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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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books * and knew 1 « jw to eatertaia luuxself witK them > but this was Hot often . He kept up some show of religion in his fairl y * for prayers were read always on Stftfdaysr and sometimes on other days . When he found hunsetf declining , he wrote of it to his friends && a piece of news , and without expressing the least emotion or concern . I
remember he wrote to Mr / Giliing , that he thought he should never « ee Newton more , for nothing seemed to delight him , and he was going thfc way of all flesh . I went to s ^ e him s oon after this account * and found him strangely altered ami broken . He took me with
him into his garden , and then told me he could not live long , and was satisfied with that share of life and pleasure which he had enjoyed ; but he said he was not assured of another state of existence after the present $ and the
thought of falling into no existence was dreadful * He added , with his usual vehemence , that he would con- > fcentedly be drawn asunder that moment , with wild horses , could he be assured of such a state . In this
uncertainty I left him , and I never heard that he ever mentioned the least hint of it to any other person , or that he betrayed the least fear or uneasiness to the hour of his death concerning it . On the contrary , he retained and shewed his natural temper to the last mo *
ment ; for when his own sister came to see him , he was so exasperated , because she did not come sooner , that he col * lected his whole strength to chide her for her unkindness , and though lie was in his agony * and scarce able to speak * he shewed all the marks of resentment * and soon after died without a struggle or a groan ?
Mr . BENJAMIN SMITHURST , He was born in London * where his father and mother lived , and was brought down to Saltash when he was about four years of age . The reason of their coming dowft was on Account of the great plague , which raged in the
reign of Charles II . They set up some business in the said town * artd then his father was m&de kn officer of excise , an 4 in the tiftws of Jtimes II . became $ l supervisor $ but lite was sbon turned eutj , beeauste lie reftfs&d to sub-Scribe a private list which hie cbUefctot produce ^ by which &e wad tto ackn&w *
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ledge that th £ &i ** g feed ^ | w » yer i ±£ dlispetisiag with-the ; ifiWs . tHe followed hw trade till King William wfes settled on the throne * whefi he wm restored to the employment which h& bad # e hoaouraWy ( quitted . After thi $ he removed his family to Ljau&gesfam , where he set u& selling books aiwl
millinery wares , intendii ^ g < as appeared afterwards ) the first jbfonehfor .-hi& son , and the other for his < Jau | fhter& . Ax > cordinglyi , youttg ^ Ben was eeftt to London , as soon as he was of a proper age , where his father bound hi ! n an apprentice to a person who was not only a regular bookseller , but who likewise understood the art of
bookbinding , so that he was qualified to act in both capacities > How long he was in the country before he came to Plymonth I do not know . I very well remember when his fattier first kept the shop he afterwards Was siet up ia . He came to town with very great
advantage as to his profession , for he had no rival in trade > ahd , therefore ^ being a person of good manners and good understandings and also a work- * man in his way , he very sooti got ihto business ; aad by being able to supply the orders ef gentlemen and clergymen
in all brandies , he wfes quickly established in the way of sure getting-with ^ . out miming- any naasmer of risk for it * He never sent for any book but what was ordered for ; mid if any was sent , down by his dealers wit ho lit such order , they were to be returned , so that he was alwavs On a silre fotrfc .
Me got also a vaeS deal by binding ^ which he performed tvjth great nicfei y ^ and besides , fell into several other branches of trade ^ sueh as the sl }» tion-i ery ware of all kinds , instruments and books for navigation , prints of all kinds , all kinds almost of quack medicines *
such as Bos tick . Stou&hton . & ! , ht > . such as Bostick , Stoughton , &ca ^ besides pen-knives , spy-glas # efc and the like ^ by which means he soori ^ ot tage * ther a good fortune ^ and became a money-l «« der . He was a man of no expense for many years $ all his family consisted of wna one ef his sisterfe dt a
tir » e > to inanage ma hou » e ^ ^ nd a eervant-maid . And th < m he kept m > tom ^ panyf pai 4 er received i > o tisits ^ aifiwi only on . a time Would go with a friend or two / and spend tfeie ^ perwje of ^ a evenittff in beefr or ale . In thei ^ ttet p « n m l m time , indeed , he Kvfed m ^ re at lar ^ fof he kep t a hor&e and jrcrd #
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jtiaFrqpkicalSketetes < tf s&me ^ ffiis Con 4 e 7 nflerari&& ± ty $ fYy toAn F <* & . 443
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1821, page 443, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2503/page/3/
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