wo benches on
each side the door; for, previous to Tadpole's taking possession of it,
it had been an alehouse, and much frequented by seamen. The doctor had
not removed these benches, as they were convenient, when the weather was
fine, for those who waited for medicine or advice; and moreover, being a
jocular, sociable man, he liked people to sit down there, and would
often converse with them. Indeed, this assisted much to bring him into
notice, and made him so well known among the humbler classes that none
of them, if they required medicine or advice, ever thought of going to
any one but Dr. Tadpole. He was very liberal and kind, and I believe
there was hardly a poor person in the town who was not in his debt, for
he never troubled them much about payment. He had some little property
of his own, or he never could have carried on such a losing concern as
his business really must have been to him. In early life he had been a
surgeon in the navy, and was said, and I believe with justice, to be
very clever in his profession. In defending himself against some act of
oppression on the part of his captain--for in those times the service
was very different to what it is now--he had incurred the displeasure of
the Navy Board, and had left the service. His enemies (for even the
doctor had his enemies) asserted that he was turned out of the service;
his friends, that he left the service in disgust; after all, a matter of
little consequence. The doctor is now gone, and has left behind him in
the town of Greenwich a character for charity and generosity of which no
one can deprive him. He was buried in Greenwich churchyard; and never
was there, perhaps, such a numerous procession as voluntarily followed
his remains to the grave. The poor fully paid him the debt of gratitude,
if they did not pay him their other debts; and when his will was opened,
it was found that he had released them all from the latter. Peace be to
him, and honor to his worth!

The shop of Dr. Tadpole was fitted up in a very curious manner, and
excited a great deal of admiration. During his service afloat he had
collected various objects of natural history, which he had set up or
prepared himself: the lower rows of bottles in the windows were full of
snakes, lizards, and other reptiles; the second tier of bottles in the
window were the same as are now generally seen--large globes containing
blue and yellow mixtures, with gold hieroglyphics outside of them; but
bet