you to do this still better, I have sent by Mr. Berry some of his petites pieces, which may afford you a leisure hour's improvement. His Commentary on the Bible, when finished, will amount to three folio volumes; two of them are already published, the last I apprehend will not be completed these six or eight months. In this, as in many other instances, the proverb is applicable, that Church-work is slow.' If you choose to have it, when perfected, it shall be sent you. The Doctor expressed his satisfaction in that part of your letter which I read to him, and was pleased to find his well-intended writings in so good hands. My sending you other books at present, till I know the state of your library, may be shooting beside the mark. Let me have a catalogue of those you now have, and I will endeavour to improve it; and supply you from time to time with the most suitable modern publications. Your uncle gives room to expect a friend of yours, Mr. Eversfield, hither in the next spring; it will afford me a good opportunity of transmitting these matters to you, and I shall have a pleasure, at every other opportunity, in contributing whatever literary aids I am able; since it is by no means improbable that in so doing I may be instrumental to the diffusion of more improvement through your hands, and the hands of others abroad, than it will be possible for my own poor abilities to effect at home.

"I congratulate myself on your declared intention of writing annually to me, and I am sure you will never oblige me to remind you of so flattering a promise; punctuality must be all I can engage for in my part of the correspondence. I shall avail myself of Mr. Molleson's friendly interposition for the purpose.

"The little time you have been in orders authorizes no immediate expectation of preferment; but I do not doubt you will soon obtain it. In the mean time, we may say with (I forget whom) in Cato:

"'Tis not in mortals to command success;

But we'll do more, Sempronius,-we'll deserve it.

"I will only whisper you in the ear on this subject, that a certain friend of yours, fully of your age, in a more expensive country, has not much above a fourth part of your present annual income. I had rather be able to appreciate Philip, iv. 11, than to be master of the globe; and till either of these events take place, I am sure I can say, Domine, non sum dignus. May you amply inherit, and so realize the value of, the promises you have recived from the Governor. Young as I am in the ministry, and acceptable as I have the pleasure to find my endeavours are with my friends here, it would not be giving myself a fair chance, or them an opportunity of serving me, were I yet a while to think of a remove; when I do, assure yourself Maryland will have an exclusive preference to every other retreat within my

knowledge, and till then you have my sincere thanks for your very friendly hint on this head. Dr. Dodd had nearly built a Chapel when you was in England. It has now been open above a year, and is well filled, with a very respectable and attentive congregation. The morning readership and alternate afternoon service falls to my share; the Doctor's brother* has the other afternoon duty. Dr. Dodd himself preaches there every Sunday morning. My other Sunday afternoons are employed in the Lectureship of Camberwell in Surrey. But I turn from these egotisms, and passing over your pointed critique on our hierarchy (which is of very extensive application), shall conclude with a far more welcome subject. Proceed, my good friend, to secure the approbation your labours have hitherto obtained you have an ample field, and your God will be your pioneer; urge the combat only in His strength and name, and never doubt of coming off more than conqueror, and with far better than a mural, civic, or regal crown: 'Non tentanda solùm, sed tentata etiam est via.' 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.

"I shall hope to hear from you when Mr. Eversfield comes over; and till then and always, with the truest esteem, I am, dear Sir, your faithful friend and brother, WEEDEN BUTLER."

3. Mr. CLAGETT to Mr. BUTLER.

"DEAR SIR,

I

Calvert County, Maryland, Sept. 1, 1769. "I received yours by Mr. ; though I have not as yet seen that gentleman, I am apprehensive he deceived you with respect to my referring him to your acquaintance, for I do not remember that I have even seen him for these three or four years. have sent to him repeatedly for the books you were so kind as to remit me by him; but the last answer I had from him was, that he had no such books. I am sorry to inform you that this behaviour is entirely consonant with his general character; and it is much to be lamented that such men cannot be prevented from entering into the ministry. We labour under peculiar disadvantages in this respect in this Province; some of the livings here are large, the incumbents (some of them) seem to be desirous to get clear of doing their duties, and therefore recommend such men for orders. Mr. has been repeatedly trying, for some years past, to obtain a recommendation, but never could carry his point until he happened to meet with one of the gentlemen I have been describing, whose Curate he now is. To prevent any the like deceptions for the future, I shall never recommend any one to your acquaintance otherwise than by letter. This occurrence may serve to give you some idea of

*The Rev. Richard Dodd, afterwards Rector of Cowley, where the remains of Dr. Dodd were deposited, after a perfect cast of his face had been taken by Thomas Johnson, his faithful and attached clerk at Charlotte-chapel. Mr. Dodd resided on Camberwell Green, and died there.

the behaviour of the clergy of this Province. It is a lamentable case! too many of them, when they get inducted, seem to act as if they thought themselves unaccountable for any of their conduct. The Northern Provinces contain mostly Presbyterians, who now flock to England for orders, and the Church in Maryland is full of them. These and many other reasons loudly call for a Bishop on this side the Atlantic. Our papers tell us, that the affair is much agitated at home, and I sincerely wish that it may be carried. And if it should please God to place Dr. Dodd in this exalted station, how happy should I be! how happy would America be! I know Dr. Dodd has an interest at Court, and I heartily wish he would endeavour to be appointed for America, for he appears to me to be just such a man as we want; and I really think there is no station wherein he would be more useful; but, however I may please myself with this reflection, God knows what is best for us, and I shall endeavour cheerfully to acquiesce in his dispensations. When I sat down, I intended only to write a few lines, to let you know that should answer your very kind letter by Mr. Hobson, a gentleman of my acquaintance, who leaves this place in about twelve weeks; but the mention of Mr. has drawn me from my purpose a little. I shall therefore only add that, on Governor Eden's arrival, a petition was preferred to him in my behalf by the parishioners of All Saints' parish, and his Excellency was pleased to grant me an induction into the Benefice. Here I believe I shall remain for life; and oh that your and my prayers for my success with poor dying sinners may be in some measure answered! I fully intend, by the Divine Grace, to make it the business of my life to exhort, persuade, and advise them; you know that is all we can do, the success comes from God. Oh! how happy shall we be, my dear friend, if each of us, after having endeavoured earnestly to recommend the Lord Jesus to dying sinners, may meet at last in the place of blessedness, where we shall never more be separated! Your letter almost deprives me of any hopes of ever seeing you again in this world; however that may be, depend upon it I shall ever remain your sincere friend, THOMAS JOHN CLAGETT.

