T3REVIOUS  to  the  receipt  of  your
-*-  letter,  the  painful  information  had
arrived,  that  Powell  was  no  more  !  He
was  the  valued  friend  of  my  early  youth,
and  I  fhall  ever  cherifh  his  remembrance
with  unabated  attachment.  To  men-
tion his  profeffional  excellence  is  unne-
ceflary  ;  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  pub-
lic having  firmly  eftabliflied  his  fuperior
pretenfions.  Nor  need  I  exprefs  my  fears,
that  it  is  improbable  we  fhall  quickly
"  look  upon  his  like  again  ;'*  for  how  fel-
dom  is  it  that  the  great  requifites  of  afting
are  fo  united  in  one  man,  as  they  were  in
him !  Great,  however,  as  his  lofs  is  to
the  public,  it  is  ftill  greater  to  his  friends ;

to


12  LETTERS  Let.  lu

to  thofe  who  knew,  as  we  did,  his  mild
and  amiable  manners ;  his  eafy  and  unaf-
fefted  vivacity  -,  and  his  uniform  candour
and  benevolence.  My  feelings  on  hearing
of  his  death,  were  much  augmented  by  the
particulars  of  a  circumftance  immediately
preceding  it :  After  having  contended  fe-
veral  days  with  the  violence  of  his  diforder,
nature  appeared  totally  exhaufted,  and  he
had  lain,  for  a  confiderable  time,  with
fcarce  a  fymptom  of  exiftence.  His  fur-
rounding  friends  had  mournfully  yielded
him  to  his  fate ;  and  were  expcdling  each
moment  the  laft  convulfive  exertion  !  when
fuddenly  ftarting,  with  wanderful  expref-
iion  in  his  countenance,  he  repeated  the
fpeech  in  Macbeth,  commencing  with  the

words :    **  Is  this  a  dagger "  tracing

with  his  eye  the  imaginary  movement  of
the  deluiive  phantom ;  then  a  fhort  period
of  recollection  took  place— he  appeared
confcious  of  having  been  under  the  influ-
ence


Let.  ir.  from   America.  13

ence  of  a  delirium — invoked  Heaven  for
mercy,  and  funk  lifelefs  on  his  pillow !
What  a  ftrong  inftance  of  the  ruling  paf-
fion,  in  his  final  exit !  In  him  I  have  loft
a  faithful,  animated  friend ;  and  "  friends
^*  grow  not  thick  on  every  bough/'  But
no  more  of  this — I  will  endeavour  to  re-
lieve my  mind  from  the  intrufion  of  me-
lancholy ideas,  by  attempting  to  gratify
your  curiofity  refpedling  this  place,  and  its
environs.
