diverting his Thoughts fo effectual as Meditation upon his Studies, and that he often relieved and mitigated the Senfe of his Torments, by the Recollection of what he had read, and by reviewing thofe Stores of Knowledge which he had repofited in his Memory. This is perhaps an Inftance of Fortitude and teady Compofure of Mind, which would have been for ever the Boast of the Stoick Schools, and increased the Reputation of Seneca or Cato. The Patience of Boerhaave, as it was more rational, was more lafting than theirs; it was that Patientia Chriftiana which Lipfius, the great Mailer of the Stoical Philofophy, begged of God in his laft Hours; it was founded on Religion, not Vanity, not on vain Reasonings, but on Confidence in God. A B In 1727 he was feized with a violent C Burning Fever, which continued fo long that he was once more given up by his Friends. From this time he was frequently afflicted with Returns of his Distemper, which yet did not fo far fubdue him, as to make him lay afide his Studies or his Lectures, till in 1726 he found himfelf fo worn out, that it was improper for him to continue any longer the Profeflorships of Botany and Chymistry, which he therefore refigned April 28, and upon his Refignation spoke a Sermo Academicus, or Oration, in which he afferts the Power and Wifdom of the Creator from the wonderful Fabric of the Human Body; and confutes all thofe idle Reafon ers who pretend to explain the Formation of Parts, or the animal Operations, to which he proves that Art can produce nothing equal, nor any thing parallel, One Inftance I fhall mention, which is produced by him, of the Vanity of any Attempt to rival the Work of God. No thing is more boafted by the Admirers of Chemistry, than that they can, by artifi. cial Heats and Digestion, imitate the Productions of Nature. Let all these Heroes of Science meet together, fays Boerhaave, let them take Bread and Wine, the Food that forms the Blood of Man, and by Affimilation contributes to the Growth of the Body: Let them try all their Arts, they fhall not be able from thefe Materials to produce a fingle Drop of Blood. So much is the most commen Act of Nature beyond the utmost Efforts of the moft extended Science ! From this Time Boerhaave lived with lefs publick Employment indeed, but not an idle or an ufelefs Lite; for, befides his Hours fpent in inftructing his Schog lars, a great Part of his Time was taken up by Patients which came, when the Diftemper would admit it, from all Parts of Europe to confult him, or by Letters which, in more urgent Cafes, were con tinually fent to enquire his Opinion, and ask his Advice. Of his Sagacity, and the wonderful Penetration with which he often difcover'd and defcrib'd, at the first Sight of a Patient, fuch Diftempers as betray themfelves by no Symptoms to common Eyes, fuch wonderful Relations have been fpread over World, as, though attefted beyond doubt, can scarcely be credited. I mention none of them, because I have no Opportunity of collecting Testimonies, or diftinguishing between those Accounts which are well proved, and those which owe their Rife to Fiction and Credulity. Yet I cannot but implore, with the greatest Earnestness, such as have been converfant with this great Man, that they will not fo far neglect the common Interest of Mankind, as to fuffer any of thefe Circumstances to be loft to Pofterity. Men are generally idle, and ready to fatisfy themfelves, and intimidate the InduDitry of others, by calling that impoffible which is only difficult. The Skill to which Boerhaave attained, by a long and unwearied Obfervation of Nature, ought therefore to be tranfmitted in all its Particulars to future Ages, that his Succeffors may be ashamed to fall below him, and that none may hereafter excufe his Ignorance by pleading the Impullibility of clearer Knowledge. E F Yet fo far was this great Mafter from prefumptuous Confidence in his Abilities, that in his Examinations of the Sick he was remarkably circumstantial and particular. He well knew that the Originals of Distempers are often at a Distance from their vifible Effects, that to conjecture where Certainty may be obtained, is either Vanity or Negligence, and that Life is not to be facrificed, either to an Affectation of quick Difcernment, or of crowdGed Practice, but may be required, if trifled away, at the Hand of the Physician. About the Middle of the Year 1737, he felt the firft Approaches of that fatal Illness that brought him to the Grave, of which