formers of both Theatres for a dearth of abilities that difcouraged any author of eminence from writing for them) he undertook to give a courfe of lectures on the anatomy of the human body." He inftantly published Propofals, which was a guinea for the courfe, to confift of three lectures, and the fubfcribers not to exceed twenty, in order to be the better accommodated in a private room. The fubfcription (which was evidently given under the impreffion of charity) was foon filled by the exertions of his friends and the first day was announced by the Doctor's going round to the fubfcribers himself to inform them of it-"This method, faid he, I look upon the beft, as it prevents any imputation of quacking, by a public advertisement," The room fixed on for this exhibition was at the Percy Coffee-house-the hour one o'clock in the forenoon. At this hour the following gentlemen af fembled Dr. Kennedy, phyfician to the Prince of Wales, and the prefent Infpector-General to the hofpitals under the Duke of York-Mr. George Gar rick-Mr. Becket of Pali-Mall-and another gentleman. They waited till two for more company-but no more coming, the Doctor made his appear. ançe, from an infide clofet, dreffed out in a full fuit of black-and placing himfelf before a little round table, made a very formal obeisance to his fmall auditory. The company could not help but fmile at this mode of beginning-but the Doctor proceeding with great gravity, pulled out of his pocket a small print of a human skeleton, evidently cut out of fome anatomical magazine, and laying it on the table thus proceeded: fcribing the bead of this paragon of animals."-Here the Doctor Cntered into a common-place defcription of the full-the brains, &c.-which lafted about half an hour, when taking up the print, and restoring the head of the ikeleton (which he had previoutly doubled down) to its former pofitionhe next undertook a description of the breast. "Here gentlemen, fays he, is the next part of this very extraordinary animal, which may be very properly called from its very curious bend and texture-the bread-baketry of the human frame."-At this the audience could hold out no longer, but unani-moully burit out into a horie laughwhich made the Doctor paufe for fome minutes, and produced in the company likewife an awkward and embarralled filence. At laft one of the gentlemen broke ground by faying, "Why, Doctor, as we are all friends, and as the fubfcription has been paid in, what fignifics giving yourfelf any further trouble? We are fatised of your capacityand we can difpenfe with any further lectures."-" Aye-ayc," joined the reft of the company. Why then, continued the firft fpeaker, fuppofe you all come and take a bit of dinner with me to-day, when we shall fee what we are able to do in anatomizing the bottle. The found of a gratuitous good dinner always fell very mufically on Hifferman's ear, and in the prefent inftance peculiarly fo, as it not only plentifully provided for the wants of one day-but releafed him from the trouble of two days more attendance, without losing any part of his fubtcription-money. Hence the brow of the grave and philofophic lecturer in "I am now,Gentlemen, about to open a fubject to you of the greatest importantly relaxed into that of the convivial tance in life which is the knowledge of ourfelves which Plato recommends in that fhort but forcible maxim of " Nofce teipfum"--Pope by faying, "The proper ftudy of mankind is man"-and our Divine Shakespeare by exclaiming, "What a piece of work is man! how nobic in reafon! how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how exprefs and admirable!--In action, how like an angel! in apprehenfion, how like a God! the beauty of the world-the paragon familiar acquaintance-he tept from benind the corner of his little table with the utmoft cheerfulness, paid his congees feparately to his friends, ordered up fome coffee (which he left them to pay for), and ioon after met them at the dinner rendezvous in all the hilarity of an eleemofynary gueft. of animals !" Having thus given the general opinion of three great men on this fubject, I fhall commence with de This tranfient exhibition, we believe, was the lait public effort of his either as a physician or an author: not but he fometimes used to adverfe works, perhaps without any dengn of pablitning them, but for the purples of giving pain, or extorting money.—in this lift we find any pamphlets, fome per haps haps written, others intended to be written but all calculated to form his miferable Ways and Means for raifing the Supplies, In this shifting manner our author went on, living as he moft convenicoily could make it out, without feel. ing much of the difgrace or embarraffment of his fituation, till the fpring of 1777, when he contracted the jaundice, which very foon made an evident impresion on his frame and fpirits, His friends, knowing his pecuniary fituation, faw it was neceflary for him to Confine himself to his apartments, and liberally affiled him for this purpose. Amongst thefe were Mr. Garrick--Mr. Murphy-Dr. Kennedy-Mrs. Abing. ton, and others, The Doctor, how. ever, ufed to creep out during the morning fun for an hour or two, which he trufted would do him more good than either phyfic-or con finement. In one of thefe morning excurfions he gave a fingular proof of the ruling pation fricking to us even in the hour of death. Calling at a friend's houfe fo faint and fpiritlels that he was unable to walk up to the drawing room, he was told in as delicate a manner as poffible," that as fick nefs always brought on additional expences, if he would give his friend his addrets, he would very readily lend him a guinca per week until he recovered." The Doctor received the promife of the loan with becoming gratitude, but referred him for his address to the ufual place, "The Bedford Coffee-houfe. "My dear Doctor, fays the other, this is no time to trifle.