THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 M*
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 O P 
 
 GEORGE BERKELEY, D. D. 
 
 LATE BISHOP OF CLOYNE IN IRELAND; 
 
 THE SECOND EDITION, 
 
 WITH IMPROVEMENTS. 
 
 L O N P O N: 
 
 PRINTED FOR J. MURRAY, IN FLEET-STREET; 
 
 AND R. FAULDER, NEW BOND-STREET. 
 
 M. D C C. L X X X I V.
 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT, 
 
 O authenticate the following 
 Memoirs of Biftiop Berkeley, 
 it is thought proper to inform the 
 Reader, that the particulars were 
 for the moft part communicated 
 by the Rev, Robert Berkeley, D.D. 
 redor of Middleton in the diocefe 
 of Cloyne, brother to the Bifhop, 
 and yet living ; and the whole 
 was drawn up by the Rev. Jofeph 
 Stock, D. D. late F. T. C. D. 
 
 The Editor takes this oppor- 
 tunity of returning his fincere 
 thanks to the Rev. Dr. Stock, rec- 
 tor of Conwell, Raphoe, for his 
 trouble in compiling and revifing 
 this Edition ; and to the Rev. 
 
 Mervyn 

 
 iv ADVERTISEMENT. 
 Mervyn Archdall, re&or of At- 
 tannah, Oflbry, and the Rev. Hen- 
 ry Gervais, LL. D. archdeacon of 
 Cafliel, for their obliging com- 
 munication of the letters to Tho- 
 mas Prior, Efq. and Pean Gervais, 
 which have added fo much to the 
 value of this Edition. 
 
 I
 
 O P 
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 
 
 DR. GEORGE BERKELEY, the learn- 
 ed and ingenious bifhop of Cloyne 
 in Ireland, was a native of that kindom, 
 and the fon of WILLIAM BERKELEY, of 
 Thomaftown, in the county of Kilkenny, 
 whofe father went over to Ireland, after 
 the Reftoration (the family having fufFer- 
 ed greatly for their loyalty to Charles I.), 
 and there obtained the colledtorfhip of 
 Belfaft. 
 
 Our Author was born March 12, 1684, 
 at Kilcrin, near Thomas-town ; received 
 the firfl part of his education at Kilkenny 
 fchool, under Dr. Hinton -, and was ad- 
 mitted a penfioner of Trinity College, 
 Dublin, at the age of fifteen, under the 
 B tuition
 
 2 L I F E O F 
 
 tuition of Dr. Hall. He was admitted 
 fellow of that college June 9, 1707$ hav- 
 ing previoufly fuftained with honour the 
 very trying examination, which the can- 
 didates for that preferment are by the fta- 
 tutes required to undergo. 
 
 The firft proof he gave of his literary 
 abilities, was Arithmetica abfque Algebra 
 aittEuclide demonjlrata-, which, from the 
 preface, he appears to have written before 
 he was twenty years old, though he did not 
 publifh it till 1707. It is dedicated to 
 Mr.Pallifer, fon to the Archbimop of Ca- 
 fhel -, and is followed by a Mathematical 
 Mifcellany, containing fome very inge- 
 nious obfervations and theorems, infcribed 
 
 . to his pupil, Mr. Samuel Molyneaux, a 
 gentleman of whom we mall have occafion 
 to make further mention prefently, and 
 
 - whofe father was the celebrated friend 
 and correfpondent of Mr. Lock. 
 
 His theory of Vtjion was publifhed in 
 1709, and the Principles of Human Know- 
 ledge appeared the year after. The airy 
 vifions of romances, to the reading of 
 which he was much addicted \ difgult at 
 the books of metaphyfics then received in 
 
 the
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 3 
 the univerfity ; and that inquiiitive atten- 
 tion to the operations of the mind, which 
 about this time was excited by the writ- 
 ings of Mr. Locke and Father Male-- 
 branche; probably gave birth to his dif- 
 belief of the exigence of matter ( i )* 
 
 In 
 
 (i) Wheri the Principles of Human Knowledge 
 were firft publiftied, the ingenious Author fent copies 
 of the work to Dr. Clarke and Mr. Whifton. What 
 effect it produced upon the latter, the reader may 
 pofiibly be entertained with learning from his own 
 words : Merrioirs of Dr. Clarke, page 79 81. 
 
 * And perhaps it will 'not be here improper, by 
 
 * way of caution, to take notice of the pernicious 
 confequence fuch metaphyfical fubtilties have fome- 
 1 times had, even againft common fenfe and com- 
 ' moh experience ; as in the cafes of thofe three fa- 
 
 * mous men, Monf. Leibnitz, Mr. Locke, and Mr. 
 Berkeley. [The firft, in his Pre-eftabliftied Har- 
 
 * mony : the fecond, in the difpute with Limbbrch 
 
 * about human Liberty.] And as to the third-named, 
 
 * Mr. Berkeley, he publiflied, A. D. 1710, at Dub- 
 
 * lin, this metaphyfick notion, that matter was not a. 
 
 * real thing', nay, that the common opinion of its 
 
 * reality was groundlefs, if not ridiculous. He was 
 ' pleafed to fend Dr. Clarke and myfelf, each of us, 
 ' a book. After We had both perufed it, I went to Dr. 
 
 * Clarke, and difcourfed with him about it to this 
 ' effect ; that I, being not a metaphyfician, was not 
 
 * able to anfwer Mr. Berkeley's fubtile premifei^ 
 
 B 2 ' though
 
 4 L I F E O F 
 
 In 1712, the principles inculcated in 
 Mr. Locke's Two T^reatifes of Government * 
 
 feem 
 
 < though I did not at all believe his abfurd conclufion. 
 I therefore defired that he, who was deep in fuch 
 
 * fubtilties, but did not appear to believe Mr. 
 
 * Berkeley's conclusions, would anfwer him : which 
 
 * tafk he declined. I fpeak not thefe things with in- 
 
 * tention to reproach either Mr. Locke or Dean, 
 Berkeley.- I own the latter's great abilities in other 
 ' parts of learning j and to his noble defign of fet- 
 
 * tling a College in or near the Weft Indies, for the 
 e inftruclion of the natives in civil arts, and in the. 
 ' principles of Chriftianity, I heartily wifh all poflibje 
 
 * fuccefs. It is the pretended metaphyfick fcience 
 ' itfelf, derived from the fceptical difputes of the 
 
 * Greek philofophers, not thofe particular great men 
 6 who have been unhappily impofed on by it, that I 
 
 * complain of. Accordingly, when the famous Mil- 
 ' ton had a mind to reprefent the vain reafonings of 
 
 * wicked fpirits in Hades, he defcribed it by their 
 v endlefs train of metaphyficks, thus : 
 
 e Others apart fat on a hill retir*d, &c/ 
 
 Par. Loft, II. 557561, 
 
 Many years after this, at Mr. Addifon's wiftance, 
 there was a meeting of Drs. Clarke and Berkeley to 
 difcufs this fpeculative point j and great hopes were 
 entertained from the conference. The parties, how- 
 ever, feparated, without being able to come to any 
 agreement. Dr. B. declared himfelf not well fatif- 
 ficd with the conduct of his antagonift on the occa- 
 
 'fion,
 
 BERKELEY. 5 
 feem to have turned his attention to the 
 doctrine of paffive obedience; in fupport 
 of which, he printed the fubftance of 
 three Common-places, delivered by him 
 that year in the college chapel ; a work 
 which afterwards had nearly done him 
 fome injury in his fortune. For, being 
 prefented by Mr. Molyneaux above-men- 
 tioned to their late majefties, then Prince 
 and Princefs of Wales (whofe fecretary 
 Mr. Molyneaux had been at Hanover), he 
 was by them recommended to lord Gal- 
 way, for fome preferment in the church 
 of Ireland. But lord Galway, having 
 heard of thofe fermons, reprelented him 
 as a Jacobite; an imprerTion which Mr. 
 Molyneaux, as foon as he was apprifed 
 of it, took care to remove from the minds 
 of their highnefTes, by producing the 
 work in queftion, and mewing that it 
 contained nothing but principles of loy- 
 alty to the prefent happy ellablimment. 
 
 Jion, who, though he could not anfwer, had not 
 candour enough to own himfelf convinced. But 
 the complaints of difputancs againft each other, efpe- 
 cially on fubjeds of this abftrufe nature, fhould be 
 heajcd with fufpicion. 
 
 B 3 This
 
 6 L I * E O F 
 
 This was the firfl ocean" on of our Author's 
 being known to Queen Caroline. 
 
 In February, 1713, he crofled the wa- 
 ter, and publifhed, in London, a further 
 defence of his celebrated fyftem of im- 
 materialifm, in Three Dialogues betweeai 
 Hylas and Pbilonous. Acutenefs of parts, 
 and a beautiful imagination, were fo con- 
 fpicuous in his writings, that his repu- 
 tation was now eftablifhed ; and his 
 company was courted, even where his 
 opinions did not find admifiion. Two 
 gentlemen of oppofite principles concur- 
 red in introducing him to the acquain.- 
 tance of the learned and the great; Sir 
 Richard Steele, and Dr. Swift. He wrote 
 feveral papers in the Guardian for the 
 former ; and, at his houfe, became ac- 
 quainted with Mr. Pope, with whom he 
 continued to live in ftrict friendship dur- 
 ing his life. Dean Swift, befides lord 
 Berkeley of Strattpn (to whom pur Au- 
 thor dedicated his laft publifhed dialogues 
 between Hylas and Philonous) and other 
 valuable acquaintance, recommended him 
 to the celebrated earl of Peterborough, 
 who, being appointed embafTador to the 
 
 king
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 7 
 king of Sicily, and to the other Italian 
 ftates, took Mr. Berkeley with him, in 
 quality of chaplain and fecretary, in No- 
 vember, 1713. 
 
 At Leghorn, his lordfhip's well-known 
 activity induced him to difencumber him- 
 felf of his chaplain, and the greatefl part 
 of his retinue, whom he left in that town 
 for upwards of three months, while he 
 difcharged the bufmefs of his embafiy in 
 Sicily ; as our Author informs his friend 
 Pope, in the concluiion of a complimen- 
 tary letter addrefTed to that poet on the 
 Rape of the Lock, dated Leghorn, May 
 I, 1714. It may not be amifs to record 
 a little incident that befel Mr. Berkeley 
 in this city, with the relation of which 
 he ufed fometimes to make himfelf merry 
 among his friends. Bafil Kennett, the 
 author of the Roman Antiquities, was 
 then chaplain to the Englim factory at 
 Leghorn, the only place in Italy where 
 the Englim fervice is tolerated by the 
 government; which favour had lately been 
 obtained from theGrandDuke, at the par- 
 ticular inftance of Queen Anne. This gen- 
 tleman, requeued Mr. Berkeley to preach 
 B 4 for
 
 8 LIFE OP 
 
 for him one Sunday. The day following, 
 as Berkeley was fitting in his chamber, a 
 procemon of priefts, in furplices, and with 
 all other formalities, entered the room, 
 and, without, taking the leaft notice cf 
 the wondering inhabitant, inarched quite 
 round it, muttering certain prayers. His 
 fears immediately fuggefted to him, that 
 this could be no other than a vifit from 
 the Inquifition, who had heard of his of- 
 ficiating before heretics, without licence, 
 the day before. As foon as they were 
 gone, he ventured, with much caution, to 
 enquire into the caufe of this extraor- 
 dinary appearance ; and was happy to be 
 informed, that this was the feafon ap- 
 pointed by the Romim calendar for fo- 
 lemnly blemng the houfes of all good 
 catholics from rats and other vermin : a 
 piece of intelligence which changed his 
 terror into mirth. 
 
 He returned to England, with lord 
 Peterborough, in Auguft, 1714(2); and 
 
 his 
 
 * In dugufti 1714.] Towards the clofe of this 
 year he had a fever j in defcribing the event of which 
 to his friend Swift a Dr. Arbuthnot cannot forbear in- 
 dulging
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 9 
 his hopes of preferment, through this 
 channel, expiring with the fall of Queen 
 Anne's miniflry, he fome time after em- 
 braced an advantageous offer, made him 
 by Dr. St. George Afhe, bifhop of 
 Clogher, and late provoft of Trinity Col- 
 lege, Dublin, of accompanying his fon, 
 Mr. Afhe (who was heir to 'a very confi- 
 derable property) in a tour through Eu- 
 rope. 
 
 At Paris, having now more leifure than 
 when he firft paifed through that city, 
 Mr. Berkeley took care to pay his re- 
 fpecls to his rival in metaphyfical faga- 
 city, the illuftrious Pere Malebranche. 
 He found this ingenious father in his cell, 
 cooking, in a fmall pipkin, a medicine 
 for a diforder with which he was then 
 troubled, an inflammation on the lungs. 
 
 dulging a little of that pleafantry on Berkeley's fyf- 
 tem, with which it has frequently fince been treated 
 by fuch as could not, or would not, be at the pains to 
 acquire a thorough knowledge of it. Odober 19, 
 ' 1714, Poor philofopher Berkeley has now the idea 
 ' of health, which was very hard to produce in him ; 
 ' for he had an idea of a ftrange fever on him fo 
 ' firong, that it was very hard to deftroy it by intro- 
 f discing a contrary one/ 
 
 The
 
 IO L I F E O P 
 
 The converfation naturally turned on our 
 Author's fyftem, of which the other had 
 received fome knowledge from a tranfla- 
 tion juft published. But the iffue of this 
 debate proved tragical to poor Male- 
 branche. In the heat of difputation, he 
 raifed his voice fo high, and gave way fo 
 freely to the natural impetuofity of a 
 man of parts and a Frenchman, that he 
 brought on himfelf a violent increafe of 
 his diforder, which Carried him off a few 
 (Jays after *, 
 
 In this fecond excurfion abroad Mr. 
 Berkeley employed upwards of four years; 
 and, betides all thole places which are 
 ufually vilited by travellers, in what is 
 called the grand tour, his curiofity car* 
 ried him to fome that are lefs frequented. 
 In particular, he travelled over Apulia 
 (from which he wrote an accurate and 
 entertaining account of the tarantula to 
 Dr. Freind), Calabria, and the whole iflantf 
 of Sicily. This laft country engaged his 
 attention fo flrongly, that he had, wit 
 
 * He died October 13, 17^. Di.h hift. portatif 
 d'Advocat. 
 
 great
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. n 
 great induftry, compiled very confiderable 
 materials for a natural hiftory of the 
 jfland : but, by an unfortunate accident, 
 thefe, together with a journal of his 
 tranfactions there, were loft in the pafTage 
 to Naples j nor could he be prevailed 
 upon afterwards to recollect and commit 
 thofe curious particulars again to paper. 
 What an injury the literary world has 
 fuftairied by this mifchance, may in part 
 be collected from the fpecimen he has left 
 of his talent for lively defcription, in his 
 letter to Mr. Pope, concerning ths ifland 
 of Jnarime (now lichia, in the bay of 
 Naples) ? dated Naples, October 22, 1717; 
 and in another, from the fame city, to 
 Dr. Arbuthnot, giving an account of an 
 eruption of mount Vefuvius, which he 
 had the good fortune to have more than 
 one opportunity of examining very mi- 
 nutely. 
 
 On his way homeward, he drew up, 
 at Lyons, a curious tract De Motu, which 
 he fent to the royal academy of fciences at 
 Paris, the fubject being propofed by that 
 aflembly; and committed it to the prefs, 
 fhortly after his arrival in London, in 
 
 1721.
 
 12 J^ I F E OF 
 
 1721* But from thefe abftrufe ipecula- 
 tions he was drawn away, for a while, by 
 the humanity of his temper, and concern 
 for the public welfare. It is well known 
 what miferies the nation was plunged into, 
 by the fatal South Sea fcheme, in 1720. 
 Mr. Berkeley felt for his country, and 
 Britifli neighbours, groaning under thefe 
 calamitous diftrefles; and, in that fpirit, 
 employed his talents in writing An Effay 
 towards preventing the Ruin of Great Bri- 
 tain, printed at London, in 1721. 
 
 His travels had now fo far improved his 
 natural politenefs, and added fuch charms 
 to his converfation, that he found a ready 
 'admiffion into the beft company in Lon- 
 don. Among the reft, Mr. Pope intro- 
 duced him to lord Burlington, who con- 
 ceived a high efleem for him on account 
 of his great tafte and fkill in architecture ; 
 an art of which his Lordihip was an ex- 
 cellent judge and patron, and which Mr. 
 Berkeley had made his particular ftudy 
 while in Italy. By this nobleman he was 
 recommended to the duke of Grafton, 
 lord lieutenant of Ireland ; who took him 
 over to Ireland, as one of his chaplains, in 
 
 1721,
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 13 
 
 , after he had been abfent from his 
 native country more than fix years. He 
 had been elected a fenior fellow of his 
 college in July, 1717 ; and now took the 
 degrees of bachelor and doctor in divinity, 
 November 14, 1721. 
 
 The year following, his fortune re- 
 ceived a conliderable increafe from a very 
 unexpected event. On his firft going to 
 London, in the year 1713, Dean Swift 
 introduced him to the family of Mrs, 
 Either Vanhomrigh (the celebrated Va- 
 neflaj, and took him often to dine at her 
 houfe. Some years before her death, this 
 lady removed to Ireland, and fixed her re- 
 lidence at Cell-bridge, a pleafant village 
 in the neighbourhood of Dublin ; moft 
 probably with a view of often enjoying 
 the company of a man, for whom ihe 
 feems to have entertained a very fingular 
 attachment. But finding herfelf totally 
 difappointed in this expectation, and dif- 
 covering the Dean's connection with Stel- 
 la, me- was fo enraged at his infidelity, 
 that fhe altered her intention of making 
 him her heir, and left the whole of her 
 fortune, amounting to near 8000 1. to be 
 
 divided
 
 14 LIFE OF 
 
 divided equally between two gentlemen^ 
 whom me named her executors, Mr; 
 Marmal, a lawyer* afterwards Mr. Juftice 
 Marmal, and Dr. Berkeley, S. F. T. C. D. 
 The Dodtor received the news of this be- 
 queft from Mr. Marmal with great fur- 
 prize ,* as he had never once feen the lady> 
 who had honoured him with fuch a proof 
 of her efteem, from the time of his return 
 to Ireland to her death* 
 
 In the difcharge, however, of his truft 
 as executor, he had an opportunity of 
 fhewing he by no means adopted the fen- 
 timents of his benefactrefs, with regard to 
 Swift. Several letters, that had pafled 
 between Cadenus and VanefTa, falling into 
 his hands, he committed them immedi- 
 ately to the flames ; not becaufe there 
 was any thing criminal in them; for he 
 frequently affured Dr. Delany (3) and 
 others of the contrary j but he obferved a 
 warmth in the lady's ftile, which delicacy 
 required him to conceal from the public* 
 Dr. Berkeley, it feems, was not apprifed 
 of a flrong proof this exafperated female 
 
 (3) See Delany's Obfervations on Orrery's Re- 
 marks. 
 
 ? had
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 1-5 
 had juft giv'en, how little regard fhe her- 
 fdf retained for the virtue of delicacy. 
 On her death-bed, me delivered to Mr. 
 Marfhal a copy, in her own hand-writing, 
 of the entire correfpondence between her- 
 felf and the Dean ; with a ftrict injunction 
 to publifh it immediately after her de- 
 ceafe. What prevented the execution of 
 this requeft cannot now be affirmed with 
 certainty. Poffibly the executor did not 
 care to draw on himfelf the lafh of that 
 pen, from which a particular friend of 
 his * had lately fmarted fo feverely. Some 
 years after the Dean's death, Mr. Marfhal 
 had ferious thoughts of fulfilling the in- 
 tention of VanefTa. With this view he 
 mewed the letters to feveral perfons of his 
 acquaintance, without any injunction of 
 fecrecy; which may account for the ex- 
 tracts of them that have lately got into 
 print. The affair however was protract- 
 ed, till the death of Judge Marfhal put a 
 flop to it entirely. The letters are flill in 
 being ; and whenever curiofity or avarice 
 fuall draw them into public light, it is 
 
 * Mr. Bettefworth. 
 
 probable
 
 l6 L I F E ' O F 
 
 probable they will be found, after all, to : 
 be as trifling and as innocent as thofe 
 which our Author faw and fupprefled. 
 
 May 1 8, 1724, Dr Berkeley refigned 
 his fellowship; being promoted, by his pa- 
 tron, the duke of Grafton, to the desnry 
 of Derry, worth nool. per annum. In 
 the interval between this removal and his 
 return from abroad, his mind had been 
 employed in conceiving that benevolent 
 project, which alone entitles him to as 
 much honour as all his learned labours 
 have procured him, the Scheme for con- 
 verting the Javage Americans to Chrijli- 
 anity, by a College to be erected in the Sum- 
 mer I/lands , otherwlfe called the Jjles of Ber- 
 muda. He published a propofal (4) for 
 
 this 
 
 (4) A Propofal for converting the favage Americans t ~\ 
 With this propofal he carried a letter of recommen- 
 dation from Dean Swift to lord Carteret, lieutenant 
 of Ireland, which deferves a place here, both becaufe 
 it contains a number of particulars of our Author's 
 life, and is befides a proof, as well of the friendly 
 temper of the writer, as of his politenefs and addrefs. 
 
 ' September 3> 1724. There is a gentleman of 
 
 * this kingdom juft gone for England : it is Dr. 
 
 * George Berkeley, Dean of Derry, the beft prefer- 
 ' ment among us, being worth about nool. a year. 
 
 H
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 17 
 this purpofe, at London, in 1725, and of- 
 fered to refign his own opulent preferment* 
 
 and 
 
 * He takes the Bath in his way to London, and will 
 ' of courfe attend your Excellency, and be prefented, 
 k I fuppofe, by his friend my lord Burlington ; and, 
 k becaufe I believe you will chufe out fome very idle 
 
 * minutes to read this letter, perhaps you may not be 
 
 * ill entertained with fome account of the man and 
 
 * his errand. He was a fellow in the univerfity 
 
 * here; and, going to England very young, about 
 thirteen years ago, he became the founder of a feet 
 
 * there, called the Immaterialifts, by the force of a 
 ' very curious book on that fubjedl. Dr. Smalridge, 
 
 * and many other eminent perfons, were his profe- 
 6 lytes. I fent him fecretary and chaplain to Sicily, 
 
 * with my lord Peterborough ; and, upon his Lord- 
 
 * {hip's return, Dr. Berkeley fpent above feven years 
 
 * in travelling over moft parts of Europe, but chiefly 
 
 * through every corner of Italy, Sicily, and other 
 ' iflands. When he came back to England, he found 
 ' fo many friends, that he was effectually recom- 
 ' mended to the duke of Grafton, by whom he was 
 
 * lately made Dean of Deny. Your Excellency will 
 ' be frighted when I tell you, all this is but an intro- 
 ' ducYion ; for 1 am now to mention his errand. He 
 
 * is an abfolute philofopher, with regard to money, 
 
 * titles, and power ; and, for three years paft, hath 
 ' been ftruck with a notion of founding an univerfity 
 
 * at Bermuda, by a charter from the crown. He hath 
 
 * feduced feveral of the hopefulleft young clergymen, 
 8 and others here, many of them well provided for, 
 
 C< ' and
 
 i8 LIFE OF 
 
 and to dedicate the remainder of his life to 
 the intruding the youth in America, on- 
 the moderate fubfiftence of lool. yearly, 
 Such was the force of this difmterefted 
 example, fupported by the eloquence of 
 an cnthufiaft for the good of mankind, 
 that three junior fellows of Trinity 
 College, Dublin, the Reverend William 
 
 and all of them in the faireft way of preferment: 
 but in England his conquefts are greater, and I 
 doubt will fpread very far this winter. He (hewed 
 me a little trad, which he defigns to publifli j and 
 there your Excellency will fee his whole fcheme of 
 a life academico-philofophical (I fhall make you re- 
 member what you were) of a college founded for 
 Indian fcholars and miflionaries, where he moft ex- 
 orbitantly propofeth a whole hundred pounds a year 
 for himfelf, forty pounds for a fellow, and ten for 
 a ftudent. His heart will break if his deanry be 
 not taken from him, and left to your Excellency's 
 difpofal.' I difcourage him by the coldnefs of courts 
 and miniflers, who will interpret all this as impof- 
 fible, and a vifion ; but nothing will do. And' 
 therefore I do humbly intreat your Excellency, 
 either to ufe fuch perfuafions as will keep one of the 
 firft men in this kingdom, for learning and virtue, 
 quiet at home ; or aflift him, by your credit, to com- 
 pafs his romantic defign, which, however, is very 
 noble and generous, and diredly proper for a great 
 perfon, of your excellent education, to encourage/ 
 
 Thompfon,
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 19 
 Thompfon, Jonathan Rogers* and James 
 King, matters ofarts, confented to take their 
 fortunes with the Author of the project, 
 and to exchange for a fettlement in the 
 Atlantic ocean, at 40!. per annum, all 
 their profpects at home ; and that too 
 at a time, when a fellowfliip of Dublin 
 College was fuppofed to place the pof- 
 feflbr in a very fair point of view, for 
 attracting the notice of his fuperiors, both 
 in the church and flate. 
 
 Dr. Berkeley, however, was not fo ill 
 acquainted with the world, as to reft the 
 fuccefs of his application to the miniftry 
 entirely on the hope his fcheme afforded 
 of promoting national honour, and the 
 caufe of Chriftianity: his arguments were 
 drawn from the more alluring topic 
 of prefent advantage to the government. 
 Having, with much induftry, acquired an. 
 accurate knowledge of the value of cer- 
 tain lands (5) in the ifland of St. Chrifto- 
 
 pher's, 
 
 (5) Certain lands in St. Cbriftopher's.'] ' The ifland 
 
 * of St. Chriftopher's,' faith Anderfon, Hiftory of 
 
 Commerce, Vol. II. ' having been fettled on the very 
 
 4 fame day and year by both England xnd France, 
 
 C2 A.D.
 
