poems in his own language.
"His increasing years," to use the words of his son, "stole
inperceptibly on the even tenor of his life, and gradually lessened the
distance of his journey through it, without obscuring the serenity of
the prospect. Unimpeded by sickness, and unclouded by sorrow, or any
serious misfortune, his life was a life of temperance, of self-denial,
and of moderation, in all things; and of great regularity. He rose early
in the morning, _ante diem poscens chartas_, and was constant on
horseback at his usual hour, and in all seasons. His summers were
uniformly passed at Cheltenham, with his family, during the latter part
of his life; and upon his return to Bath in the autumn, he fell
habitually into the same unruffled scenes of domestic ease and
tranquillity, rendered every day more joyous and interesting to him by
the increase of his family circle, and the enlargement of his hospitable
table; and by many circumstances and occurrences connected with the
welfare of his children, which gave him infinite delight and
satisfaction."

At the beginning of 1805, he experienced a sudden and general failure of
his bodily faculties, and a correspondent depressure of mind. The little
confidence he placed in the power of medicine made him reluctantly
comply with the wishes of his friends, that he should take the opinion
of Doctor Haygarth. Yet he was not without hope of alleviation to his
complaints from change of air; and, therefore, removed from Bath to the
house of his son-in-law, Mr. Bosanquet, in Wiltshire. Here having at
first revived a little, he soon relapsed, and declining gradually,
expired in the eighty-first year of his age, without apparent suffering,
in the possession of his intellectual powers, and, according to the
tender wish of Pindar for one of his patrons--

[Greek: huion, psaumi, paristamenon,]

in the midst of his children.

He was buried in the parish church of Walcot, in the city of Bath, in
the same vault with his fourth daughter the wife of Rear-Admiral
Sotheby, and her two infant children.

A cenotaph has been erected to his memory among the poets of his country
in Westminster Abbey, by his eldest son, the Rev. Christopher Anstey,
with the following inscription:--

M.S.
Christopheri Anstey, Arm.
Alumni Etonensis,
Et Collegii Regalis apud Cantabrigienses olim Socii,
Poetae,
Literis elegantioribus adprime ornati,
Et inter principes Poetarum,
Qui in eodem genere floruerunt,
Sedem