Chapter 16

[1003]Dugdale does so repeatedly, in different parts of his works, and so does Parkin, if our memory does not fail us—

“I have seen (says he, in one place) a memorandum wrote by Gybon Goddard Esq. Serjeant at Law and recorder of Lynn, who was acurious collector of Antiquities, and died in 1671, wherein he observes that in his time in digging to set down a new sluice a little beneath Magdalen fall, which is about half a mile from Magdalen bridge, on the Marshland side, there was found about 16 foot, within soyle a grave stone of about 8 feet long, and a cart wheel near to it. The grave-stone (he adds) is now in Magdalen Church Yard.”

[1010]They run thus—

“Orders to be observed at the Society when met together—1. That there be a meeting of the several members every Lord’s day evening, after divine service, for religious conference, to be managed in manner following, viz. One of the Stewards with the whole society kneeling, to read the Collect for the second Sunday in Advent, adding thereunto any particular Collect according to his discretions (but he shall make choice of no other but those appointed for Sundays and holidays) and if a chapter be read out of the N. Test, then the Society to discourse of the contents of that chapter, aiming thereby each to improve himself in the undertaking thereof, and in the more lively application thereof to his own heart and conscience, and to render the influence more powerful to the mind both of himself and his brethren.—That every member at his going away, according to his ability, put what he please into the poor-box, which is heartily wished may be done not grudgingly or of necessity, but with joy and alacrity, for God loveth a cheerful giver: After which to conclude with two Collects, one of the Steward’s choice, and the last to be that in the Communion Service, (Prevent us O Lord,&c.) Moreover, beside the forementioned general method of reading and discoursing the scriptures in order, any member hath the liberty to raise any argument of a spiritual or religious nature, provided it be not above our reach and capacity, nor leading to doubtful disputations, but such as may conduce to general benefit and advantage, to counselling the doubtful, and instructing the ignorant, confirming the weak, and encouraging one another to run with patience the race that is set before us. But matters of controversy to be avoided, especially state affairs, as not belonging to us, who pretend to be instructed by that grace of God that teacheth us to be holy without blame before him in love. Wherefore upon deliberate consideration, reflecting upon the confusions and distractions that have been raised by societies on such occasions, it is ordered with full consent, that whosoever shall pretend to start any thing of debate or controversy concerning state affairs, after the first or second admonition, shall be excluded from the society: also all discourse of matters of trade, or other temporal concerns to be forborne.—2ndly, that every respective member shall have liberty to recommend an object of charity to the Stewards, to whom a satisfactory account being given of the particular circumstances of those unto whom they, with the consent of the rest of the society, or the greater part of them, shall give out of the aforesaid collections as necessity shall require.—3rdly, That every one that is absent from the society at their meeting together, if on a frivolous occasion, such as shews any backwardness to attend, or a mean and slight esteem for the society in conformity to these rules and orders, shall incur the penalty of 6d.to be paid into the bank for defraying the necessary charges of the society, for the convenience of meeting; and if a Steward, one shilling: but if any person’s absence appears to be involuntary, as from a master’s restraint upon a servant, or otherwise, not proceeding from sloth or backwardness, a sufficient answer being given to the Steward who shall enquire the cause, the said answer shall suffice for his absence: but if any one be absent four times together without a very sufficient cause, he is to be looked upon as dissaffected to the society until he gives the Stewards satisfactory reasons for his saidabsence.—4thly, That upon the Lord’s day next before Whitsunday there shall be anelection of Stewardsfor the year ensuing, to be made in manner following, viz. Every member of the Society to put into a bason two tickets, whereon are written the names of the two persons he desires may be stewards: that is to say, the one name on the one, and the other on the other, each of the present stewards to have duplicate votes, each putting in four tickets, having on two of them the names of the one, and on the other two the names of the other person they prefer for stewards: then the tickets being told over by the old stewards, those two persons whose names are written on the greatest number of tickets are the Stewards elect; and if at any time an equality shall happen, then the determination to be made by lot.—5thty, That for the admitting a new member into the Society it is requisite to be introduced by one of the members, who is to accompany him into the Society at their usual meeting, where giving an account of the knowledge he hath of his life and conversation, if approved of by the Stewards and the rest of the Society, the rules and orders to be read to him; and afterone month, if none of the society make objection against it, he is to be admitted, by subscribing his name to these rules and orders, expressing his approbation of them and resolution to live up to them.—6thly, That six times a year every member meet at St. Margaret’s Church to take the holy sacrament together, extent upon unavoidable hinderance.—7thly, That the major part of the society shall upon any necessary occasion have power to make a new rule or order with the approbation of a minister of the Church of England, which shall be equally binding with the present upon every member of the Society.—8thly, That the rules and orders be read over at least six times every year at the usual meeting of the Society, and every member have liberty to take a copy thereof.—9thly, That the person who hath the greatest number of lots next the Stewards, shall be deputy in the absence of one of the Stewards.—These are the Rules and Orders of a Religious Society in King’s Lynn,under the patronage of the reverend Doctor Littel,Anno Domini1704.”

The author has more materials relating to this remarkable society, but what has been here given throws a sufficient light upon its character and its objects. Such a society in every parish would be no way dangerous to either church or state.

[1015a]It must not here be concealed, that his reputed heterodoxy, especially in regard to the Athanasian trinity, might also be among the causes, if it was not indeed the very chief cause of his failure in the point of ecclesiastical preferment. That he was decidedly averse to Athanasianism, and made no secret of that aversion, is very well known; a remarkable instance of which was related by his son Dr. Edmd. Pyle in a letter to one of his female friends, dated August 4. 1747; a copy of which has fallen into the hands of the present writer. The passage alluded to is as follows—

“My F—r has been excessive hoarse and stuffed and oppressed on the lungs, and after physic had in vain attempted his relief, he went abroad, the weather being fine, to view his new ch—h,[1015b]where they are putting up a magnificent p—lp—t, as the finishing stroke. There the sight of the Tr—ty in Un—ty emblematically displayed in the front pannel of the said p—l—p—t put him into such a passion, that you would have sworn, that with distemper and indignation he must have been suffocated: but G—d be praised nature got the better both of the m—st—y and the disease, and the conflict produced, what medicines could not, a free and large expectoration, which was succeeded by a fit of as clear and audible raving, as a man would wish to hear from a sound protestant divine, on so provoking an occasion.”

This letter-writer to be sure was an arch and wicked dog; but there can be no doubt of his statement being founded on fact: and when it is considered how their reputed heterodoxy affected Clarke, Whiston, and others of Pyle’s eminent contemporaries, it will not appear very strange that his rewards were not equal to his merits, or that his preferments were few and inconsiderable.

[1015b]This was St. Margaret’s then rebuilt.

