CHAPTER LXVI.
Mild, pious, good, and amiable, beneficent almost beyond example, candid in the construction of error, lenient even to those whose conduct he disapproved, but strenuous, firm, and courageous, in his vindication of the causes of religion and loyalty; extensively, if not profoundly, learned himself, but vigilant in discovering merit, anxious and generous in the universal encouragement of science; active in promoting the cause of benevolence, steady in his friendships, constant in his engagements, extremely cautious of inspiring hopes which it was not his determined purpose to gratify—such was Bishop Porteus; such is the impression of his character and virtues in the breast of one who knew him, if it may be permitted so to say, with great intimacy for twenty years; saw him under different circumstances, which put his judgment, discernment, and temper to the proof, and who never knew him in the least defective in those essential qualities which ought to characterize a Christian Bishop.
Yet as all have their infirmities and failings, he was not without his. He was timid with respect to the general opinion, and was sometimes diverted from his purpose, by an impudent paragraph in a newspaper, or by an anonymous letter. Altercation and dispute were so abhorrent from his nature, that he has on certain occasions compromised his dignity, to avoid them. But let that pass—he had no other weakness. Nothing so delighted him as the communication of happiness, and the exercise of benevolence. He who writes this, had on various occasions the high honour of being his almoner; and it is really difficult to imagine, the remote situations, and various circumstances of indigence, to which the stream of his bounty was directed.
His situation as Metropolitan Bishop, exposed him to a prodigious number of applications, from the poorer order of clergymen. London is the point to which all direct their way, when matters have gone wrong in the provinces, either from misfortune, misconduct, or disappointed speculation. He attended to all, and relieved most. One peculiarity he had, which his successors, however amiable, or deserving they may be, would do well to imitate. He considered every clergyman as entitled to personal respect and attention; nor did he ever permit any letter to remain for more than a day unanswered. If he could not comply with the solicitation, he tempered his refusal with kindness and complacency. Nothing more highly gratified him, than an opportunity of indulging his wishes and intentions with respect to those whom he allowed to look to him with expectation.
In many instances he conferred preferment unexpected and unsolicited. The present D. of C. had never been introduced to him, when he received a letter, offering him the living of St. James’s, Westminster. He gave in the same manner, one of the best Prebends of his Cathedral Church to Dr. Paley. He was solely influenced, as he often said, in the first instance, by the deserved reputation of Mr. A. as a preacher, and in the second by the excellence and utility of Dr. Paley’s writings.
He demonstrated the very high estimation in which he held the venerable Mrs. Carter, by bestowing preferment upon her nephew; and he marked the great value which he put upon Mrs. Trimmer’s meritorious exertions and literary labours, by conferring a similar favour upon her son. His noble behaviour and generous intentions towards Dr. Beattie, are sufficiently detailed in the life of that amiable man, and excellent writer, by Forbes. He gave, with a very slight personal knowledge of the individual, a considerable benefice to Mr. Twining, the learned Translator of Aristotle’s Poetics, from no other inducement than his esteem for his talents and erudition.
As a reward for protracted, active, and useful service, in the laborious office of Curate of Fulham, he bestowed a valuable living upon ⸺, the Secretary of the Bible Society. Many, a great many other instances of the kind, might easily be specified; indeed it was very obvious to all who knew him, that having provided for those to whom the ties of consanguinity and relationship, gave claims upon him, his earnest employment was to seek out those, who for their piety, their usefulness, or their learning, were suitable objects of his patronage. There is probably no example, at least in modern times, of any Prelate’s distinguishing, with such solid marks of kindness, so great a number of literary characters.
His last act of beneficence of this kind, was that perhaps which most of all occasioned his judgment to be called in question; but his motives were as pure, and his intentions as laudable, as in any instance, in which he had ever been called upon to exercise his discretion. He had often and seriously lamented, that Oriental literature was not sufficiently cultivated by those who were destined for the ministerial office in the church, and he always wished for an opportunity of demonstrating his wishes and feelings on this subject.
About the year 1808, a person was introduced to him who had been born in Prussia, educated in Koningsberg, and had a licence for preaching granted him according to the ecclesiastical ceremonies of that country. He was afterwards elected by the people of Dantzick to the situation of Pastor to the Evangelical German Community settled at Smyrna.
