Mr. ⸺ received part of his education at the Free School of Norwich, but was afterwards removed to Harrow. He took his degree with considerable reputation, and afterwards, if our friend’s recollection did not fail him, had a travelling fellowship. The time, however, came when it was necessary to determine on his ultimate destination in life. It was fixed that he should take orders: this he by no means liked; but he had, however, proceeded so far towards the accomplishment of the proposed object, as to cut off his hair. In this interval he was offered by Mr. ⸺ of the treasury, a temporary situation as clerk in that establishment.
The moment was peculiarly auspicious: Dr. P. who was then private and confidential secretary to Mr. Pitt, wanted some assistance, and Mr. ⸺ was recommended for the purpose. When the Bishop retired, Mr. ⸺ succeeded to his situation about Mr. Pitt’s person, and remained in it as long as Mr. Pitt continued to discharge the functions of prime minister. The inference in favour of his abilities, integrity, and other merits, must be sufficiently obvious. Mr. Pitt, though it must reluctantly be confessed that he was never very forward in encouraging the labours, or promoting the interests of literary men, was never backward in conferring marks of his liberality and esteem on the individuals to whom he was attached, and whose abilities he exercised. Mr. ⸺ had various places of honour and emolument bestowed upon him: he was secretary to Mr. Pitt as Governor of Walmer castle; he was Receiver General of Stamps; he enjoyed a lucrative appointment in one of the West India islands, we believe Jamaica; he was pay-master of the out-pensioners of Chelsea, which appointment was subsequently extended and improved, by being made to comprehend the Irish Pensioners resident in this country. Mr. ⸺’s flow of worldly prosperity did not, however, terminate here: by his first wife, he obtained very considerable property. On her decease he married Miss C⸺, a relation of Lord S⸺; with her, it should seem, he has not succeeded to less than one hundred thousand pounds. He purchased at Newport, in Essex, the splendid seat of the Hon. Percy Wyndham, formerly belonging to the Marquis Thomond. Here he enjoys, with an amiable wife and a numerous family, the real otium cum dignitate.
In different conversations which the Sexagenarian had with him on the subject of Mr. Pitt, he uniformly had occasion to conclude, that this truly great man was as amiable in private and domestic life, as he was wise, magnanimous, and sagacious in the conduct of public affairs. He was exceedingly attached to every individual of his family, and to the last hour demonstrated the most dutiful and pious reverence to his mother. Our papers contain one anecdote of him, in which his temper must in some degree have been put to the test. Mr. ⸺ lived in a street remote from the treasury, and used to go every day at ten o’clock to the Minister’s house in Downing-street: one morning the Secretary unfortunately lost, as he supposed from his pocket, on Constitution Hill, Mr. Pitt’s bunch of private keys. The consequence was, that all business was suspended till every lock was forced, and new locks and keys provided. Mr. Pitt, however, did not demonstrate the least ill humour or chagrin.
Tout ce qui luit n’est pas or.
CHAPTER XII.
Intimately connected with the above distinguished personages, but more particularly with the Bishop of ⸺, was ⸺ ⸺, the first and present Bishop of ⸺. He, I should think, will not feel a false shame in being classed among those who, having nothing to boast on the score of their birth, make their way to a situation of eminence and honour, by the exercise of laudable industry, and no inconsiderable abilities. What his father was, does not appear, nor is it of consequence. He was, when young, dependent upon an uncle, who was a respectable attorney. His first destination was for trade, and he was bound apprentice to a grocer, in which situation the Sexagenarian had seen him employed; but he had a taste and talent for more exalted things than weighing plums, and breaking sugar, and had also the good fortune to have his wishes seconded and promoted by his kind relative. He was admitted of ⸺ college where he took his degrees with much credit. After taking orders, he returned to the Provincial town, where his friends resided, and from whence he discharged the humble duty of a curate in various neighbouring churches. He was at length a candidate for a preferment, the appointment to which was vested in the parish, and after a strenuous opposition he succeeded. There was a decent house, and an income perhaps of two hundred pounds a year, and probably at that period, the utmost of his ambition did not soar to any thing much more elevated. At this crisis, most fortunately for him, his friend Dr. P. was placed on the bench of Bishops, and immediately nominated Mr. ⸺ to be his domestic chaplain.
The brightest prospects now opened to his view, nor was he disappointed. His first preferments were two good livings in ⸺, in the vicinity of the bishop’s residence, to which was afterwards added a Stall in the Cathedral. It appeared about this period to government, to be expedient to fix an ecclesiastical establishment in the province of ⸺, of which a Bishop was to be the head. The intimacy between the Bishop of L. and the Prime Minister still, indeed always, continued, and his recommendation of his friend and chaplain, to fill this eminent office, was accordingly accepted. Dr. ⸺ was consecrated Lord Bishop of ⸺, with a noble salary, afterwards increased to 3000l., a year. Here perhaps he still continues, in the useful and honourable discharge of his high functions. It has been doubted, by those who knew him best, whether this splendid banishment was exactly in consonance with the Bishop’s natural propensities. He was, as a young man, of an elegant taste, fond of society, and particularly of female society; attached to the belles lettres, and no contemptible poet. It was a strong contrast to these habits and propensities, to assist in the illumination of Esquimaux, Cheroquees, and their Squaws.
Dr. ⸺ has appeared before the public as an author, but principally as a writer of poetry. Whilst resident at Cambridge, he published a quarto tract of poems, sufficiently elegant, but somewhat of too amatory a cast. He had a peculiar turn for epigrammatic writing, and there are preserved in our manuscript, one or two which probably never have been printed; the insertion of them may tend to enliven our narrative.
About the period before alluded to, an ingenious blind man made his appearance where the Bishop then resided, and, as he had done in various other places, undertook to give philosophical lectures. His name was Moyes, concerning whom, more particular accounts than we are able or desirous to give, may be found, it is believed, in the Gentleman’s Magazine, and other periodical publications of the day. It was a very fashionable thing, and particularly among the ladies, to attend his lectures. Their tender sympathy was excited towards him, from the circumstance of his blindness; but he was also of a goodly form and countenance, lively in his manners, eloquent in his delivery of his lectures, which he also contrived to season with surprizing narratives and amusing anecdotes. One of the hypotheses upon which he chose to dilate, was that of latent heat in bodies. Our lively friend, for such he was then, and probably still continues, availed himself of the popular malady, to produce the following epigram.