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on us) 
{ March #, 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
ae Le 
REEMOIR of the LiFe of the late PROFES- 
SOR DaViD RUHNKEN. 
AVID Ruhnken was born at Stolpe, 
D in Upper Pomerania, on the fecond 
day of January, in the year 1723. His 
father had been chief-magiftrate of the 
town, was jn eafy circumitances, had fe- 
veral other children, and fpared no reaion- 
able expence in their education. 
As David difcovered very early un- 
common quickne!s in learning, his pa- 
rents determined, while he was yet a 
child, to bring him'up a {cholar. Hts 
mother in particular had an ambition that 
her fon fhould become a clergyman ; and 
he was fent for his inftruction in the La- 
tin tongue to the ichool of Schlave, of 
which Kniephoff, a man pofitfled with a 
warm and amiable enthufiajm for claflical 
literature, was then mafter, He commu- 
Hieated to his pupil all his own pafiion for 
Roman elegance and learning ; and 
Ruhnken from that time thought nothing 
fo much to be detired as fuperiority in 
thofe which are denominated claffical at- 
-tainments. . 
From Schlave Ruhnken went to Frede- 
rick’s College in Koningfberg. He was 
foon diftinguifhed at that feminary for 
his extraordinary proficiency in Latin 
erudition. He had for his fellow-ftudent 
and rival Immanuel Kant, fince famous 
as a metaphyiician and philofopher.— 
Kant was then devoted with great zeal to 
claffical purtuits; and in thefe there was 
an ardent but friendly competition be- 
tween him and Ruhnken all the time they 
ftudied together at Koningfberg. 
Atthe age.of eighteen years Ruhnken 
returned from the univerfity te his parents. 
His parents were defirous that he fhould 
now betake himie!f to the immediate ftudy 
of theology, and gave him his choice of 
any one of the univerities ot Koningtberg, 
Haile, or Frankfort, at which to profecute 
it. The youth himfelf defired no better 
than to devote his whole life to claffical 
learning, with the addition perhaps of 
jurifprudence as a means of livelihood.— 
To avoid for the prefent any direét op- 
pofition to their wifhes, he afked leave to 
go to ftudy Greek, under Geiner, at 
Goitingen ; and as few at that tme ftu- 
died the Greek language in Germany | 
otherwife than as preparatory to the ftudy 
of theology, the old people were fatisfied, 
and agreed that in this he fhould fellow 
his inclination. 
He {et out for Gottingen ; but on his 
way he took the opportunity to vifit Ber. 
Jin, and the univerfities of Saxony. In 
Berlin he ftepped but a few days, intend- 
ing to furvey that capital more at leidure 
when he fhould be upon hisreturn. At 
Wittenberg, in Saxony,’ he met with fo 
favourable a reception from J. G. Berger, 
profefflor of eloquence and antiquities, 
and from J. Dan. Ritter, proteflor ot jurif- 
prudence, that, after writing to obtain 
permiffion from his father and mother, he 
was induced to continue there two years, 
inftead of proceeding, according to his 
firt intention, to Gottingen. He obtain- 
ed during that time the degree of doétor 
in the civil and the canon laws, and pub- 
lithed a Differtation De Galla Plactdia 
Augufia@. From Berger heat the fame 
time acquired fingular juftnefs and de- 
licacy of taite in regard to purity-of Latin 
compofition, and great difcernment in the 
knowledge of the moft claffical Latin 
compofitions of modern times. He ftu- 
died at the fame time mathematics, logic, 
and metaphyfics, which were there taught 
according to the fyftem of Wolfius. . But 
thefe fhared his attention only in an inferior 
degree. The chief advantage he derived 
fiom them was in the affittance they gave 
him toward the eafier and clearer under- 
fianding of the philofephical writings of 
the ancients. Ernetti happening to make 
an excurfion from Leipfic to Wittenberg, 
concurred with Berger and Ritter in per- 
fuading him to proceed, for his im;rove- 
ment in Greek literature, rather to Ley- 
den, where he might ftudy under the ta- 
mous Hemfterhuis, than to Gortingen, as 
he before intended. He wrote to his fa- 
ther for leave, and a fupply of money.— 
Both were at laft with reluétance granted. 
Berger and Ritter gave him letrers to Mr. 
Sujeant Rucker, an eminent lawyer, and 
to Mr. Méerman, fyndie or recorder of 
Rotterdam. Ernefti joined them in the 
promife to procure him a profeflor’s chair 
in fome German univerfity as foon as he 
fhould have finifhed his fiudies at Leyden. 
He fet out in company with a young no- 
bleman who was on his travels, and ar- 
rived there without delay or accident. 
To Hemtterhvis he had brought no in-: 
troductory letter ; but immediately after 
his arrival he waited upon that eminent 
{cholar; accoited him in Latin, related 
that he was a pupil of Ritter and Berger, 
and came to hudy Greek at Leyden ; and 
a without 
