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of itself, and always refigned to the Pleasure of its Maker.

He related with great Concern, that once his Patience fo far gave Way to Extremity of Pain, that after having laid fifteen Hours in exquifite Tortures, he prayed to God that he might be fet free by Death.

Mr. Schultens, by Way of Confolation, anfwered, that he thought fuch Wishes, when forced by continued and exceffive Torments, unavoidable in the prefent State of human Nature; that the best of Men, even Job himself, were not able to refrain from fuch Starts of Impatience: This he did not deny, but faid, He that loves God ought to think nothing defirable, but what is most pleasing to the Supreme Goodnefs."

Such were his Sentiments, and fuch his Conduct, in this State of Weakness and Pain: As Death approached nearer, he was fo far from Terror and Confufion, that he feemed even lefs fenfible of Pain, and more chearful under his Torments, which continued till the 23d Day of September, 1738, on which he died, between Four and Five in the Morning, in the 70th Year of his Age.

Thus died Boerhaave, a Man formed by Nature for great Defigns, and guided by Religion in the Exertion of his Abilities: He was of a robust and athletic Constitution of Body, so hardened by early Severities, and wholesome Fatigue, that he was infenfible of any Sharpnefs of Air, or Inclemency of Weather. He was tall, and remarkable for extraordinary Strength: there was in his Air and Motion fomething rough and artlefs, but fo majestic. and great at the fame Time, that no Man ever looked upon him without Veneration, and a Kind of tacit Submiffion to the Superiority of his Genius. The Vigour and Activity of his Mind fparkled vifibly in his Eyes; nor was it obferved that any Change of his Fortune, or Alteration in his Af

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fairs, whether happy or unfortunate, affected his Countenance.

He was always chearful, and defirous of promoting Mirth by a facetious and humourous Converfation. He was never foured by Calumny and Detraction; nor ever thought it neceffary to confute them; for they are Sparks,' faid he, which, if < you do not blow them, will go out of themselves.' Yet he took Care never to provoke Enemies by Severity of Cenfure; for he never dwelt on the Faults or Defects of others; and was so far from inflaming the Envy of his Rivals, by dwelling on his own Excellencies, that he rarely mentioned himfelf or his Writings.

He was not to be overawed or depreffed by the Prefence, Frowns, or Infolence of great Men; but perfifted on all Occasions in the right, with a Refolution always prefent, and always calm. He was modeft, but not timorous; and firm without Rudenefs.

He could, with uncommon Readiness and Certainty, make a Conjecture of Men's Inclinations and Capacity, by their Afpect.

His Method of Life was to ftudy in the Morning and Evening, and to allot the Middle of the Day to his publick Business. He rofe at Four in the Summer, and Five in the Winter. His ufual Exercise was Riding, till, in his latter Years, his Diftempers made it more proper for him to walk. When he was weary, he amused himself by playing on the Violin.

His greatest Pleasure was to retire to his House in the Country, where he had a Garden of eight Acres, ftored with all the Herbs and Trees which the Climate would bear. Here he used to enjoy his Hours unmolefted, and profecute his Studies without Interruption.

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The Diligence with which he pursued his Studies is fufficiently evident from his Succefs. Statesmen and Generals may grow great by unexpected Accidents, and a fortunate Concurrence of Circumstances, neither procured nor foreseen by themselves. But Reputation in the learned World must be the Effect of Industry and Capacity. Boerhaave loft none of his Hours; but, when he had attained one Science, attempted another. He added Phyfick to Divinity, Chymiftry to the Mathematicks, and Botany to Anatomy. He examined Systems by Experiments, and formed Experiments into Syftems. He neither neglected the Obfervations of others, nor blindly fubmitted to celebrated Names. He neither thought fo highly of himself as to imagine he could receive no Light from Books, nor fo meanly as to believe he could difcover nothing but what was to be learned from them. He examined the Obfervations of other Men, but trufted only to his own.