 20 LIFE OF 
 
 pher's, yielded by France to Great Bri- 
 tain at the treaty of Utrecht, which were 
 then to be fold for the public ufe/ he 
 undertook to raife from them a much 
 greater fum than was expected ; and pro- 
 pofed that a part of the purchafe money 
 fhould be applied to the erecting of his 
 college. He found means, by the arFift- 
 ance of a Venetian of diftinction, the 
 Abbe Gualteri (or Altieri) with whom he 
 had formed an acquaintance in Italy, to 
 
 c A. D. 1625, was divided equally between the two 
 ' nations. The Englifli were twice driven out from 
 
 * thence by the French, and as often re-poflefied 
 
 * themfelves of it. But at length, in the year 1702, 
 
 * general Coddrington, governor of the Leeward 
 
 * Iflands, upon advice received that war was declared 
 fc by England againft France, attacked the French 
 
 * 'part of the ifland, and mattered it with very little 
 ' trouble. Ever fmce which time, that fine ifland 
 ' has been folely-poflefled by Great Britain, having 
 
 * been formally conceded to us. by the treaty of 
 ' Utrecht.' The lands, therefore, which had be- 
 longed to the French planters, by this ceffion became 
 the property of his Britannic Majefty. The firft pro- 
 pofals for purchafing thefe lands were made to the 
 Lords of Trade, in 1717 : fee Journal of the Britifh 
 Commons. After which, the affair feems to have 
 been forgotten, till it was mentioned by Berkeley to 
 Sir Robert Walpole, in 1726. 
 
 carry
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 21 
 Carry this propofal directly to King George 
 I. (6) j who laid his commands on Sir 
 Robert Walpole, to introduce and condudt 
 it through the Houfe of Commons. His 
 Majefty was further pleafed to grant a 
 charter for creeling a college, by the name 
 of St. Paul's College, in Bermuda, to con- 
 fid: of a prefident and nine fellows, who 
 were obliged to maintain and educate In- 
 dian fcholars, at the rate of iol.- per an- 
 num for each. The firft prefident, Dr. 
 George Berkeley, and firft three fellows 
 named in the charter (being the gentle- 
 men above-mentioned) were licenfed to 
 hold their preferments in thefe kingdoms, 
 till the expiration of one year and a half 
 after their arrival in Bermuda. The Com- 
 mons, May ii, 1726, voted, " That an 
 (t humble addrefs be prefented to his 
 
 (6) To ting George I.] It was the cuflomofthis 
 prince to unbend his mind, in the evening, by colleft- 
 ing together a company of philofophical foreigners, 
 who difcourfed in an eafy and familiar manner with 
 each other, entirely unreftrained by the prefence of 
 his Majefty, who generally walked about, or fat in a 
 retired part of the chamber. One of this lelecl com- 
 pany was AltieK<; and this gave him an opportunity 
 pf laying his friend's propofal before the King. 
 
 C 3 , Majefty,
 
 22 LIFE OF 
 
 " Majefty, that, out of the lands in St. 
 " Chriftopher's, yielded by France to 
 " Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht, 
 " his Majefty would be gracioufly pleafed 
 " to make fuch grant for the ufe of the 
 *' prefident and fellows of the College of 
 *' St. Paul, in Bermuda, as his Majefty 
 " mall think proper." The fum of 
 20,000!. was accordingly promifed by the 
 minifier ; and feveral private fubfcrjptions 
 were immediately raifed for promoting 
 " fo pious an undertaking," as it is ftyled 
 in the king's anfwer (7) to this addreis. 
 Such a profped; of fuccefs, in the favourite 
 objecl: of his heart, drew from our Author 
 a beautiful copy of verfes (8) ; in which 
 another age perhaps will acknowledge the 
 old conju. nation of the prophetic cha- 
 racter with that of the poet, to have again 
 taken place. 
 
 In the mean time, the Dean entered 
 into a marriage, Auguft I, 1728, with 
 Anne, the eldeir daughter of the right 
 
 (7) Commons Journal, May 16, 1726. 
 
 (8) See Verfes (Vol. II.) fubjoined to Propofal 
 for planting churches, &c. 
 
 honourable
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 23 
 
 fionourable John Forfter, fpeaker of the 
 Irifh Houfe of Commons. This engage- 
 ment, however, was fo far from being any 
 obftrudion to his grand undertaking, that 
 he actually fet fail, in the execution of it, 
 for Rhode Ifland, about the middle of Sep- 
 tember following. He carried with him 
 his lady, a Mifs Handcock, Mr. Smilert 
 an ingenious painter, two gentlemen of 
 fortune, Meff. James and Dalton, a pretty 
 large fum of money of his own property, 
 and a collection of books for the ufe of 
 his intended library. He directed his 
 courfe to Rhode Ifland, which lay neareft 
 to Bermuda, with a view of .purchafing 
 lands on the adjoining continent, aseftates 
 for the fupport of his college ; having a 
 pofitive promife from thcie in power, 
 that the parliamentary grant mould be 
 paid him, as foon as ever fuch lands mould 
 be pitched upon and agreed for. The 
 Dean took up his reiidence at Newport in 
 Rhode Ifland, where his prefence was a 
 great relief to a clergyman of the church 
 of England, eftablifhed in thofe parts ; as 
 he preached every Sunday, and was inde- 
 fatigable in paftoral labours during the 
 C 4 whole
 
 24 LIFE OF 
 
 whole time of his flay there, which was 
 
 near two years. 
 
 When eftates had been agreed for, it 
 was fully expected that the public ma- 
 ney would, according to the grant, be im- 
 mediately paid, as the purchafe of them. 
 But the minifter had never heartily em- 
 braced the project ; and parliamentary in- 
 fluence had, by this time, interpofed, in 
 order to divert the grant into another 
 channel. The fale of the lands in St. 
 Chriftopher's, it was found, would pro- 
 duce 90,000!. Of this fum 8o,oool. (9) 
 was deflined to pay the marriage portion 
 of the Princefs Royal, on her nuptialq 
 with the Prince of Orange : the remain- 
 der, general Oglethorp (10) had intereft 
 enough in parliament to obtain, for the 
 purpofe of carrying over and fettling 
 foreign and other proteftants in his new 
 colony of Georgia in America. The 
 project indeed of the truftees, for efta- 
 this colony, appears to have been. 
 
 (9) Commons Journal, May 10, 1733. 
 
 (10) Ibid. The general paid Dean B. the com- 
 pliment of afking his confent to this application of 
 the money, before he moved for it in parliament. 
 
 equally
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 25 
 equally humane and difinterefted : but it 
 Is much to be lamented, that it mould 
 interfere with another, of more extenfive 
 and lafting utility ; which, if it had taken 
 effect, by the education of the youth of 
 New England and other colonies, we may 
 venture, with great appearance of reafon, 
 to affirm, would have planted fuch prin- 
 ciples of religion and loyalty among them, 
 as might have gone a good way towards 
 preventing the prefent unhappy troubles 
 in that part of the world. But to proceed : 
 After having received various excufes, 
 bifhop Gibfon, at that time bi(hop of 
 London (in whofe diocefe all the Weft 
 Indies are included) applying to Sir Ro- 
 bert Walpole, then at the head of the 
 treafury, was favoured at length with the 
 following very honeft anfwer : If you put 
 4e this queftion to me," fays Sir Robert, 
 " as a minifter, I mufl and can aflure 
 " you, that the money mall moft un- 
 " doubtecily be paid, as foon as fuits with 
 f e public convenience : but if you alk me, 
 " as a friend, whether Dean Berkeley 
 f f mould continue in America, expecting 
 f the payment of 20,000!. I advife him, 
 
 " by
 
 *6 LJFE OF 
 
 " by all means, to return home to En*- 
 ** rope, and to give up his prefent ex- 
 " peculations." The Dean being informed 
 of this conference by his good friend 
 the bifliop, and thereby fully convinced 
 that the bad policy of one great man 
 had rendered abortive a fcheme, whereon 
 he had expended much of his private for- 
 'time, and more than feven years of the 
 prime of his life, returned to Europe. 
 Before he left Rhode liland, he diftributed 
 what books he had brought with him 
 among the clergy of that province ; and, 
 immediately after his arrival in London, 
 he returned all the private fubfcriptions 
 that had been advanced for the fupport 
 of his undertaking. 
 
 In February, 1732, he preached, before 
 the Society for the propagation of the 
 gofpel in foreign parts, a Sermon, fince 
 printed at their defire ; wherein, from his 
 own knowledge of the flate of religion in 
 America, he offers many ufeful hints to- 
 wards promoting the noble purpofes for 
 which that fociety was founded. 
 
 The fame year, he gave a more confpi- 
 cuous proof that he had not mifpent the 
 
 time
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. zj 
 time he had been confined on the other 
 fide of the Atlantic, by producing to the 
 world he Minute Ploilofopber ; a mafterly 
 performance, wherein he purfues tlie 
 Freethinker through the various charac- 
 ters of atheift, libertine, enthufiaft, fcornr 
 er, critic, metaphyfician, fatalift, and 
 fceptic ; and very happily employs againft 
 Jiim feveral new weapons, drawn from 
 the ftore-houfe of his own ingenious fyf- 
 tem of philofophy. It is written in a 
 feries of dialogues, on the model of Plato j 
 a philofopher whom he ftudied particu- 
 larly, and whofe manner he is thought to 
 have copied with more fuccefs than any 
 other that ever attempted to imitate him. 
 We have already related by what means, 
 and upon what occafion, Dr. Berkeley had 
 firft the honour of being known to Queen 
 Caroline. This princefs delighted much 
 jn attending to philofophical converfa- 
 tions between learned and ingenious men ; 
 for which purpofe me had, when princefs 
 of Wales, appointed a particular day in 
 the week, when the moft eminent for 
 literary abilities, at that time in England, 
 were invited to attend her Royal High- 
 
 nefs
 
 2B LIFE OP 
 
 nefs in the evening : a practice which fho 
 continued after her acceffion to the throne, 
 Of this company were Doctors Clarke, 
 Hoadley, Berkeley, and Sherlock. Clarke 
 and Berkeley were generally confidered as 
 principals in the debates that arofe upon 
 thofe occaiions ; and Hoadley adhered to 
 the former, as Sherlock did to the latter, 
 Hoadley was no friend to our Author : he 
 affected to confider his philofophy, and 
 his Bermuda project, as the reveries of a 
 viiionary. Sherlock (who was afterwards 
 bifhop of London), on the other hand, 
 warmly efpoufed his caufe -, and particu- 
 larly, when the Minute Philofopher came 
 out, he carried a copy of it to the Queen, 
 and left it to her Majefty to determine, 
 whether fuch a work could be the pro- 
 duction of a difordered understanding. 
 
 After Dean Berkeley's return from 
 Rhode Ifland, the Queen often command- 
 ed his attendance, to difcourfe with him 
 on what he had obferved worthy of notice 
 in America. His agreeable and inflruc- 
 tive conversation engaged that difcerning 
 princefs fo much in his favour, that the 
 rich deanry of Down in Ireland falling 
 
 vacant.
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 29 
 vacant, he was, at her defire, named to it; 
 and the King's letter actually came over 
 for his appointment. But his friend lord 
 Burlington having neglected to notify the 
 royal intentions, in proper time, to the 
 duke of Dorfet, then lord lieutenant of 
 Ireland, his Excellency was fo offended at 
 this difpofal of the richeft deanry in Ire- 
 land, without his concurrence, that it was 
 thought proper not to prefs the matter 
 any further. Her Majefty, upon this, de- 
 clared, that fmce they would not fuffer 
 Dr. Berkeley to be a dean in Ireland, he 
 fhould be a bijhop : and accordingly, in 
 1734, the bimopric of Cloyne becoming 
 vacant, he was, by letters patent, dated 
 March 17, promoted to that fee, and was 
 confecrated at St. Paul's church in Dub- 
 lin, on the i Qth of May following, by 
 Theophiliis archbimop of Camel, affifted 
 by the bifhops of Raphoe and Killaloe. 
 
 His Lordmip repaired immediately to 
 his manfion-houfe at Cloyne, where he 
 conftantly refided (except one winter that 
 he attended the bufmefs of parliament in 
 Dublin) and applied himfelf with vigour 
 to the faithful difcharge of all epifcopal 
 
 duties.
 
 30 LIFE to F 
 
 duties. He revived in his diocefe tile 1 
 ufeful office of rural dean, which had 
 gone into difufe; vifited frequently paro- 
 chially ; and confirmed in the feveral 
 parts of his fee. 
 
 He continued his ftudies, however, with 
 unabated attention ; and, about this time, 
 engaged in a controverfy with the mathe- 
 maticians of Great Britain and Ireland, 
 which made a good deal of noife in the 
 literary world. The occafion was this : 
 Mr. Addifon had given the Bimop an 
 account of their common friend Dr. 
 Garth's behaviour in his laft illnefs, 
 which was equally unpleafing to both 
 thofe excellent advocates for revealed re- 
 ligion. For when Mr. Addifon went to 
 fee the Doctor, and began to difcourfe 
 with him ferioufly about preparing for 
 his approaching diflblution, the other 
 made anfwer, " Surely, Addifon, I have 
 " good reafon not to believe thofe trifles, 
 *' fince my friend Dr. Halley, who has 
 " dealt fo much in demonflration, has 
 " aflured me, that the doctrines of 
 " Chriftianity are incomprehenfible, and 
 " the religion itfelf an impofhire." The 
 
 Bimop 
 
 7
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 31 
 Bifhop therefore took arms againft this 
 redoubtable dealer in demonstration ; and 
 addrefTed be Analyft to him, with a view 
 of {hewing, that myfleries in faith were 
 unjuftly objected to by mathematicians, 
 who admitted much .'greater myfteries, 
 and even falfehoods, in fcience ; of which 
 he endeavoured to prove that the doc- 
 trine of fluxions furnifhed an eminent 
 example. Such an attack upon what had 
 hitherto been looked upon as- impregna- 
 ble, produced a number of warm anfwers, 
 to which the Bifhop replied once or 
 twice. 
 
 From this controverfy he turned his 
 thoughts to fubjedts of more apparent 
 utility j and his Queries propofed for the 
 good of Ireland, firfl printed in 1735 i his 
 Difcourfe addrejftd to Magiflratcs ( 1 1 ), 
 which came out the year following ; and 
 his Maxims concerning Patriotifm, pub- 
 limed in 1750, are equally monuments of 
 
 (n) Occasioned by an impious fociety, called 
 Blajhrs, which this pamphlet put a flop to. He ex- 
 prefled his fentiments, on the fame occafion, in- the 
 Houfe of Lords, the only time he ever fpoke there. 
 The fpeech was received with much applaufe. 
 
 his
 
 32 LIFE OF 
 
 his knowledge of mankind, and of his 
 zeal for the fervice of true religion and 
 his country. 
 
 In 1745, during the Scdts rebellion, 
 his Lordmip addrefled A Letter to the Ro- 
 man Catholics of his* diocefe ; and> in 1749* 
 another to the clergy of that perfualion 
 in Ireland, under the title of A word to 
 the Wife, written with fo much candour 
 and moderation, as well as good fenfe, 
 that thofe gentlemen, highly to their 
 own honour, in the Dublin Journal of 
 November 18, 1749, thought fit to re- 
 turn " their fincere and hearty thanks 
 " to the worthy Author; alluring him, 
 " that they are determined to comply 
 " with every particular recommended 
 " in his addrefs, to the utmoft of their 
 " power." They add, that " in every 
 " page it contains a proof of the Author's 
 " extenfive charity ; his views are only 
 " towards the public good ; the means 
 " he prefcribeth* are eafily complied 
 " with ; and his manner of treating 
 " perfons, in their circumftances, fo 
 " very fingular, that they plainly mew 
 " the good man, the polite gentleman-, 
 
 and
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 33 
 c< and the true patriot." A character 
 this, which was fo entirely his Lordmip's 
 due, that, in the year 1745, that excellent 
 judge of merit, and real friend to Ireland, 
 the late lord Chefterfield, as foon as he 
 was advanced to the government, of his 
 own motion, wrote to inform him, that 
 the fee of Clogher, then vacant, the va- 
 lue of which was double that of Cloyne, 
 was at his fervice.. This offer, our Bifhop, 
 with many expreflions of thankfulnefs, 
 declined. He had enough, already, to 
 fatisfy all his wifhes. > and, agreeably to 
 the natural warmth of his temper, he 
 had conceived fo high an idea of the 
 beauties of Cloyne, that Mr. Pope had 
 once almofl determined to make a vifit 
 to Ireland, on purpofe to fee a place, 
 which his friend had painted out to him 
 with all the brilliancy of colouring ; and 
 which yet, to common eyes, prefents no- 
 thing that is very worthy of attention. 
 
 The clofe of a life, thus devoted to the 
 good of mankind, was anfwerable to the 
 beginning of it ; the Bifhop's laft years 
 being employed in enquiring into the 
 virtues of a medicine, whereof he had 
 D himfelf
 
 24 L i F E o F 
 
 himfelf experienced the good effects, in* 
 the relief of a nervous cholic, brought 
 on him by his fedentary courfe of living, 
 and grown to that height, that, in his 
 own words, " it rendered life a burden 
 *' to him i the more fo, as his pains 
 " were exafperated by exercife." This 
 medicine was no other than the cele- 
 brated Tar-water ; his thoughts upon 
 which fubject he firil communicated 
 to the world, in the year 1744, in a trea- 
 tife entitled, Sir is 9 a Chain of Pbilofo- 
 fhical Reflections and Enquiries concerning 
 the Virtues of Tar-water. The Author 
 has been heard to declare, that this work 
 eoft him more time and pains than any 
 other he had ever been engaged in -, a 
 Gircumilance that will not appear fur- 
 prifing to fuch as fhall give themfelves 
 the trouble of examining into the extent 
 of erudition that is there difplayed. It 
 is indeed a chain > which, like that of 
 the Poet, reaches from earth to heaven,, 
 conducting the reader, by an almoft im- 
 perceptible gradation, from the pheno- 
 mena of tar- water, through the depths 
 of the ancient philofophy, to the fub- 
 
 limeft
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 35 
 Jimeft my fiery of the Chriftiaa religion* 
 It underwent a fecond impreffion in 
 1747* and was followed by Farther 
 bought s on Tar-water, publifhed in 1752. 
 This was his lafl performance for the 
 prefs ; and he furvived it but a fhort 
 time. 
 
 In July, 1752, he removed, though in 
 a bad ftate of health (12)* with his lady 
 and family, to Oxford, in order to fuper- 
 intend the education of one (13) of his 
 
 fons, 
 
 (12) He was carried, from his landing oft the Eng- 
 iifh fhore, in a horfe-litter, to Oxford; 
 
 (13) This gentleman, George Berkeley, fecond 
 fon of the Bifliop, proceeded A. M. January 26, 
 15759, took holy orders, and, in Auguft following, 
 was prefented to the vicarage of Bray in Berkshire. 
 The late archbifhop Seeker, who had a high refpeft 
 for the father's character, honoured the fon with his 
 patronage and friendfhip, both at the univeriity and 
 afterwards. By his favour, Dr. Berkeley is now pof- 
 fefled of a canonry of Canterbury, the chancellor- 
 (hip of the collegiate church of Brecknock, and (by 
 exchange for the vicarage of Bray) of the vicarage 
 of Cookham, Berks : to which was added lately, by 
 the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, the vicarage 
 of Eaft Peckham, Kent. He took the degree of 
 LL. D. February 12, 1768. In the year 1760, he 
 
 D 2 married
 
 36 L I F E O F 
 
 fons, then newly admitted a fludent at 
 Chrift-church. He had taken a fixed 
 refolution to fpend the remainder of his 
 days in this city, with a view of indulg- 
 ing the paiTion for a learned retirement, 
 which had ever ftrongly poflerled his 
 mind, and was one of the motives that 
 led him to form his Bermuda projedt. 
 But, as no body could be more fenfible 
 than his Lordfhip of the impropriety of 
 a bimop's non-refidence, he previoufly 
 endeavoured to exchange his high pre- 
 ferment for fome canonry or head/hip at 
 Oxford. Failing of fuccefs in this, he 
 actually wrote over to the fecretary of 
 flate, to requeft that he might have 
 permiffion to refign his biiliopric, worth, 
 at that time, at leaft 1400!. per an- 
 num. So uncommon a petition excit- 
 ed his majefty's curioiity to enquire who 
 was the extraordinary man that prefer- 
 red it. Being told that it was his old 
 acquaintance, Dr. Berkeley, he declared 
 
 married the daughter of the Reverend Mr. Frinfham, 
 reftor of White- Waltham, Berks j and by this lady 
 hath had iiTue two fons, 
 
 that
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 37 
 that he fhould die a bimop, in fpite of 
 himfelf ; but gave him full liberty to re- 
 iide where he pleafed. 
 
 The Bifhop's laft act, before he left 
 Cloyne, was to fign a leafe of the de- 
 mefne lands in that neighbourhood, to 
 be renewed yearly, at the rent of 200 1. 
 which fum he directed to be distributed 
 every year, until his return, among poor 
 houfekeepers of Cloyne, Youghal, and 
 Aghadda. 
 
 At Oxford he lived highly refpeded 
 by the learned members of that great 
 univerfity, till the hand of Providence 
 unexpectedly deprived them of the plea- 
 fure and advantage derived from his reli- 
 dence among them. On Sunday even- 
 ing, January 14, 1753, as he was fitting 
 in the midft of his family, liftening to a 
 fermon of Dr. Sherlock's which his lady 
 was reading to him, he was feized with 
 what the phyficians termed a palfy in 
 the heart, and inflantly expired. The 
 accident was fo fudden, that his body was 
 quite cold, and his joints ftifF, before it was 
 difcovered, as the Bifhop lay on a couch, 
 *n.d feemed to be afleep ; till his daughter, 
 D on
 
 38 L I F E O F 
 
 on preferring him with a dim of tea, 
 firft perceived his infenfibility. His re- 
 mains were interred at Chrift-church, 
 Oxford, where there is an elegant marble 
 monument erected to his memory, by his 
 lady, who is ftill living -, and had, during 
 her marriage, brought him three fons and 
 one daughter. 
 
 As to his perfon, he was a handfome 
 man, with a countenance full of mean- 
 ing and benignity, remarkable for great 
 ftrength of limbs, and, till his fedentary 
 life impaired it, of a very robuft confti- 
 tution. He was, however, often troubled 
 with the hypochondria > and, latterly, with 
 that nervous cho.lic mentioned above. 
 
 At Cloyne, he constantly rofe between 
 three and four o'clock in the morning, 
 nd fummoned his family to a leffon on 
 the bafe-viol, from an Italian mailer he 
 Jcept in the houfe, for the instruction of 
 his children ; though the Bimop himfelf 
 had no ear for muiic. He fpent the reft 
 pf the morning, and often a great part of 
 the day, in fhidy : his favourite author, 
 from whom many of his notions were 
 borrowed, was Plato. He had a large 
 
 and
 
 BISHOP BERKELEY. 39 
 
 and valuable colle&ion of books and pic- 
 tures, which are now the property of 
 his fon, the reverend George Berkeley, 
 LL. D. 
 
 The excellence of his moral character, 
 if it were not fo confpicuous in his writ- 
 ings, might be learned from the bleffings 
 with which his memory is followed by 
 the numerous poor (14) of his neigh- 
 bourhood, as well as from the teflimony 
 of his yet furviving acquaintance, who 
 cannot, to this day, fpeak of him, without 
 a degree of enthufiafm, that removes the 
 air of hyperbole from the well-known 
 line of his friend Mr. Pope : 
 
 To Berkeley every virtue under heaven. 
 
 (14) By the poor of bis neighbourhood.] One in- 
 ftance of his attention to his poor neighbours, may 
 deferve relating. Cloyne, though it gives name to 
 the fee, is in fac"l no better than a village : it is not 
 reafonable, therefore, to expert much induftry or 
 ingenuity in the inhabitants. Yet whatever article 
 cf cloathing they could pofiibly manufacture there, 
 the Bifhop would have from no other place ; and 
 chofe to wear ill cloaths, and worfe wigs, rather than 
 fuffer the poor of the town to remain unemployed. 
 
 D 4 The
 
 40 LIFE, 6cc. 
 
 The infcription on his monument was 
 drawn up by Dr. Markham, the prefent 
 archbimop of York, then head matter of 
 Weftminfter fchool j and is in thefe terms : 
 
 Graviffimo prasfuli, 
 Georgio, Epifcopo Clonenli : 
 
 Viro, 
 
 Seu ingenii et eruditionis laudem, 
 
 Seu probitatis et beneficentias fpe&emus, 
 
 Inter primes omnium statum numerando. 
 
 Si Chriflianus fueris, 
 
 Si amans patrias, 
 Utroque nomine gloriari potes 
 
 BERKLEIUM vixiffe. 
 Obiit annum agens feptuageumum 
 
 tertium * : 
 
 Natus Anno Chrifti M.DC.LXXIX. ' 
 
 Anna Conjux 
 
 L. M. P. 
 
 * Miftak*. 
 
 LETTERS,
 
 LETT E R S, &c.
 
 PRIOR, Efq. the gen- 
 tleman to whom the Public is indebted 
 for preferring the great eft fart of the fol- 
 lowing correspondence, was born about the 
 year 1679, at Rathdowney, in the Queens 
 County, the eflate of his family Jince the 
 middle of that century. He was educated 
 jn the univerfity of Dublin, where be took 
 the degree of A. M. and was fellow ftudent 
 with our Author. Being of a weak habit 
 of body, he declined entering into any of the 
 learned profeffions, though otherwife well 
 qualified to have appeared with advantage in 
 them : the great object of his thoughts and 
 Jludies was, to promote the real happinefs of 
 his country. In 1729, he publified his 
 well-known tract, a Lift of the Abfentees 
 of Ireland ; in the clofe of which, heftrong- 
 ly recommended the ufe of linen fcarfs at 
 funerals. he hint was adopted by the exe- 
 cutors of Mr. Conolly, fpeaker of the Houfe 
 of Commons, at his public funeral, in the 
 month of October of this year -, and that 
 mode of burying has been effectually ejlab- 
 lifhed ever Jince, to the great emolument of 
 
 our
 
 [ 43 3 
 
 dur moft capital branch of trade. He puh-? 
 lifted alfo federal tracts relative to our 
 coin, linen manufacture, &c. But the glory 
 of his life, and object of his unremitting la- 
 bours, was the founding and promoting of 
 that moft ufeful inftitution, the Dublin So- 
 ciety -, of which, for a feries of years, he 
 difcharged the duty of Secretary. Every 
 good and great man, his cotemporary, ho- 
 noured him with his ejleem and friend/hip, 
 particularly Philip, earl of Chefterfield ; of 
 whofe inter ejl, however, his moderation led him 
 to make no other ufe, than to procure, by his 
 Lordjhip's recommendation, from the late 
 King, a charter of incorporation for bis dar- 
 ling child, the Dublin Society, with a grant 
 of 500 /. per annum for its better fupport. 
 Having fpent his life in the practice of 
 every virtue that dijlinguijhes the Patriot 
 and the true Chriftian, he died, of a gra- 
 dual decline, in Dublin, October 21, 1751, 
 and was interred in the church of Rath - 
 downey. Over his remains is a neat mo- 
 nument of Kilkenny marble, with an Eng- 
 li/h epitaph. His friends have erected a 
 more magnificent memorial of this ufeful 
 
 member
 
 [ 44 ] 
 
 member of fociety, in the nave of Chrift- 
 church , Dublin -, the infcription on which 
 came from the elegant fen of our Bi/hop, 
 and will appear below. See Views and 
 Defcriptions of Dublin, by Pool and Cafh, 
 p. IQ2 
 
 LETTER
 
 [ 45 1 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 To Mr. THOMAS PRIOR, Pall-mall Cof- 
 fee-houfe, London. 
 