we have inferted an Account written by himfelf Sept. 8, 1738, to a Friend at London*; which deferves not only Aetas, labor, corporifque opima pinguetudo, effecerant, ante annum, ut inert bus refertum, grave, hebes, plenitudine turgens corpus, anhelum ad motus minimos, cum fenfu fuifocationis, 174 The GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, VOL. IX. only to be preferved as an Hiftorical Relation of the Disease which deprived us of fo great a Man, but as a Proof of his Piety and Relignation to the divine Will. when forced by continued and exceffive Torments, unavoidable in the present State of human Nature; that the best Men, even Job himfelf, were not able to refrain from fuch Starts of Impati ence. This he did not deny, but faid, "He that loves God, ought to think ro A thing desirable but what is most pleasing to the fupreme Goodness." In this laft Illness, which was to the laft degree lingering, painful and af flictive, his Conftancy and Firmnefs did not forfake him. He neither intermitted the neceflary Cares of Life, nor forgot the proper Preparations for Death. Tho' Dejection and Lownefs of Spirit was, as he himself tells us, Part of his Diftenper, yet even this, in fome measure, gave way to that Vigour which the Soul receives from a Consciousness of Innocence. B cr: About three Weeks before his Death he received a Vifit at his Country House from the Rev. Mr Scultens, his intimate Friend, who found him fitting without Door, with his Wife, Sifter, and DaughAfter the Compliments of Form, the Ladies withdrew, and left them to c private Converfation; when Boerhaave took Occafion to tell him what had been, during his Illness, the chief Subject of his Thoughts. He had never doubted of the fpiritual and immaterial Nature of the Soul, but declared that he had lately had a kind of experimental Certainty of the Diltinction between Corporeal and Think-D ing Subftances, which mere Reafon and Philofophy cannot afford, and Opportuni ties of contemplating the wonderful and inexplicable Union of Soul and Body, which nothing but long Sickness can give. This he illuftrated by a Defcription of the Effects which the Infirmities of his E Body had upon his Faculties, which yet they did not fo opprefs or vanquish, but his Soul was always Mafter of itself, and always refigned to the Pleasure of its Maker. He related, with great Concern, that once his Patience fo far gave way to Extremity of Pain, that, after having lain fifteen Hours in exquifite Tortures, he prayed to God that he might be fet free by Death. Mr Schultens, by way of Confolation, anfwered, That he thought fuch Wishes, Such were his Sentiments, and fuch his Conduct in this State of Weakness and Pain: As Death approached nearer, he was so far from Terror or Confufion, that he feemed even lefs fenfible of Pain, and more chearful under his Torments, which continued till the 23d Day of Sep tember 1738, on which he died, between Four and Five in the Morning, in the 70th Year of his Age. Thus died Boerhaave, a Man formed by Nature for great Defigns, and guided by Religion in the Exertion of his Abili ties. He was of a robust and athletic Conftitution of Body, so harden'd by early Severities, and wholefome Fatigue, that he was infenfible of any Sharpness of Air, or Inclemency of Weather. He was tall, and remarkable for extraordinary Strength. There was in his Air and Mo tion fomething rough and artlefs, but fo majestick and great at the fame time, that no Man ever looked upon him with out Veneration, and a kind of tacit Sub miffion to the Superiority of his Genius. The Vigour and Activity of his Mind fparkled vifibly in his Eyes, nor was it ever obferved, that any Change of his Fortune, or Alteration in his Affairs, whe ther happy or unfortunate, affected his Countenance. He was always chearful, and defirous of promoting Mirth by a facetious and humourous Converfation; he was never *F foured by Calumny and Detraction, nor ever thought it neceffary to confute them; for they areSparks, faid he, which, if you de not blow them, will go out of themselves. pulfu mirifice anomalo, ineptum evaderet ad ul-G Yet he took Care never to provoke Enemies by Severity of Cenfure, for he never dwelt on the Faults or Defects of others, and was fo far from inflaming the Envy of his Rivals by dwelling on his own Excellencies, that he rarely mentioned himself or his Writings. He was not to be over-aw'd or deprefs'd by the Prefence, Frowns, or Infolence of Great Men, but perfifted