He was the son of a country tradesman, who was sufficiently opulent to give his two sons a University education. The elder became a Bishop, and well merited, as he has honourably exercised, that exalted office. The younger son had always infirm health, with the reputation, however, of considerable talents. Of these, indeed, no specimen has been placed before the public for their animadversion, but he has pursued through life, the noiseless easy tenor of his way, enjoying the good things of this world in no very limited proportion.
Ecclesiastical preferment was poured thickly upon him. The brother truly acted a brother’s part. He might have been Fellow of his College, and in due course, after a long series of years, might have succeeded to a College living. More fortunately for him, high and lucrative situations were ready for his acceptance, almost as soon as he was able to sustain them. But this ought not to excite either envy or regret in contemporaries, who have not met with so favourable a tide in their affairs. He bears his faculties meekly, and his life is irreproachable.
This catalogue is continued much further, but the above examples may perhaps be thought sufficient, and it really appears to be expedient to think of shutting our tablets.
We will, however, venture to subjoin a brief account of another clerical person, who arrived at equal dignities from a very humble beginning.
On leaving college, he accepted of the situation of assistant teacher in a great public seminary. Here he continued steady and attentive to his employment for a considerable number of years, rather remarkable for his engaging and agreeable person and manners, than for splendour of talents, or depth of erudition. Indeed he has never appeared before the public as an author, except by the printing of a very few sermons, of which local circumstances required the publication.
His first successful advance towards affluence was by an auspicious marriage with a person who inherited considerable property, but he had long been quietly yet effectually obtaining reputation as a preacher at one of our popular charities.
He received his first reward for his excellence in this branch of his profession, from a private individual. A lady of rank and fortune bestowed a benefice of some value upon him, unsolicited and unexpected on his part, solely from the favourable impression which his talents as a preacher had made upon her.
His next piece of good fortune was alike unexpected, but still more highly to his honour. One of the most lucrative, and one of the most honourable, pieces of preferment in the metropolis, in the gift of the Diocesan, became vacant, and which had always been held by individuals of high character and pretensions.
Great interest was of course made to obtain this appointment; and it was reported and believed, that Royalty itself interposed, under circumstances which, in some degree, might be supposed to justify such interposition. It proved, however, ineffectual; and the Bishop, influenced by no other motive than the desire of having a zealous, active, conscientious Pastor in a very large and populous parish, wrote to the individual, the subject of this notice, and with no personal knowledge of him, and without any other recommendation than that of his professional character, offered the living to his acceptance. It was of course accepted, and the good and pious intentions of the Bishop were adequately fulfilled.