Francis, a celebrated English antiquary, was of Swiss extraction, but born at Greenford in Middlesex, about the year 1730 or 1731. The bias of his mind showed itself early; and his father indulging it, procured him the office of Richmond Herald in the Herald's College. In 1763 he exchanged this position for that of adjutant and paymaster of the Hampshire militia, where, as he himself humorously observed, the only account-books he kept were his right and left pockets, into the one of which he received, and from the other of which he paid. This carelessness exposed him to serious losses; and after a vain attempt to repair them by accepting a captaincy in the Surrey militia, he began to turn to account his excellent education and his powers as a draughtsman. In 1773-76 he published his *Views of Antiquities in England and Wales*, a work which brought him money as well as fame. In the following year he added two more volumes to this work; and in 1789 he set out on an antiquarian tour through Scotland. In the course of this journey he visited Burns, who composed in his honour the famous song beginning "Ken ye aught o' Captain Grose," and that other, still more famous, "Hear, land o' cakes and brither Scots." In 1790 he began to publish the results of what Burns called "his peregrinations through Scotland;" but he had not finished the work when he thought himself of going over to Ireland and doing for that country what he had already done for Great Britain. Shortly after his arrival in Dublin, however, he was seized at table with an apoplectic fit, and died in a moment.

Grose was a sort of antiquarian Falstaff; at least he possessed in a striking degree the knight's physical peculiarities; but he was a man of true honour, a valuable friend, and an inimitable boon-companion. Though his professional merits were far from contemptible, he showed to greatest advantage as a social being; his humour, his varied knowledge, and his good nature, were all eminently calculated to make him a favourite in society. As Burns says of him—

"But wad ye see him in his glee, For melkie glee and fun he has; Then set him down and send for three Guild fellows wi' him, And port, O port! shine thou a wee, And then ye'll see him."

Subjoined is a list of Grose's works:—

*The Antiquities of England and Wales*, in 8 vols. 4to and 8vo; *The Antiquities of Scotland*, in 2 vols. 4to and 8vo; *The Antiquities of Ireland*, in 2 vols. 4to and 8vo; a posthumous work edited by Mr. Ledwich, 1794; *A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons*, 1785, in 4to; *A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue*, 1785, in 8vo; *Military Antiquities*, being a History of the English Army from the Conquest to the Present Time, 1786, 1788, in 2 vols. 4to; *The History of Dover Castle*, by the Rev. William Darell, 1786, in 4to; *A Provincial Glossary*, with a Collection of Local Proverbs and Popular Superstitions, 1788, in 8vo; *Rules for Drawing Caricatures*, 1788, in 8vo; *Supplement to the Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons*, 1789, in 4to; *A Guide to Health, Beauty, Honour, and Riches*, being a collection of humorous advertisements, pointing out the means to obtain these blessings, with a suitable introductory preface, 8vo; *The Olive*, a collection of essays, jests, and small pieces of poetry, highly characteristic of Grose, though certainly not all by him, 1793, in 8vo.