on all Occafions in the Right, with a Refolution always prefent and always calm. He was modeft, but not timorous, and firm withour Rude nefs. He could with uncommon Readiness Mens Inclinations and Capacity by their His Method of Life was, to ftudy in His greatest Pleasure was to retire to his House in the Country, where he had a Garden stored with all the Herbs and Trees which the Climate would bear; here he used to enjoy his Hours unmo- B lefted, and profecute his Studies without Interruption. The Diligence with which he purfued his Studies, is fufficiently evident from his Succefs. Statesmen and Generals may grow great by unexpected Accidents, and a fortunateConcurrence of Circumstances, neither procured, nor foreseen by them. C felves: But Reputation in the Learned World must be the effect of Industry and Capacity. Boerhaave loft none of his Hours, but when he had attained one Science, attempted another: He added Phyfic to Divinity, Chemistry to the Mathematicks, and Anatomy to Botany. He examined Systems by Experiments, and formed Experiments into Syftems. He neither neglected the Obfervations of others, nor blindly fubmitted to celebrated Names. He neither thought fo highly of himself as to imagine he could receive no Light from Books, nor fo meanly as to believe he could difcover nothing but what was to be learned from them. He examined the Obfervations of other Men, but trusted only to his own, was an admirable Example of Temperance, Fortitude, Humility and Devotion. His Piety, and a religious Senfe of his Dependance on God, was the Batis of all his Virtues, and the Principle of his whole Conduct. He was too fenfible of his Weakness to afcribe any thing to him felf, or to conceive that he could fubdue Paffion, or withstand Temptation by his own natural Power; he attributed every good Thought,and every laudable Action to the Father of Goodnefs. Being once asked by a Friend, who had often admired his Patience under great Provocations, whether he knew what it was to be angry, and by what means he had fo entirely fuppreffed that impetuous and ungovernable Paffion? He anfwer'd, with & utmoft Franknefs and Sincerity, that he was naturally quick of Refentment, but that he had, by daily Prayer and Meditation, at length attained to this Mastery over himself. As foon as he rofe in the Morning, it, was throughout his whole Life, his daily Practice to retire for an Hour to private Prayer and Meditation; this, he often told his Friends, gave him Spirit and Vigour in the Bufinefs of the Day, and this he therefore commended as the best D Rule of Life; for nothing, he knew, could fupport the Soul in all Diftreffes but a Confidence in the Supreme Being, nor can a fteady and rational Magnanimity flow from any other Source than a Confcioufnels of the divine Favour. E Nor was he unacquainted with the Art of recommending Truth by Elegance, and embellishing the Philofopher with polite Literature; he knew that but a F Imall part of Mankind will facrifice their Pleasure to their Improvement, and thofe Authors, who would find many Readers, muft endeavour to please while they inftru&t. He knew the Importance of his own Writings to Mankind, and left he might by a Roughness and Barbarity of Stile, too frequent among Men of great Learning, disappoint his own Intentions, and make his Labours lefs ufetul, he did nct neglect the politer Arts of Eloquence and Poetry. Thus was his Learning at once various and exa&t, profound and agreeable. But his Knowledge, however uncom- H maon, holds, in his Character, but the fecond Place; his Virtue was yet much He afferted on all Occafions the divine Authority, and facred Efficacy of the Holy Scriptures, and maintained that they alone taught the Way of Salvation, and that they only could give Peace of Mind. The Excellency of the Chriftian Religion was the frequent Subject of his Converfation. A ftri&t Obedience to the Doctriae, and a diligent Imitation of the Example of our bleffed Saviour he often declared to be the Foundation of true Tranquillity. He recommended to his Friends a careful Obfervation of the Precept of Mofes concerning the Love of God and Man. He worshipped God as he is in him. felf, without attempting to enquire into his Nature. He defired only to think of God, what God knows of himself. There he flopped, left by indulging his own Ideas, he fhould form aDeity from his own Imagination, and fin by falling down before him. To the Will of God he paid an abfolute Submiflion, without endeavouring to difcover & Reafon of his Determinations; and this he accounted the first and mott inviolable Dev. die, he used to think, Who can tell whether this Man is not better than I? Or, if I am better, it is not to be ascribed to myself but to the Goodness of God. A Such were the Sentiments of Boerhaave, whofe Words we have added in Note.