The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-13

tber: aud the ebarrafed circumstances II which lie
le his eitase, proyeda great and ferrous check his
alduous labours. 1t was nearly two years before he
could arrange his cir umances, and return TO the TN
interrupted puruit OF his h;eory At the outiet all
dark aud doubtful; bu, he advanced it became more
eaiy aud equal.
| BY the friendihip of Lord Elliott his near rela-
ton, MIR. Gibbon was returned at the general cleo
ton i'll l772, for the borough of Lefkeard.---
| He took his feat At the beginning Of the memorable
conteh between C. Britain and her colonies, and up-
ported by many ent the rights o. the mother
country. Twas long his with and defgn to become
public edker, but after ievera! unuccesfu attempt,
he acqu;eiced in the humble fate of Mute His Ii
Nudity fortified by his pride, aud the fucceis Of
his pen discouraged the trial of his voice. The caift
OF government ably fupported by Lord North
aiiiited by the majetie ienie of Thurlow, and the
iiiilifu pquence OF Widderburne On the other iide
Of the houte an ardent and powerful oppolton was
Imported by the lively defamation of Barre the legal
acuteneis OF Dunning, the profnfe and phlo:ophick
fancy Of Burke, and the ars-umentative veherence OF
! Fox. The eight ieions he fat in parliament was 4
ichool of civil prudence the iir and ,no etntal vir-
tue of an hitoran.
In 1916 he publhed the hrft volume of his hnory
The fuccefs OF it greatly beyond his moa fangu-
inc expectations. The frit imprefou was exhauited
| in few days. and lecond and third editions were
icarcey adequate the demand of the publick It be-
|
very table ard every toilet. The appreciation of
Hume and Robertfon were the mott gratifying ap-
Piauie which he could receive and which he warm
! ly acknowledges. From general and universal APP
plauie he efcaped hort trip which he made to Pa
ms Here he frequented the houe of NecSer thro the
favour of whole Lady, the late NJ Curihod he was
introduced into the firR circles of both fexes Twas
here he was happy in the acquaintance Of Bufon who
united to tubline genius, the mo amiable nlplicty
| of mind and manners
Near two years eapfed before be pubifhed the fe-
| cond volume of the decline and fall In the interim
his 5th & 10th chapters in which he treats of the rife
and progrefs of the cran religion had been attack
| ed by hoft of critics. He preierved guarded f.
ience, until he accuied of of fidelity in his
quotations. Routed by this nlputation he pubihed his
vndication" i'll which ne expreGed lefs anger than
contempt for his antagorih. 1t entirely fenced his
critics, it promoted feveral othem to eccleaical
preierments He was tightly engaged in controversy
with DIR. Prieitly, Dalrymple and White During the
| time IN which he engaged III his hihory he was
employed by administration TO write Memoir Iui}i-
cat IN which he vndicated again the manfeo Of the
French the juftice of the Brtfh arms. II was writ
ten III French. IL was celebrated hro Europe for the
force of its reafoning, and the purity of its file.
In 1879 BY the intereRs of his friend Mr. Wedder-
burne he was appointed Lord of the Board of Trade
and plantations. This comfortably enlarged his
finances, and RATED him above want and Dependence
The duties ievere and he enjoyed many days
and weeks of leifure in which ne was not called from
his library, retirement In 1850 he loft his feat for
Leikeard, but by the interen of Lord North
loon chosen vacancy for the borough of Lyming-
ton Soon after Lord North oh his place the trea-
Jury board and retired from parliament Before this
Mr.. Gibbon had publifhed the third volume of his
hiitory, which met with the fame appauie the for
mer.
In the Earring conculons of mniterial and coaliti-
on intrigue in 1888 having loft his feat in parliament
and his dere fer rab!;cl lfe, he to write
the continuation of his hiory, and fixed on Lauanne
as preferable to London. His friend Deyverdun hav-
ing ettabrhed hfelf at that place. invited him to re-
hide IN his houfe. This agreeable invitation Mr. Glib
bon immediately accepted. AT this place he proe-
cuted his abours with attentive aiIiduty. Seldom in
terupted by company other avocaons, his progrefs
was rapid. Writing had become familiar and eaiy to
HIM. 1t was no longer labour. 1t pleafure
He finifhed it in 1887. Two observation-disclosures very
remarkable attended this hitory the r was that the
rough copy was fent the prefs and the fecond was
that leen by eye but its authors till it went to
the Pres He returned England to iuperinsend its
publication, and refded in the family of his friend
Lord Sheffield After this object was accomplished
he returned to Laufanne, which he feemed determine
| ed to make his permanent reldence On his return
he found his friend Deyverdun in melancholy hate
OF decline. He languithed only ihort time and left
Mr.. Gbbon greatly affected by his lois. His happi-
neis & tranquility greatly durbed by the dior
oerS winch appeared IN France The Vicinity OF the
free city Of Lauanne foon filed it with the wretched
enigrants of that unhappy country. 1t became the
feat of intrigue, mifery aud wretchednefs Mr.. Glib
bons fentments unfavourable to the revolution
He ezpreies his hghef admiration of Burke's PAM
phet. He had even an idea of writing dialogue
between Lucian, Erasmus and Voltare who filould
mutually acknowledge the danger Of expofng old
iuPerttton to the contempt of the fanatic multitude
The nrigues Of the ernigrants foop excited the no.
tice and Telenent of the national convention again
Lau1anne and the other cantons of Switzerland Gen.
Montesquieu with his army advanced in 1892 within u
few leagues of the place, when he arreted in his
progrefs by the fubmiion of the Cities. The dnur-
Dances excited by thee movements and the general az
pect of Europe, induced MIR. Gibbon to turn his
eyes towards his native country the afyium of free
dom and peace. Accordingly in May l703 he fet
out from Lanfanne, and By way OF Frankfort, and
Brufels he reached England
He viited his friend Lord Sheffield, went as far a:
Bath Witt to his mother, and returned to London
He was pronounced by the phyhcians whom he con-
fulted to be far advanced in dropfy. After lome in
eeual oppoGton, he iubmitted to be tapped this
ly furniheda Temporary relief and he anguhed till the
10th January 1894, when he expired.
b r II UTH O K I7'T.