Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/314

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310 HENDERSON. of misanthropy. “Physiognomy,” said Mr. Henderson, “may increase a man's knowledge, but not h i s happiness; the physiognomist first discovers the evil i n another, and afterwards the good; but the man unskilled i n the science first discovers the good, which pleases him, and afterwards the evil, which disgusts him.” . . . Whether Henderson ever read Lavater's splendid and ingenious work, i s not known; his opinion, however, o n these subjects was fully formed long before that perform ance was known i n England. Mr. Cooper acknowledges h i s obligation t o him for the account o f magic, i n his curious and entertaining paper o n physiognomy, i n the third volume o f the Manchester Transactions. Though these were distinguishing and singular features i n his character, his attainments i n other branches o f knowledge were equally strong and comprehensive. There was n o subject totally unknown t o him, n o branch o f science o r o f literature unexplored b y him. The fluency with which h e spoke the Latin language was wonderful, and his remarks o n classical obscurities, astonished even those who were critics b y profession. After due residence a t Oxford, h e took his degree o f bachelor o f arts, and from this period his life passed with little variety and n o adventures. His thirst after knowledge appears t o have been both unabated and unbounded; h e was admired and generally respected; and h e acquired habits, some o f which brought him into the notice o f the world almost a s much a s his talents. “His clothes,” observes a friend who appears t o have known him intimately, “were made i n a fashion peculiar t o himself. He wore n o stock o r neck-cloth; his buckles were s o small a s not t o exceed the dimensions o f a n ordinary knee-buckle, a t a time when very large buckles were i n vogue; and, although h e was then twenty-four years o f age, h e wore h i s hair like that o f a school-boy o f six.” He died a t Oxford, the second day o f October, 1788, and was buried o n the eighteenth, a t St. George's, Kings wood; the body being accompanied b y Mr. Agutter,