 Paris, Nor. 25, 1713, N.S. 
 Dear Tom, 
 
 FROM London to Calais I came in 
 the company of a Flamand, a Spa- 
 niard, a Frenchman, and three Englifli 
 fervants of my lord. The three gentle- 
 men being of thofe different nations, ob- 
 liged me to fpeak the French language 
 (which is now familiar) and gave me 
 the opportunity of feeing much of the 
 world in a little compafs. After a very 
 remarkable efcape from rocks and banks 
 of fand, and darknefs and florm, and the 
 hazards that attend rafli and ignorant 
 feamen, we arrived at Calais in a vefTel, 
 which, returning the next day, was caft 
 away in the harbour, in open day-light, as 
 I think I already told you. From Calais 
 Col. du Hamel left it to my choice, either 
 to go with him by pofl to Paris, or come 
 
 after
 
 46 LETTERS, &c. 
 after in the ftage- coach. I chofe the lat- 
 ter, and, on Nov. i, O. S. embarked in 
 the ftage-coach with a company that were 
 all perfect ftrangers to me. There were 
 two Scotch, and one Englim gentleman. 
 One of the former happened to be the 
 author of the Voyage to St. Kilda, and 
 the Account of the Weftern Ifles. We 
 were good company on the road, and that 
 day-fev'night came to Paris. I have been 
 fince taken up in viewing churches, con- 
 vents, palaces, colleges, &c. which are 
 very numerous and magnificent in this 
 town. The fplendor and riches of thefe 
 things furpafs belief: but it were end- 
 lefs to defcend to particulars. I was pre- 
 fent at a difputation in the Sorbonne, 
 which indeed had much of the French 
 fire in it. I faw the Irifh and the Eng- 
 lifh colleges. In the latter I faw, enclofed 
 in a coffin, the body of the late king 
 James. Bits of the coffin, and of the 
 cloth that hangs the room, have been cut 
 away for relics ; he being efteemed a great 
 faint by the people. The day after I came 
 to town, I dined at the Ambaflador of 
 Sicily's, and this day with Mr. Prior. I 
 j matched
 
 LETTERS, &c. 47 
 
 fnatched an opportunity to mention you 
 to him, and do your chara&er juftice. 
 To-morrow I intend to vifit Father 
 Malbranch, and difcourfe him on certain 
 points. I have fome reafons to decline 
 fpeaking of the country or villages that I 
 law as I came along. 
 
 My lord is juft now arrived, and tells 
 me he has an opportunity of fending my 
 letters to my friends to-morrow morn- 
 ing, which occafions my writing this. 
 My humble fervice to Sir John Rawdon, 
 Mrs. Rawdon, Mrs. Kempfy, and all 
 other friends. My lord thinks he fhall 
 flay a fortnight here. I am, dear Tom, 
 Your affectionate humble fervant, 
 G. BERKELEY 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Turin, Jan. 6, 1714, N. S, 
 Dear Tom, 
 
 \T Lyons, where I was about eight 
 days, it was left to my choice whe- 
 ther I would go from thence to Toulon, 
 
 and
 
 48 LETTERS, 
 and there embark for Genoa ; or elfe pafs 
 through Savoy, crofs the Alps, and fo 
 through Italy. I chofe the latter route, 
 though I was obliged to ride poft, in 
 company of Col. du Hamel and Mr. Ogle- 
 thorpe, adjutant general of the queen's 
 forces, who were fent with a letter from 
 my lord to the king's mother at Turin. 
 The firft . day, we rode from Lyons to 
 Chambery, the capital of Savoy, which is 
 reckoned fixty miles. The Lionnois and 
 Dauphine were very well j but Savoy was 
 a perpetual chain of rocks and mountains, 
 almoft impaffable for ice and fnow. And 
 yet I rode poft through it, and came off 
 with only four falls, from which I re- 
 ceived no other damage than the break- 
 ing my fword, my watch, and my fnuff- 
 box. On new-year's day, we parTed mount 
 Cenis, one of the mod difficult and 
 formidable parts of the Alps, which is 
 ever paft over by mortal men. We 
 were carried in open chairs, by men ufed 
 to fcale thefe rocks and precipices, which, 
 at this feafon, are more flippery and dan- 
 gerous than at other times ; and, at the 
 beft, are high, craggy, and fteep enough 
 9 to
 
 LETTERS, &c 49 
 to caufe the heart of the moft valiant 
 man to melt within him. My life often 
 depended on a fingle ftep. No one will 
 think that I exaggerate, who confiders 
 what it is to pafs the Alps on new year's 
 day. But I fhall leave particulars to be 
 recited by the fire-fide. 
 
 We have been now five days here, and 
 in two or three more defign to fet 
 forward towards Genoa, where we are 
 to join my lord, who crnbarked at Tou- 
 lon. I am now hardened againft wind 
 and weather, earth and fea, froft and 
 fnow -, can gallop all day long, and fleep 
 but three or four hours at night. 
 
 The court here is polite and fplendid, 
 the city beautiful, the churches and col- 
 leges magnificent, but not much learning 
 iKrring among them. However all or- 
 ders of people, clergy and laity, are 
 wonderfully civil j and every where a 
 man finds his account in being an Eng^ 
 li(hman j that character alone being furfi* 
 cient to gain refpedt. 
 
 My fervice to all friends ; particularly 
 
 to Sir John and Mrs. Rawdon, and Mrs. 
 
 E Kempfy,
 
 50 L t T T E R S, &C. 
 
 Kempfy. It is my advice, that they do 
 not pafs the Alps in their way to Sicily. 
 I am, dear Tom, 
 
 Your> &c. 
 
 G. B. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Leghorn, Feb. 26, 1714. N. S, 
 tfrear Tom* 
 
 JUf RS. Rawdon is too thin, and Sir John 
 * too fat, to agree with the Englifh 
 climate. I advife them to make hafte, 
 and tranfport themfelves into this warm, 
 clear air. Your beft way is to come 
 through France ; but make no long ftay 
 there, for the air is too cold, and there are 
 inflances enough of poverty and diflrefs to 
 fpoil the mirth of any one who feels the 
 fufferings of his fellow creatures. I would 
 prefcribe you two or three operas at Paris, 
 and as many days amufement at Verfailles. 
 My next recipe fhall be to ride poft from 
 Paris to Toulon, and there to embark for 
 Genoa 5 for I would by no means have 
 
 you
 
 LETTERS, &c. 51 
 you Shaken to pieces, as I was, riding 
 poft over the rocks of Savoy, or put out 
 of humour by the mofl horrible preci- 
 pices of mount Cenis, that part of the 
 Alps which divides Piedmont from Savoy. 
 I mall not anticipate your pleafure by any 
 defcription of Italy or France. Only, 
 with regard to the latter, I cannot help 
 obferving, that the Jacobites have little to 
 hope, and others little to fear, from that 
 reduced nation. The king indeed looks 
 as though he wanted neither meat nor 
 drink; and his palaces are in good repair: 
 but throughout the land there is a differ- 
 ent face of things. 
 
 I ftaid about a month at Paris, eight 
 days at Lyons, eleven at Turin, three 
 weeks at Genoa, and am now here about 
 a fortnight, with my lord's fecretary (an 
 Italian) and fome others of his retinue; 
 my lord having gone aboard a Maltefe 
 veffel from hence to Sicily, with a couple 
 of fervants. He defigns to flay there in- 
 cognito a few days, and then return hi- 
 ther j having put off his public entry till 
 the yacht with his equipage arrives. 
 
 I have writ to you feveral times be- 
 E 2 fore
 
 52 LETTERS, &c. 
 
 fore by poft. In anfwer to all my letters, 
 I delire you to fend me one great one, 
 clofe writ, and filled on all fides, contain- 
 ing a particular account of all tranfa&ions 
 in London and Dublin. Inclofe it in a 
 cover to my lord Ambaflador, and that 
 again in another cover to Mr. Hare, at 
 my lord Bolingbroke's office. If you 
 have a mind to travel only in the map, 
 here is the lift of all the places where I 
 lodged fince my leaving England, in their 
 natural order : Calais, Boulogne, Mon- 
 treuil, Abbeville, Pois, Beauvais, Paris, 
 Moret, Villeneuve-le-roi, Vermanton, Sau- 
 lieu, Chany, Macon, Lions, Chambery, 
 St. Jean de Maurienne, Lanebourg, Sufa, 
 Turin, Alexandria, Campo-Marone, Ge- 
 noa, Seftri di Levante, Lerici, Leghorn. 
 
 My humble fervice to Sir John, Mrs. 
 Rawdon, and Mrs. Kempfy, Mr. Digby, 
 Mr. French, &c. I am, dear Tom, 
 Your affectionate humble fervant, 
 
 G. BERKELEY. 
 
 LETTER
 
 LETTERS, &c. 53 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 To Mr. POPE. 
 
 Leghorn, May i, 1714. 
 
 A S I take ingratitude to be a greater 
 crime than impertinence, I chufe ra- 
 ther to run the rifk of being thought 
 guilty of the latter, than not to return 
 you my thanks for a very agreeable enter- 
 tainment you juft now gave me. I have 
 accidentally met with your Rape of the 
 .Lock here, having never feen it before. 
 Style, painting, judgment, fpirit, I had 
 already admired in other of your writ- 
 ings ; but in this I am charmed with the 
 magic of your invention, with all thofe 
 images, alluiions, and inexplicable beau- 
 ties, which you raife fo furprizingly, and 
 at the fame time fo naturally, out of a 
 trifle. And yet I cannot fay that I was 
 more pleafed with the reading of it than I 
 am with the pretext it gives me to renew 
 in your thoughts the remembrance of one 
 E 2 who
 
 54 LETTERS, Sec. 
 
 who values no happinefs beyond the 
 
 friendship of men of wit, learning, and 
 
 good-nature. 
 
 J remember to have heard you mention 
 fome half- formed defign of coming to 
 Italy. What might we not exped: from 
 a mufe that fings fo well in the bleak cli- 
 mate of England, if {he felt the fame 
 warm fun, and breathed the fame air, with 
 Virgil and Horace ! 
 
 There are here an incredible number of 
 poets that have all the inclination, but 
 want the genius, or perhaps the art, of 
 the ancients. Some among them, who 
 understand Englifl?, begin to reli(h our 
 authors ; and I am informed, that at Flo- 
 rence they have tranflated Milton into 
 Italian verfe. If one who knows fo well 
 how to write like the old Latin poets came 
 among them, it would probably be a 
 means to retrieve them from their cold, 
 trivial conceits, to an imitation of their 
 predeceflbrs. 
 
 As merchants, antiquaries, men of plea- 
 fure, &c. have all different views in tra- 
 velling, I know not whether it might not 
 be worth a poet's while to travel, in order 
 
 tQ
 
 LETTERS, &c. 55 
 
 to /lore his mind with flrong images of 
 nature. 
 
 Green fields and groves, flowery mea- 
 dows and purling flreams, are no where 
 in fuch perfection as in England : but if 
 you would know lightfome days, warm 
 funs, and blue ikies, you muft come to 
 Italy ; and to enable a man to defcribe 
 rocks and precipices, it is abfolutely ne- 
 ceiTary that he pafs the Alps. 
 
 You will eafily perceive, that it is felf- < 
 intereft makes me fo fond of giving ad- 
 vice to one who has no need of it. If 
 you came into thefe parts, I mould fly to 
 fee you. I am here (by the favour of my 
 good friend the Dean of St. Patrick's) in 
 quality of chaplain to the earl of Peter- 
 borough, who, about three months fince, 
 left the greatefl part of his family in this 
 town. God knows how long we fhaii 
 flay here. I am 
 
 Your, &c. 
 
 E 4 LETTER
 
 56' LETTERS, &c. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Naples, Oa. 22, 1717. N. S, 
 
 T Have long had it in my thoughts to 
 trouble you with a letter, but was dif- 
 couraged for want of fomething that I 
 could think worth fending fifteen hun- 
 dred miles. Italy is fuch an exhaufted 
 fubjedt, that I dare fay you would eafily 
 forgive my faying nothing of it ; and the 
 imagination of a poet is a thing fo nice and 
 delicate, that it is no eafy matter to find 
 out images capable of giving pleafure to 
 one of the few who, in any age, have 
 come up to that character. I am, never- 
 thelefs, lately returned from an ifland, 
 where I pafTed three or four months ; 
 which, were it fet out in its true colours, 
 might, methinks, amufe you agreeably 
 enough for a minute or two. The ifland 
 Inarime is an epitome of the whole earth, 
 containing, within the compafs of eight-* 
 cen miles, a wonderful variety of hills^ 
 vales, ragged rocks, fruitful plains, and 
 barren mountains,, all thrown together in 
 
 a moft
 
 LETTERS, &c. 57 
 a mofl romantic confufion. The air is, 
 in the hottelr. feafon, conftantly refreshed 
 by cool breezes from the fea. The vales 
 produce excellent wheat and Indian corn ; 
 but are moftly covered with vineyards, 
 intermixed with fruit-trees. Befides the 
 common kinds, as cherries, apricots, 
 peaches, &c. they produce oranges, limes, 
 almonds, pomegranates, figs, water-me- 
 lons, and many other fruits unknown to 
 our climates, which lie every where open 
 to the pafTenger. The hills are the 
 greater part covered to the top with 
 vines, fome with chefnut - groves, and 
 others with thickets of myrtle and lentif- 
 cus. The fields in the northern fide arc 
 divided by hedge-rows of myrtle. Several 
 fountains and rivulets add to the beauty of 
 this landfcape, which is likewife fet off by 
 the variety of fome barren fpots and naked 
 rocks. But that which crowns the fcene, 
 is a large mountain, rifing out cf the mid- 
 dle of the ifland (once a terrible volcano, 
 by the ancients called Mons Epomeus) : 
 its lower parts are adorned with vines, and 
 other fruits ; the middle affords pafture 
 to flocks of goats and jflieep ; and the top 
 
 is
 
 58 LETTERS, &c. 
 is a fandy pointed rock, from which you 
 have the fineft profpecl: in the world; 
 furveying at one view, betides feveral 
 pleafant iflands lying at your feet, a tracl: 
 of Italy, about three hundred miles in 
 length, from the promontory of Antium 
 to the cape of Palinurus -, the greater part 
 of which hath been fung by Homer and 
 Virgil, as making a confiderable part of 
 the travels and adventures of their two 
 heroes. The iflands Caprea, Prochyta, 
 and Parthenope, together with Cajeta, 
 Cumae, Monte Mifeno, the habitations of 
 Circe, the Syrens, and the Laeftrigones, 
 the bay of Naples, the promontory of 
 Minerva, and the whole Campagna Felice, 
 make but a part of this noble landfcape ; 
 which would demand an imagination as 
 warm, and numbers as flowing as your 
 own, to defcribe it. The inhabitants of 
 this delicious ifle, as they are without 
 riches and honours, fo they are without 
 the vices and follies that attend them ; 
 and, were they but as much Grangers to 
 revenge as they are to avarice and ambi- 
 tion, they might in facl anfwer the poeti- 
 cal notions of the golden age. But they 
 
 have
 
 LETTERS,. &c. 59? 
 have got, as an alloy to their happinefs, 
 an ill habit of murdering one another on 
 flight offences. We had an inftance of 
 this the fecond night after our arrival, a 
 youth of eighteen being (hot dead by our 
 door -, and yet, by the fole fecret of mind- 
 ing our own bufinefs, we found a means 
 of living fecurely among thefe dangerous 
 people. 
 
 Would you know how we pafs the 
 time at Naples ? Our chief entertain- 
 ment is the devotion of our neighbours. 
 Befides the gaiety of their churches (where 
 folks go to fee what they call una Idla de- 
 votione, i. e. a fort of religious opera) they 
 make fire-works, almoil every week, out 
 of devotion ; the ftreets are often hung 
 with arras, out of devotion ; and, what is 
 ftill more ftrange, the ladies invite gentle- 
 men to their houfes, and treat them with 
 mufic and fweetmeats, out of devotion.* 
 In a word, were it not for this devotion of 
 its inhabitants, Naples would have little 
 clfe to recommend it befide the air and 
 fituation. Learning is in no very thriv- 
 ing ftate here, as indeed no where elfe in 
 Italy ; however, among many pretenders, 
 
 fome
 
 60 LETTERS, &c. 
 
 fome men of tafte are to be met with. A 
 friend of mine told me, not long fince, 
 that being to vifit Salvini at Florence, 
 he found him reading your Homer : he 
 liked the notes extremely ; and could find 
 no other fault with the verfion, but that 
 he thought it approached too near a para- 
 phrafe 5 which mews him not to be fuffi- 
 ciently acquainted with our language. I 
 wifli you health to go on with that noble 
 work 5 and when you have that, I need 
 not wiih you fuccefs. You will do me 
 the juftice to believe, that whatever re- 
 lates to your welfare is fincerely wimed 
 
 by 
 
 Your, &c. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 To Dr. A R s u T H N o T. 
 
 April 17, 1717. 
 
 WITH much difficulty I reached the 
 top of mount Vefuvius, in which I 
 faw a vaft aperturp full of fmoke, which 
 
 hindered
 
 LETTERS, &c\ 4i 
 hindered the feeing its depth and figure. 
 I heard within that horrid gulf certain 
 odd founds, which feemed to proceed 
 from the belly of the mountain ; a fort 
 of murmuring, fighing, throbbing, churn- 
 ing, darning (as it were) of waves, and, 
 between whiles, a noife like that of thun- 
 der, or cannon, which was conftantly at- 
 tended with a clattering, like that of tiles 
 falling from the tops of houfes on the 
 ftreets. Sometimes, as the wind changed, 
 the fmoke grew thinner, difcovering a 
 very ruddy flame, and the jaws of the 
 pan, or crater* ftreaked with red and feve- 
 ral lhades of yellow. After an hour's 
 flay, the fmoke, being moved by the 
 wind, gave us fhort and partial profpecls 
 of the great hollow, in the flat bottom of 
 which I could difcern two furnaces, al- 
 moft contiguous : that on the left, feem- 
 ing about three yards in diameter, glowed 
 with red flame, gnd threw up red-hot 
 ilones with a hideous noife, which, as 
 they fell back, caufed the fore-mentioned 
 clattering. May 8, in the morning, I af- 
 cended to the top of Vefuvius a fecond 
 time, and found a different face of things. 
 
 The
 
 62 LETTERS, &c, 
 The fmoke afcending upright, gave a full 
 profpect of the crater, which, as I could 
 judge, is about a mile in circumference, 
 and an hundred yards deep. A conical 
 mount had been formed fince my laft vifit, 
 in the middle of the bottom : this mount, 
 I could fee, was made of the ftones thrown 
 up and fallen back again into the crater. 
 In this new hill remained the two mounts, 
 or furnaces, already mentioned : that on 
 our left was in the vertex of the hill which 
 it had formed round it, and raged more 
 violently than before, throwing up, every 
 three or four minutes, with a dreadful bel- 
 lowing, a vail number of red-hot ftones, 
 fometimes, in appearance, above a thou- 
 fand, and at leaft 3000 feet higher than 
 my head, as I flood upon the brink : but 
 there being little or no wind, they fell 
 back perpendicularly into the crater, in- 
 creafing the conical hill. The other 
 mouth, to the right, was lower in the 
 fide of the fame new- formed hill : I could 
 difcern it to be filled with red-hot liquid 
 matter, like that in the furnace of a glafs- 
 houfe, which raged and wrought as the 
 waves of the fea, cauling a fhort, abrupt 
 
 noife,
 
 LETTERS, &c. 63 
 aoife, like what may be imagined to pro- 
 ceed from a fea of quickfilver darning 
 among uneven rocks. This ftufF would 
 fometimes fpew over, and run down the 
 convex fide of the conical hill ; and, ap- 
 pearing at firft red-hot, it changed colour, 
 and hardened as it cooled, mewing the 
 firft rudiments of an eruption, or, if I may 
 fay fo, an eruption in miniature. Had 
 the wind driven in our faces, we had been 
 in no fmall danger of (lifting by the ful- 
 phureous fmoke, or being knocked on the 
 head by lumps of molten minerals, which 
 we faw had fometimes fallen on the brink 
 of the crater, upon thofe mots from the 
 gulf at bottom. But, as the wind was 
 favourable, I had an opportunity to furvey 
 this odd fcene for above an hour and a half 
 together $ during which it was very ob- 
 fervable, that all the volleys of fmoke, 
 flame, and burning {tones, came only out 
 of the hole to our left, while the liquid 
 fluff in the other mouth wrought and 
 overflowed, as hath been already defcribed. 
 June 5, after an horrid noife, the moun- 
 tain was feen at Naples to fpew a little 
 out of the crater. The fame continued 
 5 the
 
 64 LETTERS, Sec." 
 the 6th, The 7th, nothing was obferved 
 till within two hours of night, when it 
 began a hideous bellowing, which conti- 
 nued all that night, and the next day till 
 noon, caufing the windows, and, as fome 
 affirm, the very houfes in Naples to make. 
 From that time it fpewed vafl quanti- 
 ties of molten fluff to the fouth, which 
 flreamed down the fide of the mountain> 
 like a great pot boiling over. This even- 
 ing I returned from a voyage through 
 Apulia, and was furprifed, paffing by the 
 north fide of the mountain, to fee a great 
 quantity of ruddy fmoke lie along a huge 
 trad: of fky over the river of molten fluff, 
 which was itfelf out of fight. The 9th, 
 Vefuvius raged lefs violently : that night 
 we faw, from Naples, a column of fire 
 {hoot between whiles out of its fummit. 
 The loth, when we thought all would 
 have been over, the mountain grew very 
 outrageous again, roaring and groaning 
 mofl dreadfully. You cannot form a 
 jufler idea of this noife, in the mofl vio- 
 lent fits of it, than by imagining a mixed 
 found made up of the raging of a tempefl, 
 the murmur of a troubled fea, and the 
 
 roaring
 
 LETTERS, &c. 65 
 
 roaring of thunder and artillery, confufed 
 all together. It was very terrible, as we 
 heard it in the further end of Naplesj at 
 the diftance of above twelve miles : this 
 moved my curiofity to approach the 
 mountain. Three or four of us got into 
 a boat, and were fet afhore at 'Torre del 
 Greco, a town fituate at the foot of Vefu- 
 vius, to the fouth-weft, whence we rode 
 four or five miles before we came to the 
 burning river, which was about midnight. 
 The roaring of the volcano grew exceed- 
 ing loud and horrible as we approached. 
 I obferved a mixture of colours in the 
 cloud over the crater, green, yellow, red, 
 and blue j there was likewife a ruddy, dif- 
 mal light in the air over that tract of land 
 where the burning river flowed $ aihes 
 continually ihowered on us all the way 
 from the fea-coaft : all which circum- 
 fiances, fet off and augmented by the 
 horror and lilence of the night, made a 
 fcene the moil uncommon and aftonilhing 
 I ever faw, which grew ftill more extraor- 
 dinary as we came nearer the flream. Ima- 
 gine a vaft torrent of liquid fire rolling 
 from the top down the fide of the moun- 
 F tain,
 
 66 LETTERS, &c. 
 
 tain, and, with irrefiftible fury, bearing 
 down and confuming vines, olives, fig- 
 trees, houfes ; in a word, every thing 
 that ftood in its way. This mighty flood 
 divided into different channels, according 
 to the inequalities of the mountain : the 
 largeft ftream feemed half a mile broad at 
 leaft, and five miles long. The nature 
 and confidence of thefe burning torrents 
 have been defcribed with fo much exact - 
 nefs and truth, by Borellus, in his Latin 
 treatife of Mount ^tna, that I need fay 
 nothing of it. I walked fo far before my 
 companions up the mountain, along the 
 fide of the river of fire, that I was obliged 
 to retire in great hafte, the fulphureous 
 fteam having furprifed me, and almoft 
 taken away my breath. During our re- 
 turn, which was about three o'clock in 
 the morning, we conftantly heard the 
 murmur and groaning of the mountain, 
 which, between whiles, would burft out 
 into louder peals, throwing up huge 
 fpouts of fire and burning flones, which 
 falling down again, refembled the ftars in 
 our rockets. Sometimes I obferved two, 
 ut others three, diftindt columns of 
 
 flames ;
 
 LETTERS, &c. 67 
 flames -, and fometimes one vaft one, that 
 feemed to fill the whole crater. Thefe 
 burning columns, and the fiery ftones, 
 feemed to be {hot 1000 feet perpendicu- 
 lar above the fummit of the volcano. 
 The nth, at night, I obferved it, from a 
 terrafs in Naples, to throw up, incef- 
 fantly, a vaft body of fire, and great ftones, 
 to a furprifing height. The i2th, in 
 the morning, it darkened the fun with 
 afhes and fmoke, caufing a fort of 
 eclipfe. Horrid bellowings, this and 
 the foregoing day, were heard at Na- 
 ples, whither part of the afhes alfo 
 reached : at night I obferved it throw- 
 ing up flame, as on the nth. On 
 the 1 3th, the wind changing, we faw 
 a pillar of black fmoke ihot upright 
 to a prodigious height : at night I ob- 
 ferved the mount to caft up fire as be- 
 fore, though not fo diftin&ly becaufe of 
 the fmoke. The 14111, a thick black 
 cloud hid the mountain from Naples. 
 The 1 5th, in the morning, the court and 
 walls of our houfe in Naples were cover- 
 ed with afhes. The i6th, the fmoke was 
 driven by a wefterly wind from the town 
 F 2 to
 
 68 LETTERS, &c. 
 
 to the oppofite fide of the mountain. The 
 lyth, the fmoke appeared much diminim- 
 ed, fat, and greafy. The 1 8th, the whole 
 appearance ended - f the mountain remain- 
 ing perfectly quiet without any vifible 
 fmoke or flame. A gentleman of my ac- 
 quaintance, whofe window looked towards 
 Vefuvius, afTured me that he obferved 
 feveral flames, as it were of lightening, 
 ifTue out of the mouth of the volcano. 
 It is not worth while to trouble you 
 with the conjectures * I have formed 
 concerning the caufe of thefe phenomena, 
 from what I obferved in the Lacus Am- 
 fanffii, the Solfatara, &c. as well as in 
 Mount Vefuvius. One thing I may ven- 
 
 * Our Author's conjectures, on the caufe of the 
 phenomena above mentioned, do not appear in any 
 of his writings ; but he has often communicated 
 them, in converfation, to his friends. He obferved, 
 that all the remarkable volcanos in the world were 
 near the fea. It was his. opinion, therefore, that a 
 vacuum being made in the bowels of the earth, by a 
 vaft body of inflammable matter taking fire, the water 
 ruflied in, and was converted into fteam : which 
 flmple caufe was fufficient to produce all the wonder- 
 ful effe&s of volcancs ; as appears from Savery's fire 
 engine for raifing water, and from the /Eolipile. 
 
 ture
 
 LETTERS, 6cc. 69 
 
 ture to fay, that I faw the fluid matter 
 rife out of the center of the bottom of 
 the crater, out of the very middle of the 
 mountain, contrary to what Borellus ima- 
 gines, whofe method of explaining the 
 eruption of a volcano by an inflexed fy- 
 phon, and the rules of hydroftatics, is 
 likewife inconfiftent with the torrent's 
 flowing down from the very vertex of 
 the* mountain. I have not feen the crater 
 lince the eruption, but defign to vifit it 
 again before I leave Naples. I doubt there 
 is nothing in this worth mewing the 
 Society : as to that, you will ufe your 
 difcretion. 
 
