44 
last Warden and the first Dean of Manchester, and is now 
generally spoken of as Dean Herbert, although he was Dean 
only for about a year. Mr. Eglington Bailey, in his forth- 
coming history of the Wardens of Manchester, sums up his 
character in these words. “ He was an active and influential 
dignitary, when in Manchester ; throwing himself unreser- 
vedly into his work, and labouring with all his might to 
fulfil his high responsibilities. He was simple and un- 
affected in his manners, and walked quietly about Man- 
chester, acquainting himself with its people, their interests, 
and wants; inspecting its improvements, promoting its 
charities, and diffusing by his presence and acts of unosten- 
tation, benevolence, happiness, and contentment every- 
where.” — “ His conversational powers were not remarkable, 
and while he maintained that the pulpit was the true place 
for the clergy, he was himself a dull preacher, without ani- 
mation or any of the recommendations of a popular orator, 
except an expressive and benevolent countenance.” The list 
of his literary works will be given in Mr. Bailey’s memoir, 
and will show the wide extent of his acquirements. He 
was an excellent classical scholar, wrote Latin and English 
verse with correctness and elegance, had an extensive know- 
ledge of modern languages, even extending to Icelandic and 
the northern dialects. He was an able naturalist, and con- 
tributed notes on ornithology to Burnet’s edition of White’s 
Selborne; and a writer in the ‘‘Gentleman’s Magazine” 
sums up in these words : “ On the whole I consider Herbert 
to have been one of the most learned and accomplished 
persons of his age.” 
Now it is a strange circumstance that the feature of Dean 
Herbert’s life which is most noteworthy, appears to have 
been entirely overlooked by all his biographers. Neither 
Parkinson in “ The Old Church Clock,” nor the writer in 
the “ Gentleman’s Magazine ” appears to have been aware 
of his botanical acquirements, and of the immense mass of 
