About the entrance of the fummer, he began to feel fuch an alteration in his health, as induced him to think of fettling his affairs; and accordingly, on the 18th of July, he figned and fealed his latt will, to which he afterwards added feveral codicils. in October his diftempers increased; which might perhaps be owing to his tender concern for the tedious illness of his dear fifter the lady Ranelagh, with whom he had lived many years in the greatest harmony and friendship, and whofe indifpofition brought her to the grave on the 23d of December following. He did not furvive her above a week; for, on the 30th of December, he departed this life in the 65th year of his age.

He was buried in St. Martin's church in the Fields, Weftminster, on the 7th of January following; and his funeral fermon was preached by his friend Dr. Gilbert Burnet, bishop of Salisbury. The bifhop made choice upon this occafion of a text very appofite to his fubject, namely, "For God giveth to a man, that is good in his fight, wifdom, knowledge, and joy.” Ecclef. xi. 26. After explaining the meaning of the words, he applies the doctrine to the honourable perfon deceafed; of whom, he tells us, he was the better able to give a character, from the many happy hours he had fpent in converfation with him, in the courfe of nine-and-twenty years. He gives a large account of Mr. Boyle's fincere and unaffected piety, and more especially of his zeal for the chriftian religion, without having any narrow notions concerning it, or mistaking, as fo many do, a bigoted heat in favour of a particular fect, for that zeal which is the ornament of a true chriftian. He mentions, as a proof of this, his noble foundation for lectures in defence of the gofpel against infidels of all forts; the effects of which have been fo confpicuous in the many volumes of excellent difcourfes, which have been published in confequence of that noble and pious foundation. He had, fays our prelate, defigned it in his life-time, though fome accidents did, upon great confiderations, divert him from fettling it; but not from ordering by his laft will, that a liberal provifion fhould be made for one who fhould, in a very few well-digefted fermons, every year fet forth the truth of the christian religion in general, without defcending to the indifpofed to be a good chriftian. The first part. To which are fubjoined, 1. A difcourfe about the distinction that reprefents fome things as above reafon, but not contrary to reafon. 2. The first chapters of a difcourfe, intituled, Greatnets of mind promoted by christianity. 1690, 8vo. In the advertisement prefixed to this work, he mentions a fecond part of the chriftian virtuofo; which, however, he did not live to finish. But the papers he

left behind him for that purpose are printed imperfect as they are, in the late edition of his works in folio. The laft work, which he published himself, was in the fpring of 1691; and is intituled, 40. Experimenta & obfervationes phyficæ; wherein are briefly treated of, feveral fubjects relating to natural philofophy in an experimental way. To which added, a fmall col leation of strange reports, 8vo.

fub

fub-divifions among chriftians. He was at the charge of the translation and impreffion of the new Teftament into the malayan tongue, which he fent over all the East Indies. He gave a noble reward to him that tranflated Grotius's incomparable book of the truth of the chriftian religion into arabic; and was at the charge of a whole impreffion, which he took care should be difperfed in all the countries where that language is underftood. He was refolved to have carried on the impreflion of the new Testament in the turkish language; but the company thought it became them to be the doers of it, and so suffered him only to give a large fhare towards it. He was at 700l. charge in the edition of the irish bible, which he ordered to be diftributed in Ireland: and he contributed liberally, both to the impreffion of the welch bible, and of the irifh bible for Scotland. He gave, during his life, 300l. to advance the defign of propagating the chriftian religion in America; and, as foon as he heard that the eaft india company were entertaing propositions for the like defign in the Eaft, he prefently fent a hundred pounds for a beginning, as an example; but intended to carry it much farther when it fhould be fet on foot to purpose. When he understood how large a fhare he had in impropriations, he ordered confiderable fums to be given to the incumbents in those parishes, and even to the widows of those who were dead before this diftribution of his bounty. He did this twice in his life-time, to the amount of above 600l. and ordered another diftribution, as far as his eftate would bear, by his will. In other refpects, his charities were fo bountiful and extenfive, that they amounted, as this prelate tells us, from his own knowledge, to upwards of 1000l. per annum.

