AKENSI DE, Mane, who has been styled the British Lucre tins, was born at New eastle-upoli-T y , the 9th day of November 1721, Ilis lathe r, a •substantiui butcher in that town, was a presbyterian dissenter ; and seems to have destined his son fur the t lexical office he fore he himself could form any idea of its importance, or give any indication of those talents and dispositions, without which a clergyman cannot reasonably hope to be either useful or respectable. The capacity and fondness for learning which young Akenside displayed when sent to school, confirmed his father's resolution, and warranted the most sanguine hopes which lie could entertain of the future eminence of his sun. Front the grammar-school of Newcastle, he was removed to the private academy of Mr Wilson, a dissenting clergyman ; Whose admiration Ile excited by his rapid progress in classical literature, and by the striking marks of genius which distinguished his exercises. At the age of 13, lie went to the univer sity of Edinburgh ; and continued for a year to pursue that course of study which was necessary to qualify him for the office of a presbyterian minister. He had de rived sonic assistance from a fund approiniated by the English dissenters to the education of their young men of scanty fortune, who study divinity. But the perplexed and thorny mazes of theological controversy were trod den by Akenside with extreme reluctance ; and he turned from them in disgust, to range unconfined in the fields of elegant literature, where paths more ample and inviting were laid open to his ambition. As he posses sed not the imans of indulging in these favourite pur suits, without following some profession, he re solved to study physic ; and, with the most honou rabic. integrity relunded that contribution, which, as it was given for a different purpost, he could not conscien tiously retain.
" Whether, when he resolved not to be a dissenting minister, he ceased to be a. dissenter," it is surely un necessary to inquire. It is of !none importance to know that he did not cease to be a CM istian ; and that he re linquished none of those liberal and exalted principles, which are generally cherished with clIthusiasm by youth ful genius, and from which it derives its brightest lustre. An ardent and manly zeal lo• civil arid religious liberty influenced him through life, and b•eaks forth in his writings with inspiring energy. envy not the mind
which could turn from the par,ir that glow s with sueli sentiments, to remark, with illib•r,i1 and fc•-misplaecd sagacity, that this zeal fur liberty " sometimes disguises from the world, and net rarely icons the mind which it possesses, an envious desire of plundering wealth, and degrading greatness ; and of which the immediate ten dency is innovation and anarchy, an impetuous eager ness to subvert and confound, with very little care what shall he established." Let the admirers of our consti tution determine, whether it is more in danger from him whose breast is fired with a generous passion for liberiv, who is feelingly alive to the privileges of freemen, and prompt to resent any attempt to invade them ;—or from the wretch, who, with a cowardly dread of innovation, and senile relerence for the great, would patiently en dure to see the sceptre converted into a rod of iron, and bow his neck to the yoke, however oppressive, which should be imposed h} the sacred hand of power. So little is the genuine love ()I' freedom allied to the spirit of levelling or discontent, that, in a country blessed with such a constitution as ours, its natural tendenc!, is to heighten our gratitude fur the advantages which we en joy, and make us bold in their deft:nee ; to strength( n our loyalty by the aid of principle ; and to inspire us with the noblest and most ardent patriotism.
Ake oxid•, while he continued at Edinburgh, culti vated his poetical talents with great assiduity. It was there that he composed his Ode on the Winter ; and his greatest work, The Plea SUreN qf was probably completed about the same time ; though it has been said that it was written at Morpcth, on the banks of the Wentsheck, while he was on a s isit to his rela tions, before he went to the university of Ediuburgh. llis talents procured him an easy introduction into the most respectable literary associations among his fellow students ; and, in the year 1710, lie was elected a mem ber of the Medical Society ; " an institution," says Dr Anderson, " coeval with the establishment of a regular school of physic in the university.