* So far was this Man from being made impious by Philofophy, or vain by Knowledge, or by Virtue, that he afcribed all his Abilities to the Bounty, and all his Goodness to the Grace of God. May his Example extend its Influence to his Admirers and Followers! May those who ftudy his Writings imitate his Life, and thofe who endeavour after his Knowledge B afpire likewife to his Piety! He married, September 17, 1710, Mary Drolenveaux, the only Daughter of a Burgo-mafter of Leyden, by whom he had Joanna Maria, who furvives her Father, and three other Children who died in their Infancy. The Works of this great Writer are fo generally known, and fo highly esteemed, that, though it may not be improper to enumerate them in the Order of Time in which they were publifhed, it is wholly unneccflary to give any other Account of them. He publifhed in 1707 Inflitutiones Medice, to which he added in 1708 Apho rifmi de cognofcendis & curandis morbis. 1710, Index Stirpium in Horto Acade mico. 1719, De Materia Medica, & Remediorum formulis Liber; and in 1727 a fecond Edition. 1720, Alter Index Stirpium, &c. adorned with Plates, and containing twice the number of Plants as the former. 1722, Epiftola ad Cl. Ruifchium, qua Ne C fententiam Malpighianam de glandulis des fendit. 1724, Atrocis nec prius defcripti Morbi Hiftoria Illuftriffimi Baronis Waffenariae. 1725, Opera Anatomica & Chirurgica Andrea Vejalii, with the Life of Vefalius. 1728, Altera atrocis rariffimique Morbi Marchionis de Santo Albano Hiftoria. Auctores de lue Aphrodisiaca, cum tractatu præfixo. 1731, Aretaci Cappadocis nova Editio. 1732, Elementa Chemia. 1734, Obfervata de Argento vivo, ad Reg. Soc. Acad. Scient. These are the Writings of the great Boerhaave, which have made all Encomiums useless and vain, fince no Man can attentively perufe them without admiring the Abilities, and reverencing the Virtue of the Author. Mr URBAN, S a little Reflection foon convinc'd A the Author of the Letter in your laft Mag. concerning Honesty, that there were but few Honest Men, fo I hope a little moreReflection will as foon convince him, that, according to his own Definition of Honefly, there can be few or none D otherwife. If Honefly be only an Inclination to render to every Man his Due, it can be no very eafy Thing to find a dishonest Man : For the vileft Wretch on Earth cannot be quire destitute of this Inclination, thoʻ he may not poffibly have Refolution e Enough to gratify it by a Courfe of virtuous F Doctrinam facris Literis Hebraice & Graece traditam, folam animae falutarem & agnovit &z fenfit. Omni opportunitate profitebatur difciplinam, quam Jefus Chriftus ore & vita expreffit, unice tranquillitatem dare menti. Semperque dixit Amicis, pacem animi haud reperiundam nifi in magno Mofis praecepto de fincero Amore Dei & hominis bene obfervato. que extra Sacra monumenta ufpiam inveniri, quod mentem ferenet. Deum pius adoravit, qui eft. Intelligere de Deo unice volebat id, quod G D.us de fe intelligit. Eo contentus ultra nihil requifivit, ne Idololatria erraret. In voluntate Dei fic requiefcebat, ut. illius nullam omnino rationem indagandar putaret. Hanc unice fupremam omnium legem effe contendebat, deliberata conftantia perfectiffime colendam. De aliis & feipfo fentiebat: Ut quoties criminis reos ad poenas letales damnatos audiret, femper H rgitaret, faepe diceret ; "Quis dixerit an non me fint meliores? Utique, fi ipfe melior, id non mihi autori tribuendum effe palam ajo, confiteor; fed ita largienti D.o." Actions. Video meliora proboque, Deteriora fequer. But if Honefty were to be fuppofed to be more than a bare Inclination, even the Practice of rendering to every Man his Due; I would fain know how Mr J. H. or the Gentleman whom he happen'd to be in Company with, can know when an Action is the Refult of a conscientious Principle, and when of Neceffity or Policy. And I'may venture to lay that, if either of them is gifted with the Spirit of dif cerning, his communicating his Know. ledge to the World will be doing a fignal piece of Service to the prefent Age, and justly intitle him to the Praises of future Generations. Upon the whole, tho' the