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many remarkably pretty women, that Hawkins Browne used to call it the Paphos of England. His chief friends and companions there were Charles Howard, who was a Proctor of the court, a most facetious and pleasant companion, of fine natural parts, and if he had received the advantages of a liberal education, and had practised at the Commons, would have been at the head of his profession; Theophilus Lowe, who was also a native of the place, and a Fellow of St. John's College in Cambridge, afterwards became a tutor in Lord Townshend's family, and was made a Canon of Windsor, a man of strong understanding improved by reading, a most ready and excellent writer of letters, happy in a perpetual flow of spirits, of an amiable benevolent generous temper, and without any fault but that of being too warm and positive in politics; and John Green, who was likewise a Fellow of St. John's College, and at that time was an assistant to Mr. Hunter in his school, afterwards was chaplain to Charles Duke of Somerset, then Regius Professor of Divinity, then Dean of Lincoln, and at last the worthy Bishop of that see, which he filled with more ability and dignity than any of his predecessors since Bishop Gibson. These were his principal companions, for he was always desirous of a few select friends rather than of a large and numerous acquaintance. These

were

were friendships which lasted through life, and could be separated only by death.

Soon after he was chosen fellow of Trinity Col lege, he came to settle in London. As it had been his inclination from a child, and he was always designed for holy orders, he had sufficient time to prepare himself, and composed about twenty sermons, which by the advice of a good old clergyman he took care to write in a large legible character, that he might never have occasion to copy them; and having some stock in hand, he was not under the necessity of making sermons in a hurry, but might proceed more at his leisure, and employ more time and consideration. In all his compositions at school at the university and every where his method was, to finish the whole before he wrote down any part of it; and to some of his friends he repeated several of his sermons word for word, before he had committed a tittle to writing; so that he saved abundance of paper without blotting or interlining, and could easily have preached without notes if he had pleased. His title for orders was his fellowship; and he was ordained Deacon on December 21, 1729, when he was twenty-six years old, and Priest in the February following, by that great and worthy Prelate Bishop Gibson. At his first setting out in the world, he for a little time officiated as Curate at

St.

St. George's Church Hanover Square, and continued for several years assistant preacher to Dr. Trebeck, whose ill health disabled him from performing his duty. His first preferment was that of Reader and Afternoon Preacher at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street. By these means he became well known in the parish, and was soon taken into Lord Carpenter's family to be tutor to his son, who was afterwards created Earl of Tyrconnel, and who, though he was not a very bright, yet was (what is much better) a very good man. His sister, who had a better capacity, was also very beautiful, and had more and better and greater offers than perhaps any young woman ever had but she preferred the Earl of Egremont, who was her constant lover, and had more than once offered his services: and Dr. Newton had the honor of concluding the match between them with Lord Bolingbroke, and afterwards of joining their hands in marriage. In this family he lived several years very much at his ease, and in the friendship and intimacy of Lord and Lady Carpenter, with not so much as an unkind word, nor even a cool look ever intervening: and living at no kind of expense he was tempted to gratify and indulge his taste in the purchase of books, prints, and pictures, and made the beginnings of a collection which was continually receiving considerable additions and improvements.

Here

Here he stuck some time without any promo tion. He might have preached the turns of several of the Prebendaries at Westminster Abbey. His old master Dr. Freind came himself to request it of him, and him he could not well refuse. He did the like service also for his other master Dr. Nicol. At that time too he had the honor of conversing a good deal with Bishop Chandler, who had been an old acquaintance of his father's from the time of his being Chaplain to Bishop Lloyd and Canon of Lichfield; and he was there fore the kinder and more gracious to the son, inviting and encouraging his coming to him. Lord Carpenter and the Bishop of Durham living both in Grosvenor Square, it was but a little step from one house to the other; and he waited often upon the Bishop and sat with him an hour or two in the evening, and often dined with him on a Sunday, the Bishop dining on that day at an earlier hour, which was very convenient for his afternoon duty. He found the Bishop easy and communicative in all his conversation, and consulted him sometimes upon matters of learning, and received his instructions. One day he asked him his opinion of the demoniacs in the Gospel. The Bishop did not return a direct answer, but reached down Bishop Smallbroke's book against Woolston, and read here and there what he had said upon the subject. When he came to that part which has

been

been ludicrously called the splitting of the devil, he burst out a laughing, and said "This book was put "into Bishop Gibson's and my hands, before it "went to the press, and we would fain have per"suaded the author to leave out this part, we "begged and entreated him, but to no purpose; "all the world could not have prevailed with him." Though the Bishop continued Bishop of Durham about twenty years, yet in all that time he bestowed no preferment upon this young man, of whose company he seemed so desirous, that when he stayed away any time, he sent for him and would kindly reprove him. He did indeed recommend him in strong terms to Sir Joseph Jekyll to be preacher at the Rolls, but could not succeed: and once he made him an offer of a living of no great value in the bishopric of Durham, but at the same time rather dissuaded him from accepting it, telling him with a compliment that he would be more likely to make his fortune by remaining in London. Beside the Bishop himself there were some other agreeable persons in his family, especially his two Chaplains, Dr. Knatchbull and Dr. Stillingflcet; the former of whom was of a weak delicate constitution of body, but of a pleasing elegant turn of mind. Some young ladies, relations of the family, went one day into his apartment, and not finding him there they laid a great folio book between his sheets,

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