314 On a Letter from Stephen Duclc. 



a sound education in their native place. The son of the clerk of 

 Totnes, when his schooling was done, he hecame master of a charity 

 school in the same town, and saved up money to enable him, with 

 help from his friends, to go to Oxford University, becoming an 

 undergraduate at Wadham College in March, 1744. At the date 

 of our letter he was in his 30th year, and was finishing his under- 

 graduate course. He was, of course, older than most of his 

 academical compeers, but he spent his time to such good purpose 

 that, just before his degree, he became author of two " Critical 

 Dissertations." (1) On the Tree of Life in Paradise, the Creation 

 and Fall; and (2) On the Oblations of Cain and Ahcl; 8vo, Oxon. 

 1747. He sent a copy, among others, to our Thresher-Poet, 

 Stephen Duck, who wrote the following letter in acknowledgment 

 of this kindness. The University authorities were so well satisfied 

 with Kennicott's performance that they passed him the unusual 

 compliment of conferring on him the B.A. degree (by mandate) 

 without the payment of any fees. Duck's letter is dated six days 

 before the degree was given to his friend. Exeter College (which 

 had a connexion with his county) rewarded him with a fellowship ; 

 and other honours and labours followed. Kennicott issued from 

 time to time the results of his investigation of the state of the 

 Hebrew text and MSS of the Old Testament. His collations 

 have now been superseded. See Hastings, Bible Diet., iv., 727. 

 The merits and defects of his work were fairly stated by J. 

 Jennings, in ed. 3 of Kitto's Biblical CyclojKcdia. Kennicott became 

 in due course D.D., Canon of Christ Church, Radcliffe librarian, 

 Vicar of Culham, Whitehall preacher. Prebendary (or Canon) of 

 Westminster, and Vicar of Menheniot, in Cornwall. He died in 

 1783. At the time when this letter was written he was only just 

 rising into notice. 



His correspondent, Stephen Duck, was about 42 years old at 

 the time. Born at Charlton, in Pewsey Vale, Wilts, in 1705, he 

 soon forgot what little arithmetic and English he had learned 

 before he became a labourer. He married and worked as thresher 

 first at Hatford, near the other Pusey, and my old Berkshire home, 

 \\\ the Vale of White Horse, and then at Charlton, near Pewsey, 



