which are made the Conftituents of his Character, for a Man fo mild and gentle to temper his Rage was not difficult. The next Line is unharmonious in its Sound, and mean in its Conception, the Opposition is obvious, and the Word lab ufed abfolutely, and without any Modification, is grofs and improper. To be above Temptation in Poverty, and free from Corruption among the Great, is indeed fuch a Peculiarity as deferved Notice. But to be a fafe Companion is Praise merely negative, arising not from the Poffeffion of Virtue, but the Absence of a Vice, and that one of the most odious. As little can be added to his Character, by afferting that he was lamented in his End. Every Man that dies is at leaft, by the Writer of his Epitaph, supposed to be lamented, and therefore this general Lamentation does no Honour to Gay. The eight first Lines have no Grammar, the Adjectives are without any Subftantive, and the Epithets without a Subject. The Thought in the laft Line, that Gay is buried in the Bofoms of the Worthy and the Good, who are diftinguished only to lengthen the Line, is fo dark that few understand it; and fo harfh, when it is explained, that still fewer approve. XII. Intended for Sir ISAAC NEWTON. In Westminster- ISAACUS NEWTONIUS: Hoc marmor fatetur. Nature, and Nature's Laws, lay hid in Night: GoD faid, Let Newton be! And all was Light." Of HERMAN BOERHAAVE was born on the laft Day of December, 1668, about One in the Morning, at Voorhout, a Village two Miles diftant from Leyden. His Father, James Boerhaave, was Minifter of Voorhout, of whom his Son, in a fmall Account of his own Life, has given a very amiable Character, for the Simplicity and Openness of his Behaviour, for his exact Frugality, in the Management of a narrow Fortune, and the Prudence, Tenderness, and Diligence with which he educated a numerous Family of nine Children. He was eminently skilled in Hiftory and Genealogy, and well versed in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Languages. His Mother was Hagar Daelder, a Tradesman's Daughter of Amfterdam, from whom he might perhaps derive an hereditary Inclination to the Study of Phyfic; in which fhe was very inquifitive, and had obtained a Knowledge of it, not common in female Students. This Knowledge, however, fhe did not live to communicate to her Son; for fhe died in 1673, ten Years after her Marriage. His Father finding himself incumbered with the Care of feven Children, thought it neceffary to take 5 a fecond 2 fecond Wife, and in July, 1674, was married to Eve du Bois, Daughter of a Minifter of Leyden, who, by her prudent and impartial Conduct, fo endeared herself to her Hufband's Children, that they all regarded her as their own Mother. Herman Boerhaave was always defigned by his Father for the Ministry, and with that View inftructed by him in grammatical Learning, and the firft Elements of Languages; in which he made fuch a Proficiency, that he was, at the Age of eleven Years, not only Master of the Rules of Grammar, but capable of tranflating, w th tolerable Accuracy; and not wholly ignorant of critical Niceties. At Intervals, to recreate his Mind, and ftrengthen his Conftitution, it was his Father's Cuftom to fend him into the Fields, and employ him in Agriculture, and fuch Kind of rural Occupations, which he continued through all his Life to love and prac tife; and by this Viciffitude of Study and Exercise, preferved himself, in a great Meafure, from those Distempers and Depreflions, which are frequently the Confequences of indifcreet Diligence, and uninterrupted Application; and from which Students, not well acquainted with the Conftitution of the human Body, fometimes fly for Relief to Wine, inftead of Exercife, and purchafe temporary Eafe, at the Hazard of chronical Diftempers. The Studies of young Boerhaave were about this Time interrupted by an Accident, which deferves a particular Mention, as it firft inclined him to that Science, to which he was by Nature fo well adapted, and which he afterwards carried to fo great Perfection. In the twelfth Year of his Age a stubborn painful, and malignant Ulcer hroke out upon his left Thigh, which, for near five Years, defeated all the Art of the Surgeons and Phyficians, and not only afflicted him with the moft excruciating Pains, but VOL. II. Р ex expofed him to fuch fharp and tormenting Applications, that the Disease and Remedies were equally infufferable. Then it was that his own Anguish taught him to compaffionate that of others; and his Experience of the Inefficacy of the Methods then in Ufe, incited him to attempt the Discovery of others more certain. He began to practife at leaft honeftly, for he began upon himself, and his first Eflay was a Prelude to his future Succefs; for having laid aside all the Prescriptions of his Phyficians, and all the Applications of his Surgeons, he at laft, by fomenting the Part with Salt and Urine, effected a Cure. That he might on this Occafion obtain the Affiftance of Surgeons with lefs Inconvenience and Expence, he was brought by his Father, at Fourteen, to Leyden, and placed in the fourth Clafs of the public School, after having been examined by the Mafter: Here his Application and Abilities were equally confpicuous. In fix Months, by gaining the first Prize in the fourth Clafs, he was raised to the Fifth; and in fix Months more, upon the fame Proof of the Superiority of his Genius, rewarded with another Prize, and tranflated to the Sixth; from whence it is ufual, in fix Months more, to be removed to the University. Thus did our young Student advance in Learning and Reputation, when, as he was within View of the University, a fudden and unexpected Blow threatened to defeat all his Expectations. On the 12th of November, 1682, bis Father died, and left behind him a very flender Provision for his Widow and nine Children, of which the Eldeft was not feventeen Years old. This was a moft afflicting Lofs to the young Scholar, whofe Fortune was by no means fufficient to bear the Expences of a learned Education, and who therefore now feemed to be fummoned by Neceflity ceflity to fome Way of Life more immediately and certainly lucrative; but with a Refolution equal to his Abilities, and a Spirit not to be depreffed or fhaken, he determined to break through the Obftacles of Poverty, and supply by Diligence the Want of Fortune. He therefore asked and obtained the Consent of his Guardian, to profecute his Studies as long as his Patrimony would fupport him; and, continuing his wonted Industry, gained another Prize. He was now to quit the School for the Univerfity; but, on Account of the Weakness yet remaining in his Thigh, was, at his own Intreaty, continued fix Months longer, under the Care of his Mafter the learned Wynfchoton, where he once more was honoured with the Prize. At his Removal to the Univerfity, the fame Genius and Industry met with the fame Encouragement and Applaufe. The learned Triglandius, one of his Father's Friends, made foon after Profeffor of Divinity of Leyden, diftinguifhed him in a particular Manner, and recommended him to the Friendship of Mr. Van Apphen, in whom he found a generous and constant Patron. He became now a diligent Hearer of the most celebrated Profeffors, and made great Advances in all the Sciences, ftill regulating his Studies with a View principally to Divinity, for which he was originally intended by his Father; and for that Reafon he exerted his utmost Application to attain an exact Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue. Being convinced of the Neceffity of mathematical Learning, he began to ftudy thofe Sciences in 1687, but without that intenfe Industry with which the Pleasure he found in that Kind of Knowledge induced him afterwards to cultivate them. In 1690, having performed the Exercises of the Univerfity with uncommon Reputation, he took his P 2 Degree |