[1017]The correspondence between these two eminent men did not close here. It is certain that some letters afterwards passed between them, as appears from the fragment of Mr. Pyle’s answer to one he had received from the primate, and which reads thus—

“I no sooner received the great favour of your Grace’s kind and good Letter than I wrote to the person intimated therein, and deferred my dutiful answer to it no longer than till I was enabled to acquaint you with his truly filial reply, that he should never find greater pleasure than that of complying with every desire of a father, and the honorable friends of that father.—Meantime I am sorry for the ill state of my friendC—st—l, which gives occasion to this affair. I loved the man: my Sons honoured him much. I thank your Grace for your very good remembrance of me and my Sou. Age, my Lord, confines me at home, when yet good providence blesses me with eyes and faculties, still enabling me to read, and even to preach once a day generally. I read every thing and make use of the glorious prerogative of private judgment, the birth-right of protestants. I pass free sentiment uponMddltn, and on all his opponents stronger or weaker. So I shall upon what he is going to say on the only piece of that great man of L— that ever gave me pleasure.—I readDisquisitions, and when I’ve done fall to my prayers and wishes, that the good thing desired may be put into the hands of the able, knowing, and impartial, that no church-tinkersmay be suffered to mend some few holes and leave others open, at which some vital part of the noble christian scheme may run out and be lost. But no wish of mine is so ardent as that your Grace may live with that excellent [mind[1018]] ofTlltsn, which is in you, to preside in, to direct this same good thing, and bring it to perfection.”

Of the residue of this letter we know nothing: this part of it sufficiently shews whereabout Mr. P. and the Primate stood as to the points afterwards agitated in theConfessional &c.This epistle is supposed to have been written about 1753, three years before the death of Mr. P. and four years before that of the Abp. than whom it does not appear that a worthier prelate ever occupied the See of Canterbury.

[1018]There is a word wanting here in the MS. Copy, which probably wasmindorspirit; alluding it is supposed to Tillotson’s liberal mindedness, and wish to get rid of the Athanasian Creed, &c.

[1020]Something is here wanting;vacateperhaps orrelinquish.

[1021]The same MS. volume, or Collection, from which the above has been taken, contains the following curious fragment or P.S. of a letter of the date of 1742 from the same respectable prelate, to the same correspondent, as we presume, for it has no superscription.—

“I find by the direction of one of your correspondents, whose hand and head I guess at, how great a man a C—n of S— must be, that his titles must follow him into all countries. The other, whose hand and head I pretty well know, has more sense than to adorn the outside of his letters in that manner.—I remember a story of a clergyman of great form inSurry, who directed a post letter toAbp. Sancroft—To his Grace,my Lord Abp. of Canterbury,Primate of all England and Metropolitan:—which letter a man famous for imitating hands happened to see brought to the post-office atEpsom, and finding a little room left after the wordmetropolitan, added the wordsto boot, which caused great wrath in old Sancroft, and a thorough reprimand to the poor man next time he appeared atLambeth, who could not distinguish the addition from his own hand. B. W.”

[1024]Of those letters of his which have fallen in this writer’s way all are of a date posterior to his removal from this town, except that which contains the account of the contested election in 1747, of which we have already given large extracts.—Of the rest the most remarkable is dated 24. July 1756, at Chelsea, where the Bp. of Winchester has a town house, with whom he then resided as his chaplain. Who his correspondent was does not appear; but he writes to him as follows—

“Dear Sir, I returned to this place a few days ago from Winch—r, after taking possession of a warm stall in the Cathedral, and a very good house in the close. My going thither was delayed a fortnight, by a feverish disorder, attended with some very odd and disagreeable circumstances of inflamation, from which I thank God I am very well recovered. I find that as my constitution is, I must, now and then, sacrifice something in point of health, to the plenty, that flows in this noble house. However I am not worse upon the whole, than when I lived in Norfolk: in that respect and all others I am sure I am athousand times better. Winch—r and all the large towns in that county were full ofHessian troops, whose appearance and sober behaviour was pleasing. I saw them in several different circumstances.FirstIn their militaryExercise, out of the City, in a spacious plain on the top of a hill, every fine morning.Secondly. At theirdevotions, on Sundays, in the Body of the Cathedral; which was a most grave and edifying sight. Their service, (both of such as areLutherans, and of others of them that areCalvinists,) is in the way of ourDissenters—1st.apsalm, very long, in which every Soldier bore his part; each having a book, and behaving in that, and the other parts of the service, with all possible decency and attention. I saw about 700 each time that I was present. They sing very well. The psalm was set by a Serjeant of Granadiers, a noble stately fellow; who had a vast pair of whiskers like birch brooms. All their granadiers wear this distinction in their faces. When the psalm was ended, a very solemn divine (tho’ he had no whiskers) in a black cloak, gave us a sermon in their language; after a prayer, which ended with theLord’sPrayer; at which they all went down on their knees on the floor. The preacher used no great action, but he had a very great voice, great earnestness, and was in a great sweat. Then followed another psalm, much shorter than the first, and all was closed with a prayer shorter also than the former.—There was a Collection of money, but for what purpose I know not certainly. There were few of the common-people but gave something. It is said to be made for the preacher’s service, by some; others say it has relation to the Sacrament, which they receive monthly; but I saw not the administration of it. The generals and officers were all present and behaved with all seriousness. The officers are very genteel and frugal; yet generous enough to give the ladies of the place a Ball once a week.—Another circumstance I saw them in was at a Ball, in a garden, from 6 to 9 o’Clock, which was by far the prettiest entertainment I ever was at. The Dean of Winch—ter has a fine and large Garden, which is a place of resort on summer evenings, for all the persons of fashion (which are many) in the city. It consists of a large lawn, at the end of which, (or rather through which) passes a quick river, that has a Chinese bridge over it, and is formed into two cascades, as it runs along. There is also a large grove, fine walks of gravel, and two or three alcoves. Here the officers desired leave to introduce the music, and give the ladies a Ball. The Dean consented, and all the gentry and quality in and about the place were put together there. And for the three hours I spake of, 25 couples danced on the lawn on one side of the river, the musicians standing on the other. There were 25 hands, and all good ones. They have learnt at home the tunes of our English Dances, which are practised there in compliment to our sovereign and country. In the dancing one could not but observe, how true the officers stept both to the time and tune: whereas the dancing of the English gentlemen, and most of the ladies too, was what one may callRomps run mad. The day before I came away, the troops from all the towns were encamped, about a mile and a half from the city, which afforded me a mornings amusement of the most agreeable sort. The Dean and Prebendaries, who have each of them a good income; [and I’ll assure you, most of ’em, live up to it, as Peg B— said of the Week’s Preparation] have done these Foreigners honour at their Tables with high gentility. They almost all come to the Cathedral, and one of ’em who sat next me, by some broken English of his, and some badlatin, both of his and mine, was made to understand all the ceremonies that were performedbyanduponme in the church, on the sunday I took possession. He seemed better satisfied with all other things, than with our surplices, scarves, and scarlet hoods; which he looked upon with somewhat of an evil eye: For, you know, that from the days of good Q. B—ss to these days some of the protestants abroad have objected to our Ecclesiastical Dresses asPopish—and some even of our own Divines have boggled at them in her time.—They have brought nowomenwith them, but a few of the soldiers wives, who are very clean, large, and fleshy. They put on when they get abroad a Straw Bonnet, which shades and almost hides their faces, and a callico or printed linen cloak, very long and full.—The persons at Winch—r of the female sex [like those of another place that we know] are all, or would all pass for, fine gentlewomen. And I could not for my life help being diverted with a question asked by the simpleHessian Womenconcerning them.Pray, said they,have you none but ladies of quality in this place? The answer was, that there was but one lady of quality [Lady Jernegan] in the city.Well, said they,we thought they were all such; for inour country, they who arealways dress’d out, andgoing from home,are ladies of quality: so we thought that ye were all quality.—One of the superior officers quartered at Southampton (where the resort of company to drink and bathe in the sea water, has benefited the place and spoilt the people) seeing all the gentlewomen of the town gadding abroad o’mornings, to the public rooms, or idle visits, bought up all theThimbleshe could get; and one morning when abundance of them were together in a public place, he presented each with a Thimble, saying, it must needs be, that they wanted the requisites to employ them properlyathome, or they would not be constantlyfromhome. This pretty reproof has produced a great deal of mirth, but very little reformation, that I heard of, among the SouthhamptonQuality.—The emoluments of churchmen as well as others who live in Hampshire, [at Winch—r especially] ought to be good. For (put all articles together that belong to house-keeping) and things are dearer there, than with you, by 7 and 6 pence in the pound. There is very little difference between the rate of eatables, coals. &c. there and in London. Fowls of all sorts, pigs, rabbets, are very high priced, and fish is 6d.a mouthful, tho’ Southampton is so near. For the fine folks that come down from London have in a very few years more than doubled the rate of that sort of food, even upon the place. But the worst circumstance belonging to both that city and county, is that there are manyRoman Catholicks. One of that persuasion would have hired my prependal house at a considerable rent, for the term of the bishop’s life, till the end of which I shall not fit it up for my own use. I sent such an answer that I shall ne’er be applied to again by any body of that stamp: ‘any other person of fashion shall have it for half the money, and be thanked into the bargain.’ In looking over what I have writ, I find I have filled a sheet; this surprizes me, for I did not intend to fill more than a side. If you have as much patience as you used to have, may be you have read it all. You can’t do a more acceptable thing than to write to me, at any time, and at this time, it will be a sort of charity, I being greatly dejected inspirit, at the state of public affairs. Our Common prayer says, what is entirely true, ‘There is none that fighteth for us but only God:’ and I wish I could be sure we had him on our side. God bless us all. God bless you and yours, and all that you and I love, and that love us—But, asFalstaffsays, ‘a pox on all cowards.’—So says your most humble servant, E. P.”

