learning and ingenuity, and raised his character as a divine to an eminence almost equal to that which he possessed as a man of letters. He in general supports the notion of a double sense in prophecy, which he does not scruple to call a "divine artifice;" and notwithstanding the skill with which he maintains his hypothesis, there are those who have regarded it as too much deviating from the simplicity of the sacred writings. In the same year he appeared in a very different capacity, as the editor of "Select Works of Mr. Abraham Cowley," with a preface and notes by himself. This, perhaps, of all his publications, was one which might have been best spared, since his principle of selection had a reference rather to his own character as a divine, than to the characteristic merits of the poet. Cowley, indeed, is often not an edifying, but al most always an innocent writer; and if Dr. Hurd thought him occasionally too playful for his gravity, he might very well have let him alone.

His reputation was now so thoroughly established, that on the recommendation of Lord Mansfield, he was appointed to the important office of preceptor to the Prince of Wales, and the nomination was universally approved by the public. He was also, in 1775, raised to the mitre in the see of Litchfield and Coventry. He resigned the office of preacher to the Society of Lincoln's Inn in 1776; and in the following year published, at the request of the Benchers, a volume of "Sermons preached at Lincoln's Inn between the years 1765 and 1766; with a large Discourse on Christ's driving the Merchants out of the Temple." It is sufficient to observe, that the author's character for learning, discrimination, and ingenious elucidation is not less conspicuous in these than in his former writings. A "Sermon, preached before the House of Lords," and printed in the same year, is marked by candour and liberality. His "Charge delivered to the Clergy of his Diocese at his primary Visitation," contains some episcopal sentiments on the excellence of the liturgy, and the duty of submitting all deliberations concerning it to the wisdom of the church, which he doubtless thought called for by the circumstances of the time. They gave occasion to a pamphlet of "Remarks by a Country Clergyman." Two volumes more of Dr. Hurd's Lincoln's Inn Sermons appeared in 1781, in which year he was appointed clerk of the closet to his Majesty, and was translated to the see of Worcester. On a vacancy in the archbishopric of Canterbury, in 1783, he had the opportunity of evincing the sincerity of his declared preference of a retired and unambitious life; for he declined the honourable offer of succession to that high dignity. He thenceforth passed his time in a seclusion from all public concerns, except the necessary duties of his station, chiefly at his episcopal seat of Hartlebury, devoted to pious and literary occupations, and intent upon the augmentation of a noble library, the basis of which was the books which he inherited from the libraries of Pope and Warburton. This collection he was long known to have bequeathed as an heir-loom to his successors in the see of Worcester. His further publications were few. He preached and printed a "Thirtieth of January Sermon before the House of Lords" in 1786, in which he maintained the proposition that the religion of Christ is friendly to civil and religious liberty, and certainly proved his own good will to the cause of freedom. In 1788 he was the editor of the works of his revered friend Bishop Warburton, in seven quarto volumes, but did not appear, as the world expected, as his biographer. In a short advertisement he intimated that there were reasons for such omission for the present, but that a discourse to that effect was prepared, to appear hereafter. These reasons, however, were not obvious when Dr. Hurd in 1794 printed "A Discourse by way of Preface to the quarto edition of Bishop Warburton's Works; containing some account of the Life, Writings, and Character of the Author." It is an elegant and interesting piece of biography, as fairly estimating its subject as could possibly be expected from one who was so much under the influence of admiration and gratitude. This was Dr. Hurd's closing exertion in literature. His suppressed Essay on the Delicacy of Friendship had been reprinted, certainly with no friendly purpose, in 1789, by a learned and eloquent divine, in a collection of "Tracts by Warburton and a Warburtonian." In the preface to this publication is given an estimate of the Bishop of Worcester's literary character, which will generally be thought coloured by prejudice, though it is not without disVOL. IV. criminating

OBITUARY OF DISTINGUISHED PERSONS.
RICHARD HURD, D. D. Bishop of Worcester.

