DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0301
EXTRAORDINARY DEATH OF JOHN HINCKLEY, ESQ. 26/
bed he lay on was completely rotted through, and the floor
in such a state, that danger was apprehended of an infection,
Before the jury sat on the body every precaution was taken,
by fumigation, and otherwise, to prevent contagion, and it
was found necessary to bury the body as privately as pos-
sible, and destroy every article that it lay near.
This eccentric gentleman, whose very singular death ap-
pears above, wras a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians,
and a Member of the Society of Arts in the Adelphi; at the
^Society he was a frequent speaker, and was more remarked
for his mistaking the question, and speaking for that mo-
tion he intended to oppose, than for throwing any particular
light on the subject discussed; his conduct here as well as else-
where was very eccentric; he was a little spare man, and the
continued twinkling of his eyes did not at all take from his outr£
appearance. Mr. Hinckley was the translator of the romance,
so well known by the name of Ruganto Rugantini, of which
the following anecdote was told by a Member of the Society of
Arts.—The President of that Society, not exactly aware that
the circle of gentlemen by whom he was surrounded were
literary men, was .complaining that some books had crept
into the Society Library, that were hardly worthy of so
learned a body—“ What books then does your Grace object
to,” said Hinckley, brushing up to the portly president, and
anxious to hear the literary opinion of a Duke—“Oh,
several, but above all, surely the Society has much degraded
itself by accepting of a German Novel-—’tis called Ruganto
Rugantini”—Hinckley withdrew, something in the style we
presume that Pope retired, after hearing the explanation of a
note of interrogation.
JVfr Hinckley was at times rather irritable, and underwent
some severe animadversions at the Society of Arts, for
forcing himself through certain regulations .adopted by the
Society during the distribution of prizes.
M m 2
bed he lay on was completely rotted through, and the floor
in such a state, that danger was apprehended of an infection,
Before the jury sat on the body every precaution was taken,
by fumigation, and otherwise, to prevent contagion, and it
was found necessary to bury the body as privately as pos-
sible, and destroy every article that it lay near.
This eccentric gentleman, whose very singular death ap-
pears above, wras a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians,
and a Member of the Society of Arts in the Adelphi; at the
^Society he was a frequent speaker, and was more remarked
for his mistaking the question, and speaking for that mo-
tion he intended to oppose, than for throwing any particular
light on the subject discussed; his conduct here as well as else-
where was very eccentric; he was a little spare man, and the
continued twinkling of his eyes did not at all take from his outr£
appearance. Mr. Hinckley was the translator of the romance,
so well known by the name of Ruganto Rugantini, of which
the following anecdote was told by a Member of the Society of
Arts.—The President of that Society, not exactly aware that
the circle of gentlemen by whom he was surrounded were
literary men, was .complaining that some books had crept
into the Society Library, that were hardly worthy of so
learned a body—“ What books then does your Grace object
to,” said Hinckley, brushing up to the portly president, and
anxious to hear the literary opinion of a Duke—“Oh,
several, but above all, surely the Society has much degraded
itself by accepting of a German Novel-—’tis called Ruganto
Rugantini”—Hinckley withdrew, something in the style we
presume that Pope retired, after hearing the explanation of a
note of interrogation.
JVfr Hinckley was at times rather irritable, and underwent
some severe animadversions at the Society of Arts, for
forcing himself through certain regulations .adopted by the
Society during the distribution of prizes.
M m 2