To the preceding we beg leave to subjoin the following letter, or ratherfragmentof a letter. That it isfromthe same hand seems sufficiently certain from both external and internal evidence. It was written in 1756, probably to his father, and it might be one of the last, if not the very last that passed between them. We insert it the more readily because so honourable to Bp. Hoadly’s memory, and not otherwise to that of Dr. F.—

“Dr.Thackery, who keeps a school anHarrowon theHill, has one living and 14 children. A man bred at Eaton, and a great scholar in the Eaton way, and a good one every way, a true Whig, and proud to be so by some special marks of integrity. He was candidate for the Headship of King’s, and would have beat all men but George, and George too, if Sir R. W. had not made George’s promotion a point. Since this disappointment he took the school ofHarrowto educate his own and other people’s children; where he has performed all along with great reputation. The Bp. of W. never saw this man in his life; but had heard so much good of him, that he resolved to serve him some way of other, if ever he could—but said nothing to any body. On friday last he sent for this Dr. T. and when he came into the room, my lord gave him a parchment, and told him he had long heard of his good character, and long been afraid he should never be able to give him any serviceable proof of the good opinion he had long conceived of him: That what he had put into his hands was thearchdeaconry of Surry, which he hoped would be acceptable to him, as he might perform the duty of it yearly, at the time of his leisure in the Easter Holidays. Dr. T. was surprized and overcome with this extraordinary manner of doing him a favour, that he was very near fainting as he was giving him institution.—Tis 130l.a year, with dependencies that may bring in a deal of money.—1756.”

[1030]What led the author to this supposition or conclusion was an anecdote said to have been written by Dr. H. himself; in these words—

“In Turner de morbis cutaneis See Wts. related by Langius of a woman longing to bite a baker’s shoulder.—Somewhat like this was the case of Mrs. Forest the wife of an alderman (or baliff as they are called in Scotland) ofHaddingtoninEast Lothian; who having had 4 or 5 daughters, and then with child of a boy, and lying by her husband awake, while he was fast asleep, in a summer-morning, his shoulder lying bare, she long’d to taste of it, and after a great desire could not forbear fixing her teeth. He waking jump’d out of bed thinking she was mad, but being soon convinced of what was the matter, easily forgave the fact, but would not venture a second trial. After dressing and taking care of the slight wound, he soon after made a jest of the news to his companions at the tavern: but while they were a whetting, news was brought him that his wife was miscarried of a boy; upon which he merrily said, ‘d—mn it, if I had known it was a boy her longing should have been satisfied.’—This I had from the woman herself upon enquiry: for the story was notorious about the time I was born, 1669. G. H.—M. Dr.”

[1037]Those traits in his character have been often elucidated by divers well known anecdotes, two or three of which we will here take the liberty of inserting.—One of them is given in a letter of Dr. Pyle, if we are not mistaken, of the date of 1752, addressed perhaps to his father.—

“Your old friend Sir W. B. came to my Lord Bp. of Winch—r some weeks ago, and told him that he waited upon him for a pension payable out of his estate to the College of Physicians. My Lord said, he never heard of any such pension paid out of his revenues; and as to an estate of his own, he had none. Yes, says the knight, you are chargeable herewith out of such an estate. My Lord said, he had no estate any where of his own, and as Bp. of W. he had no such estate as was named. Bp. of W—! quoth the knight; why then lam wrong; you are not the person. I wanted Sir Cecil Bishop, and they told me he lived here. Is Sir C. B. a clergyman, says my Lord? No, says the knight. Why then Sir you might have seen your mistake immediately, and so your Servant. This dog certainly wanted to see how the Bp. look’d, and thence judge of his being likely to live or not, on account of some estate that somebody he knows, is to buy or renew, who hold of the Bp. of W. and nobody but a man of his parts and assurance could, have got to the sight of him;” [July1752.]

