1801.] 
with editions of thofe delightful compofi- 
tions. As his health returned, his theo- 
Jogical purfuits were refumed, and he 
again-engaged in the field of controverfy. 
He alfo, in 1789, made a commencement 
of a work, which promifed much, as well 
for his reputation, as for the advantage of 
facred literature. It was ‘* an Union of 
Theological and Claflical Learning, illuf- 
trating the Scriptures by Light borrowed 
from the Philology of Greeceand Rome.”” 
Under the title of ** Silva Critica’? three 
parts of this performance have iffued from 
the univerfity prefs of Cambridge. 
The formation of a diffenting college 
at Hackney, which, it was hoped, by the 
powertul aid of the metropolis, would be- 
¢om* both more confiderable and more 
permanent than former inftitutions of a 
hike kind, produced an invitation to Mr. 
Wakefield to undertake the claffical pro- 
feflorfhip. With this he thought proper 
to comply , and accordingly, in 1790, he 
quitted his abode at Nottingham, and re- 
moved to Hackney, upon the plan of join- 
ing with public tuition the inftruction of 
private pupils. He has himfelf informed 
the public that ‘ both of thefe anchors 
failed him, and left his little bark again 
afloat cn the ocean of life.” It is neither 
neceflary nor defirable to revive the me- 
mory of differences between perfons really 
refpectable and well-intentioned, but under 
the influence of different habits and views 
of things. We fhall confine ourfelves te 
a remark or two. 
Mr. Wakefield was a perfon who de- 
rived his opinions entirely from the fource 
of his own reafon and reflection, and it 
will not be eafy to name a man who ftood 
more fingle and infulated in this refpect 
throughout life than ke. Although his 
principles had induced him to renounce his 
clerical office in the church of England, 
and he had become a difenter from her 
_ doétrine and worfhip, yet he was far from 
uniting with any particular clafs of thofe 
who are ufually denominated diféxters. He 
had an infuperable repugnance to their 
mode of performing divine fervice; and 
he held in no high eftimation the theolo- 
gical and philofophical knowledge which 
it has been the principal object of their fe- 
minaries of education to communicate. 
It hasalready been obferved, that the bafis 
of his own divinity was philology. Claffi- 
cal literature, therefore, as containing the 
true rudiments of gll other fciencc, was 
that on which he thought the greateft 
ftrefs thou!d be laid, in a fyftem ot liberal 
education. ‘This point he inculcated with 
an earneftnefs which probably appeared 
A Tribute to the Memory of Mr. Wakefield. 
fomewhat diftatorial to the conductors of 
the inftitution. 
Further, in the progrefs of his fpecula- 
tions, he had been led to form notions 
concerning the expediency and propriety 
of public worhhip, extremely different from 
thofe of every body of Chriftians, whether 
in fects or eftablifhments ; and as he was 
incapable of thinking one thing and prac- 
tifing another, he had fufficiently made 
known his fentiments on this fubje&, as 
well in converfation, as by abftain-ng from 
attendance upon every place of religious 
aflembly. They who were well acquaint- 
ed with him, knew that in his own breatt 
piety was one of the moft predominant af- 
fections ; but the affembling for focial 
worfhip had for fo many ages been re- 
garded as the moft powerful inftrument 
for the {upport of general religion, that to 
difcowrage it was cunfidered as of danger~ 
ous example, efpecially in a perfon en- 
gaged in the education of youth. Not- 
withitanding, therefore, his claffical in- 
firuétions in the college were received by 
the ftudents almoft with enthufiaftical ad- 
miration, and conferred high credit on the 
inftitution, a diffolution of his connestion 
with it took place in the fummer of 1791, 
The fubfequent publication of his 
pamphlet on Public Worthip deprived. 
him (as he fays) of the only two pri- 
vate pupils he expeéted. From that pe- 
riod he continued to refide at Hackney, 
in the capacity of a retired man of letters, 
employing his time partly in the educa- 
tion of his own children, partly in the 
compofition of works. which will perpe- 
tuate his nameamong thofe who have cul- 
tivated literacure with moft ardour and 
fuccefs. His ‘* Tranflation of the New ‘ 
Teftament, with Notes,” 3 vols. 8vo.-ap- 
peared towards the clofe of 17g1, and was 
very refpectably patronized. In language 
it preferves as much as poffibie of the old 
verfion. Its numerous deviaticns from 
that in fenfe, willbe regarded as happy al- 
terations or bold innovations, according: . 
to the prepoffeffions of the reader.. A long 
lift might be. given ef his facceeding. la- . 
bours, but we fhall only particularize fome 
of the moft confiderable. He printed (no 
longer at the Cambridge-pre’s) two more 
parts of his ‘* Silva Critica.” He gave 
a new edition, much correéted, of his 
‘© Tranflation of the New Teftament;”* 
and befides, proved his zeal for Chritti- 
anity, by enlarging a former work ‘“* On 
the Evidences of the Chriftian Relicion,”* 
and by replymg to Thomas Paine’s at- 
tack upon it in his ‘* Age of Reafon.” 
To the works of Pope, as our molt cul- 
tivated 
