HENRY KIRKE WHITE was born at Nottingham, March 21st, 1785. His father was a butcher; his mother, whose own name was Neville, was of a respectable Staffordshire family. Henry, who from a very early age discovered a great desire for reading, received his first education at the school of a Mrs. Garrington, who soon perceived his superior capacity, and of whom he speaks with affection in his poem upon Childhood. At the age of six, he was removed to a higher school, where he learned writing, arithmetic, and French. It was his father's intention that he should follow his own business; but his mother, aware that he was wor. thy of better things, made every possible effort to procure him such an education as his talents deserved and his heart desired. Chiefly with this view, she opened a Ladies' Boarding and Day School in Nottingham, which materially increased the domestic comforts of the family, although it did not render Henry independent of his own exertions. It was necessary that he should be made acquainted with some trade, and the woollen manufacture was determined upon. At the age of fourteen, therefore, he was placed at a stocking-loom, with the view, at some future period, of his getting a situation in a hosier's warehouse. This employment was so perfectly uncongenial to his taste and inclination, that while he remained at it he might be said to be truly unhappy. His temper and tone of mind at this period are well displayed in the Address to Contemplation, written in his fourteenth year. In his mother he found an affectionate counsellor; she made every possible effort to gratify his desire for a literary life; and at length, after he had remained a year at the loom, she got him removed to an attorney's office, as the most probable means of attaining the object of his pursuit. He entered the office in 1800, when he was fifteen; but as no premium could be given with him, he was not articled till the commencement of the year 1802.

and Latin, and latterly of Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Several of the sciences were also among his studies, of some of which he acquired a respectable knowledge. About this time he was admitted a Member of a Literary Soclety in Nottingham, where he honourably distinguished himself; and he began also to furnish pieces, both in prose and verse, to several periodicals. In the Monthly Preceptor, a magazine which proposed prize-themes, he gained a silver medal for a translation from Horace, and a pair of twelve-inch globes for an imaginary Tour from London to Edinburgh. But his contributions to the Monthly Mirror were still more fortunate, for they were the means of introducing him to the acquaintance of Mr. Capel Lofft, and of Mr. Hill, the proprietor of the work. By their encouragement he was induced, about the close of the year 1802, to prepare a little volume of poems for the press, in the hope that this publication might, either by the success of its sale, or the notice which it might excite, enable him to prosecute his studies at college, and qualify himself for holy orders; for a deafness, to which he was subject, threatened to preclude all possibility of advancement in the legal profession. To obtain a patroness for his book whose rank might give it consequence in the eyes of the public, he applied first to the Countess of Derby, and on her delicately declining, to the Duchess of Devonshire, who gave permission that the volume should be dedicated to her; but although a copy was, according to custom, transmitted to her, her Grace was too much occupied with heartless and giddy follies, to appreciate or encourage the amiable author. A copy was also forwarded to each of the Reviews, with a note, stating the disadvantages with which the author had struggled, and requesting an indulgent criticism. He waited with anxiety for their remarks. The Monthly Review, then a leading journal, affected to sympathize with the author, "under the discouragements of penury and misfortune," but spoke so slightingly of his productions, as 10 inflict a wound on his sensitive mind which was never wholly cured. This critique, however, was the means of exciting the notice of Mr. Southey the poet, who, having read the volume, was indig

nant at the injustice done to the author, and wrote nim an encouraging letter, advising him to print a larger volume, and kindly offering to interest himself in its favour. This was the commencement of their correspondence and friendship; and Mr. (now Dr.) Southey, has subsequently established the reputation of poor White upon a secure basis, by the publication of his collected Poems, Prose Essays, and Correspondence, in three volumes octavo, ac companied by an elegant memoir.

At one time, his opinions were inclining to deism, and for a considerable period they remained unsettled; but whenever he saw his error and embraced Christianity, he resolved to devote his life to the promulgation of it; and, with that view, formed the determination to abandon the law, and, if possible, place himself at one of the universities. His friends endeavoured without effect to dissuade him from his purpose. Great and numerous as the obstacles were, he was determined to surmount them all. He had now fulfilled more than half of the term for which he was articled; but his benevolent employers listened with a friendly ear to his proposed plans, and agreed to give up their claim on the remainder of his time, although his services had now become very valuable to them, as soon as his prospects seemed favourable of getting through the university. His friends accordingly exerted themselves vigorously on his behalf, and in the hope of success, his employers gave him a month's leave of absence for study and change of air. That month he spent at the village of Wilford, on the banks of the Trent, and at the foot of Clifton Woods, which had been his early and favourite place of resort. Soon after the expiration of the month, however, intelligence arrived that the proposed plans had entirely failed. All his hopes seemed now blasted; and the time which he had thus lost in his professional pursuit, made it necessary that he should apply himself more severely than ever to his legal studies. He allowed himself no time for relaxation, little for his meals, and scarcely any for sleep. His health in consequence soon sunk; he became pale and thin; and a severe indisposition was brought on, from the shock of which his constitution never thoroughly recovered.

The hopes of qualifying himself for holy orders, however, were again revived; and at length, by the benevolent and strenuous exertions of several friends, particularly of his mother and brother

Neville, he was enabled to enter the university of Cambridge. He quitted his former employers in October, 1804, and before proceeding to the uni versity, applied himself for a twelvemonth with unwearied assiduity to study; during which period the progress he made was astonishing.

While keeping his first term at the university, & scholarship became vacant, for which he was advised to offer himself a candidate; but after passing the whole term in preparing for it, his health sunk so alarmingly, that, after having offered himsel. for the competition, he was compelled to withdraw. This was not the only misfortune; the general college-examination approached; and he was illprepared to meet it. Once more he exerted him self Deyond what his shattered health could bear; and, having supported himself by strong medicines during the days of examination, he was ultimately pronounced the first man of his year. But life was the price with which he was to pay for his aca demical honours.

Next year, he was again pronounced first at the great college-examination, and also one of the three best theme-writers. Every university-honour was thought to be within his reach; he was set down as a medallist, and expected to take a senior wrang. ler's degree; but these expectations goaded him to fresh exertions after his strength was gone. To his mother and brother he wrote that he had relaxed in his studies, and that he was better; but to Mr. Maddock, the most intimate of his friends, he complained of dreadful palpitations, nights of sleeplessness, and spirits depressed to the very depth of wretchedness. The college offered him, at their own expense, a tutor in mathematics, during the long vacation-an indulgence peculiarly unfortu nate, as his only chance of life was from relaxation, and home was the only place where he would have relaxed to any purpose. Before this he appeared for a time to be gaining strength, but it failed as the year advanced. He went to London to recruit himself the worst place to which he could have gone; and when he returned to college, he was so completely worn out that no power of medicine could save him. His very mind was exhausted; and it was the opinion of his medical attendants, that, even if his life had been preserved, his intellect would have been affected. He died on the 19th of October, 1806, aged 21 years.