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XXI. The Rev. Dr. Stanhope, Dean of Canterbury, to Mr.
Bowyer.

GOOD MR. BOWYER,

Lewisham, Jan. 31, 1712. IT is with very great concern, that I heard of the sad disaster befallen you*. You and your family have been in great part the subject not only of my waking, but even of my sleeping, thoughts, from the moment the ill news reached me. You are a person of understanding and religion, enough I persuade myself, thoroughly to believe, that second causes have a wise director, and that none of our calamities are the effect of chance. This thought, I doubt not, you pursue through all its just consequences, such as may work in you a true Christian resignation to God's afflicting providence, and render you contented under your loss, nay even thankful for it, not only on account of the lives which have been saved, but also of the excellent fruits this affliction may, and, I hope, will produce, by your improvement of it. For surely humbling one's self under the Almighty's hand; such a dread of his power and justice as may increase the fear of offending him; less affection for, and no manner of trust in, the enjoyments of this world; and a more eager desire and endeavour after those in a better state, of which we may rest secure that they cannot be taken from us, are very natural and becoming consequences of so sad and sudden a calamity. You, God be praised, have the comfort of being far from the condition of those wretches, whom the world hath reason to think marked out for vengeance. But each of us, who looks into himself, will find more than enough there, to justify the severest dispensations toward him. Or, if it were not, which yet always will be, so; the best are not above the improvement of. their virtues, of which great adversities are an eminent exercise and proof.

The post waits, and I must hasten. My heart bleeds for your poor wife. God sanctify this trouble to you both; and give you the piety and the reward of those saints, who take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, that they have a better and more enduring substance in heaven.”

66

I am,

Your sincere Friend and Servant,

1777, Nov.

GEO. STANHOPE.

The total destruction of his printing-office, and all his pro ert, ly a calamitous fire, Jan, 30, 1712-13. E.

XXII. Letters of Mr. Turner and Mr. Hughes.

MR. URBAN,

YOU receive herewith six original letters containing some particulars which I cannot but think curious. If they ap pear to you in the same light, you will print them in your

next.

Yours, &c.

LETTER I.

EUGENIO.

SIR,

Rev. Mr. Turner to the Rev. Mr. Bonwicke.

St. John's College, Cambridge, Dec. 31, 1706.

My absence from college has been very prejudicial to my interest; and to regain it, it is absolutely necessary to stay till the election is over, which will be about the latter end of March: if you can supply my place* till that time, I will return; if not, I can send another (though not upon the same terms that I had.) Your are sensible, Sir, I believe, that I had never stayed so long with you, or at least had never promised to return, had I not a great respect to your person, as well as your causet but if my absence till Lady-day be extremely prejudicial to your interest, I will sacrifice my own to serve yours, and I desire you to believe that there is none in the world that more heartily studies and wishes your good, than your servant,

R. TURNER.

The death of some of our fellows has been strangely foretold by an apparition of one of our fellows, that died four or five years ago, and is attended by such notable circumstances as put it past all doubt: but I am in haste, and cannot give you a particular account of it. You will have it, I believe from Mr. Hughes, very shortly; if not, I will give you an account of it in my next,

* Of usher to the school which Mr. B. then kept at Headley, in Surry. + Alluding to his sufferings as a non-juror,

Fellow of Jesus college. See Letter Ih

LETTER II.

Rev. Mr. Hughes to the Rev. Mr. Bonwicke.

DEAR SIR,

Jesus College, Jan. 9, 1706-7.

I CANNOT but return you many thanks for your very kind letter, and assure you that I shall think myself as happy in your keeping up this correspondence, if you think it worth your while, as you can possibly do. I promised Mr. Turner that I would write to you long before this; but this Christmas time has so diverted me, that I was forced to defer it till after the holidays. We have no manner of news stirring at Cambridge that is worth sending you. Dr. Turner, of Greenwick*, has lately put in an answer to the pretended Rights of the Churcht. I have not read it myself but I heard from a very good judge, that it was no contemptible piece; and that, if it had been in better times, the doctor would have wrote an excellent book. I hear, likewise, that Dr. Potter, author of the Greek Antiquities, and now chaplain to his Grace of Canterbury, [Tenison,] is just publishing an answer to it. I wish to God it was substantially answered (though I must ingenuously confess I do not much expect it at present;) for the Whig party triumphs upon it at a strange rate, and some do not stick to say that it is unanswerable. Mr. Professor Whiston is chosen to preach Boyle's lectures for this next year. His subject is upon the expletion of the prophecies of the Old Testaments; a very nice subject, and worthy of a great master; and, indeed, I believe Mr. W. is equal to it in all the parts. I expect great things from him. These are all the scraps that I could pick up to entertain you withal; and, indeed, I should have been obliged to have ended with half a letter, had not an unusual story come seasonably into my relief.

