a noble purpose in Dr. Harris, to gather up the scattered notices and facts concerning the character and services of this distinguished man, and elaborate them into an elegant and extended memorial. It was a desideratum in historical biography which has long been felt, it has now been partially supplied. The "Memorials of Oglethorpe" are well written, and evince diligent labor, patient investigation, extensive research, and a just appreciation of the character of his subject. We cannot call it a finished biography, and we must bear in mind, that its excellent author did not offer it as such; his purpose, as he expresses it, having "simply and uniformly been to relate facts in the most plain and artless manner.'" This purpose he has in a great measure accomplished. It was unfortunate for Dr. Harris, that he did not have access to the colonial documents relating to Georgia which were lately obtained from London. It is true his friends in Savannah endeavoured to supply the absence of personal inspection, by sending him copies and extracts from their pages; but the whole should be examined, and their rich materials freely culled and judiciously arranged. For lack of this, many errors have crept into the work, both trivial, and important; and in several places there exist great obscurity and misarrangement of events. Some matter has also been introduced, which bears so little on the main topic, as to embarrass and interrupt the harmony of the narrative. We will not stop to point out these several defects, as they have in a measure already been remedied by Dr. Harris in his preparation for a second edition, which, notwithstanding his death, will soon, we hope, issue from the press.

The leading facts in the life of Oglethorpe may be easily told. His early entrance upon military life in 1710-his becoming aid-de-camp to Prince Eugene, and service with him in his contests with the Turks, especially at the battle of Peterwardin and the siege of Belgrade-his entrance into Parliament in 1722, as a member for Haslemare, in the county of Surry, and active and prominent exertions against the banishment of Bishop Atterbury-in behalf of insolvent debtors, and condemnatory of the existing and cruel organization of the Metropolitan Prisons, in which he was truly the precursor of Howard-in opposition to arbitrary impressment-in favor of encouraging the trade of the sugar colonies, and the cause of home silk manufactures-in humane and generous efforts in the celebrated Portier's case,

and upon a variety of other topics, where he exhibited himself a prominent influential and patriotic man-his originating and carrying into execution the scheme for the settling of Georgia, not only without remuneration, but at a great personal sacrifice and expense--his three voyages to Georgia for the benefit and protection of the colony-his personal and unwearied supervision of the affairs of its settlement-his military skill and courage as evinced in his defence of Georgia from the Spaniards--his active employment as Major-General, under Marshal Wade and the Duke of Cumberland, during the rebellion of 1745-6--his calm but almost cloudless evening of life, and his death at an advanced age, sinking to the tomb like a cloudless sun to his setting, are points which are more commonly known, though the general knowledge concerning Oglethorpe is remarkably meagre, and confessedly unsatisfactory. All these points, Dr. Harris has most happily amplified-clearing up many former difficulties, and stating acknowledged facts, in a more lively and pleasing view.

"So extraordinary," says Dr. Harris, "did Dr. Johnson consider the adventures, enterprise and exploits of this remarkable man, that 'he urged him to give the world his life.' He said, 'I know of no man whose life would be more interesting. If I were furnished with materials, I would be very glad to write it.' This was a flattering offer. The very suggestion implied that the great and worthy deeds which Oglethorpe had performed, ought to be recorded for the instruction, the grateful acknowledgment and just commendation of contemporaries, and their memorial transmitted with honor to posterity. "The General seemed unwilling to enter upon it then,' but, upon a subsequent occasion, communicated to Boswell a number of particulars, which were committed to writing, but that gentleman 'not having been sufficiently diligent in obtaining more from him,' death closed the opportunity of procuring all the requisite information."