 E. (it mould be G.) BERKELEY. 
 
 F 3
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 tfbe following Extracts from Letters to Mr. 
 Thomas Prior, of Dublin, it is hoped, 
 *will not be unacceptable to the reader, 
 as they ferve to mark the progrefs of the 
 Bermuda project, and of the Author s 
 hopes and fears on that inter ejling oc~ 
 cajion. 
 
 Extr. i. London, Dec. 8, 1724. Dear 
 Tom, You wrote to me fomething or 
 other which I received a fortnight ago, 
 about temporal affairs, which I have no 
 leifure to think of at prefent. The lord 
 chancellor is not a bufier man than my- 
 felf ; and I thank God my pains are not 
 without fuccefs, which hitherto hath an- 
 fwered beyond expectation. Doubtlefs 
 the Englifh are a nation tres eclairee. 
 Let me know whether you have wrote 
 to Mr. Newman whatever you judged 
 might give him a good opinion of our 
 projedl:. Let me alfo know where Ber- 
 muda Jones lives, or where he is to be 
 met with. 
 
 3 Ex. 2.
 
 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 71 
 
 Ex. 2. April 20, 1725. Pray give my 
 fervice to Caldwell, and let him know 
 that in cafe he goes abroad with Mr. 
 Stewart, Jaques, who lived with Mr. 
 Afhe, is defirous to attend upon him. I 
 have obtained reports from the bifhop of 
 London, the board of trade nd planta- 
 tions, and the attorney and folicitor gene- 
 ral, in favour of the Bermuda fcheme, 
 and hope to have the warrant iigned by 
 his Majefty this week. 
 
 Ex. 3. June 3, 1725. Yefterday the 
 charter patted the privy feal. This day 
 the new chancellor began his office by 
 putting the Recipe to it. 
 
 Ex. 4. June 12, 1725. The charter 
 hath patted all the feals, and is now in 
 my cuftody. It hath coft me 130!. dry 
 fees, befide expedition money to men 
 in office. 
 
 Ex. 5, Sept. 3, 1725. I wrote long 
 
 fmce to Caldwell about his going to 
 
 Bermuda, but had no anfwer ; which 
 
 makes me think my letter miicarried. I 
 
 F 4 mutt
 
 72 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 
 mutt now defire you to give my fervice to 
 him, and know whether he ftill retains 
 the thoughts he once feemed to have of 
 entering into that defign. I know he 
 hath fmce got an employment, &c. but I 
 have good reafon to think he would not 
 fuffer in his temporalities by taking one 
 of our fellowfhips, although he refigned 
 all that. In plain Englim, I have good 
 afTurance that our college will be en- 
 dowed beyond any thing expected or de- 
 fired hitherto. This makes me confident 
 he would lofe nothing by the change ; 
 and on this fuppofition only I propofe it 
 to him. I wifli he may judge rightly in 
 this matter, as well for his own fake as 
 for the fake of the college. 
 
 Ex. 6. Jan. 27, 1726. I mufl once 
 more entreat you, for the fake of old 
 friendfljip, to pluck up a vigorous ac- 
 tive fpirit, and difencumber me of the 
 affairs relating to the inheritance, by put- 
 ting one way or other a final irjiie to 
 the;n. I thank God I find in matters of 
 a more difficult nature good effects of 
 activity and refolution f J mean Bermu- 
 da^
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 73 
 da, with which my hands are full, and 
 which is in a fair way to thrive and flou-? 
 rim in fpite of all opposition, 
 
 Ex. 7. Feb. 6, 1726. I am in a fairway 
 of having a very noble endowment for the 
 college of Bermuda, though the late meet- 
 ing of parliament, and the preparations of 
 a fleet, &c. will delay the finishing things 
 which depend in fome meafure on the 
 parliament, and to which I have gained 
 the confent of the government, and in- 
 deed of which- 1 make no doubt ; but 
 only the delay, it is to be feared, will 
 make it impoffible for me to fet out this 
 fpring. One good effect of this, I hope, 
 may be, that you will have difembarraf- 
 fed yourfelf of all fort of bufinefs that 
 may detain you here, and fo be ready to 
 go with us : in which cafe I may have 
 fomewhat to propofe to you, that I be- 
 lieve is of a kind agreeable to your in- 
 clinations, and may be of coniiderable 
 advantage to you. But you muft fay no- 
 thing of i.his to any one, nor of any one 
 thing that I have now hinted concerning 
 endowment, delay, going, 5cc. I have 
 I heard
 
 74 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 heard lately from Caldwell, who wrote 
 to me on an affair in which it will not be 
 jn my power to do him any fervice. I 
 anfwered his letter, and mentioned fome- 
 what about Bermuda, with an overture 
 for his being fellow there, I defire you 
 would difcourfe him, as from yourfelf, on 
 that fubjedt, and let me know his thoughts 
 and difpofitions towards engaging in that 
 defign. 
 
 Ex. 8. March 15, 1726. I had once 
 thought I mould be able to have fet out 
 for Bermuda this feafonj but his Majefty's 
 long {lay abroad, the late meeting of 
 parliament, and the prefent pofture of 
 foreign affairs, taking up the thoughts 
 both of minifters and parliament, have 
 poftponed the fettling of certain lands in 
 St. Chriftopher's on our college, fo as to 
 render the faid thoughts abortive. I have 
 now my hands full of that bufinefs, and 
 hope to fee it foon fettled to my wifh. 
 In the mean time, my attendance on this 
 bufinefs renders it imporfible for me to 
 mind my private affairs. Your affiflance, 
 therefore, in them, will not only be a 
 
 kind
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 75 
 
 kind fervice to me, but alfo to the public 
 weal of our college, which would very 
 much fuffer, if I were obliged to leave 
 this kingdom before I faw an endowment 
 fettled on it. For this reafon I mufl de- 
 pend upon you, 
 
 Ex. 9. April 19, 1726. Laft Saturday 
 J fent you the instrument, empowering 
 you to fet my deanry. It is at prefent my 
 opinion, that matter had better be defer- 
 red till the charter of St. Paul's^ollege 
 hath got through the Houfe of-Com- 
 mons, who are now conlidering it. In 
 ten days, at fartheft, I hope to let you 
 know the event hereof ; which, as it 
 poflibly may affect fome circumftance in 
 the farming my faid deanry, is the occa- 
 fion of giving you this trouble for the 
 prefent, when I am in the greateft hurry 
 of bulinefs I ever knew in my life, and 
 have only time to add, that I am, &c. 
 
 Ex. 10. May 12, 1726. After fix weeks 
 ftruggle againft an earneft oppolition from 
 different interefts and motives, I have 
 yefterday carried my point, juft as I de- 
 fired.
 
 76 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 fired, in the Houfe of Commons, by an 
 extraordinary majority, none having the 
 confidence to fpeak again ft it, and not 
 above two giving their negatives, which 
 was done in fo low a voice, as if they 
 themfelves were amamed of it. They 
 were both confiderable men in flocks in 
 trade, and in the city : and, in truth, I 
 have had more oppofition from that fort 
 of men, and from the governors and 
 traders to America, than from any others. 
 But God be praifed, there is an end of 
 all their -narrow and mercantile views and 
 endeavours, as well as of the jealoufies 
 and fufpicions of others (fome whereof 
 were very great men) who apprehended 
 this college may produce an indepen- 
 dency in America, or at lead lefTen its 
 dependency upon England. Now I muft 
 tell you, that you have nothing to do but 
 go on with farming my deanry, &c. ac- 
 cording to the tenor of my former letter, 
 which I fufpended, by a fubfeqnent one, 
 till I mould fee the event of yefterday. 
 
 Ex. ii. Aug. 4, 1726. You mention- 
 ed a friend of Synge's, who was defirous 
 
 to
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 77 
 to be one of our fellows. Pray let me 
 know who he is, and the particulars of 
 his character. There are many com- 
 petitors, more than vacancies ; and the 
 fellowships are likely to be very good 
 ones : fo I would willingly fee them well 
 bellowed. 
 
 Ex. 12. Dec. i, 1726. Bermuda is 
 now on a better and furer foot than ever. 
 After the addrefs of the Commons, and 
 his Majefty's moil gracious anfwer, one 
 would have thought all difficulties had 
 been over. But much oppofition hath 
 been lince raifed (and that by very great 
 men) to the defign. As for the obftacies 
 thrown in my way by interefted men, 
 though there hath been much of that, I 
 never regarded it, no more than the cla- 
 mours and calumnies of ignorant mif~ 
 taken people : but in good truth it was 
 with much difficulty, and the peculiar 
 bleffing of God, that the point was carried 
 maugre the flrong oppolition in the cabinet 
 council 3 wherein, neverthelefs, it hath 
 of late been determined to go on with the 
 grant purfuant to the addrefs of" the 
 
 Houfe
 
 8 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 Houfe of Commons, and to give it all 
 poffible difpatch. Accordingly his Ma- 
 jefty hath ordered the warrant for pafTmg 
 the faid grant to be drawn. The per- 
 fons appointed to contrive the draught of 
 the warrant, are the folicitor general, 
 baron Scroop of the treafury, and my 
 very good friend Mr. Hutchefon. You 
 muft know, that in July laft the lords of 
 the treafury had named commiffioners 
 for taking an eftimate of the value and 
 quantity of the crown lands in St. Chrif- 
 topher's, and for receiving propofals either 
 for felling or farming the fame, for the 
 benefit of the public. Their report is 
 not yet made ; and the treafury were of 
 opinion, they could not make a grant to 
 us till fuch time as the whole were fold 
 or farmed purfuant to fuch report. But 
 the point I am now labouring is, to have- 
 it done without delay. And how this 
 may be done without embarraffing the 
 treafury in their after difpofal of the 
 whole lands, was this day the fubject of 
 a conference between the folicitor gene- 
 ral, Mr. Hutchefon, and myfelf. The 
 method agreed on is, by a rent charge on 
 
 the
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 79 
 the whole crown lands, redeemable on 
 the crown's paying twenty thoufand 
 pounds, for the ufe of the prefident and 
 fellows of St. Paul's, and their fucceflbrs. 
 Sir Robert Walpole hath fignified, that 
 he hath no objection to this method ; 
 and I doubt not baron Scroop will agree 
 to it : by which means the grant may be 
 pa(Ted before the meeting of parliament ; 
 after which we may prepare to fet out on 
 our voyage in April. I have unawares 
 run into this long account, becaufe you 
 defired to know how the affair of Ber- 
 muda itood at prefent. 
 
 Ex. 13. Feb. 27, 1727. My going- 
 to Bermuda I cannot pofitively fay when 
 it will be. I have to do with very bufy 
 people at a very bufy time. I hope ne- 
 verthelefs to have all that bufmefs com- 
 pletely finished in a few weeks. 
 
 Ex. 14. April n, 1727. Now I men- 
 tion my coming to Ireland, I mufl ear- 
 neftly defire you by all means to keep 
 this a fecret from every individual crea- 
 ture, I cannot juftly fay what time 
 
 (probably
 
 8o EXTRACTS, &c. 
 (probably feme time next month) I fhaU 
 be there, or how long ; but find it ne- 
 ceiTary to be there to tranfacl matters with 
 one or .two of my aflbciates, whom yet 
 I would not have know of my coming 
 till I am on the fpot; and, for feveral 
 reafons, am determined to keep myfelf as 
 fecret and concealed as poffible all the 
 time I am in Ireland. In order to this, 
 I make it my requeft, that you will hire 
 for me an entire houfe, as neat and con- 
 venient as you can get, fomewhere with- 
 in a mile of Dublin, for half a year. 
 But what I principally defire is, that 
 it be in no town or village, but in fome 
 quiet, private place, out of the way of 
 roads or ftreet or obfervation. I would 
 have it hired with necefiary furniture for a 
 kitchen, a couple of chambers, and a par- 
 lour. At the fame time, I mufl defire you 
 to hire an honeffc maid fervant who can 
 keep k clean, and drefs a plain bit of meat : 
 a man fervant I mail bring with me. You 
 may do all this either in your own name, 
 or as for a friend of yours, one Mr. Browii 
 (for that is the name I mail aflume), and 
 let me know it as foon as poffible. There 
 
 are
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 81 
 are feveral little fcattered houfes with 
 gardens about Clontarf, Ratrifarnham, 
 &c. I remember particularly the old 
 caftle of Rathmines, and a little white 
 houfe upon the hills by itfelf, beyond 
 the old men's hofpital ; likewife in the 
 outgoings or fields about St. Kevin's, &c. 
 In fhort, in any mug private place with- 
 in half a mile or a mile of town. I would 
 have a bit of a garden to it, no matter 
 what fort. Mind this, and you will 
 oblige your's. 
 
 Ex. 15* May 20, 1727. I would by 
 all means have a place fecured for me 
 by the end of June : it may be taken only 
 for three months* I am, God be praifed, 
 very near concluding the crown grant to 
 our college, having got over all difficul- 
 ties and obftru&ions, which were not a 
 few. I conclude in great hafte your's. 
 
 Ex. 1 6. June 13, 1727. Poof Cald- 
 well's death I had heard of two or three 
 pofts before I received your letters. Had 
 he lived, his life would not have been 
 agreeable. He was formed for retreat and 
 G ftudy ;
 
 82 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 ftudy j but of late was grown fond of the 
 world, and getting into bufinefs. -^- A 
 houfe between Dublin and Drumcondra I 
 can by no means approve of : the fitu- 
 ation is too public, and what I chiefly 
 regard is privacy. I like the fituation of 
 Lord's houfe much better, and have only 
 one objection to it, which is your faying 
 he intends to ufe fome part of it him- 
 felf: for this would be inconfiftent with 
 my view of being quite concealed : and 
 the more fo, becaufe Lord knows me ; 
 which, of all things, is what I would 
 avoid. His houfe and price would fuit 
 me. If you can get fuch another quite 
 to myfelf, fnug, private, and clean, with 
 a {table, I mall not matter whether it 
 be painted or no, or how it is furnimed, 
 provided it be clean and warm. I aim 
 at nothing magnificent or grand (as you 
 term it) which might probably defeat my 
 purpofe of continuing concealed. 
 
 Ex. 17. June 15, 1727. Yefterday 
 we had an account of King George's 
 death. This day King George II. was 
 proclaimed. All the world here are in a 
 
 hurry,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. $3 
 hurry, and I as much as any body, our 
 grant being defeated by the King's dying 
 before the broad feal was annexed to it, in 
 order to which it was pafiing through the 
 offices. I have la msr a boire again. You 
 fhall hear from me when I know more. At 
 prejent I am at a lofs what courfe to take. 
 
 Ex. 17. June 27, 1727. In a former 
 letter I gave you to know, that my affairs 
 were unravelled by the death of his Ma- 
 jefty. I am now beginning on a new 
 foot, and with good hopes of fuccefs. 
 The warrant for our grant had been 
 figned by the King, counterfigned by the 
 lords of the treafury, and pafled the at- 
 torney general : here it flood, when the 
 exprefs came of the King's death. A 
 new warrant is now preparing, which 
 mutt be figned by his prefent Majefly, in 
 order to a patent's palling the broad feal. 
 As foon as this affair is finifhed, I pro- 
 pofe going to Ireland. 
 
 Ex. 18. July 6, 1727. I have obtained 
 
 a new warrant for a grant, figned by his 
 
 .prefent Majefty, contrary to the expecTia- 
 
 G 2 tions
 
 84 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 tions of my friends, who thought nothing 
 could be expeded of that kind in this 
 great hurry of bufinefs. As foon as this 
 grant, which is of the fame import with 
 that begun by his late Majefty, hath 
 palled the offices and feals, I propofe to 
 execute my defign of going to Ireland. 
 
 Ex. 19. July 2 1, 1727. My grant is 
 now got further than where it was at the 
 time of the King's death. I am in hopes 
 the broad feal will foon be put to it, what 
 remains to be done, in order thereto, be- 
 ing only matter of form : fo that I pro- 
 pofe fetting out from hence in a fort- 
 night's time. When I fet out,. I fhall 
 write at the fame time, to tell you of it. 
 I know not whether I fhall ftay longer 
 than a month on that fide of the water : 
 I am fure I fhall not want the country 
 lodging, I defired you to procure, for a 
 longer time. Do not, therefore, take it 
 for more than a month, if that can be 
 done. I remember certain remote fub- 
 urbs, called Pimlico and Dolphin's Barn; 
 but know not whereabout they lie. If ei- 
 ther of them be fituate in a private pleafant 
 
 place,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 85 
 place, and airy, near the fields, I mould 
 , therein like a firft floor in a clean houfe 
 (I defire no more) ; and it would be bet- 
 ter if there was a bit of a garden, where 
 I had the liberty to walk. This I men- 
 tion, in cafe my former defire cannot be 
 conveniently anfwered for fo fhort a 
 time as a month ; and, if I may judge 
 at this diftance, thofe places feem as pri- 
 vate as a houfe in the country, ^or you 
 mult know, what I chiefly aim at is 
 fecrecy. This makes me uneafy, to find 
 that there hath been a report fpread 
 among fome of my friends in Dublin, of 
 nay deiigning to go over. I cannot ac- 
 jcount for this, believing, after the pre^- 
 cautions I had given you, that you would 
 not mention it, directly or indirectly, to 
 any mortal. 
 
 Ex. 20. Feb. 20, 1728. I need not 
 repeat to you what I told you here of 
 the neceffity there is for my raifing all 
 the money poilible againft my voyage , 
 which, God willing, I mall begin in 
 May, whatever you may hear fuggefted 
 to the contrary - y though you need not 
 G 3 mention
 
 86 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 mention this. I propofe to fet out for 
 Dublin about a month hence : but of 
 this you muft not give the leaft intima- 
 tion to any body. I beg the favour of 
 you to look out at leifure a convenient 
 lodging for me in or about Church- 
 ftreet, or fuch other place as you mall 
 think the moft retired. I do not defign 
 to be known when I am in Ireland. 
 
 Ex. 21. April 6, 1728. I have been 
 detained from my journey, partly in ex- 
 pectation of Dr. Clayton's coming, who 
 was doing bufinefs in Lancamire, and 
 partly in refpedt to the exceffive rains. The 
 Doctor hath been feveral days in town, 
 and we have had fo much rain, that pro- 
 bably it will be foon over. I am, there- 
 fore, daily expecting to fet out, all things 
 being provided. .Now it is, of all things, 
 my earneft defire (and for very good rea- 
 fons) not to have it known that I am 
 in Dublin. Speak not, therefore, one 
 fyllable of it to any mortal whatfoever. 
 When I formerly defired you to take a 
 place for me near the town, you gave 
 out, that you were looking for a retired 
 
 lodging
 
 EXTRACTS, &c* 87 
 lodging for a friend of your's j upon 
 which every body furmifed me to be the 
 perfon. I muft beg you not to act in 
 the like manner now; but to take for me 
 an entire houfe in your own name, and 
 as for yourfelf : for, all things condder- 
 ed, I am determined upon a whole houfe, 
 with no mortal in it but a maid of your 
 own putting, who is to look on herfelf 
 as your fervant. Let there be two bed- 
 chambers ; one for you, another for me ; 
 and, as you like, you may ever and anon 
 lie there. I would have the houfe, with 
 neceflary furniture, taken by the month 
 (or other wife, as you can) -, for I pur- 
 pofe flaying not beyond that time : and 
 yet, perhaps, I may. Take it as foon 
 as poffible, and never think of faving a 
 week's hire, by leaving it to do when I 
 am there. Dr. Clayton thinks (and I 
 am of the fame opinion) that a conve- 
 nient place may be found in the further 
 end of Great Britain-ftreet, or Balli- 
 bough-bridge by all means beyond 
 Thomfon's, the Fellow's. Let me en-r 
 treat you to fay nothing of this to any 
 fcody 5 but to do the thing directly. In 
 G 4 this
 
 83 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 this affair I confider convenience more 
 than expence ; and would, of all things^ 
 (coft what it will) have a proper place 
 in a retired fituation, where I may have 
 accefs to fields and fweet air, provided 
 againft the moment I arrive. I am in- 
 clined to think, one may be better con- 
 cealed in the outermost ikirt of the fub- 
 urbs than in the country, or within the 
 town : wherefore, if you cannot be ac- 
 commodated where I mention, enquire in, 
 fome other ftirt or remote fuburb. A 
 houfe quite detached, in the country, I 
 iliould have no objection to, provided 
 you judge, that I mall not be liable to 
 difcovery in it. The place called Ber- 
 muda I am utterly againft. Dear Tom, 
 do this matter cleanly and cleverly, with- 
 out waiting for further advice. You fee 
 I am willing to run the riik of the ex- 
 pence. To the perfon from whom you 
 hire it (whom alone I would have you 
 fpeak of it to) it will not feem ftrangq 
 you ihould at this time of the year be 
 defirous, for your own convenience or 
 health, to have a place in a free and open 
 air. If you cannot get a houfe, without 
 
 taking
 
 EXTRACTS, Sec. 89 
 taking it for a longer time than a month, 
 take it at fuch the fhortefl time it can be 
 let for, with agreement for further conti- 
 nuing, in cafe there be occafion. Mr. 
 Madden, who witnefTes the letter of attor- 
 ney, is now going to Ireland. He is a 
 clergyman, and man of eftate in the north 
 of Ireland. 
 
 Ex. 22. Gravefend, Sept. 5, 1728. 
 To-morrow, with God's blefiing, I fet 
 fail for Rhode Ifland, with my wife and 
 a friend of her's, my Lady Hancock's 
 daughter, who bears us company. I am 
 married, fince I faw you, to Mifs Forfter, 
 daughter of the late chief juftice, whofe 
 humour and turn of mind pleafes me be- 
 yond any thing I knew in her whole fex. 
 Mr. James, Mr. Dalton, and Mr. Smi- 
 lert, go with us on this voyage : we 
 are now all together at Gravefend, and 
 engaged in one view. When my next 
 rents are paid, I muft defire you to en- 
 quire for my coufin, Richard Berkeley *, 
 
 who 
 
 * This al of goodnefs to a poor relation, being a 
 matter altogether of a private nature, the editor was 
 
 not
 
 o EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 who was bred a public notary, (I fuppofb 
 he may by that time be out of his ap- 
 prenticefhip), and give him 20 moidores, 
 as a prefent from me, towards helping 
 him on his beginning' the world. I be- 
 lieve I mall have occafion for 600 /. 
 Englim before this year's income is paid 
 by the farmers of my deanry : I muft, 
 therefore, deiire you to fpeak to Meflrs. 
 Swift, &c. to give me credit for faid 
 fum in London about three months 
 hence, in cafe I have occafion to draw 
 for it, and I mall willingly pay their 
 cuftomary intereft for the fame, till the 
 farmers pay it to them ; which, I hope, 
 you will order punctually to be done by 
 the firft of June. Direct for me in Rhode 
 Jfland, and enclofe your letter in a cover 
 
 not fure, whether he ought to have communicated it 
 to the public. Certainly it is not given as an un- 
 common feature in our Author's character, that he 
 fhould be liberal to his relations : his letters furnifh 
 many proofs of his generofity. But the reader wiH 
 be pleafed to recollect the time when this young 
 man's wants were attended to the whole foul of the 
 Bermuda projector on the ftretch to attain what, 
 after fo many obftructions, fecmed at laft to be with- 
 in his grafp. 
 
 to
 
 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 91 
 to Thomas Corbet, Efq; at the Admiralty 
 Office in London, who will always for-r 
 ward my letters by the firft opportunity. 
 Adieu : I write in great hade. A copy 
 of my charter was fent to Dr. Ward by 
 Dr. Clayton : if it be not arrived, when 
 you go to London, write, out of the char- 
 ter, the claufe relating to my abience. 
 Adieu once more. 
 
 Ex. 23. Newport, in Rhode Ifland, 
 April 24, 1729. I can by this time fay 
 fomething to you, from my own. experi- 
 ence, of this place and people. The inha- 
 bitants are of a mixed kind, confirming of 
 many feels and fubdiviiions of feels. 
 Here are four forts of Anabaptifts, befides 
 Prefbyterians, Quakers, Independents, and 
 many of no profeflion at all. Notwith- 
 ftanding fo many differences, here are 
 fewer quarrels about religion than elfe- 
 where, the people living peaceably with 
 their neighbours, of whatfoever perfua- 
 fion. They all agree in one point, that 
 the church of England is the fecond-beft. 
 The climate is like that of Italy, and not 
 at all colder in the winter than I have 
 
 known
 
 92 EXTRACTS, &cr. 
 known it every - where north of Rome. 
 The fpring is late : but, to make amends, 
 they allure me the autumns are the fineft 
 and longeft in the world ; and the fum- 
 mers are much pleafanter than thofe of 
 Italy, by all accounts, forafmuch as the 
 grafs continues green, which it doth 
 not there. This ifland is pleafantly 
 laid out in hills and vales and riling 
 grounds; hath plenty of excellent fprings 
 and fine rivulets, and many delightful 
 landfcapes of rocks and promontories, 
 and adjacent lands. The provilions are 
 very good; fo are the fruits, which 
 are quite negledted, though vines fprout 
 up of themfelves to an extraordinary 
 fize, and feem as natural to this foil as 
 to any I ever faw. The town of New- 
 port contains about fix rhoufand fouls, 
 and is the moft thriving flouriming place 
 in all America, for its bignefs. It is very 
 pretty, and pleafantly fituated. I was 
 never more agreeably furprized than at 
 the firfr. light of the town and its harbour. 
 I could give you fome hints that may be 
 of ufe to you, if you were difpofed to take 
 advice ; but, of all men in the world, I 
 
 never
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 93 
 never found encouragement to give you 
 any. I have heard nothing from you, or 
 any of my friends in England or Ireland, 
 which makes me fufpect my letters were 
 in one of the vefTels that were wrecked. 
 I write in great hafte, and have no time 
 to fay a word to my brother Robin : let 
 him know we are in good health. Take 
 care that my draughts are duly honoured, 
 which is of the greateft importance to my 
 credit here ; and, if I can ferve you in 
 thefe parts, you may command your's, 
 &c. 
 
