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From an

Original Picture Painted by Hudson: in the Possession of S. Edwards Esq.

Published by J.Sewell, Cornhill. August 11799.

THE

EUROPEAN MAGAZINE,

AND

LONDON REVIEW,

FOR MARCH 1803.

DR. ISAAC SCHOMBERG.

[WITH A PORTRAIT.]

'A PHYSICIAN," fays Dr. Johnfon, “in a great city, feems to be the mere plaything of Fortune: his degree of reputation is, for the most part, totally cafual: they that employ him, know not his excellence; they that reject him know not his deficience. By any acute obferver, who had looked on the tranfactions of the medical world for half a century, a very curious book might be written on the Fortune of Physicians'."

This obfervation might be verified in the fate of the perfon whofe Portrait we now prefent to our readers. Though a man of acknowledged kill in his profeffion, of ftrict integrity, and of unremitting attention to his patients, yet he never acquired practice fufficient to ward off poverty, and died at lait, we are told, without a fingle guinea in his poffefsion.

DR. ISAAC SCHOMBERG was fon of Dr. Meyer Schomberg, a native of Cologne, a Jew, and, as it was faid, Librarian to fome perfon of diftin&tion abroad, which occupation he left, and came and fettled in London, where he profeffed himself to be a phyfician; and, by art and address, obtained a lucrative fituation amidst the faculty. In the year 1749 he had outstripped all the city phyficians, and was in the annual receipt of four thousand pounds.

This his fun, was born abroad, and at the age of two or three years was brought to England, where he received a liberal education, and afterwards was fent to ftudy, we believe, at Leyden, from whence he returned to London, and foon after, as his father had before him, became embroiled with the College of Phyficians, in a cafe, the particulars of which are as follow:

Dr. Schomberg having practifed fome years as a Phyfician in London, received a notice from the College of their intention to examine him in the ufual form, and to admit him a Licenciate. This notice the Doctor treated with contempt: inttead of fubmitting to the examination, he objected to the names of fome perfons who were to be examined at the fame time, and behaved, it is faid, with fome haughtine's to thofe of the College who, he complained, had afed him ill, in ordering him to be examined in fuch company. The Colleg: confidering themfelves the fole judges of what perfons they thould call upon, refufed to attend to the Doctor's objection; but examined the perfons against whom he feemed mot to except, in consequence of which they received the gentleman with extraordinary honour, and fresh affronts being given on both fides, they proceeded to interdict the doctor from practiting until he had given fuch

fatisfaction

fatisfaction as his conduct required. In the mean time the doctor fubmitted to be examined, and in 1750 procured the degree of Doctor of Phyfic to be conferred on him by the University of Cambridge; and, thus fupported, demanded his admittance a fecond time, not as a Licenciate, but one of the body. This demand was refufed to be complied with, and it was objected, that the Doctor, though naturalized, could not hold the office of Cenfor of the College, which was an office of truft; and this refufal brought the determination of the bufinefs to the decifion of the lawyers. A petition was prefented to the King, praying him, in the perfon of the Lord Chancellor to exercise his vifitatorial power over the College, and restore the Licenciates to their rights, which, by their arbitrary proceedings, the Prcfident and Fellows had for a fucceffion of ages deprived them of. This petition came on to be heard at Lincoln's Inn Hall, before the Lord Chief Juftice Willis, Baron Smythe, and Judge Wilmot, Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seat; but the allegations therein contained not being established, the fame was difmiffed. This attack on the College was the most formidable it ever fustained.

In this difpute Dr. Schomberg was fuppofed to have employed his pen against his adverfaries with confiderable effect. It is certain he was well fupported by his friends; one of whom, Mofes Mendez, Efq. expofed his opponents to ridicule, in a performance entitled "The Balliad," fince reprinted in Dilly's Repofitory.

From this period Dr. Schomberg took his ftation in the medical profeffion, with credit and approbation, though without the fuccefs that inferior talents fometimes experienced. On the last illness of David Garrick,

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He furvived his friend but a fhort time, dying at his houfe in Conduit Street, the 4th of March 1780; and the following character was given of him by one who feems to have known him well.

