to

unrestrained by judgment. In him there was rather an unusual combination of feverish ardour and plodding diligence. Utterly careless of personal interest, he hesitated not, for a moment, on any occasion, to do what he deemed to be his duty to mankind. His lofty contempt for worldly wisdom, at length, reduced him to depend, in some measure, on donations for his support. His friends vainly endeavoured moderate the warmth of his religious zeal; and his antagonists in controversy, with a large portion of the public, so far from being convinced by his arguments, eventually became of opinion that his intellectual faculties were impaired. The wits abused him without mercy; and Swift, in particular, wrote some satirical lines on him, which, to the dean's disgrace, are too disgusting to repeat.

Towards the close of his career, Whiston was thus spoken of by Bishop Hare:-"He has, all his life, been cultivating piety, and virtue, and learning; he is rigidly constant in all his duties; and both his philosophical and mathematical works are highly useful. But it is the poor man's misfortune (for poor he is, and like to be, not having any preferment) to have a warm head and to be very zealous in what he thinks the cause of God. He thinks prudence the worldly wisdom condemned by Christ and his apostles; and that it is gross prevarication and hypocrisy, to conceal the discoveries he conceives he has made; and thus, though he designs to hurt nobody, he is betrayed into some indiscretions. But he is very hardly dealt by: his performances are run down by those who never read them; and his warmth of temper is denounced as pride, obstinacy, and innate depravity. Some, too, say he is a madman, and, low as he is, will not leave him quiet in his poverty."

Collins, in the Discourse on Christianity, says of him, "His ardent temper frequently leads him into strange mistakes: for instance, an Arabic manuscript coming into his hands, of which he understood not one word, he fancied it was a translation of an ancient book of Scripture, belonging to the New Testament, styled, The Doctrine of the Apostles; and on this he reasoned and

wrote, as if it had been indisputable, till, on its being read by persons skilled in Arabic, it proved quite a different matter. He lives in London, and visits persons of the highest rank, to whom he discourses freely on doctrinal points, and especially about Athanasianism, which seems his chief concern." George the Second once observed to him, in Hampton Court gardens, that however right he might be in his opinions, it would have been better if he had kept them to himself. "Had Martin Luther done so," replied Whiston, "where, let me ask, would your majesty have been at this moment?"

Lov

"He was much esteemed," says his son, "by Queen Caroline, who made him a present of fifty pounds yearly. She usually sent for him once in the summer, whilst she was out of town, to spend a day or two with her. ing his free conversation, she asked him, at Richmond, what people, in general, said of her. He replied, that they justly esteemed her a lady of great abilities; a patron of learned men; and a kind friend to the poor. But,' says she, 'no one is without faults; pray what are mine?' Whiston begged to be excused speaking on that subject, but she insisting, he said, 'Her majesty did not behave with proper reverence at church.' She replied, The king would talk with her.' He said, 'A greater than kings was there only to be regarded.' She owned it, and confessed her fault. Pray,' says she, 'tell me what is my next?' He replied, 'When I hear your majesty has amended of that fault, I will tell you of your next;' and so it ended."

The following anecdote of Whiston is related by the same writer:-"Being in company with Addison, Steele, Secretary Craggs, and Sir Robert Walpole, they engaged in a dispute, whether a secretary of state could be an honest

man.

Whiston being silent, was asked his opinion, and said, 'he thought honesty was the best policy, and if a minister would practise it, he would find it so.' To which Craggs replied, 'It might do for a fortnight, but would not do for a month.' Whiston demanded, If he had ever tried it for a fortnight.' To which, he making no answer, the company gave it for Whiston."

THIS eminent prelate was born at Bampton, in Westmoreland, in 1669; and, after having acquired an intimate knowledge of the classics, at a provincial school, he was sent to Queen's college, Oxford, in 1686. He proceeded to the degree of B. A. in 1691; and, about the same time, published new editions of Drummond's Polemo-Middiana, and the Catilena Rustica of James the Fifth, with notes abounding in humour and erudition. In 1692, he produced a Latin version of the Chronicon Saxonicum, and a catalogue of Manuscripts in the Dugdale Library, and that of Bishop Tennison. His More Correct Edition of Quintilian de Arte Oratoriâ appeared in 1694; and he subsequently published new editions of Julius Cæsar, and Somner's Treatise. During the year last mentioned, he took the degree of M. A., and became librarian at Lambeth palace. In 1697, he was elected a fellow of his college, and entered into holy orders. He now devoted himself, with great zeal, to the reproduction of Camden's Brittannia; in editing which he was assisted by Lhwyd, Smith, Johnson, and Kennett.