-I affure you in the moft folemn manner, I do not make this enquiry from any impertinent curiofity, or idle with to extert a fecret from you under your prefent circumftances: my only reafon is, for the quicker difpatch of fending you any thing that may be needful."-The doctor ftill expreffed his gratitude with a figh, and ardent gripe of the hand-but left the houfe by referring his friend to the Bedford Coffee-houte. It was in vain to expoftulate further the gentleman fent on the two fellowing Saturdays a guinea cach day, fealed up in a letter, which on enquiry he found the Doctor received-but on the third Saturday no meffenger arriving, upon enquiry it was found that the Doctor was no more having died the preceding night at his lodgings in one of the little courts of St. Martin's-Lane-about the beginning of June 1777. Hiffernan was in his perfon a fhort, thick-fet man, of a ruddy complexionblack, obferving eyes, with a nofe fomewhat inclined to the aquiline, and upon the whole, though not formed with much fymmetry, might be called an intelligent and well-looking man: but as he has humourously defcribed both his perfon and mind in a poem called "The Author on Himfelf," we shall ufe his own pencil; "Perhaps fome curious would my perfon I humbly answer, 'Tis but fo and fo : They were, I fear, for a phyfician made; In humour various-affable-morofe; Seek fame in loose-pac'd profe and fettered rhyme; Whofe highest with's a mere abfurdity, As a writer, Hiffernan, as we before obferved, had the materials of fcholarthip, but from not always cultivating good company, and facrificing occafionally toe much to Bacchus, he did not properly avail himself of his ftock of learning. He was far from being, however, a mere feber; he could deport himself in good company with very becoming decorum, and caliven the converfation with anecdote and obfervation, which rendered him at times an agreeable companion, At other times, and particularly when he was nearly intoxicated he could be very coarfe and vulgar, fparing no epithets of abufe, and indulging himself in all the extravagancies of paffion. Had he attended at an earlier age to take the proper advantages of his education and talents, there were many fituations, probably, he night have been it for;-for infiance, a fchoolmatter, a phyfician, cr a tranf a tranflator. In faying this, however, we muft prefappafe induftry, fobriety, &c.; but his conduct was fuch, that he let all his powers run to feed, and only roufed them, like the beafts of the foreft, to hunt for daily prey, which, like them, fometimes, we are afraid, he obtained either by ftratagem or by fraud. He had many peculiarities, which to thofe who knew him intimately formed the pleafanteft part of his character. One was, and which we before remarked, the inviolable fecrecy he obferved about the place of his lodging.-Many fchemes ufed to be devised among his friends to find this out; but his vigilance, whether drunk or fober, always prevented the discovery. How far he carried this whimfical idea may be feen from the following anecdote: Being one night in a mixed company at Old Slaughter's Coffee-house, among the reft was a Mr. Doilie, Secretary to the late Duke of Northumberland, a man of a literary turn, but who loved late hours at night and late rifing in the morning to an excefs. He had another habit more peculiar than the former, which was, that whoever he fat laft with, he made it a point of feeing him home. Such a coincidence of characters as Hiffernan and he formed, could fearcely fail of producing fome whimsical event. On their leaving the Coffee-house about one o'clock in the morning, Mr. D. afked the Doctor permiffion to fee him home. This was a question of all others the Doctor was leaft willing to answer; however, after paufing for fome time, "he thanked him for his civility; but as he lived in the city, he could not think of giving him that trouble." None in the world, Sir," faid the other; "on the it affords me the highest fatiscontrary, faction." To this the Doctor was obliged to fubfcribe, and they walked on arm in arm 'till they came to St. Paul's Church-yard: "Pray, Doctor (arriving at this point)" fays Mr. D. "do live much farther?" "Oh, you yes, Sir," fays the Doctor, " and on that account I told you it would be giving you a great deal of trouble." This revived the other's civility, and on they marched till they reached the Royal Exchange. Here the queftion was afked again, when the Door, who found him lagging, and thought he could venture to naine fome place, replied, he lived at Bow." This anfyer decided the conteft, Mr. D. con 66 feffed he was not able to walk fo far, particularly as he had bafinefs in the morning which required his attendance