"His great talents and knowledge in his profeffion, were univerfally acknowledged by the gentlemen of the faculty; and his tenderness and humanity recommended him to the friendship and esteem, as well as veneration, of his patients. He was endued with uncommon quickness and fagacity in difcovering the fources, and tracing the progrefs, of a diforder; and though in general a friend to prudent regimen rather than medicine, yet, in emergent cafes, he prefcribed with a correct and happy boldness equal to the occafion.. He was fo averfe from that fordid avarice generally charged, perhaps often with great injuftice on the faculty, that many of his friends in affluent circumftances found it impoffible to force on him that reward for his fer. vices which he had fo fairly earned, and which his attendance fo well me. rited. As a man he was fincere, and juft in his principles, frank and amiable in his temper, inftructive and lively in converfation; his many fingularities endearing him still further to his acquaintance, as they proceeded from an honeft plainnefs of manner, and visibly flowed from a benevolent fimplicity of heart. He was, for many days, fenfible of his approaching end, which he encountered with a calmnefs and refignation, not easily to be imitated by thofe who now regret the lofs of fo good a man, so valuable a friend, and fo kilful a physician."

HABIT.

"And find that falsehood which for truth we took."
"Manners with fortunes, humours change with times,
"Tenets with books, and principles with climes."

is
IT now univerfally allowed by phi-
lofophers, that all fenfible qualities
of objects, such as soft, hard, hot, cold,
white, black, &c. are merely fecondary,

POMFRET.

POPE.

and exift not in the objects themselves, but are perceptions in the mind, without any original model which they reprefent. Mr. Hutchinfon has made a

like

like difcovery in morals, and proved, by inconteftible arguments, that morality is nothing in the abstract nature of things, but is entirely relative to the fentiment, or mental tafte, of each particular being.

I am often tempted to apply the fame reafoning to truth and falfehood, and to conclude, that the whole world, ancient as well as modern, are inconteftably right with regard to their own minds, and that confequently they are all wrong, with regard to the minds of thofe who differ from them. Whatever may be in this uncommon doctrine, the difficulty of discovering the truth, fo well expreffed by the old adage, that "truth lies in a well," no one, I think, will difpute.

There is, certainly, fome principle in nature, that makes mankind differ fo widely from one another, and from themfelves, at different periods. That which feems to me to make the greatest alteration on the human mind, is Habit. This powerful changer of mankind governs both the mind and the body, and it begins fo early, and exercifes its power fo abfolutely, that it has often been a matter of doubt with me, whether there was any other difference among men than what it made. Its influence must be well known to all who have given the smallest attention to it, and will appear by mentioning a few of its effects. To begin with the body; any one who accuftoms himfelf to let blood, take laudanum, or any other drug, finds it very difficult to leave them off. I might mention, to the fame purpose, the ufe of tobacco, drinking, &c. all of which, none can lay afide, who have been accustomed to them, without confiderable refolution, and experiencing fome uneafinefs.

thort, we are fo much under the influence of this principle, that by it we in general form the peculiar traits of our constitution. How healthy and robuft is the huntfman, compared with the folitary student! But that which is by far of the greatet importance, is the wonderful effects it has on our minds, which we often impute to other caufes.

This is a fubject of fuch extent, that to explain it at full length, might well require a volume, which is a talk very unequal to my time and capacity: F fhall, therefore, content myself with pointing out a few of its effects, which may ferve as hints to thofe who incline to obferve it farther.

What is it but Habit which gives men of every profeffion fuch a distinguifhing characteristic, that they are eafily known from all others? If we bring in contraft a priest and a foldier; a mathematician, moral philofopher, or logician, with a player, mutician, or dancing-mafter, how visibly will its effects appear! Nothing but Hibit makes the fe men differ fo widely from one another. A contrary Habit could make Handel retire to a closet with Euclid in his bofom, or a Newton go to the affembly with a fiddle under his arm. It is this which gives the apparent fanction of truth to the doctrine of tranfubitantiation and other fuperftitions.

But this principle will beft appear, when we turn our attention inwardly, and examine our own minds. Let us but habituate ourselves to any particular fort of study, as the reading of plays and romances, we fhall foon find the difficulty of applying to any fevere or intricate science. If, on the contrary, we apply ourfelves to mathematics, we will foon have more pleasure in reading the propofitions of Euclid, than the fublime works of Homer or Milton. If we but incline to any particular opinion or tenet, we will often begin to lay it down as an incontrovertible maxim, though it has no other appearance of truth than what Habit has given it.

