When Lord Fitzwilliam, the great friend of the Duke of P. was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Dr. ⸺ was admitted to the same sort of confidence as he had enjoyed with his predecessor; and short as the residence of Lord F. was in his exalted station, a Bishopric became vacant, to which the Doctor was appointed.
It is but rendering him strict justice to say, that from the moment of his entering upon his functions, he discharged them invariably, with great usefulness and honour. He has been rather considered as too severe a disciplinarian, and a proposition which he made to his diocese, to attend quarterly lectures on the Greek Testament at the palace, excited much murmuring and discontent.
When translated to the more extensive and more valuable See of ⸺ he exercised the same vigilance, among other examples of which, the following anecdote is related.
A young dashing clergyman of high connections, who had a curacy in the diocese, did not think it important to be particularly rigid and punctual in the discharge of his duty, but was too easily detained by the allurements and blandishments of Dublin, from his too indulgent parishioners. This at length reached his Lordship’s ears, who determined to ascertain the fact himself.
Accordingly, on a Sunday, he proceeded to the church, where he heard no bell knolling to church, saw no parishioners chatting in the porch, nor any preparation for divine service. With some difficulty the clerk was found, to whom his Lordship was known.
“Why is there no preparation for divine service?” asked the Bishop. “My Lord,” said the clerk, “our young master has not been among us this fortnight.” “Ring the bell immediately,” said the Bishop. Upon this a congregation was soon assembled, to whom his Lordship read prayers, and preached.
The Bishop presumed that intelligence of this matter would be communicated to the defaulting curate, but he nevertheless chose to make a second experiment of the kind, and on the following Sunday repeated his visit to the same village. Here he found things precisely as before—no bell knolled to church—no peasants sitting on the grave-stones—no visible signs of population. The Bishop a second time sent for the clerk, assembled the congregation, and performed the duty as before.
It does not however appear, that he was again obliged to repeat his visit, and the shame and consternation of the curate, on finding who had been his substitute, may be easily imagined.
The Bishop had a sister, a very rigid Roman Catholic, who remained immoveably fixed in her religious tenets. She had, however, a son, who was prevailed upon to accept of an Archdeaconry, and other preferment, to the amount of almost two thousand a-year. An uncle also and a brother were frequent visitors at the palace, who nevertheless resisted all importunity to change their religious creed, although accompanied by assurances of the greatest temporal advantages.
All circumstances being dispassionately weighed, no apology seems necessary to be made for introducing the above distinguished personage in the class of those who may be denominated “fortunate.”