It is obfervable, that his Proceffus Integri, published after his death, discovers alone more fkill in the Latin language than is commonly afcribed to him; and it furely will not be fufpected, that the officioufnefs of his friends was continued after his death, or that he procured the book to be tranflated only that, by leaving it behind him, he might fecure his claim to his other writings.

It is afferted by Sir Hans Sloane, that Dr. Sydenham, with whom he was familiarly acquainted, was particularly verfed in the writings of the great Roman orator and philofopher; and there is evidently fuch a luxuriance in his ftyle, as may difcover the author which gave him most pleasure, and most engaged his imitation.

About the fame time that he became batchelor of physick, he obtained, by the interest of a relation, a fellowship of All Souls college, having fubmitted by the subscription required to the authority of the vifitors appointed by the parliament, upon what principles, or how confiftently with his former conduct, it is now impoffible to discover.

When he thought himself qualified for practice, he fixed his refidence in Westminster, became _doctor of phyfick at Cambridge, received a licence from the college of phyficians, and lived in the first degree of reputation, and the greatest affluence of practice,

pieces of that excellent physician were tranflated into that language by Mr. Gilbert Havers of Trinity College Cambridge, a student in phyfick and friend of Dr. Mapletoft. But as Mr. Ward, like others, neglects to bring any proof of his affertion, the question cannot fairly be decided by his authority. Orig. Edit.

for

any

for many years, without other enemies than those which he raised by the fuperior merit of his conduct, the brighter luftre of his abilities, or his improvements of his fcience, and his contempt of pernicious methods fupported only by authority in oppofition to found reason and indubitable experience. These men are indebted to him for concealing their names, when he records their malice, fince they have thereby escaped the contempt and deteftation of pofterity.

It is a melancholy reflection, that they who have obtained the highest reputation, by preferving or reftoring the health of others, have often been hurried away before the natural decline of life, or have paffed many of their years under the torments of those dif tempers which they profefs to relieve. In this number was Sydenham, whose health began to fail in the 52d year of his age, by the frequent attacks of the gout, to which he was subject for a great part of his life, and which was afterwards accompanied with the ftone in the kidneys, and, its natural confequence, bloody-urine.

These were distempers which even the art of Sydenham could only palliate, without hope of a perfect cure, but which, if he has not been able by his precepts to inftruct us to remove, he has, at least, by his example, taught us to bear; for he never betrayed any indecent impatience, or unmanly dejection, under his torments, but fupported himself by the reflections of philofophy, and the confolations of religion, and in every interval of ease applied himself to the affiftance of others with his ufual affiduity.

After

After a life thus ufefully employed, he died at his house in Pall-mall, on the 29th of December 1689, and was buried in the aifle, near the fouth door, of the church of St. James in Westminster.

What was his character, as a physician, appears from the treatifes which he has left, which it is not neceffary to epitomise or tranfcribe; and from them it may likewise be collected, that his fkill in phyfick was not his highest excellence; that his whole character was amiable; that his chief view was the benefit of mankind, and the chief motive of his actions the will of God, whom he mentions with reverence, well becoming the most enlightened and most penetrating mind. He was benevolent, candid, and communicative, fincere, and religious; qualities, which it were happy if they could copy from him, who emulate his knowledge, and imitate his methods.

CHEYNEL*.

ΤΗ

HERE is always this advantage in contending with illuftrious adversaries, that the combatant is equally immortalized by conqueft or defeat. He that dies by the fword of a hero will always be mentioned when the acts of his enemy are mentioned. The man, of whofe life the following account is offered to the publick, was indeed eminent among his own party, and had qualities, which, employed in a good caufe, would have given him fome claim to diftinction; but no one is now fo much blinded with bigotry, as to imagine him equal either to Hammond or Chillingworth; nor would his memory, perhaps, have been preferved, had he not, by being conjoined with illuftrious names, become the object of publick curiofity.

Francis Cheynel was born in 1608 at Oxford †, where his father Dr. John Cheynel, who had been fellow of Corpus Chrifti college, practifed phyfick with great reputation. He was educated in one of the grammar fchools of his native city, and in the beginning of the year 1623 became a member of the univerfity.

* First printed in The Student, 1751.
+ Vide Wood's Ath. Ox. Orig. Edit.

It is probable that he loft his father when he was very young; for it appears, that before 1629 his mother had married Dr. Abbot, bishop of Salisbury, whom she had likewife buried. From this marriage he received great advantage; for his mother being now allied to Dr. Brent, then warden of Merton college, exerted her intereft fo vigorously, that he was admitted there a probationer, and afterwards obtained a fellowship.

Having taken the degree of mafter of arts, he was admitted to orders according to the rites of the church of England, and held a curacy near Oxford, together with his fellowship. He continued in his college till he was qualified by his years of refidence for the degree of batchelor of divinity, which he attempted to take in 1641, but was denied his grace t, for difputing concerning predeftination, contrary to the king's injunctions.

This refufal of his degree he mentions in his dedication to his account of Mr. Chillingworth: "Do not conceive that I fnatch up my pen in an 66 angry mood, that I might vent my dangerous wit, "and ease my overburned fpleen; no, no, I have "almost forgotten the vifitation of Merton college, "and the denial of my grace, the plundering of my

house, and little library: I know when, and where, " and of whom, to demand fatisfaction for all these injuries and indignities. I have learnt centum plagas Spartana nobilitate concoquere. I have not "learnt how to plunder others of goods, or living, "and make myself amends by force of arms.

*Vide Wood's Ath. Ox. Orig. Edit.

+Vide Wood's Hift. Univ. Ox. Orig. Edit.

I will

not