It is a maxim, diicoverable by experience, that all the faculties, either of mind or body, are improved by exercife. To illustrate this, we need but compare the fupple poiture-matter, or rope-dancer, with the gouty alderman, or juftice of the peace. If any of the fe had changed parts at the beginning of life, they would, doubtlefs, have un- Although what I have faid, perhaps, dergone a fimilar change in their bodies. will not establish the truth of my theIt is remarked of the military, that the ory, it will illuftrate a maxim incul infantry have generally good legs, and cated by the immortal Bacon, in his the cavalry as generally bad ones. Elays, with which I fhall conclude. When a perfon is deprived of any one." Since cuftom is the principal magifhis fenfes, by having more occafion,trate of man's life, let men by all means to use the others. he enjoys them in a endeavour to obtain good customs." more extensive and perfect degree. In

A. H.

PIND. NEM. .

ἐπωδὸς α

Κλεωναίουτ ̓ ἀπ' ἀγῶ

τος ὅρμον σεφάνων
πέμψαντα, καὶ λιπαράν
ἐνωνύμων απ' ̓Αθηνῶν,
Θήβαιςτ ̓ ἐν ἐπλαπύλοις
δυνεκ' ̓Αμφιτρύωνος εἰσ
γλαὸν παρὰ τύμβον
Καδμειοί νιν οὐκ αέκοντες
ἄνθεσι μίγνυον,

Αἰγίνας ἕκατι. Φίλοι»

σε γὰρ φίλος ἐλθων,

ξένιον ἄτυ κατέδραμεν

Ἡρακλέος ὀλβίαν πρὸς ἀυλάν.

Such was that hymn, which fent a flowery chain
Of chaplets from Cleone's lifted plain;
From fplendid Athens, far renown'd;

O'er Thebes, whofe town feven gates furround.
For to Amphitryon's gorgeous tomb
Cadmus' fons rejoic'd to come,
And, for gina's fake, bestow
Braids of flowers to bind his brow:
For he, a friend by friends carefs'd,
Towards the hospitable city prefs'd,
Where Hercules his blissful feat poffefs'd.

PER
ERSONIFICATION is a figure which
Pindar frequently employs. It
elevates his language, and animates
his defcriptions. The hymn is here
represented as an agent; and, on an
other occafion, as opμata. It is
the hymn that fent chaplets from dif.
ferent places: the poet difappears.
The fenfe of this paffage is obvious,
and the tranfition eafy. Yet it feems
to have been doubted, whether the
victories, here mentioned, were ob-
tained by the father or the fon. The
poet will explain himfelf. Had your
father been living, fays Pindar to
Timafarchus, he would gladly have
joined in finging this hymn. For
he not only excelled in ufic and
poetry, but had been himself the fub-
ject of an ode. He had fung his own
triumphs. The conftruction is: ov
κελάδησε, τον πέμψαντα είμαι γερανων
Κλεωναίουτ ̓ ἀπ' ἀγῶνος, καὶ
Ti-

mocritus, the father, was a native of Egina; an ifland, and intimately connected with Thebes. Thefe places were named from the fitters Thebe and Egina; whofe ftory is told in the last Ifthm. Ode. On the victory obtained

at Thebes by Timocritus the poet defcants. He was a lover of his country. He knew, that the powers of genius expand in every climate, and refift the influence of malignant foils. He knew, that heroes, patriots, and poets had unexpectedly fprung from the bogs of Bootia. At Thebes, we are told, Timocritus was revered as a conqueror, and entertained as a friend. He was efteeme and honoured, not only for his own, but for Ægina's fake. The Thebans had been taught the rights of hofpitality by Hercules, their countryman. At Thebes his palace flood; an afylum for the diftreffed, and the refidence of fuch friends, as had, like himself, benefitted mankind. His memory, and that of his father, were perpetuated at Thebes by a tomb, erefted near the ftadium. But by

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pów, fay the commentators, Auptfuwvidov is meant. To write one thing, and mean ano her, is not the poet's practice. For, he tell us,

ἐξαίρετο Χαρίτων νέμομαι
κάποι" κεῖναι γὰρ ώπασαν
τα τέρπνα.

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