The sexagenarian; or, the recollections of a literary life (Volume 1 of 2)Beloe, William
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The sexagenarian; or, the recollections of a literary life (Volume 1 of 2)
Beloe, William
Authors, English; Beloe, William, 1756-1817; English literature -- Anecdotes
If every medical personage were specifically introduced, who was
familiarly known to the writer, and respected by him, either for their
literary distinction, professional merit, or social qualities, the
catalogue would be very long indeed, and the work extended to an undue
length. The list would contain, besides the names already mentioned,
a great many others;—of the late most ingenious John Hunter, Sir
William John Fordyce, Sir Lucas Pepys, Dr. Reynolds, Dr. Creighton, who
afterwards went to Russia, Dr. Pelham Warren, Drs. Monro, father and son,
Dr. Bland, Dr. Taylor, of Reading, Dr. Cruickshanks, &c. &c.
Private friendship pauses awhile, to pay a well deserved tribute to Dr.
A⸺e.
He was educated either in Cumberland or Westmorland, from whence
he removed to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he so eminently
distinguished himself, that he was the senior wrangler of his year.
Talents and judgment like his could not fail of succeeding in the
metropolis; and accordingly, it appears that when our Sexagenarian left
it, he was progressively ascending to the very height of his profession,
and it could not be easy to determine whether he was more entitled to
esteem for his professional, or to affection for his amiable and social
qualities. There is no situation which Dr. A. would not have improved
and adorned, his knowledge being so various, his information and his
judgment so profound. But he was peculiarly qualified for that in which
he became deservedly eminent. He discriminated the peculiarity of a case
with extraordinary promptitude, and he acted with corresponding decision.
Human sagacity is liable to error, the most perfect of human wisdom is
oftentimes deceived and misled. This was seldom the case with him of whom
we are speaking, nor is there a single memorable instance on record,
marked by the failure of his comprehension, in the injury sustained by
his misapprehension of the case which required his deliberation. Be this
as it may, his assiduous attention, his kindness, his sympathy, when
private friendship called for his interposition, demands a more extended
panegyric than it is compatible with the object of this work to bestow.
Sur ce vaste sujet si j’allois tout tracer
Tu verrois sous ma main des tomes s’amasser.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
It will somewhat and perhaps not disagreeably diversify the narrative,
if we here insert a section from the manuscript, composed evidently with
some pains, but wholly detached from every thing else. This is a brief
account of females, distinguished by their love of, or proficiency in,
literature, to whom, in a protracted series of years, our Sexagenarian
was introduced.
(_Loquitur amicus noster._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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