Volume 3

Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson.

  • Wilson, H. (Henry), 1864-1934.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    The following lines on his death are also by Dr Aikin. Howard, thy task is done ! tiiy master calls. And summons thee from Cherson's distant walls. Come, well approv'd ! my faithful servant, come! No more a wand'rer, seek thy destin'd home. Long have I mark'd thee with o'er-ruling eye. And sent admiring angels from on high. To walk the paths of danger by thy side. From death to shield thee, and through snares to guide. My ininister of good, I've sped thy way. And shot thro' dungeon-glooms a leading ray. To sooth, by thee, with kind unhop'd relief My creatures lost—and whelm'd in guilt and grief; I've led thee, ardent, on thro' wond'ring climes. To combat human wees and human crimes. But 'tis enough—thy great commission's o'er, I prove thy faith, thy zeal, thy love, no more: Nor droop, that far from country, kindred, friends, Thy life, to duty long devoted, eads ; What boots it were the high reward is given. Or whence the soul triumphant springs to heav'n ! The following interesting account of the singularities of the great philanthropist, is taken from the third volume of-Gleanings through Wales, Holland, and Westphalia, by Mr. Pratt. Howard had many singularities, but very few affec- tations. It was singular for mere mortal man to <ro about doing good for th? sake of doing it: to devote his fortune and his life, to explore the most neglected and the most forlorn of the wretched, and to relieve them * according to their several necessities'—to begin the work of benevolence, where other people's bounty com- monly ends ii_in a prison. All this was very singular but wholly pure of affectation. Further, it wa? sin- gular, deserving that word, indeed, inasmuch as in human h.story-it is without a parallel-to put himself lo the greatest personal inconveniencies, and to en- counter the greatest dangers, often of life itself, to ac