 Ex. 24. Newport, in Rhode Ifland, 
 June 12, 1729. Being informed that an 
 inhabitant of this country is on the point 
 of going for Ireland, I would not omit 
 writing to you. The winter, it muft be 
 allowed, was much fharper than the ufual 
 winters in Ireland, but not at all (harper 
 than I have known them in Italy. To 
 make amends, the fummer is exceeding 
 delightful : and, if the fpring begins late, 
 the autumn ends proportionably later than 
 with you, and is faid to be the finefl in the 
 world. I fnatch this moment to write ; 
 
 and
 
 94 EXTRACTS, &c 
 and have time only to add, that I have got 
 a fon, who, I thank God, is likely to live. 
 I find, it hath been reported in Ireland, 
 that we purpofe fettling here : I muft de- 
 lire you to difcountenance any fuch re- 
 port. The truth is, if the King's bounty 
 were paid in, and the charter could be re- 
 moved hither, I mould like it better than 
 Bermuda. But if this were mentioned 
 before the payment of faid money, it 
 might perhaps hinder it, and defeat all 
 our defigns. As to what you fay of Ha- 
 milton's propofal, I can only anfwer at 
 prefent by a queftion, viz. Whether it be 
 poflible for me, in my abfence, to be put 
 in pofTeflion of the deanry of Dromore ? 
 Defire him to make that point clear, and 
 you mall hear further from me, 
 
 Ex. 25. Rhode Ifland, March 9, 1730. 
 My fituation hath been fo uncertain, and 
 is like to continue fo, till I am clear about 
 the receipt of his Majefty's bounty, and, 
 in confequence thereof, of the determina- 
 tion of my aflbciates, that you are not to 
 wonder at my having given no categori- 
 cal anfwer to the propofal you made in 
 
 relation
 
 jExTRACTS, &C; $ 
 
 relation to Hamilton's deanry, which his 
 death hath put an end to. If I had re- 
 turned, I fhould perhaps have been under 
 fome temptation to have changed : but 
 as my defign ftill continues to wait the 
 event, and go to Bermuda as foon as I can 
 *get aflbciates and money, which my 
 friends are now foliciting in London, I 
 ihall in fuch cafe perfifl in my firft refo- 
 lution, of not holding any deanry beyond 
 the limited time. I live here upon land 
 that I have purchafed, and in a farm- 
 houfe that I have built in this ifland : it 
 is fit for cows and fheep, and may be of 
 good ufe in fupplying our college at 
 Bermuda. Among my delays and difap- 
 pointments, I thank God I have two do- 
 meftic comforts that are very agreeable, 
 my wife and my little fon ; both which, 
 exceed my expectations, and fully anfwer 
 all my wilhes. Meflrs. James, Dal ton, 
 and Smilert, &c. are at Bofton, and have 
 been there thefe four months. My wife 
 and I abide by Rhode Ifland, preferring 
 quiet and folitude to the noife of a great 
 town, notwithstanding all the folicitations 
 that have been ufed to draw us thither. 
 5 I have
 
 96 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 I have defired Mac Manus, in a letter to 
 Pr. Ward, to allow twenty pounds per 
 ann. for me towards the poor-houfe now 
 on foot for clergymen's widows in the 
 diocefe of Derry. 
 
 Ex. 26. Rhode Ifland, May 7, 1730. 
 Laft week I received a packet from you, 
 by the way of Philadelphia, the poftage 
 whereof amounted to above four pounds 
 of this country money. I thank you for 
 the enclofed pamphlet *, which, in the 
 main, I think very feafonable and nfeful. 
 It feems to me, that, in computing the 
 fum total of the lofs by abfentees, you 
 have extended fome articles beyond their 
 due proportion e. g. when you charge 
 the whole income of occafional abfentees 
 in the third clafs : and that you have 
 charged forne articles twice e. g. when 
 you make diftinft articles for law-fuits, 
 9000 /. and for attendance on employ- 
 ments, and other bufmefs, 8ooo/. both 
 which feem already charged in the third 
 
 Mr. Prior's celebrated Lift of the Abfentees of 
 Ireland, publiflied in 1729. 
 
 clafs.
 
 EXTRACT Sj &c. 97 
 ciafs. The tax you propofe feems very 
 reafonable, and I wifh it may take effect, 
 for the good of the kingdom, which will 
 be obliged to you if it can be brought 
 about. That it would be the intereft of 
 England to allow a free trade to Ireland 
 I have been thoroughly convinced, ever 
 fmce my being in Italy, and talking with 
 the merchants there; and have upon all 
 occafions endeavoured to convince Eng- 
 lifh gentlemen thereof, and have con- 
 vinced fome, both in and out of parlia- 
 ment ; and I remember to have difcourfed 
 with you at large upon the fubjeet-when I 
 was laft in Dublin. Your hints for fet-* 
 ting up new manufactures feern reafo-n- 
 able; but the Ipirit of projecting is loW 
 in Ireland. Now, as to my own affair, I 
 muft tell you, I have no intention of 
 continuing in thefe, parts, but in order to 
 fettle the college his Majefty hath been 
 pleafed to found in Bermuda : and I want 
 only the payment of the King's grant to 
 tranfport my fe If and family -thither. I 
 am now employing the interefh of my 
 friends in England for that purpofe; and 
 I have wrote in the moft preffi-ng. manner, 
 H either
 
 98 E X T R A C T S, &C. 
 
 either to get the money paid, or at leaft' 
 fuch an authentic anfwer as I may count 
 upon, and may dired: me what courfe I 
 am to take. Dr. Clayton indeed hath 
 wrote me word, that he hath been in- 
 formed by a very good friend of mine, 
 who had it from a very great man, that 
 the money will not be paid : but I can- 
 not think a hearfay, at fecond or third 
 hand, to be a proper anfwer for me to aft 
 upon. I have therefore fuggefted to the 
 Doclor, that it might be proper for him 
 to go himfelf to the Treafury with the 
 letters patent, containing the grant in his 
 hands, and there make his demand in 
 form. I h-ave alfo wrote to others to ufe 
 their intereft at court ; though indeed one 
 would have thought all felicitation at an 
 end, when 'once I had obtained a grant 
 under his Majefty's hand, and the broad 
 feal of England. As to my own going to 
 London, and foliciting in perfon, I think 
 it reafcnable firft to fee v/hat my friends 
 can do; and the rather, becaufe I fhall 
 have fmall hopes that my felicitation will 
 be regarded more than theirs. Be allured, 
 I long to know the upfhot of this matter ; 
 
 and
 
 EXTRACTS; 6cc. 99 
 
 and that, upon an explicit refufal; I am 
 determined to return home - t and that it 
 is not at all in my thoughts to continue 
 abroad and hold my deanry. It is well 
 known to many confiderable peffons in 
 England, that I might have had a difpen- 
 fation for holding it in my abfence during 
 life, and that I was much prefled to it j 
 but I refolutely declined it : and if our 
 college had taken place as foon as I once 
 hoped it would, I mould have refigned 
 before this time. A little after my com- 
 ing to this ifland, I entertained fome 
 thoughts of applying to his Majefty 
 (when Dr. Clayton had received the 
 2O,ooo/.) to tranflate our college hither; 
 but have fmce feen caufe to lay afide all 
 thoughts of that matter. I do allure 
 you, bond fide, that I have no intention 
 to ftay here longer than I can get an au- 
 thentic anfwer from the government, 
 which I have all the reafon in the world 
 to expect this fummer ; for, upon all 
 private accounts, I mould like Derry bet- 
 ter than New England. As to my be <: ng 
 in this ifland, I think I have already in- 
 formed you that I have been at very great 
 H 2 expence
 
 ico EXTRACTS, &c. 
 cxpence in purchafing land and ftock 
 here, which might fupply the defers of 
 Bermuda in yielding thofe proviiions to 
 our college, the want of which was made 
 a principal objection againft its fituation 
 in that ifland. To conclude : as I am 
 here in order to execute a defign addrefled 
 for by parliament, and fet on foot by his 
 Majefty's royal charter, I think myfelf 
 obliged to wait the event, whatever courfe 
 is taken in Ireland about my deanry. I 
 have wrote to both the biihops of Raphoe 
 and Derry -, but letters, it feems, are of 
 uncertain pafTage : your laft was half a 
 year in coming ; and I have had fome a 
 year after their date, though often in two 
 or three months, and fometimes lefs. I 
 muft deiire you to prefent my duty to both 
 their lordfhips, and acquaint them with 
 what I have now wrote to you, in anfwer 
 to the kind mefTage from my lord bifhop 
 of Derry, conveyed by your hands ; for 
 which pray return my humble thanks to 
 his lordmip. My wife gives her fervice 
 to you : (he fyath been lately ill of a mif- 
 carriage, but is now, I thank God, reco- 
 vered. Our little fon- is great joy to us : 
 2 we
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. " 101 
 we are fuch fools as to think him the moft 
 perfect thing in its kind that we ever 
 faw. 
 
 Ex. 27. Newport, July 20, 1730, 
 Since my laft, of May 7, I have not had 
 one line from the perfons to whom I had 
 wrote to make the lail inftances for the 
 2o,ooo/. This I impute to an accident 
 that we hear happened to a man of war, as 
 it was coming down the river, bound for 
 Bofton, where it was expected fome 
 months ago, and is now daily looked for 
 with the new governor. The news-papers 
 of laft February mentioned Dr. Clayton's 
 being made bifhop. I wifh him joy of 
 his preferment, fince I doubt we are not 
 likely to fee him in this part of the 
 world. 
 
 I 3 he fettlement of affairs -with his fellow 
 executor Mr. Marjhal, with a Mr. Par tin- 
 ton Vanhomrigh, and 'with the creditors of 
 Mrs. Etjlher Vanhomrigh in London, in- 
 volved our Author in a great deal of trouble 
 for near four years. His letters to Mr. 
 f. Prior t are full of this bufinefs, which can- 
 H 3 'not
 
 io2 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 not at this day be interesting to any body. It 
 is thought proper , however, to fubjoin a few 
 extratts from them, as a proof how ftrongly 
 he felt this embarrajjment in the midjl of his. 
 Bermuda projeffi. 
 
 Ex. 28. London, Dec. 8, 1724. Pro- 
 vided you bring my affair with Partinton 
 to a complete ifTue before Chriftmas-day 
 come twelvemonth, by reference or other- 
 wife, that I may have my dividend, what- 
 ever it is, clear, I do hereby promife you 
 to increafe the premium I promifed you 
 before, by its fifth part, whatever it a- 
 mounts to. 
 
 Ex. 29. July 20, 1725. Our South 
 Sea ftock is confirmed to be what I already 
 informed you, 880 /. fomewhat more or 
 lefs. But before you get Partinton and 
 Marfhal to fign the letters of attorney, or 
 make the probates, nay, before you tell 
 them of the value of the fubfcribed annu- 
 ities, you mould by all means, in my opi- 
 nion, infift, carry, and fecure, two points : 
 firft, that Partinton mould confent to a 
 partition of this flock, &c. which I be- 
 lieve
 
 EXTRACTS, &tr. 103 
 lieve he cannot deny : fecondly, that Mar- 
 " fhal mould engage not to touch one penny 
 of it till all debts on this fide the water 
 are fatisfied. I even defire you would 
 take advice, and legally fecure it in fuch 
 fort that he may not touch it if he would, 
 till the faid debts are paid. It would be 
 the wrongeft thing in the world, and 
 give me the greateft pain poflible, to think 
 we did not adminifter in the jufteft fenfe. 
 Whatever, therefore, appears to be due, 
 let it be inftantly paid : here is money 
 fufficient to do it. I muft, therefore, en- 
 treat you once for all, to clear up and 
 agree with Marfhal what is due, and then 
 make an end, by paying that which it is a 
 mame was not paid fooner. For God's 
 fake adjuft, finim, conclude, any way with 
 Partinton ; for at the rate we have gone 
 on thefe two years, we may go on twenty. 
 In your next let me know what you have 
 propofed to him and Marflial, and how 
 they relim it. I hoped to have been in 
 Dublin by this time ; but bufinefs grows 
 out of buiinefs. P. S. Bermuda profpers. 
 
 Ex. 30. Oa. 1 6, 1725. I beg you will 
 
 Jofe no more time, but take proper me- 
 
 H 4 thods
 
 104 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 thods out of hand for felling the S. S. 
 flock and annuities. I have very good 
 reafon to apprehend they will fink in 
 their value ; and defire you to let Van- 
 homrigh Partinton, and Mr. Marfhal, 
 know as much. The Ids there is to 
 be expected from them, the more J muft 
 hope from you. J know not how to move 
 them at this diftance, but by you ; and if 
 what I have already faid will not do, I 
 profefs myfelf to be at a lofs for words 
 to move you. You have told me Par- 
 tinton was willing to refer matters to an 
 arbitration, but not of lawyers ; and that 
 Marfhal would refer them only to law- 
 yers. For my part, rather than fail, I am 
 for referring them to any honeft knowing 
 perfon or perfons, whether lawyers or not 
 lawyers , and if M. will not come into this, 
 I defire you will do all you can to oblige 
 him, either by perfuafion or otherwife : 
 particularly reprefent to him my refolution 
 of going (with God's blefTing), in April 
 next, to Bermuda, which will probably 
 make it his interefl to compromife matters 
 put of hand. But if he will not, agree, if 
 poffible, with P. to force him to com- 
 pliance in putting an end to our difputes. 
 
 Ex. 31.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 105 
 
 Ex. 31. Dec. 2, 1725. I muft repeat 
 to you, that I earneftly wifh to fee things 
 brought to fome conclufion with Partin- 
 ton. Dear Tom, it requires fome ad- 
 drefs, diligence, and management, to 
 bring bufmefs of this kind to an iffue ; 
 which mould not feem impoffible, con- 
 fidering it can be none of our interefts 
 to fpend our lives and fubftance in law, 
 I arn willing to refer things to an arbitra- 
 tion, even not of lawyers. Pray pufh this 
 point, and let me hear from you upon it. 
 
 Ex.32. Dec. n, 1725. It is now near 
 three months fmce I told you there were 
 ftrong reafons for hafte [in felling the 
 S. S. flock] ; and thefe reafons grow every 
 moment ftroriger. I need fay no more; 
 I can fay no more to you. 
 
 Ex. 33. Dec. 30, 1725. I am exceed- 
 ingly plagued by thefe creditors, and am 
 quite tired and amamed of repeating the 
 fame anfwer to them, That I expecl: every 
 poft to hear what Mr. Marfhal and you 
 think of their pretenfions j and that then 
 they mall be paid. It is now a full twelve- 
 month
 
 io6 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 month that I have been expecting to hear 
 from you on this head, and expediting in 
 vain. I mail therefore expect no longer, 
 nor hope nor defire to know what Mr. 
 Marfhal thinks, but only what you think, 
 or what appears to you by Mrs. Van- 
 homrigh's papers and accounts. This is 
 what folely depends on you, what I fued 
 for feveral months ago, and what you 
 promlfed to fend me an account of long 
 before this time. 
 
 Ex. 34. Jan. 20, 1726. I am worried 
 to death by creditors : I fee nothing done, 
 neither towards clearing their accounts, 
 nor fettling the effects here, nor finim- 
 ing affairs with Partinton. I am at an 
 end of my patience, and almofl of my 
 wits. My conclufion is, not to wait a 
 moment longer for Marmal, nor to have 
 (if poffible) any further regard to him, 
 but to fettle all things without him, and 
 whether he will or no. How far this is 
 practicable, you will know by confulting 
 an able lawyer. I have fome confufed 
 notion, that one executor may act by 
 himfelf 5 but how far, and in what cafe, 
 
 7 you.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 107 
 you will thoroughly be informed. It is an 
 infinite mame, that the debts here are not 
 cleared up and paid. I have borne the 
 fhock and importunity of creditors above 
 a twelvemonth, and am never the nearer 
 have nothing new to fay to them: 
 judge you what I feel. But I have already 
 faid all that can be faid on this head. It is 
 alfo no fmall difappointment, to find that 
 we have been near three years doing no- 
 thing with refpecl to bringing things to 
 a conclufion with Partinton. Is there 
 no way of making a feparate agreement 
 with him ? Is there no way of prevailing 
 with him to conient to the fale of the 
 reverfion ? Let me entreat you to proceed 
 with a little management and difpatch in 
 thefe matters, and inform yourfelf parti- 
 cularly, whether I may not come to a re- 
 ference or arbitration with P. even though 
 M. mould be againil it ? whether I may 
 not take fteps that may compel M. to an 
 agreement ? what is the practifed method, 
 when one of two executors is negligent 
 or unreafonable ? in a word, whether an 
 end may not be put to thefe matters one 
 way or other ? I do not doubt your fkill : 
 
 I only
 
 io8 EXTRACTS, 6cc. 
 I only wifh you were as adtivc to fervc an 
 old friend, as I mould be in any affair of 
 your's that lay in my power. 
 
 Ex. 35. Sept. 3, 1726. I muft defirc 
 you to fend me, in a letter, a full ftate of 
 the particulars of our pretenfions upon 
 Partinton, that I may have a view of the 
 feveral emoluments expected from this 
 fuit, and the grounds of fuch expectation, 
 thefe affairs being at prefent a little out 
 of my thoughts ; that fo, having confider- 
 cd the whole, I may take advice here, and 
 write thereupon to Marfhal, in order to 
 terminate that affair this winter, if poffi- 
 ble. It is worth while to exert for once. 
 If this be done, the whole partition may 
 be made, and your mare diftinctly known 
 and paid you between this and Chrift- 
 mas. But I know it cannot be done un- 
 lefs you exert. As for M. I had, from 
 the beginning, no opinion of him, no 
 more than you have ; otherwife I mould 
 not have troubled any body elfe. 
 
 Ex. 36. Nov. 12, 1726. I have writ 
 to you often for certain eclairciflements, 
 
 which
 
 EXTRACTS, 6cc. 109 
 which are abfolutely necelTary to fettle 
 matters with the creditors, who impor- 
 tune me to death. You have no notion 
 of the mifery I have undergone, and do 
 daily undergo on that account. For 
 God's fake difembrangle thefe matters, 
 that I may once be at eafe to mind my 
 other affairs of the college, which are 
 enough to employ ten perfons. I will not 
 repeat what I have faid in my farmer 
 letters, but hope for your anfwer to all 
 the points contained in them, and im- 
 mediately to what relates to difpatching 
 the creditors. I propofe to make a pur- 
 chafe of land (which is very dear) in 
 Bermuda, upon my firft going thither \ 
 for which, and for other occafions, I {hall 
 want all the money I can porlibly raife 
 againfl my voyage. For this purpofe it 
 would be a mighty fervice to me, if the 
 affairs with P. were adjufted this winter 
 by reference or compromife. The {late 
 qf all that bufinefs, which I defired you 
 to. fend me, I do now again earneftlyr de.- 
 fire. What is doing, or has been done, 
 in that matter ? Can you contrive na 
 way for bringing P. to an immediate fale 
 
 of
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 of the remaining lands ? What is yoiif 
 opinion and advice upon the whole ? 
 What profpel can I have, if I leave 
 things at fixes and fevens, when I go to 
 another world, feeing all my remon- 
 ftrances, even now that I am near at 
 hand, are to no purpofe ? I know money 
 is at prefent at a very high foot of ex- 
 change. I mall therefore wait a little, in 
 hopes it may become lower : but it will, 
 at all events, be neceflary to draw over 
 my money. I have fpent here a matter 
 of fix hundred pounds more than you 
 know of, for which I have not yet drawn 
 over. I had fome other points to fpeak to, 
 but am cut ihort. 
 
 Ex. 37. Dec. i, 1726. I have lately 
 received feveral letters of your's, which 
 have given me a good deal of light with 
 refped to Mrs. Vanhomrigh's affairs. But 
 I am fo much employed on the bufinefs 
 of Bermuda, that I have hardly time to 
 mind any thing elfe. I fhall neverthelefs 
 fnatch the prefent moment to write you 
 (hort anfwers to the queries you propofe. 
 As to Bermuda, it is now, &c. [See above, 
 
 Ex.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. in 
 
 Ex. 12.] You alfo defire I would fpeak 
 to Ned. You muft know, Ned hath part- 
 ed from me ever fince the beginning of 
 kft July. I allowed him fix millings a 
 week, beiide his annual wages ; and, be- 
 lide, an entire livery, I gave him old 
 cloaths, which he made a penny of. But 
 the creature grew idle and worthlefs to a 
 prodigious degree : he was almoft con- 
 ftantly out of the way - y and when I told 
 him of it, he ufed to give me warning. 
 I bore with this behaviour about nine 
 months, and let him know I did it in 
 companion to him, and in hopes he would 
 mend : but finding no hopes of this, I 
 was forced at laft to difcharge him, and 
 take another, who is as diligent as he was 
 negligent. When he parted from me, I 
 paid him between fix and feven pound 
 which was due to him, and likewife gave 
 him money to bear his charges to Ireland, 
 whither he faid he was going. I met him 
 t'other day in the ftreet ; and afking why 
 he^was not gone to Ireland to his wife 
 and child ? he made anfwer, that he had 
 neither wife nor child. He got, it feems, 
 into another fervice when he left me, 
 
 but
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 but continued only a fortnight in it. The 
 fellow is filly to an incredible degree, and 
 fpoiled by good ufage. -I {hall take care 
 the pictures be fold in an auction. Mr. 
 Smilert, whom I know to be a very honeft 
 ikilful perfon in his profeffion, will fee 
 them put into an auction at the proper 
 time, which he tells me is not till the 
 town fills with company, about the meet- 
 ing of parliament. -I remember to have 
 told you, I could know more of matters 
 here than perhaps people generally do. 
 You thought we did wrong to fell : but 
 the flocks are fallen, and depend upon it 
 they will fall lower. 
 
 After our Author s return to Europe,, the 
 correfpondence was renewed with Mr. Prior* 
 -'The following extracts will continue Dr. 
 Berkeley's hijlory to a late period of his life. 
 
 Ex. 38. Green-ftreet, March 13, 1733. 
 I thank you for the account you fent me 
 of the houfe, &c. on Arbor-hill. I ap- 
 prove of that and the terms : fo you will 
 fix the agreement for this year to come 
 (according to the tenor of your letter): 
 
 with
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 113 
 with Mr. Lefly, to whom my humble 
 fervice. I remember one of that name, a 
 good fort of man, a clafs or two below 
 me in the college. I am willing to pay for 
 the whole year commencing from the 
 25th inft. but cannot take the furniture, 
 &c. into my charge till I go over, which 
 I truly propofe to do as foon as my wife 
 is able to travel. She expects to be 
 brought to bed in two months ; and, 
 having had two mifcarriages, one of 
 which me was extremely ill of, in Rhode 
 Ifland, me cannot venture to ftir before 
 me is delivered. This circumftance, not 
 forefeen, occafions an unexpected delay, 
 putting off to fummer the journey I pro- 
 pofed to take in fpring. I hope our af- 
 fair with Partinton will be finished this 
 term. We are here on the eve of great 
 events, to-morrow being the day appoint- 
 ed for a pitched battle in the Houfe of 
 Commons. 
 
 Ex. 39. March 27, 1733. This comes 
 
 to defire you will exert yourfelf on a 
 
 public account; which, you know, is 
 
 acting in your proper fphere. It. has 
 
 I been,
 
 H4- EXTRACTS, 6cc. 
 been reprefented here, that in certain 
 parts of the kingdom of Ireland, juftice 
 is much obftrucYed for the want of 
 juftices of the peace, which is only to 
 be remedied by taking in DifTenters. A 
 great man hath fpoke to me on this 
 point. I told him the view of this was 
 plain ; and that, in order to facilitate this 
 view, I fufpefted the account was invent- 
 ed, for that I did not think it true. De- 
 pend upon it, better fervice cannot be 
 done at prefent, than by putting this 
 matter as foon as poffible in a fair light; 
 and that fupported by fuch proofs as may 
 be convincing here. I therefore recom- 
 mend it to you to make the fpeedieft 
 and exatfteft enquiry that you can into the 
 truth of this facl:, the refult whereof fend 
 to me. Send me alfo the beft eftimate 
 you can get of the number of Papifts, 
 Diflenters, and Churchmen, throughout 
 the kingdom; an eftimate alfo of Diffenters 
 confiderable for rank, figure, and eftate; 
 an eftimate alfo of the Papifts in Ulfter. 
 Be as clear in thefe points as you can. 
 When the above-mentioned point was 
 put to me, I faid, that in my apprehen- 
 
 fion, 
 
 s
 
 E'X TRACTS, &C. 115 
 
 fion, there was no fuch lack of juftice 
 or magiflrates, except in Kerry or Con- 
 naught, where the DifTenters were not 
 confiderable enough to be of any ufe in 
 redreffing the evil. Let me know parti- 
 cularly, whether there be any fuch want 
 ofjuflices of the peace in the county of 
 Londonderry, or whether men are ag- 
 grieved there by being obliged to repair 
 to them at too great diflances. The 
 prime ferjeant, Singleton, may probably 
 be a means of affifting you to get light 
 in thefe particulars. The difpatch you 
 give this affair will be doing the beft fer- 
 vice to your country. Enable me to 
 clear up the truth, and to fupport it by 
 fuch reafons and teftimonies as may be 
 felt or credited. Facts I am myfelf too 
 much a ftranger to, though I promife to 
 make the beft ufe I can of thofe you 
 furnifh me with, towards taking off an 
 impreflion which, I fear, is already deep. 
 If I fucceed, J mall congratulate my be- 
 ing here at this juncture. 
 
 Ex. 40. April 14, 1733. I thank you 
 for your laft j particularly for that part 
 
 I 2 Of
 
 ii6 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 of it, wherein you promife the number 
 of the juftices of peace, of the Papifts 
 alfo, and the Proteftants, throughout the 
 kingdom, taken out of proper offices. I 
 did not know fuch inventories had been 
 taken by public authority, and am glad 
 to find it fo. Your argument for prov- 
 ing Papifts but three to one, I had be- 
 fore made ufe of ; but fome of the pre- 
 mifes are not clear to Englishmen. No- 
 thing can do fo well as the eftimate you. 
 fpeak of, to be taken from a public of- 
 fice j which, therefore, I impatiently ex- 
 peft. As to the defign I hinted, whether 
 it is to be let on foot there or here I 
 cannot fay ; I hope it will take effecl: no 
 where. It is yet a fecret : I may never- 
 thelefs difcover fomething of it in a 
 little time, and you may then hear more. 
 The political ftate of things on this fide 
 the water I need fay nothing of: the 
 public papers probably fay too much; 
 though it cannot be denied much may be 
 laid. I muft defire you, in your next, to 
 let me know what premium there is for 
 getting into the public fund which allows 
 five percent, in Ireland^ in'd whether a 
 
 confiderable. .
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 117 
 
 confiderable fum might eafily be pur- 
 chafed therein : alfo, what is the prefent 
 legal current interefl in Ireland ; and 
 whether it he eafy to lay out money on 
 a fecure mortgage, where the intereft 
 mould be punctually paid. I mall be 
 alfo glad to hear a word about the law- 
 fuit. 
 
 Ex. 41. April 19, 1733. I thank 
 you for your laft advices, and the cata- 
 logue of juftices .particularly -, of all 
 which proper ufe mail be made. The 
 number oi Proteftants and Papiils 
 throughout the kingdom, which, in your 
 laft but one, you faid had been lately 
 and accurately taken by the collectors 
 of hearth-money, youpromifed, but have 
 omitted to fend : I mall hope for it in 
 your next. 
 
 Ex.42. May i, 1733. I long for the 
 numeration of Proteftant and Popim fa- 
 milies, which you tell me has been taken 
 by the collectors. A certain perfon now 
 here hath reprefented the Papifts as 
 feven to one ; which, I have ventured to 
 I 3 affirm,
 
 jiS EXTRACTS, &c. 
 affirm, is wide of the truth. What lights 
 you gave me, I have imparted to thofe 
 who will make the proper ufe of them. 
 I do not find that any thing was intend- 
 ed to be done by aft of parliament here : 
 as to that, your information feems right. 
 I hope they will be able to do nothing 
 any where. The approaching Act at Ox- 
 ford is much fpoken of. The enter- 
 tainments of mufic, &c. in the theatre 
 will be the fineft that ever were known. 
 For other public news, I reckon you 
 know as much as yours. 
 