at two o'clock, wifhed the Doctor a good night, and walked back to his lodgings near Charing-crofs with great compofure. The Doctor lived upon fome ternis of intimacy with most of the literati of his time, viz. Foote, Garrick, Murphy, Goldfmith, Kelly, Bickerstaffe, &c. and occafionally felt their patronage and beneficence. He had other boules of call. as he used to exprefs himfe where he was entertained, and where he found a ready fubfcription for his publications; his real expence of living, therefore, muft have been very trifling, if we deduct from it the high price he paid for his time and independence, but in thefe he himself was the lowest valuator. Garrick often relieved him, and Hiffernan was vain enough to think he repaid him by an occafional epigram or paragraph in praise of his talents, both of which he was very far from excelling in. Foote had him upon cafier terms-he entertained him upon no other principle than that of amufement, and relieved him from the impulfe of humanity, of which the following is a peculiar infiance, and which the Doctor ufed to relate as a proof, amongst many others, of his friend's generofity. Foote meeting Iliffernan one morning rather early in the Haymarket, afked him how he was? Why, faith, but "What, fo, fo," replied the Doctor. Hif. Well, my little Bayes,let me prefcribe for you; I have been lucky last night at play, and I'll give you as many guineas as you have hillings in your pocketCome, make the experiment." fernan moft readily affenting, pulled out feven fillings, and Foote, with as much readiness, gave himfven guineas,adding with a laugh," You fee, Pau!, Fortune is hot fuch a b-ch as you imagine, for the has been favourable to me last night, and equally fo to you this morning." Where the Doctor generally lodged he had the dexterity for purposes only known to himfelf) to conceal to the last hour of his life. The fuppofition lay, from the circumstances of his being often found coming out with clean fhoes, &c. in that quarter, to be in one of the courts of Fleet-ftreet, where lodgings are not only cheap, but where there there are a number of eating-houses, which afford an eaty accommodation. His familiar day was fpent as follows:-He never turned out till about twelve o'clock at noon; he then called at fome friend's houfe to enquire their health, &c. tell them the news of the morning, and put himself in a way of being asked to dinner.-If he failed in one he tried it in another, and fo to a third and fourth; if all failed, he dined at an eating-houfe, and in the evening went to the Theatre, where he generally flept out the whole of the Entertainment in the Numberer's box, and then finished his evening at the Cyder Cellar, Maiden-lane, or fome of the porter houfes round Covent Garden at thefe laft places he generally quartered upon fome friend, who treated him, and where he could be for a time very entertaining. Towards the clofe of the night he got drunk, if he could, and then broke out the violence of his temper, abufing every body who differed with him in politics, religion, literature, &c. in the coarfeft ftrains of Billingsgate. He did all this, however, with impunity every body knew him, and every body laughed at him, and fometimes worked him up to this pitch of phrenzy to exhibit him to ftrangers. When he spent the day at a friend's, he generally put on a different kind of behaviour, mixing in the converfation with temper and obfervation, and fome. times enlivening it with anecdotes and remarks, either whimfical or judicious. His only want of refpect here was his being fubject to nod a little after dinner, which fometimes proceeded to a found nap, and was often the cause of fome ridiculous embarraffiment, of which the following is an instance: Previous to the exhibition of the Comedy of "'Tis Well Its no Worfe" (fince cut down to the farce of "The Pannel") Bickerstaffe invited a few friends, of whom Hiffernan was one, to dine with him, and hear him read his play. After dinner the glafs went cheerfully round for about half an hour, when the Author began, and read to the end of the first act, the company making fuch obfervations on it as it fuggefted to their judgments. Hiffer-. nan's only remark all this while was, "Very well, by G-d! very well," till about the middle of the fecond act, when he began to nod, and in a little time afterwards to fnore fo loud, that the Author could fcarcely be heard. Bickerstaffe felt a little embarrassed, but, raifing his voice, went on. Hiffernan's tones, however, increafed, till at last Goldsmith could hold no longer,but cried out, "Never mind the brute, Bick; go on-fo he would have served Homer if he was here, and reading his own works." Hiffernan, however, made his beft excufe the next day, and which Goldfmith was ready enough to admit as fuch; for when the latter afked him how he could behave in that manner, the other coolly replied, "It's my ufual way-I never can refift fleeping at a pantomime.” Thus ends the little hiftory of a man who had learning fufficient to fill many fituations in life, and talents and obfervation, if joined but to a common share of prudence and industry, to make himself refpectable and independent. All his bad qualities feemed to grow out of his indolence, and he adds another name to the long lift of martyrs who have facrificed