themselves, nor suffer other people, if they can prevent it. Many young men would find employment and amusement for their lives, if the way were open, and they were permitted to inquire for themselves. Here, free enquiry would be honourable, safe, and laudable: but discouragements are often thrown in their way; and I have met with some examples of it; one in particular, which made a great impression upon me.

Some years ago I became acquainted with a young man, of bright parts, a studious disposition, and a pious turn of mind; in whose conversation I found comfort and pleasure. To such advice as I gave him, in regard to his future studies, he was remarkably attentive. He saw a new field of learning opening to his view, which promised him much profitable employment; and he seemed in haste to enter upon it. As he was intended for the Church, I flattered myself he would take some active part in the defence of Christian truth as a writer; together with the advancement of Christian piety as a preacher. With this prospect upon my mind, he left me for many months. But, at his return, I found him totally changed; and I rarely conversed with him but to my disappointment. His mind, which used to be undisguised and open, was now guarded at every pass: and, whatever I proposed, as formerly, he had now an evasion ready. It seemed as if somebody had hung a bell about my neck, so that I could not stir without raising an alarm. To a man, rather shy of making proselytes, but always pleased to meet with volunteers, fit for the service of God and his Church, my situation was distressing. I discovered, that my friend was no longer his own man: I guessed at the cause; and gave little trouble afterwards to him or myself. But I lamented, that he had lost a view of things, which would have animated him; and, while it found exercise for the best of his talents, would have given strength and effect to all his labours. His pursuits in literature will now most probably be frivolous in themselves, and foreign to his profession as a clergyman. No man will do great things, when he yields to secular influence, where literary and religious ought to prevail. The vineyard is a better spot to cultivate than the highway; and, when labourers are wanted, it is pity any one should be led away upon other service, less pleasant and less profitable. Why even of your ownselves

judge ye not what is right? said our Saviour to those, who could judge of the weather by the face of the sky, without going to ask the Pharisees: and who ought, after the same manner, to have judged for themselves, in matters of much greater moment, from the signs of the times and the state of the church. I hazarded a great, and, as it may be thought, a rash, assertion, in the following Life: I said, "that, if we were ever to see such another man as Bishop Horne, he must come out of the same school." I am still of the same mind; for I think no other school will form such a man. I will now hazard a farther opinion to the same effect: for I think it not improbable, that if some man were to arise, with abilities for the purpose, well prepared in his learning, and able to guide his words with discretion: and such a man were to take up the principles called Hutchinsonian, and do them justice; the world would find it much harder to stand against him than they are aware of, even with all the new biographers of the age, to encourage and assist them. I may be called a visionary, when I say this: that I cannot help: but how many stranger visions have been realised of late, which, twenty years ago, would have been pronounced utterly incredible! When strange things are to be done, strange men arise to do them. One man, as powerful in truth, as Voltaire was in error, might produce very unexpected alterations, and in less time than he did. Then might a new æra of learning succeed, as friendly to the Christian cause, as the learning, which has been growing up amongst us for the last hundred years, has been hostile and destructive. As to confirmed infidelity, it is a deaf adder, never to be charmed. Yet even here the case is not always to be given up in despair. Many forsake truth, because they hate it: of such there is no hope: but some believe wrong, only because they never were taught right.

Nayland, July 30, 1799.

THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS

OF

DR. HORNE.

DOCTOR George Horne, late Bishop of Norwich, and for several years President of Magdalen College in Oxford, and Dean of Canterbury, was born at Otham, a small village near Maidstone in Kent, on the first of November, in the year 1730. His father was the Reverend Samuel Horne*, M.A. rector of Otham, a very learned and respectable clergyman, who for some years had been a tutor at Oxford. This gentleman had so determined with himself, to preserve the integrity of his mind against all temptations from worldly advantage, that he was heard to say, and used often to repeat it, he had rather be a tpad-eater to a mountebank, than flatter any great man against his conscience. To this he adhered through the whole course of his life; a considerable part of which was spent in the education of his children, and in a regular performance of all the duties of his parish. He married a daughter of Bowyer Hendley, Esq. by whom he had seven children, four sons and three daughters. The eldest son died very young. The late Bishop was the next.

His younger brother, Samuel, was a Fellow of Uni-versity College; where he died, greatly respected and lamented. He inherited the integrity of his father, and was an Israelite indeed, who never did or wished harm to any mortal. Yet his character was by no means of the insipid kind: he had much of the humour and spirit of his elder brother; had a like talent for preaching; and was well attended to as often as he appeared in the university pulpit. His death was announced to an intimate friend by his elder brother in the following short and pathetic letter:

MY DEAR FRIEND,

(No date.)

Last night, about half an hour past eight, it pleased God to take from us, by a violent fit of the stone in the gall-bladder, my dear brother Sam. He received the blessed sacrament, with my mother and myself, from the hands of Dr. Wetherell *; and, full of faith, with the most perfect resignation, departed in peace with God, the world, and himself. It is a heavy stroke to my poor mother; but she and my sisters bear up with great great fortitude. I have lost a very dear friend, and pleasant companion! Pray for us-All join in every affectionate wish for the happiness of you and yours, with

G. H.

The youngest brother, the Reverend William Horne, was educated at Magdalen College in Oxford, and was rector of Otham, in which he succeeded his father, as also in the more valuable rectory of Brede in the county of Sussex.

* Then Master of University College, and Dean of Hereford, &c.

Mr. Horne, the father of the family, was of so mild and quiet a temper, that he studiously avoided giving trouble on any occasion. This he carried so far, that, when his son George was an infant, he used to wake him with playing upon a flute; that the change from sleeping to waking might be gradual and pleasant, and not produce an outcry; which frequently happens when children are awakened suddenly. What impression this early custom of his father might make upon his temper, we cannot say : but certainly, he was remarkable, as he grew up, for a tender feeling of music, especially that of the church.

Under his father's tuition, he led a pleasant life, and made a rapid progress in Greek and Latin. But some well-meaning friend, fearing he might be spoiled by staying so long at home, advised the sending of him to school. To this his good father, who never was given to make much resistance, readily consented: and he was accordingly placed in the school at Maidstone, under the care of the Reverend Deodatus Bye, a man of good principles, and well learned in Latin, Greek and Hebrew; who, when he had received his new scholar, and examined him at the age of thirteen, was so surprised at his proficiency, that he asked him why he came to school, when he was rather fit to go from school? With this gentleman he continued two years; during which, he added much to his stock of learning, and among other things a little elementary knowledge of the Hebrew, on the plan of Buxtorf, which was of great advantage to him afterwards. I am a witness to the high respect with which he always spoke of his master; whom he had newly left, when my acquaintance with him first commenced at University College, to which he was sent when he was little more than

fifteen years of age. When servants speak well of a