friends; who, turning out a sprightly and ingenious man, was much caressed by the people of best eminence; distinguished himself by writing against Dr. Middleton, but in a language that made it less taken notice of than if it had been in English. He was collated to the Vicarage of Ikleton near Cambridge, where he married the daughter of Mr. Hanchet. Dr. Brook carried his election for the Professorship by a good majority, and after a very warm contest.

He

Dr. Newcome left his valuable Library to the town of Grantham, in Lincolnshire, under the direction of Dr. Green, bishop of Lincoln, and Sir John Cust, Speaker of the House of Commons. bequeathed 500l. to the University for the purchase of theological books, for the Public Library, at the discretion of the two Professors of Divinity: an hundred pounds towards the repairs of Rochester Cathedral; a considerable estate to St. John's College, charged with the payment of two exhibitions of 20l. per annum each, to scholars from Grantham, or, in default of them, from any other school in Lincolnshire: a prize of 57. annually to the Questionist of St. John's College, who shall pass the best examination in moral philosophy, and 21. to the Examiner: with charitable legacies to the poor of Cambridge, and other places. The bulk of his fortune he left to the Rev. Richard Beadon, and to Miss Kirke, his executors.

Mr. Beadon is now the worthy and learned Orator of the University *: and Miss Kirke, who lived with the Master, after the loss of his wife, soon after married Mr. Talbot, Fellow of Clare-hall, and now Chancellor of Salisbury, and Rector of Teversham near Cambridge, with another living in Essex or Suffolk. He is a very little, thin man; was a candidate for the Mastership of Clare-hall against Dr. Goddard; was born in Bedfordshire, and bred among the Dissenters.

* See p. 560.

In the rectory of Offord-Cluny he was succeeded by Mr. Hodson, A. M. of Clare-Hall, and chaplain to Bp. Newton of Bristol.

What other publications go under his name than the two following, is more than I can say: I think he printed one which I heard him preach at St. Mary's, after he became Master of the College, but cannot be positive about it.

"The Conduct required in Matters of Faith. An Ordination-Sermon at St. Paul's, London. March 13, 1719." On 1 Thess. v. 21.-London, 8vo. 1720. "The sure Word of Prophecy. A Sermon preached before the University of Cambridge, at St. Mary's, June 24, 1724*." On 2 Pet. i. 19.-Cambridge, 4to. 1724.

He published a third, preached before the House of Commons, June 30, 1744; which was printed that year at Cambridge.

It is not to be wondered at, that I have been thus diffuse and long on the subject of Dr. Newcome, who was Master of St. Jolin's during my twenty years residence in the University: and though I knew him not as an acquaintance, yet had occasion to know somewhat of his character from those who

were.

"In a note at p. 26 of Anecdotes Biographical and Literary of Mr. William Bowyer, Printer,' (printed by Mr. John Nichols, Mr. Bowyer's partner, in a small brochure of 52 pages, Svo, at London; and sent by Mr. Nichols to St. John's College library, Sept. 21, 1778, the year it was printed in) it is said, that "Dr. Newcome printed once a sermon, and carried it to Cambridge, because he could not print it in London decently, unless with William Bowyer." If this alludes to the sermon printed in 1724 at Cambridge, it is doing injustice to the Doctor; as it cannot fairly be said to be carried to Cambridge to be printed, since it was preached there. Mr. Bowyer was piqued with Dr. Squire, the Doctor's nephew, for his employing another printer than himself, as he had been a pupil at St. John's College to his uncle. From this connexion, it seems, Mr. Bowyer thought he had a right to monopolize all the publications from that quarter.

DR.

DR. WILLIAM-SAMUEL POWELL *.

(From the MSS. of the Rev. W. Cole†.)

On the death of Dr. Newcome, no less than seven candidates started to succeed him; who were, Dr. Rutherforth, who had been long Tutor in the College; Dr. Brook, who succeeded him in the Margaret Professorship; Dr. Ogden, now Woodwardian Professor of Natural History; Mr. Skinner, late Orator of the University; Dr. Powell, late Tutor in the College; Mr. Alvis, Fellow of the College; and Mr. (now Dr.) Frampton, Fellow also. [All these particulars, it will be recollected, were written by Mr. Cole in 1777.]

How the intrigues of this Conclave were carried on, is more than I know, being then settled in Buckinghamshire, and never enquiring about it since my return into Cambridgeshire. The result of it was however propitious to Dr. Powell, who was unanimously elected Master on the 25th of January, 1765; a post he maintained with the greatest reputation and honour to himself, and credit and advantage to the Society, for the space of ten years, bating six days.

