and, perhaps, his defire of improving their health, and their understanding, at which he laboured moft affiduoufly, might have impaired both. But his faults, if we know of any, all proceeded from motives of humanity, benevolence, and good-nature.

He preferved the clofeft intimacy with the gentlemen of the neighbourhood; and while he cultivated the duties of his ftation, he was not averfe to the innocent amusements of life: mufic he was particularly fond of, and always kept one or two exquifite performers to amufe his leisure hours.

His income he was entirely contented with; and when offered by the earl of Chesterfield, then lord lieutenant of Ireland, a bishopric much more beneficial than that he poffeffed, he declined it, with thefe words, "I love the neighbours, and they love me; why then fhould I begin, in my old days, to form new connections, and tear myfelf from thofe friends whofe kindness to me is the greatest happinefs I enjoy" acting, in this infance, like Plutarch, who being afked, why he refided in his native city, fo obfcure and fo little?“ I ftay, faid he, left it fhould grow lefs." But, at length, finding his health and conftitution impaired beyond the power of medicine, even of his own tar-water, he removed, towards the end of the year 1752, to Oxford, an univerfity he always loved, and at which he received a great part of his education, in hopes of receiving fome benefit from the change of air. His principal motive, however, was that he might himfelf fuperintend the education of his fon, whom he took along with him; and the prof

pect of enjoying two or three years among the literati of that famous feminary,

After a fhort paffage, and a very pleasant journey, he arrived at that famous feat of learning, where he was wifited by many of his former friends and admirers: but the certainty there was of fpeedily lofing him, greatly damped the pleasure they would otherwise have had in his company. fhort time after his arrival he expired, on the 14th of January, 1753, greatly regretted, by the poor, whom he loved, and the learned, whom he had improved.

In a

Efore I proceed to my defence, I

cannot forbear reflecting a little on the peculiarity of my deftiny: peculiar, indeed, to myself alone! I was born with fome fhare of natural genius; the public hath authorifed me to make this boaft. I spent my youth, nevertheless, in an happy obfcurity, out of which I never attempted to emerge. Had I made fuch an attempt, indeed, it would have been as great a peculiarity, that, during the vivacity of youth, I fhould not have fucceeded, as that I fhould fucceed but too well in the

fequel, when that vivacity fhould begin to decay. In this obfcurity, my lord, inftead of a fortune I always

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defpifed

defpifed, and a name I have fince bought too dear, I poffeffed the only bleffings my heart was defirous of, thofe of tranquillity and friendship. Thus, eafy in my mind, and happy in my friends, I drew near my fortieth year, when unluckily an academical question engaged my attention, and drew me into a profeffion for which nature never intended me. The unexpected fuccefs of my first eflay proved feductive. A numerous party of oppofers ftarted up against me, and, without understanding my arguments, anfwered them with a petulance that piqued me, and a degree of vanity, that, perhaps, excited mine. I ftood up, of courfe, in my own defence; and, being urged from one difpute to another, found myself engaged in a career of controverfy, almost before I was aware. Thus I became an author at a time of life when authors ufually throw up their profeffion, and a man of letters even from my contempt for that character. From this time, I have been a writer of fome little confequence with the public: but at this time, alas! my friends, and my repofe, forfook me. My labour was all I got for my pains; and a little reputation was to make up for every thing else. If this be any indemnification to thofe who are ever abfent from themfelves, it never was any to me.

Had I placed, even for a moment, any hopes on fo frivolous a gratification, I fhould have been foon undeceived. In what a fluctuation hath the public opinion conftantly been, with regard to my abilities or character! Being at a distance, I was judged only by interelt or ca

a

price; and for hardly two days together was I looked upon in the fame light. Sometimes I was dark and gloomy being; at others an angel of light, I have feen myfelf, within the space of one year, applauded, courted, entertained, and fought for, even at court; and fpeedily after, infulted, threatened, hated, and abused. Over night, affaffins lay in wait for me in the ftreets; and in the morning I was threatened with a lettre de cachet. The good and the evil came from almoft the fame fource; and both of them were the effect of a fong.

