Calvinism, prevented the prosecution of his views of entering into the church. He taught for several years the parish schools of Monifeith in Angus, and Kennoway and Falkland in Fife; when on a vacancy of the mastership of the grammar school of Stirling, his reputation as a teacher procured him an appointment from the magistrates of the town to that office; which he discharged for forty years with the greatest ability, and with the respect and esteem of all who knew him. It is a fact somewhat remarkable, that he received on the same day a diploma of A. M. from his Alma Mater of St. Andrew's, and an honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Glasgow. In addition to the most profound knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages, which he wrote with a classical purity, Dr. Doig had successfully studied the Hebrew, Arabic, and other kindred dialects, and was deeply versed in oriental literature. He has given an abundant proof of his proficiency in those studies, in the dissertations on the subjects of the Mythology, Mysteries, and Philology, which were composed by him for the Encyclopædia, at the request of his intimate friend and the companion of his social hours, the Rev. Dr. George Gleig, the able and ingenious editor of the latter volumes of that great work, and the author of many of its most valuable articles. That part of the work which contains the articles on Philology, was published in London in the same week with a Dissertation on the Greek Verb, by Dr. Vincent, now Dean of Westminster, who was so struck with the coincidence of Dr. Doig's opinions on many points with his own, that he began an epistolary correspondence with the Bryant, who had author and these two eminent scholars went hand in hand in their researches, and in a free communication of their opinions, with a liberality of sentiment which did honour to both. Such likewise was the conduct of the learned Mr. entered into a correspondence with Dr. Doig on the subject of Ancient Mythology.* Dr. Doig died in March 1800 at the age of eighty-one. Besides his great erudition, the elegance of his taste was shewn in his favourite amusements, the composition of many small poetical pieces, both in English and Latin. Those of an epigrammatic turn are peculiarly excellent. The following elegiac stanzas, written by him, on the subject of his own life and studies, and which were engraven on a marble monument, erected to his memory at the expense of the community of Stirling, would have done honour to the pen of a Markham, a Vincent Bourne, or even a Buchanan. Edidici quædam, perlegi plura, notavi Paucula, cum domino mox peritura suo. Extincto famam ruituro crescere saxo Posse putem, vivo quæ mihi nulla fuit.”† ART. DCXCI. LORD GARDENSTONE. From the same. "THE HONOURABLE FRANCIS GARDEN Gar *"Among the proofs of the profound learning of Dr. Doig, is à Dissertation on the Ancient Hellene,' printed in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. III." + Life of Lord Kames, II. 141. denstone, was a Judge of the Court of Session and Justiciary. He was an acute and able lawyer; of great natural eloquence; and with much wit and humour, had a considerable acquaintance with classical and elegant literature. He was appointed King's Solicitor in 1761, and raised to the bench in 1764. On the death of his elder brother, Alexander Garden, of Troup, M. P. he succeeded in 1785 to a very ample fortune. His tenants and dependents found him an indulgent and liberal master; and the village of Lawrence-Kirk in Kincardineshire, raised by him from a few mean cottages to a large populous and thriving baronial borough, distinguished by its industry in various branches of manufacture, is an honourable monument of his public spirit and active benevolence. Let these his merits be remembered, while his failings are humanely consigned to oblivion.”* ART. DCXCII. JOSEPH RICHARDSON, ESQ. A NATIVE of Northumberland, became a member of St. John's College, Cambridge, 1774, where he distinguished himself by his poetical talents. Thence he removed to the Middle Temple, 1779, and was called to the bar, 1784. But he had previously been drawn into the vortex of party politics; became a writer in the newspapers, and was concerned with Dr. Lawrence in the Rolliad, and Probationary Odes, to which Sheridan, Fitzpatrick, Fox, and other wits of the party, are said to have contributed. He afterwards wrote The Fugitive, a comedy, which *Life of Lord Kames 11. 99. was praised and supported with all the zeal of party, but it did not answer the expectations which had been raised of it. Party obtained him the patronage of the Duke of Northumberland, who brought him into parliament for Newport in Cornwall; and assisted him in purchasing a share of Drury-Lane Theatre; of which, in conjunction with his friend Sheridan, he had for some time the management. I knew him a little in London; for he had left Cambridge before I came to it; he seemed an easy, good humoured man, without much vigour; but his talents were wasted in the degrading service of a party. He died June 9, 1803, at the of forty-six. His poetry was of the familiar, or satiric kind. age ART. DCXCIII. Brief Biographical Notice of DR. DEERING, author of the History of Nottingham. > DR. DEERING, or Doering, took the degree of M.D. at Leyden. He came to London, and was appointed Secretary to the English Embassy to Russia, from whence he returned to this country, married, and settled as a physician at Nottingham. But his capricious and unfortunate temper prevented his success here in his profession, and he was soon reduced to poverty. In these difficulties, John Plumptre, Esq. who had an ancient seat in this town, and who, as well as some of his ancestors, represented it in Parliament, undertook to patronize and assist in the History and Antiquities of that place. This work appeared in 4to. in 1751; but as it was a labour of time, the author died of poverty and a broken heart before it was published. His friends, by way of support, procured for him a commission in the Nottingham Foot, raised in the Rebellion of 1745; but the benefits did not equal the expense. Though he was master of nine languages, he would observe that every little schoolmaster could maintain himself, which was more than he with all his knowledge could do. He published A Catalogue of Plants growing about Nottingham, 1738, 8vo.—An Account of an Improved Method of treating the Small Pox, 1737, 8vo.-and wrote a Latin account of the Transactions of the Nottinghamshire Horse, which was put up under their colours after their return from Scotland. All these were printed by Mr. Ayscough of Nottingham, who introduced the art of printing there about 1710, and died in London, 1783, æt. 69, leaving one son, the late Rev. Samuel Ayscough of the British Museum.* ART. DCXCIV. On the most valuable Materials of Biography, with Extracts from the Letters, and Remarks on the Character, both literary and moral, of Cowper. I KNOW not whether it is from an ill-natured triumph, or whether, as I hope and believe, from an amiable sympathy, that those passages in biography and other writings, in which the movements, the foibles, and weaknesses, of the human heart are opened with a frank and undisguised simplicity, are universally read with the keenest interest and delight. Hence it seems, that whatever be the *From Gent. Mag. Vol. LIII. p. 1014. |