PEA 
441 
PEA 
of aiking the king’s leave to refign his high flation in 
the church 5 which the primate difcouraged, intimating 
a doubt whether his majefty had it in his power to grant 
fuch a requeft. However, having arrived at the age of 
feventy-three, and believing himlelf to be unfit for dif- 
charging the duties of his ftation, he informed lord Bath 
of his intention to refign both his bilhopric and his dean¬ 
ery, and to live retired upon his own private fortune 3 at 
the fame time foliciting his lordlhip to requeft for him the 
honour of a private audience from his majefty for that 
purpofe. Accordingly, the king fixed a day for his at¬ 
tendance in the clofet, when he entreated for permiffion 
to refign both of his dignities; alluring his majefty that 
he was only influenced by a confcioufnefs that his grow¬ 
ing infirmities rendered him incapable of fuftaining the 
burthen of thofe appointments, and by a defire of fpend- 
ing more time in his devotions and ftudies. He was of 
the fame way of thinking, he faid, with a general oflicer 
of the emperor Charles V. who, when he defired a dif- 
miflion from that monarch’s fervice, and the emperor 
a Iked the reafon for his requeft, anfwered, “ Sir, every 
wife man would, at the latter end of life,, wiffi to have 
an interval between the fatigues of bufinefs, and eter¬ 
nity !” After taking fome time to deliberate, and re¬ 
ceive the opinions of his legal advifers on the fubjedt, 
his majefty fignified his content, and the bifhop adtually 
killed hands on the occafion. 
No fooner was lord Bath informed that the king had 
confented to yield to our prelate’s wilhes, than he requeu¬ 
ed his majefty to bellow the bilhopric and deanery on 
Dr. Newton, bifhop of Briftol. This application alarmed 
the jealoufy of the miniftry, who thought that no digni¬ 
ties in the church Ihould be obtained but through their 
hands. They therefore refolved to oppofe the bifhop’s 
refignation, as the Ihorteft method of preventing, in this 
inftance, an encroachment on their patronage; and they 
informed his majefty, that the defign was generally dis¬ 
approved of by the epifcopal bench. Upon this, the 
king fent for Dr. Pearce, and told him, that he mull think 
no more about refigning his bilhopric. However, in the 
year 1768, he obtained the king’s confent to refign his 
deanery of Weftminfter 5 and from that time he difcharged 
his epifcopal functions, and profecuted his private ftudies, 
with all his remaining vigour, till the year 1773, when, 
by too great exertion, he exhaufted his llrength beyond 
recovery. Having confirmed feven hundred perfons at 
Greenwich, he found himfelf, on the following day un¬ 
able to fpeak, and never regained his former readinefs of 
utterance. His complaint, which was paralytic, conti¬ 
nued to increafe, till, after feveral months of lingering 
decay, he died at Little-Ealing, on the 19th of June 1774, 
in the 84th year of his age. 
Befides the articles already mentioned, bifhop Pearce 
publilhed, 3. An Account of Trinity-college, Cambridge, 
1720, 8vo. 4. Epiftolss dute ad cereberrimum doftiili- 
raumque virum, F. V. Profeflbrem Amftelodamemfem 
fcriptse: quarum in altera agitur de editione Novi Tefta- 
menti a clariflimo Bentleio fulcepta, &c. 1721, 8vo. 5. 
A Letter to the Clergy of the Church of England, on 
occafion of the Bifhop of Rochefter’s commitment to the 
Tower, 1722, 8vo. 6. The Miracles of Jefus vindicated, 
in 4 parts, 1727, 1728, 8vo. in anfwer to fome of the 
principal parts of Mr- Woolfton’s Six Difcourfes on the 
Miracles of our Saviour, &c. 7. Two Letters in contro- 
verfy with Dr, Middleton, on the fubjedt of his attack 
upon Dr. Waterland, 1730 and 1731, 8vo. 8. Two 
Letters to the Rev. Dr. Waterland, upon the Eucharift. 
