-430 
charge of which is entirely left to a curate, 
a gentleman, for respectability of charac- 
ter as well as general learning, inferior 
perhaps to few of his profession; yet, 
alter thirty-nine years laborious and di- 
higent exercise of that profession, and 
Row approaching to threescore years 
and ten, he has never possessed the 
smallest endowment, nor even an occa- 
sional income amouttting to foerseore 
pounds a year in his profession. And 
while neither of the rectors, I believe, 
in fifteen years, has bestowed a shilling 
in charity or hospitality, to encourage 
merit or relieve distress, in their parishes, 
the curate has bestowed many pounds. 
And yet it seems thatsuch situations as 
the former are thought an object of royal 
and parliamentary consideration, while 
such as the latter are thoagtit below all 
eoncern! Nor is the above mentioned 
asa peculiar case, but only as what is 
most immediately under the eye of the 
writer. Itis true, few curates have votes 
for members of parliament, or much bo- 
rough or corporation interest or influ- 
ence, to recommend them to the notice of 
statesmen and ministers. But the in- 
fluence, or want of influence, of the pa- 
rochial clergy with respect to the interest 
of the public, and even of the statesman 
and wunister, if he have the wisdom te 
knew it, and to estimate the value of 
morals and order among the people, is 
of more importance than that of all the 
archbishops, hiskeps, and dignitaries 
of the church, put together. 
It must indeed be allowed that 1501. a 
year, or under, at the present rate of 
every article of living, is but a moderate 
provision for one who must support the 
character and appearance of a gentle- 
man. But what shall we then say of the 
curate, who must support the same cha- 
racter and personal appearanee, on a 
provision perhaps under 50/.; or, if he 
does not, in the eyes of the unthinking 
multitude, must become contemptible, 
and of course, in a great measure, un- 
profitable in his station? 
If an incumbent has 1902. or upward, 
which he receives as a sinecure, and 
coasigns entirely not only the clerical 
duty (or what is called, perhaps not very 
properly, cure of souls), but also the ob- 
hgations to hospitality and charity, and 
the charge of supporting decency and 
erder by example and imfluence, to a 
€urate to whom he allows perhaps 25é. 
or 301.; which of the two is the object 
ef most importance to the public? or 
whose situation of the two most requires, 
Plan for expressing Musical Time. 
[Jane 2, 
or most deserves, consideration and ree 
lief? But perhaps it will be said thag 
the incumbent, who thus consigns his 
charge so entirely to another, is himself 
discharging equally necessary duty else- 
where. Perhaps he is. And if so, he 
has also other sources of income else- 
where; perhaps benefice on benefice, tilf 
he must have a dispensation from the 
laws of his country to enable him to hold 
them. If incumbents are thus so en- 
tively unconcerned about their cures ang 
curates, it would surely be a goud regu- 
lation, that whatever inerease of provi- 
sion the legislature may think fit to make, 
should be attached to the immediate 
performance of the parochial duty. 
Then, if the incumbent is dependent on 
such a living alone, it will be an induce- 
ment for him to reside on hts benefice, 
and do the duty of it; if he can live in- 
dependent of his profession, or has other 
preferment, a decent competency and 
respectability in his station, may thus he 
secured for him who shall do the duty. 
And I think it were a further good and 
just regulation, that wherever an in- 
cumhent, either to follow his pleasures 
or being engaged with other preferments, 
consigns his charge entirely to another, 
to perform all the duty, and sustain all 
the responsibility, he who thus sus- 
tains the whole charge, should at least 
receive. half the emoluments. If the 
living be of great value, the incumbent 
may afford either to live upon it without 
other preferment, or to allow half the 
ineome to his curate. If he has other 
preferment, or the living be of small va- 
lue, it is the more reasonable, and even 
necessary, that the eurate should have 
half uf it atleast. If, as seems proposed, 
an augmentation be granted to all liviags 
under 1501. still the curate’s share of the 
bipartite division must be allowed to be 
the best deserved, and most properly 
bestowed. And, if all livings are to be 
raised to 150/. and a curate serves two 
cures, which in the country is very ge= 
nerally the case, he will then have 150/, 
also: less than which, indeed, no paroe 
chia] clergyman can, in these times, live 
upon as becomes his station and charac 
ter. ‘Thus, by these two simple regula- 
tions, at least a decent provision, would 
be secured for every officiating clergyman 
in the kingdom. Mowniror. 
— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OUR various correspondents on 
the subject of musical time, appear 
rather 
