Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review

from any delirium or ftupor, to continue à miferable existence. It is well known that he had been for fome years in a state of great bodily imbecillity; but his mental faculties remained with him to the laft. His diffolu tion, in fome degree, commenced on the morning of the 15th; as from that day, though many fymptoms of the vital fpark remained, it glimmered faintly; and the only fpecies of fubfiftenee he was capable of receiving was a little wine and water rubbed with a feather on his lips. During the latter part of his existence, he had lived feluded, except to a few particular perfons. Dr. Combe, of Bloomsbury, and another phy. fician, faw him every day. Mr. Murray was born March 2, 1705 and was a character of which there are few examples. In the very earliest period of life, he was diftinguished for unufual talents and firength of genius. After having received the first rudiments of education at Westminster, he was entered a student of Christ Church college, Oxford, where he was admitted a king's fcholar 1723*, continued feveral years, and proceeded M. A. 1730. He not only improved himself in the more folid branches of literature, but wrote fome very elegant pieces of poetry, which were at that time much admired. One of them particularly is to be noticed, as having obtained him the firft University prize for poetical productions in 1728. He wrote alfo a character of Demofthenes, in very elegant Latin, as an exercife for Chrift-church; and, on the fame account, a very elegant copy of Latin verfes on the duke of Marlborough's feat at Blenheim. On quitting the Univerfity, he went abroad for fome time; and on his return, being admitted a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, his abilities foon became generally known, and his converfation and friendship were courted by men of learning and wit. It might perhaps have been fortunate that at that period

*The following anecdote, not being generally known, may be worthy notice. Sir William Blackstone, being at dinner at his lordship's table, obferved, it was unfair in a certain fet of men to think of throwing any reproach on his lordship, by calling him a Scotchman, when it could be proved by the University Registers at Oxford, that he was born in South Britain: for which affertion he produced the following extract which had been communicated to him by a friend.

The

1723. Æd. Chrifti, Gul Murray, 18, David. f. Civ. Bath. C. Som. V. Com. fil." earl laughed heartily, and explained the circumftanee by obferving, that the perfon who registered the matriculations at that time must have made the mistake by the pronouncing Perth, his native place in ScotJand, with a broad accent, and thus putting him down in the register as born in the city of Bath, in the county of Somerfet. J. G.

men of genius were particularly courted by
perfons in the higheft fituations of life; and
Mr. M's talents foon found him an admiftion
into the first circles, and an intimacy with
perfons of the first distinction. During his
refidence in Lincoln's Inn, he contracted
an acquaintance with Mr. Pope, who dedi-
cated to him that celebrated Imitation of
the first Ode of the firft Book of Horace,
·which reflects equal honour on the genius of
the poet and the character of the perfon to
whom it was addreffed. In 1731 Mr. M. was
called to the bar, where his abilities foon
became known, and very early came into full
bufinefs of the highest kind. There was
very little interval between his first appear-
ance, and his being univerfally reforted to
on all matters of confequence. The ground
which Fortune had given him he maintained
with great applaufe. He grew every day
in reputation, and made a fhining figure at
the bar, on many very public, folemn, and
He was not, like
intereaing, occafions.
most practitioners, looking up for employ-
ment after a certain ftanding; but very
early led the bar, and his aliftance was
folicited in all the great caufes. In No-
"vember 1742, he was made a king's counfel,
and appointed Solicitor General. At this
period likewife he was chofen into Parlia-
ment, and continued to fit in the Houfe of
Commons till he was created a peer. In
1754, he was constituted Attorney-General;
in which important station he was very fuc-
cefful in most of the cafes he profecuted of-
ficially, which may be greatly attributed to a
fixed refolution, that no cause where the crown
was either plaintiff or defendant fhould be,
brought into a court of juftice when there
was a probable doubt of its fuccefs.
1756, he fucceeded fir Dudley Rider as Lord
Chief Justice of the King's Bench ;
created Baron of Mansfield, in the county of
Nottingham, Nov. 8, 1756; and fworn of
In 1757, he was
the Privy Council.
chofen Chancellor of the Exchequer on the
refignation of Mr. Legge, but foon quitted
that poft on his re-appointment into office.
In 1774 he went to Paris on a private em-
baffy, XLIV. 440. He was advanced to
the dignity of an earldom, Oct. 31, 1776, by
the title of earl of Mansfield, to him and
his heirs male; and in default of fuch iflce,
the title of countess of Mansfield to Lonifa
viscountefs Stormont; and after her death
the title of earl to her heirs male hy David
Vifcount Stormont, her husband. In 1792,
by a new patent (LXI. 678,) he was cre-
ated an earl of Great-Britain, to defcend to
his heirs male, and in default to David Vif-
count Stormont (on which fee a letter
LXII. 718.) He retired in 1:88 from the
diftinguifhed office of Lord Chief Justice
of the King's Bench, which he had held
for upwards of thirty years with a fplen
dour and reputation unrivaled, and al
maft unquestioned. His judgments in that

was

court

court were particularly fortunate; for, during the whole time of his prefiding there, we believe there were few or no inftances, that they were either arraigned or reverfed. His imagination was lively; and his judgement penetrating to the laft moment that he fat on the bench, and long after.

