600 - TRESHAM. “Scripture vindicated from the Misrepresentations of the Lord Bishop of Bangor;” in which he incidentally inserted a profane prayer of “the impious author of the Pantheis ticon.” —“Omnipotens et sempiterne Bacche, qui huma nam societatem maxime in bibendo constitutisti; concede propitius, ut istorum capita, qui hesternâ compotatione gravantur, hodiernå leventur; idque fiat per pocula pocu lorum. Amen.” Des Maizeaux, however, affirms that it was not composed by Toland, who knew nothing of i t
but b y a person whose name h e forbears o n account o f his profession; though h e believes h e only intended i t a s a ridicule o f Toland's club o f pantheistic philosophers, whom h e injuriously imagined t o b e a l l drunkards, whereas they are grave, sober, and temperate men. He had for several years lived a t Putney, spending his winters i n London. While there, about the middle of December, finding his strength and appetite failing, h e applied t o a physician, who made him worse b y producing a continual vomiting and diarrhoea. I n this state h e returned t o Putney, and growing somewhat better, h e wrote “A Dissertation t o prove the uncertainty o f Physic, and the danger o f trusting our lives t o those who practise it.” He was preparing some other things, but death put a n end t o a l l his projects, o n the 11th o f March, 1722. Throughout the whole course o f this tedious sickness, we are informed that h e behaved with a truly philosophical patience, and looked upon death without the least pertur bation o f mind, composing his own epitaph, and bidding farewell t o those about him, telling them “he was going t o sleep.” - HENRY TRESHAM, AN admirable artist, was a native o f Ireland, and received his first instruction i n the rudiments of the art i n the academy o f Mr. West i n Dublin. He afterwards visited England, where h e was for some time employed i n drawing small portraits, when h e was favoured with the