After having declined a small living in the Isle of Thanet, which had been offered to him by Lord Somers, he accepted, in 1697, the appointment of morning preacher at Lambeth church; and, in 1698, that of domestic chaplain to Archbishop Tennison. About the same time, he was made lecturer at St. Martin's-in-the-fields, and published the posthumous works of Sir Henry Spelman. In 1700, he was presented to the rectory of Stisted, in Essex; two years afterwards, the Archbishop of Canterbury conferred on him the degree of D. D.; and, in 1703, he obtained the rectory of Lambeth, and was made precentor and residentiary of the cathedral of Chichester. next obtained the mastership of St. Mary's hospital, with license to hold his other preferments; and, in 1710, he was promoted to the archdeaconry of Surrey.

He

In 1713, he published his famous

Codex Juris Ecclesiastici Anglicani; in 1715, on the death of his patron, Archbishop Tennison, he was raised to the bishopric of Lincoln; in 1721, he became dean of the chapel royal; and, on the death of Bishop Robinson, in 1723, he was translated to the vacant see of London. His death took place at Bath, on the 6th of September, 1748. He married early in life, and left several children. His social virtues have been highly eulogized; and it is recorded, to his honour, that, Dr. Crow having left him £2,500, he generously abandoned the bequest to the testator's necessitous relations.

His natural abilities were great, and his disposition was admirably calculated to improve and develop them. As a student, he was zealously laborious; his piety was equal to his erudition; and, although occasionally betrayed into intolerance, he appears, on the whole, to have been an excellent prelate, and a strictly conscientious man. In addition to the works already enumerated, he composed a Life of Bodley; Tracts on the Antiquities of Great Britain; and several pastoral letters, which have been considered masterly attacks on infidelity and enthusiasm.

During the long illness of Archbishop Wake, the affairs of the church were left almost entirely to the management of Bishop Gibson; and, it is said, that, in the exercise of his great ecclesiastical power, he advanced those only who, by their learning and piety, were deserving of preferment. He procured an endowment from the crown for the regular performance of divine service at Whitehall, by twenty-four preachers, selected from the two universities. He zealously promoted the spiritual interests of the colonies, and laboured assiduously for the advancement of religion within his own diocese. He stood forward, on several occasions, as the champion of the church; but sometimes insisted upon her rights with more zeal than discretion. Although an enemy to persecution on matters of faith, he sternly opposed a repeal of the

test and corporation acts; and counteracted the attempts of the Quakers to avoid payment of tithes. He exposed himself to the animadversions of the lord chief justice, and many severe writers, by censuring the practice of sending prohibitions from the temporal to the spiritual courts; and offended George the Second, not only by inveighing from the pulpit against masquerades, to which that monarch was much attached, but by procuring the signatures of several bishops to an

address to the throne, " praying for the entire abolition of such pernicious diversions." Until the boldness with which he discharged what he deemed to be his duty had given offence to government, "he had been considered," says Whiston, "as heir-apparent to the see of Canterbury;" and so great had been his ecclesiastical power, that Walpole was reproached with allowing him the authority of a pope. "And a very good pope he is, too," replied the minister.

HENRY, the son of the Rev. Joshua Sacheverell, was born in 1672. He obtained the rudiments of education from a village schoolmaster, at the cost of his godfather, an apothecary, named Hurst, on whose death, his widow sent the youth to Magdalen college, Oxford. While at the university, Sacheverell was chamber fellow with Addison, who inscribes one of his pieces to him, as "his dearest friend and colleague." Accounts vary as to Sacheverell's conduct at this period of his life: one set of authorities accusing him of turbulence, and ingratitude to his former friends; while another eulogizes his good manners, morality, and application. He distinguished himself by some clever Latin poems; was chosen fellow of his college; and became tutor to several pupils who afterwards attained great eminence. He took his degree of M. A. in 1696; that of B. D. in 1707; and that of D.D. in the following year.

