Letters of Richard Reynolds; With a Memoir of His Life (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852. Excerpt: ... MEMOIR LIFE OF RICHARD REYNOLDS. CHAPTER I. Under feelings of deep reverence and affection, I undertake the task, which has been allotted to me, of giving some account of the life of my grandfather, Richard Reynolds. It is a solemn thing, to attempt to pourtray the character of another, --to trace the footsteps of one, who has passed away from the earth, --to collect the scattered signs and records of his mind's existence, --knowing, the while, that there is, in every human being, an inner life, which cannot be penetrated. And this is peculiarly to be felt, in the present instance, of one, whose whole conduct was governed by the utmost simplicity of truth, and a sensitive shrinking from the observation of others. There was nothing in my grandfather's station in life, in his attainments in any branch of science or literature, or in any circumstances connected with him or his family, to render him a man of public mark or B interest. It was solely through his self-denying benevolence and extended beneficence that he became so widely known in his life-time, and that he comes before us now, after the lapse of so many years since he was removed from this earthly scene. So greatly was he esteemed in his native place, that shortly after his death a meeting was held in Bristol to consider the most appropriate mode of recording his worth and perpetuating his name: and a charitable society was formed and entitled "The Reynolds Commemoration Society." And shall he who was so beloved and respected by his fellow-citizens, as to win from them this testimony to his virtues and beneficence, be suffered to remain unremembered, and almost unknown, in the habitations of his descendants?--shall his labours of love, and his self-denying life, exist only in the recollection of the...