
180i.) 
ten pounds if the Bank did not break in 
Mr. R.’s life-time. [he proof was to 
depend oa a bank-note of ten pounds 
being offered at the Bank, and not pro- 
ducing in return ten pounds in’ {pecie. 
Every year added ftrength to the fingula- 
rity of Mr. R.’s opinion, and he main- 
tained it as firmly as another on a philofo- 
phical fubjeét, which he defended with 
great vigour of mind, and, when paft 
eighty years of age, fupported by quota- 
tions from the claflics, repeated with the 
utmoft energy and claflical tafte—the 
future deftruction of the earth by fire. 
‘On this queftion he folicited no aid from 
the arguments fometimes ufed in the pul- 
pit on the fame fubject; for the path to 
his church was grown over, and his pew 
left to the fame decay as his coach-houfe. 
Yet this circumftance led to a trait in 
his character, which was. better dif- 
covered by his own recital of the anec- 
dote, than it can be by the pen of the 
writer. _ 
A little time before the death of the 
archbifhop of Armagh, he made a vifit 
into Kent, to fee his relations, and among 
them him who was to inherit his title. 
« The archbifhop told me,” faid Mr. R. 
“ that he would dine with me on Saturday. 
I gave orders for dinner and fo-forth for 
my coufin the archbifhop; but I never 
thought, till he came, that the next day 
‘was Sunday. What was I todo? here 
was my coufin the archbifhop, and he 
muft go to church, and there was no way 
to the church, and the chancel-door had 
been locked up for thefe thirty years, and 
my pew was certainly not fit for my cou- 
fin the archbifhop. I fent off immedi- 
ately to Hythe for the carpenters, and the 
joiners, and the drapers, and into the vil- 
lage for the labourers,-the mowers, and 
the gravel-carters. All went to work, 
the path was mowed, the gravel was 
thrown on and rolled, a gate made for 
the church-yard, the chancel-door opened 
and cleaned,a new pew fet up, well lined 
and ftuffed, and cufhioned ; and the next 
day 1 walked by the fide of my coufin, the 
archbifhop, te church, who found every 
thing right and proper: but I ‘have not 
been to church fince, I affure you.” This 
fingularity in abftaining from the places 
of religious worfhip arofe, partly from 
the exalted view which he entertained of 
the nature of the Deity, whofe altars, he 
ufed emphatically to fay, was earth, fea, 
fkies ; from the little regard he paid to 
the clerical or minifterial character, and 
from the difguft in his mind at the ftrefs 
laid by divines upon trifies, their illiberali- 
ty in wifhing every one to rely upon them 
for their faith, their frequent perfecution 
of others, and from a ftrange opinion of 
Monruty Mae. No. 67. 
~ 
Memoirs of Lord Rokeby. 
man of fenfe. 
529 
the great inefficacy of their preaching. 
Religion he ‘conceived to be a mere per- 
fonal concern between the creature and 
the Creator; and the Supreme, in his 
opinion, was degraded by being made 
a party in queftions cften political, and 
on the mode of his exiftence being made 
a barrier between the natives of the fame 
ifland. Yet, with thefe opinions, he 
“could converfe with the clergy of all 
defcriptions as freely as with other men; 
and when they were men of liberal edu- 
cation and enlightened minds, was much 
gratified by the pleafure of their com- 
pany. 
In the year 1794, Mr. R. became, by 
the death of the archbifhop of Armagh, 
Lord Rekeby; and it is natural to afk 
what difference the title made in his man- 
ners?, Precifely none. “He was now ad- 
dreffed by the'title of lord inftead of fir; 
and, as he ufed to fay, they are both the 
fame in the Latin. Yet the acceflion to 
his title gave him rights in Ireland, and 
his letter to Lord Caftlereagh fhewed that 
he was not unworthy of them, and that if 
age and infirmities had prefented no obfta- 
cles, the Irifh Houfe of Lords would have 
been dignified by the prefence of a man 
who alfumed for his motto, on this occas 
fion, what he really pofieffed in his heart, 
independence. Very fantaftical notions 
accompany, in fome perfons minds, the 
ticles of the peerage. ‘[hey think of fine 
drefs, {plendid carriages, haughty demea- 
nour, fomething differing from the many. 
Such perfonswere muchembarrafied at the 
fight of Lord Rokeby. A venerable man 
with a long beard, fallow complexion, fur- 
rows on his forehead, the traces of deep 
thinking, fore part of the head bald, from 
the hinder flowing long and lank locks of 
white hair, a white or blew flannel coat 
and watftcoat and breeches, worfted ftock- 
ings, and fhoes tied with black firings. 
The ruffies at his wrift, and the frill fewed 
to his watftcoat, were the only linen about 
him. His body was rather bent, but till 
he was near his end, his pace was firm, 
and he was feen walking in this manner 
from his houfe to Hythe, or back, or, 
which was more gratifying to his friends, 
when they firft caught a view of the houfe, 
walking up and down the pavement be- 
fore his door. .How car this man be 
a lord? iaid the vulgar. Would to God 
more lords were like this man! faid the 
J with we weré all as 
attentive to good breeding! faid the man 
of fafhion. 
From the time of his’ acceffion to the 
title, to the day of his death, Lord Rokeby 
feldom went farther from home than 
Hythe; but he would have thought that 
he had fotieited all regard to his. princi- 
TS eis ee ples 
