o66 
withftanding this, fome feheme had been 
propofed for relieving the fuffering object, 
and fome demand had been made on his prac- 
tical generofity, it is more than probable that, 
inftead of obeying the inf@in@ive impulfes of 
humanity, he would have thrown fome im- 
pediment in the way of the proje& by cold 
and felifh calculations. His mathematical 
ftudies had certainly had the effect of reprefi- 
ing the fpirit of his beneficence, and chilling 
‘the more generous feelings of his nature. He 
who fcruples to relieve others till he has de- 
menftrative proof of the reality of the diftrefs, 
Or of the merit of the diftreffed, or of the ef- 
ficacy of the relief which is propofed, will find 
“few opportunities, in the fu€tuations and im- 
perfeGtions of human life, of exércifing his 
beneficence. Sir George’s habit of thinking 
and acting inthe common routine of life, were 
adjufted to a rule, which admitted of little vari- 
ation, and to which he expected every one elfe 
toconform. His feelings of benevolence were, 
J believe, not deficient in warmth; but they 
ufually evaporated as they arofe, for want of 
being ftrengthened by habits of practical be- 
neficence. The irritability of his temper, 
originating in the too fenfitive firucture of his 
phyfical temperament, and ftrengthened, as it 
unfortunately was, by continued indulgence, 
inftead of being repreffed and moderated, as it 
might have beer, by a vigilant felf-govern- 
ment, while it contributed more than any 
thing elfe, to multiply his vexations and to 
aggravate every pain which he felt, often ren- 
cered him an obdjeG& rather of contempt, than 
of refpe&t 5; of averfion, than of love to his 
family and dependants. And yet with all this, 
he had many focial yualities. He was a cheer- 
ful and inftraéiive companion: his flow of 
{pirits feemed incapable of exhauftion, At 
his table, he was ufually affable and courte- 
ous ; and though there was nothing like a 
lavith eh fon, there was nothing like a 
niggard parfimony in the exercife of his hof- 
pitality. He prided himfelf on his knowledge 
ef mankind, and on his power of penetrating 
into the motives and charaters of men. But 
he was too prone to trace adtions to an impure 
fource ; and a fufpicious temper, in which 
there was at bottom fome infuiion of malig- 
nity, made him imagine that every body, 
with whom he had any dealings, was watch- 
ing an opportunity to cheat him ; and that 
the whole world hardly contained another ho- 
neff man befides himfelf. Such a difpofition 
was not favourable to inward fatisfeftion ; in- 
deed it fubjeéted him to tke correfion of ice 
tinual difcontent. The = acceliion to his 
foriune, which was the efic& of his lat mar- 
riage, rather narrowed than en! arged his 
heart: he feems rather to have rejoiced in it 
as the fignal of tuperiority, than as the means 
of doing mcre exteniive pee: He would, 
probably, have been an happier man, if he 
had nut poffeffed more than enough for the 
cCummon neceiiries, and a few of the rational 
éomiorts and pleaiures of life. Theré was 
Addition? and CorreBiinni. 
foe ee 
the utmoft methodical precifion in every thing 
which he did; and the whele economy of his 
affairs, as far as it was under his own immie= 
diate fuperinteadance, was like a well-cone. 
trived and well-compatted piece of joinery, 
confruéted by an artift, who can take the 
whole to pieces, and put it together again 
without contusion or miftake. There was not 
a bill, or letter, or paper, in his poffeffion, 
whieh had not its appropriate ftation 5 and 
which he knew where to find whenever it 
was wanted. He applied the method and pre- 
Cifion of niatheciatical fcience to the minuteft 
intercfts of his domeftic eftablifhment. Every. 
key which he had was ticketted ;> every nap- 
kin regiftered. Of all the deeds in his pof- 
feffion relative to his numerous and large ef- 
tates, he had an accurate and copious abftraé, 
which faved him the trouble of referring to 
the originals. He had exaé delineations not 
‘only of every acre of land, but of every farm- 
houfe, barn, ftable, or out-houfe, which he 
pofiefied. It feemed to be his obje& through 
life to fortify himfelf againft the knavery and 
cunning of mankind: but the pains and vex- 
ations which he fuffered from his unremitting 
vigilance to counteract imaginary frauds, were 
perhaps greater than perfons, lefs inclined te 
mifanthropy and fufpicion, ever feel from the 
fenfe of real impofitions, In his public charaéter, 
Sir G. Shuckburgh was certainly more pure 
and unfullied than in his private. During the 
feveral parliaments in which he reprefented 
the county of Warwick, not an inftance can 
be mentioned of his veal or corrupt tergiver- 
fation. Had he been placed in any ftation of 
financial truft, the country could not have had 
amore rigid or inflexiblz economift of the pub- 
lic money. While-his health remained, he 
was fedulous in his attendance in Parliament 5 
and no man could fhew more diligence, more 
fidelity, or.zeai, in tranfaéting the bufincis 
of the county which had fo often chofen him 
for its repiefentative. If we place the merit 
of his public conduct againt the imperfec- 
tions of his paver we fhail be able in fome 
meafure to reftore the virtuous equilibrium of 
his charaGter. After having examined his 
moral, it may be right to fay fomethbing of his 
intellectual endowments. His reading was 
Various and extenfive, and he never read any 
thing that he did not thoroughly digeft. His 
memory was retentive ; his tafte difcriminat- 
ing; and his imagination, which was far 
from being wanting in luxuriance, never im- 
paired the folidity of his judgment. His fty!e 
was clear and derprent rs without any arti- 
ficial colouring, or oftentatious glare. His 
philofophical habits and, what may be called, 
the cloie-tifted logic which he had acquired in 
the ftudy of the mathematics, made him more 
anxious to convey his meaning to the under- 
ftanding, than ftudious to captivate by any 
rhetorical decorations. There was always 
more imagery, more vivacity of thought, more 
pal of combination, in the unpremeditat-, 
ed effufions of his colloquial difccurfe, than 
i “in 
“ 
