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Such was Francis Atterbury-a victim to his indiscreet zeal for the restoration of the Stuart family.

WARBURTON was born at Newark on Trent, 1698, and died 1779, at the advanced age of 81, Bishop of Gloucester. He was a man of gigantic abilities and profound learning. His principal work is The Divine Legation of Moses; which being attacked on account of its paradoxes by some respectable writers, produced a considerable controversy. Warburton replied to his antagonists with an outrageons asperity. Indeed, in all his literary contests he is chargeable with an insolent and overbearing severity. Hente the arrogance of the Warburtonian school is become proverbial, and the prelate has left an unfavourable opinion of his temper and character to posterity. Tyranny, detestable on all occasions, is not to be endured in the Republic of Letters.

The discrepancy, however, between an author's private character and his works, is peculiarly exemplified in Bishop Warburton. Dr. Cumming, an eminent physician at Dorchester, writing to the late Dr. Lettsom, gives an interesting account of this prelate, much to his advantage. In justice to his memory it shall be transcribed.

The letter is dated 1786.- -"Many years ago I read over the polemical and critical works of the late DR. WARBURTON, and from the perusal, I conceived a most unfavourable opinion of the man; so stiff and conceited in opinion, so dictatorial in his sentiments,

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treating every one who thought differently from himself with the most sovereign contempt. It is about thirty years ago that Ralph Allen, of Prior Park, first came to pass about three months in the summer, annually, at Weymouth; his niece, Mrs. Warburton, was always of the party. She was elegant in her person, possessed of an excellent understanding, great politeness, and a most engaging naiveté in conversation. I had been introduced to Mr. Allen's acquaintance soon after his arrival, and was always professionally engaged in the family. After a few years, the bishop, whom I had never seen, came to pass a month of the summer with Mr. Allen, at Weymouth. I was soon after sent for to attend some one in the family. After having visited my patient, Mrs. W. took me by the hand, and led me to the dining room, where we found the bishop alone; she presented me to him with, Give me leave, my lord, to introduce to you a friend of mine, to whom you and I have great obligations for the care he has repeatedly taken of our son.' He received me courteously enough, but I own to you, I felt an awe and an awkward uneasiness. I determined to say but little, and to weigh well what I said. We were left alone-it was an hour to dinner; he soon engaged me on some literary subject, in the course of which he gave me the etymology of some word or phrase in the French language, with a 'Don't you think so?' I ventured to dissent, and said, I had always conceived its origin to be so and so; to this he immediately replied,Upon my word I believe

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you are in the right, nay, 'tis past doubt, I wonder it never struck me before!' Well, to dinner we went, his lordship was easy, facetious, and entertaining. My awe of him was pretty well dissipated, and I conversed with ease. Sometime after dinner, when he was walking about the room, he came behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, and beckoned me into an adjoining room. As soon as we entered he shut the door, seated himself in an armed chair on one side of the fire-place, while he directed me by his hand to one on the opposite side. My fit immediately returned, I expected to be catechised and examined, but it was of short duration. He said he was happy in this opportunity of asking the opinion and advice of a gentleman of my character, respecting some complaints he had felt for some time past, and which he found increasing. On this my spirits expanded-I did not fear being a match for his lordship on a medical subject. He then began to detail to me the complaints and feelings of those persons addicted to constant study and a sedentary life. As I mentioned several circumstances which he had omitted in his catalogue, and which he immediately acknowledged, I gained his confidence. He was sensible I was master of my subject. I explained to him the rationale of his complaints, and shewed him the propriety of the diet, exercise and regimen, which I recommended to him. In short, we parted to join the company very well satisfied with each other. I found my disgust and prejudice abate. During several subsequent years

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I had repeated opportunities of being in company with him, and never saw a single instance of that fastidiousness and arrogance so conspicuous in his writings. He always received me with great good humour; I conversed with him easily and familiarly. On all subjects he shewed an attention and deference to the opinion of others. He had a great fund of anecdotes, and told his stories with much humour and facetiousness. This change in my opinion, relating to DR. WARBURTON, was the effect of my being personally acquainted with him; however, I can never forgive him for defacing the immortal Shakespeare, by his many ridiculous and unlettered notes, though he made me a present of that and all his other works. 'He ought,' said Quin the player, to have stuck to his own Bible, and not have meddled with OURS.'"

And in a collection of Letters to and from Doddridge" The letters of WARBURTON," says my late excellent friend Dr. Andrew Kippis, "make a distinguished figure, and shew that great man in a new and very amiable light. They display not only his learning, but the piety, benevolence and goodness of his mind. The severity, or rather the arrogance, with which he treated his literary antagonists, must undoubtedly have afforded just cause for leaving an unfavourable impression of him in the estimation of the world. But in private life he appears in a far more agreeable point of view. The only time I had ever the honour of being in his company, which was an hour and a half in his own study, I found him

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remarkably condescending in his manners, and admirably instructive and entertaining in his conversation." Such in his private and public character was Warburton, whose name will descend to latest posterity.

In my next epistle, I shall enter upon a survey of the writings of Pope, and in the mean time subscribe myself,

My dear young Friend,

Yours, &c.

J. E.

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