G I L 
differences. He had alfo a jufi: concern for all iinder 
afUittion, and was a )niirh readier vidtant at the hoii'e 
of moiiniin:;' than at fire houfe of feafting' ; and his 
large hind of reading and experience always furnilhed 
foniethiiig that rras confolatory. Hence he was called 
the good angel, by all in diflrel's. His hofpitable man¬ 
ner of living was tl'.e admiration of the whole country. 
Strangers and travellers found a cheerful reception at 
his board. All were welcome that catne ; and even 
their bcalts had fo much care taken of them, that it 
was humoiirovitly faid, “If a horfe was turned loofe in 
any part of iJic country, it wotild make its way to the 
rector of Houghton.” Every Sunday, from Micliaclmas 
until Ealter, was a I'ort of public day with him ; during 
which feafon he cxpcCled to fee all hi.' parilhioners and 
their families. He was alfo glad of the company of 
men ot w’orih and letters, who iifed much to frequent 
his houfe. When lord Burleigh, then lord-treafiirer, 
was lent by queen Elizabeth to tranlaCl I'ome afi'.iirs in 
Scotland, he could not refilt the defire which he felt on 
return to fee a man, whole free difeourfe from the pul¬ 
pit to king Edtvard’s court had early recommended 
Jiim to his notice, and whole name he found every where 
mentioned with the highelt veneration. He had not 
time to give notice of his intended vilit; but the eco¬ 
nomy ot I'o plentiful a houfe as Mr. Gilpin’s was not 
ealily difconcerted. He received his noble guelt with 
lo much true politenel's, and treated him and his whole 
retinue in fo affluent and generous a manner, that tile 
trealurcr would often afterw'ards fay, “he could hardly 
have expected more at Lambeth.” While lord Bur¬ 
leigh llaid at Houghton, he had an ofiportunity of fee¬ 
ing true limplicity ot manners, and every focial virtue, 
regulated by exaCt prudence. At length, with reluc¬ 
tance, he took his leave, embracing the worthy paltor 
with all the warmth ot atieCtion. When he had mounted 
a hill about a mile from Houghton, which commands 
the vale, lie turned Ids horfe to take one more view of 
the place, and having kept his eye fixed upon it for 
Ibme time, Jus reverie broke out into this exclamation: 
“ 1 here is the «njoyiuent of life, indeed! Who can 
blame that man for not accepting a bifhopric ! What 
does he want to make him greater, or happier, or more 
ufetul to mankind!” 
But Mr. Gilpin’s ininiflerial labours were not con¬ 
fined to his own parilh. With concern he obferved fe- 
veral of the parifiies around him liink in fuperllition 
and ignorance, owing to the fiianicful negleit of the 
palloral care in their clergy. Thele bad confequences in¬ 
duced Mr. Gilpin to liipply, as far as he could, what was 
waiiting.ia others. For this purpofe he ufed every year 
regulaily to vifit the molt negleCted parifiies in Nor¬ 
thumberland, Yorkfhire, Chelhire, Weltmoreland, and 
Cumberland,- and that his ownparilh in the mean time 
might not luffer, he was at the expence of a conftant 
afliftant. As Mr. Gilpin had all the warmth of an en- 
thufialt, though under the direction of a calm judgment, 
he never wanted an audience even in t.he wildelt parts ; 
where he roufed many to a fenfe of religion who had 
contracted the mofl inveterate habits of inattention to 
every thing ot a ferious nature. Wherever he came, he 
would vifit all the gaols and places of confinement, and 
by his labours and atleCtionate manner of behaviour, re¬ 
formed many abandoned perfons in thofe places. Upon 
the borders of Northumberland there is a traCt of coun¬ 
try called Reads-dale and Tine-dale, ot all barbarous 
places in the north at that time the moll barbarous. 