Another anecdote of him is related by Bp. Warburton in a Letter to Hurd; dated Prior Park, Nov. 18th 1767.—

“When you see Dr. Heberden pray communicate to him an unexpected honour I lately received. The other day word was brought me from below, that one Sir William Browne sent up his name, and would be glad to kiss my hand. I judged it to be the famous physician, whom I had never seen, nor had the honour to know. When I came down into the drawing room I was accosted by a little, round, well fed gentleman, with a large muff in one hand, and a small Horace open in the other, and a spying-glass dangling in a black ribbon at his button. After the first salutation he informed me that his visit was indeed to me, but principally, and in the first place, to Prior Park, which had so inviting a prospect from below: and he had no doubt but on examination it would sufficiently pay the trouble he had given himself of coming up to it on foot. We then took our chairs; and the first thing he did or said, was to propose a doubt to me concerning a passage in Horace, which all this time he had still open in his hand. Before I could answer he gave me the solution of this long misunderstood passage: and in support of his explanation had the charity to repeat his own paraphrase of it in English verse, just come hot, as he said, from the brain. When this and chocolate were over, having seen all he wanted of me, he desired to see something more of the seat; and particularly what be called theMonument, by which I understood him to mean, the Prior’s tower, with your inscription. Accordingly I ordered a servant to attend him thither; and, when he had satisfied his curiosity, either to let him out from the park above into the down, or from the garden below into the road. Which he chose I never asked; and so this honourable visit ended. Hereby you will understand, that the design of all this was to beadmired. And indeed he hadmy admirationto the full; but for nothing so much, as for being able at past eighty to perform this expedition on foot, in no good weather, and with all the alacrity of a boy, both in body and mind.”

[Before we dismiss this anecdote, it ought to be observed that the bishop was somewhat incorrect in two instances at least: 1st. in representing our knight as alittle man; 2ndly.in saying that he was thenpast eighty. Those who knew and remember him, speak of him as atall man; and it is certain that he wanted several weeks of seventy six when he visited Prior Park.]—The next anecdote and the last that we shall here relate, came from the late Thomas Hollingworth, many years a respectable bookseller in this town, and who settled here under Dr. Browne’s patronage. He used to say that the first time he had to make out his bill after the doctor had been dubbed a knight, he wroteSir William Browne debtor to Tho. Hollingworth. When he delivered it into the knight’s hand, he looked at it a short time, and then looking at him said, Mr. H. you might have saidthe honourableSir Wm. Browne. I beg your pardon Sir Wm. replied the bookseller, but upon my word I did not know that it was customary to prefix to the name of a knight the wordhonourable. As to that, rejoined the knight, tho’ it be not customary, it would yet have been pleasing.—That to be sure was childish and ridiculous enough; but we believe that with all his eccentricities and foibles, Sir. Wm. B. was far from being one of the most disreputable or unworthy characters that were to be found among the gentlemen of this town and its vicinity during his long residence here.

[1039]The rough draught, or fragment of a translation of the inscription is longer, but the rest the present writer could not well make out.—The above seems enough to give the reader a pretty just idea of the tenor of the whole.—Before we entirely dismiss this article, or take our final leave of Sir Wm. we should not omit to notice the much admired impromptu, or extemporaneous epigram produced by him when a regiment of horse happened to be quartered atOxford, and the king having purchased the noble library of Bp.Moore, made a present of it to the university ofCambridge. The epigram was an answer to one that had been made by a Dr. Trapp, a witty, torified clergyman, on that occasion, in these words,

“The king, observing with judicious eyesThe wants of his two universities;ToOxfordsent atroop of horse, for why?Thatlearnedbody wantedloyalty:To Cambridge he sentbooks, as well discerning,That that rightloyalbody wantedlearning.”

Which drew from Sir Wm. the following reply, said so have been much commended, even by Dr. Johnson.

“Contrary methods justly George applies,To govern his two universities;ToOxfordis dispatched a troop of horse,SinceToriesown no argument likeforce;ToCambridgeEly’s learned books are sent,SinceWhigsadmit no force likeargument.”

[1052]The loose livers, (or whores and rogues of the parish, as some would call them) used to bring theirbastardchildren to him tochristen, or make them christians, although they discovered no desire or inclination to live soberly, righteously, and godly, or become christians themselves. This he thought very improper and objectionable, and no less than a direct profanation of a religious rite; and therefore refused to christen such children, unless their parents made a profession of repentance, and solemnly promised to forsake those irregular and vicious courses, and lead for the future virtuous and pious lives. Some willingly complied with his requirement, upon whose children therefore he performed the said rite. Others could not be prevailed upon to submit to this requirement, for which reason he left their children unchristened, which gave great umbrage, not only to their parents and such like folk, but even to his own ecclesiastical superiors, up to the very bishop—all blamed him for having any scruples about such frivolous, harmless, and indifferent matters as these. Some also even of the most decent among his parishioners disapproved of his refusing to christen the said bastard children, it being, as they said, punishing the poor things for the sins of their parents. Forbidding those of loose or immoral lives to come to the Lord’s Table was another circumstance that gave great offence, and caused him no small trouble. One of these was the greatest man in the parish, or head Squire of the place; and a very fierce and dashing fellow he certainly was. He, by way of retaliation and revenge, set himself about picking holes in Mr. R’s coat. They were not indeed of an immoral, but rather an uncanonical nature. Mr. R. had allowed a certain worthy person to partake of the Lord’s Suppersittinginstead ofkneeling. He also hadnotmade a point of wearing thesurplicewhile performing the burial service and some other duties. He had likewise taken the liberty of using the wordhonourinstead ofworshipin the marriage service, and moreover of curtailing occasionally the liturgic part of the public service. These deviations were magnified into serious misdoings, and looked upon by his superiors in a very unfavourable light. Wherefore his conduct was afterwards more closely scrutinized; and from the examination and confession of his church-wardens the following articles of accusation were extracted, upon which he was proceeded against in the ecclesiastical court—1. That he did not read the Litany onWednesdays and Fridays: 2. That he did not constantly wear the surplice in all his administrations: 3. That he did not usually administer the communion onChristmas-day, unless it fell onSunday. Nor onWhit-Sunday. 4. That he did not read over theCanonsandArticlestwice a year. 5. That there were two children unbaptiz’d in the parish, which he refused to baptize. 6. That he was in the habit of conversing (or was on friendly terms) with one Mr. Richardson, an excommunicate person.—[Now this person was a worthy, pious dissenting minister, who had been persecuted for conscience sake, or for nonconformity, and excommunicated: and it was expected that no clergyman would converse or associate with him, unless he recanted: which was a sort of morality or religion which Rastrick did not approve, and therefore did not choose to practise.] The first time he appeared before the spiritual Court at Lincoln to answer to the above articles or charges, he had nothing to do but only to retain aProctoragainst the next court-day. When that time came, it fell out to be the very day when king James’s Declaration for liberty of conscience came first down into the country, which must have been in the spring of 1687. At this his second appearance he found the court very much down in the mouth (as he expresses it) and far from the heat and violence in their proceedings that he expected. They did however proceed to business, and went over each of those charges, but came to no determination: not thinking perhaps the then aspect of things favourable enough to warrant a rigorous decision. However that was, Rastrick was now becoming more and more dissatisfied with the terms of conformity, and began soon to think of availing himself of the royal Declaration of liberty of conscience to quit his public station in the church, as he actually did before the close of that same year. After which he seems to have continued disengaged till 1701, when he settled with the Presbyterian congregation in this town.

[1055]The author therefore requests the reader to correct his mistake at p.1002in dating Rastrick’s arrival here in 1710 or 11.