This learned and ingenious prelate, who for half a century stood prominent among the literary characters of the age, was the son of a respectable farmer at Congreve, a village in Staffordshire. He received his early education in part under Anthony Blackwall, author of the Sacred Classics, and master of the public school at Market Bosworth; and being designed for holy orders, he was entered at a proper age, of Emanuel college, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow. He was afterwards presented by his college to the living of Thurcaston, Leicestershire, in which retired situation he assiduously applied to those studies by which he rose to distinction. He first appeared, though anonymously, as an author in 1749, in an edition of Horace's "Ars Poetica," with an English commentary and notes. This was reprinted in 1753, with Horace's Epistle "ad Augustum," and two Dissertations, one "On the Provinces of the several Species of Dramatic Poetry;" the other," On Poetical Imitation." They were dedicated to Dr. Warburton; and with more taste and elegance than that author possessed, displayed something of his spirit of overrefinement and strained explanation, though with abundant learning and ingenuity. In commenting upon Horace, he endeavours to mark out a plan and connected design in that poet, which many of his greatest admirers are unable to discover. He addressed also to Dr. Warburton in 1757 some anonymous "Remarks on Hume's Essay on the Natural History of Religion," which that philosopher in his own Memoirs has stigmatised as being "written with all the illiberal petulance, arrogance, and scurrility which distinguish the Warburtonian school ;" and, indeed, whatever be thought of the reasoning, the manner too much justifies this censure. In 1758 he addressed to the poet Mason a "Letter on the Marks of Imitation," which is one of the most agreeable of his pieces of this class. It obtained for him the return of an Elegy inscribed to him by the poet, written in 1759, in which Mason terms him the "friend of his youth," and speaks of him as seated in "low Thurcaston's sequester'd bower, distant from Promotion's view."

Another publication in 1759 exhibited our author in a new light, and considerably added to his reputation. This was his "Moral and Political Dialogues," feigned to have passed between eminent persons of the past and present age, and, with an unnecessary licence of fiction, even said to be published from the original manuscripts. In the political part of this work he showed himself a sound constitutionalist and friend of civil liberty. His "Letters on Chivalry and Romance," printed in 1762, gave an ingenious deduction of the chivalrous principle from the nature of the feudal system, and other circumstances of the times, and displayed the author's research into the history of manners and society. They were republished along with the Moral and Political Dialogues, with the author's name, which had hitherto been omitted. Mr. Hurd's own merits, and the warm friendship of bishop Warburton, would not suffer him to remain in that seclusion from the world to which he had professed his attachment. The regard of that eminent prelate he had purchased not only by his dedication, but by an anonymous "Essay on the Delicacy of Friendship," in which he made some severe strictures on Drs. Jortin and Leland for their sup posed disrespect to the object of his admiration. But, upon reflexion, he was so little satisfied with the warmth of zeal he had displayed on this occasion, that he took great pains to suppress this pamphlet. Warburton, however, felt his obligations, and not only conferred upon him the archdeaconry of Gloucester, but gave him an opportunity of becoming known in the metropolis by associating him with himself as preacher at Lincoln's Inn chapel. In 1772 the first fruits of this appointment were given to the public by Dr. Hurd (he had now taken the degree of D. D.) in a volume of twelve sermons, preached at a lecture founded by Dr. Warburton in the above chapel for the purpose of elucidating the prophecies in the Old and New Testament relative to the Christian Church. They were entitled "An Introduction to the Study of the Prophecies concerning the Christian Church, and in particular, concerning the Church of Papal Rome." In these discourses the preacher displayed abundant

learning

learning and ingenuity, and raised his character as a divine to an eminence almost equal to that which he possessed as a man of letters. He in general supports the notion of a double sense in prophecy, which he does not scruple to call a "divine artifice;" and notwithstanding the skill with which he maintains his hypothesis, there are those who have regarded it as too much deviating from the simplicity of the sacred writings. In the same year he appeared in a very different capacity, as the editor of "Select Works of Mr. Abraham Cowley," with a preface and notes by himself. This, perhaps, of all his publications, was one which might have been best spared, since his principle of selection had a reference rather to his own character as a divine, than to the characteristic merits of the poet. Cowley, indeed, is often not an edifying, but almost always an innocent writer; and if Dr. Hurd thought him occasionally too playful for his gravity, he might very well have let him alone.