One Mr. Shaw, formerly fellow of St. John's college, and late minister of a college living, within twelve miles of

Vicar of that parish, residentiary of Lincoln, and prebendary of Canterbury. He died 1720.

This remarkable tract (which occasioned a long controversy, greatly alarmed the clergy, and was ordered by the House of Commons, in 1710, to be burnt in the same flames with Dr. Sacheverell's sermon) was written by Dr. Matthew Tindal. See a note on Letter V.

"A Discourse of Church Government, Oxf. 1707."

They were afterwards printed under the title of, The Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies.

|| Souldern.

Oxford, as he was sitting one night by himself, smoaking a pipe, and reading, observed somebody to open the door; he turned back, and saw one Mr. Nailor, a fellow-collegian, an intimate friend, and who had been dead five years, come into the room. The gentleman came in exactly in the same dress and manner that he used at college. Mr. Shaw was something surprised at first; but in a little time recollecting himself, he desired him to sit down upon which Mr. N. drew a chair, and sat by him; they had a conference of about an hour and a half. The chief of the particulars were these; he told him, " that he was sent to give him warning of his death, which would be in a very short time ;" and, if I mistake not, he added, that his death would be sudden. He mentioned, likewise, several others of St. John's, particularly the famous Auchard, who is since dead. Mr. S. asked if he could not give him another visit: he answered no, alleging, "that his time allotted was but three days, and that he had others to see, who were at a great distance." Mr. Shaw had a great desire to inquire about his present condition, but was afraid to mention it, not knowing how it would be taken. At last he expressed himself in this manner: "Mr. N. how is it with you in the other world?" he answered with a brisk and chearful countenance, "very well." Mr. Shaw proceeded and asked, "are there any of our old friends with you?" he replied, "not one." After their discourse was over, he took his leave and went out. Mr. Shaw offered to go with him out of the room; but he beckoned with his hand that he should stay where he was. Mr. Nailor seemed to turn into the next room, and so went off. This Mr. Shaw the next day made his will, the conference had so far affected him; and not long after, being taken with an apoplectic fit while he was reading the divine service, he fell out of the desk, and died immediately after. He was ever looked upon to be a pious man, and a good scholar; only some object, that he was inclinable to melancholy. He told this story himself to Mr. Groves, fellow of St. John's, and a particular friend of his, and who lay at his house last summer.

Mr. G. upon his return to Cambridge, met with one of his college who told him that Mr. Auchard was dead, who was particularly mentioned by Mr. Shaw. He kept the business secret, till, hearing of Mr. Shaw's own death, he told the whole story. He is a person far enough from inventing such a story; and he tells it in all companies without any manner of variation. We are mightily divided

about it at Cambridge, some heartily embracing it, and others rejecting it as a ridiculous story, and the effect of spleen and melancholy. For my own part, I must acknowledge myself one of those who believe it, having not met with any thing yet sufficient to invalidate it. As to the little sceptical objections that are generally used upon this occasion, they seem to be very weak in themselves, and will prove of dangerous consequences, if applied to matters of a more important nature.

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Mr. Turner is very well, and I hope in a fair prospect of a fellowship.

SIR,

LETTER III.

Mr. Turner to Mr. Bonwicke.

Cambridge, Jan. 21, 1706-7,

There is a circumstance relating to the story of the apparition, which adds a great confirmation to it; which I suppose Mr. Hughes did not tell you. There is one Mr. Cartwright*, a Member of Parliament, a man of good credit and integrity, an intimate friend of Mr. Shaw's, who told the same story with Dr. Groves (which he had from Mr. Shaw) at the Abp. of Canterbury's table: but he says further, that Mr. Shaw told him of some great revolutions in state, which he will not discover, being either obliged to si lence by Mr. Shaw, or concealing them upon some prudenţ and politic reasons.

Mr. Bennett is publishing a book in vindication of set forms of prayer, where he proves that the primitive Christians never had any but precomposed set forms: and he advices one paradox, that those very arguments which the Dissenters use for a separation are great reasons why they should conform.

* Of Aynho.

+For Northamptonshire.

This was printed at Cambridge, in 8vo. 1707, and entitled "A brief History of the joint use of precomposed set Forms of Prayer," &c. Mr. Bennett published many other theological tracts. He was then Rector of St. James's, in Colchester, and had been Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. His son, Thomas, LL. B. died some years ago, one of the Esquire Beadles of that University; and his grandson John Bennett, Esq. (now living,) is of Rotthamtead, in Hertfordshire,

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