I have written, it is true, on fe. veral fubjects, but always on the fame principles; I had always the fame fyftem of morals, the fame faith, the fame maxims, and, if you will, the fame opinions. Very different, however, have been the opinions that have paffed on my books, or rather on the author of those books; because I have been judged rather from the fubject I have treated of, than from my fentiments on thofe fubjects. After the publication of my firft difcourfe*, I was faid to be a writer fond of paradoxes, who amufed himself in proving things he did not believe. After my letter on the French mufic, I was called a profeffed enemy to that nation, and was very near being treated as a confpirator and traitor: one would have thought, by the zeal fhewn on that occasion, that the fate of the French monarchy was attached to the reputation of their opera. After my dif courfe on the inequality of mankind, I was deemed an atheist and mifanthrope: after my letter to Mr. d'Alembert,

lembert, on the theatres, I was celebrated as the defender of chriftian morals after Eloifa, I was fupposed to be paffionate and tender: at prefent I am a monfter of impiety; and fhall, probably, by and by, be a miracle of devotion.

Thus fluctuating is the public opinion concerning me; those who adopt it being as ignorant why they deteft me now, as why they once refpected me. As to myself, however, I have always remained the fame; more zealous, perhaps, than enlightened in my refearches, but fincere in all, even against myself; fimple and well-meaning, but fenfible and weak; often doing wrong, yet always refpecting what was right; connected by friendship, ne. ver by circumstances, and ever more ftrongly influenced by fentiment than intereft; requiring nothing from others; unwilling to render myfelf dependent on any; fubmiting to their prejudices as little as to their will, and preferving my own as free as my reafon: fearing God, without being afraid of hell; reafoning on matters of religion without licentioufnefs, approving ing neither impiety nor fanaticilm; but hating perfecutors ftill worfe than infidels; without dif. guifing my fentiments from any one; without affectation, without artifice, without deceit; telling my faults to my friends, my fentiments to all the world, and to the public thofe truths which concern it, without flattery, and without pride, equally careless whether I fhould pleate or offend it. Such are my crimes, and fuch my merits.

At length, totally difgufted with that intoxicating vapour of reputation, which inflates the imagination without fatisfying the mind; wearied with the importunities of indolent

vifitants, who overburthened with their own time, were prodigal of mine; and fighing after that neceffary repofe of which my heart is fo fond, I had joyfully laid down my pen. Satisfied with the reflection that I had never taken it up but for the good of my fellow-creatures, I required only, as the reward of my zeal, that I might be permitted to live unmolefted in my retreat, and to die in peace. In this, however, I was mistaken; the officers were fent to apprehend me; and juft at the moment when I flattered myfelf the troubles of my life were at an end, my greateft misfortune begun. There is fomething fingular in all this: yet this is nothing.

A citizen of Geneva hath a book printed in Holland, and, by an arret of the parliament of Paris, this book is burnt by the common hangman, without any respect fhewn to the fovereign, whofe privilege it had obtained. A proteftant propofes, in a proteftant country, certain objections to the church of Rome, and he is fentenced by the parliament of Paris. A republican makes objections, in a republican government, against monarchy, and he is condemned by the parliament of Paris. The parliament of Paris muft furely have ftrange notions of their own jurifdiction, to imagine themfelves the legal judges of all mankind.

The fame parliament, ever fo re, markably ftrict in the order of their proceedings, when individuals of their own nation are concerned, break through them all in pafting fentence on a poor flranger. Without knowing whether he was really author of the book attributed to him, whether he acknowledged it, or caused it to be printed, without aby regard to the unhappiness of

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his fituation, or pity for his bodily infirmities, they began their procefs by ordering him to be clapped into prifon. Thus they would have had him taken out of his bed, and draged from his houfe, to be thrown among infamous criminals, to rot in a jail. Nay, who knows but they might have burnt him at a ftake, without fuffering him to speak in his own defence? for what reafon is there to think, they would have proceeded more regularly afterwards than at first, in a profecution fo violently commenced, as to be almoft without example, even in the countries of the inquifition? Thus it is, in my cafe alone, that this fagacious tribunal forgets its prudence; it is against me alone, that a people, who boaft fo much of their politeness, and by whom I thought myself beloved, act with the ftrangeft barbarity; it is thus the country I have preferred as an afylum above all others, juftifies me in giving it that preference! I know not how far fuch proceedings may be confiftent with the law of nations; but I know very well, that where they are practifed, a man's liberty, and perhaps his life, lies at the mercy of the first printer who pleases to fet his name to a book.

