was frequently found making use of the pestle, and evinced such an evident interest in all that was passing there, that he acquired among his acquaintances the name of the little doctor. This appellation he seemed to receive with peculiar complacency, and, whenever interrogated upon the subject of his future profession, he uniformly replied that he would be a physician.' Soon after his grandfather's death he was sent to the grammar-school in Bridgnorth. Here he is said to have made a great proficiency in classical learning. At the age of thirteen he was removed from Bridgnorth and placed under the tuition of the Rev. S. Dickenson, rector of Plymhill in Staffordshire, where he remained for two years. Some enquiries were made of Mr. Dickenson relative to his pupil, at this period. Mr. Dickenson in reply said, whilst Dr. Beddoes was under his care, his mind was so intent upon literary pursuits, chiefly the attainment of classical learning, that' he did not recollect his having devoted a single day, or even an hour to diversions or frivolous amusements of any kind. His vacant hours were generally employed in reading reviews, of which he had access to a very numerous collection.' In Michaelmas term 1776, young Beddoes was entered at Pembroke college in Oxford. During his residence in this seat of learning there was no relaxation in his studious habits. He was still distinguished by exemplary diligence. Without neglecting his classical pursuits, he made himself master of the French, Italian, and German languages; and he attained to a considerable proficiency in the sciences of chemistry, mineralogy and botany. His vacations were generally spent in Shropshire, where he devoted much of his time to shooting and whist.' Dr. Stock says that he was supposed to play the game of whist 'as well as almost any man in England.' After taking his degree of Bachelor of Arts, he resided for some time in the metropolis, where he studied anatomy under Sheldon. At the same period, 'he devoted much of his time to dissection; and familiarized himself with the details of practical anatomy.' In the year 1784, he published a translation of the celebrated dissertations of Spallanzani. In 1785, he translated Bergman's Essay on Elective Attractions. In the autumn of the preceding year he had gone to Edinburgh to pursue his medical studies in that university. Here he distinguished himself by two essays; one on the Sexual System of Linnæus, the other on the Scale of Being. Here he passed three winters, and one summer; and gave an unintermitted atten tion to the lectures of the professors and to the societies for the promotion of medical and philosophical information. He was at Oxford for a short time in 1786, for the purpose of taking his medical degrees. In 1787, he made an excursion to the Highlands of Scotland, and passed over into France in the autumn of the same year. At Paris he was introduced to the acquaintance of Lavoisier, the prince of modern chemists, not only in the accuracy of his experiments, but in the matchless perspicuity with which he has made them clear to the most ordinary apprehension. On the resignation of Dr. Austin, Dr. Beddoes was appointed to the chemical lectureship at Oxford. The lectures which he delivered in the execution of this office, were well attended; and though the manner, in which they were delivered, was far from captivating, yet the` matter was so good that they excited considerable interest. In 1790, Dr. Beddoes published an analytical account of the writings of the celebrated Mayo, who lived in the middle of the seventeenth century, and whose works, though almost totally unknown, appear to have anticipated many of the supposed discoveries of modern chemistry. In the beginning of the year 1792, Dr. Beddoes printed a letter to a lady on the subject of education, in which some opinions were developed very opposite to the illiberal spirit of the times. In teaching the alphabet he proposed that an improvement suggested by a French author should be adopted, and that the written and printed character should be taught together.' About this time Dr. Beddoes printed a poem on Alexander's expedition to the Indian Ocean.' We shall let Dr. Stock explain the history of this production. Some time previously to the appearance of Dr. Darwin's splendid poem on the Economy of Vegetation, a conversation took place in a circle of literary friends upon the subject of the Loves of the Plants; which, as is well known, had preceded by several months the publication of the former work. The magnificent imagery and harmonious versification of the poet were unanimously applauded; and some of the company carried their praise so far, as to affirm that the style of this work was a style sui generis, and that it defied imitation. Dr. Beddoes maintained an opposite opinion. Much as he admired the poem in question, he thought that the Darwinian structure of verse might be imitated by a writer possessed of inferior poetical powers; and in a few days he produced, in the same circle, part of the manuscript of Alexander's expedition as an unpublished work of the author of the Botanic Garden.' This deception is said to have succeeded to admiration, 1 till Dr. Beddoes avowed the secret. But however, this poetical effort of the doctor might excite the applauses of his confidential friends, he never suffered its merits to be tried by the more impartial judgment of the public, though he permitted an extract from it to appear in the Annual Anthology of 1796. Dr. Stock gives a long account of this poem, with several specimens of the execution. Some of these display much force and brilliancy of imagination, and the author has often rivalled the felicity of his friend Darwin in placing his images distinctly before the eye. General ideas are individuated