after describing some of the alarms to which they were constantly exposed-" The next thing you hear may be that I am knocked on the head, when you will lose a friend who never directed an action against your happiness or a word against your reputation during his life." This intimacy led to an introduction to Mr. Law's father, who was, according to Mr. Paley's own words, "his first and best patron*." The master of Peter House is unjustly aspersed, as having been promoted to the bishopric of Carlisle, and as having obtained some former pieces of preferment from an improper adherence to the Dukes of Newcastle and Grafton. These aspersions are entirely unfounded, as appears both by the Life, published by Mr. Paley, and what is more to our present purpose, by some manuscript notes left in his handwriting, clearly proving it impossible from some circumstances attending his promotion. The bishop had selected his son's friend for his chaplain on his occasional visit to his diocese, and was soon enabled to provide for his son in such a way, that after about

till the night he set off; his butler entertained three hundred rebels at his house. A young gentleman taken up at the coffeehouse here in women's clothes, his father fighting for the king; his uncle a rebel, and just hanged."

* Dr. Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, observes in his life, that Dr. Law, the master of Peter House, was one of the best metaphysicians of his time. "From my friendship with that excellent man, I derived much knowledge and liberality of sentiment in theology; and I shall ever continue to think of my early intimacy with him as a fortunate event in my life."

five or six years residence in college, he quitted it, to reside in his prebendal house at Carlisle. The following year his friend Paley was presented by the bishop to the rectory of Musgrave in Westmoreland, and soon after left his situation at college to undertake the charge of a country parish in a neighbourhood with which he had no connexion. He had discharged the office of tutor, as he says himself in his preface to the Moral Philosophy, about nine years. It was certainly no small surprise to some of his friends that he should leave engagements, which were at that time very lucrative, for a living of £80 a year but it may well be supposed, that to a man of his powers of mind and habits of deep reflection, this was much less a consideration than his views of ́usefulness in the discharge of the more active clerical duties. His conviction, that though he was filling an important and useful station, yet it was not so congenial to his own elastic and energetic mind, as to seem worthy of terminating his prospects-the superior pleasures of an active and diversified life— the feeling of" spatiis obstantia claustra,”—the desire of being at liberty to indulge a fondness for contemplative observation, and for studying man more than books, all might influence him in choosing the life of a country clergyman. This indeed can only be conjecture, as much of what is here observed must necessarily rest upon conjecture; but it is at least fair, that what consists with his character in his best days, and with what was allowed to be a distinguishing trait in that character, should have more weight

than any random conjecture that he had the promise of further provision from his patron, or any prospect of it built upon his connexion with Mr. Law. Indeed this is contradicted by himself in a marginal note on the Life already alluded to. He had always declared to his friends in college his design of leaving it as soon as he could, and seemed to his friends particularly fond of expatiating upon the pleasures of the frugal life of a country clergyman. Prospects he must undoubtedly have had, but they were the prospects of a man who was always inclined to believe that diligence, exertion, ability, and a regular discharge of an important duty, never were long without an adequate provision.

He brought to his new situation a mind disposed to be happy in its own resources, a good flow of spirits, a natural as well as habitual cheerfulness, great fondness for intercourse with its neighbours, and a strong inclination to make the most of his power of observation and penetration, by applying them to the purposes of religion and morality. These interests, the preservation of which was certainly the prevailing and paramount aim of his life, would not necessarily require mention, but that they were so deeply fixed as to have been a special and distinctive mark of his character, both grave and gay, both in his serious and his trifling moments, during the course of his life.

He never lived at Musgrave, nor had he any thing to do with farming or husbandry while he continued in that neighbourhood; but having been at Carlisle

with Mr. Law during the former year on his induction to Musgrave, he was suddenly struck with the beauty of Miss Hewitt, and after holding a short consultation with his friend, and not a much longer one with the lady, he, in the following spring, left college, and returning to Carlisle, married her. It was not a match of interest. She was the daughter of a spirit merchant at Carlisle, and though connected with the corporation and some of the first class of society in that city, she added much more afterwards, both to his comfort and his fortune, than he either expected or inquired after at the time. Sensible, but mild and unassuming, of retired habits, of a sweet and negative disposition, but inactive from ill health, and, as she used to call herself, a mere thread-paper wife, she both sufficiently accorded, and was sufficiently contrasted with the ardent temper, active and positive character of her husband, and therefore readily joined in his wish and inclination for the character of a country clergyman.

From this point, therefore, he is to be considered in a new and more perfect state,-in his public capacity as a preacher and an author, in his private character as a family man, and an individual possessing great power and influence in his circle, chiefly by his worth and integrity, and singleness, and the consistency of his life, his natural turn for benevolence, an active freedom from all sorts of partiality and prejudice in his rules of acting, and a close observation of the minute points of station in society, and a nice

distinction between the use and abuse of matters comparatively indifferent. In these will be found to consist most of what characterises him as an individual. Of his private life during this period not much can be given which may be made of public interest, except by observing, that he seemed now first to adopt the same methodical habits which continued with him during his life. His love of quiet, indeed, if not of retirement, yet of that degree of communication with society, which should leave him leisure enough for study and contemplation, were very strong even in this new state of his life; and living in the small country town of Appleby, which was at a short distance from the village of Musgrave, where there was an agreeable, and to him valuable society, he passed his time usefully and satisfactorily. He had enough of society, enough of amusement, and enough of study. He soon either joined or promoted one of his Hyson clubs, where, for two hours in an evening, a few friends used to meet, spend sixpence, play a rubber at whist for threepence, and find entertainment and communicate information, without either quarrelling or abuse, in talking over the affairs of the neighbourhood; and here he used to boast of having added greatly to his stock of practical knowledge in the common concerns of life *. He had fishing to his heart's content; for, situated on the banks of

*

Non de villis domibusve alienis,

sed quod magis ad nos

Pertinet, et nescire malum est, agitamus.

HOR.