1809.] 
paramount, while.a prince was found so 
base, so cowardly, and so comphant, in 
the person of King Jolin, as to yield ho- 
mage, and transmit a yearly tribute to 
the Holy See. 
At length a new epoch occurred. 
Learning and learned men were fated to 
darta hidden flash of light on a benighted 
world; and the northern parts of Europe 
awoke, as if froma dream or rather a 
stupor. Vhe crown and the nobles shared 
between them a large portion of the pa- 
trimony of St. Peter, while an indige- 
nous Clergy was rescucd trom the yoke of 
a distant superior, Que portion of our 
own island, after a sharp struggle, ab- 
jured a prelatical hierarchy, and founded 
the Ayre on the unassailable rock of po- 
verty, where temptation could not. as- 
sault, or the mainmon of unrighteous- 
ness overpower. It accordingly has ex- 
hibited in an. equality of pastors, pro- 
vided with a decent rather thana splendid 
income, an exainple of primitive manners, 
Joined frequently to. brilliant talents, 
England, the other and richer portion of 
the kingdom, still continues to maintain 
all the various gradations of rank, from 
the humble and useful parish-priest up 
to the mitred priunate of Canterbury, 
who takes precedency of every subject 
in the kingdom, not of the blood royal. 
Unul a very recent period, however, 
it has been customary, ever since the 
reformation, to select these dignitaries 
of the Anglican church from that rank of 
life, where all the virtues are supposed 
to bloom amidst the pryacy of retire- 
ment, and to flourish most beneath the 
shade and shelter of obscunty. Birth, 
gud wealth, and noble alliances, were not 
permitted to extend their hand, in. ors 
der to seize on the crosier, Learning, a 
well-regulated zeal, and an inoffensive 
but pious life, joined to the care and edu- 
cation of some of our noble youth—these 
were the pretensions that justly obtain- 
ed notice, distinction, and preferipent; 
and that these were not ul-bestowed on 
such, the subject of the present memoir 
will, at lgast, serve as an eminent ex- 
aimple. 
Dr. Beilby Porteus was a native of 
Yorkshire, where he was born about the 
vear 1751; but he himself was accusto+ 
med to trace his descent from a Scottish 
family; and it is a well-known fact, that 
his grandiather had repaired to this 
country at no distant period. Lis fa- 
ther, a tradesman of but little eminence, 
resided for many years in the north of 
Englang; and it was at the grammars 
Lord Bishop of London. | — 465 
school at Ripon, under the care of the 
Reverend Mr. Hyde, that young Por- 
teus commenced his classical career. 
By that gentleman he was qualified for 
the University, having determined on 
the church as a profession, at a time 
when he little thought that one of its 
richest mitres would encircle: his head, 
and the two swords in saltier of the see 
of Loudon constitute his arms. Accord. 
ingly, with a zeal worthy of his future 
‘fortune, but an ambition that did nog 
extend beyound a rural cure, he was ens 
tered at Christ’s College, Cambridge. 
It occurred in respect to this student, | 
as to the present Bishop of Landatt, and 
ludeed most of the young men, who 
repair thither from the north of Eng- 
land, who carry with them no other 
pretensions than their talents, that an 
undeviating assiduity and lavorious in- 
dustry occupied and distinguished almost 
every moment of his life. He was ac- 
cordingly treated with respeet by his su- 
periors, and, while qualifying himself for 
the future duties of the sacred profes- 
sion, of which he was one day to be a 
shining ornament, a taste for literature 
and composition was gradually infused 
Into his mind. 
Mr. Porteus obtained his first degree 
as bachelor of arts, in 1752, when he 
was only seventeen Cr eighteen years of 
age. The same year, was also distin- 
guished .by another occurrence, which 
was calculated to form an epoch in the 
life of our Tyro; for he gained one of 
the two gold medals, held out as a tempt- 
ing remuneration to those who should 
produce the best classical essays. This 
well-judged and munificent reward was 
conferred by a former Duke of Newcase- 
tle, then Chancelior of the University : 
as for his competitors, most, if not al, of 
them, bave been long since, in the lan- 
guage of the Scriptures, ‘* gathered unto 
thew fathers,” with an exception, how- 
ever, of Francis Maseres, Esq.’ F.R.S, 
Cursitor Baron of the Exchequer, who 
ras, ke himself, a successtul candidate, 
tis worth, as weil as talents, now be- 
gan fo be known within the precmets of 
his Alma Mater, and in 1754 Mr. Por- 
teus was accordingly nominated one of 
the Esquire Beadles of the University, 
which ottice he held for about 16 months, 
In i735, the degree of Master of Arts 
was conierred upon this respectable stu- 
dent, who now began to behold the 
dawn of his good fortune; for he was 
elected a fellow by his college, and nearly 
at the same timfe appointed one of the 
preachers 
ee eee 
i 
t 
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