[1058]Something similar has occurred here within the present year (1811,) only with this difference, that the disaffected gained their point, and obliged the minister to resign and withdraw; whereas Mr. R. maintained his ground and retained his situation, in spite of all opposition, to the last. But he was constantly supported by the most respectable part of the congregation.

[1059]As a manuscript it is very curious for the neatness and smartness of the writing, especially as it appears to be written when the author was above 70 years of age. The beginning of the Preface, where matter corroborative of what was above suggested occurs, reads thus—

“Perceiving that Antinomianism is in a great part grown to be the completion of the dissenting interest in England, as far as my observation reaches, to the great reproach of the reformation, and scandal of the opposers of its progress: and that many who pretend to be against it are yet fond of the doctrines and opinions on which it is founded; grounding all their divinity on the decrees of God alone, abstracted from his rule of government; falling in with the hypothesis of necessity and fate, on which Hobbes founded his Atheism: making all God’s government to be merely physical, to the destruction of all religion and morality: not enduring to hear of a justification by works in any sense, though it be undeniably a scripture doctrine and expression,Jam.2. 24:—asserting such an imputation of Christ’s righteousness as is essentially and formally altogether unscriptural; and the like: by which means sinners are hardened in their sin, comforted against necessary fears conducive to their safety; charity, alms-deeds, and all good works at a fatal stop; people taught to presume without ground; calling a good conscience, or a consciousness of keeping Christ’s commandments, the building on a rotten foundation: tho’ Christ saith the contrary.Math.7, 24. Learned, able, and faithful ministers rejected and discouraged, and illiterate persons that will indulge men in their soporiferous notions set up in their room—I say, perceiving and musing on these things, andexercisedby a party of weak christians under the aforesaid impressions; understanding the state of christian doctrine amongst us, and the divided condition of the Churches about it, and casting my eyes upon that text inJohn15, 10. as one of the plainest and fullest decisive of these controversies: so many thoughts sprung up in my mind upon it, that to preserve them. I immediately set pen to paper and wrote down above twenty of the following propositions before I took it off; to which the rest were quickly added. By which time I purposed to preach from that text, and lay them all beforemy own congregation who so much needed it: which I did with different success; viz. the usual distaste of thediscontented party, but so much to the satisfaction and acceptance of others, my worthy friends, that I was greatly and constantly importun’d to present them to their eyes, as I had done before to their ears. And having been called to preach at a meeting of ministers atNottinghamon the 26th of June 1718, I made no particular preparation for it, but took a text out of the 22 chap. ofMath.part of the parable of the marriage feast, the whole of which I had preached over at home, but now only so much of it as would afford me matter suitable to the whole congregation, both ministers and people. And being by my brethren desired to publish my Sermon, I was forced to deny them their request at that time, because what I had delivered was pick’d out of a great many discourses, and what I thought most proper for the auditory at that time only, but would have been a maining to the whole. Yet I did not despise their motion, nor lay aside all consideration of it. The importunity of some of them ran so much in my mind, that . . . I thought if I must write I might digest the matter of that sermon into the following Treatise, without deviating from the design of it, but rather conveniently adding to the principles of it, which I have done, hoping that they will accept it here, with the rest, by which the doctrines of that sermon are better stated, cleared, and confirmed, than they would have appeared to have been if that sermon had gone alone. So in this way I shall answer the desires of my friends at home and my reverend brethren abroad at once; and do what service I can to the Church of God before I die.”

The whole preface is very long, this being but a small part of it. But this is enough to shew that there was in this congregation a party that disapproved of his ministry, as well as another that highly approved of it, and that he experienced a great deal of discomfort from the former, who appear to have been very calvinistically or antinomianly inclined, and withal very contentious, as their descendants or successors have been almost ever since.

[1060]Some of those thoughts relate to theTheory of Comets, which he supposed to be worlds in a state of conflagration and dissolution; and he thought it probable our Earth will hereafter become a comet and be seen as such in remote regions of the universe. This comet state of a Heavenly body he considered as a state of judgment, and indicating the previous apostacy and irreclaimable impenitence or rebellion of its rational inhabitants, which caused the very world they inhabited to be so devoted to destruction. Each of those devoted worlds, he thought, had itssaviourand offers of mercy sent to it long previous to that awful and fatal catastrophe. Christ he believed to be the saviour only of this world, from which he draws some curious inferences favourable to his own system.—According to his notion the same comet could not be expected to appear twice in our system: nor would that, perhaps, even in this day, be very easily refuted.

[1061]He was buried in St. Nicholas’ Chapel towards the west end, where his grave stone is still to be seen, with a long Latin Inscription or Epitaph, of which the following translation has been given many years ago by the late Dr.Thomas Gibbons, exclusive of two expressions here added.

“Here lie the remainsof the revd.John Rastrick,M.A.Born at Hackington nearSleafordin the county of Lincoln;and educated atTrinity-Collegein Cambridge.He was formerly vicarof Kirktonin the same county,fourteen years:And afterwards,as he could mot complywith some regulations of theChurch of Englandwith a safe conscience,Was an undefatigable preacher of the gospelin this town twenty-six yearsTo a christian church in separation from the establishment.He was a man of eminent piety,charity,and modesty;of approved integrity,of remarkable study and pains;And an adept in almost every part of learning,But especially the mathematics.He was a pleasant companion,A truly christian divine,An eloquent and powerful preacher,A faithful and vigilant pastor,An intrepid reprover of viceAnd as warm an encourager of virtue.Having finished his course,Imbittered,alas!with many trials,He joyfully yielded up his soul to God,August 8, 1727.Aged78.”

[1063]On a slip of paper, in his hand writing, pinned to a blank leaf fronting the title page are the following directions to his son—

“My dear son William, I suppose you will be inclined when I am gone to publish the following Treatise called ‘Plain and Easy Principles, &c.’ If you do, I leave it to you to tell the world, that these are the notions that I am most inclined to; and that it was the division among the ministers at Salter’s Hall, that begat them, and put me upon a more deliberate perusal of Dr. Clarke’s and Mr. Jackson’s books, &c. as well as Dr. Waterland’s: and that my case was just the same with that of Mr. Peirce of Exeter, &c.—It’s probable that you may write an Epistle of your own to the Reader (and so stile it, as mine it stiled the Preface). In that Epistle you may account for my sentiments as now mentioned, and add what more of your own you please. But I would not have you publish my book till you have let some learned pious persons peruse it and give their approbation.—Mr. Sam. Wright’s thoughts you will find in his Letter, and my undigested notions in that matter, you will find in his said Letter before my book: if you can put them into order you may, and may punish them in the nature of an appendix:as also you may a great part of my last Thoughts about the Trinity and Son of God. Or let Mr. Wright put them in Order.”

N.B. The above words initalicshave the pen drawn through them, and may therefore be considered as cancelled.

[1064a]See theprefaceto a modern poem calledSleep.

