which he employed few, but all efficacious. In fine, on every occafion, I faw the man of fincerity, rectitude, and virtue. His stay was much shorter than I could have wifhed."

M. Zimmerman was unhappy in the fate of his children. His amiable daughter, whom he most tenderly loved, fell into a lingering malady foon after the left Lausanne, which continued for five years, and then carried her off-while his fon, who was from infancy troubled with an acrid humour, after various viciffitudes of nervous affections, fettled in perfect idiocy; in which state he has now remained twenty years. To alleviate these diftreffes, a fecond marriage properly occurred to the minds of his friends, and they chose for him a most suitable companion, in the daughter of M. de Berger, king's phyfician at Lunenburg. The union took place in 1782, and proved the greatest charm and fupport of all his remaining life. His lady was thirty years younger than him, but she perfectly accommodated herself to his taste, and induced, him to cultivate fociety abroad and at home more than he had hitherto done. About this time, he employed himself in completing his favourite work on Solitude; which, at the distance of thirty years from the publication of the first essay on the subject, appeared in its new form in the years 1784, 1786, in 4 vols. His ideas of folitude had probably been foftened by fo long an intercourfe with the world; and as he now defined it," that ftate of the foul in which it abandons it felf freely to its reflections," it was not neceffary to become either a monk or an anchorite in order to partake of its benefits. Had it not been prefented under fo accommodating a form, a philofopher might have fmil ed at the circumftance of a recommendation of folitude, from a court phyfician, becoming the favourite work of one of the most splendid and

ambitious of crowned heads. The Emprefs of Ruffia fent her exprefs thanks to the author for the pleature which fhe had derived from the work, accompanied with a magnificent prefent, and commenced with him a regular correfpondence, which subsisted with great freedom on her part till 1792; when the fuddenly dropped it. She alfo gave him an invitation to fettle at Petersburgh as her firft phyfician; and, on his declining the offer, the requested his recommendation of medical practitioners for her towns and armies, and conferred on him the order of Wladomir.

One of the moft diftinguished incidents of his life was the fummons which he received to attend the great Frederic in his laft illness, in 1786. It was at once evident that there was no room for the exercise of his medical skill; but he improv ed the opportunity which he thus enjoyed of confidential intercourfe with that illuftrious character, whose mental faculties were pre-eminent to the laft; and he derived from it the materials of an interefting narrative, which he afterward published. The partiality of this prince in his favour naturally difpofed him to a reciprocal good opinion of the monarch; and in 1788, he published "A Defence of Frederic the Great against the Count de Mirabeau;" which was followed by Fragments on Frederic the Great," in 3 vols. 12mo. All his publications relative to this king gave offence to many individuals, and fubjected him to fevere criticifm; which he felt with more fenfibility than confifted with his peace of mind.His religious and political opinions, likewife, in his latter years, began to be in wide contradiction with the principles that were affiduously propagated all over Europe; and this added perpetual fuel to his irritability. The fociety of the Illuminated, coalefced with that of Free Masons, rofe about this time in Germany, and

66

excited

excited the most violent commotions among men of letters and reflection. It was fuppofed to have in view nothing less than the abolition of Chrif tianity, and the fubverfion of all confituted authorities; and while its partizans expected from it the most beneficial reforms of every kind, its opponents dreaded from it every mifchief that could poffibly happen to mankind. Zimmerman, who is reprefented by his friend as a hunter of fects, was among the first who took alarm at this formidable affociation. His regard for religion and focial order, and perhaps his connexions with crowned heads, caufed him to fee in the most obnoxious light all the principles of these new philofophers. He attacked them with vigour, formed counter-affociations with other men of letters, and at length took a step which we leave his friends to juftify, that of addreffing to the Emperor Leopold a memoir, painting in the ftrongest colouring the pernicious maxims of the fect, and suggesting the means of fuppreffing it; means which we understand to have depended on the decifive interference of civil authority. Leopold, who was well inclined to fuch meafures, received his memoir very graciously, and fent him a letter and fplendid present in return; but his death, foon afterward, deprived the cause of its moft powerful protector. M. Zimmerman, however, in conjunction with M. Hoffman of Vienna, who had inftituted a periodical work on the old principles, did not relax in their zeal. They attacked and were attacked in turn; and Zimmerman, unfortunately, embroiled himself with the courts of law by a paper published in Hoffman's Journal, intitled "The Baron de Knigge unmafked as an illuminate, democrate, and feducer of the people." As this charge was in part founded on a work not openly avowed by the Baron, a procefs was inftituted against Zim.

