1809.] 
now a dignitary of the church of Ireland, 
his lordship had also a leng dispute, re- 
lative to the right of presentation to 
a rectory in Essex; but being unac- 
quainted with the merits of the case, we 
cannot pretend to decide on this subject. 
As to the obloquy, however, which was 
attempted to be cast on the venerable 
prelate, on account of his conferring a 
valuable living on the Rev. J. F. Useo, 
a Jearned Prussian, who speaks fifteen 
different Janguages, and had been em- 
ployed on a mission abroad, we never 
could give it the least countenance. 
Neither the morals, nor talents of that 
accomplished divine, have been objected 
to; and as to the mere circumstance of 
his being a foreigner, we think the dis. 
qualification not only balanced, but out- 
weizhed, by his eas merits and ac- 
coinplishments. 
On one subject, we are desirous to 
give Dr, Porteus great and unqvalitied 
praise: this is the ‘education of the Ne- 
groes, on Dr, Bell’s and Mr. Lancaster’s 
plan. He was always, as has been al- 
ready noticed, a strenuous advocate’ for 
the abolition of the slave trade ; and we 
only lament that he did not "contend 
openly, and manfuily, like Horsely, from. 
the bench of bishops, in favour of that 
humane measure, as his character and 
influence would have powerfully assisted 
in putting an end to such a diabolical 
commerce, many years before its final 
extinetion. 
{n respect to politics, he appears to 
have uniformly voted with his majesty’s 
miaisters; and although not an active 
partizan, yet by siding with and sup- 
porting them in all our late wars, he did 
not stand so high, perhaps, in the public 
estimation, at least in this point of view, 
as if he had maintained an uniform neu- 
trality, on a subject of this kind. We 
Original Letters of Mr. Gibbon. 469 
recollect, indeed, to have heard a line 
of his own composition quoted against 
bim in the house of Saihliblg on an event 
of this kind. 
In regard to style, Da; Porteus’ poe- 
tical works, ex: ‘bit a character of un- 
adorned elegance, and he seems to have 
preferred biank verse to rhyme. His 
prose composition is classically correct ; 
but he was perhaps too studious to avoid 
the blandishments of ornaments, and the 
Inspirations of fancy, which he doubtless 
considered .as meretricious embellish- 
meut, unbecoming either the subject of 
the author. 
In his youth, the person of Porteus 
been handsome, and until of late he pre- 
served a florid hue, and features that 
bespoke a manly beauty. He had been 
lony -afflicted with one of those com- 
plaints incident to sedentary persons, 
which at length produced a general de-~ 
bility, and he yielded to the pressure of 
accumulated disease, nearly at the period 
when he was about to become an octo- 
venarian, 
During the winter, the bishop usually. 
spent most of his time in St, Jameés’s- 
square: the spring and autumn were 
chiefly passed at Fulham: a portion of 
the summer was -constantly dedicated to 
a rural retreat at Sundridge, in Kent, 
where he lived hike a private ventleman, 
without ostentation, and without parade. 
His lordship left town but two days be- 
fore his death, for the palace on the 
banks of the Thames, where he ceased to 
exist. On this, as on all similar occasions, 
the great bel of St. Paul’s, reserved 
to announce the demise of the sovereign 
and the diocesan, was tolled. 
His remains are to be interred in a 
vault, at the chapcl at Sundridge, im 
Kent, built and endowed by hin, more 
majorum, expressly-for this DATOS, 
ORIGINAL LETTERS OF MR. GIBBON, THE HISTORIAN. 
Dear Srr, 
YIELD to your reason, and to An- 
drews’s law, and Boleve it may be 
safer not to move the foundations of 
things. The best part of the honse is 
perfectly clear, and.with regard to the 
words, however uniuchky the omission 
might be at first, we must now, shift as 
well as we can, But the written agree- 
ment of another year for the repairs, may 
surely be expressed in a.few strong 
chosen terms, declaring, that in every 
other particular the lease shall remain 
entire as if nothing, &c. and without 
such a security, I am every day more at 
his mercy. Every day ins damages will 
‘encrease, my pleas will lose something 
of their force. Terror, and if mecessary, 
actual violence, are our best weapons 
against him: and if he should! hesitate 
about signing, I would leave him only 
eight and forty hours to consider, whether 
he would see a distress upon the ai. [ 
‘am half sorry that you were ‘te receive 
the 
