10 
®ean end,Chapter of the Cathedral Church, 
4a which Dr. John Law, whe was a prebend, 
ad the leading influence. Men’ ef genius 
‘ave nok: often experienced 4uch bountiful 
patrotage from,the friends whom their talents 
ave procured them. EK was while his.refi- 
‘dence was divided between Carlile and 
Palfton, that Dr. Paley undertook to write 
his firftt and moft celebrated work “The 
Elewents of Moral’ and - Political: Philoto- 
phy.’’. .Itwould however perhaps never have 
‘Qeen produced by a juft confidence in-his 
wn talents, if that had not been aided by 
‘che infigahions ef Dr. John Law ; who hav- 
ang, while. they were connected together at 
college, enjoyed frequent. ‘opportunities of 
looking. anto his lectures, had read them with 
xhe admiration they deferved, and had early 
conceived an idea that they might be expand- 
sed into a meft uleful treatife by the great 
abilities of the author. This’ he had giten 
tuggefted and often urgad.him\to carry it in- 
#0 execution; but Br. ‘Paley always objected 
he little attention that was paid by the,pub- 
dic te :the meit enyinent writers: ‘on tbele fub- 
gects, and after chis marriage thought jt his 
duty not te print. a book that would not be 
Doughe. A living therefore becoming vacant; 
Dr. Law gave it to him on receiving a pro- 
matic that he would confider it,as a compenfa- 
tion for. the hazard of printing, and inimedi- 
ately fet. about preparing bis work for the 
prefs. The tiving was doubtlets intended to 
be freely given to him, but his: friend might 
juitly think it no injurious. departure trem 
zat intention, teu attach a condition to the 
sift which was fo likely to increafe its value. 
Zn 178 *‘ The Elements of Moral and Poli- 
tical Philofophy”’ appeared: - The public 
dd not hefitate long aboutche reception of it. 
it was read with univerfal admiration, and 
_ €ditians were multiplied with a rapidity en- 
urely unexpected by Dr. Paley. Itis dedi- 
cated to the Bithop of Carlifle, in an addrefs 
which may .be fafely preterred to. any com- 
plimentary compofition in the Englifhlan- 
guage. The venerable .age of that diftin- 
guithed prelate, his great fervices to: mankind 
performed .i in a life devoted to the invefliga- 
zion of moral .an¢ religious -truth, ‘aud.the 
uignal and numerogs obligations conferred 
by him upon:the. author, gave a peculiar pro- 
priety to the dedication, and furnifhed fuch 
@ variety as.cannot often be found of noble 
Bee interefting topics. It is unneceflary to 
dd how they are treated: the addrefs ex- 
sibits one of the greateit lterary opportuni- 
dies the moft happily employed. it is upon 
lis work that the reputation of Dr. Paley is 
spriucipally founded, though he has exerted. 
dhe whole force of his mind in many others ; 
and sts merit is fufficient to eftablifh the moft 
allufrious name. It difplays a fayacity, a 
comprchention.and powers-of Communication 
_andinftructien which were never ‘before fo 
iappily united. That indeed which diftin- 
guilhes Dr. Paley from all other writers, in 
Account of the Rev. Dr. Paley. 
[July t, 
the art he poffeffed of familiarizing know-_ 
ledge. » He has the falidity of 4 philofepher, 
without his folemnity and referve; beshas 
difencumbered truth of its fcholattic trap- 
pings and accommodated it to the commoneft 
underftandings. So great is his excellence 
in this refpect, that it has perhaps operated 
againtt his reputation. Becaufe he is intel- . 
ligible, be is thought te be not profound: 
for the {chelar as. oiten icaft apt.to reverence 
the kpowledge of his mater, when he meft. 
readily apprehends his inftruGuons. The po- 
litical {peculations, if not the moft-valuable » 
pact of his work, ‘are certainly chat partan 
which his .talerts are moft eminently @if-. 
played. His Obfervations on the Laws and _ 
Conftitution ef this Kingdom fhew that he. 
had imbibed very largely the fpirit ef our jue. 
rifprudence, and are founded upon enlarged 
views, fuch as'are rarely taken by thofe who, — 
in the courfe of their protefiional ftadies, 
wake greater legal acquifitions, The chapters 
in which he difcuffes the duties aud interefts | 
ot.thofe who, govern kingdoms are no Jefs wor- 
thy of attention ;- and in the latter part of the | 
volume he .inveftigates the caufes of national ° 
profperity, anu the means by which they may 
be rendered moft efficacious, with a degree 
of ikill and originality which may jatly in-_ 
title him to be ranked ameng the greateft 
matters of the fcience of political economy. — 
The politica! writings of Dr Paley have been 
fiudied and admired by the moft illuttrious 
ftate{men of the prefent tumes. Jt would be. 
ulelefs:to enumerate the’ praifes with which 
they have been honoured’; but-the lait and . 
perbaps the moft enviable that wore -beftow=. 
ed on them, were conneéted with circum- 
ftances fo peculiar as to be deferving of men- ” 
tion. In the debate on the Catholic Queftion 
twelve days before lis death, Mr. Fox inthe 
Houfe of Communs read two pafflages from 
his work which cantaimed the leading ideas. 
of the.celebrated fpeech delivered on that. 
occafion. Both of thefe Mr.-Fox prefaced 
with very high .compliments, and when. 
fpeaking of the &r& faid, that the author, 
though living, ought not to be defrauded of 
his:due praife, and -that.ke therefare would 
not conceal his name. This expreflien was 
imperfectly underftood by mot of the re- . 
perters, who in their scence of the debate 
reprefented Mr. Fox as defcribimg:him:to be 
not lising, and {pread about the kingdom 
falfe intelligence that he was dead juft when 
he was labouring under the -illnefs which 
was the caufe of his-death. His friends had 
{carcely enjoyed.the,pleafure of contradict- 
ing it, when they heard another report 
wick could not be-doubted of. The illnets 
was violent, and.continued three weeks; Dr. 
Raley .therefore probably never felt the-la-. 
tisfaétion which the honours paid .to him on. 
that night muft havecowmunicated, had they 
been oad known to him. Far what writer, 
however diftinguifhed his talents, and how- 
ever cualted his yeputation, could be infenfi- 