 Ex. 43. Jan. 7, 1734. My family 
 are, I thank God, all well at prefent : but 
 it will be impoffible for us to travel be- 
 fore the fpring. As to myfelf, by regu- 
 lar living and rifmg very early, which I 
 find the beft thing in the world, I am very 
 much mended : infomuch, that though I 
 cannot read, yet my thoughts feem as 
 diflinct as ever. I do, therefore, for 
 amufement, pafs my early hours in think- 
 ing of certain mathematical matters, 
 which may poffibly produce fomething. 
 You fay nothing of the law-fuit : I hope 
 
 it
 
 EXTRACTS, &C. 1 1 9 
 
 it is to furprife me in your next, with 
 an account of its being finished. Per- 
 haps the houfe and garden on Montpel- 
 lier-hill may be got a good pennyworth ; 
 in which cafe, I fliould not be averfe to 
 buying it. It is probable, a tenement in 
 fo remote a part may be purchafed at an 
 eafy rate. 
 
 Ex. 44. Jan. 15, 1734. I received 
 laft poft your three letters together, for 
 which advices I give you thanks. I had, 
 at the fame time, two from baron Wain- 
 wright on the fame account. That with- 
 out my intermeddling I may have the 
 offer of fomewhat, I am apt to think, 
 which may make me eafy in point of fitu- 
 ation and income, though I queftion 
 whether the dignity will much contribute 
 to make me fo. Thofe who imagine, as 
 you write, that I may pick and choofe, 
 to be fure think that I have been mak- 
 ing my court here all this time, and 
 would never believe (what is moil true) 
 that I have not been at the court, or at 
 the minifler's, but once thefe feven years. 
 The care of my health and the love of 
 I 4 retirement
 
 120 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 retirement have prevailed over what- 
 foever ambition might have come to my 
 mare. Pray, fend me as particular an ac- 
 count as you can get of the country, the 
 fituation, the houfe, the circumftances 
 of the bimopric of Cloyne : and let me 
 know the charge of coming into a bi- 
 fhopric, i, e. the amount of the fees and 
 firft fruits, 
 
 Ex. 45. Jan. 19, 1734. Since my 
 laft, I have kiffed their Majefties hands 
 for the bimopric of Cloyne, having firft 
 received an account from the duke of 
 Newcaftle's office, fetting forth, that his 
 grace had laid before the King the duke 
 of Dorfet's recommendation, which was 
 readily complied with by his Majefty. 
 The condition of my own health, and 
 that of my family, will not fuffer me to 
 travel at this feafon of the year : I muft, 
 therefore, entreat you to take care of the 
 fees and patent. I mall be glad to hear 
 from you what you can learn about this, 
 bimopric of Cloyne, 
 
 Ex.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 121 
 
 Ex. 46. Jan. 22, 1734. On the 6th 
 inft. the duke fent over his plan, wherein 
 I was recommended to the bilhopric of 
 Cloyne: on the i4th I received a let- 
 ter from the fecretary's office, fignifying 
 his Majefty's having immediately com- 
 plied therewith, and containing the duke 
 of Newcaftle's very obliging compliments 
 thereupon. In all this I was nothing 
 furprized, his grace the lord lieutenant 
 --having declared, on this fide the water, 
 that he intended to ferve me the firft op- 
 portunity ; though, at the fame time, he 
 defired me to fay nothing of it. As to 
 the A. B. D. [Archbimop of Dublin, 
 Dr. Hoadley] I readily believe he gave 
 no oppofition. He knew it would be to 
 no purpofe, and the Queen herfelf had 
 exprefsly enjoined him not to oppofe 
 me : this I certainly knew when the 
 A. B. was here, though I never faw him. 
 Notwithftanding all which, I had a ftrong 
 penchant to be dean of Dromore, and 
 not to take the charge of a bilhopric upon 
 me. Thofe who formerly oppofed my 
 being Dean of Downe have thereby 
 made me a bifhop ; which rank, how 
 3 defirable
 
 122 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 defirable foever it may feem, I had before 
 abfolutely- determined to keep out of. 
 The fituation of my own and my family's 
 health will not fuffer me to think of tra- 
 velling before April. However, as on 
 that fide it may be thought proper that 
 I mould vacate the deanry of Derry, I am 
 ready, as foon as I hear the bifhopric of 
 Cloyne is void by Dr. Synge's being le- 
 gally pofTefled of the fee of Ferns, to fend 
 over a refignation of my deanry : and I 
 authorize you to fignify as much, where 
 you think proper. I fhould be glad you 
 fent me a rude plan of the houfe, from 
 tifhop Synge's defer ipti on, that I may 
 forecaft the furniture. The great man, 
 whom you mention as my opponent, con- 
 certed his meafures but ill : for it ap- 
 pears by your letter, that at the very time 
 when my brother informed the Speaker of 
 his foliciting againft me there, the duke's 
 plan had already taken place here, and 
 the refolution was patted in my favour 
 at St. James's. I am, neverthelefs, pleafed, 
 as it gave me an opportunity of being 
 obliged to the Speaker, which I fhall not 
 fail to acknowledge when I fee him, 
 
 which
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 123 
 
 which will probably be very foon, for he 
 is expected here as foon as the feffion is 
 up. My family are well, though I my- 
 felf have gotten a cold this {harp foggy 
 weather, having been obliged, contrary 
 to my wonted cuftom, to be much abroad, 
 paying compliments, and returning vifits. 
 
 Ex. 47. Jan. 28, 1734. In a late let- 
 ter you told me the biihopric of Cloyne 
 is let for i2oo/. per arm. out of which 
 there is a fmall rent-charge of intereil to 
 be paid. I am informed, by a letter of 
 yours which I received this day, that there 
 is alfo a demefne of 800 acres adjoining 
 to the epifcopal houfe. I defire to be 
 informed, by your next, whether thefe 
 800 acres are underftood to be over and 
 above the laoo/. per ann. and whether 
 they were kept by former bifhops in their 
 own hands. In my laft, I mentioned to 
 you the impoffibility of my going to Ire- 
 land before fpring, and that I would fend 
 a refignation of my deanry, if need was, 
 immediately upon the vacancy of the fee 
 of Cloyne. I have been fince told, that 
 this would be a ftep of fome hazard, viz. 
 
 In
 
 124 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 in cafe of the king's death, which I hope 
 is far off: however, one would not care 
 to do a thing which may feem incautious 
 and imprudent in the eye of the world ; 
 not but that I would rather do it than 
 be obliged to go over at this feafon. But 
 as the bulk of the deanry is in tithes, 
 and a very inconliderable part in land, 
 the damage to my fucceflbr would be but 
 a trifle upon my keeping it to the end of 
 March. I would know what you advife 
 on this matter. 
 
 Ex. 48. Feb. 7, 1734. I have been 
 for feveral days laid up with the gout. 
 When I laft wrote to you I was confined, 
 but at firft knew not whether it might 
 not be a fprain or hurt from the fhoe. 
 But it foon mewed itfelf a genuine fit 
 of the gout in both my feet, by the pain, 
 inflammation, fwelling, 6cc. attended with 
 a fever, and reftlefs nights. With my 
 feet lapped up in flannels, and raifed on a 
 cumion, I receive the vifits of my friends, 
 who congratulate me on this occafion, 
 as much as on my preferment, 
 
 Ex-.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 125 
 Ex. 49. March 2, 1734. As to what 
 you write of the profpect of new vacan- 
 cies, and your advifing that I fhould apply 
 for a better biftiopric, I thank you for 
 your advice. But if it pleafed God the 
 biihop of Derry were actually dead, and 
 there were ever fo many promotions there- 
 upon, I would not apply, or fo much as 
 open my mouth to any one friend to make 
 an intereft for getting any of them. To 
 be fo very hafly for a removal, even before 
 I had feen Cloyne, would argue a greater 
 greedinefs for lucre than I hope I mall 
 ever have ; not but that, all things con- 
 iidered, I have a fair demand upon the 
 government for expence of time, and 
 pains, and money, on the faith of public 
 charters ; as likewife, becaufe I find the 
 income of Cloyne confiderably lefs than 
 was at firfl reprefented. I had no notion 
 that I mould, over and above the charge 
 of patents and firfl fruits, be obliged to 
 pay between four and five hundred 
 pounds, for which I mall never fee a 
 farthing in return : befides intereft I am 
 to pay for upwards of 3007. which prin- 
 cipal devolves upon my fucceflbr. No 
 
 more
 
 126 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 more was I apprized of three curates, viz. 
 two at Youghal and one at Aghadee, to be 
 paid by me : and after all, the certain 
 value of the income I have not yet learn- 
 ed. My predeceflbr writes, that he doth 
 not know the true value himfelf, but be- 
 lieves it may be about I2oo/. per ami. 
 including the fines, and flriking them at 
 a medium for feven years. The uncer- 
 tainty, I believe, muft proceed from the 
 fines ; but it may be fuppofed, that he 
 knows exactly what the rents are, and 
 what the tithes, and what the payments 
 to the curates ; of which particulars you 
 may probably get an account from him. 
 Sure I am, that if I had gone to Derry, 
 and taken my affairs into my own hands, 
 I might have made confiderably above 
 iooo/. a year, after paying the curates' 
 falaries. And as for charities, fuch as 
 fchool-boys, widows, &c. thofe ought 
 not to be reckoned, becaufe all forts of 
 charities, as well as contingent expences, 
 muft be much higher on a bimop than a 
 dean. But in all appearance, fubducling 
 the money that I muft advance, and the 
 expence of the curates in Youghal and 
 
 Aghadee,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 127 
 
 Aghadee, I fhall not have remaining 
 looo/. perann. not even though the whole 
 income was worth i2oo/. of which I 
 doubt, by Bimop Synge's uncertainty, 
 that it will be found to fall (hort. I 
 thank you for the information you gave 
 me of a houfe to be hired in Stephen's 
 Green. I mould like the Green very 
 well for lituation ; but I have no thoughts 
 of taking a houfe in town fuddenly ; nor 
 would it be convenient for my affairs fo 
 to do, confldering the great expence I 
 muft be at on coming into a fmall bifhop- 
 ric. My gout has left me : I have never- 
 thelefs a weaknefs remaining in my feet, 
 and, what is worfe, an extreme tendernefs, 
 the effedl of my long confinement. I 
 was abroad the beginning of this week, to 
 take a little air in the park, which gave 
 me a cold, and obliged me to phyfic, and 
 two or three days confinement. I have 
 feveral things to prepare, in order to my 
 journey, and {hail make all the difpatch I 
 can. But why I fhould endanger my 
 health by too much hurry, or why I mould 
 precipitate myfelf, in this convalefcent 
 fhte, into doubtful weather and cold 
 
 lodgings
 
 128 EXTRACTS, Sec. 
 lodgings on the road, I do not fee. There 
 is but one reafon that I can comprehend, 
 why the great men there mould be fo ur- 
 gent, viz. for fear that I mould make an 
 intereft here in cafe of vacancies ; which 
 I have already allured you I do not intend 
 to do : fo they may be perfectly eafy on 
 that fcore. 
 
 Ex. 50. March 13, 1734. I am, bona 
 fide, making all the hade I can. My li- 
 brary is to be embarked on board the firfl 
 fhip bound to Cork, of which I am in 
 daily expectation. I fuppofe it will be 
 no difficult matter to obtain an order from 
 the commiflioners to the cuftom-houfe- 
 officers there, to let it pafs duty-free j 
 which at firil word was granted here, on 
 my coming from America. I wifh you 
 would mention this, with my refpecls, to 
 Dr. Coghil. After my journey, I truft 
 that I mall find my health much better, 
 though at prefent I am obliged to guard 
 againft the eaft wind, with which we have 
 been annoyed of late, and which never 
 fails to diforder my head. I am in hopes, 
 however, by what I hear, that I mall be 
 
 able
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 129 
 able to reach Dublin before my lord lieu- 
 tenant leaves it. I {hall reckon it my 
 misfortune if I do not : I am fure it mall 
 not be for want of doing all that lies in 
 my power. I am in a hurry. I am 
 obliged to manage my health -, and I have 
 many things to do. I muft defirc you, at 
 your leifure, to look out a lodging for us, 
 to be taken only by the week ; for I mall 
 Hay no longer in Dublin than needs mufti 
 I would have the lodging taken for the 
 joth of April. 
 
 Ex. 51* March 20, 1734. There is 
 one Mr. Cox, a clergyman, fon to the 
 late Dr. Cox, near Drogheda, who, I un- 
 derftand, is under the patronage of Dr. 
 Coghil. Pray inform yourfelf of his 
 character : whether he be a good man^ 
 one of parts and learning, and how he is 
 provided for. This you may poffibly do 
 without my being named. Perhaps my 
 brother may know fomething of him. 
 I mould be glad to be apprized of his 
 character on my coming to Dublin. No 
 one has recommended him to me : but his 
 father was an ingenious, man, and I faw 
 K t-wtf
 
 130 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 two fenfib'le women, his lifters, at Rhode 
 Ifland, which inclines me to think him a 
 man of merit j and fuch only I would 
 prefer. I have had certain perfons re- 
 commended to me ; but I (hall confider 
 their merits preferably to all recommen- 
 dation. If you can anfwer for the inge- 
 nuity, learning, and good qualities, of the 
 perfon you mentioned, preferably to that 
 of others in competition, I mould be very 
 glad to ferve him. 
 
 Ex. 52, St. Alban's, April 30, 1734. 
 I was deceived by the affu ranee given me 
 of two mips going to Cork. In the event, 
 one could not take in my goods ; and the 
 other took freight for another port : fo 
 that, after all their delays and prevarica- 
 tions, I have been obliged to (hip off my 
 things for Dublin on board of Captain 
 Leach. From this involuntary caufe I 
 have been detained here fo long beyond 
 my intentions, which really were to have 
 got to Dublin before the parliament, 
 which now I much queftion whether I 
 mall be able to do, confidering that, as I 
 have two young children with me, I can- 
 2 not
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 131 
 
 hot make fuch difpatch on the road as 
 otherwife I ought. The lodging in 
 Gervais-ftreet, which you formerly pro- 
 cured for me, will, I think, do very well. 
 I mall want a ftable for fix coach-horfes ; 
 for fo many I bring with me. 
 
 Ex. 53. Cloyne, March 5, 1737. I 
 here fend you what you deiire. If you 
 approve of it, publim it in one or more 
 news-papers : if you have any objection, 
 let me know it by the next poft. I mean, 
 as you fee, a brief abftraft, which I could 
 wifh were fpread through the nation, that 
 men may think on the fubjedl againft next 
 feffion. But I would not have this letter 
 made public fooner than a week after the 
 publication of the third part of my 
 Querift, which I have ordered to be fent 
 to you. I believe you may receive it 
 about the time that this comes to your 
 hands ; for, as I told you in a late letter, 
 I have haftened it as much as poffible. I 
 have ufed the fame editor ^Dr. Madden) 
 for this as for the two fpregoing parts. 
 
 Our fpinning fchool is in a thriving 
 K 2 way.
 
 132 EXTRACTS, 6cc, 
 way. The children begin to find a plea- 
 fure in being paid in hard money -, which, 
 1 underftand, they will not give to their 
 parents, but keep to buy cloaths for 
 themfelves. Indeed I found it difficult 
 and tedious to bring them to this j but I 
 believe it will now do. I am building a 
 workhoufe for flurdy vagrants, and deiign 
 to raife about two acres of hemp for em- 
 ploying them. Can you put me in a way 
 of getting hemp-feed, or does your fo- 
 ciety diftribute any ? It is hoped your 
 flax-feed will come in time. Laft poft, 
 a letter from an Englifh bifhop tells me, 
 a difference between the king and prince 
 is got into parliament, and that it feems 
 to be big with mifchief, if a fpeedy expe- 
 dient be not found to heal the breach. 
 It relates to theprovifion for his R. High- 
 nefs's family. My three children have 
 been ill. The eldeft and youngefl are 
 recovered j but George is ftill unwell. 
 [Enclofed in the above a Letter to 
 A. B. Efquire, from the Querift, con- 
 taining Thoughts on a National Bank, 
 printed in the Dublin Journal.] 
 
 Ex.
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 133 
 Ex. 54. Cloyne, Feb. 15, 1741. Mr. 
 Faulkner, the following being a very fafe 
 and fuccefsful cure of the bloody flux, 
 which at this time is become fo general, 
 you will do well to make it public. Give 
 a heaped fpoonful of common rofin pow- 
 dered in a little frefh broth, every five 
 or fix hours, till the bloody flux is flop- 
 ped ; which I have always found before 
 a farthing's worth of rofin was fpent. If 
 after the blood is flaunched there remains 
 a little loofenefs, this is foon carried off 
 by milk and water boiled with a little 
 chalk in it. This cheap and eafy me- 
 thod I have often tried of late, and never 
 knew it fail. I am your humble fervant, 
 A. B. 
 
 Ex. 55. Cloyne, Feb. 24,1741. 1 find you 
 have publimed my remedy in the newsr 
 paper of this day. I now tell you that the 
 patients muft be careful of their diet, and 
 efpecially beware of taking cold. The 
 beft diet I find to be plain broth of mut- 
 ton or fowl, without feafoning of any 
 kind. Their drink fhould be, till they 
 are freed both from dyfentery and diarr- 
 K 3 hcea,
 
 134 EXTRACTS, 6tc. 
 boea, milk and water, or plain water 
 boiled with chalk (drunk warm) e. g. 
 about a large heaped fpoonful to a quart. 
 Sometimes I find it neceiTary to give it 
 every four hours, and to continue it for a 
 dofe or two after the blood hath been 
 flopped, to prevent relapfes, which ill 
 management hath now and then occa- 
 iioned. Given in due time (the fooner 
 the better) and with proper care, I take 
 it to be as fure a cure for a dyfentery as 
 the bark for an ague. It has certainly, 
 by the bleffing of God, faved many lives, 
 and continues to fave many lives, in my 
 neighbourhood. I ihall be glad to know 
 its fuccefs in any inftances you may have 
 tried it in. 
 
 Ex. 56. Cloyne, Feb. 26, 1741. I be- 
 lieve there is no relation that Mr. Sandys 
 and Sir John Rumout have to lord Wil- 
 mington, other than what I myfelf made 
 by marrying Sir John Rumout's fifter 
 to the late earl of Northampton, who 
 was brother to lord Wilmington. San- 
 dys is nephew to Sir John. As to kin- 
 dred or affinity, I take it to have very 
 
 little
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 135 
 little place in this matter. Nor do I 
 think it poflible to foretell whether the 
 miniftry will be whig or tory. The peo- 
 ple are fo generally and fo much incenfed, 
 that (if I am rightly informed) both men 
 and meafures mufl be changed before we 
 fee things compofed. Befides, in this 
 disjointed flate of things, the prince's 
 party will be more conlidered than ever. 
 It is my opinion, there will be no firfl: 
 minifter in hafte : and it will be new 
 to act without one. When I had wrote 
 thus far, I received a letter from a con- 
 liderable hand on the other fide the wa- 
 ter, wherein are the following words : 
 " Though the whigs and tories had gone 
 hand in hand in their endeavour to de- 
 " molim the late miniftry, yet fome true 
 " whigs, to mew themfelves fuch, were 
 t( for excluding all tories from the new 
 " miniftry. Lord Wilmington and duke 
 " of Dorfet declared they would quit, if 
 " they proceeded on fo narrow a bottom : 
 " and the prince, duke of Argyle, duke 
 <' of Bedford, and many others, refufed 
 " to come in, except there was to be a 
 <* coalition of parties. After many fruit-
 
 136 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 " lefs attempts to effect this, it was at 
 " laft atchieved between eleven and twelve 
 " on Tuefday night, and the prince went 
 " next morning to St. James's. It had been 
 " that very even ng quite defpaired of: 
 " and the meeting of the parliament came 
 *' on fo faft, that there was a profpecl: of 
 " nothing but great confufion." There 
 is, I hope, a profpecl: now of much better 
 things. I much wanted to fee this fcheme 
 prevail ; which it has now done, and 
 will, I truft, be followed by many happy 
 confequences. 
 
 Ex. 57. Cloyne, May 19, 1741. 
 Though the flax-feed came in fuch quan- 
 tity and fo late, yet we have above one 
 half ourfelves in ground j the reft, to- 
 gether with our own feed, has been given 
 to our poor neighbours, and will, I doubt 
 not, anfwer, the weather being very fa- 
 vourable. The diftreffes of the fick and 
 poor are endlefs. The havock of man- 
 kind in the counties of Cork, Limerick, 
 and fome adjacent places, hath been in- 
 credible. The nation probably will not 
 j-ecover this lofs in a century. The other 
 
 day,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 137 
 day, I heard one from the county of Lime- 
 rick fay, that whole villages were entirely 
 difpeopled. About two months fince, I 
 heard Sir Richard Cox fay, that five hun- 
 dred were dead in the parifh where he 
 lives, though in a country, I believe, not 
 very populous. It were to be wifhed, 
 people of condition were at their feats in 
 the country during thefe calamitous times, 
 which might provide relief and employ- 
 ment for the poor. Certainly, if thefe 
 perifh, the rich mufl be fufFerers in the 
 end. We have tried, in this neighbour- 
 hood, the receipt of a decoction of briar- 
 roots for the bloody-flux, which you fent 
 me, and in fome cafes found it ufeful. 
 But that which we find the moft fpeedy, 
 (ure, and effectual cure, above all others, 
 is a heaped fpoonful of rofm difTolved and 
 mixed over a fire with two or three 
 fpoonfuls of oil, and added to a pint 
 of broth for a clyfter : which, upon once 
 taking, hath never been known to fail 
 Hopping the bloody -flux. At firfi I 
 mixed the rofin in the broth : but that 
 vyvas difficult, and not fo fpeedy a cure. 
 
 Ex.
 
 138 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 Ex. 58. Cloyne, Feb. 1746. (With 
 a letter figned Eubulus, containing advice 
 about the manner of cloathing the mili- 
 tia arrayed this year ; which letter was 
 printed in the Dublin Journal.) The 
 above letter contains a piece of advice, 
 which feems to me not unfeafonable or 
 ufelefs. You may make ufe of Faulkner 
 for conveying it to the public, without 
 any intimation of the author. There is 
 handed about a lampoon againft cfur 
 troop, which hath caufed great indigna- 
 tion in the warriors of Cloyne. I am 
 informed, that dean Gervais had been 
 looking for the Querift, and could not 
 find one in the mops, for my lord lieu- 
 tenant, at his delire. I wiih you could 
 get one, handfomely bound, for his ex- 
 cellency; or, at leaft, the laft published 
 relating to the Bank, which confifted of 
 excerpta out of the three parts of the 
 Querift. I wrote to you before to pro- 
 cure two copies of this, for his excellency 
 and Mr. Liddel. 
 
 Ex. 59. Jan. 24, 1747. You afked me, 
 in your laft letter, whether we had not 
 
 provided
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 139 
 
 provided a houfe in Cloyne for the re- 
 ception and cure of fick perfons. By 
 your query it Teems there is fome fuch 
 report : but what gave rife to it could be 
 no more than this, viz. that we are ufed 
 to lodge a few {trolling fick with a poor 
 tenant or two in Cloyne, and employ a 
 poor woman or two to tend them, and 
 fupply them with a few neceflaries from 
 our houfe. This may be magnified (as 
 things gather in the telling) into an hof- 
 pital : but the truth is merely what I tell 
 you. I wifh you would fend me a pam- 
 phlet political now and then, with what 
 news you hear. Is there any apprehen- 
 fion of an invaiion upon Ireland ? 
 
 Ex. 60. Feb. 6, 1747. Your manner 
 of accounting for the weather feems to 
 have reafon in it. And yet there flill re- 
 mains fomething unaccountable, viz. why 
 there mould be no rain in the regions men- 
 tioned. If the bulk, figure, fituation, and 
 motion of the earth are given, and the lu- 
 minaries remain the fame, mould there 
 not be a certain cycle of the feafons ever 
 returning at certain periods ? To me it 
 
 feems,
 
 140 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 fcems, that the exhalations perpetually 
 fent up from the bowels of the earth, 
 have no fmall fhare in the weather ; that 
 nitrous exhalations produce cold and 
 froft ; and that the fame caufes which 
 produce earthquakes within the earth, 
 produce dorms above it. Such are the 
 variable caufes of our weather ; which, 
 if it proceeded only from fixed and given 
 caufes, the changes thereof would be as 
 regular as the viciflitudes of the days, or 
 the return of eclipfes. I have writ this 
 extempore valeat quantum va/ere poteft. 
 
 Ex. 61. Feb. 9, 1747. You afk me 
 if I had no hints from England about the 
 primacy. I can only fay, that lafl week 
 I had a letter from a perfon of no mean 
 rank, who feemed to wonder that he could 
 not find I had entertained any thoughts of 
 the primacy, while fo many others of our 
 bench were fo earneftly contending for 
 it. He added, that he hoped I would 
 not take it ill, if my friends wifhed me 
 in that ftation. My anfwer was, that I 
 am fo far from foliciting, that I do not 
 even wim for it ; that I do not think 
 
 myfelf
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 141 
 
 inyfelf the fitteft man for that high poft ; 
 and that therefore I neither have nor ever 
 will afk it. 
 
 Ex. 62. Feb. 10, 1747. In a letter 
 from England, which I told you came a 
 week ago, it was faid, that feveral of our 
 Irifh bifhops were earneftly contending 
 for the primacy. Pray, who are they ? I 
 thought bifhop Stone was only talked of 
 at prefent. I afk this queftion merely out 
 of curiofity, and not from any intereft, I 
 afTure you. I am no man's rival or com- 
 petitor in this matter. I am not in love 
 with feafts, and crouds, and vifits, and 
 late hours, and ftrange faces, and a hurry 
 of affairs often inlignificant. For my 
 own private fatisfaftion, I had rather be 
 mailer of my time than wear a diadem. 
 I repeat thefe things to you, that I may 
 not feem to have declined all fteps to the 
 primacy out of Angularity, or pride, or 
 ftupidity, but from folid motives. As 
 for the argument, from the opportunity 
 of doing good, I obferve, that duty obliges 
 men in high ftation not to decline oc- 
 
 cafions
 
 142 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 canons of doing good ; but duty doth 
 not oblige men to folicit fuch high 
 ftations. 
 
 Ex. 63. Feb. 19, 1747. The ballad 
 you fent has mirth in it, with a political 
 fling in the tail. But the fpeech of Van 
 Haaren is excellent. I believe it lord 
 Chefterfield's. We have at prefent, and 
 for thefe two days part, had froft and 
 fome fnow. Our military men are at 
 length failed from Cork harbour. We 
 hear they are defigned for Flanders. 
 . I mufl defire you to make, at leifure, 
 the moft exadt and diftindt enquiry you 
 can into the characters of the Senior 
 Fellows, as to their behaviour, temper, 
 piety, parts, and learning : alfo to make a 
 lift of them, with each man's charadtc-r 
 annexed to his name. I think it of fo 
 great confequence to the public to have a 
 good Provoft, that I would willingly look 
 beforehand, and ilir a little to prepare an 
 intereft, or at leaft to contribute my mite 
 where I properly may, in favour of a 
 worthy man to fill that poft, when it 
 
 mail
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 143 
 (hall become vacant. Dr. Hales, in a 
 letter to me, has made very honourable 
 mention of you to me. It would not be 
 amifs if you mould correfpond with him, 
 efpecially for the fake of granaries and 
 prifons. 
 
