TH

THERE is too much vice in the world, and diftrefs is too general, for me as an individual to correct the one, or to stop the other,"-would that man reason whofe ignorance or felfithness is circumfcribed by prejudice, or contracted by apathy: not fo the reafoning and practice of the philan. thropist, who experiences the happinefs and feels the comfort of fufficiency: He fays, "If I cannot do all the good I with to effect, I will do all that I can If I reform one vicious propensity; if I relieve one famished fellow-creature; I am only doing my duty, and imitating in my humble fphere the beneficent Creator, who is good to me, and to all his creatures, and affords to each the means of acquiring happiness. Among human beings, if every one, who can do it, would relieve one only who cannot relieve himself, happine's would be in. finitely multiplied to the donor, as well as to the receiver."-Thus has reafoned, at least thus has acted, that man whofe traits of character we with briefly to delineare, that others, by perceiving how much good may be effected by one individual, may be animated to become members of that group of characters who live for others more than for themfelves; for, alas the good as well as the bad are hattening

to that bourne which neither the prince nor the beggar can elude; and the Writer of these lines often contemplates the grey hairs of his friend Dr. Hawes with a folicitude, in anticipating that chaf which his paffage to the grave would occafion; and hardly dares to indulge a hope, that upon fome cotemporary who may furvive him, the fpirit that actuated the archetype may defcend. At this time he is about fixty-five years of age †, poffeffing his ufual flow of fpirits among his friends, and fociety in general; but, with all his ufual cheerfulness, if a fubject be cafually started in his company that excites pity and demands fuccour, he is instantly metamorphofed into another being-his eyes fparkle-his whole body appears in motion-he rifes from his chair-runs up to the individual who reprefented the cafe of human woedraws him to the corner of the roomand inftantly opens his purfe, with a request to convey his mite to the object of diftrefs, or take his addrefs, for future investigation and fubfequent aid. In the street, the Writer who directs the pen of anecdote over these pages hath often feen him haften up to a poor object, prefs fomething into the cold hand of mifery, and as halily pafs out of fight, like a fhadow, to pré

prevent

vent his being known by the receiver, or thanked by his gratitude: it has, however, been occafionally noticed, and been found to conftitute an amplitude of fuccour, that must have furprifed, as well as gratified, the fupplicant-furprife, heightened by ignorance of the donor, and gratitude, augmented by the degree of unexpected liberality. Surprife and gratitude muft be ftill more elevated, were it known, that this benefactor is the father and grandfather of a large progeny; in the circle of which, however, he is happy in their affection, and, like an ancient patriarch, can rejoice in their efteem.

In this fketch (fays the CORRE SPONDENT to whom we are indebted for the materials of the prefent Memoir) I am not aiming at regular biography, but curfory characteristic anecdote ; which I mention and claim as an apology for introducing age before infancy. In youth, liberality is predominant, if not proverbial; but it is avarice that molt generally accompanies old age; and happy, and indeed great, must be that mind that can triumph over this worit imbecility of advancing years, and, like Dr. Hawes, open the heart, whenever want appeals to its tender auricles; which in him have a portal, and through which the warm blood of humane affections is preferved in a conftant pulfation, and a

warm ftream of beneficent action.

I can, however, trace multiplied inftances, where his appeals to beneficence, in aid of indigence, have been equally public and impreffive. I well remember, that about ten years ago, when the manufactories of cottons had fo far fuperfeded those of filks, as to occafion temporary want, and even beggary, among the artifans in Spitalfields, he fingly food forward; and by his activity, I have reafon to believe, 1200 families were fnatched from ruin. His public addrefs upon that occafion is worthy of being preferved:

SPITAL-FIELDS WEAVERS. We have been requested to infert the following letter, written by Dr. HAWES to a fopular Clergyman; being convinced, that the bumane tendency of it will excite the compallion of fuch as poffefs the ability of relieving the miferable. Diflrefs in this country needs but complain, and Relief makes an immediate appearance. The fame gene rous minds who fo lately gave the wretched Emigrant protection-who laudably made

provifion for the Widow and Orphan of the brave Warrior, and are yet employed in yielding eafe and comfort to those who fill furvive to protect our liberties and property, will not fuffer a numerous body of useful artifans, through the caprice of Fabion, to perish for want of the neceffaries of life.

REV. SIR,

"Permit me to addrefs you on the prefent occafion, and to return you my molt fincere thanks for your voluntary exertions in behalf of the diftreffed Weavers.

"Believe, Sir, it is not in the power of language to defcribe their long and continued miferies; miferies not brought on by idleness, intemperance, or a diffolute courfe of life; but human wretchednefs, abfolutely produced by the want of employment.

be an eye-witnefs of the fevere dif "My profeffion obliges me daily to treffes, trials, and afflictions, of these much-to-be-pitied of our fellow-creatures. Whole families without fire, without raiment, and without food; and, to add to the catalogue of human woes, three, four, and five, in many families, languishing on the bed of fickness.

