as I went along, on a paper, which I send here inclosed to you. "I have long wished and endeavoured to be at liberty to spend a few days in London; but hitherto without success. If possible, I will get over the obstacles lying in my way between this and Easter. The whole duty of the parish here, rests now upon my hands; the Doctor not being able to do any one thing therein; as neither has he for about two years past." 19 Feb. Expresses his satisfaction that his papers had pleased Dr. Birch.-Reviewers had done justice to Dr. Birch's book; at which he rejoices. "Wedn. 29th Feb. Mr. Jones of Wellwyn presents his most affectionate and respectful compliments to his much-esteemed Dr. Birch, wishing he had more time at command than he has to wait upon him. The Doctor will soon receive a letter from Mr. Jones by the hands of Mr. Wynne, dated some weeks past, and relating to another manuscript of Mr. Dodington, &c. To-morrow, if possible, or the next morning, soon after eight, he will just call upon Dr. Birch, and be glad to have a short chat with him. Queen's Head, Gray's Inn Lane, 4 P. M." March 8. He sends the third volume of Doddington's Letters, as mentioned above. 11 July. Had been sent for, and kindly received by the Bishop of Lincoln.-Talks of being called by business to Bolne-Hurst, when his health and engagements at Welwyn will permit.-Solicits Dr. Birch to remind the Bishop of him when opportunity might be offered. Declares that he has "no great pleasure in a life of so much hurry between two places, and at such a distance from each other: and yet [he proceeds] I cannot prevail with myself to seek for any thing better. To remove a great way, as I intimated to you in a former letter, would not suit me at my time of life, and in so precarious a state of health. And yet yet my Lord of Lincoln has, I suppose, not much good, choice in this county (where I could wish most to be); or in the county of Bucks; and scarce any in that of Bedford. "Dr. Z. Grey, 'having finished his Life of the late celebrated Mr. T. Baker, of Cambridge, told me lately, that he had taken notice of the remarks of Dr. Jortin concerning him in his Life of Erasmus. "The same Dr. Jortin has my hearty respects; and pray assure him so when you see him." Aug. 25, 1764. Visits Cambridge. "Our friend Dr. Law is well. A corpse, belonging to his prebend, fell soon after he was collated to it by the Bishop. But talking upon the subject, I have found that the gain accruing to one friend, was occasioned by the death of another, whom I had long and justly respected: the learned and worthy Mr. Caleb Parnham *, rector of Ufford, near Stamford: who, as the Doctor told me, died, as he had lived, a truly Christian philosopher. A mortification seized him, after an accidental slip of one of his legs into a bog, going in some haste to baptize a child in one of his parishes: though always very judiciously careful of his health, as I well know, the mortification soon proved mortal. He perceived it to be so, after the best endeavours of his surgeons, and sent to a faithful friend: 'Do so and so,' said he; I know I shall soon leave you.' His friend remonstrating; 'No,' he replied, I am not in the least afraid to die: I have lived with a good conscience, and shall die so, assuredly trusting in the promised goodness of God, and of a happy immortality, through Jesus Christ.' "This excellent man, being the best of tutors at St. John's, Cambridge, and of long standing, was one of the candidates for the headship of the college at the last election; the late Dr. Williams being the other principal opponent. The votes being much * See p. 554. upon upon a par, and neither party willing to yield, the. flying squadron, as it was then called, managed matters so successfully, that the present worthy Dean of Rochester gained the contested point, Williams giving up his interest in Dr. Newcome's favour*. Intrigues of Colleges are commonly managed, as those in the state, ecclesiastical and civil, generally are." 17 Nov. "About a month ago, being upon business in Huntingdonshire, I took that opportunity to pay my respects to my Diocesan. When I proposed to take my leave of him after dinner, he kindly asked me, as he had done upon a former visit, when I was left at liberty, to stay with him, and take a bed at his house; which I did, returning the next morning. In all our conversation, I never once opened my lips to him about matters of preferment. Upon my saying accidentally in the evening, that I had been ordained Priest at Buckden, by his predecessor, Bishop Reynolds, in the year 1726 (having been ordained Deacon at Oxford