cusing failings of this sort in me. I was very greatly concerned to hear the account of the fall you had from your horse in your journey into Staffordshire, but am in hopes you have long since recovered the bad effects of it, which I was informed were not of the mildest nature. I hope that crazy constitution of yours has not prevented your enjoying the utmost pleasure and satisfaction in celebrating your Brother's nuptials *; and imagine you think yourself very happy in having so good a Physician as Dr. Wilks so near you, if you should be out of order; but surely you may by this time reasonably hope for a steady state of good health. I have often wished, since I parted with you at Cambridge, that I had been able to have accepted the kind invitation you gave me to go along with you into the country; but, however, I entertain great hopes that I shall be able one time or other to afford myself that happiness, although I cannot say but it would have been particularly agreeable at that time, upon account of your brother's marriage, in which state I heartily wish that the happiness he will have hereafter may be equally great with the pleasure I shall take in hearing of it. I have taken care to execute all the commissions you left with me in the best manner I was able. I sent 'Hammond upon the New Testament' to Mr. Swallow; who says he will take the greatest care imaginable of the Letters you left with him, which I imagine are some of the original copies of those of Bishop Smalridge to your Father. I hope you will not fail of getting those original Letters again which you sent to Mr. Piggot to be transcribed; for I take them to be of most inestimable value, as they consist chiefly of decisions of some nice points of Learning. I am in hopes you have not laid aside your design of making a Paraphrase of, and Commentary upon, the Psalms; for I am sure the specimen of that Psalm you was so kind as to favour me with in a Letter seemed to me to be executed in so masterly a manner, that you shewed yourself as nearly as possible equal to the subject you had undertaken. I have, since I saw you, taken a view of your favourite Author Lord Shaftesbury; and have written remarks upon various parts of his Works, which I intend to communicate in Letters upon my return to College; you will there find that I think his criterion of them very deficient in many particulars, and that he has given very invalid, if any, proofs at all, of many things which he has started. I want to know if you have, since I saw you, received any assistance in forwarding the History of Bury.' I suppose it will be difficult to determine whether we shall meet with you at the Earl of Stamford's, my Lord Ward's, Sir Harry's, or my Brother's. However, I hope you will receive it in good time, as I will come to you at Mrs. Gough's at Oldfallings; and you will in your next, which I hope I shall receive from you as soon as possible, let me know where to direct to you for the future, who am, dear Sir, "Yours, &c. SAMUEL HUTCHINSON." Mr. Walter Gough was married in 1742, previous to his brother Thomas's entering into Örders. ↑ Of St. John's College, Cambridge; B. A, 1741; M. A. 1745. T2 Extracts Extracts from Bishop SMALRIDGE'S Correspondence. (MS. Ballard, VII. in the Bodleian Library *.) 1. Letter from GEORGE SMALRIDGE to Mr. CHARLETT. No date t. Thanks him for advice.-"The place I am not at all fond of; I did not seek it; but it is offered, and it is not in my power to refuse it: which you will easily judge when you shall know my circumstances. Mr. Ashmole has been, and still is, my worthy Patron. I have received a support from him for many years. When he first intimated to me that he designed this place for me, I received it coolly, but was checked for it. He designs it as an ease to himself; and therefore, if I should reject it, I forfeit any title to his other favours. I am conscious how little I am qualified for it: but the chemistry I shall have nothing to do with, and it will not be very difficult to get some knowledge of the things in the Museum sufficient for my purpose." —“ If this place had not been compatible with Orders, I had rejected it ‡.” 2. From the Same to the Samé. Dated Dec. 23, 1704. " The Case of Admission of Occasional Conformists to the Holy Communion I have not seen, but have heard much commended, and particularly by his Grace of York."—"The Rehearsal of the last week is very much and very justly applauded." 3. From the Same to the Same. Dated March 1, 1706-7. Fears Dr. Charlett's Friend will not obtain the vacant Greek Professorship §. 