merman as a libeller, and he was unable to exculpate himself. This state of warfare may well be imagined to be extremely unfriendly to an irritable fyftem of nerves; and the agitation of the Doctor's mind was further increased by his perfonal fears on the approach of the French towards the electorate of Hanover, in 1794. The idea of becoming a poor emigrant perpetually haunted him, nor could the negociation that fecured the country restore him to tranquillity. Its melancholy effects are thus defcribed by his biographer :

"From the month of November,he had loft fleep, appetite, strength, and fleth. This ftate of decline continually advanced. In January, he fill paid fome vifits in his carriage, but often fainted at the top of the ftaircafe. Writing a recipe was a labour to him: he complained fometimes of confufion in his head, and at length quitted all bufinefs. This was at firft deemed an hypochondriac fancy, but it was foon perceived that a fettled melancholy did not permit him long to follow the train of his ideas.That happened to him which has happened to fo many men of genius: one strong idea obtained the afcendancy over all the rest, and subdued the foul, which was unable to remove it out of fight. Preferving all his prefence of mind, and the clear. nefs of his conceptions, on all other objects, but no longer chufing to occupy himself with them, incapable of all labour, and not giving even his advice without difficulty, he continually faw the enemy plundering his house, as Pafchal always faw a globe of fire at his fide; Bonnet, an honeft man robbing him; and Spinello, the devil ftanding oppofite to him. He ufed fome remedies, and took a journey, but all to no purpose. He reentered his houfe with the fame idea with which he had quitted it; perfuaded himself that he faw it pillaged; and fancied he was entirely ruined.

This notion impreffed him foftrongly, that his abftinence from food at laft was partly attributed to his fear of poverty.

He was worn away to a skeleton, became dicreped, and at fixty-fix died of old age. He expired October 7th 1795.

IN

N the month of February laft, letters were sent from all the line of battle hips at Portsmouth, to Lord Howe, praying for his Lordship's influence towards obtaining a redrefs of sertain grievances mentioned in the letters: as thefe however were anonymous, and appeared to be all written by one perfon, and couched in the fame language, they were confidered as the production of fome factious individual, and were thrown afide, as unworthy of anfwer. This neglect of the petition of the fea men, on their return to port, March 31ft, occafioned a correfpondence by letter to be kept up, and paffed from fhip to ship, through the whole fleet; till at length, it was unanimously agreed upon, that no fhip fhould lift an anchor, till the demands of the fleet were fully complied with. In this ftate matters remained, till 14th April, when orders were fent to Portsmouth for Lord Bridport to fail with the Channel fleet; on the following day, however, when his Lordship made the fignal to prepare, not a fhip obeyed the fignal. Inftead of weighing anchor, the feamen of the Admiral's fhip ran up the shrouds, and gave three cheers, which was the fignal to the rest of the fleet, for making public their refolutions. These cheers were inftantly anfwered by the other fhips; and it was manifeft in a moment, that the combination was complete. The officers were thunderstruck at these difpofitions, and exerted themselves, by various means, to bring the men to a

At this time

fenfe of their dufy, but without effect. The petty officers had concurred with the men, in the determination not to do their duty, till their pay was increafed; all the different crews, however, were very orderly and peaceable in their conduct, performing every duty of the ships as ufual, except that of weighing anchor. The next day a boat from each fhip was demanded, and two men from the crew of each were appointed delegates to represent the whole; the Admiral's cabin being fixed upon as the propereft place for their deliberations. none of the officers were fuffered to go on fhore. Petitions were now drewn up, and prefented to Lord Bridport, Sir Allan Gardner, and the port admiral, fetting forth, that "while the foldiers and marines had received additional allowances, the pay of the feamen had not been augmented, they therefore defired an encreafe of wages; and a hope was expreffed, that an anfwer might be given to their petition, before they were ordered to put to fea again.". This expreffion however, was qualified with one exception, "unless the enemy were known to be at fea."They well knew that no enemy was at fea, or likely to put to fea, and therefore had pitched upon this as a proper time for enforcing their demands. On the 17th, every man in the fleet was fworn to fupport the caufe in which he had embarked; the Admiral's body fervants not being exempted from the oath. Ropes