Author of the Characteristics (after his great Master Plato) talks as if the innate Beauty of Virtue was a fufficient Motive to the World Condition and Place of the Oppressors, and then the Oppreffion, as to him, must ceafe of course: But fuppofing these Kennetites could obtain their End, and Jettle the Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi, (i. e. fe cure all the Church Lands in the Kingdom, and appropriate the two Univerfi ties to themselves and their Children) I fay, fuppofing these to become as tyrannical and corrupt as others have done, all Hope of Deliverance would be cut off, and we should be doomed to the dreadful State of everlafting Bondage.Good Gob! -What could be the Design of it were to fet Minifters and People at Va riance, and ftop Laymen from contributing at the annual Feaft of the Sons of the Clergy? What could be the Defign, un lefs it were to alarm the Parliament, juft before a Seffion, in order to procure another Mortmain At to tye up the Parfons from doing Mischief. As have fending this Letter to be unless the Minifters of the blefled JESUS, who preach not themselves but their Ma fter, and labour more to promote his Religion than their own private Intereft; fo, I must confefs, I am a hearty Defpifer of all fuch Shepherds, who take more Care to pamper themfelves than to feed their Flocks: This being my Temper, I cannot forbear reflecting upon a Letter in your December Magazine, faid to be writ by the late Mr White Kennet, and fent without a Name to the famous Bishop Stillingfleet; for it is really fuch a Piece of Prieft-Craft, as I never before faw turned out of the Hands of any One who called D himself a Proteftant. I fhall not fhew myself fo little as to take Notice of the three first Reasons whereby he would confirm his monstrous Doctrine, feeing they are fo many feandalous Reflections on all the Laity in the Kingdom, as if they were naturally (1) greater Blockheads, (2) lefs Orthodox, and fo (3) lefs fit to be educated for facred Employments than Clergymen's Sons: For the reft; if there are greater Objects of Charity in the Families of Clergymen than among others, let them first be relieved; if there are as great Geniuses aE mong their Sons as among other Mens, let them receive a liberal Education. But let's have none of this diftinguishing Stuff, none of this boafting of natural Piety and Orthodoxy; none of thefe bafe Reflections on Laymen and their Iffue, as if by Nature more inclined to be Blockheads, Atheists and Schifmaticks than others; none of thefe felfish Views, in fecuring all the Church Lands to the Tribe of Levi Since this would, be furnishing Papifts with a better Argument for the Celibacy of Priefts than any they have hitherto been capable of producing. R. T. The Letter, it seems, was occafioned by a Report that Sir Thomas Winford Cook had left 10,000l. to be difpofed of by his Lordship, in the founding and endowing fome College in one of the Univerfities for the pious Ujes of Learning and Religion, which the Author would have him to apply to the peculiar Use of the Sons of Clergymen : He wonders that none of our publick Spirits have yet fallen upon this obvious Act of Charity; and asks, If the Romish Priefts were in a Capacity of delivering down their Names from Generation to Generation, whether we can imagine that they would not quickly raife whole Academies for their own Offspring, and even endeavour, as of old, to fettle the Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi ?—To fhew & Laudableness of this Undertaking, he appeals to his Lordship's Knowledge in the primitive Conftitution of our English G Church, where the Parochial Rectors were most often fucceeded by their own Sons. Now, Sir, what is this, but to perfwade the good Bifhop to put the Sum, fuppofed to be committed to his Truft, into his own and his Brethren's Pockets? What is it, but to endeavour to bring in a worfe Spiritual Tyranny than what our Fore. fathers groaned under? For they, when oppreffed, might yet hope, in Time, one or other of their Offspring would get into F Mr URBAN, T may be a Question, both of natural I and revealed Religion, What becomes of Infants after Death? For my Part, I think it is not without Difficulty. To fay they immediately go into a State of fome Kind and Degree of Happiness, a Limbus Infantum, or Paradife of IndulH gence, is inore, for ought I fee, than can be proved, or will be acknowledged, perhaps, in all the Confequences fuch an Opinion implies. |