Sir John, a celebrated English seaman, was born at Plymouth about 1520. From his father, who, like himself, was a sailor, he learned the advantages of the trade with Africa. After spending his youth in trafficking with Spain and Portugal he visited the coast of Guinea, embarked a cargo of negroes (obtained partly by force and partly by purchase), and made a large fortune by selling them to the Spaniards of Hayti. He made a second voyage to the same place on the same errand in 1564, and with equal success. His third and last voyage (1567), however, was very unfortunate. He was attacked by the Spaniards in the port of St John de Ulloa, and only saved two ships of all his squadron. How different the sentiment was regarding the slave-trade in those days and in our own, may be learned from the fact that Queen Elizabeth approved all that Hawkins had done, allowed him to assume as his crest a demi-Moon in his proper colour, bound with a cord, and made him treasurer of the navy. In 1588 he was made vice-admiral of the Victory, and fought with such distinction against the Spanish Armada, that he was knighted by the queen. In 1595 he accompanied Drake on an expedition against the Spanish colonies in the West Indies, but he quarrelled with his colleague, and died Nov. 21st, without again distinguishing himself. There are some very interesting notices of Hawkins in Hakluyt, and also in Purchas.

Sir John, the historian of music, was born in London in 1719. His father was a builder and surveyor, and it was intended that the young Hawkins should adopt the same profession; ultimately, however, he was apprenticed to an attorney. At the expiry of his apprenticeship he began business for himself, and by industry and integrity, soon raised himself to wealth and station. In his earlier days he had been a hard student, and now in virtue of his acquirements he was admitted into the best literary society in London. Dr Johnson himself (in whose life by Boswell there are numerous and not always very respectful notices of Hawkins) admitted him into his favour, and helped forward his literary views. Hawkins was at this time a frequent contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine and other periodicals. His well-known taste for music gained him admittance into the Madrigal Society. In 1753 he married a lady who brought him a considerable fortune, which subsequent events so much increased, that in 1759 he retired from business and settled at Twickenham. He distinguished himself greatly as a county magistrate, and was so valuable a public servant, that in 1772 he was rewarded with knighthood by the king, to whom he had been presented as "the best magistrate in his dominions." Four years after this event appeared his General History of the Science and Practice of Music. The literary merit of this work is unquestionably very small, but its value as a storehouse of useful learning on the subject of music is very considerable. But Dr Burney, the rival historian of music, believing that Hawkins was trenching on a province which he considered peculiarly his, had put all the machinery of the press in operation before Hawkins' work appeared. When at last it was published it met with nothing but abuse from the entire press, and its sale was completely stopped. The next age did Hawkins the justice denied him by his own, and his work now fetches a higher price than when it was first published. The valuable musical library which he had amassed in the composition of this history, he made over to the British Museum. In 1760 Hawkins undertook an edition of Walton's *Complete Angler*, which has been frequently reprinted; but his only other work of any value, besides his *History* is his *Life of Dr Johnson*, which is rather a tribute to that great man's memory than a requisite to his fame. Hawkins himself died, May 21, 1789, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. (See the *Memoirs* and *Anecdotes* of Letitia M. Hawkins; *Bowen's Life of Johnson*, &c.)