Codicote, near Welwyn, in the 66th year of his age, the Rev. George North, M. A. vicar of that parish; a gentleman of extensive knowledge in various parts of literature, more particularly in the history and antiquities of this kingdom. He had, very early in life, the honour of the friendship and correspondence of gentlemen, not more distinguished by their rank in the world than in the republic of Letters. "Mr. North died a bachelor. He was a welllooking, jolly man; and much valued by his acquaintance, and those who knew him intimately.” "From his first taking orders till his death he had resided principally at Codicote, without any other preferment than this small vicarage, aided by a little additional income from a small patrimony. He was buried at the East end of the church-yard of the parish in which he had lived in as much obscurity as his ashes now rest." it Mr. North's humble and miserable preferment, may be added, is another lamentable instance of the want of a due regard to merit, in the disposal of ecclesiastical honours and emoluments. He left his library and his collection of English coins to Dr. Askew and Dr. Lort; the latter of whom, on the death of Dr. Askew, got more of the books; which, on the sale of his library, in 1791, fell into the hands of Mr. Gough. Amongst these was the MS account of Saxon and English coins by him, with drawings by Mr. Hodsol, now possessed by Mr. Ruding*. Dr. Lort had the rough sketch, in some respects different, which Mr. Gough also bought. Mr. North compiled also "A Table of English Silver Coins from the Conquest to the Commonwealth, with Remarks;" a transcript of which, in the hand-writing of Dr. Gifford, I saw, in 1780, in the collection of Mr. Tutet. His copy of Ames's Typographical Antiquities, with MS notes from books in his Library, were used by Mr. Herbert. * See before, p. 454. DAVID PAPILLON, esq. a gentleman of consider able estate at Acryse, otherwise Aukridge, in Kent, where he had a scat*; though he generally resided at another very capital house belonging to him at Lee, near Lewisham, in Kent, where he had a very good library, being curious in antiquarian researches, Dr. Ducarel-informed me, that Mr. Papillon con Thomas Papillon, son of David Papillon of Lubbenham, esq. purchased the manor of Acrise of Robert Lewknor, esq. in 1666. According to the books of the Mercers' Company, he was apprenticed Nov. 2, 1638; and admitted to the freedom Sept. 4, 1646; and his portrait still adorns their hall. He was an eminent merchant of London; a strenuous supporter of liberty against the encroachments of James II.; a representative in parliament for London 10 William III. as he had been for Dover 31-32 Charles II. and 2 William and Mary; and master of the Mercers' Company in 1698. In 1701, he gave 50l. to the poor of the parish of St. Katharine Coleman; and 61. for present relief. He left also 1000l. to the Mercers' Company, to relieve any of his family that might in future come to want. By Jane his wife, daughter of Thomas Broadnax, of Godmersham, he had issue Philip, and three daughters, one of whom married Rawstorne; another married Sir Edward Warde, lord chief baron; and Anna-Maria married William Turner, esq. of Gray's Inn, who was afterwards of the Friers in Canterbury. Philip Papillon, the son, was chosen for Dover in the 13th of King William, all the parliaments of Queen Anne, and the 1st year of George I. and in the 9th year for New Romney. His first wife was Anne, eldest daughter of William Jolliffe, co. Stafford, esq. who died in 1693, and was buried at Acrise. By her he had a son David, and two daughters, Anne and Jane, who died in their infancy. He married, secondly, Susan Henshaw; by whom he had a son Philip, who was of East Malling, and three daughters. Of this respectable family an ample account may be seen under Papillon Hall, in the parish of Lubbenham, in "The History of Icicestershire," vol. II. p. 709.--Such of them as have died since their residence in Kent have been buried at Acrise; and many of the'r atchievements are placed round the aile of that church, but there are no farther memorials of any of them than those which are transcribed in the page of "Leicestershire" above referred to.-It was intended a few years since to have erected a large monument, containing particulars of all those who are buried at Acrise; but the design ended in a small white marble tablet over the arch, and the following concise inscription; 66 H. S. ex gente Papillonorum, b avis atavisque longe clarà pietate in Deum, Emulentur posteri.", tracted tracted with Mr. Charles Marsh to furnish him with two hundred pounds worth of books at two-pence apiece. The only condition was, that they should be perfect and no duplicates. There might be as many different editions as possible of the same book; but no duplicate of any one edition. Marsh was highly pleased with his bargain; and, by rummaging the stalls, obtained a large quantity. The next purchase, however, he found he could send but few; and the next still fewer; so that he absolutely grew tired of his commission *. Mr. Papillon was a warm supporter of Sir Robert Walpole, and in one day was returned to parliament both for Dover and Hythe, after a most violent opposition in both. He was elected member for Romney in Kent in 1722 and 1727; again returned for Dover in 1734; and appointed in February 1742 one of the Commissioners of Excise (which, in April 1754, he resigned in favour of his son, the late David Papillon, esq.) and died at Canterbury, Feb. 2, 1762. He married Mary, daughter of Timothy Keyser, of London, esq. who died in 1763, leaving a son David, and five daughters, "Eight thousand books would be wanted; and it seems that though the books, which booksellers call rums appear to be very numerous, because they come oftener in their way than they like; yet they are not really so, reckoning only one of a sort. I have heard the same account from other hands; with an intimation that the expression rum books arose from Osborne's sending large assortments of unsaleable works to Jamaica in exchange for rum.