$ 5 Ww” . THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 


No. xxtv.] 
MAY 1, 1799. 
[ No. 4. of Vou. vite 


ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
Jo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
I WAS concerned to fee in your laft 
Number an unfavourable reprefentation 
given of that eminently good man Bifhop 
Ken, more efpecially as it is exceedingly 
unjuft. Your correfpondent fays, ‘* that 
the Bifhop hada very lively tafte for mu. 
fic and poetry, and fang a hymn every 
morning to his lute, which he had com- 
pofed the preceding evening. It feems 
that this chaunting of hymns was lefs an 
exprefiion of his piety, than an exhalation 
of his bile, and a foother of his political 
difappointment.”’ He thus alludes to his 
cuftom : 
«6 Eas’d of my facred load, I live content, 
*‘ In hymns, notin difputes my paflion vent.’ 
The writer fhould in juitice have quoted 
the two preceding lines: | 
‘© T gladly wars ecclefiaftic fly, 
«* Where’er contentious fpirits I defery.’? 
No man was of a more pacific, or lefs 
difcontented fpirit, than Bifhop Ken; and 
though he could not bring his con{cience 
to transfer his allegiance from his Sove- 
reign, yet he took care to avoid giving 
any countenance to the warm non-jurors, 
and was held in fuch efteem by Queen 
Anne for his exemplary humility and pi- 
ety, that fhe fettled a penfion of 200]. a 
year upon him. 
The little poetical expreflion pafion, 
_ feems to have put the notion into the head 
o 
of your corre{pondent, that the Bifhop felt 
his difappointment and lofs; but when 
the good man adopted it, I am fenfible he 
never formed the idea which is here at- 
tached to it. His meaning is, that while 
other divines are engaged in all the fury of 
religious and political controver(y, he feels 
himfelf happier in his privacy and obf{cu-_ 
rity, amufing himfelf with facred poely. 
The hymn which the Bifhop conftantly 
made ufe of in the morning, is that beau- 
tiful one, 
** Awake my foul, and, with the fun, 
** Thy daily ftage of duty run,’’ &c. 
to which he added that elegant doxology, 
‘¢ Praife God from whom all bleffings flow,”’ 
&c 
Bifhop Ken was a man of truly primi- 
tive principles and piety, and thougha 
genuine afcetic, had no portion of {uper- 
Montuiy Mac. No, xtiv. 
{tition about him. In early life, he was 
at the Hague as Chaplain to the Princefs 
of Orange, whofe efteem he obtained ; but 
he loft that of her hufband (afterwards 
King William), by a piece of conduct 
which, in my opinion, redounds to his ho- 
nour. One of the Prince’s particular fa- 
vourites had feduced a lady in the train of 
the Princefs under the pretext of a promife 
of marriage, which he afterwards refuled 
to perform. Ken by his labours brought 
the feducer to fulfif his engagement, which 
fo difpleafed the Prince that he threatened 
to difcharge him from the fervice. Our 
divine, not brooking fuch ufage, gave in 
his refienation, and certainly would have 
gone had not the Prince condefcended to 
requeft him to continue. 
On another occafion, his integrity was 
remarkable. While he was prebend of 
Winchefter, the famous Nell Gwyn being 
at that City with King Charles II. the 
Doétor’s prebendal houfe was pitched upon 
for her refidence; but he refufed her ad- 
mittance, and fhe was obliged to procure 
other lodgings. The good-humoured 
Monarch was not at all difpleafed with his 
Chaplain’s conduct, as he was convinced 
of his fincerity; and without any folicita- 
tion appointed him to the bifhopric of Bath 
and Wells. The Doétor’s behaviour in 
the laft illnefs of the King is univerfally 
known. Bifhop Ken, though a firm ad- 
vocate for epifcopacy, was yet very fa- 
vourable and friendly to diffenters ; and 
the pious and ingenious Mrs. Rowe in 
particular was on terms of great intimacy 
with him. I am, Sir, yours, 
London, April10,1799. J. WATKINS. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIRs 
I CANNOT exprefs how much I admire 
your Monthly Magazine; and I amglad 
to find that the fale is fo confiderable. You 
have obliged me by the infertion of the ar- 
ticle I formerly fent you. With this I fend 
a continuation of my difcuffion: f the doc- 
trine of phlogifton. The papers are to be 
ait: in the Medical Repofitory, pub- 
ifhed at New York; but this work goes 
into few hands compared with the great 
number of your readers. 
ii Withing 
et anime SS ee 