 Ex, 64, Feb. 20, 1747. Though the 
 fituation of the earth, with refpect to the 
 fun, changes, yet the changes are fixed 
 and regular: if, therefore, this were the 
 caufe of the variation of the winds, the 
 variation of winds mult be regular, i. e. 
 regularly returning in a cycle. To me 
 it feems, that the variable caufe of the 
 variable winds are the fubterraneous fires, 
 which, conftantly burning, but altering 
 their operation according to the various 
 quantity or kind of combuftible materials 
 they happen to meet with, fend up ex- 
 halations more or lefs, of this or that 
 fpecies, which diverfly fermenting in the 
 atmofphere, produce uncertain, variable 
 winds and tempefts. This, if I miftake 
 not, is the true folution of that crux. 
 As to the papers about petrifactions, 
 which I fent to you and Mr. Simon, I do- 
 not
 
 144- EXTRACTS, &c. 
 Hot well remember the contents : but 
 be you fo good as to look them over, and 
 fhew them to fome others of your fo- 
 ciety. And if, after this, you mall think 
 them worth publiming in your collec- 
 tions, you may do as you pleafe : other- 
 wife, I would not have things haftily and 
 carelefsly written thruft into public 
 view. 
 
 [The following anonymous piece, on a fub- 
 jeft connected with the preceding, may 
 defer'ue a place here. It is in the bijhop's 
 hand-writing, and fe ems to have been in- 
 fer ted in one of the London prints .] 
 
 To the PUBLISHER. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 Having obferved it hath been offered, as 
 a reafon to perfuade the public that the 
 late mocks felt in and about London were 
 not caufed by an earthquake, becaufe the 
 motion was lateral, which, it is aflerted, 
 the motion of an earthquake never is, I 
 take upon me to affirm the contrary. I 
 have myfelf felt an earthquake at Mef- 
 
 fma
 
 ExTRActs, &c. 
 fina, in the year 171 8> when the motion 
 was horizontal or lateral. It did no 
 harm in that city, but threw down feve- 
 ral houfes about a day's journey from 
 thence. 
 
 We are not to think the late mocks 
 merely an airquake, as they call it, on 
 account of ligns and changes in the air* 
 fuch being ufually obferved to attend 
 earthquakes* There is a correfpondence 
 between the fubterraneous air and our 
 atmofphere* It is probable that florins, 
 or great concuflions of the air, do often* 
 if not always, owe their origin to vapours 
 or exhalations ifTuing from below. 
 
 I remember to have heard count Tez- 
 zani, at Catania, fay, that fome hours be- 
 fore the memorable earthquake of 1692, 
 which overturned the whole city, he ob- 
 ferved a line extended in the air, pro- 
 ceedingi as he judged, from exhalations 
 poifed and fufpended in the atmofphere ; 
 alfo that he heard a hollow, frightful 
 murmur, about a minute before the (hock. 
 Of 25,000 inhabitants, 18,000 abfolutely 
 perilhed j not to mention others who 
 L were
 
 146 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 were' miferably bruifed and wounded. 
 There did not efcape fo much as one 
 fingle houfe. The ftreets were narrow, 
 and the buildings high ; fo there was no 
 fafety in running into the ftreets : but on 
 the firft tremor (which happens a fmall 
 fpace, perhaps a few minutes, before the 
 downfal) they found it the fafeft way to 
 ftand under a door-cafe, or at the corners 
 of the houfe. 
 
 The Count was dug out of the ruins 
 of his own houfe, which had overwhelm- 
 ed about twenty perfons ; only feven 
 whereof were got out alive. Though he 
 rebuilt his houfe with flone, yet he ever 
 after lay in a fmall adjoining apartment 
 made of reeds plaiftered over. Catania 
 was rebuilt more regular and beautiful 
 than ever : the houfes, indeed, are lower, 
 and the ftreets ^broader than before, for 
 fecurity againfl future mocks. By their 
 account, the firft mock feldom or never 
 doth the mifchief : but the replicbe, as 
 they term them, are to be dreaded. The 
 * earth, I was told, moved up and down 
 like the boiling of a pot j terra bollente 
 
 di
 
 Ex TRACTS, &C. 147 
 
 difotto in'Jbpfa, to ufe their own expref- 
 fion. This fort of fubfultive motion is 
 fever accounted the moft dangerous. 
 
 Pliny, in the fecond book of his Na- 
 tural Hiftory, obferves, that all earthquakes 
 are attended with a great ftillnefs of the 
 air. The fame was obferved at Catania. 
 Pliny further obfervesj that a murmur- 
 ing noife precedes the earthquake. He 
 alfo remarks, that there isjtgnum in calo, 
 praceditque motu futuro, aut intcrdiu, aut 
 paulo poft occafum fereno, ceu tennis lined 
 nubis in longum porreftte fpatium : which 
 agrees with what was obferved by count 
 Tezzani, and others, at Catania. And all 
 thefe things plainly mew the miftake of 
 thofe, who furmife that noifes and figns 
 in the air do riot belong to, or betoken, 
 an earthquake, but only an airquake. 
 
 The naturaliil: above cited, fpeaking of 
 the earth, faith, that vane quatitur, up 
 and down fometimes, at others from fide 
 to fide. He addsj that the effe&s are 
 Very various : cities one while demoliihed, 
 another fwallowed up ; fometimes over- 
 whelmed by water, at other times con- 
 L 2 fume^
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 fumed by fire burning from the earth : 
 one while the gulf remains open and 
 yawning ; another, the fides clofe, not 
 leaving the leaft trace or fign of the city 
 fwallowed up. 
 
 Britain is an ifland maritima autem 
 maxim*? quatluntur, faith Pliny and in 
 this ifland are many mineral and fulphu- 
 reous waters. I fee nothing in the natu- 
 ral conftitution of London, or the parts 
 adjacent, that mould render an earthquake 
 impoffible or improbable. Whether there 
 be any thing in the moral ftate thereof 
 that mould exempt it from that fear, I 
 leave others to judge. I am your humble 
 fervant, A. B. 
 
 Ex. 65. Cloyne, March 22, 1747. As 
 to what you fay, that the primacy would 
 have been a glorious thing, for my part 
 I do not fee, all things confidered, the 
 glory of wearing the name of Primate in 
 thefe days, or of getting fo much money, 
 a thing every tradefman in London may 
 get if he pleafes. I fliould not choofe 
 to be primate, in pity to my children : 
 
 and
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 149 
 and for doing good to the world, I ima- 
 gine I may, upon the whole, do as much 
 in a lower flation. 
 
 Ex. 66. June 23, 1746. I perceive 
 the earl of Chefterfield is, whether ab- 
 fent or prefent, a friend to Ireland - y and 
 there could not have happened a luckier 
 incident to this poor ifland than the 
 friendmip of fuch a man, when there are 
 fo few of her own great men, who either 
 care or know how to befriend her. As 
 my own wifhes and endeavours, howfo- 
 ever weak and ineffectual, have had the 
 fame tendency, I flatter myfelf, that on 
 this fcore he honours me with his re- 
 gard ; which is an ample recompence for 
 more public merit than I can pretend to. 
 As you tranfcribed a line from his letter 
 relating to me, fo in return I fend you 
 a line from a letter of the bifhop of 
 Gloucefter's, relating to you I formerly 
 told you I had mentioned you to the 
 bifhop, when I fent your fcheme. Thefe 
 are his words : " I have had a great deal 
 L 3 of
 
 
 1 50. EXTRACTS, Sec. 
 
 " of difcourfe with your lord lieutenant. 
 " He expreffed his good efteem of Mr. 
 " Prior and his chara&er, and commend- 
 " ed him as one who had no view in life 
 '* but to do the utmofl good he is ca- 
 ' pable of. As he has feen the fcheme, 
 " he may have opportunity of mention- 
 * c ing it to as many of the cabinet as he 
 " pleafes : but it will not be a fafhion- 
 " able doctrine at this time." So far 
 the bifhop. You are doubtlefs in the 
 right, on all proper occafions, to culti- 
 vate a correfpondence with lord Chefter- 
 - field. When you write, you will per- 
 haps let him know, in the properefl man- 
 ner, the thorough fenfe I have of the 
 honour he does me in his remembrance, 
 and my concern at not having been able 
 to wait on him, 
 
 Ex. 67. July 3, 1746. I fend you 
 back : my letter, with a new paragraph 
 to be. added at the end, where you fee 
 the A. 
 
 Lord Chefterfield's letter does great 
 honour both to you and his Excellency. 
 
 The
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 151 
 The nation mould not lofe the opportu- 
 nity of profiting by fuch a viceroy, which 
 indeed is a rarity not to be met with every 
 feaibn, which grows not ,on every tree. 
 I hope your fociety will find means of 
 encouraging particularly the two points 
 he recommends, glafs and paper. For 
 the former, you would do well to get 
 your workmen from Holland rather than 
 from Briftol. You have heard of the 
 trick the glafsmen of Briftol were faid 
 to have played Dr. Helmam and com- 
 pany. 
 
 My wife, with her compliments, fends 
 you a prefent * by the Cork carrier, who 
 fet out yefterday. It is an offering of 
 the firft-fruits of her painting. She be- 
 gan to draw in laft November, and did 
 not flick to it clofely, but by way of 
 amufement only at leifure hours. For 
 my part, I think me mews a moft un- 
 common genius : but others may be fup- 
 pofed to judge more impartially than I. 
 
 * The bifliop's portrait, painted by Mrs. Berkeley, 
 ncffc in the polTeffion of the Rev. Mr. Archdall of 
 Bolton-ftreet, Dublin. 
 
 L4 My
 
 -152 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 My two younger children are beginning 
 to employ themfelves the fame way. 
 In fhort, here are two or three fami- 
 lies in Imokilly * bent upon painting : 
 and I wim it was more general among 
 the ladies and idle people, as a thing that 
 may divert the fpleen, improve the ma- 
 nufatftures, and increafe the wealth of 
 the nation. We will endeavour to profit 
 by our lord lieutenant's advice, and 
 kindle up new arts with a fpark of his 
 public fpirit. 
 
 Mr. Simon has wrote to me, defiring 
 I would become a member of the hifto- 
 rico-phyfical fociety. I wifh them well; 
 but do not care to lift myfelf among 
 them : for, in that cafe, I mould think 
 myfelf obliged to do fomewhat which 
 might interrupt my other fludies. I muft 
 therefore depend on you for getting me 
 out of this fcrape, and hinder Mr. Si- 
 mon's propofing me -, which he inclines 
 to do, at the requeft, it feems, of the 
 bifhop of Meath. And this, with my 
 
 * The village of Cloyne is in the barony of Imo- 
 county of Cork. 
 
 fervice.,
 
 E >X T R A C T S, &C. ' 153 
 
 Service, will be a fufficient anfwer to Mr. 
 Simon's letter, 
 
 Ex. 68. Sept. 12, 1746. I am juft 
 returned from a tour through my diocefe, 
 of 130 miles, almofi fhaken to pieces. 
 What you write of bifhop Stone's prefer- 
 ment, is highly probable. For myfelf, 
 though his Excellency the lord lieutenant 
 might have a better opinion of me than 
 I deferved, yet it was not likely that 
 he would make an Irimman primate. 
 The truth is, I have had a fcheme of my 
 own for this long time paft, in which I 
 propofe more fatisfadtion and enjoyment 
 to myfelf than I could in that high fta- 
 tion, which I neither folicited nor fo much 
 as wifhed for. It is true, the primacy, 
 or archbifhopric of Dublin, if offered, 
 might have tempted me, by a greater op- 
 portunity of doing good : but there is 
 no other preferment in the kingdom to 
 be defired, on any other account than a 
 greater Income ; which would not tempt 
 me to remove from Cloyne, and fet 
 my Oxford fcheme, on which, 
 
 though
 
 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 
 though delayed by the illnefs of my fon, 
 yet I am as intent and as much refolved 
 as ever. 
 
 Ex. 69. Feb. 2, 1749. Three days 
 ago we received the box of pictures. The 
 two men's heads with ruffs are well done ; 
 the third is a copy, and ill-coloured : 
 they are all Flemifh : fq is the woman, 
 which is alfo very well painted, though 
 it hath not the beauty and freedom of a a 
 Italian pencil. The two Dutch pictures, 
 containing animals, are well done as 
 to the animals : but the human figures 
 and fky are ill done. The two pictures of 
 ruins are very well done, and are Italian. 
 My fon William * had already copied 
 two other pictures of the fame kind, and 
 by the fame hand. He and his fitter are 
 both employed in copying pictures at 
 prefent j which mall be difpatched as 
 
 * A fine youth, the fecond fon of the bifhop, whofe 
 lofs, at an early age, was thought to have ftuck too 
 clofe to his father's heart. 
 
 foon
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 155 
 
 foon as poffible ; after which they will 
 fet about fome of yours. Their ftint, 
 pn account of health, is an hour and half 
 a day for painting. So J doubt two 
 months will not fuffice for copying : but 
 no time fhall be loft, and great care taken 
 of your pictures, for which we hold our- 
 felves much obliged. Our round tower 
 ffonds where it did; but a little {tone arched 
 vault on the top was cracked, and muft 
 be repaired : the bell alfo was thrown 
 down, and broke its way through three 
 boarded ftpries, but remains entire. The 
 door was fhivered into many fmall pieces, 
 and difperfed ; and there was a ftpne 
 forced out of the wail. The whole da- 
 mage, it is thought, will not amount to 
 twenty pounds. The thunder-clap was 
 by far the greatefl that I ever heard in 
 Ireland. 
 
 Ex. 70. March 30, 1751. They are 
 going to print at Glafgow two editions 
 at once, in quarto and in folio, of all Pla- 
 to's works, in moft magnificent types. 
 This work mould be encouraged : it 
 
 would
 
 156 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 would be right to mention it, as you 
 have opportunity *. 
 
 To the Rev. Mr. ARCHDALL, Bolton- 
 ftreet, Dublin. 
 
 Cloyne, Dec. 8, 1751. Rev. Sir, This 
 is to delire you may publifh the infcrip- 
 tion I fent you in Faulkner's paper. But 
 fay nothing of the author. I muft defire 
 you to caufc the letters G. B, being the 
 initial letters of my name, to be engraved 
 on the die of the gold medal, at the 
 bottom, beneath the race-horfe ; where- 
 by mine will be diftinguiihed from me- 
 dals given by others, 
 
 To the fame. 
 
 Dec. 22, 1751. I thank you. for the 
 care you have taken in publifhing the 
 
 * Mr. Prior died the 2lft of O&ober following, 
 aged 71. The infcription mentioned in the next 
 article, was for his monument in Chrift-Church ca- 
 thedral, erected at the expence of Mr. Prior's friends 
 $r.d admirers. 
 
 9 infcription
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 157 
 infcription fo correctly, as likewife for 
 your trouble in getting G. B. engraved 
 on the plain at the bottom of the medal. 
 When that is done, you may order two 
 medals to be made, and given as ufual. 
 I would have only two made by my die : 
 the multiplying of premiums leflens their 
 value. If my infcription is to take 
 place, let me know before it is engraved: 
 I may perhaps make fome trifling altera- 
 tion. 
 
 No date : but fent, at this time, to the 
 fame. For the particulars of your laft 
 favour I give you thanks. I fend the 
 above bill to clear what you have expend- 
 ed on my account, and alfo ten guineas 
 betide -, which is my contribution to- 
 wards the monument, which I under- 
 ftand is intended] for our deceafed friend. 
 Yeilerday, though ill of the cholic, yet I 
 could not forbear fketching out the in- 
 clofed. I wifh it did juflice to his cha- 
 radler. Such as it is, I fubmit it to you 
 and your friends. 
 
 Enclofed
 
 EXTRACTS, 6cc<, 
 Enclofed in the above : 
 
 Memorise facrurri 
 
 THOM^E PRIOR,, 
 
 Viri, fi quis unquam alius, de patrii 
 
 optim meriti : 
 Qui, cum prodefle mallet quam confpici* 
 
 nee in fenatum cooptatus, 
 
 nee confiliorum aulae particeps, 
 
 nee ullo pub.lico munere infignitus, 
 
 rem tamen publicam 
 
 mirifice auxit et ornavit 
 
 aufpiciis, confiliis, labore indefeflb, 
 
 Vir innocuus, probus, pius ; 
 partium fludiis minime addi<5tus, 
 
 de re familiari parum folicitus, 
 
 cum civium commoda unice fpecflaret : 
 
 Quicquid vel ad inopia? levamen 
 
 vel ad vits elegantiam facit, 
 
 quicquid ad defidiam populi vincendarri 
 
 aut ad bonas artes excitandas pertinet^ 
 
 id omne pro virili excoluit : 
 
 Societatis Dublinienfis 
 audor, inflitutor, curator. 
 
 Qux fecerit 
 
 pluribus dicere baud refert i 
 quorfum narraret marmor 
 
 ilia quae omnes norunt, 
 
 ilia quae, civium anirnis infculpta^ 
 
 nulla dies delebit ? 
 
 7 - f&ts
 
 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 159 
 
 *his monument was erected to Thomas 
 Prior, Efquire, at the charge of federal 
 perfons who contributed to honour the me- 
 mory of that worthy patriot, to whom his 
 own actions and unwearied endeavours in 
 the fervice of his country, have raifed a 
 monument more lajling than marble. 
 
 T T 1. r j i r J 
 
 Jan. 7, 1752. I here fend you encloied 
 the infcription, with my laft amend- 
 ments. In the printed copy, Siquis was 
 one word : it had better be two, di- 
 vided, as in this. There are fome other 
 fmall changes, which you will obferve. 
 The bifhop of Meath was for having fome- 
 what in Englifh : accordingly I fubjoin 
 an Englifh addition, to be engraved in a 
 different character, and in continued lines 
 (as it' is written), beneath the Latin. 
 The bifhop writes, that contributions 
 come in flowly, but that near one hun- 
 dred guineas are got. Now it mould 
 feem, that if the firft plan, rated at 
 two hundred guineas, was reduced or 
 altered, there might be a plain, neat 
 monument erected for one hundred gui- 
 neas,
 
 160 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 neas, and fo (as the proverb directs) the 
 
 coat be cut according to the cloth. 
 
 To the Rev. Mr. Gervais, fen* 
 
 Cloyne, Nov. 25, 1738. Rev. Sir, My 
 wife fends her compliments to Mrs. Ger- 
 vais and yourfelf for the receipt, &c. j and 
 we both concur in thanks for your veni- 
 fon. The rain hath fo defaced your let- 
 ter, that I cannot read fome parts of it i 
 but I can make a fhift to fee there is a 
 compliment of fo bright a ftrain, that, if 
 I knew how to read it, I am fure I mould 
 not know how to anfwer it. If there was 
 any thing agreeable in your entertainment 
 at my houfe, it was chiefly owing to your- 
 felf, and fo requires my acknowledg- 
 ment, which you have very fmcere. You 
 give fo much pleafure to others, and are 
 fo eafily pleafed yourfelf, that I mail live 
 in hopes of your making my houfe your 
 inn, whenever you viiit thefe parts, which 
 will be very agreeable to, 6tc. 
 
 Jan. 12, 1742. You forgot to mention 
 your addrefs, elfe I fhould have fooner 
 
 acknowledged
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 161 
 
 acknowledged the favour of your letter ; 
 for which I am much obliged, though 
 the news it contained had nothing good 
 but the manner of telling it. I had much 
 rather write you a letter of congratulation 
 than of comfort ; and yet I mufl needs 
 tell you, for your comfort, that I appre- 
 hend you mifcarry by having too many, 
 friends. We often fee a man, with one 
 only at his back, pumed on and making 
 his way, while another is embarrafied in a 
 crowd of well- withers. The beft of it is, 
 your merits will not be meafured by your 
 fuccefs. It is an old remark, that the 
 race is not always to the fwift : but at 
 prefent who wins it, matters little ; for all 
 proteftant clergymen are like foon to be 
 at par, if that old prieft *, your country- 
 man, continues to carry on his fchemes 
 with the fame policy and fuccefs he has 
 hitherto done. The accounts you fend 
 agree with what I hear from other parts : 
 
 * Cardinal Fleuri, then 87 years old. Dean 
 Gervais was a native of Montpellier, who was car- 
 ried an infant out of France, on the revocation of the 
 of Nantz, in 1680. 
 
 M they
 
 1 62 EXTRACTS, 5cc. 
 they are all alike difmal. Referve your-? 
 felf, however, for future times, and mind 
 the main chance. I would fay, fhun late 
 hours, drink tar-water, and bring back 
 (I wifh a good deanry, but at leaft) 
 good ftock of health and fpirits, to grace 
 our little parties in Imokilly, where we 
 hope, ere it be long, to fee you and the 
 fun returned together. My wife, who 
 values herfelf on being in the number of 
 your friends, is extremely obliged for the 
 Italian pfalms you have procured ; and 
 defires me to tell you, that the more you 
 can procure, the more {he fhall be obliged. 
 We join in wifhing you many happy new 
 years, health, and fuccefs. 
 
 Feb. 2, 1742. I condole with you on 
 your cold - 3 a circumftance that a man of 
 fafhion, who keeps late hours, can hardly 
 efcape. We find here that a fpoonful, 
 half tar and half honey, taken morning, 
 noon, and night, proves a moft effectual 
 remedy in that cafe. My wife, who va- 
 lues herfelf on being in your good graces, 
 exprefles great gratitude for your care in 
 procuring the pfalms -, and is doubly 
 
 pleafed 
 7
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 163 
 pleafed with the profpect of your being 
 yourfelf the bearer. The inftrument me 
 defired to be provided, was a large four- 
 ftringed bafs violin : but befides this, we 
 fhall alfo be extremely glad to get that ex- 
 cellent bafs viol which came from France, 
 be the number of firings what it will. I 
 wrote indeed (not to overload you) to 
 Dean Browne * to look out for a fix- 
 flringed bafs viol, of an old make and mel- 
 low tone. But the more we have of good 
 inftruments the better ; for I have got an 
 excellent mafter, whom I have taken into 
 my family ; and all my children, not ex- 
 cepting my little daughter, learn to play, 
 and are preparing to fill my houfe with 
 harmony againfl all events ; that if we 
 have worfe times, we may have better 
 fpirits. Our French woman is grown 
 more attentive to her buiinefs, and fo 
 much altered for the better, that my wife 
 is not now inclined to part with her j but 
 
 * Jemmatt Brown, then dean of Rofle, bifhop of 
 Killaloe in 1743, of'Dromore in 1745, of Cork the 
 fame year, of Elphin in 1772, and archbiffiop of 
 Tuam in 1775 : died in 1782. 
 
 M 2 18
 
 164 EXTRACTS, Sec. 
 is neverthelefs very fenfibly obliged by 
 your kind offer to look out for another. 
 What you fay of a certain pamphlet is 
 aenigmatical : I ihall hope to have it ex- 
 plained viva voce. As this corner fur- 
 nifhes nothing worth fending, you will 
 pardon me, if, inftead of other news, I 
 tranfcribe a paragraph of a letter I lately 
 received from an Englifh bifhop. " We 
 " are now fhortly to meet again in parlia- 
 " ment, and by the proceedings upon 
 " the ftate of the nation Sir Robert's fate 
 " will be determined. He is doing all 
 " he can to recover a majority in the 
 " Houfe of Commons, and is faid to have 
 " fucceeded as to fome particulars : but 
 " in his main attempt, which was that 
 " of uniting the prince and his court to 
 " the king's, he has been foiled. The 
 " bimop of Oxford * was employed to 
 " carry the propofal to the prince, which 
 " was that he mould have the 1 00,000 L 
 ft a year he had demanded, and his debts 
 " paid : but the prince, at the fame time 
 *' that he exprelled the utmoft refpecl 
 
 Seeker. 
 
 " and
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 165 
 " and duty to his Majefty, declared fo 
 *' much diflike to his minifter, that, 
 (t without his removal, he will hearken 
 " to no terms." I have alfo had another 
 piece, in the following words, which is 
 very agreeable. " Lady Dorothy *, whofe 
 " good temper feems as great as her beau- 
 " ty, and who has gained on every one 
 " by her behaviour in thefe moil unhappy 
 " circumftances, is faid at laft to have 
 " gained over lord Euflon, and to have en- 
 '* tirely won his affection." I find, by your 
 letter, the reigning diftemper at the Irifh 
 court, is difappointment. A man of lefs 
 fpirits and alacrity would be apt to cry 
 out, fpes & fortuna valet e ! &c. but my 
 advice is, never to quit your hopes. Hope 
 is often better than enjoyment. Hope is 
 often the caufe, as well as the efFed:, of 
 youth : it is certainly a very pleafant and 
 healthy paffion. A hopelefs perfon is 
 deferted by himfelf 5 and he who forfakes 
 Jiimfelf is foon forfaken by friends and 
 
 * Lady Dorothy Boyle, daughter of the earl of 
 Burlington, and wife to lord Eufton, fon of the 
 of Grafton. 
 
 M 3 fortune,
 
 1 66 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 fortune, both which are fincerely wimec| 
 you by, &c. 
 
 March 5, 1742. Your laft letter, con- 
 taining an account of the queen of Hun- 
 gary and her affairs, was all over agree- 
 able. My wife and I are not a little 
 pleafed to find her fituation fo much bet- 
 ter than we expected, and greatly applaud 
 your zeal for her interefts ; though we 
 are divided upon the motive of it. She 
 imagines you would be lefs zealous, were 
 the queen old and ugly ; and will have 
 it, that her beauty has fet you on fire, 
 even at this diftance. I, on the contrary, 
 affirm, that you are not made of fuch 
 combuftible fluff; that you are affected 
 only by the love of juftice, and infenfible 
 to all other flames than thofe of patriot- 
 ifm. We hope foon for your prefence at 
 Cloyne, to put an end to this controverfy. 
 - Your care in providing the Italian 
 pfalms fet to mufic, the four- ftringed bafs 
 violin, and the antique bafs viol, requires 
 pur repeated thanks. We had already a 
 bafs viol, made in South wark A. D. 1730, 
 and reputed the beft in England ; and,, 
 
 through
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 167 
 through your means, we are poflefled of 
 the bed in France : fq we have a fair 
 chance for having the two bed in Europe. 
 Your letter gives me hopes of a new 
 and profperous fcene. We live in an age 
 of revolutions fo fudden and furprifing, in 
 all parts of Europe, that I queftion whe- 
 ther the like has been ever known before. 
 Hands are changed at home : it is well if 
 meafures are fo too. If not, I fhall be 
 afraid of this change of hands -, for 
 hungry dogs bite deepeit. But let thofe 
 in power look to this. We behold thefe 
 viciffitudes with an equal eye from this 
 ferene corner of Cloyne, where we hope 
 foon to have the perufal of your budget of 
 politics. Mean time accept our fervice 
 and good wifhes. 
 