This unfinished manuscript of Boswell, is said still to be preserved in the family in Scotland, and would doubtless throw much light on his early history, could it be procured. There is a great deal of mystery still hanging over the family and birth of Oglethorpe, and it will require more research than has yet been made, to clear up its contradictions and difficulties, and make out a plain and appreciable narrative. Dr. Harris has labored on these topics with much assiduity, though not with entire success, nor could this be expected, on this side the Atlantic. We find no notice of the family of Oglethorpe either in Burke's Peerage or Commoners-the name we occasionally meet in history, and we have several

times seen it in the old Carolina papers, though the persons who bore it seemed to have no connexion with the Godalming family. Thus, under date of Charleston, Jan'y. 26, 1738, Dr. Newman Oglethorpe, is mentioned as being chosen Master of St. John's Lodge, and again in 1773 we find the name of John N. Oglethorpe, of Camden District, South Carolina; it may be, however, that this latter was the son of the former, but of what family or branch was the first? Nichols, in his "Literary Anecdotes of the 18th century," introduces the following genealogical memoranda of Oglethorpe. And Dr. Harris quotes it in his notice of the "family of Oglethorpe," in his valuable appendix.

"This truly respectable gentleman was the descendant of a family very anciently situated at Oglethorpe, in the Parish of Bramham, in the West Riding of the County of York; one of whom was actually Reeve of the County, (an office nearly the same with that of the present high-sheriff,) at the time of the Norman Conquest. The ancient seat of Oglethorpe continued in the family till the civil wars, when it was lost for their loyalty; and several of the same name at once died in the bed of honor in the defence of monarchy, in a battle near Oxford.

"William Oglethorpe, (son of William) was born in 1588. He married Susannah, daughter of Sir William Sutton, Knight, and sister to Lord Lexington. He died in November, 1634, leaving two children, Sutton, born 1612, and Dorothy, (who afterwards married the Marquis of Byron, a French nobleman,) born 1620.

"Sutton Oglethorpe, being fined £20,000 by the Parliament, his estates at Oglethorpe and elsewhere, were sequestered, and afterwards given to Gen. Fairfax, who sold them to Robert Benson, of Bramham, father of Lord Bingley of that name. Sutton Oglethorpe had two sons, Sutton and Sir Theophilus. Sutton was stud-master to King Charles II., and had three sons, namely, Sutton, Page to King Charles II.; John, Cornet of the Guards, and Joseph, who died in India.

He

"Sir Theophilus was born in 1652, and was bred to arms. fought under the Duke of Monmouth, in the affair at Boswell bridge, where a tumultary insurrection of the Scots was suppressed, June 22, 1679. He commanded a party of horse at Sedgmoor fight, where the Duke was defeated, July 6, 1685; and was Lieutenant-Colonel to the Duke of York's Troop, of His Majesty's Horse-Guards, and Commissioner for executing the office of Master of the Horse to King Charles II. He was afterwards first Equerry and Major General of the Army of King James II., and suffered banishment with his Royal Master. After his return to his native country he purchased a seat in the County of Surry, called 'the Westbrook place,' near adjoining the town of Godalming, a beautiful situation, in a fine country. It stands on the slope of a hill, at the foot of which are meadows watered by the river Wey. It commands the view of several hills, running in different directions; their sides laid out in

corn-fields, interspersed with hanging woods. Behind it is a small park, well wooded; and one side is a capacious garden fronting the south-east. Sir Theophilus, for several years, represented Haslemere in Parliament, and died in London in 1701."

The father of Oglethorpe married a lady from Ireland, aad they became the parents of four sons and four daughters, (not five as Dr. Harris says) and the following notices of them, prepared by Dr. Harris, show the distinguished character and relations of the family.

"1. Lewis, born February, 1680-1; admitted in Corpus Christi College, in the University of Oxford, March 16, 1698-9. He was Equerry to Queen Anne, and afterwards aid-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough; and, in 1702, Member of Parliament for Haslemere. Having been mortally wounded in the battle of Schellenburgh, on the 24th October, 1704, he died on the 30th.

"The following inscription to his memory is placed below that of Sir Theophilus.