Nor was he unacquainted with the Art of recommending Truth by Elegance, and of embellishing Philofophy by polite Literature: He knew that but a fmall Part of Mankind will facrifice their Pleasure to their Improvement; and those Authors who would find many Readers, muft endeavour to please while they inftruct.

He knew the Importance of his own Writings to Mankind; and left he might, by a Roughness and Barbarity of Stile, too frequent among Men of grea Learning, difappoint his own Intentions, and make his Labours lefs useful, he did not neglect the Arts of Eloquence and Poetry: Thus was his Learning at once various and exact, profound and agreeable.

He was not only skilled in the learned Languages, and the Tongues in which the Old Teftament was written, but was able to converse in many of the modern Languages, and to read others, which he could not speak.

But his Knowledge, however uncommon, holds in his Character but the fecond Place; his Virtue was yet much more uncommon than his Learning. He was an admirable Example of Temperance, For titude, Humility, and Devotion. His Piety and a religious Senfe of a Dependence on God, was the Balis of all his Virtues, and the Principles of his whole Conduct. He was too fenfible of his Weaknefs to afcribe any thing to himself, or to conceive that he could fubdue Paffion, or withstand Temptation by his own natural Power: He attributed every good Thought and every laudable Action to the Father of Goodness. Being once asked by a Friend who had often admired his Patience under great Provocations, whether he knew what it was to be angry, and by what Means he had fo entirely fuppreffed that impetuous and ungovernable Paffion; he anfwered with the utmoft Franknefs and Sincerity, that he was naturally quick of Refentment; but that he had, by daily Prayer and Meditation, at length attained to this Maftery over himself.

As foon as he rofe in the Morning, it was, throughout his whole Life, his daily Practice to retire for an Hour to private Prayer and Meditation: This, he often told his Friends, gave him Spirit and Vigour in the Business of the Day; and this he therefore recommended as the beft Rule of Life; for nothing, he knew, could fupport the Soul in all Distresses, but à Confidence in the Supreme Being; nor can a fteady and rational Magnanimity flow from any other Source, than a Conscioufnefs of the Divine Favour.

He afferted on all Occafions the Divine Authority and facred Efficacy of the Holy Scriptures; and maintained that by them alone was taught the Way of Salvation, and that they only could give Peace of Mind.

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The Excellency of the Chriftian Religion was the frequent Subject of his Converfation. A ftrict Obedience to the Doctrine, and a diligent Imitation of the Example of our Bleffed Saviour, he often declared to be the Foundation of true Tranquillity. He recommended to his Friends a careful Obfervation of the Precept of Mofes concerning the love of God and Man. He worshipped God as he is in himself, without attempting to inquire into his Nature. He defired only to think of God, what God has revealed of himself. There he ftopped, left, by indulging his own Ideas, he should form a Deity from his own Imagination, and commit Sin by falling down before him. To the Will of God he paid an absolute Submiffion, without endeavouring to difcover the Reason of his Determinations; and this he accounted the first and most inviolable Duty of a Chriftian. When he heard of a Criminal condemned to die, he used to think, and often to fay, Who can tell whether this Man is not better than I? Or, if "I am better, it is not to be ascribed to myself, but " to the Goodness of God.'

So far was this Man from being made impious by Philofophy, or vain by Knowledge, or by Virtue, that he afcribed all his Abilities to the Bounty, and all his Goodness to the Grace of God. May his Example extend its Influence to his Admirers and Followers! May those who ftudy his Writings, imitate his Life; and thofe who endeavour after his Knowledge, afpire likewise to his Piety!

He married, September 17, 1710, Mary Droleneveaux, the only Daughter of a Burgomafter of Leyden, by whom he had Joanna Maria, who furvives her Father, and three other Children who died in their Infancy.

The genuine Works of Boerhaave, according to his own Catalogue of them, are as follows; and he declares, in 1732, that all others under his Name

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