grounded belief of the Christian Revelation, yet not being at that time able to decide on some abstruse speculative doctrines, nor to determine absolutely what communion he should embrace, he resolved, like a wise and honest man, to pursue some profession, which should leave him at liberty to weigh these things more maturely in his thoughts, and not oblige him to declare, or teach publicly, opinions which were not yet thoroughly settled in his own mind. Therefore, about the end of the year 1716, he applied himself to the study of physic; and after gaining all the insight into it he could by reading the usual preparatory books, and attending the best lectures during that and the following winter in London; in order to improve himself still more, in January 1718-19, he went to Paris. There he lodged au Cloitre St. Benoit, rue des Mathurins, in the same house with Mr. Winslow, the famous anatomist, whose lectures he attended, as he did those of the Materia Medica, Chemistry, and Botany, at the King's Gardens. The operations of Surgery he saw at the Hotel Dieu, and attended also for some time M. Gregoire, the accoucheur,

but

but without any design of ever practising that or any other branch of surgery. Here he became acquainted with Albinus, afterwards Professor at Leyden, Father Montfaucon, and several other persons of note. Here too was his first knowledge of Mr. Martin Benson, afterwards Bishop of Gloucester, one of the most agreeable and virtuous men of his time, with whom he quickly became much connected, and not many years after was united to him by the strongest bonds of affinity, as well as affection.

During the whole of Mr. Secker's continuance at Paris, he kept up a constant correspondence with Mr. Butler, who before this time had taken Orders, and on the recommendation of Dr. Clarke and Mr. Edward Talbot, son to bishop Talbot, was appointed by Sir Joseph Jekyll, preacher at the Rolls. Mr. Butler took occasion to mention his friend Mr. Secker, without his knowledge, to Mr. Talbot; who promised, in case he chose to take Orders in the Church of England, to engage the bishop his father to provide for him. This was communicated to Mr. Secker in a letter from Mr. Butler, about the begin

ning of May 1720. He had not at that time come to any resolution of quitting the study of physic; but he began to foresee many obstacles to his pursuing that profession; and having never discontinued his application to theology, his former difficulties, both with regard to conformity and some other doubtful points, had gradually lessened, as his judgment became stronger, and his reading and knowledge more extensive. It appears also from two of his letters still in being, written from Paris to a friend in England (both of them prior to the date of Mr. Butler's abovementioned) that he was greatly dissatisfied with the divisions and disturbances which at that particular period prevailed among the

dissenters. In this state of mind Mr. Butler's unexpected proposal found him, which he was therefore very well disposed to take into consideration; and after deliberating carefully on the subject of such a change for upwards of two months, he resolved at length to embrace the offer, and for that purpose quitted France the latter end of July, or beginning of August, 1720.

On his arrival in England he was intro

duced

duced to Mr. Talbot, with whom he cultivated a close acquaintance. But it was unfortunately of very short duration. For in the month of December that gentleman caught the small-pox, and died. This was a great shock to all his friends, who had justly conceived the highest expectations of him, but especially to an amiable lady whom he had lately married, and who was very near sinking under so sudden and grievous a stroke. Mr. Secker, besides sharing largely in the common grief, had peculiar reason to lament an accident that seemed to put an end at once to all his hopes; but he had taken his resolution, and he determined to persevere. It was some encouragement to him to find that Mr. Talbot had on his death-bed recommended him, together with Mr. Benson and Mr. Butler, to his father's notice. Thus did that excellent young man, (for he was but twentynine when he died) by his nice discernment of characters, and his considerate good-nature, provide most effectually in a few solemn moments for the welfare of that church from which he himself was so prematurely snatched away: and at the same time raised up (when

he

he least thought of it) the truest friend and protector to his wife and unborn daughter; who afterwards found in Mr. Secker all the tender care and assistance which they could have hoped for from the nearest relation.

It being judged necessary by Mr. Secker's friends that he should have a degree at Oxford; and he having been informed that if he should previously take the degree of doctor in physic at Leyden, it would probably help him in obtaining the other, he went a little before Christmas from London to Rotterdam, and thence to Leyden. He took his degree there, March 7, 1720-1, and as part of his exercise for it, composed and printed a dissertation de Medicina Staticâ, which is still extant, and is thought, by the gentlemen of that profession, a sensible and learned performance. Gorter, in his treatise de Perspiratione Insensibili, printed at Leyden in the year 1736, makes a short but respectful mention of it in his preface. After paying a visit to Amsterdam he returned by the way of Helvoetsluys and Harwich to London, and on the 1st of April, 1721, entered himself a gentleman commoner of Exeter College in Oxford;