be called to hazard his life in the field, that heroic contempt of death, which he had often discovered in the midst of former dangers, was exhibited in his discourse with feveral of his intimate friends. He had often expreffed his defire, "that if it were the will of God, he might have fome honourable call to facrifice his life in defence of religion and the liberties of his country ;" hence, when it appeared most probable that he might be called to it immediately, he met the fummons with the greatest alacrity. He valiantly fell at the head of his regiment, at the battle of Prefton Pans, September 21, 1745, aged fifty fix The remains of this chriftian hero were interred Sept. 24, at the parish church in Travent, where he had ufually attended divine fervice with great folemnity. Doddridge's Life of Colonel Gardner. years. CHARLES BONNET, Esq. CHARLES BONNET, a learned and ingenious author, was born in the year 1693. He was defcended from a French family, who being compelled on account of their religious principles, to emigrate from their native country, eftablished themselves at Geneva, in the year 1572. At a very early period, he recompensed his father's affiduity in his education, by the amiableness of his difpofition, and the rapid progrefs he made in general literature. When he was about fixteen, he applied himself with great avidity to the ftudy of natural hiftory, and made many curious experiments. In compliance with his father's defires, he applied him felf, though with reluctance, to the study of the law; and in the year 1743, obtained the degree of doctor of laws. The fame year he was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. He ftill continued attentive to natural history, and published a number of valuable works upon that fubject. In the year 1783, he was elected honorary member of the Academy of Sciences at Paris; and of the Academy of Sciences at Berlin. Mr. Bonnet entertained the utmost averfion to controverfy; and thought no advantages obtained by it could recompenfe for the want of repofe. Hence he never answered remarks that were made to the prejudice of his writings, but left the decifion to the public; yet he was ever ready to acknowledge his errours, and fincerely grateful to every one who contributed to the perfection of his works. This excellent man delighted in retirement, and every hour was devoted to the improvement of his mind. His laft years were spent in the fame rural fituation, where he had paffed the greatest part of his early life. Yet notwithstanding the pursuit of literature was his fupreme delight, he never refused to fufpend his ftudies when the good of his country appeared to demand his fervices. In 1758, he was chofen member of the grand council in Geneva, and affifted regularly in their deliberations, till the year 1768. There he diftinguished himself by his eloquence, his modefty, united with firmness, by his good fenfe, and penetration, in cafes of difficulty, and the zeal by which he endeavoured to reclaim his fellow citizens to their antient fimplicity of manners. His conduct in every fituation, was confiftent with his principles. He took no pains to accumulate wealth; but remained fatisfied with a fortune equal to his moderate wants, and the exercife of his known benevolence. The diftinguished excellence of his moral and intellectual character, procured him univerfal esteem. From the year 1788, his health gradually declined. He fuftained his indifpofition with unremitted cheerfulness. and compofure; and retained his prefence of mind to the. last moment. He endeavoured to confole his furrounding friends and relations, and alleviate the diftrefs of his difconfolate wife, in whofe arms he expired, May 10th, 1793, in the feventy third year of his age. A complete and new edition of Mr. Bonnet's works was published in 1779, at Nuschatel, in ten volumes. This great man was an eminent advocate of the truth. of divine Revelation; hence he published " Philofophical and Critical Inquiries concerning Chriftianity." The tranflator of that work obferves that, " In this sceptical and paradoxical age, an oftentatious difplay of erudition; every alluring and fascinating grace of style; every specious argument, calculated to mifguide the unwary, havebeen employed to undermine our holy religion. It muft therefore be a fource of infinite fatisfaction, to those who fincerely fearch after truth, to see the man of genius, the man of learning and deep reflection, ftand forth to combat and repel thofe ungenerous attacks on the happiness of fociety in general, and of every individual impreffed with the fublime doctrine and comfortable truths, contained in divine Revelation." Supplement to the Encyclopedia, Vol. II.— SOAME JENYNS, Esq. SOAME JENYNS, an ingenious writer, was defcended from an antient and refpectable family, and born in London, 1704. His father was an upright, knowing, and diligent magiftrate; a great encourager of induftry, and orderly government. His mother poffeffed an uncommon understanding, and an highly cultivated mind; and being a fincerely pious woman, early endeavoured to inftil the principles of virtue and religion into the mind of her fon. After his domeftic education was finished, he entered the univerfity at Cambridge, where he was diftinguished for his regular and orderly behaviou.r After he left college, his time was chiefly devoted to literary pursuits. Soon after his father's death, at the general election in 1742, he was unanimously chosen one of the reprefentatives for the county of Cambridge; from which time he fat in parliament until the year 1780, reprefenting during thirty four years, either the county or the borough of Cambridge. The conftant and uniform opinion, which those who chose him, entertained of his parliamentary conduct, was strongly evinced by the unanimity of their choice. In the year 1785, his majesty appointed him one of the Lords Commiffioners of the board for trade and plantations, at which he continued to fit until an alteration was made in its conftitution by parliament, and the bufiness transferred to the great officers of state, and those who are in the lift of his majefty's honourable privy council. Mr. Jenyns, from early or ftrong convictions, was in his youth a zealous believer in revelation; but gradually lofing ground in faith, he wandered into paths obfcured by doubt, and became a profeffed deift, till by a retrograde progrefs, he measured back his fteps to the comforts of chriftianity. The account he gives of his converfion from deism to the christian faith, is in the following words. "The well attefted miracles, by which God hath borne witness to the veracity of his servants, and to the truth of doctrines delivered by them; the completion of prophecy, and the prefent, daily, fulfilling of fome prophecies, which were delivered many hundred years ago, are no inconfiderable evidences on the fide of revelation. But the internal evidence of the christian religion, I have confeffed, carries with it an authority, that has influenced my mind more than all the external evidences. It is that, which has borne down my prejudices, and drove from my heart the infidelity, that for many years I had unhappily cherished." Mr. Jenyns was ftrict in the performance of religious duties in public, and a conftant obferver of those which are private. He ever profeffed the greateft veneration for the church of England, preferring its form of public worship to that of any established church of Chriftendom. He poffeffed a high degree of gentleness and fweetness of temper, which he manifefted to all with whom he had concerns, either in the business of life, or its focial intercourse. He was ftudiously folicitous to avoid giving of fence, and rarely fuffered himself to be offended with others. In private life, he was most amiable and engaging; being poffeffed of a well informed mind, accompanied with an uncommon vein of the moft lively, fpirited, and genuine. wit, which was tempered with fuch kindness of nature, as never to give uneafinefs to others. This made his compamy fought after with avidity, by persons of taste and re |