advantage of education to their children. Dr. Porteus re ceived the firft rudiments of his education at York, from whence he was removed to Ripon, and from this place at a very early age, became a member of Chrift's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted a fizer. This latter fact is mentioned not only as an encouragement to humble diligence, as a fizer is a student of the lowest rank, but be cause it is in our judgment one of the mistaken errors and prejudices of modern times, to confider fuch a fituation® as mean and contemptible. The annals of our country will exhibit an honourable catalogue of names in every department both of church and ftate, who imbibed the in ftructions of Alma Mater in the fame humble clafs. The private merits and ftudious accomplishments of Dr. Porteus advanced him as might naturally be expected to a fellowship of his college, and the active exertions of his friends foon afterwards procured him the fituation of fquire Beadle, an office of the univerfity, both advantageous and honourable, but not precifely adapted to the character of his mind or habits of his life. He did not therefore long retain it, but wholly occupied himself with the care of private pu pils, among whom was the late Lord Grantham, who diftin guifhed himself not only as Secretary of State, but as ambas fador in Spain. Whilft employed in this meritorious office, he had fome difficulty in obtaining a curacy, and the writer of this article has heard him facetioufly declare, that he thought it an extraordinary piece of good fortune, to receive an invitation to go over every funday to the houfe of Sir John Maynard, at Easton, a distance of fixteen miles from Cambridge, to read prayers to the family. In the year 1757 he was ordained deacon, and soon af terwards prieft. His firft claim to notice as an author was his becoming a fuccessful candidate for Seaton's prize for the beft English poem on a facred fubject. Upon the great and fuperior merit of this compofition, of which the fubject was Death," Mr. Hodgfon might with great propriety and juf tice have further dilated. It is an admirable poem, characterized by extraordinary vigour, warm fenfibility, genuine piety, and accurate tafle. So much talent was not doomed long to remain in the filent and monaftic obfcurity of a college. In 1762 he became chaplain to archbishop Secker, and in 1765 married Miss Hodgson, the eldest daughter of Brian Hodg fon, Efq. of Afhbourne in Derbyshire, His first church preferments were two fmall livings in Kent, which he foon exchanged for Hunton, in the fame county, and a prebend in the cathedral church of Peterborough, an option of the archbishop, and he not long afterwards was promoted to the rectory of Lambeth. In this fame year, 1767, he took his doctor's degree at Cambridge, and on this occafion preached the commencement fermon, He availed himself of this opportunity to recommend to the univerfity to pay a hule more attention to the inftruction of their youth in the principles of revealed religion. He wifely propofed that these Thould have a place in their initiatory ftudies, and have fimilar encouragement given them with the other ftudies. It is greatly to be lamented, that this falutary advice has not apparently made the impreffion which its importance deferves; it was, however, the means of a great and lasting benefit to the univerfity. Mr. Norris, a gentleman of fortune in Norfolk, was so satisfied of the wifdom and expediency of fuch precepts, that he was induced by them to found and endow a profefforfhip at Cambridge, for the purpofe of giving lectures on the doctrines of Chriftianity. If thefe had produced nothing of greater utility and importance than the celebrated lectures of the firft Norrifian profeffor Dr. Hey, the founder would have been well entitled to the nation's gratitude. From this period Dr. Porteus became more and more an object of public efleem and attention; he divided his time between Hunton, which place he always vifited with delight, and left with regret, and Lambeth; and in 1769 he was made chaplain to his Majefty, and master of the hofpital of St. Crofs, near Winchester. In the year 1773 be united with fome other highly refpectable individuals in refpectfully recommending a revifion of the liturgy and thirty-nine articles, and as this part of his conduct has been mifrepresented and misunderstood, we infert his biographer's explanation of it. "About this time a circumftance occurred, which then excited confiderable intereft, and in which the part that Dr. Porteus took has been much misinterpreted and misunderstood. The following statement, in his own words, will place the fact in its true point of view. 