Before tlie aCl of union it was called the dtbauabk land, 
and was peopled by a kind of defperate banditti, ren¬ 
dered fierce and favage by conftant alarms. They lived 
by theft ; ui'cd to plunder on both Tides of th.e barrier; 
and, v/hat they plundered on one, they expofed to lale 
on the other ; by that means elcaping jultice. In this 
lawlefs country, where no man would even travel that 
tould help it, Mr, Gilpin never failed to fpend foine 
4 
P I N. .571 
p:irt of every year. He had fet places for preachings 
which were as regularly crowded as the aliize towns of 
a circuit. If he came to a place where there was a 
church, he imulo ufe of it; if not, of barns, or any 
other large building; where multitudes vvere fare to 
attend him, fome for his infiruclions, and others for his 
clcirity. 'File liazanls and fatigues attending this em¬ 
ployment were cxceliivc ; but thefe Mr. Gilpin cheer- 
liilly uiidcrwcni, elleeming himfelf abundantly compen. 
fated by the advantages which he hoped would accrue 
from them to his nninflnicled fellow-creatures. The 
difinterelled pains wliich he thus took among thefe illi¬ 
terate people, and the good offices which he was always 
re.idy to do them, drpw from them the fincerelt ex- 
preffions of gratitude. 
On proper occalions, likewife, Mr. Gilpin atforded 
evidence that he wanted neither refolntion nor fpirit-to 
reprove the vices of the great, and to maintain Itis own 
independence and dignity. One day he received, a mef- 
fage from Dr. Barnes, bifhop of Durham, appointing 
him to preach a vifitation fermon on the following Sun¬ 
day. As he was then preparing for a fixed journey into 
Reads-dale and Tine-dale, he lent to acquaint the bifliop 
vvitii the neceflity of his keeping that appointment, and 
to iiitreat that his lordfhip would at that time c.xcufe 
him. His fervant informed him that the bifiiop had re¬ 
ceived his mefl'age, but returned no anfvver. Conclud¬ 
ing him therefore to be fatisfied, he fet out on his jour¬ 
ney; but to his great furprife, when he came homcj 
found himfelf fufpended : f’onie perfbn, out of enmity 
to him, having engaged the bifhop to take that haffy 
ftep. A few days afterwards he received an order to 
meet the bifhop at Cheller, a town in the diocefe of 
Durliam, where the bifhops of that foe formerly reikied. 
Here many of the clergy were uffembled, and Mr. Gil¬ 
pin was ordered by the bifhop to preach that day before 
them. Mr. Gilpin went up, and determined to em¬ 
brace that opportunity of fpeaking foiae home truths 
to his diocefan. The eccleliaffical court of Durham 
was at that time managed in the mofl f'cancktlous man¬ 
ner. The bifhop was a well-meaning but weak man, 
and entirely governed by a relation wlio abufed his au¬ 
thority. Private information of the evils and irregular 
rities oecafioned by his mifconducl had often been con¬ 
veyed to the bifhop, but without any fuccels. Mr. Gil¬ 
pin was therefore rcfolved to make his difeourfe the 
medium of a public application to the bifhop to,i' redreii. 
Acccidingly, he honeftly and plainly expofed tlie enor¬ 
mities which were committed in his diocefe; and in a 
perl'onal addrefs to liis lordfhip boldly infoimeef him, 
that for the guilt of them he would be refponfibie, if, 
after being fully apprif'ed of what was amils, he did 
not bring about an entire reformation. The freedom of 
Mr. Gilpin’s language alarmed his friends, who as he 
went out of church reproved him, for giving to the bi¬ 
fiiop that ailvaiUage over him which he liad long fought 
after; but Mr. Gilpin airured them that if his difcourl'e 
fhoulci do the good which he intended by it, he was re- 
gardlels what the confequejice might be to himfelf. 
Afterwards he waited upon the bifhop, to pay his com¬ 
pliments to him before he went home, when tlic prelate- 
laid, “ Sir, L propofe to wait upon you home mylelf. ” 
This he accordingly did ; and as ioon as Mr. Gilpin 
had taken him into a parlour, the bifhop turned lud- 
dcnly round, and grafped him eagerly by the hand, 
faying, “Father Gilpin, I know you are‘ fitter to be 
the bifhop of Durliam, than I am, to be parfon of tliis 
church of yours. I afk forgivenefs tor paft inju¬ 
ries. 1 know you have enemies ; but, while 1 live bi- 
Ihop of Durham, none of them fnall caule )Ou any far¬ 
ther trouble.” 
We have noticed Mr. Gilpin's uncommonly generous 
and hofpitable maimer of living, a.nd extenfive benevo- 
lence, to which the income arifing from his reitdory, 
though conliderable, mull have been inadequate w itii- 
out 