4. From the Same to the Same. April 10, 1707. Censure of the Prolocutor of the Lower House for absence without the Archbishop's leave, pendentibus arduis negotiis. The Queen angry with the Clergy for reflecting on her Prerogative. Dr. Potter sure of his election as Professor. Thanks Charlett for kind mention of him to the Archbishop of York. 5. From the Same to the Same. April 30, 1707. Form of Protestation of the Lower House against the proceedings touching their Prolocutor. The Archbishop suspected of acting against the Regal Supremacy, by proceeding against the Prolo cutor. For a reference to this series of Bishop Smalridge's Letters, I was indebted to the late Rev. Charles Coates, the diligent Historian of Reading; and for this complete analysis I am happy to express my obligations to a worthy and accurate Friend, the Rev. Philip Bliss, Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, well known by several elegant publications, and particularly by the many improvements he has made in the "Athena" of Anthony Wood. +"8 Dec. 1682. Geo. Smalridge, fil. Ric. S. Lichfield. Stafford. Gen. an. nat. 18, Ch. Ch." Matriculation Register. Subscribed on the back by Charlett: "Recommended by Mr. Ashmole to look after the Museum." The Professorship, vacated by the promotion of Dr. Thomas Mills to the Bishoprick of Waterford and Lismore, was given to Mr. Edward Thwaites, Fellow of Queen's College. 6. From 6. From the Same to the Same. June 25, 1707. His wife's illness forces him to Thistleworth. Dr. Sherlock to be buried at St. Paul's: Dr. Blackall to preach the Funeral Sermon. Great appearance of Divines to do him honour expected. 7. From the Same to the Same. April 22, 1708. "In reading Dr. Hickes's Preface, I had the same thoughts as you have—that he declares too freely for the abolition of Episcopacy, upon supposition that it is not of divine appointment. Should his argument find credit, and should all be for abolishing Episcopacy who do not believe it jure divino, I am persuaded, it would not stand long. Had he not told us that he speaks with the seriousness of a Christian, I should not have thought that he had been in earnest, when he represents the advantages of changing Episcopacy, if it were mutable, to be so great, and the reasons for doing it to be so strong." 8. From the Same to the Vice-Chancellor, in defence of Mr. Robert Watts, of St. John's College *, who was suspected of schism from the Church. Dated May 1, 1708. 9. From the Same to Dr. CHARLETT. Dated June 22, 1708. Anxious about the Election + then going to take place in Oxford, but unwilling to appear in it, "lest it might look like personal pique, which I am far from having against Dr. P. ‡”—“ I have seen Mr. Addison and Mr. Steele; but they neither of them know Mr. Ward." 10. From the Same to the Same, dated July 3, 1708, giving an account of the Elections for the House of Convocation. 11. From the Same to the Same. Dated Aug. 19. Regrets that he lost the pleasure of Mr. Ayerst's company. "I hope you will let Dr. Wallis know what kind things are said of him by Dr. Hickes. I before let the Doctor know what was said in his praise by the same Author in print. You have, I hope, read the "Observator" of Wednesday last. You will there see what Tests are designed for us at the University. It is, I think, more the concern of the Court, than it is ours, that, if we do err in these points, we should be suffered to continue in our errors. The Homilies, Liturgy, Acts of Parliament, not to mention a great many private Authors, will make a fine bonfire in the School Quadrangle, when the books, in which non-resistance is taught come to be burned by the manus infamis. I wish the Bible itself may escape. After all that Mr. Hoadly has said to bring off St. Paul; he seems to me to be as obnoxious in some places as any High-church-man of them all. I am told that Dr. Kennett will have the Parsonage of Whethampsted, vacant by the death of Dr. Lamb§. But he, that is not yet satisfied, • "I have used his notes and illustrations on Wood's Athena Oxonienses' in the new edition. They were procured by Mr. John Jones for Dr. Rawlinson, and are now in the Bodleian." P. BLISS. +For the Convocation. Dr. Potter, who had been the successful Candidate for the Regius Professorship of Divinity. See before, p. 273. § It was given, in December 1708, to Edward Wake, M. A. will not be satisfied then. God be thanked, that satisfaction is not in the gift of those Patrons; from them we are to expect nothing. The books I have found most useful in the Visitation of the Sick are Dr. Isham's Collection of Prayers for the Sick' (known by that name, though it doth not carry it), and Mr. Kettlewell of Death. Mr. Kettlewell's Office for the Penitent' is a book also very proper on that occasion." 