His reputation was now so thoroughly established, that on the recommendation of Lord Mansfield, he was appointed to the important office of preceptor to the Prince of Wales, and the nomination was universally approved by the public. He was also, in 1775, raised to the mitre in the see of Litchfield and Coventry. He resigned the office of preacher to the Society of Lincoln's Inn in 1776; and in the following year published, at the request of the Benchers, a volume of "Sermons preached at Lincoln's Inn between the years 1765 and 1766; with a large Discourse on Christ's driving the Merchants out of the Temple." It is sufficient to observe, that the author's character for learning, discrimination, and ingenious elucidation is not less conspicuous in these than in his former writings. A "Sermon, preached before the House of Lords,” and printed in the same year, is marked by candour and liberality. His “Charge delivered to the Clergy of his Diocese at his primary Visitation," contains some episcopal sentiments on the excellence of the liturgy, and the duty of submitting all deliberations concerning it to the wisdom of the church, which he doubtless thought called for by the circumstances of the time. They gave occasion to a pamphlet of "Remarks by a Country Clergyman." Two volumes more of Dr. Hurd's Lincoln's Inn Sermons appeared in 1781, in which year he was appointed clerk of the closet to his Majesty, and was translated to the see of Worcester. On a vacancy in the archbishopric of Canterbury, in 1783, he had the opportunity of evincing the sincerity of his declared preference of a retired and unambitious life; for he declined the honourable offer of succession to that high dignity. He thenceforth passed his time in a seclusion from all public concerns, except the necessary duties of his station, chiefly at his epis copal seat of Hartlebury, devoted to pious and literary occupations, and intent upon the augmentation of a noble library, the basis of which was the books which he inherited from the libraries of Pope and Warburton. This collection he was long known to have bequeathed as an heir-loom to his successors in the see of Worcester. His further publications were few. He preached and printed a "Thirtieth of January Sermon before the House of Lords" in 1786, in which he maintained the proposition that the religion of Christ is friendly to civil and religious liberty, and certainly proved his own good will to the cause of freedom. In 1788 he was the editor of the works of his revered friend Bishop Warburton, in seven quarto volumes, but did not appear, as the world expected, as his biographer. In a short advertisement he intimated that there were reasons for such omission for the present, but that a discourse to that effect was prepared, to appear hereafter. These reasons, however, were not obvious when Dr. Hurd in 1794 printed “A Discourse by way of Preface to the quarto edition of Bishop Warburton's Works; containing some account of the Life, Writings, and Character of the Author." It is an elegant and interesting piece of biography, as fairly estimating its subject as could possibly be expected from one who was so much under the influence of admiration and gratitude. This was Dr. Hurd's closing exertion in literature. His suppressed Essay on the Delicacy of Friendship had been reprinted, certainly with no friendly purpose, in 1789, by a learned and eloquent divine, in a collection of "Tracts by Warburton and a Warburtonian." In the preface to this publication is given an estimate of the Bishop of Worcester's literary character, which will generally be thought coloured by prejudice, though it is not without disVOL. IV. criminating

L

criminating strokes. The censure of his style is sometimes "disgracing what would have arisen to ornamental and dignified writing by a mixture of vulgar or antiquated phraseology," cannot be denied to have some foundation.

This distinguished prelate closed a long and highly respectable life at Hartlebury, on the 28th of May, in the 88th year of his age.

SIR JOHN CARTER.

Died, at Portsmouth, in his 67th year, Sir John Carter, Knt.; a character generally and most deservedly respected and valued throughout the county, whether considered in a public or private capacity. His parents were both dissenters, and belonging to that denomination designated by the term "rational Dissenters." His father was a merchant of considerable eminence and of invincible integrity in Portsmouth: from him he inherited a strong and unshaken attachment to those political principles which seated the house of Hanover on the throne of England. Though under the necessity of occasionally conforming, he remained firm to the principles of dissent from the doctrines and worship of the established church.

He was born on the 16th of Dec. 1741, and in Sept. 1763, was elected an alderman of this borough. About the year 1768 or 9 he began to act as a magistrate for the county; and never was there one who attended to the duties of that important office with more assiduity, impartiality and zeal for the interests and honour of the country, for the accommodation and comfort of his neighbours, or the prompt and mild administration of justice to all. At Michaelmas, 1769, he was chosen to act as chief magistrate of the borough for the year. In the summer of 1773, during his second mayoralty, the king made his first visit to Portsmouth, where he received much greater marks of affection and loyalty than he had been given to expect. Desirous of making some return to his good people of Portsmouth, for their attentions to him, his Majesty wished to confer on their mayor the honour of knighthood, a title at that time held in higher estimation than, from its repeated prostitution, it now is. Of this honour Mr. Carter was not in the least ambitious; indeed so averse from it were both Mr. and Mrs. Carter, that he declined it. He was informed that his Majesty considered this refusal as proceeding from a disregard in the Carter family to the royal favour. This consideration, and the earnest persuasion of his friends, induced him to yield a reluctant compliance: he was accordingly knighted on the 23d of June, 1773.

In the year 1784 he was appointed sheriff of the county, which honourable office he filled to the entire satisfaction of all parties, and with dignity to himself. In the years 1782, 6, and 9, he was severally elected to the chief magistracy of the town, and again in 1793: it was during this his sixth mayoralty that the king made his third and last visit to Portsmouth. His Majesty's person on this, as on his former visits, was immediately attended by the peace officers of the corporation; and what few of the military accompanied him in his walks, always followed the civil power.

