junction with such as professed the same objects, an union was projected between him and Mr. Fox, who had once more declared for his former principles. A meeting of members was accordingly held for this purpose at the St. Alban's Tavern, Jan. 26, 1784, of which the Hon. Thomas Grosvenor was chosen chairman, and together with the Hon. Charles Marsham, Sir William Lemon, and Mr. Powys, constituted a committee of managers. Mr. Honywood was one of the eighty members who assembled upon this occasion; but the negociation failed, and no sooner was the young and ambitious Premier firmly scated in his new office, than he immediately began to neglect his old friends, and to forget his old principles.

Meanwhile, the members for the county of Kent, faithful to the pledge which they had given to their constituents, proceeded in the plan for promoting salutary reforms. They commenced with the militia, which they wished to render effective by the whole being called out yearly during the peace, so as to prevent, during war, the possibility of a recurrence to the unconstitutional measure of intro

ducing foreign troops into the realm. But the Premier, under the colourable pretext of saving the paltry sum of 40,000l. per annum, opposed and frustrated their plan. This too, occurred exactly at the period when the Duke of Richmond's scheme had been attempted to be brought forward, for expending millions on the fortification of the dockyards, a measure in which he was successfully op

posed both by Mr. Honywood and his colleague, who were in their turn once more foiled by him, in

an attempt to secure the freedom of election, by /extending the provisions of Mr. Crewe's bill relative to the officers of the customs and excise, to persons holding places in the navy and ordnance departments.

The war with France, in Mr. Honywood found a strenuous opposer, and he once more most cordially joined with Mr. Fox, in the reprobation of that measure. Hopeless, however, of being able to succeed, and for the most part incapacitated from attendance by disease, he had no longer a wish to remain in parliament; and it was not until he had heard that this gentleman had presented himself once more to the electors of Westminster, that he could be prevailed upon in 1802, to make an offer of his services to the county of Kent.

At length the gout, with which he had been occasionally afflicted for the space of twenty-five or thirty years, became so constant a visitor, that he was unable to attend at all in St. Stephen's Chapel. His mind, however, fully participated in every public event, and on the 8th of April, 1805, when Mr. Pitt's amendment to Mr. Whitbread's motion for a censure on Viscount Melville was lost by a single unit, although confined to his room, he congratulated his constituents in a letter, addressed to them in the newspapers, in which he paid many high compliments to the Speaker, who, by his casting vote on this occasion, had enabled the Commons of Eng

land to impeach the noble lord on the charge of malversation.

At the conclusion of the second Imperial Parliament, the subject of this memoir determined at once. to retire from the representation, and from the county. He accordingly returned thanks to his constituents, whom he had represented during the space of twenty-two years, and leaving Linstead Lodge, repaired to Marks Hall.

Mr. Filmer Honywood still continues to farm his own lands, and we are happy to add, that he has been lately enabled to throw by his crutches, and enjoy a comparatively better state of health than before. The last public act of his life was that of affixing his signature to a requisition for a county meeting, for the purpose of addressing the King to summon his parliament, and cause an enquiry to be made into the capitulation that succeeded the battle of Vimeira.

We now take our leave of this veteran politician, who appears to have been, perhaps, the only man either in ancient or in modern times, that has acquired the character of a PATRIOT, and the steady support of the popular interest, without having made a single regular speech in the whole course of his life. In short, he has never aspired to be an orator, but contenting himself with integrity and consistency, has obtained uniform support and applause merely from the character of an HONEST MAN.

$52

HUMPHRY DAVY, F.R.S. M.R. I.A.

SECRETARY TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY, ONE OF THE HONORARY LIBRARIANS, AND PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY TO THE ROYAL

INSTITUTION.

At pulchrum est digito monstrari, & dicitur hic est. PERSIUS.

WE have dedicated, perhaps, too many of our pages to the contemplation of those classes of society, who, engaged in the brilliant pursuits of life, become prominent on the canvas, and either court ör demand attention. The statesman, who hap→ pens to be placed at the head of a great nation, immediately attracts every eye towards him. The politician, who would alter the destiny of his own, or regulate the fate of other countries, experiences universal notice; the admiral, or general, whose victories call forth the tears of thousands, and whose laurels are always besmeared with human blood, becomes venerated during his existence, and at the conclusion of a life of glory, is sure to be saluted with an apotheosis.

On the other hand, the humble man, whose days and whose nights are solely dedicated to the good of society, modestly withdraws from the public gaze. His vigils produce premature age; he becomes pale over his crucibles; his labours occupy the hours that ought to be dedicated to repose, and yet, scorning every selfish motive, his discoveries are not confined to an individual, to a family, or to a nation, but generously promulged for the use and benefit of mankind. Hail Science !

thou deity that hath civilized the world, we bend willingly at thine altar. Truth, reason, and experiment, are the only priests who minister in thy temple; thy worshippers are of no sect, no party, no particular country; always at peace, thy appanage includes a world in arms; thy views extend to the whole human race; all animated space becomes the object of thy exploits, and the theatre of thy triumphs!

The subject of the present article has lately excited no common portion of attention, and therefore of course every thing concerning him becomes interesting to the public. Humphry Davy is a native of Cornwall. His parents resided for many years at Penzance, in that county, and he himself was born there about the year 1775 or 1776. We are at present unable, with precision, to fix the date, and therefore, considering his labours and his success, scarcely expect to obtain full credit on this subject, from those who have not seen him.

The humble ambition of his family, pointed out medicine as the object of his studies, and his father and mother, confining their hopes to provincial success, looked up, perhaps, with honest exultation to the time when their son was to divide the practice of the county town, or monopolize that of some of the larger villages in his native duchy. To enable him to achieve this, he was placed under their neighbour, a respectable gentleman of the name of Borlase, descended from the celebrated Cornish anti