26 ROBERT POCOCK. 



sold off the property among themselves, to their eternal 

 shame and disgrace/' 



This society was presumably the Natural History 

 Society of the County of Kent, of which he was both 

 founder and chairman. 



We must remember, however, in justice to the un- 

 informed townsmen, that the era of " Mudie " had not 

 then arisen ; and it is interesting to note that only 

 four years before the establishment of Pocock's printing 

 press, these unsophisticated people had been seriously 

 imposed upon in listening with much interest, on the 

 Sunday before his commitment, Sept. 3, 1782, to a 

 pseudo-Rev. John Lloyd, really a highwayman, who, 

 with forged letters of ordination, had preached an edify- 

 ing discourse at Gravesend parish church, taking his 

 text from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, 

 " For I have learnt, in whatsoever state I am, therewith 

 to be content." 



The MS. sermon was found in his pocket when 

 apprehended, and in it occurs the following amongst 

 many similar passages : 



" The remembrance of a well-spent life, and of the 

 many benefits and kindnesses done by us to others, is 

 one of the most pleasing things in this world." 



Indeed the experience of the inhabitants had not 

 been happy in ecclesiastical affairs. The church- 

 wardens fell under the censure of the great Bishop 

 Fisher in 1522 (a prelate of whom Dean Hook rightly 

 says, that to his transcendent virtue and noble qualities 

 justice has never been done) ; while in 1710 we find 

 the Mayor busily taking the information of Arthur 

 Gibbon, of Milton next Gravesend in the county of 

 Kent aforesaid, glazier, upon oath, that, " being at the 