As a lawyer, he was undeniably the first man of the age. As a chancellor, he would have made a moft confpicuous figure: yet in early life, it is faid, he had not paid great attention to common law, and of this he was fo wifely confcious, that when first he prefided in the court of King's Bench, that able and upright judge, Mr. Juftice Forter, ufed to write opinions for him upou fome of the niceft and most intricate points of law that wer agitated in that court. The better to pick the brains of this excellent man, and of Mr. Juftice Denifon, a great fpecial pleader, he ufed to take one or the other of them in his coach with him to Westminster-hall. As a legiflator, upon commercial fubjects his memory will be revered in a trading country. Hi-talents may be divided into two claffes: he poffelfed great learning, found knowledge, and deep hterature; in argument he was fplendid, captivating, and friking. He had a fond of claffical, hiftorical, and legal information: his penetration was extraordinarily acure, and he was mafter of every bufinefs which came within his iurifdiction. His powers of oratory were irrefiftible his voice harmonious-his manner graceful his lan urge elegant and pure-his ftyle and diction forcible and perfpicuous *—his conception unafurally quick—and his memory aftonishingly tenacious. Lord M. like many other perfons of a lively and an active mind, was not very fond of reading or of writing. He wrote very little in English. A celebrated Refcript of his, in the war before the Laft, is perhaps the only public paper that remains. Public bufi nefs and converfation, and the pleafures of the table, and exercife on horseback (when he was able to take it) filled up his time. The benevolence of his private life was equal to the excellence of his public character; and though Envy has not been wanting in her attacks, he was not able to deface his virtues, nor to intrude on his happiness to his latest hour. His maaners were open and pleafint: they were completely thofe of a welleducated English gentleman. He was a kind mafter to his domeftics, unlike thoufands, who, without a tittle of his abilities

*See his fpeech on Mr. Wilkes's outlawry being reverfed, XXXVIII. 32; in the Douglas caufe, XXX X, 248; in the Dif fenters caufe XLI. 65; in the American war, XLV, 106, 107, 111; XLVII. 560; his opinion of patents, XLIX. 494; on points of Parliamentary privileges, LIV, 208, 209. 382. And fee Lord Chesterfield's character of him, XLIV. 349.

and accomplishments, fpeak to them and treat them as if they were beings of an inferior and more defpicable nature than themfelves. Of his difiatereftedness let it be observed, that he never took any grant or emolument from the late king, for himself, or any per fon belonging to him; and when the fufferers by the dreadful riots in 1780 were to be reimbursed by the public, his lordship, in conjunction with the late great and good Sir Geo. Savile, nobly refused any compenfation whatever, although his house in BloomsburySquare was burnt to the ground, with his fine library, manufcripts, and other invaluable effects. Notwithstanding thefe loffes, which, viewed in a pecuniary ight, were comparatively trifling, he has died worth about 26,000l. a year, in mortgages; all of which (except 100,00cl. on a noble duke) are, in Ireland. Ld. M. in 1738 married Lady Elizabeth Finch, aunt to the prefent earl of Winchelfea, (who died April 10, 1784) He has died without iffue; in confequence of which, the greater part of his property, devolves on Ll. Vifcount Stormont, his nephew, who is likewife heir-general to all the eftates of the late Lord Mansfield's father.-Lord' M. was buried, about o'clock in the morn ing of the 28th, in the fame vault with the late countefs, in Westminster abbey, between the late earl of Chatham and lord Robert Manners. His remains were carried in a hearfe and fix, decorated with black feathers and efcutcheons of his lordships arms; fix mourning coaches and x decorated as the hearfe, followed, in which rode as mourners his principal domeftics; the proceffion was clofed by his own coach. The judges of the feveral courts, and the gentlemen at the bar intended to have evinced their refpect for this great lawyer and able ftatcfman by attending his corpfe to the place of internient; but were given to underftand by lord Stormont, now earl of Mansfield, that it was the particular requeft of the late earl, that his funeral fhould be conducted as privately as poffible. Of the difpofitions made by his lordship of his immenfe property, it has only tranfpired, that he has bequeathed to the two Mifs Murray's, the filters of lord Stormont, who have long formed a part of the family at Caen Wood, the fum of 20,000l. each, and an annuity of 1000l. per annum. Of the former fum 2000l. is to be paid immediately after his decease. To his Doucy, his lordship has left an annuity of 250l. per annum. other fervants of his household have a liberal provifion. The remainder of his fortune (to the computed amount of 300,000l.) devolves to the present Earl of Mansfield.--By the late lord's death, and by that of the earl of Befborough, the English peerage has loft its two moit autient members. The earl of Orford is now, perhaps, the father of that

own man,

peerage.

The

21. Lieutenant Weftern, of the Syren frigate (fee p. 278).

EACH DAY'S PRICE OF STOCKS

MARCH, 1793.

N. B. in the 3 per Cent. Confols. the highest and lowest Price of each Day is given in the other Stocks the highest Price only. THOMAS WILKIE, Stock-Broker, No. 71, St Paul's Church-yard.

2. A hurricane of wind at night accompanied with showers.-3. Crocuses, &c. in bloom. -7. Very red horizon at funfet.-8. Hawthorn budding. The lark makes a feeble attempt to mount and give her fong.-11. The wind has blown a pretty brifk gale P.M. after a calm morning..-23. Rhubarb-roots break ground.-14. Goffamer floats.-15. An extraordinary large rainbow about fix o'clock A.M.-20. Waterwagtails are feen. Gooseberry and currant bushes foliated.-26. Duft arifes.-27. Sparrows bufy building their nefts. Fall of rain this month, 2 inches 3-10ths. Evaporation, 2 inches.

D. of

Walton, near Liverpool.

METEOROLOGICAL TABLE for April, 1793.

Height of Fahrenheit's Thermometer.

Month.

Mar

27 18