'At the close of the year 1772, and the beginning of the next, an attempt was made by myfelf and a few other clergymen, among whom were Mr. Francis Wollaston, Dr. Percy, now Bishop of Dromore, and Dr. Yorke, now Bishop of Ely, to induce the bishops to promote a review of the liturgy and articles, in order to amend in both, but particularly in the latter, thofe parts which all reasonable perfons agreed ftood in need * See Mr. Cockburn's "Strictures on Clerical Education," Brit, Crit. xxxvii. p. 416. of of amendment. This plan was not in the fmalleft degree connected with the petitioners at the Feathers tavern, but on the contrary, was meant to counteract that and all fimilar extravagant projects; to ftrengthen and confirm our ecclefiaftical establishment; to repel the attacks which were at that time continually made upon it by its avowed enemies; to render the 17th article on predestination and election more clear and perfpicuous, and lefs liable to be wrefted by our adverfaries to a Calviniftic fenfe, which has been fo unjustly affixed to it; to improve true chriftian piety amongst thofe of our own communion, and to diminish fchifm and fepara. tion by bringing over to the national church all the moderate and well-difpofed of other perfuafions. On thefe grounds, we applied in a private and refpectful manner to archbishop Cornwallis, requeting him to fignify our wifhes, (which we conceived to be the wishes of a very large proportion both of the clergy and the laity) to the reft of the bifhops, that every thing might be done, which could be prudently and fafely done, to promote thefe important and falutary purposes. "The answer given by the archbishop, February 11, 17731 was in thefe words: I have confulted feverally my brethren the bishops, and it is the opinion of the bench in general, that nothing can in prudence be done in the matter that has been fubmitted to our confideration.' "There can be no question that this decifion, viewed in all its bearings, was right; and Dr. Porteus, and thofe with whom he acted, entirely acquiefced in it. They had done their duty in fubmitting to the bench fuch alterations as appeared to them to be conducive to the credit and the intereft of the church of England, and of religion in general; and their manner of doing it was most temperate and refpectful. At the fame time, as it appears to me, the propofal was rejected on very fatisfactory and fufficient grounds. That in our established liturgy there are fome redundancies which might be fpared, and fome changes which might be made with advantage, few will be difpofed to deny. That in the articles alfo, a clearer and more intelligible mode of expreffion might in parts be introduced, and fome paffages amended or expunged, which give a colour to falfe interpretation, may equally be conceded. But the main part to be confidered is, whe ther, however defirable it may be to remove all poffible ground of feparation and fchifm, fuch alterations as thofe fuggefted, or even any at all, would produce that effect. It has been faid by an eminent divine, and I perfectly agree with him, that it is not in the wit or in the power of man to prevent diverfity of opinion, fince this is the unavoidable refult of human imperfection and human liberty, and is not to be removed, unless we had more light or lefs agency. Suppofe the liturgy and articles to undergo a revifion, would the confequence be an union of fentiment? What ane approved, there would be ftill another to condemn; and even amongft the moderate and well-difpofed of other perfuafions,' I fear the church, with all her conceffions, would gain few converts. < It is always dangerous to innovate, more fo in things connected with religion than in any other; and after all, is there any abfolute need of change? The men,' fays Dr. Hey, who were at the head of the reformation, were men of the firft ability. As scholars, we are mere children to them. They were converfant in fcripture to a degree, of which few now have any conception. Ecclefiaftical history lay open before them. Yet they were not mere scholars, nor monks, nor monkish men; but skilled in government, knowing men and manners, liberal in behaviour, free from all fanaticifm, full of probity, yet guided in their measures by prudence. None then could be chofen more likely to frame a good fet of forms and articles. They would fall fhort of nothing attainable, through indolence or cowardice. They would fet down nothing carelessly, on the prefumption of its paffing unexamined. They would