1797-] Ovig. Notices of Eminent Charaéters..Rev. H. Worthington. 403 
was next appointed to the Argo, of 44 guns, 
and procceded in her to the Mediterranean. He 
had juft arrived at Gibraltar when the news was 
brought of Admiral Lord Hotham’s aétion with 
the French fleet. Having at this time the 
charge of a convoy, he took two men from 
each of the meérchant fhips, and manning a 
French veffel which had been captured, he filled 
both her and the Argo wjth ftores. This en- 
terprize coft him thirty-fix hours only : he ‘et 
fail, and fhortly after joined the flect at fea, 
with this very feafonable fupply of ftores.—= 
It happened fhortly after, that Captain Bur 
gefs was left at Gibraltar, with upwards of 
twenty merchant fhips, uuprovided with eit!er 
infiructions or rendezvous. His fenior officer, 
who was bound to Engiand witha convoy, uf 
which thefe fhips made a part, was in fo great, 
a hurry to get home, that he thought proper to 
leave them behind: Captain Burgefs took 
charge of them, and fellin with what he fup- 
pofed te be a part of Richery’s fquad-oi: he 
had the prefence of mind and addrefs to hot a 
flag, and cover his fhip, the Argo, with fignels, 
in confequence of which the enemy’s fleet, to 
qwindward of him, went off. On the following 
day two French frigates made their appearance 
to leeward ; he made the fignai fer the convoy 
to haul their wind, bore down on the enemy’s 
fhips, and dxove them off. For th:s effential 
fervice the merchants and underwriters of Ex¢- 
ter prefeted him with a valuable piece of plate. 
—Captain Burgefs afterwards ferved under Sir 
Edward Pellew, and was with him at the time 
of the capture of the Virginia, &c. He now 
became captain of the Ardent, and was one 
of the officers on the nortls 
Kept their fhips at fea during the late mutiny, 
We have already recerded the particulars of the 
glorious a@ion in which he fell, and of his he- 
roieal conduct en the zrth of Ottober. Short 
as was his career of military glory, few ofiicers 
have had equal’ oppertunities to diftinguith 
themfelves, and very few could have turned 
them to fo valuable an account. 
On Odeber 29, 1797, died at Leicefer, where 
he had been patior to a fociety of Proteftant 
| Diffenters almoit 56 years, the Rev, Hucu 
‘Wortaincton, AM. in the 86th year of 
his age. This venerable nian was born June 
arth, 1712, at Balaw-ouwood, near Stockport, 
C@hethire. His father, who was a tanner, and 
4 man truly reipeétable, had four fons; one of 
whom applied to trade, the others to the three 
Jearned profeffions, Mr W. was the fecond 
fon, and commenced his grammar-leaining un- 
der the Rev Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Eaton, who 
kept a {chool there before he removed to Not- 
| tingham, When he had attained to his 18th or 
_Agth year, and had acquired a competent know- 
| ledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, he ftudied 
| the fciences and theology under his uncle, the 
Rev. Hugh Worthington, who was minilter al- 
‘Moft 30 years at Dean-row, in that neightour- 
; a gentleman, diftinguiibed both as a 
Montuiy Mac, XXIy, 


; 
ele 
ftation who. 
{fcholar and a preacher, and who in fucceffion 
trained many perfons for the duties of the pul- 
pit¥. In 1734 Mr, W. in company with the 
Jate excellent Mr. Hamfton of Banbury, went 
to GLAscow, where they attended the lectures - 
of various profeffors; and were particularly in- 
debted, for their literary improvement, to the 
private and friendly converfe of the celebrated 
Srmpfory whom bigotry had recently ejected 
from the divinity-chair in that univerfity. 
In 1735 he was admitted to the degree of 
Matter of Arts, paffed a public examination be- 
fore many minifters in Chefhire, began to 
preach, and foon after fettled at Leek in Staf- 
forcfhire. In 1738, he removed to London, be- 
ine chofen librarian to Dr. Williams’s truft in 
Redcrots-{trett, and paftor to the fociety at 
Newington-ereen, where in fubfequent years the 
eminent Dr. Paice fpent a great part of his 
hfe. Near the clofe of the year 1741). the con- 
gregation affembling at the Gr-at Meeting, 
LEICESTER, unanimoufly invited Mr. Worth- 
ington to undertake the paftoral office among 
them, which was then vacated by the death of 
the Rev Mr. Waifon+. To this place he foon 
* Ag that gentleman was not only Mr. W.’s5 
relation, but his tutor, and feems to have been 
a principal infirument in forming him for all 
his future ufcfulneis, a few. particulars refpea- 
ing hin may not be unacceptable. He was 
trained to the miniftry partly under Mr. Jolly, 
of Atterclift, and partly unser the fill more cea 
lebrated Mr. Matthew Henry, of Chefter. His 
firft tettlement was at Ormfk rk in Lancathire, 
from whence he removed to Dean-row, and 
continued there till the end of life, preaching 
with great acceptance, and with more populaiity 
than any minuter in that part of England. The 
chapel, though large, was fo crouded, that 
numbers ftood in the arfles: he was fluent, 
tender, and pathetic in his addrefs, often in 
tears, and numbers in his auditory weré equally 
moved. He had notes, containing the heads 
of his difcourfe, and references tu various ferip- 
tures, but delivered the major part of hig fer- 
mons extempore. In every fenfe he was efteem- 
ed an excellent preacher, moderate in fenti- 
ments, fond of Mr. Baxter’s writings, of an 
amiable temper, and highly refpeéted by his 
cople. Though he was very ftudious, and 
afifted not a few in their preparation for the 
miniftry, yet he vifited his charge much, and 
made his vifits (@fpecially among the fick) de- 
votional and edifying. Mr. Wojthington never 
fpoke of his uncle but with the ceepeft vene- 
ration ; and has acknow'edged, that under his 
preaching, the impreffions of religion, firft re. 
ceived by a pious education, were cultivated 
and ftrengthened in bis heart. 
+ Not long after this he married a daughter 
of the Rev. BENJAMIN ANDREW ATKINSON, 
who preaches at St. Thomas Apoifie’s, London, 
a minifter uncommonly verfed in the Oriental 
languages, and the tun of the celebrated author 
of the Epitome of Nawigation. She furvives, 
a f.ithful mourner, and an affectionate parent. 
~ 
3G after 