upon the title of a Chaplainship at Worcester College, the preceding year), his Lordship said, that he had not before imagined that I had been so many years in orders.' I said nothing farther; and the matter ended there. He was very civil and courteous during my short stay; and that was enough for me. His Lordship was also communicative, giving me liberty to inspect and copy out what I pleased, (though I copied out nothing, there being nothing to my purpose) from the records of Remigius, the first Bishop of Lincoln, which the present Bishop had happily recovered, but a little before, from amongst the MS collections of the late Archbishop Wake, now reposited in the new Library at Christ-Church, Oxford. "If you (who know the world, and, the manner * See pp. 553-565. 626. + Dr. John Thomas, then Bishop of Lincoln, and afterwards of Salisbury. and and temper of great men, much better than I do,) judge, upon the whole, that it may be of some use to apply to his Lordship, as opportunity shall serve, in my favour, I must refer that application wholly to you; though, by the way, our friend the Master of Peter-house hath assured me (and, I dare say, very sincerely,) that he would neglect no opportunity of serving and promoting my interest with the same Prelate, his own kind and generous benefactor; who had lately bestowed upon him a Prebend at Lincoln, of his own free accord, and without solicitation. "Were my poor pittance at Bolne-Hurst a sufficient maintenance, and the place suitable to my state of health; which it is not, as I have long found by unhappy experience; I would certainly reside there, and neither desire nor apply for any thing better. As the case now stands; on many accounts, which I need not here specify, I should, I freely own to a good friend, be glad enough to be released, and provided for in some better manner elsewhere. "I am now, through the gracious and unexampled permission of Providence, in the sixty-fourth year of my age. My farther continuance upon this earth can, in all human probability, be but short. And supposing some good man should, in the mean time, take it into his thoughts to regard and prefer me, my enjoyment of such preferment would probably be but of a short duration:-Huc ideò tantùm venerat, ut exiret. "My Lord of Lincoln will be in town soon, and may be there by this time. If you shall think fit to drop any thing in my behalf to his Lordship (for whom I have a most sincere respect), you will be pleased to mention my age, and perhaps also my labours in the ministry for so many years (which have been always-not the smallest); and that, at these years, you believe, what is really true, I should be somewhat unwilling to remove a great way, * Dr. Edmund Law, afterwards Bishop of Carlisle. espe especially Northward.—I submit the whole to your sedate consideration, and long-experienced friendship; and am, with most sincere affection and esteem, as always, Dear Sir, &c. JOHN JONES." "If you can contribute towards improving the collection of books which I am gradually making for the benefit of young students preparing for holy-orders, in a well-regulated seminary near the Bishop of St. David's, you will be entitled to my thanks and theirs." 24 Nov. Acquaints Dr. Birch, that the Bishop of Lincoln had arrived in town, and had made kind inquiries after himself (J. Jones); and advises Dr. Birch to mention his affair to his Lordship, only as occasion might offer. [Written in a corner,] "I have constantly officiated in the diocese of Lincoln, from the year 1726, "Dr. Young is now very antient, about 84." "What I want particularly to know in reference to this last query is, whether the whole of this volume be not levelled only against the church of Rome? And if so, what number of pages in all ?" "P.S. I gave you some reasons formerly, why I cannot well reside (as I sincerely wish I could) at Bolne-Hurst. The present income from the tenant is much short of sufficient maintenance: and particularly the situation was no way favourable to my health-a damp and dirty part of the country, &c." "DEAR SIR, Wellwyn, March 9, 1765. "Some time last summer, you advertised me of the publication of the Life of Cardinal Pole. I have not hitherto had the good fortune to get a sight of that performance. Till it happens to fall in my way, I beg the favour of you to resolve me two questions. One is, whether the Jeremy Taylor, whom the writer of the said Life is reported to have introduced (in his second part) as an advocate for popery, be our famous prelate of that name; I mean the Bishop of Down and Connor, in the reign of Charles II.? The other is, From. |