As his friend Dr. Balguy, Archdeacon of Winchester, in his Preface to Dr. Powell's Discourses on

*Though his arms were the last painted, and neatly executed, yet the ground-work of the paint peeling off from the paper, they are utterly defaced and gone. But as I well remember them on his coach, being glaring and gaudy, and as I have preserved them in my Life of him in vol. XLIX. p. 235, they will not be lost. They are, Or, a chevron between three lions' paws erect, Gules.

The life of Dr. Powell, as given in Cole's Athenæ Cantabrigienses, No. 5878. Plut. xxii. B. is erased: and this memorandum set at the bottom : "The whole article is methodized, and entered into my vol. XLIX, p. 235 to 245: vol. LVII. p. 376.”

W.C. various

various Subjects, published the year after his death, in 8vo. at London, has given the outlines of his life, which centre chiefly in his literary productions; those being the most important memoirs of an Academick, I shall have the less trouble to collect materials, and refer those who are inquisitive about them, to what Dr. Balguy has said in his Preface; who observes in general, that his life was uniformly devoted to the interests of sound philosophy and true religion. Yet as some persons may

*The Preface is here transcribed :

"The following Discourses are not published for the credit of the Writer, but for the benefit of his Readers: especially that class of Readers, for whom they were chiefly intended, the younger Students in Divinity. The Author's reputation stands on a much wider bottom: a whole life uniformly devoted to the interests of sound Philosophy and true Religion. The means he employed, for the service of both, at different times and in different stations, may best be reported by those who were the immediate objects of his care. Nothing shall be added here, but some facts and dates, for the satisfaction of his friends. William-Samuel Powell was born at Colchester, Sept. 27, O. S. 1717. He was admitted at St. John's college, Cambridge, in 1734; began to reside there the year following; took the degree of B. A. in 1738-9; and was admitted Fellow March 25, 1740. In the year 1741, he was taken into the fa mily of the late Lord Viscount Townshend, as private tutor to his second son, Charles Townshend, afterwards Chancellor of the Exchequer, Towards the end of the year, he was ordained Deacon and Priest, by Dr. Gooch, then Bishop of Norwich; and instituted by him to the rectory of Colkirk in Norfolk, on Lord Townshend's presentation. He returned to College the year after; took the degree of M. A. and began to read Lectures, as assistant to Mr. Wrigley and Mr. Tunstall. In the year 1744, he became principal tutor; and in 1749 took the degree of B. D. In the year 1753, he resigned the rectory of Colkirk, that it might be consolidated with Stibbard, another of Lord Townshend's livings; and was again instituted the next day. He was admitted to the degree of D. D. in 1756; and created at the fol◄ lowing Commencement, 1757. In 1759, he came into possession of an estate in Essex; which was devised to him by Mr. Reynolds, a relation of his Mother's t. In 1761, he left College, and took a house in London; but did not resign his fellowship

† This Lady had two other children, who survived her; the Rev. Mr. Jolland by her first husband, and Mrs. Susanna Powell (Matron of Chelsea Hospital) by the second.

not be altogether of the dogmatical opinion of some morose Criticks*, who think every thing besides an account of the literary productions, in a studious man's life, "is generally a repetition of insignificant actions, and might be almost as briefly dispatched as the history of the Antediluvians is by Moses, when he tells us, That they lived so many years, begat sons and daughters, and then died;" and may happen to think a few other kind of anecdotes spread here and there may give a life and vivacity to a mere dull recital of account of books; I shall venture to follow my old beaten track, and interlard my account of this Doctor's life with such scraps as I have collected, and put down in several of my volumes; add digressions, or not, as I see proper, without asking leave of these Cator. These shew a man as much as his books.

[Here Mr. Cole has abstracted the Dates given in the preceding note, and thus proceeds :]

In 1757, he took his degree of D. D. and then preached before the University on CommencementSunday, in defence of Subscription to the Articles, and printed his sermon; which, if it gave offence then to the underminers of the Established Church, gave much more some fifteen years after, when he re-printed it.

In 1761, he quitted the College, and took a house in London; but did not resign his Fellowship till 1763. Upon the vacancy occasioned by Dr. Newcome's death, he was unanimously

till 1763. In 1765, he was elected Master: soon after, he went to reside in College; and was chosen Vice-Chancellor of the University in the November following. The year after, he obtained the archdeaconry of Colchester, which was in his Majesty's gift, for that turn, on the promotion of Dr. Moss to the bishoprick of St. David's: and in 1768, he was instituted to the rectory of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight [on the presentation of his College]. He died Jan. 19, 1775. It is scarce needful to mention, that the Sermon on Subscription' and the Third Charge were published in the Author's life-time.".

* Critical Review for 1776, p. 131.

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