12. From the Same to the Same. "REVEREND SIR, Orchard-street, Aug. 28, [1708.] "I see no reason why our Chair* should be offered to persons who are not fond of it, nor altogether fit for it; and the man who is, modestly speaking, the best qualified for it, and who has deserved of us all the honour we can do him, should in the mean time be overlooked. I cannot but think the strongest objection to him is, that he has been too zealous for that cause which begins to be less liked, since it has been less countenanced, than it was at first. I have heard indeed other objections made, such as I knew to be groundless, and such as will quickly appear to be so. That the promised and expected account of what was done the last Convocation was published, was one, to which you will see an effectual answer in print in a few days. That he had gone over to Lambeth, and there offered to come into their measures, was another, for which Dr. Gibson's authority was vouched. To this aspersion I can now give a satisfactory answer; for, because I found some stress laid upon it, I wrote a letter to Dr. Gibson about it, and received a very honest and kind answer, of which I here send you a copy. I have thanked him for the readiness and openness of it; so that there is a correspondence begun between us, and I shall perhaps in a little time come to be accused of offering to enter into Lambeth measures. Would the Author of the History of one Convocation, and of the Account of Proceedings in another, shew as much ingenuity as Dr. Gibson has done upon this occasion, we might hope in time to come to a better understanding with one another. I am returned to my own house in Orchard-street, where, when you come to town, I hope you will call upon, Sir, your humble servant." "REVEREND SIR, Chichester, Aug. 21, 1708 †. "I received the favour of yours by the last post, wherein you desire me to let you know whether I ever said to Mr. Gibson 'that Dr. Atterbury came to Lambeth, and offered himself to come into our measures, but was rejected.' To which I take the first opportunity to return this plain answer: that I never did say so, either to Mr. Gibson or any man living. I might say, that, some years since, there was a private proposal from a *That of Prolocutor to the Convocation. + Subscribed on the back by Dr. Charlett: "G. Sm. 29 Aug. 1708. About a reflection passed upon Dr. Atterbury of his entering into Lambeth measures, but rejected." person person of note, to make matters more easy and quiet in Convocation; and that mention was made of Dr. Atterbury as a person that might be very instrumental in it, and of his coming to Lambeth, as the first step towards it. All this, to my knowledge, is true; that is, that such a proposal was then made: but that it was made by Dr. Atterbury, much less that he came to Lambeth to offer it, or that he was at all privy to it, I never did say. By this post I write to Mr. Gibson, to let him know that this is what I said to him, and that if he mistook, and hath reported it otherwise, it is an injury both to Dr. Atterbury and me; and he ought, in justice to both, to undeceive as many as he has misled." From E. THWAITES to Dr. CHARLETT. "SIR, Queen's College, Nov. 25, 1707. "Mr. Gibson, of our College, was with the Doctor at Lambeth. He bid him say, that Dr. Atterbury came to Lambeth, and offered himself to come into their measures, but was rejected. E. THWAITES *." 13. From Dr. George Smalridge to Dr. CHARLETT. "REVEREND SIR, Oct. 16, 1708. "You had sooner heard from me, but that my thoughts of late have been very much discomposed by several melancholy objects. On Friday the last week I lost a dear child, of whom I was extremely fond; and all that knew him excused me for being so. I find all the philosophy I have little enough to make me easy on this sad occasion. The images do at present return thick upon me; but I hope in a little time to find them less afflictive. My wound would have been sooner healed, had it not been kept open by the occasions I have had to give others that comfort which I have wanted myself. On Tuesday I went with Mrs. Arbuthnot towards Brentford, to meet Dr. Gregory and his wife, who were expected that day from Maidenhead. My errand was, to inform them of the death of their girl, of whom they were extremely fond; they left her well when they went to the Bath, and she died on Friday was se'nnight. We met not the coach we expected; and when we returned, we found a letter was sent from Mrs. Gregory to her brother Dr. Oliphant, begging that he would come down to Maidenhead to the Doctor, who was very ill. She came to town on Thursday night a very disconsolate widow. The Doctor died on Tuesday morning, and was buried on Wednesday night at Maidenhead. A messenger was dispatched to Hambledon to fetch you to him, if you had been there. Mr. Lesley came from the Bath with him, and assisted him in his sickness, and in extremis. Dr. Arbuthnot from Windsor came to him. It seems he always told his wife that he should be but short-lived, and of late has often desired * Subscribed on the back by Dr. Charlett: "A remarkable artifice of Dr. Maningham, by way of reflection on Dr. Atterbury.” her |