I am fure, Sir, you will believe me when I declare, that fuch fcenes of complicated woe are too affecting to dwell upon and therefore fhall conclude with my moft earnest wishes, that, by your pleading in their behalf, other divines may be animated to the fame pious undertaking; as I am certain that public benevolence will prevent the premature death of many, will restore health to numbers, and afford the ftaff of life to thoufands. I am, Rev. Sir, your most obedient humble fervant,

"W. HAWES, Physician to the London Difpenfary." Spital Square, Nov. 16, 1793.

Before this period, I witnessed his animated endeavours, in forming an Inftitution for the Recovery of Drowned Perfons. Cogan, the ingenious and learned Dr. Cogan, aided him, by tranflating, in 1773, the Amfterdam Memoirs, in order to acquaint the British nation with the practicability of reftoring perfons apparently drowned; but not long afterwards this coadjutor left England to refide in Holland; and the weight and organization of the infant inflitution devolved in great mea. fure on Dr. Hawes, whofe undeviating labours have, I trust, established it for ever, and without which, in my humble

opinion,

opinion, there would not have been at this time a fimilar eltablishment in Europe, America, or India; where Humane Societies have now multiplied with every great stream that fructifies the foil of thofe different regions. Ab. forbed as he has been in promoting and extending Humane Societies over the globe, the avenues of his active benefi cence are not dried up or contracted by them; for his hand is in his purfe whenever the appeals of mifery touch his heart, or the importance and wants of philanthropic Inftitutions are prefented his time is no lefs in unifon than his activity of mind, in devoting both to private Committees and public meetings in the promotion of private and public charities, and other ufeful Institutions.

As a writer, Dr. Hawes is rather a ufeful than a voluminous author. In 1774 he published "An Account of Dr. Goldfmith's laft Illnefs," whofe fubfequent death he afcribed to the improper adminiftration of a popular medicine; and from this unfortunate event he deduces many ufeful cautions refpecting the exhibition of powerful medicines.

In 1777 appeared his "Addrefs on Premature Death and Premature Interment," which he liberally diftri buted, in order to awaken attention in the public mind against the too early interment of perfons fuppofed to be dead, before it was clearly afcertained that life was totally extin. This performance had been fuggefted to his mind even prior to the establishment of the great object of Refufcitation which he afterwards fo fuccesfully purfued, which is now fo univerfally known under the title of the "RoYAL HUMANE SOCIETY;" and which is in effect confirmed by the following declaration of the late Dr. Towers.

At a General Court of the Directors of the Humane Society in 1776, Dr. Towers fat as Chairman; and, after congratulating the Society on a variety of fuccefsful cafes of aftonishing recoveries, the Chairman thus proceeded :

"To the well-known humanity of his (Dr. Hawes's) difpofition, and to that activity of benevolence for which he was fo remarkable, this Society in a great degree owed its origin. The reasonablenefs and utility of an Inftitution of this kind had been very carly feen by Dr. Hawes, and therefore he had laboured to promote it, with a dili

gence and an ardour that would ever do him honour. Indeed, before the eftablishment of this Society, he had publicly advertifed rewards for notice to be brought him of any perfons in fuch fituations (within a reasonable diftance from his own habitation) as thofe who are now the objects of this Inftitution; which was the strongeft demonftration of his folicitude to promote fo benevolent a defign; and that afterwards, by joining with his worthy colleague, Dr. Cogan, in adopting the neceffary meatures for eltablishing the prefent Intitution, he had performed a real fervice to his country."

In 1780 was published his third edition of an Examination of the Reverend John Welley's Primitive Phyfick" in which the abfurdities and dangerous remedies authorized by that late refpectable leader of a new and very increafing religious fect, known by the name of Methodists, are expofed by fuch a combination of irony and ferious argument, as perhaps,ifequalled, is not exceeded by a Swift or an Arbuthnot.

In 1781 Dr. Hawes published "An Addrefs to the Legislature on the Inportance of the Humane Society, in various important Points of View;" and by his teady perfeverance, and almoft by his perfonal endeavours alone, he has lived to fee most of his objects realized, as conducive to the reftoration of fufpended animation.

About this period likewife appeared his "Addrefs to the King and Parliament of Great Britain, with Obfervations on the General Bills of Mortality."

Thefe ufeful and interefting publi cations gradually raifed the reputation of the Author to the notice of many learned, as well as benevolent, charac ters; and the refult of this general approbation was evinced by the degree of Doctor of Medicine being conferred upon him in the year 1782.

Soon afterwards Dr. Hawes com. menced his Medical Lectures on Sufpended Animation; and was the first, and perhaps the only, person that ever introduced the fubje&t as a part of medical education, which he elucidated under the following heads :

1. To inftruct the younger part of the faculty how to preferve human life in every critical circumftance wherein the vital powers are liable to be fulpended; and to urge the importance of

the