 Sept. 6, 1743. The book which you 
 were fo good as to procure for me (and 
 which I fhall not pay for till you come 
 Jo receive the money in perfon) contains 
 all that part of Dr. Pococke's travels, 
 for which I have any curiofity : fo I 
 fhall, with my thanks for this, give 
 you no further trouble about any other 
 M 4 volume.
 
 i68 EXTRACTS, &xr. 
 volume. I find by the letter put in- 
 to my hands by your ion (who was fq 
 kind as to call here yefterday, but not 
 kind enough to flay a night with us), that 
 you are taken up with great matters, and, 
 like other great men, in danger of over- 
 looking your friends. Prepare, however, 
 for a world of abufe, both as a courtier 
 and an architect, if you do not find means 
 to wedge in a vifit to Cloyne between 
 thofe two grand concerns. Courtiers you 
 will find none here, and but fuch virtuofi 
 as the country affords ; I mean in the 
 way of mufic, for that is at prefent 
 the reigning paffion at Cloyne. To be 
 plain, we are mufically mad. If you 
 would know what that is, come and fee. 
 
 Ocl:. 29, 1743. A bird of the air has told 
 me that your reverence is to be dean of 
 Tuam. No nightingale could have fung 
 a more pkafing fong, not even my wife, 
 who, I am told, is this day inferior to no 
 finger in the kingdom. I promife you 
 we are preparing no contemptible cho- 
 rus to celebrate your preferment : and 
 if you do not believe me, come, this 
 
 Chriftmas,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 169 
 Ohriftmas, and believe your own ears. In 
 good earneft, none of your friends will 
 be better pleafed to fee you, with your 
 broad feal in your pocket, than your 
 friends at Cloyne. I wifh I were able 
 to wilh you joy at Dublin ; but my 
 health, though not a little mended, fuf- 
 fers me to make no excuriions farther 
 than a mile or two. What is this your 
 favourite, the queen of Hungary, has been 
 doing, by her emiifaries at Peterfburgh ? 
 France rs again upon her legs. I fore- 
 fee no good. I wifh all this may be va- 
 pours and fpleen : but J write in fun- 
 Jhine. 
 
 Jan. 8, 1744. You have obliged the 
 Jadies, as well as myfelf, by your candid 
 judgment on the point fubmitted to your 
 determination. I am glad this matter 
 proved an amufement in your gout, by 
 bringing you acquainted with feveral cu- 
 rious and felect trials *, which I mould 
 readily purchafe, and accept your kind 
 
 * Colle&ion of Trials in France, publifhed under 
 the title of Caufes Celcbres. 
 
 offer
 
 170 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 offer of procuring them, if I did not ap-, 
 prehend there might be fome among 
 them of too delicate a nature to be read 
 by boys and girls, to whom my library, 
 and particularly all French books, arc 
 open. As to foreign affairs, we cannot 
 defcry or prognosticate any good event 
 from this remote corner. The planets 
 that feemed propitious, are now retro- 
 grade : Ruffia, Sweden, and P-ruffia loft ; 
 and the Dutch a nominal ally at beft. 
 You may now admire the queen of 
 Hungary, without a rival : her conduct, 
 with refpect to the Czarina and the Mar- 
 quis de Botta, hath, I fear, rendered cold 
 the hearts of her friends, and their hands 
 feeble. To be plain, from this time 
 forward I doubt we fhall languim, and 
 our enemies take heart. And while I am 
 thus perplexed about foreign affairs, my 
 private ceconomy (I mean the animal 
 03conomy) is difordered by the fciatica; 
 an evil which has attended me for fome 
 time pan; ; and, I apprehend, will not 
 leave me till the return of the fun. 
 Certainly the news that I want to hear 
 at prefent is not from Rome, or Paris, 
 
 or
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 or Vienna, but from Dublin -, viz. when 
 the dean of Tuam is declared, and wheji 
 he receives the congratulations of his 
 friends. I constantly read the news from 
 Dublin ; but led I mould overlook this 
 article, J take upon me to congratulate 
 you aj this moment ; that as my good 
 wimes were not, fo my compliments 
 may not be behind thofe of your other 
 friends. You have entertained me with 
 fo many curious things, that 1 would 
 fain fend fomething in return worth 
 reading. But as this quarter affords no- 
 thing from itfelf, I muft be obliged to 
 tranfcribe a bit of an Engliih letter that 
 I received laft week. It relates to what 
 is now the fubjecl: of public attention, 
 the Hanover troops, and is as follows : 
 " General Campbell (a thorough cour- 
 " tier) being called upon in the Houie of 
 " Commons to give an account whether 
 " he had not obferved fome inftances of 
 ** partiality, replied, he could not fay he 
 " had : but this he would fay, that he 
 " thought the forces of the two nations 
 te could never draw together again. This, 
 t " corning from the mouth of a courtier, 
 
 " was
 
 172 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 - '* was looked on as an ample confef- 
 " ficn : however, it was carried againft 
 " the addrefs by a large majority. Had 
 " the queftion been, whether the Hano- 
 *' ver troops mould be continued, it 
 " would not have been a debate : but it 
 " being well known that the contrary 
 " had been refolved upon before the 
 " meeting of parliament, the moderate 
 <c part of the oppofition thought it was 
 " unneceflary, and might prove hurtful, 
 " to addrefs about it, and fo voted with 
 " the court." You fee how I am forced 
 to lengthen out my letter by adding a 
 borrowed fcrap of news, which yet pro- 
 bably is no news to you. But though I 
 fhould mew you nothing new, yet you 
 muft give me leave to fhew my inclina- 
 tion, at leaft to acquit myfelf of the 
 debts I owe you, and to declare my- 
 felf, &c. 
 
 March 1 6, 1744. I think myfelf apiece 
 of a prophet, when I foretold that the 
 pretender's cardinal feigned to aim at your 
 head, when he meant to ftrike you, like 
 a fkilful fencer, on the ribs. It is true 
 
 one
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 173 
 one would hardly think the French fuch 
 bunglers : but this popifh prieft hath ma- 
 nifeftly bungled fo,as to repair the breaches 
 our own bunglers had made at home. 
 This is the luckierr, thing that could 
 have happened, and will, I hope, confound 
 all the meafures of our enemies. I was 
 much obliged and delighted with the 
 good news you lately fent, which was 
 yefterday confirmed by letters from Dub- 
 lin. And though particulars are not yet 
 known, I did not think fit to delay our 
 public marks of joy, as a great bonfire 
 before my gate, firing of guns, drinking 
 of healths, 6cc. I was very glad of this 
 opportunity to put a little fpirit into our 
 drooping proteftants of Cloyne, who have 
 of late conceived no fmall fears on fee- 
 ing themfelves in fuch a defencelefs con- 
 dition, among fo great a number of pa- 
 pifts, elated with the fame of thefe new 
 enterprizes in their favour. It is in- 
 deed terrible to reflect, that we have 
 neither arms nor militia, in a province 
 where the papifts are eight to one, and 
 have an earlier intelligence than we have 
 of what paflea: by what means I know 
 
 not .; 
 X
 
 174 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 not; but the fadt is certainly true. Good 
 Mr. Dean (for Dean I will call you, re- 
 folving not to be behind your friends in 
 Dublin) you muft know> that to us, who 
 live in this remote corner, many things 
 feem ftrange and unaccountable, that may 
 be folved by you who are near the fountain 
 head. Why are draughts made from our 
 forces, when we moft want them ? Why 
 are not the militia arrayed ? How comes 
 it to pafs that arms are not put into 
 the hands of proteftants, efpecially fince 
 they have been fo long paid for ? Did not 
 our minifters know, for a long time paft, 
 that a fquadron was forming at Breft ? 
 Why did they not then bruife the cocka- 
 trice in the egg ? Would not the French 
 works at Dunkirk have juftified this ftep ? 
 Why was Sir John Norris called off from 
 the chace, when he had his enemies in 
 full view, and was even at their heels 
 with a fuperior force ? As we have 240 
 men of war, whereof 1 20 are of the line, 
 how comes it that we did not appoint a 
 fquadron to watch and intercept the Spa- 
 nifli admiral with his thirty millions of 
 pieces of eight ? In an age wherein arti- 
 cles
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 ties of religious faith are canvaffed with 
 the utmoft freedom, we think it lawful 
 to propofe thefe fcruples in our political 
 faith, which in many points wants to be 
 enlightened and fet right. Your laft was 
 writ by the hand of a fair lady, to whom 
 both my wife and I fend our compli- 
 ments, as well as to yourfelf : I wifh you 
 joy of being able to write yourfelf. My 
 cholic is changed to gout and fciatica, the 
 tar-water having drove it into my limbs, 
 and, as I hope, carrying it off by thole 
 ailments, which are nothing to the 
 cholic. 
 
 Jan. 6, 1745. Two days ago I was fa- 
 voured with a very agreeable viiit from 
 baron Mounteney and Mr. Briftow. I 
 hear they have taken Lifmore in theif 
 way to Dublin. We want a little of 
 your foreign fire to raife our Irim fpirits 
 in this heavy feafon. This makes your 
 purpofe of coming very agreeable news. 
 We will chop politics together, fing lo 
 Ptzan to the duke, revile the Dutch, ad- 
 rnire the king of Sardinia, and applaud 
 the earl of Cheflerfield, whofe name is 
 
 facred
 
 176 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 facred all over this ifland, except Lif- 
 more ; and what fhould put your citi- 
 zens of Lifmore out of humour with 
 his Excellency, I cannot comprehend. 
 But the difcuffion of thefe points muft 
 be deferred to your wimed-for arrival. 
 
 Feb. 6, 1745. You fay you carried 
 away regret from Cloyne. I allure you 
 that you did not carry it all away : there 
 was a good {hare of it left with us ; 
 which was on the following news-day 
 increafed, upon hearing the fate of your 
 niece. My wife could not read this piece of 
 news without tears, though her knowledge 
 of that amiable young lady was no more 
 than one day's acquaintance. Her mourn- 
 ful widower is befet with many temporal 
 bleffings : but the lofs of fuch a wife 
 muft be long felt through them all. 
 Complete happinefs is not to be hoped 
 for on this fide Gafcony. All thofe who 
 are not Gafcons muft have a corner of 
 woe to creep out at, and to comfort them- 
 felves with, at parting from this world. 
 Certainly if we had nothing to make us 
 uneafy here, heaven itfelf would be lefs- 
 
 wished
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 177 
 wilhed for. But I fhould remember I 
 dm writing to a philofopher and divine ; 
 fo fliall turn my thoughts to politics, 
 concluding with this fad reflection, that j 
 happen what will* 1 fee the Dutch are 
 flill to be favourites, though I much ap- 
 prehend the hearts of fome warm friends 
 may be loft at home, by endeavouring to 
 gain the affections of thofe lukewarm 
 neighbours. 
 
 June 3, 1745^ I congratulate with 
 you on the fuccefs of your late dofe of 
 phyfic. The gout, as Dr. Sydenham 
 ftyles it, is amariffimum natures pharma- 
 cum. It throws off a fharp excrement 
 from the blood to the limbs and extremi- 
 ties of the body, and is not lefs ufeful 
 than painful. I think, Mr.* Dean, you 
 have paid for the gay excurfion you made 
 laft winter to the metropolis and the 
 court. And yet, fuch is the condition 
 of mortals, I forefee you will forget the 
 pain next winter, and return to the fame 
 courfe of life which brought it on. As 
 to our warlike atchievements, if I were 
 to fate our fucceffes by our merits, I could 
 N forebode
 
 178 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 forebode little good. But if we are fin- 
 ners, our enemies are no faints. It is 
 my opinion, we mall heartily maul one 
 another, without any fignal advantage on 
 either fide. How the fullen Englilh 
 fquires, who pay the piper, will like this 
 dance, I cannot tell. For my own part, 
 I cannot help thinking, that land expe- 
 ditions are but ill fuited either to the 
 force or intereft of England j and that 
 our friends would do more, if we did 
 lefs, on the continent. Were I to fend 
 my fon from home, I allure you there is 
 no one to whofe prudent care and good- 
 nature I would fooner truft him than 
 yours. But as I am his phyfician, I 
 think myfelf obliged to keep him with 
 me. Befides, as after fo long an illnefs 
 his conftitufion is very delicate, I ima- 
 gine this warm vale of Cloyne is better 
 fuited to it than your lofty and expofed 
 fituation of Lifmore. Neverthelefs my 
 wife and I are extremely obliged by your 
 kind offer, and concur in our hearty 
 thanks for it. 
 
 Nov,
 
 EXTRACTS; &c. 179 
 
 Nov. 24, 1745. You are in for life. 
 l>Jot all the philosophers have been fay- 
 ing, thefe three thoufand years, on the 
 vanity of riches, the cares of greatnefs, 
 and the brevity of human life, will be 
 able to reclaim you. However, as it is 
 obferved, that moft men have patience 
 enough to bear the misfortunes of others, 
 I am refolved not to break my heart for 
 my old friend, if you mould prove fo 
 Unfortunate as to be made a bimop. - 
 The receptien you met with from lord 
 Chefterfield was perfectly agreeable to 
 his Excellency's character, who, being fo 
 clair-voyant in every thing elfe, could not 
 be fuppofed blind to your merit. Your 
 friends the Dutch have (hewed themfelves, 
 what I always took them to be, felfim 
 and ungenerous. To crown all, we are 
 now told the forces they fent us have 
 private orders not to fight : I hope we 
 mall not want them. By the letter you 
 favoured me with, I find the regents of 
 our univerlity have mevvn their loyalty 
 at the expence of their wit. The poor 
 N 2 dead
 
 180 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 dead Dean *, though no idolater of the 
 whigs, was no more a Jacobite than Dr. 
 Baldwin. And had he been even a Pa- 
 pift, what then ? Wit is of no party. 
 We have been alarmed with a report that 
 a great body of rapparees is up in the 
 county of Kilkenny : thefe are looked on 
 by fomc as the fore-runners of an infur- 
 rection. In oppofition to this, our mi- 
 litia have been arrayed, that is, fworn : 
 but, alas ! we want not oaths, we want 
 mufquets. I have bought up all I could 
 
 * Immediately after Dean Swift's death, the clafs 
 of Senior Sophifters, in the college of Dublin, deter- 
 mined to apply a fum of money, raited among them- 
 felves, and ufually expended on an entertainment, 
 to the purpofe of honouring the memory of that 
 great man by a buft to be fet up in the college 
 library. Provoft Baldwin, being a ftaunch whig, 
 and having once fmarted by an epigram of the Dean's, 
 it was confidently thought, would have refufed his 
 confent to this meafurej and the taik of the town 
 about this time was, that the board of Senior Fel- 
 lows would enter implicitly into the fame fentiments. 
 But the event foon proved the falfehood of fuch an 
 unworthy report : the buft was admitted without the 
 kaft oppofition, and is now in the library. 
 
 get,
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 181 
 get, and provided horfes and arms for 
 four-and-twenty of the Proteftants of 
 Cloyne 5 which, with a few more that 
 can furnifh themfelves, make up a troop 
 of thirty horfe. This feemed necelTary to 
 keep off rogues in thefe doubtful times. 
 May we hope to gain a fight of you in 
 the recefs ? Were I as able to go to town, 
 hpw readily mould I wait on my lord 
 lieutenant and the dean of Tuam. Your 
 letters are fo much tiflue of gold and 
 filver : in return I am forced to fend 
 you from this corner a patch-work of, 
 taylors mreds, for which I entreat your 
 compaflion j and that you will believe 
 me, &c. 
 
 Feb. 24, 1746. I am heartily fenfible 
 of your lofs, which yet admits of allevi- 
 ation, not only from the common mo- 
 tives which have beeji repeated every day 
 for upwards of five thoufand years, but 
 alfo from your own peculiar knowledge 
 of the world, and the variety of diftref- 
 fes which occur in all ranks, from the 
 higheft to the loweft : I may add, too, 
 N 3 from,
 
 182 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 from the peculiar times in which we live, 
 which feem to threaten ftill more wretchr 
 ed and unhappy times to come. 
 
 ./Etas parentum pejor avis tulit 
 Nos nequiores, mox daturos 
 Progeniem vitiofiorem. 
 
 Nor is it a fmall advantage, that you 
 have a peculiar refource againfl diurefs. 
 from the gaiety of your own temper. 
 Such is the hypochondriac, melancholy 
 complexion of us iflanders, that we feem 
 made of butter, every accident makes fuch 
 a deep imprefTion upon us ; but thofe elaf- 
 tic fpirits which are your birthright, caufe 
 the ftrokes of fortune to rebound without 
 leaving a trace behind them ; though for 
 a time there is and will be a gloom, 
 which, I agree with your friends, is bed 
 difpelled at the coi^t and metropolis, 
 amidft a variety of faces and amufements. 
 I wifli I was able to go with you, and pay 
 my duty to the lord lieutenant ; but, alas ! 
 thediforder I had this winter, and my long 
 retreat, have difabled me for the road, and 
 
 difqualified
 
 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 difqualified me for a court. But if I fee 
 you not in Dublin, which I wi(h I may be 
 able to do, I mall hope to fee you at Cloyne, 
 when you can be fpared from better com- 
 pany. ' Thefc fudden changes and toflings 
 from fide to fide, betoken a fever in the 
 ftate. But whatever ails the body politic, 
 take care of your own bodily health, 
 and let no anxious cares break in upon 
 it. 
 
 Nov. 8, 1746. Your letter with news 
 from the Caftle found me in bed, confined 
 by the gout. In anfwer to which news I 
 can only fay, that I neither expedl: nor 
 wifh for any dignity higher than what I 
 am encumbered with at prefent. That 
 which more nearly concerns me is my 
 credit, which I am glad to find fo well 
 fupported by admiral Leftock. I had 
 promifed you, that before the firfl of No- 
 vember he would take king Lewis by the 
 beard. Now Quimpercorrentin, Quim- 
 perlay, and Quimperen, being certain ex- 
 treme parts or excrefcences of his king- 
 dom, may not improperly be ftyled the 
 beard of France. In proof of his having 
 
 been
 
 184 EXTRACTS, (ace. 
 been there, he has plundered the ward- 
 robes of the peafants, and imported a 
 great number of old petticoats, waifkoats, 
 wooden fhoes, and one mirt, all which 
 are actually fold at Cove : the fhirt was 
 bought by a man of this town for a groat : 
 and if you won't believe me, come and be- 
 lieve your own eyes. In cafe you doubt 
 either the facls or the reafonings, I am 
 ready to make them good, being now 
 well on my feet, and longing to triumph 
 p,ver you at Cloyne, which I hope will be 
 fopn. 
 
 April 6, 1752. Your letter by laft poft 
 was very agreeable : but the trembling 
 hand with which it was written is a draw- 
 back from the fatisfaction I mould other- 
 wife have had in hearing from you. If 
 my advice had been taken, you would have 
 efcaped fo many miferable months in the 
 gout, and the bad air of Dublin: but 
 advice againil inclination is feldom fuc- 
 cefsful. Mine was very fincere, though 
 I mull own a little interefted ; for we 
 often wanted your enlivening company 
 to diflipate the gloom of Cloyne. This I 
 i look
 
 EXTRA c" T s, &c. 185 
 
 look on as enjoying France at fecond- 
 hand. I wifli any thing but the gout 
 could fix you among us. But buttle and 
 intrigue and great affairs have, and will, as 
 long as you exift on this globe, fix your 
 attention. For my own part, I fubmit to 
 years and infirmities. My views in this 
 world are mean and narrow : it is a thing 
 in which I have fmall mare, and which 
 ought to give me fmall concern. I abhor 
 bufinefs, and efpecially to have to do with 
 great perfons and great affairs j which I 
 leave to fuch as you, who delight in 
 them, and are fit for them. The evening 
 of life I choofe to pafs in a quiet retreat. 
 Ambitious projects, intrigues, and quar- 
 rels of flatefmen, are things I have for- 
 merly been amufed with ; but they now 
 feem to me a vain, fugitive dream. If 
 you thought as I do, we ihould have more 
 of your company, and you lefs of the 
 gout. We have not thofe tranfports of 
 you Caftle-hunters ; but our lives are calm 
 and ferene. We do, however, long to fee 
 you open your budget of politics by our 
 fire-fide. My wife and all here falute
 
 j 86 EXTRACTS, &c* 
 you, and fend you, inftead of compli- 
 ments, their heft fincere wifhes for your 
 health and fafe return. The part you 
 take in my fon's recovery is very obliging 
 to us all, and particularly to, &c. 
 
 G. C L O Y N E.
 
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 2 vols. Price il. 75. 6d. in boards. 
 
 7. THE HISTORY of GREECE, from the Acceffion of ALEXANDER 
 ef MACEDON, till its final Subjedtion to the ROMAN POWER. TH 
 Eight Books. By J. CAST, D.D. Archdeacon of Glandsllah. In one large 
 olume. 410. Price il. is. boards. 
 
 8. Ths ORATIONS of LYSIAS and ISOCRATES, tranflated from the 
 Greek; with fome Account of their Lives, and a Difcourfe on the Hiftorjr, 
 Winners, and Character of the GREEKS, from the Conclulion of the Pelo- 
 ponnefian War to the Battle of Chasronea. By JOHN GILLIES, LL. D. 410. 
 Price i 1. I", in boards. 
 
 9. THE BEAUTIFUL and SUBLIME of SCRIPTURE, being ESSAYS 
 on Seleft Paflages of SACRED COMPOSITION. By Mr. PRATT, 
 Author of the Poem of Sympathy, the Fair Circafiian, a Tragedy, &c. I2tno. 
 Price 35. bound. 
 
 10. THE ADVENTURES of a RUPEE ; wherein are interfperfed va- 
 rious ANECDOTES, ASIATIC and EUROPEAN. To which are prefixed, 
 Memoirs of the Life of the Author ; and to which are annexed, his RE- 
 MARKS concerning the INHABITANTS of AFRICA. Price 35. fewed, or 
 35. 6d. bound. 
 
 ir. THE ORIGIN of the DISTINCTION of RANKS ; or, AN EN- 
 QUIRY into the Circumftances which gave RISE to INFLUENCE and 
 AUTHORITY in the different Members of Society. By JOHN MILLAR, 
 Efq. Profeflbr of Law in the Univerfity of Glafgow. 8vo. 3d Edition. Price 
 6s. bound, or 53. in boards. 
 
 12. A. TREATISE on FOREST TREES, containing not only the bed 
 Methods of their CULTURE hitherto pradttfed, but a Variety of new and 
 ufeful DISCOVERIES, the Refult of many repeated Experiments. As alfo, 
 PLAIN DIRECTIONS for removing moft of the valuable Kinds of FOREST 
 TREES, to the Height of Thirty Feet and upward?, with certain Succefs ; and, 
 on the fame Principle (with as certain Succefs) for tranfplanting HEDGES of 
 fundry Kinds, which. will at once reiift Cattle. To which are added, DIREC- 
 TIONS for the Difpofition, Planting, and Culture of HEDGES ; by obfcrving 
 which, they will be handfomer and ftronger Fences in Five Years, than they 
 now ufualiy are in Ten. By WILLIAM BOUTCHER, Nurleryman at 
 Comely Gardens, Edinburgh. 410, Price ijs. in boards. 
 
 13. THE HERALD of LITERATURE ; or Review cf the moft ccnflder- 
 able Publications that will be mde in ihe Courfe of the ecfuicg Winter^ 
 1784.
 
 This Day is publifhed, 
 Price ONE SHILLING, 
 
 (To be continued Monthly) 
 The Eleventh Number of a New Work, intitled 
 
 THE ENGLISH REVIEW: 
 
 or, An A b (tract of 
 ENGLISH and FOREIGN LITERATURE, 
 
 For the Month of NOVEMBER, 1783. 
 Printed for J. MURRAY, No. 3z, Fleet-Street. 
 
 To the PUBLIC. 
 
 THE wide diffufion of Science and Literature among all the cJafles of 
 fpciety, gives birth to an endlefs multiplicity of performances, which engage 
 the cuiiofity and illuftrate the efforts of men in their advances to refinement 
 and perfection. 
 
 To exhibit a faithful report of every new Publication, is an undertaking of 
 vary extenfive utility. It affords the means of inftruttion to the ftudious, and 
 it amufes the idle. It blends knowledge and relaxation ; and ought to hold 
 out and afcertain the progreflive improvements, as well as the reigning follies 
 of mankind. It is, therefore, a matter of furprize, that two Publications only 
 of the critical kind fhould have been able to eftablifli themfeives in England.. 
 That another fhould ftart for the public approbation, cannot juftly be a fubjedt 
 of wonder, in the prefent enlarged condition of our literature. To cenfure 
 eftablifhed performances might, indeed, 'lead to a fufpicion of envy, and would 
 certainly be ungenerous ^ but to contend with them in merit, ought to be un- 
 derftood as expreffive of a commendable courage, and of a difpofition to excel. 
 
 The Work which we announce, while it has in view the general purpofes 
 of fcience and literature, in common with the two Literary Journals that ftili 
 maintain their importance, is not to be entirely ? confined to them. It is, 
 therefore, proper to detail with precision the objects which it means to pur- 
 fue and to cultivate. 
 
 I. It is propo fed, that THE ENGLISH REVIEW mall contain an account 
 of every book and pamphlet which fhall appear in England, Scotland, Ireland, 
 and America. 
 
 II. It is propofed to give occafional accounts of literature in France, Italy, 
 Germany, and Spain. 
 
 III. As there is a necefTary connection between eminent men and their 
 writings, this work will frequently comprehend original memoirs of celebrated 
 authors. And in this department an extreme caie will be exerted to attairt 
 the truth. K 
 
 IV. The arts, from which polimed nations derive fo much advantage and 
 fplendour, will employ, at the fame time, the attention of the authors. The 
 performances of great matters will draw in a particular manner their curiofity, 
 when they ferve to enlighten our hiftory, to adorn illuftrious events, and to 
 fignalize honourable and gallant achievements, 
 
 V. As there is a reciprocal action of government on literature, and of lite- 
 rature on government, it is lijcewife intended to delineate monthly the picture 
 of the political ftate of Europe ; a'nd, at the termination of every year, to for- 
 nifh a fuccinct but comprehenfive furvey of the more important revolutions 
 which fhall have taken place during the courfe of it. 
 
 Such are the objects which have attracted the attention of the author*, 
 who have engaged in THE ENGLISH REVIEW : and, in the profecution of 
 them, they are fmcerely difpofed to confult the beft purpofes of learning and 
 patriotism. Unconfcious of any improper bias upon their minds, they feel 
 themfelves animated to excrcife that candour and impartiality, which are fo 
 often profeffed, and fo feldom pradtifed. Free and independent of any Sn- 
 flueo'ce, they will endeavour to deliver their opinions with the rcfpect which 
 they owe to the Public, and with that exact fidelity, and thofe ftrupulous at* 
 t^ntions to juftice, which ought invariably to diftinguifh their labours. They 
 have no partialities and prejudices to gratify ; are not impelled by any motives 
 of faction ; and the happieft recompence fot which they wifli, is the praife of 
 their fellow-citizens.
 
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