"Hujus claudit latus Ludovicus Oglethorpe, tam paternæ virtutis, quam fortunæ, hæres ; qui, prælio Schellenberghensi victoriæ Hockstatensis preludio tempestivum suis inclinantibus ferens auxilium vulnera honestissima accepit, et præclaræ spes Indolis frustrataOb. xxii. ætatis, Anno Dom. 1704.

"Charissimis utrisque marmor hoc, amantissima conjux et mater posuit, Domina Eleonora Oglethorpe.'

"2. Theophilus, born 1682. He was aid-de-camp to the Duke of Ormond, and Member of Parliament for Haslemere in 1708 and 1710. The time of his death is not recorded. He must have died young.

"3. Eleonora, born 1684; married the Marquis de Mezieres on the 5th of March, 1707-8, and deceased June 28, 1775, aged 91. The son of this lady was heir to the estate of General Oglethorpe. He is mentioned in the correspondence of Mr. Jefferson, as highly meritorious and popular in France, (1785,)

"4. Ann, (mentioned in Shaftoe's Narrative.)

"5. Sutton, born 1686, and died November, 1693.

"6. Henrietta, (of whom we have no account.)

"7. James.

"8. Frances-Charlotte-Married the Marquis de Bellegarde, a Savoyard. To a son of this union is a letter of General Washington, dated January 15, 1790, in the 9th volume of Spark's Writings of Washington, p. 70.

"9. Mary, who died single.

"The Arms of the family are thus described: 'Argent, a chevron, between three boar's heads, erased, sable armed, or, lingued proper.' "Crest, 'A boar's head, as before, holding an oaken branch, vert, fructed or.""

The mother of this family died on the 19th June, 1732. The birth of Oglethorpe has long been involved in obscurity. In the inscription on his tomb, written by Capel Lofft; in the European Magazine, and in Nichols Anecdotes

of Literature, (the two latter probably borrowing from the former,) the year of his birth is stated at 1698, which would make him an Ensign at 12 years of age-a Captain-Lieutenant of the Queen's Guards at 16, and an aid-de-camp of Prince Eugene at 17, all of which are improbable. On the other hand, his baptismal entry on the Parish books of St. James, London, and the record of his admittatur in the Oxford University register, place his birth about 9 years earlier. The evidence, on both sides, is carefully sifted and balanced by Dr, Harris, and he concludes, and we think justly. that the true date of his birth is December 21st, 1688,-a year memorable for the revolution which gave to England that "bill of rights," which has been justly styled her second "Magna Charta."

In the valuable appendix which Dr. Harris has subjoined to his Memorials, he has, in No. V. p. 340, given the names of a number of gentlemen, who, he says, constituted the Prison-visiting Committee. He gives fourteen names, whereas the Journals of the House of Commons makes the Committee to consist of ninety-six; among whom were six Lords and twenty-four Baronets, besides many other distinguished men, Civil, Naval and Military. This greatly increased the dignity of the Committee, and the honor of its philanthropic Chairman. In looking over the Journals of the House of Commons from 1722 to 1754, we have been struck with the frequency with which Oglethorpe was placed on Committees of great importance, affecting interests both at home and abroad. At page 338 Dr. Harris has given a list of most of the debates in that body, in which Oglethorpe took part, which prove that his parliamentary course was energetic and influential.

The philanthropy of Oglethorpe was a prominent abiding principle. Not only was it manifested in his speech in favor of a constitutional militia-in his plea in behalf of the persecuted German Protestants-in his remarks on Sir John Barnard's motion for relieving the poor of some of their onerous taxes-in his appeal in behalf of the Moravians, and various other parliamentary occasions, but more especially in his personal sacrifices, and generous efforts towards the settling of Georgia. For eleven years he devoted himself to its interests, with a zeal that opposition could not abate-with a courage that dangers could not subdue, and with a benevolence that the cold ingratitude of