—But I believe this etymology is erroneous. See a large number of words connected with rum in N. Bailey's "Collection of Canting Words and Terms." The French, who have words of authority for every thing, as brocanteur for a maker or dealer in false coins, have also bouquins for rums, and bouquiniste for the seller, as a dealer in old cloaths is an oldcloaths man; so rum man. At Cambridge such an one is called Maps and Pictures, from a particular bookseller, whose fine picture of himself, from which there is a fine print, is in the Public Library, as I suppose, his own house not being big enough to receive it." T. F + David Papillon, esq. the son, died at Lee; whither he retired in 1792 on his resignation of the office of a commissioner of excise; which honourable situation, as senior of the board, he filled with much credit many years. By his first wife, Bridget of whom Mary died unmarried, in 1786; Anne married the Rev. Richard Jacob; Sarah married the Rev. John Hardy Franklyn, M. A. rector of Acrise, who died in 1782; Elizabeth married Thomas Curteis, of Sevenoke, D. D. and prebendary of Canterbury, whose second wife she was; and Susan married, first Arthur Weever, esq. and secondly Mr. Ogleby, of the kingdom of Ireland. Dr. JAMES PARSONS was born at Barnstaple, Devonshire, in March 1705. His father, who was the youngest of nine sons of Colonel Parsons, and nearly related to the baronet of that name, being appointed barrack-master at Bolton in Ireland, removed with his family into that kingdom*, soon after the birth of his then only son James, who received at Dublin the early part of his education, Bridget (daughter of William Turner, of the White Friers, Canterbury, son of William, by Anna-Maria Papillon above mentioned, and who died Jan. 6, 1770) he had, in 1796, issue surviving seven children. He married secondly, in 1772, Hester, daughter of the above-mentioned Dr. Thomas Curteis by his first wife; who died at Lee, in 1782, and was buried at Acrise. The Rev. Philip Papillon, rector of Eythorn, and vicar of Tunbridge, Kent, died Jan. 28, 1809. * In the Preface to the "Memoirs of Japhet," he says, "I spent several years of my life in Ireland, and there attained to a tolerable knowledge in the very antient tongue of that country, which enabled me to consult some of their manuscripts, and become instructed in their grammatical institutes. Afterwards I became acquainted with several gentlemen from Wales, well versed in their own history and language §, men of sense and liberal learning; who, in many conversations upon such subjects, gave me such satisfaction and light, in matters of high antiquity, as to cecasion my application to the study of the Welsh tongue also: in which I had equal pleasure and surprize, when, the more I enquired, the more nearly related the Irish and Welsh languages appeared. When I was sent abroad to study the medical art, I frequently conversed with young gentlemen from most parts of Europe; who came to Paris, and followed the same masters, in every branch of the profession, with me ; and my surprise was agreeably increased in finding that, in every one of their native tongues, I could discover the roots || of most of their expressions in the Irish or Welsh." He had afterwards another son (a surgeon) and a daughter, who were born in Ireland. § N. B. He does not say it was Punic. T. F. Celtic. T. F. and, and, by the assistance of proper masters, laid a considerable foundation of classical and other useful learning, which enabled him to become tutor to Lord Kingston. Turning his attention to the study of medicine, he went afterwards to Paris *; where (I now use his own words) "he followed the most eminent professors in the several schools, as Astruc, Dubois, Lemery, and oshers, attended the Anatomical Lectures of the most famous Hunaud and De Cat]; and Chemicals at the King's Garden at St. Come. He followed the Physicians in both hospitals of the Hotel Dieu and La Charité, and the Chemical Lectures and Demonstrations of Lemery and Boulduc; and in Botany, Jussieu. Having finished these studies, his Professors gave him honourable attestations of his having followed them with diligence and industry, which entitled him to take the degrees of Doctor and Professor of thẹ Art of Medicine, in any University in the dominions of France. Intending to return to England, he * "Several great masters then gave lectures at that place on the several branches of physic, who drew after them a great concourse of pupils of every nation. Mr. Hunaud read in Anatomy and Surgery; Astruc and Dubois in Physic; Lemery and Boulduc taught Chemistry; and the learned Jussieu shewed the plants in the botanical garden, then one of the best stocked in Europe. Dr. Parsons followed the courses of these eminent men, and contracted a friendship with most of them. Forty years have made a great change in the state of the balance between our neighbours and ourselves: England, and London in particular, formerly tributary to that kingdom for the education of a multitude of young gentlemen, might now with greater right expect a return from that country, being furnished with better opportunities, and surely not inferior professors in these different branches. It was undoubtedly during the course of these occupations that Dr. Parsons imbibed his taste for Natural History. This amiable and interesting study, so congenial with human curiosity, so proportioned to human abilities, so necessary to human wants, is besides so intimately connected with physick, that it is almost impossible to cultivate the latter with any success, without having at least some tincture of the former. In order to derive greater advantages from the several curiosities which passed under his eyes, Dr. Parsons applied himself to the art of drawing, and became so well versed in it, that ever after he was not obliged to have recourse to any other hand but his own to illustrate his descriptions," Dr. Maty, MS. judged |