But that part of his difcourfe which concerns us moft, is, the copious and eloquent account he has given of this great man's abilities. "His knowledge," fays he, "was of fo valt an extent, that if it were not for the variety of vouchers in their several forts, I fhould be afraid to fay all I know. He carried the ftudy of the hebrew very far into the rabbinical writings, and the other oriental tongues. He had read fo much of the fathers, that he had formed out of it a clear judgement of all the eminent ones. He had read a vaft deal on the fcriptures, had gone very nicely through the various controverfies in religion, and was a true master of the whole body of divinity. He read the whole compass of the mathematical fciences; and, though he did not set himself to spring any new game, yet he knew the abstrusest parts of geometry. Geography, in the feveral parts of it that related to navigation or travelling; hiftory and books of novels were his diverfions. He went very nicely through all the parts of phyfic; only the tenderness of his nature made him lefs able to endure the exactness of anatomical diffections, especially of

living animals, though he knew these to be most instructing But for the hiftory of nature, ancient and modern, of the productions of all countries, of the virtues and improvements of plants, of ores and minerals, and all the varieties that are in them in different climates, he was by much, by very much, the readiest and the perfecteft I ever knew, in the greateft compafs, and with the niceft exactnefs. This put him in the way of making all that vait variety of experiments beyond any man, as far as we know, that ever lived. And in these, as he made a great progrefs in new difcoveries, fo he used fo nice a strictness, and delivered them with fo fcrupulous a truth, that all who have examined them have found how fafely the world may depend upon them. But his peculiar and favourite ftudy was chemistry, in which he was engaged with none of those ravenous and ambitious defigns that drew many into it. His defign was only to find out nature, to fee into what principles things might be refolved, and of what they were compounded, and to prepare good medicaments for the bodies of men. He fpent neither his time nor fortune upon the vain pursuits of high promises and pretenfions. He always kept himself within the compass that his eftate might well bear; and, as he made chemistry much the better for his dealing in it, fo he never made himself either worfe or the poorer for it. It was a charity to others, as well as an entertainment to himself; for the produce of it was diftributed by his fifter and others, into whofe hands he put it." To this elogium of the bithop, we will only add that of the celebrated phyfician, philofopher, and chemift, Dr. Herman Boerhaave; who, after having declared lord Bacon to be the father of experimental philofophy, afferts, that "Mr. Boyle, the ornament of his age and country, fucceeded to the genius and enquiries of the great chancellor Verulam. Which, fays he, of all Mr. Boyle's writings fhall I recommend? All of them. To him we owe the fecrets of fire, air, water, animals, vegetables, fofils: fo that from his works may be deduced the whole fyftem of natural knowledge [N]." The reader, perhaps, may here be pleafed to know, that Mr. Boyle was born the fame year in

which lord Bacon died.

As to the perfon of this great man, we are told that he was tall, but flender; and his countenance pale and emaciated. His conftitution was fo tender and delicate, that he had divers forts of cloaks to put on when he went abroad, according to the temperature of the air; and in this he governed himself by his thermometer. He efcaped indeed the fmall-pox during his life; but for almost forty years he laboured under fuch a feebleness of body, and fuch lownefs of ftrength and fpirits, that it was

[N] Boerhaave's Methodus difcendi medicinam.

astonish

aftonishing how he could read, meditate, make experiments, and write as he did. He had likewife a weakness in his eyes, which made him very tender of them, and extremely apprehenfive of fuch distempers as might affect them. He imagined also, that if ficknefs fhould confine him to his bed, it might raife the pains. of the ftone to a degree which might be above his strength to fupport; fo that he feared left his last minutes fhould be too hard for him. This was the ground of all the caution and apprehenfion with which he was obferved to live: but as to life itfelf, he had that juft indifference for it, which became a philofopher and a chriftian. However, his fight began to grow dim, not above four hours before he died; and, when death came upon him, it was with fo little pain, that the flame appeared to go out merely for want of oil to maintain it. The reader may wonder that Mr. Boyle was never made a peer; especially when it is remembered, that his four elder brothers were all peers. A peerage was often offered him, and as often refufed by him. It is eafy to imagine, that he might have had any thing he should exprefs an inclination for. He was always a favourite at court: and king Charles II. James II. and king William, were fo highly pleafed with his converfation, that they often used to difcourfe with him in the moft familiar manner. Not that Mr. Boyle was at any time a courtier; he fpake freely of the government, even in times which he difliked, and upon occafions when he was obliged to condemn it; but then he always did it, as indeed he did every thing of that nature, with an exactness of refpect [o].

