MARK AKENSIDE.

MARKAKENSIDE, an eminent poet and phyfician, was born at Newcastle upon Tyne the 9th Nov, 1721,. He was fecond fon of Mark Akenfide, a fubftantial butcher of that town his mother's name was Mary; Lumíden. At the free-fchool of Newcastle young Akenfide received the first part of his education; he was next committed to the care of Mr. Wilson, a diffenting clergyman, who kept a private academy at Newcastle.

About the eighteenth year of his age our Author was fent to the university of Edinburgh, in the view of qualifying himself for the duties of a Presbyterian paftor, his parents and relations in general being of the Prefbyterian fect. Mr. Akenfide received fome affistance from the funds which the English Diffenters employ in educating young men of no opulent for tunes; but his views as to the miniftry altering, he bent his ftudies towards phyfick, and honeftly repaid to his benefactors the money they had advanced for him, which being contributed for a different purpose than promoting the ftudy of Phyfick he thought it disho nourable to retain. Whether in relinquishing his defign of being a Dissenting clergyman he also ceased to be a Diffenter, is not certainly known.

Akenfide's genius and taste for poetry displayed themselves early when at Newcastle school, and during his continuance at Mr. Wilfon's academy. His Pleafures of Imagination, with feveral other poems it is faid, were firft written by him af Morpeth White upon a vifit to his relations, and before he went to the univerfity of Edinburgh, where he alfo distinguished himfelf by his poetical compofitions. His Ode on the Winter Solstice, which is dated 1746, was certainl compofed at that place." place.d

After three years tudy at Edinburgh Mr. Akenfide went (1741) to Leyden, where on 16th May 1744 he took his degree of Doctor in Phyfick. Same year appeared his Pleafures of Imagination, a poem which procured him fomé emolument and much reputation. This poem was followed by An Epittle to Curio, an acrimonious attack on the political con duct of William Pulteney, Earl of Bath, whom he ftigmatizes under the name of Curio as the betrayer of his country, also published in 1744. "Akenfide diffatisfied with this performance, altered it exceed ingly he converted the Epiftle into an Ode, and reduced it to lefs than half the number of lines of which it originally confifted. In 1745 he published his first Collection of Odes, ten in number. In 1748 came out his Ode to the Earl of Huntingdon; and in 1758 he attempted to roufe the national spirit by An Ode to the Country Gentlemen of England. Few of his re

maining, poems were published separately, excepting the Ode to Thomas Edwards, Efq. which though written in 1751 was not printed till the year 1766. The rest of Dr. Akenfide's poems which appeared in his life-time were given, at leaft for the most part, in the fixth volume of Dodley's Collection w

Soon after his return, from Leyden he commenced physician at Northampton, where Dr. Stonehouse, then practifed with reputation and fuccefs. Whilst here he carried on an amicable debate with Dr. Dod dridge concerning the opinions of the ancient philo fophers with regard to a future ftate of rewards and punishments, in which Dr. Akenfide, fupported the firm belief of Cicero in particular in this great article of natural religion. Not meeting with fufficient en couragement at Northampton, or being ambitious, of a larger field in which to difplay his talents, he removed to Hampstead, where he refided upwards of two years, and then finally fixed himself in London.

At London he was well known as a poet, but had ftill to force his way as a physician. At first he had but little practice, and would probably have been reduced to difficulties had not Mr. Dyfon, his intimate friend, generously allowed him 300 a year, which enabled him to make a proper appearance in the world. In time the Doctor acquired confiderable reputation and practice, and arrived at most of the honours incident to his profeffion; he became a Fellow of the Royal

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Society, a Physician to St. Thomas's Hospital, was adu mitted by mandamus to the degree of Doctor in Phyfick in the university of Cambridge, and elected a Fel low of the Royal College of Physicians in London, and upon the fettlement of the Queen's household was appointed one of the Physicians to her Majesty. He perhaps might have still rose to a greater elevation of character, had not his studiet ended with his life by a putrid fever 238 June 1770, in the 49th year of his age. He was buried in the parish of St. James's, Westminster.

Dr. Akehfide was much devoted to the ftudy of ancient literature, and was a great admirer of Plato, Cicero, and the best philofophers of antiquity. His knowledge and taste in this respect are confpicuous in his poems, and in the Notes and Illustrations which he hath annexed to them. That he had a fincere reverence for the great and fundamental principles of religion, is apparent from numberlefs paffages in hit writings. His high veneration for the Supreme Being, his noble fentiments of the wildom and benevolence of the Divine Providence, and his zeal for the cause of virtue, are confpicuous in all his poems. His res gard to the Christian revelation, and his folicitude to have it preferved in its native purity, are difplayed in the Ode to the Bishop of Winchester. His attachment to the caufe of civil and religious liberty is a disting guished feature in the character of his poetical writ