Here he employed his leisure in the study of the Oriental languages, and here also he learned English; and having occasionally been permitted to perform the duty in English, at the chapel of that nation, he was afterwards appointed to that office by the Levant Company. From Smyrna he visited Egypt, from thence went to Syria and Jerusalem, and the more memorable places specified in Scripture. He next visited Damascus, Balbec, and the monastery of St. John. From thence he travelled to Tripoli and Aleppo, and visiting some of the Islands in his way, returned to Smyrna by sea. Having resided here some time, he went to Constantinople, and indulging his curiosity with respect to all the Greek islands of repute, he again returned to Smyrna. In 1795, he was introduced to Mr. Wilbraham, in whose company he examined the site of ancient Babylon, and crossing the Euphrates and the Tigris, visited Bagdad. From Bagdad the travellers made a journey through Hamedan, the ancient Ecbatana, to Ispahan, and to Persepolis and Shiraz. From the last place they went to Bussorah, and crossing the desart, after various deviations in different directions, once more took up his abode at Smyrna.
His subsequent adventures were not a little extraordinary. A dreadful insurrection of the Turkish mob compelled him to leave Smyrna, from which place he departed with two pupils, on his way to Europe, on board an Imperial ship. They had hardly entered the Adriatic gulph, before they were taken by a Tripoline corsair, and carried to Modor. At Modor he and his pupils were released by an English renegado, who had the command of the Tripoline squadron, and who remembered having seen them at Smyrna.
From Modor, therefore, they took their departure for Zante; but the French, who were then masters of the Seven Islands, detained them as prisoners of war. They were carried before General Chabot at Corfu, who treated them with civility, and gave them permission to proceed to Venice; thence they got to Vienna, Berlin, Hamburgh, and finally to England.
At this point, and not without reason, the individual, from whose short account of himself, printed at the Bishop’s expence, and distributed to his friends, this is taken, emphatically exclaims,
“How happy was I to see that most enviable country!”
In England he had recommendations from the Levant Company to the Bishop of London.
The sequel is very short. In this person the good and amiable Bishop thought he had found the very man he wanted, viz. one who was well versed in the Oriental languages, and who, with suitable encouragement, would devote his time and knowledge to the elucidation of Scripture.
He did not perhaps consider that other qualities are indispensably necessary for this high and important office, than the mere knowledge of Arabic, with some acquaintance with Syriac, in addition to having personally visited many of the places described in Scripture. Be this as it may, the most desirable living in his diocese becoming vacant, one which had been filled at different times by some of the greatest ornaments of the church, he gave it to this same personage. It would be invidious to enter into any discussion on the merits of the person who was thus distinguished; but it may be observed, that the good Bishop’s views do not appear to have been altogether answered. Two things are certain:—first, that no publication has yet appeared from this quarter, illustrative of the Sacred Writings, or demonstrative of intimate acquaintance with the Oriental languages; and secondly, that much discontent was excited by this proceeding among the clergy of the diocese, who very naturally suggested the enquiry, whether there was not among those who were personally known to the Bishop; whose services to the church had been conspicuous, their utility manifest, their talents exercised, and their merits proved, any one, upon whom this mark of favour would not have been more consistently and more properly bestowed.
It must be perfectly unnecessary to enter into any critical discussion of the Bishop’s merits as a writer. His works have been long before the public, and universally admired for their force and elegance. As a preacher he was incomparable, and so evidently felt every syllable he uttered, that he could not fail, nor did he ever fail, to make the most strong and lasting impression on his hearers. For other and more detailed particulars of his life, the reader is referred to the Biographical Sketch of Archdeacon Hodgson. One or two things present themselves to the recollection, which, as they have not a place in that volume, may be admitted here. They were communicated, it seems, to the Sexagenarian by the Bishop himself.
When at Cambridge, and just after being admitted into orders, he made several efforts to obtain a curacy, but in vain. He used with much good humour to relate the circumstance, which it did not become him, he observed, to forget, that there was a time when he did not possess interest enough to obtain a curacy. At length, it was proposed to him to read prayers to the family of the Maynards, at Easton Lodge. This was a considerable distance from Cambridge, but he was so pleased with the appointment, that, to use his own words used to say, “I thought I had got a Bishopric.”
After having been Bishop of Chester for many years, in which interval he used laughingly to say, he had never interest enough to procure a good Cheshire cheese, he was appointed to the Bishopric of London, not only without any solicitation on his own part, or on that of his friends, but without the most remote expectation of such an event. He was sitting after tea in the garden with Mrs. Porteus, at his favourite place of retirement in Kent, when a letter arrived from Mr. Pitt, notifying the appointment.
Notwithstanding the obligation which he always avowed to the Queen, whose Bishop he was customarily, and perhaps not improperly called, he certainly, on one occasion at least, had the firmness to refuse compliance with a Royal recommendation, in favour of an individual, who was not in his judgment adequate to fulfil the duties of the situation required.
Much more was said in the Manuscript on the subject of this excellent personage, but as it appeared to be rather expressive of private feeling and individual attachment, than to comprehend further and interesting anecdotes, it is here omitted.
END OF VOL. I.
Printed by R. & R. Gilbert, St. John’s Square, London.