to this deftructive and degrading vice. Men of this stamp a&t as if they confidered themfelves as a "kind of rent-charge upon Providence," who is obliged to invert the order of nature in their favour, and provide for them at the public expence. Repeated difappointments, nor the fevere bites of poverty, will not fet them right; and as life must be fupported (and fometimes according to their extravagant ideas of fupport), the means, of course, must be unjuftifiable. The following, as far as we have been able to collect, is a chronolo gical lift of De Hiffernan's works: The Ticklers; a Set of Periodical Papers, published in Dublin about 1750. The Tuner; a Set of Periodical Papers, published in 1753. Mifcellanies in Profe and Verfe, Lond. 1754. The Ladies Choice, a Dramatic Petit Piece, 1759. The Withes of a Free People, Dramatic Poem, 1761. The New Hypocrates, a Farce, n. p. O F I MIT A TIO N. SOME practical inferences may be added to the foregoing obfervations: Since imitation has fo powerful an influence on human conduct, it is evident, that we muft particularly attend to it in the management of perfons in the early part of life. The young, whofe paffions are lively, and their judgments not matured, imitate all that is prefented to them warmly and indifcreetly; and will copy inferior models, if they fhould not be directed to the beft. The beft then must be prefented to their view, and rendered attractive, that their paffions may allure them to the path in which their reafon is to conduct them. But is not this the way, it may be faid, to fill the mind with prejudices? to multiply pernicious habits? For where is the faultlefs model? And if there be none, how fhall young perfons be able to diftinguish between the excellencies and defects of that which is propofed to them? All they can do, is to fingle out examples for imitation which are the leaft imperfect. It is vain to expect entire freedom from mistake in perfons at the beginning of life, the peculiar feafon for prejudices and errors. We may be fatisfied if they employ maturer age in loofening their attachment to thofe prejudices, and in leffening their number. For this purpofe they fhould early learn a proper confidence in themfelves, and a proper reliance upon others. They fhould truft, in every thing that relates to their moral conduct, to their own feelings, rather than to example; for thefe, the genuine impulfes of nature, are furer guides than rrafon itself when blinded by the fophiftries of a vicious inclination. And that they may encourage fentiments of humility, fo neceffary to improvement, let them reflect on the narrownefs of their knowledge, and that its future increafe will depend on the affiftance of the aged and experienced. By thefe means they may hope to entertain a difpofition to copy from their fuperiors, free from blind awe and flavith admiration. There is an error into which perfons of all ages frequently fall, that they imitate in every particular, indifcrimi nately, a character which interefts and pleafes them. Certain peculiarities are often found in the manners of eftimable VOL. XXV. perfons, which being affociated with great and amiable qualities, acquire from that union importance and even grace; and being more ftriking than other parts of their behaviour, will of courfe be more imitated by undiftin. guifhing obfervers. Such peculiarities, when they affect the moral character, are evidently indefenfible; and in every other cafe, though they may meet with pardon, they can have no claim either to praife or imitation. Singularities hardly can arife from good caufes : a vain defire of being remarkable, a negligence in fome parts of our conduct, too high an opinion of particular acquifitions, an ignorance of general manners, commonly are the frailties that give them birth. If their origin be thus difcreditable, much good cannot be expected from their influence, of which it may in general be obferved, that the benefits arifing both to ourselves and others from the obfervance of general rules, are loft in every inftance in which our actions are determined by unexpected and fingular notions. To avoid as far as poffible the errors of another, we ought not to confine ourfelves to a fingle character as a model for imitation, but should extend our obfervations, if we can, to every other which can fupply us with inftances of excellence. The contraft and oppofition arifing from this will abate that indifcreet enthufiafm, frequently apt to feize us in the contemplation of an admirable object, which conceals its blemishes from us, or transforms them into perfections. But the fagacious imitator is not contented with viewing the perfections of his model he fcrutinizes attentively the caufes from which they fpring, and the materials by which they are effected. This he confiders as indifpenfably neceffary in order to convert with the utmost advantage the experience of others to his own purposes. What has been juft observed of the fingularities of individuals may be cxtended to the fingularities of nations. Every diftinct mark in a community which is not framped by nature and reafon, is ufually produced and preferved by ignorance and prejudice; it weakens the fentiment of general philanthropy, and occafions bigoted and partial attachments. It induces us to love the BB fociety |