[1064b]Of those little poems, one is entitledThe Dissolution; and as the name ofMartha Rastrickis affixed to if, we may presume it was a present, perhaps a new years gift to that daughter. The greatest part of it we will here take the liberty of inserting, thought we have no reason to think that the author had the remotest idea of its publication. Yet as it cannot dishonour his memory, and has lain in MS. now nearly if not quite ahundred years, it may be placed here as a curious relic. It runs as follows—

“Happy the man to whom the sacred MuseHer nightly visits pays,And with her magic rodOpens his mortal eyes:He nature at one glance surveys,And past and future, near and distant views.I’m mounted on Fancy, and long to be goneTo some age or some world unknown,Swifter than time and impatient of stay,To the west, to the uttermost limits of day,To the end of the world I’ll hasten away:Where I may see it all expireAnd melt away in everlasting Fire.’Tis done! I see a flaming Seraph fly,And light his Flambeau at the Sun;Then hastening down to the curst globeHis blazing torch apply—See the green forests crackling burn,The oily pastures sweatWith intolerable heat:The mines to hot volcanos turn;Their horrid jaws extended wide,The sulphurous contagion spread.Why do the aged mountains skip,And little hills like their own sheep,Like lambs, which on their grizzly headOnce wanton play’d?Expanded vapours, struggling to the birth,Roar in the bowels of the earth.And now the Earth’s foundations crack assunder,Burst with subterraneous thunder.Dusky flames and vivid flashesReduce the trembling Globe to ashesFiery torrents rolling down,The naked valleys drown;And with their ruddy waves supplyThe channels of th’exhausted sea.Seas, to thin vapours boil’d away,Leave their crooked channels dry:And not one drop returns again,To cool the thirsty Earth with rain.And must all Earth th’impartial ruin share?Spare ye revengeful angels, spare!Spare the Muses blissful seat:Let me forWickham’speaceful walls intreat.No, ’tis in vain: andBodley’sspicy nestOf learning too must perish with the rest;—TheOracles of GodaloneAn hasty Angel snatch’d away,And bore them high through parted flamesTo the Eternal throne.Behold! fond soul, all thou didst once admire,The objects of thy hope and thy desire;Houses and lands and large estate;The little things that make men great:The empty trifles are no more,But vanish all in smoke, scarce lighter than before.Was it for this the Statesman wrackt his thought?Was it for this the Soldier fought?While grumbling drums like thunder beat,And clanging trumpets rais’d the martial heat?Now Nature is unstrung,The Spheres their musick lose,The Song of ages nowEnds in a solemn close.”

“Happy the man to whom the sacred MuseHer nightly visits pays,And with her magic rodOpens his mortal eyes:He nature at one glance surveys,And past and future, near and distant views.

I’m mounted on Fancy, and long to be goneTo some age or some world unknown,Swifter than time and impatient of stay,To the west, to the uttermost limits of day,To the end of the world I’ll hasten away:Where I may see it all expireAnd melt away in everlasting Fire.

’Tis done! I see a flaming Seraph fly,And light his Flambeau at the Sun;Then hastening down to the curst globeHis blazing torch apply—See the green forests crackling burn,The oily pastures sweatWith intolerable heat:The mines to hot volcanos turn;Their horrid jaws extended wide,The sulphurous contagion spread.

Why do the aged mountains skip,And little hills like their own sheep,Like lambs, which on their grizzly headOnce wanton play’d?Expanded vapours, struggling to the birth,Roar in the bowels of the earth.

And now the Earth’s foundations crack assunder,Burst with subterraneous thunder.Dusky flames and vivid flashesReduce the trembling Globe to ashesFiery torrents rolling down,The naked valleys drown;And with their ruddy waves supplyThe channels of th’exhausted sea.

Seas, to thin vapours boil’d away,Leave their crooked channels dry:And not one drop returns again,To cool the thirsty Earth with rain.

And must all Earth th’impartial ruin share?Spare ye revengeful angels, spare!Spare the Muses blissful seat:Let me forWickham’speaceful walls intreat.No, ’tis in vain: andBodley’sspicy nestOf learning too must perish with the rest;—TheOracles of GodaloneAn hasty Angel snatch’d away,And bore them high through parted flamesTo the Eternal throne.

Behold! fond soul, all thou didst once admire,The objects of thy hope and thy desire;Houses and lands and large estate;The little things that make men great:The empty trifles are no more,But vanish all in smoke, scarce lighter than before.

Was it for this the Statesman wrackt his thought?Was it for this the Soldier fought?While grumbling drums like thunder beat,And clanging trumpets rais’d the martial heat?

Now Nature is unstrung,The Spheres their musick lose,The Song of ages nowEnds in a solemn close.”

[1069]He had left Lynn the year before, so that the congregation had butfourministers in ahundred years, whose labours here were nearly of equal duration:J. Rastrick26 years;W. Rastrick25 years;A. Mayhew25 years;W. Warner24 years.—TheBaptists, in little more than 40 years, have had at least half a score ministers, and theMethodiststen times as many.

[1070]Coxe’s Memoirs of Walpole.

[1073a]Biographical account of Sir B. Keene, by Bailey Wallis D.D. who married his niece, a daughter of the rev. Venn Eyre, formerly lecturer of Lynn.

[1073b]Of their intellectual character, or mental endowments not much seems now to be known. The father being an alderman may furnish a sort of presumption, that he must have been a person of no common or mean parts: the mother has been spoken of as possessed of a well-cultivated mind; which seems to be corroborated by the following extract of a Letter from her to her son, the ambassador, in 1745, when this town assumed such a warlike appearance; as was observed at p. 920.—

“This place, heretofore famous for the arts and blessings of peace, is now entirely in the guise of war. Every thing has a military air. The ditch before the walls is scoured; but there are unhappily so many hay-stacks just by, that a few Highlanders, or French, by casting two or three of them into the deepest part of it, might be masters of the town in about four hours. The bridge of St. Germans and those above it are to be cut down, if we hear any of the rebels have escaped through the Fens, and are coming towards us. But the river is fordable in many places, and several of them are near the town. The body of the people are formed into 5 regiments, which are commanded by proper officers, chosen out of the body politic. Those whose spouses bear rule over them being disposed into one regiment called greys. Those heroes spend their mornings and evenings in the Guildhall, there learning the trade of war, under able and experienced masters. No merchant sells deals, salt, pitch or tar, without a weapon by their side. Shopkeepers have taken to the sword, and divide their cags of soap with their blades. You can’t purchase a joint of meat, or a loaf of bread, or a pound of candles but of an armed man. Even clergymen are engaged in these death-doing measures. One bears a captain’s commission. Another is a sutler. Most of the fair and timerous persons of the other sex, who had any wits a while ago, have very few remaining now. An ancient Lady indeed of the illustrious house of the R— commands a fortress adjoining to the town-wall, in which are some veteran troops, natives of Spain.[1074]With these she supports herself and wonderfully animates her neighbours whose courage fails; and let the enemy come when they please, ’tis generally believed she will be in a condition to make a sally.”

[1074]“Bottles of Mountain Malaga.”