by picturesque personification; and the interest is heightened by the selection of one or two striking particulars. We will give some examples. Alexander is represented proceeding down the Hydaspes, while Two veteran hosts, outstretched on either hand Wide wave their wings and sweep the trembling land. Peeps the proud beak, and gleams the illumined sail.' Dr. Beddoes eulogizes the comprehensive schemes of Alexander for the good of his people and the glory of his empire, 'Lo! in redundant current, Commerce pours, Obedient to thy call, her eastern stores; And still, though Plague and Rapine range the land, The author laments the sufferings of India under her various conquerors. The following lines are taken from his description of the horrible devastation produced by the monopoly of rice, I hear, I hear the ravaged nations groan; Had Dr. Beddoes cultivated poetry with as much assiduity as he did physic, we believe that he would have merited a more distinguished place in the temple of the Muses than posterity is likely to assign to him in that of Esculapius. In 1793, Dr. Beddoes resigned his chemical lectureship at Oxford, and quitted the university. The political opinions which he had disclosed on the subject of the French revolution, rendered this place no longer an agreeable residence for a free thinker on the subject of government. About this period, Dr. Beddoes published his Observations on the Nature of demonstrative Evidence,' &c. This work contains some very acute remarks, and displays considerable ingenuity. His first medical work, which infolds the germ of most of his future speculations, was entitled 'Observations on the Nature and Cure of Calculus, seascurvy, consumption, catarrh and fever, together with conjectures upon several other objects of physiology and pathology. In this publication the doctor discovered the characteristic propensity, which is so visible in his medical publications to fly off from plain matters of fact, by which the judgment of the physician can alone be safely regulated, to indulge in visionary hopes or chimerical prospects, which the man of science ought to abandon to the writers of romance. Who can imagine that our acquaintance with the laws of organic nature is ever likely to be so profound as to enable us to make our woods and hedges supply us with butter and tallow ? The next work of Dr. Beddoes, which we shall notice, was his history of Isaac Jenkins, which does more honour to his memory than many of his larger publications. If the merit of a book be appretiated by its moral usefulness, few have higher claim to praise than this. Nor has its effect been inferior to the good intentions of the writer; and many have been rescued by its perusal from the ruinous paths of idleness and ebriety. We heartily concur with his biographer in thinking that, if Dr. Beddoes had left no other proof of his ingenuity and benevolence, he would not have lived in vain. In 1793, Dr. Beddoes commenced his celebrated establishment at the Hotwells, Bristol, for the cure of consumption by the inspiration of factitious airs. About this time he became a frequent inmate in the family of Mr. Edgeworth, who was then at the Hotwells, and one of whose daughters soon inspired the doctor with the tender passion, which he appears never to have felt before. Nor was his love without return. In the spring of 1794, he embarked for Ireland, and passed some time at Edgeworths-Town, when he married the object of his affection. In the midst of his private practice, which was becoming extensive, and the strenuous endeavours which he was making to form an institution for the purpose of ascertaining the efficacy of factitious airs, Dr. Beddoes, much to the credit of his humanity, undertook to publish a new edition of the works of the celebrated John Brown, for the benefit of his widow and children. This work was followed by a translation from the Spanish of Gimbernat's new method of operating in femoral Hernia.' In an appendix to this work he suggested an improvement in variolous inoculation, by diluting the virus with water, and applying it in this state with a camel's hair pencil to the punctured part. If the efficacy of the vaccine antidote had not since been fully established, this method might have merited more consideration. In the winter of 1795, Dr. Beddoes published two political pamphlets, entitled a word in defence of the Bill of Rights against Gagging Bills,' and 'where would be the harm of a speedy peace?' In the two following years he printed an Essay on the public merits of Mr. Pitt,' and two other pamphlets. All these publications breathe an ardent love of liberty, whilst they contain some passages glowing with animated eloquence, or sparkling with images of no common brilliancy. The political compositions of Dr. Beddoes, though they evinced his courage and honesty, tended to throw obstacles in the way of his professional pursuits. Those persons will not wonder at this, who recollect the maniacal paroxysms of what was called anti-jacobinism, which prevailed in the country at this troubled period, and had seized at least two-thirds of the men of rank and property, like a violent epidemic. We shall say no more of Dr. Beddoes's labours to restore the sanity of the state, but shall briefly notice his remaining efforts to promote the health of the human frame. Before the close of the year 1796, Dr. Beddoes published the fourth and fifth parts of his Considerations on factitious Airs.' In August, 1797, a small volume of reports on the effects of nitrous acid in cases of siphylis issued from his prolific pen. In the year 1798, Dr. Beddoes was first enabled to open his pneumatic institution for the reception of patients. The subscriptions, though they contained some distinguished names, were hardly ample |