and a confideration of the welfare of her family, made her alter this refolution.

Their Majefties about this time paid her much attention. Her talent in reciting dramatic works had been highly fpoken of, which reaching the ears of the royal family, he was frequently invited to Buckingham-house, and Windfor, where she and her brother often recited plays. As fome relaxation, on account of her health, had now become neceffary, the quitted Drury-lane for a time, and performed at Weymouth, Plymouth, Liverpool, &c. with additional reputation. She alfo vifited feveral of her noble patrons, among whom Lord and Lady Harcourt stood confpicuous. By means of thefe friends and accomplishments the has acquired a very good fortune, has a confiderable share or at least a mortgage on Drury-lane theatre, and is bleffed with a family that promiifes to be her comfort in old age.

We lament exceedingly, the recent death of her beautiful and accomplished daughter, and moft fincerely condole with a mother, whose exquisite fenfibility must have been agonifed by fo unhappy an event.

Nature has bestowed on Mrs. Siddons a majestic perfon, a ftriking countenance, and a fine voice; the judgment with which the modulates the last of thefe, has never been excelled, perhaps never rivalled, by any other actress. The flexibility of her features, the expreffion of her eyes, and the grace of her deportment, have feldom been equalJed. She poffeffes the whole art of speaking, for which the late Mrs. Yates was fo juftly famed, combined with the impaffioned ftyle of playing, of Mrs. Crauford, while in her meridian.

She has lately had an engagement with the Drury-lane -managers, at a certain fum for each night's performance, by which means she avoids injuring her health by the conftant repetition of theatrical exertions.

Mrs. Siddons refides in Great Marlborough-street, and

is

1

is upwards of fifty years of age. In private life fhe is regarded as an economist, but as a truly amiable and exemplary wife and mother.

P.

DOCTOR JOHN DOUGLAS,

BISHOP OF SALISBURY.

THIS prelate, who is a native of Scotland, has been long celebrated both in the clerical and literary world. He was educated at Chrift-church, Oxford, of which college he was a ftudent in 1738, and having taken orders, fettled in Shropshire. During his refidence there, he published "Milton vindicated" (1748); a work in which, with uncommon acuteness, he detected the grofs forgery of Lauder, who with equal impudence and ingenuity had represented Milton as a plagiarist.

He next entered the lifts with George Pfalmanazar, and Archibald Bower; the former of whom pretended to be a native of Formofa, and the latter a commissioner of the holy inquifition at Macerata.

These fucceffive exertions of critical abilities introduced him to public notice, and procured him many friends; he afterwards published, in 1754, "Criterion," an anfwer to David Hume on miracles. His firft work had recommended him to the learned, the last to the religious world; and about the year 1760, he began to reap the benefit they entitled him to, for he was then appointed one of the king's chaplains; in 1762 he was nominated one of the canons of Windsor, and foon after presented to the united livings of St. Austin and St. Faith, in London,

Among the many friends Dr. Douglas had made, was the late Lord Bath, who bequeathed him his library, But General Pulteney being unwilling to part with it out

of the family, paid him the full value, and on his death, about three years after, left it once more to him. From Windfor, our divine was, in 1776, removed to be a canon of St. Paul's; and after poffeffing that canonry about twelve years, he was, in 1788, advanced to the Deanry of Windfor.

He was next raised to

In these fituations, the Doctor not only enlarged his circle of friends among the great, but was introduced to the notice of the king and queen, and acquired a confiderable degree of royal favour. the epifcopal bench, on the death of Dr. Law, Bishop of Carlisle, and on the translation of Dr. Barrington to Durham, in 1791, he was tranflated to Salisbury; by the poffeffion of which fee, he has become chancellor of the order of the garter.

The episcopal character of Dr. Douglas is a fubject of univerfal admiration, while benevolence and candour distinguish him in private life. Regular in the discharge of the duties of his high ftation, he commands the love and refpect of his diocefe. In fhort, as a dignified clergyman and fcholar, a gentleman and a chriftian, he is equally refpected and admired.

When the ships fent out on difcovery under Captain Cook returned, Doctor Douglas was appointed to infpect and arrange the journals; and the admirable introduction prefixed to that work is the offspring of his pen.

The doctor was a member of the Literary Club in Effexfireet, instituted by Dr. Johnson, Murphy, &c.

Ꮓ.

SIR JOHN SCOIT,

HIS MAJESTY'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

IT has been remarked, of late years, that in confequence of the mode now in vogue, of bestowing the fa

Yours

vours of government, the bar is the only line in which a man can rise by merit alone to the firft honours of his› profeffion; but we believe even here fome grains of allowance must be made; for the fubject of our present énquiries, although poffeffed of great merit, would never have reached the ftation he now occupies, without powerful patronage.

Sir John Scott is the fon of a tradefman of no great opulence, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His elder brother, Sir William Scott, who was bred to the practice of the civil law, was formerly advocate-général, and is now judge of the Admiralty court. John was admitted a ftudent of the Middle Temple, in Hilary term, 1772, and after pay ing the most affiduous attention to his ftudies, was called to the bar at the ufual period.

Our goung barrister was troubled with what few gentlemen of the profeffion have occafion to complain of→→→a certain timidity of character, which made him fhun the courts as a pleader for a confiderable time, and employ himself chiefly in the business of a draughtfman in chane cery, in which he was allowed to be able, and had great practice. He found, however, that this branch of the profeffion was equally injurous to his health and advancement in life, and he at length determined to rouse himfelf from that fpecies of torpor to which he was naturally inclined.

He accordingly betook himself to a mere public and active line; and in a fhort time evinced that he was apt and ingenious at reply.

Sir John was not long at the bar, before he attracted the notice of the late chancellort; and as he always avoided opposition to the bench, received great countenance in his practice: it is even faid that the chancellor one day took him afide after the business of the court was over, complia

His father was what is there termed a coal-fitter.
Lord Thurlow.

complimented him on his merit, and offered him the place of one of the mafters in chancery then vacant. This he politely declined; and he had the fatisfaction to find that he had acted right, as his bufinefs continued to increase rapidly.

About the year 1783, he obtained a patent of precedency, which entitled him to all the honours of a king's counfel, and freed him from certain difadvantages attendant on that station. He had just before been introduced. into parliament through the intereft of his friend, Lord Thurlow, with Lord Weymouth, who feated for the Borough of Weobly. Mr. Scott was faid to have struck a › bargain with his right honourable patorn, when he accepted this fituation, which, if true, was much to his honour: viz. "that he should be at liberty to vote as he pleased." He might, however, have fpared himfelf this trouble, for as foon as he got into the houfe, he acted decidedly with the Pitt party, and in the debate on Mr. Fox's India bill placed himself in oppofition to the late Mr. Lee, then attorney-general. Although in this attempt he did not acquire much importance as a parliamentary speaker, yet he gained every thing he could wish for, by his connexion with those whofe caufe he efpoufed; for they took the first opportunity to promote him. Accordingly, in 1788, he was advanced to be folicitor-general, in the room of Sir Archibald, then Mr. Macdonald, promoted to be attorneygeneral. When these two were prefented to the king, the attorney-general received the honour of knighthood. The officer in waiting was then ordered to bring up Mr. Scott, when the latter begged leave to decline; but the king, who knows the real value of these things better than any other man, perhaps in his dominions, replied, "pho, pho, nonfenfe! I will ferve them both alike." Thus Mr. Scott gained honours unafked, and even against his will,

In the business of the regency, Sir John was faid to be

the