e could not bear any discourse of death, and seemed to cast
off all thoughts of it; he delighted to reckon upon longer life. The
winter before he died he had a warm coat made him, which he said must
last him three years, and then he would have such another. A few days
after his removal to Hardwick, Wood says that he was struck with a
dead palsy, which stupified his right side from head to foot,
depriving him of his speech and reason at the same time; but this
circumstance is not so probable, since Dr. Kennet has told us, that in
his last sickness he frequently enquired, whether his disease was
curable; and when it was told him that he might have ease but no
remedy, he used these expressions. 'I shall be glad then to find a
hole to creep out of the world at;' which are reported to be his last
sensible words, and his lying some days following in a state of
stupefaction, seemed to be owing to his mind, more than to his body.
The only thought of death which he appeared to entertain in time of
health, was to take care of some inscription on his grave; he would
suffer some friends to dictate an epitaph, amongst which he was best
pleased with these words:

"This is the true Philosopher's Stone."

He died at Hardwick, as above-mentioned, on the 4th of Dec. 1679.
Notwithstanding his great age, for he exceeded 90 at his death, he
retained his judgment in great vigour till his last sickness.

Some writers of his life maintain, that he had very orthodox notions
concerning the nature of God and of all the moral virtues;
notwithstanding the general notion of his being a downright atheist;
that he was affable, kind, communicative of what he knew, a good
friend, a good relation, charitable to the poor, a lover of justice,
and a despiser of money. This last quality is a favourable
circumstance in his life, for there is no vice at once more despicable
and the source of more base designs than avarice. His warmest votaries
allow, that when he was young he was addicted to the fashionable
libertinism of wine and women, and that he kept himself unmarried lest
wedlock should interrupt him in the study of philosophy.

In the catalogue of his faults, meanness of spirit and cowardice may
be justly imputed to him. Whether he was convinced of the truth of his
philosophy, no man can determine; but it is certain, that he had no
resolution to support and maintain his notions: had his doctrines been
of ever so much consequence to the