BRITISH PHYSICIANS. only with warm feelings, but with clear con- ceptions." While Mr. Benson held the living of St. Giles's, Gooch frequently attended at that church, and was a great admirer both of the writings and preaching of that powerful advocate of Christianity. The life of a physician, in very full practice, allows of little time either for study or recreation, but the state of Dr. Gooch's health was such, that he was obliged to restrict himself in the number of his daily visits, and thus made some leisure for literary pursuits. His mind was always too active for his body, and he frequently suffered in health from writing (or rather dictating, for his wife wrote every thing for him) too earnestly, or too long at a time. Every summer he was obliged to quit London altogether for some weeks, and usually found most benefit from a journey. In 1822 he visited Paris. On his return he writes thus to Mrs. Bolingbroke, with whom through life he continued to correspond : — " My journey to France, like all earthly things, has afforded me a mixture of good and evil ; I have returned in better health, pleased with some things, disap- pointed with many, and resolved (as long as I continue in the same mind) never to go abroad again during any future holidays from business. When I leave London I want repose ; in my last excursion I had any thing but that, for the fatigues of business are nothing to the fatigues of sight- seeing in Paris. I used to come home at night half dead ; but the next morning I was alive again, and ready to run the same foolish round — I say foolish, because three-fourths of the sights you