"P.S. I have sent you by Captain Bishop four hams; he has promised to land them as his own, and so they will be clear of the duty. I have ordered them to be good, and if you think them so, please to let me know it in your next. I am sorry our country affords so little that is worthy your acceptance; but should there be any thing here that you have the least curiosity to obtain, be kind enough to let me know it, for I shall always take a peculiar pleasure in getting it for you."

Sept. 19, 1769.

4. "DEAR SIR, "In my last to you by Captain Bishop I mentioned, that I should take the liberty to recommend to your acquaintance Mr.

Hobson. This I expect will be delivered to you by that gentleman, and hope you will find him an agreeable acquaintance. Mr. Hobson tarries some time in London, and I shall make use of him as a vehicle for my letters when I write to you.

"I am now, Sir, settled for life, I believe; and desire nothing more in this world than to see Dr. Dodd Bishop of America, and you his Chaplain, for I despair of ever seeing you otherwise. Religion here, my dear Sir, is at a very low ebb; here is a large vine-yard, with few, very few, honest and sincere labourers. The common topic from our pulpits is morality, and they have almost preached it out of countenance. The fall of man, the free grace of God through Jesus Christ, and the new birth, are topics cautiously avoided by them; judge, therefore, of our state. The Presbyterian religion gains ground, and seems to flourish; and most probably the whole continent will be presbyterianized if we do not obtain an able and faithful Bishop from our mother country. I am sorry to hear of the uneasiness and destructions that seem to threaten the State on your side the water; we, too, have shared in these troubles, the late Acts of Parliament imposing internal duties on us for raising a revenue has occasioned much disturbance. The people throughout the continent have entered into an agreement not to take off any European luxuries. We have a fine country, capable of producing every necessary of life in great abundance. Upon the whole I do not believe the Acts of Parliament have hurt us, for it is really amazing what great improvements have been made since the Acts took place in almost every branch of handicraft business. I heartily wish that the mother country and her colonies may soon be restored to their former state of affection and duty. Please to offer my best wishes to Dr. Dodd; and accept, my dear Sir, of the hearty wishes and sincere prayers of your friend and brother, THOMAS JOHN CLAGETT."

BISHOP DOUGLAS to the Rev. WEEDEN BUTLER *,

"REVEREND Sir, Windsor Castle, Dec. 9, 1798. "Your obliging present + reached me at Salisbury, when I was upon the point of setting out for this place; and, though the volume is pretty large, I have, in three days since my arrival here, got through it. I most heartily thank you for the great

* Communicated to Mr. Nichols with the following note: "Dear Sir, The letter, of which the above is a copy, came to me this morning, and you will agree with me is not a little pleasing. Laudari a laudato viro is something. Pray shew it to Mr. Gough when you meet; to his mind I know it will afford satisfaction. Others have paid compliments; the above is more. Believe me most sincerely, dear Sir, yours most faithfully, "WEEDEN BUTLER."

A copy of the Life of Bishop Hildesley; see p. 730.

entertainment the perusal has afforded me; and, indeed, for the instruction I have received. Many of the letters you have intro'duced in your Appendix are truly valuable; and I have not the least doubt that the work will have an extensive circulation. "With my best wishes I remain, reverend Sir,

"Your faithful humble servant,

J. SARUM."

Letters of the Rev. B. FORSTER to Mr. GOUGH. [The following letters are of a subsequent date to those before printed in pp. 290-328.]

1. "DEAR GOUGH, Boconnoc Parsonage, Aug. 27, 1775. "Since I answered your last, we have had all the bustle of a christening*, with its appendages of concert, and ball, and wrestlings, and a great supper of shew to 107 gentlemen and ladies; and the great house so dressed up and bedizened on the occasion, that my hermitage became the retreat for two days of lordings and high dames of honours. I wished to see the wrestling; but just before it began Frank Dixon was taken very ill on the downs, and I was obliged to bring him home in a carriage. Report talks of it as the most famous wrestling that was ever seen in this wrestling county. A silver bowl of fifteen guineas value was the prize of the victor (the first who threw five falls); and about fifty pounds worth of silver was distributed amongst the vanquished wights. They tell me that there is some account of our great doings in some of the newspapers; so I hear from my brother Tom and from Yorkshire, but it is in no paper that has reached our neighbourhood. If you can procure it from some pamphlet-shop or coffee-house, it would be an acceptable present here.

"I am told that some part of Hals's papers had been formerly published, and sold in sixpenny numbers; but, the sale not answering, the bookseller at Exeter who engaged in the publication soon desisted. It is on this account that Mr. Walker calls his publication a new edition. I know not who Hals was; Mr. Robert Walker is the Rector of Lawhitton near Lanceston.

"I am much obliged to you for the French Description of England; not that I have read it. If you have no readier means of conveyance, the best way of sending any parcel for me, is to send it to Mr. Pitt's house in Hereford-street; it may then chance to reach me in about four months with their next stores. Believe me sincerely yours, B. F."

* This was the Christening of Thomas, afterwards second Lord Camelford of Boconnoc, who was slain in a duel in 1804.