were

were now raised in terorrem at the fore-yard arm of every ship, and feveral officers who had behaved in a tyrannical manner, were turned a. fhore. The deputies confulted toge. ther every day on board the Queen Charlotte, returned at night to their refpective fhips, and on getting on board, giving three cheers to the Admiral's hip, which were regularly returned. They were returned, at the fame time by every other ship at Spithead, as well as by the fick and convalefcents in Haflar Hofpital, who entered heartily into the fame caufe, and difplayed flags, compofed of a number of handkerchiefs tacked together, &c. On the 18th, a commit. tee of the Admiralty (Earl Spencer, Lord Arden, Admiral Young, and Mr Secretary Marfden,) arrived at Portsmouth, in the courfe of which and the two following days, feveral propofitions were made by them to reduce the fleet to obedience, but ineffectually. On the 21t, Admirals Gardner, Colpoys, and Pole, went on board the Queen Charlotte in or der to confer with the delegates, who had, in a great measure, become converts to the Admirals; but could fettle nothing, as two delegates from one ship, the Royal George, were on fhore. On their return on board the Queen Charlotte, they informed the delegation and the admirals, that it was the determination of the Royal George, to agree to nothing that fhould not be fanctioned by Parlia ment, and guaranteed by the King's proclamation of pardon.

In the whole of thefe proceedings, the conduct of the failors was orderly, systematic, and determined; they took poffeffion of all the magazines, loaded all their guns, confined every officer to his refpective fhip, kept watch regularly the fame as at fea, and put every thing into a ftate of defence. Intoxication or misconduct in any of the men was feverely punished, and no fpirituous liquors were

fuffered to be brought on board any fhip. On the 2zd, the men were fomewhat pacified, and caused two letters to be written, one to the Lords of the Admiralty, ftating the grounds of their conduct on the preceding day; and apother to Lord Bridport, in which they avowed no intentional offence to him, and stiled him their father and friend. This had a good effect, for on the 23d, the Admiral returned to his fhip, hoifted his flag again, and, after a fhort addrefs to the crew, informed them, that he had brought with him a redress of all their grievances, and the King's pardon for the offenders. After fome deliberation these proffers were accepted, and every man returned to his duty. It was now thought that all difputes were finally fettled; the delicate filence, however, of Mr Pitt, in omitting to explain the reafons which called for an increafe of pay to be granted to the navy, when he submitted a motion for that purpose to the House of Commons, was conftrued by the seamen into a difpofition not to accede to their demands; and on Sunday morning, May 7, when Lord Bridport made the fignal to weigh anchor and put to fea, every fhip at St Helen's refused to obey. In the courfe of the afternoon, they ordered a meeting of the delegates, as before, on board the London, of 98 guns, which carried the flag of Vice-Adm. Colpoys;-the Admiral refolved to oppofe their coming on board, and apprised the men of his fhip of his intention. He immediately ordered the marines under arms; fome of whom obeyed the order, while others refused. The delegates perfifting to come on board, the Admiral ordered the marines to level their pieces at them; the marines did fo, and a flight fkirmish took place. By the fire of the marines, five feamen were killed, two of whom were delegates; and Lieutenant Sims, of the marines, was

wounded

wounded by the fire of one of the delegates.

The whole crew of the London now declared open hoftility to the officers and marines; they turned the guns in the fore part of the ship towards the ftern, and threatened to blow all aft into the water, unless they furrendered. The officers furrendered, and the marines laid down their arms; Adm. Colpoys and Capt. Griffiths confined feveral hours in their cabins. In confequence, however, of the refolution of the Houfe of Commons, paffed May 8, and the King's free pardon, &c. being communicated to the feamen on May 10, they appeared to be fatisfied, the officers were generally reinftated in their commands, the red flag was ftruck, and the whole of the grand fleet prepared to put to fea.

The North Sea fleet, as well as the hips lying at the Nore, appear to have had the redrefs of other grievances in view, befides what related to the increase of pay and provifions demanded by the grand fleet at Spithead. A more equal divifion of prizemoney, more regular and frequent payment of wages, and certain privileges of permiffion to go on fhore when in port, as few as might be convenient to the fervice, were points infifted upon by this Ed. Mag. July 1797.

E

divifion, before they would agree to return to their regular state of fubordination *. During the progress of this alarming mutiny, various opinions exifted in the public mind, in regard to the conduct, the most prudent to be adopted; fome perfons, with the miniftry, would liften to nothing fhort of unconditional fubmiffion, while others infifted that part of the articles, at leaft, might have been granted, and that by moderate and modified conceffion, the love and fidelity of the navy would be more effectually fecured than by adopting harsh and coercive measures. Which of these opinions was the wifeft, cannot now be determined.-The attachment and fervices of the body of feamen hereafter, and the opinion they may form of the juftness of the de-, mands of the fleet at the Nore, will certainly be the only proof of the policy of the measures that have been purfued.

At the commencement of the mutiny, the mutineers were fuffered to go on fhore without interruption, and to parade about Sheerness with mufic, flags, and a triumphal appearance, calculated to make converts to their caufe. Their head quarters were in a public houfe, from the windows of which a red flag was hoifted many days fucceffively. The delegates and

com