APPENDIX A. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. CONTENTS. THE Great Importance of a Religious Life, ascribed to John Perceval, first Earl of Egmont-The Rev. John Norris—Archbishop Tenison-The Rev. Arthur Bedford-Lady Moyer's Lecture-Archbishop Tillotson-26 November, 1663. Order of the Masters of the Bench choosing Archbishop Tillotson to be Minister and Preacher to the Society of Lincoln's Inn-The Great Importance of a Religious Life deemed by Queen Charlotte a book proper to be used in the Education of the Princesses, her daughters-Two Letters of John Perceval, first Earl of Egmont-Forms of Occasional Prayers relating to the Sacrament, together with an Account of the end for which that Rite was instituted, published by Melmoth-William Wollaston-Frequent Perusal of some Essays of Addison recommended-Dr. Samuel Clarke-Bishop Hoadly-Dr. Waterland-Extract from Epitaph on the Monument of Vernon [the very eminent Chancery Advocate in the Reigns of Charles II., James II., William III., Anne, and George I.], in Hanbury Church, Worcestershire—Archbishop Sharp-The Rev. John Kettlewell. APPENDIX A. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. Religious Life ascribed to John Perceval, first Earl of Egmont. NOTE (1), page 6.-In 1775 Mr. Bowyer printed a supplemental The Great Imvolume to Dr. Hawkesworth's edition of Swift's works. This sup- portance of a plemental volume was afterwards republished, so as to correspond with Dr. Hawkesworth's quarto, octavo, and duodecimo editions, and subsequently incorporated, with additions and biographical notes, in what, prior to the appearance of the edition by Sir W. Scott, was considered the standard edition of Swift's works, first printed in nineteen volumes octavo in 1800, and reprinted in 1808. Memoir of Nichols by Mr. A. Chalmers, Gent. Mag. vol. 96, part 2, p. 492. Nichols having, in the Supplement to Swift, ascribed The Great Importance of a Religious Life Considered, to the first Earl of Egmont, to use his own expression, "retracted the error," in his Anecdotes of Bowyer (page 381).* Horace Walpole states that John Perceval, Earl of Egmont, wrote several pieces on various Subjects, chiefly Religious and Moral, several of which still remain in MS., and that, amongst others published (though to all his works his lordship modestly declined prefixing his name) was The Great Importance of a Religious Life. Horace Walpole adds, that the list printed by him of Lord Egmont's works was communicated to him by his son, the second Earl, but that The Great Importance had been ascribed to Mr. Melmoth, father of the translator. -Catalogue of Noble Authors, Lord Orford's Works, vol. 1, pp. 523 and 524. The late Mr. Thomas Park (himself, as the writer of this note can testify, most exemplary by his attention to his religious duties), in his edition of Lord Orford's Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, vol. 5, page 294, remarks, that the pious treatise, The Great Importance, (in which it is not easy to determine whether the elegant simplicity of style or the persuasive force of reasoning is most to be admired,) had been ascribed to the pen of Lord Egmont by misinformation, but that it was the undoubted production of that eminent • Biographical and Literary Anecdotes of William Bowyer, Printer, F.S.A., and of many of his learned Friends, containing an incidental View of the Progress and Advancement of Literature in this Kingdom, from the Beginning of the present Century to the end of the Year 1777, by John Nichols, his Apprentice, Partner, and Successor. London, 1782, 4to. The Rev. John advocate William Melmoth, as had been ascertained by his learned son, who, in justice to the memory of the real author, thought it necessary to disclose the truth. Mr. Park adds, that it was at least a high testimony to the worthy character of Lord Egmont, that he was the reputed author of so excellent a production. See two letters of Lord Egmont, printed post, pages 148-151. The first edition of The Great Importance of a Religious Life was printed for Benjamin Barker, at the White Hart, in Westminster Hall. NOTE (2), page 8.- Melmoth, when admitted a member of Lincoln's Inn (1699) was a barrister of six years' standing. See before, page 21, in the note. By what Inn of Court he was called to the bar, the editor is not informed. NOTE (3), page 8.-Granger mentions that the portrait of Melmoth, engraved by Richardson, is prefixed to the first edition of The Great Importance of a Religious Life, 1711. In the two or three copies which the Editor has seen, he has not been so fortunate as to find the portrait. NOTE (4), page 20.-The Reverend John Norris was born in 1657, and died in 1711. An account of him will be found in the Biographia Britannica, art. Norris. The ensuing are some of his publications: 1. An Idea of Happiness, in a Letter to a Friend, inquiring wherein the greatest Happiness attainable by Man in this Life doth consist: London, 1683, 4to. 2. A Collection of Miscellanies, consisting of Poems, Essays, Discourses and Letters, occasionally written: Oxford, 1683, 8vo.* 3. Reason and Religion, or the Grounds and Measures of Devotion considered, from the Nature of God and the Nature of Man, in several Contemplations, with Exercises of Devotion, applied to every Contemplation: London, 1689, 8vo. 4. Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life, with reference to the Study of Learning and Knowledge; in a Letter to the excellent Lady the Lady Masham: London, 1690, 8vo. 5. An Essay towards the Theory of the Ideal or Intelligible World, considering it absolutely in itself, Part 1: London, 1701, 8vo. The Second Part, being the relative Part of it; wherein the intelligible World is considered with Relation to Human Understanding, whereof some Account is here attempted and proposed: London, 1704, 8vo.† 6. A Philosophical Discourse concerning the Natural Immortality of the Soul, wherein the great question of the Soul's Immortality is endeavoured to be rightly stated * It is said that this has been the most popular of all the works of Norris, and affords the picture of a truly amiable mind. Chalmers' Biog. Dict. + It was Locke's Essay which gave birth to this work, which is considered Norris's capital piece in philosophy. Biog. Brit. |