His first preferment in the church was to the living of Cannock, in Staffordshire; whence he removed, in 1705, to St. Saviour's, Southwark, of which he was appointed preacher. In the year 1709, he delivered two sermons, one at Derby, and the other at St. Paul's, which raised him to a great but unmerited notoriety. In these discourses, greatly to the satisfaction of the Tory or high church party, he warmly advocated the doctrines of divine right and passive obedience; and, particularly in one of them, virulently attacked the leaders of the Whigs, who were then

in office. His popularity rapidly increased his health was drank in pint bumpers, at numberless festive meetings; while handkerchiefs, and even fans, were embellished with his portrait. Ministers denounced his doctrines as being most pernicious; and, rather indiscreetly, brought his conduct under the notice of parliament. After many stormy debates in the house of commons, it was resolved to proceed against him by impeachment. His trial, which commenced on the 27th of February, 1709-10, continued until the 23rd of March, when he was sentenced to a suspension from preaching for three years, and his two obnoxious sermons were ordered to be burnt.

The excitement of the public during his trial was almost unexampled. Queen Anne attended the court daily; and as her chair passed through the streets, she was greeted by the multitude with such exclamations as the following:-"High church and Sacheverell for ever!" "We hope your majesty is for Dr. Sacheverell!" The impeachment was disastrous to the Whigs, as it not only increased the reputation of Sacheverell, but led to their own overthrow.

During his suspension, Sacheverell, who was considered a martyr to his principles, made a sort of triumphal tour through the kingdom; in most parts of which he was received, both by the clergy and laity, as the victim of a detestable persecution. He was collated to a living before the term of his

degree of D. D., and was made chaplain to Queen Anne. In 1707, he printed A Discourse on Church Government; in which he maintained ecclesiastical to be distinct from civil authority, and that episcopacy was of divine institution. Notwithstanding the support which he thus gave to high-church principles, he seems to have been regarded as a staunch Whig; and, during the last-mentioned year, he was triumphantly elected, by his party, regius professor of divinity, and canon of Christchurch, in opposition to Dr. Smalridge, a conspicuous Tory.

The

In 1715, he was raised, by George the First, to the see of Oxford; and, about the same time, he published an edition of Clemens Alexandrinus, with an entirely new version of the Cohortations. celebrated Bangorian controversy soon afterwards commenced, in which, with Sherlock and others, he accused Hoadly, then Bishop of Bangor, of having, in his sermon preached before the king, in 1717, on civil and religious liberty, avowed opinions hostile to all establishments, and particularly to that of the church of England. In 1722, he entered into a correspondence with Atterbury, as to the period when the four gospels were written. He preached the sermon at the coronation of George the Second, who raised him to the archbishopric of Canterbury in 1737. He died in January, 1747, leaving two sons and three daughters.

Dr. Potter was possessed of great learning and much talent. His works have deservedly obtained extraordinary commendation, as well on the continent as in this country. Dr. Harwood enthusiastically pronounces his Alexandra to be an everlasting monument of

the learning of its illustrious editor; and Gronovius deemed the Archæologia Græca (which has passed through many editions, and is still deemed a standard work) worthy of a place in his celebrated Thesaurus Antiquitatum Græcorum. Although haughty and morose, he seems to have been highly esteemed by a great portion of his cotemporaries; by many of whom he was admired and eulogized, for his vigilance, zeal, and talent, as a defender of orthodox opinions. Whiston, on the other hand, accuses him of extreme pride, court adulation, neglect of christian discipline, and strenuous hostility to those who attempted to effect any reformation in the church. He procured a preferment of £2,000 a year for the eldest of his two sons, but disinherited him for having formed an unequal alliance; and left the bulk of his large property to the other, a man of bad character, who grossly ill-treated his wife, whom he had married pursuant to his father's commands.

Shortly after his elevation to the primacy, he went to the residence of one of his relations, (a divine), for the purpose of stating that he intended to bestow on him a very acceptable preferment. The reverend gentleman, however, happened to be at a neighbouring ale-house, whither the archbishop proceeded. On entering the skittle-ground, he found his relative busily engaged at a game of nine-pins, and had the mortification of hearing him exclaim, while aiming a bowl at the centre pin, "Here goes for the head of the church!" The archbishop, it is said, immediately retired in disgust, and bestowed the preferment on another divine.

THIS celebrated divine and philosopher was born on the 11th of October, 16/5, in the city of Norwich, of which his father was an alderman. After passing some years at the free grammar school of his native city, he was sent to Caius college, Cambridge; where he studied the Scriptures, and the fathers

of the church, in their original languages; and, preparatory to taking his degree of B. A., distinguished himself by the performance of a public exercise on the Newtonian system, then a novelty, which he afterwards materially contributed to diffuse, by translating and publishing the Physics of Rohault.