APPENDIX A RELATING TO MR. LOCKER'S GREAT-GRANDFATHER AND GRANDFATHER FROM NICHOLS'S LITERARY ANECDOTES OF THE JOHN LOCKER, Esq., barrister-at-law, Commissioner of Bankrupts, and clerk of the companies of Leathersellers and Clockmakers, was the son of Mr. Locker, a scrivener in the Old Jewry. He is styled by Dr. Ward, a gentleman much esteemed for his knowledge of polite literature;' and by Dr. Johnson, 'a gentleman eminent for curiosity and literature.' He was remarkable for his skill in the Greek language, particularly the modern, of which he became master by accident. Coming home late one. evening, he was addressed in modern Greek by a poor Greek priest, a man of literature, from the Archipelago, who had lost his way in the streets of London. He took him to his house, where he and Dr. Mead jointly maintained him some years, and by him was perfected in that language so as to write it fluently, and had translated a part, if not the whole, of one of Congreve's comedies into Greek. He married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Dr. Stillingfleet, and died a widower, much respected, May 29, 1760, aged sixty-seven. In the preface to the complete E E edition of Bacon's works by Dr. Birch and Mr. Mallet, in five volumes, 4to, 1765, the advantages of that edition above all the preceding ones are said to be 'chiefly owing to two gentlemen, now deceased-Robert Stephens, Esq., Historiographer Royal, and John Locker, Esq., Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries-both of whom had made a particular study of Lord Bacon's writings, and a great object of their industry the correcting from original or authentic manuscripts and the earliest and best editions whatever of his works had been already published, and adding to them such as could be recovered that had never seen the light.' Mr. Stephens dying in November 1732, his papers came into the hands of Mr. Locker, whose death prevented the world from enjoying the fruits of his labours; though he had actually finished his correction of the fourth volume of Mr. Blackburne's edition, containing the law tracts, letters, &c. After his decease his collections, including those of Mr. Stephens, were purchased by Dr. Birch. WILLIAM LOCKER, Esq., eldest son of Mr. John Locker, entered early into the Royal Navy. The spotless excellence of this gentleman's character would alone entitle him to the notice of the biographer. While distinguished by good natural parts, by the highest sense of honour, by an enlarged intercourse with the world, and by that inartificial politeness which had been contracted in the highest society, his conduct uniformly displayed the innocence of a child, and the humility as well as the piety of a saint. His personal courage was equalled only by his kindness, and his general benevolence only by the warmth of his private friendships. As a son, a father, a brother, and a master, he stood unrivalled. Such were the excellences by which his private station was adorned. Nor was his professional life less admirable. It is difficult to say whether his prudence, his bravery, his humanity, his zeal for the service, or his discipline, were the most remarkable. This is the uniform account given by those who had the happiness to serve with him; for not a word ever fell from himself on these subjects. His virtues, if we may venture so to say, receive their last polish from his perfect modesty. He was appointed a lieutenant in 1756, and holding that station on board the Experiment' in 1758, was wounded in a very gallant action with the Télémaque.' He was appointed a master and a commander in 1763, a post-captain in 1768; in the American war commanded the 'Lowestoffe' on the Jamaica station, and had with him at that time young Nelson, the future gallant 'hero of the Nile,' to whom he had the honour of being nautical tutor. In February 1793 (being then Commodore at the Nore) he succeeded Captain James Ferguson as Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital. He married Lucy, daughter of William Parry, Esq., by whom he left three sons and two daughters. Of the sons, (1) William is a captain of a troop of dragoons; (2) John, Deputy Judge-Advocate in the Island of Malta; and (3) Edward, just now returned from the East Indies, where he has for some years been secretary to Sir Edward Pellew, our admiral on that station. The daughters are Lucy and Eliza, both of whom are unmarried. This noble-hearted officer died at Greenwich, December 26, 1800, at the age of seventy; and his funeral was attended by his sons, his noble pupil, Lord Nelson, and two old private friends. Bred as it were in the lap of literature, under the immediate superintendence of his father and of Mr. Stillingfleet, it is not at all surprising that he imbibed an early attachment to literature, which he retained to the close of his life. . . The Lieutenant-Governor had a good collection of books and pictures; and among the latter, particularly, a considerable number of portraits of naval officers, many of whom, with honest exultation, he generally styled his 'younkers.' A good portrait of him, from a painting by Abbott, was engraved soon after his death by Heath, at the expense of the family, as a private plate, to be presented to his intimates in lieu of the customary gift of mourning-rings-an example worthy of imitation, and infinitely to be preferred in every case where the person deceased has acquired a right to be perpetuated. APPENDIX B [The following account of Mr. Locker's grandfather was written by his father, Edward Hawke Locker, and was first published in 1823 in 'The Plain Englishman,' one of Charles Knight's earliest miscellanies, and was subsequently reprinted in his 'Half-hours with the Best Authors.] TWO-AND-TWENTY years have this day expired since the decease of my much-honoured father. The retrospect presents to me the lively image of this excellent man, and carries me back to a distant period, when I was a daily witness of his benevolence. It is natural that I should dwell with affection upon this portrait, and I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of thinking that it may interest my readers also. The earliest of my impressions represents him as coming to see my little sister and me, when we were but five or six years old, residing in an obscure village under the care of a maiden aunt. Nor should I, perhaps, have remembered the occasion but for my taking a violent fancy to a rude sketch of a stag which he drew to amuse us on the fragment of one of our playthings. So whimsical are the records of our childish days! Only a few years before he had the grievous misfortune to lose my mother in childbirth in the flower of her age, leaving him, with an infant family, almost heartbroken under this severe privation. I have often heard him say that, but for our sakes, he would gladly have been then released; and, |