9. Nine occafional Sermons ; &c. By his will, he be¬ 
queathed his library to the dean and chapter of Weft¬ 
minfter, excepting fuch books as they already poflefTed ; 
which books, together with his manuferipts, he gave to 
his chaplain, the Rev. John Derby. To that gentleman 
was bequeathed the care of publifhing the author’s great 
work, the refult of many years’ ftudious application, and 
which refledts lading honour upon his learning, critical 
talents, and intimate knowledge of the fenfe and fpi- 
rit of the facred writings. It made its appearance in the 
year 1777, under the title of, 10. A Commentary, with 
Notes, on the Four Evangelifts, and the Adis of the 
Apoftles 3 together with a new Tranflation of St. Paul’s 
Firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, with a Paraphrafe and 
Notes, See. 2 vols. 4to. To the Commentary, See. are 
added fome of the author’s earlier theological pieces. 
Mr. Derby alfo gave to the public, from the author’s ma¬ 
nuferipts, 11. Sermons on feveral Subjects, 1778, 4 vols. 
8vo. Account of the Life of the Author, prefixed to his 
Commentary. Monthly Review, vol. Ixi. 
PEARCH. See Perch. 
PEARL, f. [perle , Fr. per/a, Span, fuppofed by Sal- 
mafius to come from fpherula, Lat. Mr. Bryant fays, it 
is “ the pared of the Antonians and Cutliites. Paralia is 
the Land of Pearls.” Analyf. of Anc. Myth. iii. 205. 
Todd. —A different etymology is propofed in a work 
which is expedled Ihortly to ilfue from the prefs. “ The 
Latin corresponding word is unio, union, from unire , to 
join 3 becaufe pearls generally draw their value from be¬ 
ing many of the fame lize, and united together : this leads 
me naturally to fuppofe, that the Englifti pearl and the 
French perle are a contradfion o {'pareil, pareilie, Fr. alike, 
fimilar.”] Pearls, though efteemed of the number of 
gems by our jewellers are but a diftemper in the fifti that 
produces them. Some pearls have been known of the 
lize of a pigeon’s egg ; as they increafe in fize they are lefs 
frequent and more valued ; the true ffiape of the pearl is 
a perfect round; but fome of a confiderable fize are of 
the lhape of a pear, and ferve for ear-rings. Hill. 
Flowers purfied, blue and white, 
Like faphire, pearl, in rich embroidery 
Buckled below fair knighthood’s bending knee. Shahefp. 
See the articles Manar, Mya, and Mytilus. —Pearls 
have been lately difeovered in the mufl'els of the little 
rivers Onune and Ouille, in the province of Luxembourg, 
belonging to the king of the Netherlands : they are va¬ 
rious lizes, fome as large as a pea, all of a very pure wa¬ 
ter, and perfedtly round. 
Artificial Pearls, popularly called beads, were anciently 
only made of glafs, intruded on the in fide with a pearl- 
coloured varnilh, a method firft purfued by fome artifts 
at Murano; or with a kind of amalgam or coating of 
quickfilver withinfide ; afterwards they ufed fmall balls 
of wax or gum, covered with a pearl-coloured enamel. 
Thefe were praifed on account of their 1 u ft re ; but, as 
their beauty was deftroyed by moifture, they did not con¬ 
tinue long in ufe. 
There has fince been invented in France another man¬ 
ner of making them, fo near the natural ones in lulire 
and water that they deceive a good eye. Thefe are what 
the ladies now generally wear in defedl of true pearl. 
Take of thrice diftilled vinegar two pounds; Venice tur¬ 
pentine, one pound ; mix them together into a mafs, and 
put them into a cucurbit; fit a head and receiver to it, 
and, after you have luted the joints, fet it, when dry, 
on a fand-furnace, to diftil the vinegar from it; do not 
give it too much heat, left the fluff fwell up : after this, 
put the vinegar into another glafs cucurbit, in which 
there is a quantity of feed-pearl wrapped in a piece of 
thin filk, but fo as not to touch the vinegar ; put a cover 
or head upon the cucurbit, lute it well, and put it into 
bal. mariae, where you may let it remain a fortnight. The 
heat of the balneum will raife the fumes of the vinegar, 
and they will foften the pearls in the filk, and bring 
them to the confiftence of a pafte ; which being done, 
take them out, and mould them to what bignefs, form, 
and ftiape, you pleafe. Your mould mull be of fine fil- 
ver, the infide gilt; you mull alfo refrain from touching 
the pafte with your fingers, but ufe filver-gilt utenlils, 
with which fill your moulds. When they are moulded, 
bore them through with a hog’s briftle or gold wire, and 
let them dry a little; then thread them again on gold 
wire, 
3 
