From the exalted station which Dr. Tilloch sustained in the ranks of literature, few individuals were better known throughout Eusope than himself; and as his life had been conspicuous, so his death excited general sympathy.

Dr. Tilloch was somewhat of a connoisseur; he has left a few good pictures; a valuable, though not large collection of medals; an excellent library, and several articles which exhibit a fine taste; the library and medals will, we believe, be sold in the course of the spring, and are well worthy the attention of the public.

In person, Dr. Tilloch was rather tall, and well-proportioned; with a fine intellectual countenance. His name will be long remembered in the scientific world, and his writings will erect to his memory an imperishable monument. In private life he was amiable; in conversation acute, intelligent, and communicative; few persons possessed a clearer understanding, or a warmer heart. His style of composition was rather strong than elegant, but generally apposite to the subject in hand, and he was never verbose.

335

No. XIII.

MRS. FRANKLIN.

ELEANOR ANNE FRANKLIN was the youngest child of William and Mary Porden; the former a native of Hull, the latter of York.

But little is known of her father, Mr. Porden's early life. It is believed that his talents for poetry and drawing were the means of introducing him to the notice and subsequent patronage of the Rev. W. Mason, the poet; a man who was not more distinguished for his own taste and acquirements in the arts, than for his generous solicitude to foster genius wherever he met with it. By Mr. Mason, Mr. Porden was introduced to the late Mr. James Wyatt, in whose office he for some time studied the principles and practice of architecture; and by whose recommendation he obtained the situation of private secretary to the late Lord Sheffield, then Mr. Baker Holroyd, who afterwards appointed him paymaster to the twenty-second regiment of Light Dragoons, which we believe was raised by his lordship in the year 1770. After the reduction of this regiment, Mr. Porden resumed his architectural pursuits; and was in the first instance employed to execute some public work by the parish of St. George, Hanover-square. He was also engaged in superintending the fitting up of Westminster Abbey, for the celebrated commemoration of Handel, in the years 1785 and

1786.

Mr. Porden was soon after appointed by the father of the present Earl Grosvenor the surveyor of his extensive estates in London and Middlesex; and was at all times honoured by much of his lordship's kindness and attention. He was one of the invited party for a month at Eton Hall, in 1788,

to celebrate the coming of age of Lord Belgrave, the present earl. The festivities on that occasion derived great brilliance from the wit and talents of the numerous and distinguished guests. Among the intellectual devices that were resorted to for amusement was, the establishment of a Periodical Paper, of which Mr. Gifford (who, as is well known, had been Lord Belgrave's tutor) was the editor; and which made its appearance every morning at the breakfast-table, under the name of "The Salt-Box;" so called from the circumstance of a salt-box being used as the most convenient receptacle for the effusions of the various members of the party. Mr. Porden was a frequent contributor. A selection from these jeux-d'esprit was, we believe, afterwards printed. Mr. Porden also took an active part in the arrangement of the Eaton theatricals.

The most celebrated of Mr. Porden's architectural works are the royal stables at Brighton, which were built for his present Majesty, when Prince of Wales; and Eaton Hall, the magnificent seat of Earl Grosvenor, in Cheshire. He was a man of the strictest integrity and uprightness of character; frequently scorning to avail himself of advantages to which he was even justly entitled; and in some instances he was in consequence very inadequately remunerated for great exertions. He was for many years a member of the Linnean society. His acquaintance among our best artists, as well as among literary and scientific men generally, was very extensive. He always continued in habits of the greatest friendship with Mr. Gifford; and the late Mr. Hoppner and Mr. Smirke were two of his earliest and most intimate associates. Mr. Porden had made pointed architecture his peculiar study; and had collected a great mass of materials upon the subject, which it was his intention to publish, had he not been cut off at an earlier period of his life than could have been anticipated by those who knew his general good health, and his temperate habits. Two years before his death, after having been nearly forty years in the employment of Lord Grosvenor's family, for the interests of which he had always

evinced the utmost zeal, he was dismissed from the care of Lord Grosvenor's landed property, in the most sudden and abrupt manner; his "old age" being the only reason assigned for the step, although he was at the time in perfect possession of every faculty both of body and of mind. It was in vain that conscious rectitude incessantly whispered that his character was unimpeachable. Mr. Porden felt the mortification most deeply; and it was enhanced by its occurrence at a period when it was well-known that another of Lord Grosvenor's agents had extensively defrauded him; and when, therefore, there was reason to apprehend that the world might suppose that Mr. Porden was implicated in that transaction. On the contrary, he was a fellow-sufferer with his lordship; having lent the person alluded to some hard-earned money, which, in all probability, is lost to Mr. Porden's family for ever; a circumstance the more to be regretted, as Mr. Porden had not amassed a considerable fortune. From the shock which Mr. Porden's health received on this occasion he never recovered; and he died on the 14th of September, 1822, aged sixty-seven.

Mrs. Franklin, as has been already observed, was the youngest child of her parents; who had a numerous family; all of whom, however, died in their infancy, except the eldest and the youngest; both daughters. The latter was born in July, 1795. She very early showed great precocity of talent, combined with a most retentive memory; and her acquirements were proportionate. Her education, which was private, was of a superior and rather unusual description. When only eleven years old, she had a great desire to learn the Greek language, but was discouraged by her dislike of the Latin. By the assistance of a friend, however, who was her instructor, she accomplished her object; was at the labour of making an English and Greek lexicon for her own use; and became a very respectable Greek scholar. French she wrote and spoke with great fluency and correctness; and Latin she afterwards taught herself. At an early age she was a subscriber to the Royal Institution, was very regular in

her attendance at the lectures, and was known to, and upon terms of friendship with, most of the professors. She used to take very full notes of the lectures; and was in the habit, on her return home, of writing out, from those notes, aided by her excellent memory, the entire lecture; so that she accumulated a vast mass of scientific matter; imprinted upon her mind a great deal of valuable information; was a good geologist, mineralogist, and theoretic chemist; and, in fact, with the exception of mathematical knowledge, became familiar with almost the whole circle of science and literature. She was also no mean draughts-woman; although her efforts that way were principally confined to making architectural outlines for her father; many of which were of great beauty. Nor did Miss Porden neglect those qualifications which are more peculiarly feminine. She could ply her needle with great dexterity, both usefully and ornamentally; and some crystals formed by the candied syrup of a pineapple of her preserving were thought worthy of being introduced in a lecture by Mr. Professor Brande, at the Royal Institution. It is a little singular that, although her ear was nicely sensible of the harmony of poetical numbers, she had not the slightest relish for, or knowledge of, music. Not only was she unable to distinguish one tune from another; but she never remarked any change in time or measure. In dancing, she regulated her steps by counting; any variation in the time, or any error in playing the tune, she was wholly unconscious of; and would go on with the figure, counting away till she reached the end of the dance; to the great amusement of her young friends.

But it was by her poetical genius that Miss Porden was especially distinguished. It developed itself at a very early age. A number of his literary and scientific friends used to assemble at Mr. Porden's house once a fortnight. The recollection of the amusement which "The Salt-Box" had afforded at Eaton, induced Mr. Porden to establish a similar mode of collecting the fugitive productions of this social party, but under the name of "The Tea-Chest;" which name, in con