791, 
Mr. Shaw retired to his father’s houfe at 
Hartfhorn. Here, ‘till amufing himfelf with 
topographical refearches, he foon afterwards, 
during his frequent vifits into Staffordthire, 
conceived the idea of undertaking the Hifto- 
ry of that County. The fcheme at firft ap- 
peared bold even to his friends; and no one 
trembled more for his fuccefs than his old 
coadjutor on fimilar topics. He perfevered, 
however; his mild and incffenfive manners 
procured attention to the affiftance he afked ; 
his acquaintance every day enlarged, and his 
materials accumulated. Inftead of confining 
himfelf merely to the dry inveftigations of 
antiquarian lore, he conciliated attention 
to every thing which the title of his work 
could comprehend, by details on natural 
hiftory, agriculture, fcenery, manufacto- 
ries, and arts, all which excited his cu- 
riofity, and flattered the various turns of 
thofe by whom the acquifition of his mate- 
Zials was facilitated.—Ar length, by his affi- 
duous enquiries he difcovered and ebtained 
the vaft treafure of MSS. written and col- 
le& by Dr. Wilkes for a fimilar undertaking ; 
which had long been fuppofed to have been 
Joft, and of which fome malicious attempts 
were. made, by the affertion of wilful falf- 
hoods, to ftifle: his purfuit. From the mo- 
ment of this acquifition, his fuccefs became 
certain; the expectation of the county 
rapidly increafed; and he received coun- 
tenance. and affiftance from every quarter. 
He had already made a great variety of draw- 
ings of manfions, churches, monuments, and 
antiquities; and many of thefe were en- 
graved at the expence of the owners, fome 
of which have fince enriched the part al- 
' zeady publifhed; anda large proportion ftill 
xemain with his unpublifhed materials. He 
employed four years in augmenting and di- 
getting his colieftions ; and, about 1796, be- 
@an-te-print the firft volume, which was 
Jaid before the public in Auguft 179%. It 
will not be. partiality to affert, that it an- 
{fwered and exceeded the expeétations which 
it had raifed. It is in truth a rich and fplen- 
did volume. The typography, the number 
and variety of engravings, the luminous and 
well-labenred yenealegical tables, the in- 
exhauftible notices of the paft, drawn from 
the buried treafures of time, intermixed with 
Modern faés and defcriptions of more gene- 
ral attractions, render the work highly va- 
— - 
Dr. Long. 
{March 3, 
Ivable, and will fecure the reputation of the 
compiler ; they excite, indeed, aftonifhment at 
his patient and unwearied induftry. To fuch 
a work, it is not a minute and captious criti- 
cifm on detached parts that can do juftice : it 
is a furvey of the extent and variety of the 
whole, and though the author had no pre- 
tenfions to fplendour of talent, nor indeed 
exhibited, either in converfation, or by the 
ftyle of compofition, the powers which he 
pofieffed, his work certainly exhibits merit, 
which could nct have been the feature of a 
common mind.—In 13801 he publifhed the 
firft part of his fecond volume, which was 
in all refpeéts equal to the former. He had 
now fucceeded his father, who died at the 
clofe of 1799, in the living of Harthhorn, a 
village rendered remarkable as the birth-place 
of the celebrated Dean Stanhepe, whofe fa~ 
ther enjoyed this preferment. Here he fpent 
the fummer, and found fome relaxation from 
his fevere ftudiesy in improving his houfe 
and garden. But his enjoyments were not 
uninterrupted, A bilious habit rendered him 
perpetually fubjeé& to flow fevers. The fa- 
tigue of exercife in a burning fun now 
brought ona more fierce attack, He appa- 
rently recovered, however, and retuined to 
London in the winter of 1801, and went on 
with his work. But it was foon perceived, 
that his conftitution had received an alarming 
fhock. Early in the fpring he found him- 
felf unfit for his ufual occupations. A new 
attack of a dreadful fever enfued; but from 
this teo he was at length reftored. All ap- 
plication to books was now prohibited ; and 
in June or July it was deemed advifable for 
him to pay a vifit to the Kentith coaft, at- 
tended by his only relation, an affectionate 
half-fifter, the daughter of his father by a 
fecond wife. They went firft to -Ramfgate, 
and thence removed to the more quiet feclu- 
fion of Sandgate, near Hythe. Here he 
pafied the Autumn, and was fo well that he 
joined fome friends in a few days expedition 
to the oppofite coaft, and vifited Boulogne. 
Towards the end of Oétober, his diforder 
fuddenly returned with more violence than 
before, After a ftruggle of ten days, it was 
deemed right to remove him to London for 
better advice, where he died foon after his 
arrival, lamented by all who knew him, and 
leaving a chafm in the department of litera- 
tuse which he had embraced, not eafy to be 
fupplied. His vaft treafures of MSS. draw- 
ings, and engraved plates, remain 3 and it is 
hoped and expeéted that fome qualified per- 
fun will be found to continue his valuable 
work, ee 3" 
_ [Account of the late Dr. Long, whofe death 
was announced in our laft Number.—This gen- 
tleman, as before obferved, was a very ec- 
centric chara¢ters; and among other of his 
peculiarities, was remarkably fond of what 
is called a good joke. The Doftor, however, — 
was 