A citizen of Geneva owes no re

spect to fuch unjuft magiftrates, who order perfons to be apprehended, and committed to prifon, upon a fcandalous information given them, without citing the accufed to appear and answer for himself. Not having been cited to appear, he is not obliged to it. But being thus proceeded against by force and violence, he is juftified in flying from perfecution. He shakes the duft off his feet, therefore, and leaves an inhofpitable country, where the

ftrong are fo ready to opprefs the weak, and to load the ftranger with chains, without hearing his defence, without knowing whether the act he is accused of be criminal, or, being fo, whether he hath, indeed, committed it.

He abandons with regret the pleafing folitude he had chofen, leaving all his poffeffions, his few, but valuable friends behind. Weak and infirm as he is, he is obliged to undergo the fatigues of a long journey; hoping at the end of it to breathe in a land of liberty; he approaches his own country, flattering himself his reception there will confole him for his paft difgrace.-But what am I going to fay? My heart finks, my hand trembles, and my pen falls to the ground: let me be filent, therefore, on this affecting subject.

Anecdotes of eminent and illuftrious perfonages, communicated by the the Rev. Mr. Watkinson; to whom the public is indebted for the Memoirs of bifhop Hoadley, in our laft volume.

of doctor THOMAS HERRING, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

HE

F Norfolk, in 1693, his father, Mr. John Herring, being rector of that parish. His education was at Wefbech fchool, in the ifle of Ely, under Dr. Carter, afterwards fellow of Eton college. In June 1710, he was admitted into Jefus college, Cambridge, Dr. Warren being his tutor. While member of this college he took the degree of batchelor of arts; but feeing no profpect there of obtaining a fellowship, he removed in July 1714 to Corpus

was born at Walfoken, in

Chrifti

Chrifti college, of which he was chofe fellow in 1716; and the year following created mafter of arts. He and the learned Dr. Denne (now archdeacon of Rochefter) were joint tutors there upwards of feven years. Mr. Herring read claffical, Dr. Denne philofophical lectures. The former entered into priests orders in 1719, and was fucceffively minifter of Great Shelfield, Stow cum Qui, and Trinity in Cambridge. In 1722, Dr. Fleetwood (Bishop of His Ely) made him his chaplain. lordship had generally preached himfelf in the chapel belonging to Ely houfe during the winter feason, but in the decline of life, when his health was greatly impaired, Mr. Herring preached for him; and this excellent prelate declared to his friends, that he never heard a fermon from Mr. Herring, but what he fhould have been proud to have been the author of himfelf. In the latter end of this year, the bishop prefented him to Rettingdon in Effex, and afterwards to the rectory of Barly in Hertfordshire. In 1724, Mr. Herring took the degree of batchelor of divinity, and about the fame time was prefented by his majefly to Allhallows the Great, in London, which he gave up before inftitution. In 1726, the honourable fociety of Lincoln's-inn (on the death of Dr. Lupton) chofe him their preacher. About the fame time he was appointed chaplain in ordinary to his majesty; and in 1728, took the degree of doctor of divinity at Cambridge.

His fermons at Lincoln's-inn chapel were received with the highest approbation by that learned and judicious fociety. They abounded with manly fenfe, ani

mated by the most benevolent principles, and adorned by his happy elocution and unaffected delivery. He feldom entered into the difputes canvaffed amongst chriftians, having obferved, that these more frequently exafperate, than convince. But he explained and enforced, with the utmoft perfpicuity and warmth, the fundamental duties of chriftianity.

He was of opinion with a very ingenious writer, that "True religion is true reafon, which "fmiles at pointed wit, mocks "the fcoffer's tongue, and is a"like invulnerable by ridicule or ❝rage.”—Once, indeed, a great clamour was raised on account of his alluding to a popular theatrical entertainment then exhibited, and prefuming to condemn it, as of pernicious tendency with regard to the interests of morality and virtue. He was not fingular in this opinion, and experience hath confirmed the truth of his animadverfions. In 1731, Dr. Herring was prefented to the rectory of Blechingly in Surrey; and towards the clofe of the year, promoted to the deanery of Rocheiler, where he was inftalled February 5th 1732. In 1737, he was confecrated bifhop of Bangor, and in 1743, tranflated to the archiepifcopal fee of York, on the demife of Dr. Blackburn. In 1745, the rebellion broke out in Scotland, which gave this refpectable prelate an opportunity of difplaying that noble patriotic ardour, which reflected equal honour on himself, and the inftruments of his advancement. He poffeft the fpirit of a Roman fenator, the elegance of an Atticus, and the integrity of a Cato. The progrefs

then