[1075]On his promotion he was congratulated by his venerable relation, the elder Pyle, to which the bishop returned the following answer—

“My dear uncle, I return you my hearty thanks for your kind congratulation on my advancement to the see of C. and was proud of shewing my respect and veneration for you by doing a small piece of service to so worthy a young man as my C. P. [cousin Philip] I hope these cold winds will not set you back again and I may once more visit you and survey you as I did then, in the light of an ancient prophet or patriarch. Truly I have often wished that my fortune had permitted me to have enjoyed you more than I have done, to have sat at your feet and suckt in the true unpoluted streams of goodness and religion, which you have poured forth for so many years, so much to your own reputation and the welfare of others. Be assured you leave a Nephew behind you who is determined to support the cause of Truth and Righteousness, and has courage enough to attack the f. [false] principles both of gt, and rn. [government and religion] that universally prevail among ch. Divs. [church Divines] With my most sincere Benediction I am. Dear Sir. your affectionate Nephew 28 Mar. 1752.E. C.”

E. C.”

[1079]A degree which was exactly the reverse of the initials of his name D.LL.

[1081]Dr. H. was respectable in the line of his profession, not only as a practitioner, but likewise as a writer; though he was not rewarded according to his merit. Many of his works, at his death, were left in manuscript, most of which still remain in that state; but some have been since published, in addition to those that appeared in his life time. Of his published works the following are thought the most remarkable—1. “A paper on apuncture in the bladder,” inserted in the Phil. Trans. vol. 66.—2. “A paper on the disease calledthe mumps,” inserted in the Edinb. Phil. Trans.—3. “A paper on theuse of mercury and opium,” published in Dr. Duncan’s Medical Commentaries.—4. “A Treatise uponScrophula,” published in London by Dilly.—5. “A Treatise on theEau-brink-Cut,” published at Lynn, in 1793.—6. “Observations on theMarsh remittent Feverand on theWater Canker, &c.” published by Mawman, London, 1801.—7. “Letters on the cause and treatment of theGout, in which some digressive remarks on other medical subjects are interspersed;” published by Whittingham, Lynn, and Sold by Crosby, London, 1806. Before we close this brief memoir of Dr. Hamilton we may just observe that he, as was before said of Mr. Rastrick and another person, sometimes left his profounder studies and amused himself in writing verses, of which a specimen may be seen at the beginning of his “Observations on the Marsh Remittent Fever.” In the same work, at page 89, we also learn how long it was that Dr. Hepburn practised physic in this town, and consequently at what time he settled here, which appears to have been about the spring or early part of the year 1694, whence was about 25 years of age. This had escaped the author’s observation till after the memoir of Dr. Hepburn had been printed off, otherwise he would not have represented the doctor’s settlement here as taking place at orabout the commencement the last century, which is six years at least later than the time when it did take place. This is mentioned here for the purpose of correcting that mistatement, and enabling the reader to fix the true date of Dr. Hepburn’s first settlement here.—The passage referred to in Dr. Hamilton’s book reads thus,

“The late Dr. George Hepburn, who practised physic at Lynn upwards of 65 years,[1082]and whose medical ability, sagacity, and judgment, were equalled by few, and surpassed by none of his contemporaries, told me that he was so folly convinced of the great efficacy, as well as perfect innocence and safety of large doses of the Peruvian bark, that being attacked by an intermittent fever himself at an early period of his medical career in this town, and at a time when he had, in an epidemic season, a great deal of practice in the country, took at one dose an ounce of the Peruvian bark in powder, mounted his horse immediately after it, went to visit his patients, and had no more of his disease.”

[1082]During so extraordinary a course of practice and longevity he must have seen the whole population of the place buried two or three times over.

[1085]Their godships or high mightinesses would do well however to be constantly upon their guard against that formidable natural enemy of theirs, the high bailiff of Marshland, who has before now overpowered and overthrown as potent beings as any of them. If they escape the mighty hug, or unfraternal embrace of this formidable adversary, this ancient lord and master and demon of this lower region, they may think themselves peculiarly fortunate, and need not fear afterwards to breathe the deleterious air of any other spot in Britain, or even in the very island of Walcheren itself.

[1088]This female and virgin saint is said to have been born at Antioch in the 3rd century. Some say her father was a heathen priest, while others say that it was Theodosius patriarch of Antioch. All agree that she was a christian; and some assert that she was very beautiful, which excited in Olybius, preside of the east, under the Romans, a desire to marry her; but finding she was a christian, deferred it till he could persuade her to renounce her religion. Not being able to accomplish that object, he first put her to extreme tortures, and then beheaded her. She has the same office among the papists, as Lucina has among the heathens, viz. to assist women in labour: So she seems to be the patroness, or tutelar saint of the midwives. Her holiday, (20th July) is very ancient, not only in theRoman, but also in theGreek-church, who celebrate her memory under the name ofMarina. She suffered in the year 278. [See Wheatly on the common Prayer, p. 69—also Mackerell’s History of Lynn, p. 4.]—Her victory over the Dragon by means of the cross has probably only a figurative meaning.

[1089]Of the former and present state of this church, the following descriptions have been given by writers who had visited and examined it, and had consequently undertaken to give of it a correct account.—

“This church (saysMackerell) deserves to be taken particular notice of, as it is of no mean extent, being a very large, stately, and magnificient pile, built, as most cathedrals in England are, in the perfect form of a cross, and contains inlengthwithin the walls, by mensuration 240 feet; inbreadth, including the cross, 118 feet, and inheightfrom the highest battlements 52 feet. About the middle or cross isle it is graced with a very fair and loftyLanthorn, all covered with lead, mounted on four main arches within the body of the church, in which hangs theClock-Bell, which may be heard all over the town. The height of this ornamental fabrick is 132 feet. It was neatly painted within with several coats of arms and other decorations in 1621.—At the west end is a tower of stone 82 feet high; on the outside of which towards the street, is placed a Moon-Dial, shewing the increase and decrease of that planet, with the exact hour of the day to all that pass by, actuated within by clock work, and new beautified and gilt in 1710. On this tower is a very high and regular spire, of timber, all covered with lead, resembling a pyramid, in height 193 feet; [but] in all, from the superficies of the ground, it is 275 feet, including the spindle of iron with a cross on the top, and under it a vane in form of a hand, both gilt, which was new set up in 1630; the former one having continued full 70 years, being erected in 1568. [rather 1558.] The model of the spire is surprizing. Near this [and parallel with it on the north side] is the Bell-Tower, built of freestone 86 feet high, in which formerly werefivevery large bells, of which the biggest was calledthe Margaret, and was for her curious sound one of the fairest of that kind, and might be heard (the wind favouring, as I have been assured) full ten miles distant. Others had likewise their distinct names, asthe Trinity,the St. Thomas,&c.So christened, I suppose, as was usual before the reformation. But thebiggestand theleastof these were purposely broken, and with some addition cast into others, to make a ring ofeight, which was effected in 1663.—This noble structure is illuminated with above 70 arched windows, and others, all formerly of painted glass, representing the pictures of saints in sacred scripture, with other holy men and women, martyrs and confessors; of which that high and lofty one on the south side and cross isle is [was] very remarkable, [exhibiting] as I am informed, the whole history ofSt. Margaret, the patroness of this church; and that circular one over the altar [containing] the genealogy of the kings of Israel, is now to be seen almost all entire, where also underneath the same are depicted the Town-Arms, and on the south windows in the Quire are still remaining several coats of arms in lively colours, and very fair.”

