This eminent man had engaged in a most useful work, which was a copious digeft of the Mahometan and Hindoo law, compiled from Arabic and Sanscrit originals, a plan of which he prefented to government, who gave it the moft liberal patronage and strenuous fupport; but the hand of death arrested the progrefs of this performance. In April, 1794, he was attacked with a bilious complaint, which, after a few weeks, proved fo obftinate, that it baffled the utmost skill of his phyficians. The laft hour of his life was marked by a folemn act of devotion. Finding his diffolution rapidly approaching, he defired his attendants to carry him into an inner apartment, where at his defire they left him. Returning, after a fhort interval, they found him in a kneeling pofture, with his hands clafped, and his eyes fixed towards heaven. As they were removing him, he expired.

The following epitaph was written by himself, and will doubtlefs be acceptable to the reader.

None below him but the base and unjust,

None above him but the wife and virtuous,
Who loved

His parents, kindred, friends, country,

With an ardour

Which was the chief fource of

All his pleasures, and all his pains;

And who having devoted

The perfon of Sir William Jones was genteel and graceful; his countenance open, manly, vivacious, and ferene. His deportment was dignified, yet eafy; his address courteous, yet plain; and his manners polished, yet familiar. Hence, upon a first acquaintance, he not only excited the admiration, but acquired the efteem of thofe with whom he converfed. In converfation, he illuftrated in a pleafing manner every topic which was difcuffed, and conveyed inftruction with a modefty and elegance, that at once captivated and informed the mind.

The placidity and gentlenefs for which he was diftinguifhed, did not proceed from conftitutional tamenefs and languor, but sprang from the union of temperance and liberality, which a virtuous habit had formed in his mind. He was fedate, moderate, and cautious; but at the fame time animated, aspiring, and generous. He poffeffed a proud honour, an inflexible firmness, and a high sense of justice; yet he had not in his difpofition any thing of haughtiness, obftinacy, or aufterity. His pride confisted in the love of independence; his refolution, in fhunning the temptations of vice; and his idea of equity, in pro

S

curing peace and happiness among men, by making the laws lovely rather than fevere.

He was no less eftimable in public than in private life. As a public man, whether we confider his fine tafte, the ftrength of his mental faculties, or the vast extent and variety of his acquirements, we are equally enamoured with his talents. His intellectual powers were of the highest order. The clearness of his understanding no paradox could perplex; the quickness of his intuition ran through systems at a glance; the folidity of his judgment even his lively fancy could not. warp; and nothing useful or elegant escaped the retentive vigour of his memory. To thefe properties, he added a fertile imagination, a luminous comprehenfion, and an elasticity of mind, which gave activity to all the operations of his genius. His mind thus conftituted, was enriched with the collective science and learning of all times, and of all nations.

Sir John Shone, in a difcourfe delivered at a meeting of the Afiatic Society, 1794, fpeaking of Sir William Jones, obferves, "I have already enumerated attainments and works, which from their diverfity and extent, seem far beyond the capacity of the moft enlarged minds; but the catalogue may yet be augmented. To a proficiency in the languages of Greece, Rome, and Afia, he added the knowledge of the philofophy of thofe countries, and of every thing curious and valuable in them. The doctrines of the Academy, the Lyceum of the Portico, were not more familiar to him, than the tenets of the Vedas, the mysticism of the Sufis, or the religion of the antient Perfians; and whilft, with a kindred genius, he purfued with rapture the heroic, lyric, or moral compofitions of the moft renowned poets af Greece, Rome, and Afia, he could turn with equal de

light and knowledge, to the sublime fpeculations or mathematical calculations of Barrow and Newton. With them also he profeffed his conviction of the truth of the chriftian religion, and he juftly deemed it no inconfiderable advantage, that his refearches had corroborated the multiplied evidence of revelation, by confirming the Mofaic account of the primitive world."

Afiatic Annual Regifter.-Afiatic Refearches.-
Note to Maurice's Poem to the memory of Sir
William Jones.

DR. JAMES BEATTIE.

JAMES BEATTIE was born in Scotland, and received. part of his education at the university of Aberdeen, where he cultivated the belles lettres with great affiduity, and as great fuccefs. His firft employment was that of inftructing youth; he affifted at the grammar fchool of Aberdeen, and during his refidence there, married the daughter of his principal. He was afterwards promoted to the profefforship of moral philosophy and logic, in the Mariscal College of the univerfity; and was affiduous in difcharging the duties of this office.

After writing a volume of original poems and translations, in 1770, he published an " Effay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, in oppofition to Sophiftry and Scepticism." A few years after, in 1777, this work was republished in quarto, by subscription, at the defire of several perfons of distinction.

In 1783, by the recommendation of Bishop Porteus, he completed and gave the world" Evidences of the Chrif

tian Religion," briefly and plainly ftated, a performance intended for the use of young perfons.

Dr. Beattie filled the chair of moral philosophy in the university of Aberdeen with great applaufe; and his behaviour in every department of life is truly amiable. Though deeply engaged in literary pursuits, he was cheerful, and at times unbent his mind in the fociety of his friends, until a melancholy event occurred, which, notwithftanding his fingular piety, caft a gloom upon his mind.

For many years his eldeft fon, at once his companion and friend, had contributed not a little to cheer his mind, and promised to become the delight of his declining years. This ftay, this prop of all his comforts, and all his hopes on earth, was snatched from him in 1790, when he had attained the age of twenty two. This promifing young man difplayed, on one hand, fuch a virtuous difpofition, as the fondeft father might have been proud to behold, while, on the other, his genius and talents began to develope, and afford an early profpect of future excellence.

Dr. Beattie publifhed a life of his much beloved and lamented fon, and concludes his account in the following affecting terms.

"I have loft the pleasanteft, and for the last four or five years of his short life, one of the most instructive companions that ever man was delighted with. But the Lord gave; the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. I adore the author of all good, who gave him grace to lead fuch a life, and die fuch a death, as makes it impoffible for a chriftian to doubt of his having entered upon the inheritance of an happy immortality.

European Magazine, 1801.

Public Characters, for 1802.