The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-13
COMMUNICATED FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Biographical Sketch Of EDwARr
GIBBoN.
Eetrafed from tie M7mai~s cf bis osen I If
srTifsngt.


odheres its native foil. Mr.. Edward Gibbon
grandfather the celebrated htorian, was coado-
rablc merchant, and in i7li, under the Tory admir-
piitration of Queen Anne, made conmiilioner
9th ca!tonis In he was elected one of the
Directors Of the South Sea Company. His fortune
was overwhelmed IN 72o in the fhipwreck of the
company and he hmielf committed 20 cuftody. The
esorbitaucy of his fine proclaimed him en,inently
guilty. His eitate conffcated by parliament a.
mounted to l.. LOG 543 5: s. Out of this he was
allowed l.. 10000. His ii and credit on this foun-
daton foon reared him fortune far inferior to his
former. He died in 1896, leaving behind him one
Ion Edward, the father of the hinorian and daug
tiers. Edward married the daughter of Mr. Janles
Porter, an eminen, merchant in London. Edward the
fubeS Of this iketch was born 9th April, 1887 the
youngeh and only 1urvivor of FIVE brothers and ore
hiter. He was remarkably weak and deformed when
young aud perhaps his life faved by the care and
tenderness of his Aunt, Mrs. Catharine Porter,
which he gratefully acknowledges As foon as the
ue ofpeech had prepared his infant reaon for the adj
million of knowledge, he laugh, the arts Of Read
ing, Writing and Arithmetic. After fuch previous
nitruesion at home he put at the age OF feven
under the direction Of Mr. John Kirby, with whom
he continued about Is months tIe was after this
lent, at the age Of nine, i Grammar School at
kinghon upon Thames. AT this place he continued
near two years. BY the methods of diiciplne
ar expece OF many tears and Tome blood acquired
acknowledge of the Latin Syntax and trana1ed Cornell
us Nepos, ard Phaedrus's Fables In lT47 on the
death OF his mother, he returned home where he
tnued Tome time under the care and tuition of his
aunt. BY Tome unforeieen misfortune ihe was re-
ouced to poverty. Her noble fpirit fcorned life of
obligation ard dependence, and after revolving many
ichemes, The at ia preferred che humble talk of keep
ing 4 boarding houfe for Wenninher ichool With
her Mr.. Cibbon lived and in l749 was entered in
the tchooi, of which John Nicoll was matter. His
weakness and detormity induced his aunt TO remove
II He mfr, ba
reconciiedto Life of Rudy, and the difcpl.ne Of a
ichooi; consequently his requirements were few
twas generally thought ne would be iliterate Grip
pie; till about the 10th year of his age nature dplay-
ed her energies in his favour; his contribution became
fortified and fixed, and mott of his complaints won
derfully removed.
Ills pnexpectedrecovery again encouraged the hopes
OF his Education, and in 1852 he was placed under
the care of MIR. Philip Francis the celebrated tranf-
lator of Horace, at Ether in Surry. Mr. Francis
he tdon Uncovered, preferred the peafures of London
TO the initructions of his pupils He was ioon ia
ken away, and without any previous preparation or
delay was entered gentleman commoner OF Magdalen
college at Oxford inl752.
Previous to this period, free and defultory reading
was his iavoTte alnuiement. His indiicrininate ap-
petite at length by degrees fubiided in the HIsroRIc
line lie alcribes it TO his conitant perufI of the
UnveriM no-y which y~ae pi,lliiia,ialii about at
time. This introduced him to the acquaintance OF
the Ancients, and Littleburys Herodotus Spell
mans Xenophon, Gordon's Tacitus, and a ragged
Procop.us were greediy devoured. From thefe the
tranftion to the moderns eafy. He read Speed,
Rapin, Mazeray, Dav.la, Father Paul. Bower, and
the hiitories of China, India, Mexico and Peru. He
appears have been early bent on hiforical copo-
ton Ills fixing on the period of the decline of the
Roman Empire the effe9 Of accident. In an ex-
ctrion he made with his father in 1881 to the houe
OF friend, he dcovered in the Library the contnu-
alton Of Echard's Roman Hiaory. Il embraced
period OF Iiitory entirely to Eul, and the flight
iketch it contained eryed rather to rrtate than to
aPPeaie his curiofty. On his return to Bath he pro-
cured Howei's hihory of the World, in which The
Byzantine period is dplayed larger fcae. In his
iearch after information concerning this period OF ti
tory he read Ockley, D'Herbelott, Prideaux and
Uther. He arrived at Oxford with flock of Erudi-
ton that might have puzzled Doctor, and a degree
OF Ignorance of which School-boy might have been
aiharned
AT Oxford he continued his fyifem of defultory
reading. The loofe dfcpline of the college did not
require his attendance in the lecture room or indeed
any regular lyGem of fudy. He INDUCED his own
"hes and he fill devoted his hours to the reading of
hiitoy The Vacations he uiually ipent at his fathers
In the hrtt vacalion in Augut 752, his mind ever
broodng over hforcal fubie6ts, he determined to
write BOOK. For his firf eGay, he chofe the " aye
of Seiolris During his haJ in the country his hf-
tory diligently proiecnted, but on his return to COL
Ledge 1t wiiey relnqui(ied, and loon after pru-
IDENTIFY committed to the flames. He continued the
iame courfe ofineguar reading, without ever paying
any attention to the lectures Of the profeTors On the
irbje6 Of Religion he was LEFT entirely to himfelf Dr.
MIddetons writings were then new, and had excited
comfortable agitation Thele nook the foundation
Of This former religious Educ on, and in this iate Of
iupence and doubt, pernfl Of the works Of Bofuet
converted him TO the Catholic Religion.
Iiejuiified himfelf by citing the examples Of Chill
Hhgwoth and Bayle & communicated his tuation to
his father by letter, in the pomrous aile Of martyr
This crcumitance necei1arily obliged him 70 quit
Oxford He returned to his fathers who after having
attempted in vain recall him 10 the Proteant Rel-
gon, by the advice ome Of his friends del ernined
TO FIX him with Protefans rinieerat Laullnne re
left London the l9th June 1883 and on the SOthof
the fame month letsed under the care of Mr. Pa
Willard, Cavinilt mn.aer. In this iituston his cir
eumiiinces entirely changed his finances were
greatly reduced; he coflfrcd to fmall chamber
with hove hut from all fociety with any but the
natives ard Obliged to hear language with which he
was unscquaintsd In acquiring knowledge Of the
lacuage, he afonihed at The rapidly Of his pro-
gres Before ne recalled home French was more
familiar than EDglih his car his tongue or his pen
Ills love ofreadng foon returned He read with ayi-
dty every thing in his tutors library As his know
ledge Of the language advanced his foccty with tn
natives became enlarged ard flrisfaetory He
received into the bsit houfc in Tie place and in
one Of thefe he became acquainted with Mr Denver
4 4