[o] Mr. Boyle's pofthumous works are as follow: 1. The general history of the air defigned and begun, 1692, 4to. Concerning the nature and value of this work, we have the teftimonies of two of the most ingenious and able men of that age, Mr. Locke and Mr. Molineux, Mr. Locke, in a letter to Mr. Molineux, dated December 26, 1692, obferves, that, though this treatife was left imperfect, yet I think, fays he, the very defign of it will pleafe you; and it is caft into a method, that any one who pleafes may add to it under any of the feveral titles, as his reafon and obfervation fhall furnish him with matter of fact. If fuch men as you are, curious and knowing, would join to what Mr. Boyle had collected and prepared, what comes in their way, we might hope in fome time to have a confiderable hiftory of the air, than which I fcarce know any part of na. tural philofophy would yield more variety and ufe. But it is a fubject too large for the attempts of any one man, and will re

Mr.

quire the afliftance of many hands, to make it an hiftry very thort of complete. To which Mr. Molineux aniwered: "I am extremely obliged to you for Mr. Boyle's book of the air, which lately came to my hands. It is a valt defign, and not to be finished but by the united labours of many heads, and indefatigably protecuted for many years; fo that I defpair of feeing any thing complete therein. However, if many will lend the fame helping hands that you have done, I fhould be in hopes; and certainly there is not a chapter in all natural philofophy of greater ufe to mankind than what is here propofed." 2. General heads for the natural history of a country, great or fmall; drawn out for the ufe of travele lers and navigators. To which are added. other directions for navigators, &c. with particular obfervations on the most noted countries in the world. By another hand. 1692, 12mo. Thefe general heads were first printed in the Philofophi

cal

Mr. Boyle was never married: but Mr. Evelyn was affured, that he courted the beautiful and ingenious daughter of Cary, earl of Monmouth; and that to this paffion was owing his Seraphick Love. In the memorandum of Mr. Boyle's life, fet down. by bishop Burnet, it is remarked, that he abstained from marriage, at firft out of policy, afterwards more philofophically; and we find, by a letter of Dr. John Wallis to him, dated at Oxford, July 17th, 1669, that he had an overture made him with respect to the lady Mary Hastings, fifter to the earl of Huntingdon. But it does not appear from any of his papers, that he had ever entertained the least thoughts of that kind; nay, there is a letter of his, written when he was young to the lady Barrymore his niece, who had informed him of a report that he was actually married, which almost fhews that he never did. The letter is written with great politenefs, and in the true fpirit of gallantry; and is a clear proof, that though Mr. Boyle did not choose to marry, yet it was no mifanthropic cynical humour which restrained him. from it. It is impoffible to entertain the reader better, than by prefenting him with that part of it which concerns the point in queftion." It is high time for me to haften the payment of the thanks I owe your ladyfhip for the joy you are pleased to with me, and of which that with poffibly gives me more than the occafion of it would. You have certainly reafon, madam, to suspend your belief of a marriage, celebrated by no prieft but fame, and made unknown to the fuppofed bridegroom. I may poffibly cre long give you a fit of the fpleen upon this theme; but at prefent it were incongruous to blend such pure raillery, as I ever

cal Tranfactions, being drawn up by Mr. Boyle, at the request of the Royal Society. The other directions added in this edition were drawn up by various perfons at divers times, by order of the Royal Society, and printed in different numbers of the Philofophical Tranfactions; but, being in purfuance of the plan fketched out by Mr. Boyle, were very properly annexed to the preceding ones. 3. A paper of the bonourable Robert Boyle's, depofited with the fecretaries of the Royal Society, Octo ber 14, 1680, and opened fince his death; being an account of his making the phofphorus, Sept. 30, 1680; printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions. 4. An account of a way of examining waters, as to frethnefs or faltnefs. To be fubjoined as an appendix to a lately printed letter about fweetened water, Oct. 30, 1683; printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions. 5. A free difcourfe against customary fwearing, and a diffuafive from curfing. 1695, 8vo. 6. Medicinal experiments: or, a collection of choice remedies, chiefly fimple, and

eafily prepared, ufeful in families, and fit for the fervice of the country people. The third and laft volume, publifhed from the author's original manufcript; whereunto are added feveral ufeful notes, explicatory of the fame. 1698, 12mo. The first edition of this book was printed in 1688, under the title of Receipts fent to a friend in America: in 1692, it was reprinted with the addition of a fecond part, and a new preface: and in 1698, as we now obferve, was added the third and last volume. They have been all feveral times reprinted fince in a fingle volume, and justly agcounted the belt collection of the kind.

Thefe pofthumous works, joined to thofe before mentioned, together with many pieces in the Philofophical Transactions, which we had not room to be particular about, were all printed in one collection: whereunto is prefixed, an accurate life of Mr. Boyle by Dr. Birch, to whom we are chiefly indebted for the materials of this article.

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