10. REV. JOHN ARMSTRONG.

J

The Rev. John Armstrong was born of humbe parents at Leith, in Scotland, about June 1771, and. was educated at the high school and college of Edinburgh, where he took the degree of A. M. He was then distinguished for his love of the Belles Lettres, and particularly poetry; and published a volume of "Juvenile Poems" at the age of 18. In this he inserted an "Essay on the best means of punishing and preventing Crimes," which in January 1789, had gained the gold prize medal, given by the Edinburgh Pantheon Society, for the best specimen of prose compo

sition.

In 1790 he came to London to pursue the career of literature in that extensive metropolis; and to procure a subsistence engaged as a writer in one of the daily Newspapers; and became a Reporter of Debates, in which he is said to have taken the speeches of Mr. Pitt with uncommon skill and talent. But he still retained his taste for poetry, and published in 1791 a collection of" Sonnets from Shakspeare," under the signature of ALBERT.

He became also a preacher in some of the most respectable dissenting pulpits. But the fatigues of his mind and body were too much for a slender constitution; and he died of a decline, on 21 July, 1797. about a month after he had completed his 26th year, Gent. Mag. Vol. 67, p. 731.

11. DR, THOMAS MORELL,

Thomas Morell, A.B. 1726; A M. 1730; S.T.P. 1743, was born at Eton, where his mother kept a

boarding

boarding-house in the college. He was first Curate of Twickenham, and then Rector of Buckland in Hertfordshire He was author, or editor of various learned works; but is most known by his corrected editions of Hederic's Lexicon, and Ainsworth's Dictionary.

He was a profound and laborious scholar, and a chearful and entertaining companion; and as long as learning is cultivated among us, the value of his labours will be known, and the public neglect of them, while he lived, will be lamented.

He died at his house at Turnham-Green 19 Teb. 1784. Haerwood's Alumn. Eton.-Gent. Mag. Vol. 67, p. 1088.

12. THOMAS MAUDE.

Thomas Maude, Esq. of Burley Hall, Co. York, who died at the end of the year 1798, æt. 81, was the author of several poems, among which were "Wensley Dale," "Verbcia, or Wharf-dale; a poem descriptive and didactic," 1782; "Viator, a poem, with notes historical and topographical," 1782; "The Invitation, or Urbanity, a poem," 1791. He also wrote a series of Periodical Papers, called "The Reaper," which ap-' peared in the York Courant; and was a contributor to Grose's Antiquities. Gent. Mag. Vol. 69, p. 792 163, 191.

13. ARTHUR COLLINS.

Arthur Collins, whose name is familiar as the compiler of Peerages and Baronetages, but whose own history has till lately been utterly unnoticed, was born in 1682; the son of William Collins, Esq. Gentle

man

man-Usher to Q. Catherine in 1669, by Eliz. his wife, daughter of Thomas Blyth.

*

He received a liberal education; and from a very early age cultivated that branch of antiquities, to which he dedicated the remainder of a laborious life; ill rewarded by those, for whose honour he toiled.

I think the first edition of his Peerage was published in one vol. 8vo. as early as 1708; and two vols of his Baronetage in 1720.

He married about 1708; and dying in 1760, aged 78, was buried in the church of Battersea in Surry. He was father of Major General Arthur Tooker Collins, who died 4 Jan. 1793, leaving issue David Collins, Esq. author of "The Account of the English Settlement in New South Wales." From a brief Memoir by Mr. Stephen Jones in Gent. Mag. Vol. 69, p. 282.

14. OWEN RUFFHEAD.

Owen Ruffhead was son of the King's baker in Piccadilly, who having gained a prize in the lottery of 500l. educated his son to the bar. He first distinguished himself by writing a variety of pamphlets on temporary politics; and then by an accurate. edition of the statutes at large. Henceforwards he obtained good business in his profession, as a chamber counsel; but did not forego his literary pursuits. By Warburton's desire, he compiled a Life of Pope, which disappointed the public expectation; and engaged eagerly in a defence of the conduct of adminis

Qu.? as the sentence in Gent. Mag. is imperfect; and mention is also made of the daughter of John Horwood, Esq. of Okeley in Hampshire, Qu Harwood, of the adjoining parish of Deane?

tration

tration towards Mr. Wilkes. But these various exertions overcame his constitution; and he died 25 Oct. 1769, aged about 46. Northouck's Classical Dictionary cited in Gent. Mag. Vol. 69, p. 388.

15. WILLIAM CURTIS, Botanist.

William Curtis was born in 17463 the eldest son of John Curtis, of Alton, in Hampshire, tanner; and was himself bound apprentice to an apothecary at Alton. Here he begun his botanical studies. When his time was out, he went to London, and lived first with Mr. Vaux, Surgeon, in Pudding Lane, and then with Mr. Talwin, Apothecary of Gracechurch Street, to whose business he succeeded.

In this situation he had an opportunity of forming acquaintances, who confirmed and assisted him in his favourite pursuit; more particularly Dr. George Fordyce, with whom and his pupils he wandered into the fields for the purpose of instruction.

He now became known to several persons of the first abilities in Natural History; and connecting the study of entomology with that of botany, published in 1771 his Instructions for collecting and preserving Insects; and in 1772 a translation of the Fundamenta Entomologia of Linnæus. He also gave public lectures on Botany, and declined his original business, that he might yield his whole attention to this study."

In conjunction with Mr. White, he occupied a small garden for the culture of British Plants near the Grange Road at the bottom of Bermondsey Street; and here conceived the design of publishing his great work, The Flora Londinensis. Hence he removed his

garden

garden to Lambeth Marsh, where he collected the largest number of British plants, ever brought together; but this spot being found uncongenial, he again removed, to Brompton; where he procured a spacious territory, and had the pleasure of seeing his wishes gratified.

The Flora Londinensis made its way slowly; but in 1787 he projected the Botanical Magazine; which instantly captivated attention, and became extremely popular; and continued to be a mine of wealth to him to the day of his death. His acquaintance was now courted by every eminent Naturalist; and his company, was rendered delightful not merely by his knowledge, but by his mirth and good humour.

"All his ideas were turned to the benefit of mankind. He was the first botanist of note in this country, who applied botany to the purposes of agriculture. By perpetually cultivating plants, he possessed advantages superior to any that had preceded him, and was thereby enabled to point out to the agriculturist the noxious as well as the useful qualities of plants; a branch of agriculture rarely attended to." He died at Brompton, 7 July, 1799, aged 53. Abridged from the Memoir in Gent. Mag. Vol. 69, p. 635.

[To be continued.]

ART. XXVI. Literary Obituary.

1806. April. At Bristol, Rev. Henry Jackson Close, A.M. formerly Rector of Hitcham, Suffolk; and of Carleton St. Peter, Norfolk, which livings he ex

changed