overfhoot nothing, in the hope of catching a few. They had in short nothing for it, but to fix on that which right reafon and good feelings would embrace.' Surely then in the labours of thefe illuftrious men we may contentedly acquiefce. They were the refult of fervent piety, profound learn. ing, confummate prudence, long, anxious, and patient deliberation: and I should therefore think any change inexpedient and unwife, which was not demanded by a strong neceffity, and juftified by the clear and certain profpect of fome decifive advantage."P, 38. In 1776 Dr. Porteus was promoted to the bishopric of Chefter, where he immediately and effectually diftinguished himself by a faithful difcharge of the duties of his high fta tion. It would be unjuft to his memory to withhold the following anecdote. "Towards the conclufion of this year, 1778, the bishop had an opportunity of very highly gratifying his own feelings, by be. ing enabled to relieve the diftrefs of a poor clergyman in his dio. cele, whofe fituation and circumstances were made known to him in the following letter; "My Lord, "Impelled by a gloomy fit of reflection (and many I have, God knows) on my condition, I proftrate myself at your feet, imploring in the humbleft manner compaffion and regard. If dif trefs has eloquence, and may be permitted to plead, I have, alas! but too powerful an advocate in my favour. "I am, my lord, the curate of Wood Plumpton, near Pref. ton, where I have ferved, as fuch, for about forty-two years fucceffively, and led withal an obfcure contemplative life. I am now in the fixty-feventh year of my age, and have brought up fix fons and fix daughters to men's and women's eftate, and am grandfather to twenty-feven children. All my annual income is only fomething more than forty pounds. I had a small tenement here here that came by my wife, but, as I had contracted fmall debts time after time, in fo long a feries of family occafions, have fold it to discharge thofe engagements; fo that my bare falary is all that I now enjoy for the fupport of myself and family and fuch is the indigence I am reduced to at prefent, that were it not for religious profpects, I should be wretched beyond the utmost energy of language to exprefs. Although poverty and old age together be but a mortifying fate, yet as to any personal mifery, I hope I could defy it to touch me with impatience. But, oh! my lord, the thing that enervates all my fortitude and cuts me to the heart, is to fee my poor family in want, and to be a fpectator of their mi. fery without the power of relief! As you may have the direction of fome charities, be pleafed to use your influence in the cafe of "Your lordship's "MATHEW WORTHINGTON,'" "It will eafily be imagined, that a letter fuch as this, written with all the pathetic eloquence of undiffembled dift refs, could not fail to make a ftrong impreffion on a feeling mind. The bishop was exceedingly ftruck by it; and with the affiftance of the Chancellor, Dr. Peploe, immediately opened a fubscription, to wards which he contributed largely himself, as a temporary re lief: foon after which, the living of Childwell, a vicarage in his gift, becoming vacant by refignation, he immediately prefented it to Mr. Worthington." P. 52. In the interval between this period and his promotion to the fee of London, the bishop evinced his zeal and ardour for the promotion of piety, benevolence, and the public good, by the part which he took in various matters which were objects of popular difcuffion. The principal among these were the Proteftant affociation against Popery; the Sunday debating fociety; the civilization of the negroes, and the establishment of Sunday fchools. In the firft of these, at the same time that the bishop demonftrated his univerfal charity and candour, he was not negligent in guarding those committed to his care against the dangerous and delufive tenets of popery. In the fecond, his exertions effectually put a stop to a very alarming evil, to meetings which were calculated to deftroy every moral fentiment, and extinguifh every religious principle. With refpect to the civilization and converfion of the regroes, he indulged the feeling nearest to his heart, but although he had the happiness to fee the final accomplishment of his withes, his firit endeavours were not effectual. The plan of Sunday fchools was firft introduced by Mr. Richard Raikes, of Gloucester, and as foon as ever the bithop was convinced by time and experience of their real utility and importance, he promoted them in his diocefe, and by an admirable letter which he addressed to his clergy, he |