[In the time of the civil wars most of the painted glass in those windows was, it seems, taken down and replaced with white glass, the former being looked upon, by those who were then in power here, as savouring too much ofpoperyand superstition. SeeMackerell, p. 8, &c.—Of its present state Mr.Brittonwrites as follows.

“Thechurchwas a large spacious structure, and though curtailed of its original dimensions, is still a noble pile. Internally it displays a nave, with ailes, which constitute the present place for service; a chancel or choir, with ailes; a transept and two towers at the west end. The roof is supported by 22 columns; of which those east of the transept are formed by a cluster of five shafts each. In this part of the building are some ancient carved stalls, and several flat monumental stones, with inscriptions; also some very large and fine brasses. At the east end is a circular window, with ten transverse mullions. This part of the church is divided from the transept by a wooden screen, which was erected in 1622. A lofty tower, orlanthorn, is said to have been originally at the intersection of the cross ailes; and a highspireto have surmounted one of the western towers. The latter display different styles of architecture, and the lower parts of them are very ancient. The buttresses of the angles to the southern tower consist of several small shafts of columns. The church formerly contained numerous brasses[1091a]and inscriptions, some of which remain.”[1091b]

This account, we presume, is pretty fair and correct as far as it goes, and our limits will not well allow us here to attempt any further enlargement. We will, however, just add, that the interior of this church is, for so large a building, kept in a style of uncommon cleanliness and neatness.

[1091a]Since Mr. Britton wrote this passage,an unprincipled and sacrilegious Sexton made much havoc among those brasses,many of which he carried away and sold;but being detected,he was so ashamed and frightened,that he actually went and hanged himself.

[1091b]See Beauties of England, vol. xi, page 293.

[1093]From the period in which he flourished, the date of his canonisation, and the great regard then paid to the memory of new saints, (compared with the date of the original erection of this chapel,) it appears more than probable that the personage in question was St. Nicholas calledPeregrinus, who became famous in Apulia, and of whomJortinsays—

“He was a Greek, born in Attica. His parents were poor, and he had not learnt to read, or been bred to any trade. When he was eight years of age, his mother sent him out to take care of the sheep. From that time he began to sing aloud,Kyrie eleison, which he did night and day; and this act of devotion he performed all his life long. His mother not being able to make him leave it off, thought that he was possessed of the devil, and carried him to a neighbouring monastery, where the monks shut him up and chastised him, but could not hinder him from singing his song. He suffered punishment patiently, and immediately began again. Returning to his mother, he took a hatchet and a knife, and clambering up a mountain, he cut branches of cedar, and made crosses of them, which he stuck up in the highways, and in places inaccessible, praising God continually. Upon this mountain he built himself a little hut, and dwelt there sometime all alone, working perpetually. Then he went to Lepanto, where a monk joined himself to him and never forsook him. They passed into Italy, where Nicholas was taken sometimes for an holy man, and sometimes for a madman. He fasted every day until evening; his food was a little bread and water, and yet he did not grow lean. The nights he usually passed in prayer, standing upright. He wore only a short vest, reaching to his knees, his head, legs and feet being naked. In his hand he carried a light wooden cross, and a scrip at his side, to receive the alms that were given him, which he usually laid out in fruit, to distribute to the boys who went about with him, singing along with himKyrie eleison. His oddities caused him to be ill used sometimes, even by the orders of the bishops. He performed, [as was said] various miracles, and exhorted the people to repentance. At last falling sick, and being visited by multitudes who came to beg his blessing, he died, and was buried in a Cathedral, with great solemnity: and according to custom (our author adds) a great number of miracles was wrought at his tomb.”

This is related under 1094, which we take to be the year of his death, or canonization. SeeJortinRem. Eccl. Hist. 5. 66. Such was our St. Nicholas: a more harmless and far better saint, without doubt, thanDominicand many others that might be mentioned; so that his memory,comparatively speaking, ought to be held in very high estimation.

[1095]Had the wielders of the whitening brush totally effaced this impious representation, or had the reformers of the time of Edward the sixth, or of Charles the first completely obliterated it, they had done a good thing, and deserved our commendation; and so would our present rulers were they to do the same; for what can be a more absurd and impious object in a place of worship, or any other place, than a picture or image of the Almighty!

[1097]The passage alluded to is as follows—

“1585 Feb. 21. An order made III and IV Ph. and Mary conc. the derision of St. Margts. parish and the parish of St. Nic. and yt. of late yt. order notwithstanding prcell of theChecker-wardeand ofNew Condutt-wardehave been accounted prcell of St. Nic. Chap. ctrarie to the same order: yt. is ord. yt. those 2 wards aforesaid shall hollie be accounted of St. Margt’s parishe and shll paie clarcks wages and other charges, as prishrs. of the parish of St. Margt. according to ye sd. resited order.”

[1098]That affair is thus related in the record—

“1579, May 23. Controversye about the Tytle of St. Nicolas church yard. Opinion of the Recorder 19. June. Maior Ald. C. C. stand to their Tytle and Int. in S. N. ch. yd. and defend it by Law of Arms.”

[1103]p. 391.

[1109]In the White Friars Yard Chapel at Norwich, where he used to preach, a monumental inscription in memory of him was set up long after his death by his grandson the late Grantham Killingworth Esq. the chief part of which is as follows—

AMemorialDedicated to the singular merits ofA faithful confessor,and laborious servant of Christ,Who with true christian fortitude endured persecutionThrough many perils,the loss of friends and substance,And ten imprisonments for conscience sake;The rev.Mr.Thomas Grantham,A learned Messenger of the Baptized Churches,And pious founder of this church of believers baptized,Who delivered to king Charles the secondOur Declaration of Faith,And afterwards presented to himA Remonstrance against Persecution.Both were kindly received,and redress of grievances promised.He died Jan. 17. 1692, aged 58 years:And to prevent the indecencies threatened to his corpse,was intered before the west doors,In the middle aile of St. Stephen’s Church, in this city,Through the interest, and much to the credit ofThe rev. MrJohn ConnouldBy whom, with many sighs and tears,The burial service was solemnly read to a crowded audience:When at closing the book he added,“This day has a very great man fallen in Israel.”For after their epistolary dispute, in sixty Letters, ended,That very learned vicar retainedThe highest esteem and friendship for him whilst living,And was by his own desire buried by him, May 1703.

[1112]A narrative of this memorable affair has been published by Mr. Finch, and may be had of him, or of the booksellers.

[1113]With whom such connection might be desirable for this infant society; and it certainly would not be dishonourable, or inconsistent with their avowed aversion to religious thraldom; as it would require no sacrifice of their religious liberty or christian freedom: both parties being equally advocates for the full enjoyment of that inestimable right, and most invaluable blessing.

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