During the mutiny at Spithead, in the spring of 1797, he rendered a very essential service to the town and country by his mild, conciliatory, and patient conduct. The sailors having lost three of their body in consequence of the resistance made to their going on board the London, then bearing the flag of Admiral Colpoys, wished to bury them in Kingston churchyard, and to carry them in procession through the town of Portsmouth. This request was most positively refused them by the governor. They then applied to Sir John Carter to grant their request, who endeavoured to convince the governor of the propriety and necessity of complying with it, declaring that he would be answerable for the peace of the town and the orderly conduct of the sailors. The governor would not be prevailed on, and prepared for resistance; and resistance on both sides would most probably have been resorted to, had not the calmness, perseverance, and forbearance of Sir John Carter at length compromised the affair, by obtaining permission for the sailors to pass through the garrison of Portsmouth in procession, and the bodies to be landed at the Common Hard in Portsea, where the procession was to join them. For soliciting and obtaining this indulgence to the sailors, he was stigmatized as a jacobin, and loaded

with many opprobrious epithets by persons, whose high stations at least should have taught them better, and which he, though possessing the very milk of human kindness, was under the necessity of resenting by declining all farther intercourse with them. So great was Sir John Carter's influence over the sailors, that they most scrupulously adhered to the terms he prescribed to them in their procession to the grave. Two of their comrades having become 66 a little groggy" after they came on shore, they were carefully locked up in a room by themselves, lest they should become quarrelsome, or be unable to conduct themselves with propriety. It was a most interesting spectacle. Sir John accompanied them himself through the garrison, to prevent any insult being offered to them. At the Common Hard he was joined by Mr. Godwin, the friend and associate of his youth, and also a most worthy magistrate of this borough. They attended the procession till it had passed the fortifications at Portsea: every thing was conducted with the greatest decorum. When the sailors returned, and were sent off to their respective ships, two or three of the managing delegates came to Sir John to inform him that the men were all gone on board, and to thank him for his great goodness to them. Sir John seized the opportunity of enquiring after their Admiral, as these delegates belonged to the London. "Do you know him, your honour?" "Yes; I have a great respect for him, and hope you will not do him any harm." "No, by G-d, your honour, he shall not be hurt." It was at that time imagined Admiral Colpoys would be hung at the yard-arm, and he had prepared for this event by arranging his affairs and making his will. In this will he had left to the widows of the three men who were so unfortunately killed an annuity of 201. each. The next morning, however, the Admiral was privately, unexpectedly, and safely brought on shore, though pursued by a boat from the Mars, as soon as they suspected what was transacting. The delegates brought him to Sir John Carter, and delivered him to his care: they then desired to have a receipt for him, as a proof to their comrades that they had sately delivered him into the hands of the civil power; and which receipt he gave. The Admiral himself, in his first appearance at court afterwards, acknowledged to the king that he owed his life to Sir John Carter, and assured his Majesty that his principles were misinterpreted and his conduct misrepresented, and that he had not a more faithful and worthy subject in his dominions.

The honourable influence which the suavity of his manners, his gentle unassuming demeanour, his kind unostentatious deportment obtained for him, was most usefully conspicuous during the riots on account of the scarcity in July 1797, and during a mutiny of the Buckinghamshire militia, among whom he fearlessly mixed, exhorting and prevailing with them to return to their duty. Indeed, wherever he could be useful, either by personal exertions, by his influence, or by persuasion, there he was constantly to be found.

He was denounced at the head of a long list of inhabitants of this town to Mr. Reeves, as a jacobin and an enemy to his king and country. A gentleman of rank, who belonged to that association, on seeing this, immediately struck his name out of the list of the committee and association. The Duke of Portland, then secretary of state for the home department, received a very strong letter against him, which letter his Grace sent to Sir John, assuring him at the same time that the government placed the utmost confidence in his honour, integrity, and patriotism, and concluded by proposing to offer a large reward for the discovery of the writer: this, with a dignified consciousness of the purity of his conduct, Sir John declined; though, from some well-founded conjectures, the discovery might possibly have been easily made. And this inestimable consciousness enabled him to meet with the greatest composure every attempt which the rancour and violence of party rage made to sully his reputation and destroy his influence. So pure, so disinterested, so honourable were his political principles, that when in the year 1806 he was offered a baronetage by Mr. Fox, he declined it on the ground that he believed the offer to have been made for his undeviating attachment to the characteristic politics of that great man; and that, to accept it, would be a manifest departure from his principles. They were these principles which induced him to offer a seat in parliament for the borough of Portsmouth to that distinguished friend of liberty

Thomas