The fecond Canto commences with an addrefs to the Gnomes. We then find the earth thrown from a volcano of the fun; its atmosphere, occan, and journey through the zodiac, are described. We hear of primeval islands, paradife, or the golden age; the first great earthquakes, continents raised from the fea, &c.

The third and laft Canto commences with an address to the Nymphs; next follows the theory of rain and of tides, an account of marine animals, rivers, boiling fountains in Iceland, and warm medicinal fprings, fuch as Buxton, &c. &c.

It is easy to perceive, in this very interesting performance, that Dr. Darwin has had recourfe to the Roficrucian machinery, in his " Botanic Garden," for the fame reafon that Pope adopted it in his celebrated poem of "The Rape of the Lock." In the formation of the planets, he employs the doctrines of Buffon; in his natural hiftory, he bends at the fhrine of the Swede, while he follows the new doctrines refpecting air, from the Prieftleian and Lavoiferian fyftems.

A deep attention to botany, and a thorough conviction of the advantages arifing from fyftem, induced Dr. Darwin to turn his mind towards the improvement of his own profeffion, and to become, as it were, the Linnæus of medicine. Impreffed with this novel idea, in the beginning of 1794, he pub. lifhed the firft volume of his "Zoonomia, or the Laws of Organic Life;" in which, leaving his former work in poffeffion of the vegetable world, he propofes

to

1.1.

SIR GEORGE LEONARD STAUNTON, BART.

:WAS the fon of a gentleman, of finall fortune, in the county of Galway, in the kingdom of Ireland, and was fent by his parents, early in life, to ftudy medicine at Montpelier, where he took the degree of M.D.. After he had finifhed bis ftudies, he repaired to London, and employed himself in tranflating fome medical effays, written by Dr. Storck, of Vienna profeffing wonderful facility in the attainment of different languages, he at the fame time drew up in French, for the Journal Etranger, a comparison be tween the literature of England and France.

About the year 1762, Dr. Staunton embarked for the Weft Indies, as we find from a farewel letter written to him by the late Dr. Johnson, given by Mr. Bofwell in his Life of that great man. This epifile is replete with excellent advice, and docs equal credit to the writer and the perfon to whom it is addreffed.

Dr. S. refided for feveral years in the Weft Indies, where he acquired fome addition to his fortune by the practice of phyfic; purchased an estate in Grenada, which he cultivated; and had the good fortune to obtain the friendship of the prefent Lord Macartney, governor of that ifland, to whom he act ed as fecretary, and continued in that capacity until

the

the capture of it by the French, when they both embarked for Europe. Having ftudied the law while in Grenada, Dr. S. filled the office of attorney-gene ral of that ifland.

Soon after Lord Macartney's arrival in England, he was appointed governor of Madras, and took Mr. S. with him (for he feems now to have loft the appellation of Doctor) as his fecretary. In this capaeity Mr. S. had feveral opportunities of displaying his abilities and intrepidity, particularly as one of the com miffioners fent to treat of peace with Tippoo Sultaun, and in the feizure of General Stuart, who seemed to have been preparing to act by Lord Macartney ás had been before done by the unfortunate Lord Pigot. The fecretary was fent with a small party of fepoys to arreft the general, which he effected with great fpirit and prudence, and without bloodshed.

On his return to Euglaud the India Company, as a reward for his fervices, fettled on him a penfion of 5001. per annum; the King foon after created him a baronet of Ireland, and the Univerfity of Oxford conferred on him the degree of LL.D.

It having been refolved to fend an embaffy to China, Lord Macartney was felected for that purpofe, and he took his old friend and countryman along with him, who was not only appointed fecretary' of legation, but had alfo the title of envoy-extraordinary and minifter-plenipotentiary beftowed on, him, in order to be able to supply the place of the ambassador in case of any unfortunate accident.

The

The events of this embaffy are well known, and are given to the public in two quarto volumes, writs ten by Sir George* When we confider the fhort time he took to compile them, added to the fevere illnefs he actually laboured under, and with which he was attacked foon after his return, we cannot withhold our praise and approbation.

As a further proof of the esteem in which the India Company held Sir Gorge Staunton, they appointed, his font, who accompanied him in the former voyage, a writer to China; and had the father's health permitted, he would, probably, again have attended. Lord Macartney in fome honourable and confidential station to his government at the Cape of Good Hopc.

Sir George Leonard Staunton died, at his houfe in Portland-Place, on the 12th of January, 1801.

The memoirs of Sir George, if drawn up at full length, would exhibit many inftances of a strong and

The Dutch East India Company have since undertaken a similar embassy, and a very interesting narrative of it by VAN BRAAM has made its appearance in the English language, in two volumes, octavo.

+ This son, when only twelve years of age, embarked as page to the Ambassador, and was particularly noticed by the Emperor on account of his various attainments.

ardent

ardent mind, labouring occafionally under difficulties, and furmounting dangers by patience, talents, and intrepidity. His conduct in the feizure of General Stuart demonftrates his refolutionand presence of mind; and when treating with Tippoo, he had the addrefs to induce M. Suffrein to fufpend hoftilities, even before he had received advice from his court of the treaty of peace being figned between Great Britain and France.

THE fubject of this article, from his enthufiaftic end undiverted, attachment to the religion and philo→ fophy of Plato, has been called, by different writers, "the modern Pletho*," "the apostle of Paganifm,+" and "the gentle prieft of England."

This very fingular man was born in London, in the year 1758, of obfcure but worthy parents; and though in his literary carcer he has accomplished

* In the second edition of the Curiosities of Literature.

+ See Analytical Review of his Sallust.

See Pursuits of Literature.

Herculean