You would call Mr.

a

two very different people. Puseyite; I call him a pious churchman. He is the son of Lord, a law lord, a humble-minded, self-denying Christian, who labours among the poor as their brother. He has given a proof, and a strong one, of his love to the suffering classes in Scotland, by giving up his living at Leeds, and all hope of promotion in England, that he may labour in our humble Zion. I hope I do not flout at Mr.

I only fear he is not fitted for a bishop in a poor church, where many of his clergy are simple good men, with very unpolished minds and manners, but therefore better suited to their flocks, and eighty pounds per annum. [Unfinished.]

"The Editor remembers Lord Bexley as a most kind and hospitable host, when with Lady Osborne she paid a visit to his beautiful place, Foot's Cray. He was a great lover and patron of modern art. He was for some time Chancellor of the Exchequer."

Great George Street, March 11th, 1834.

DEAR LADY OSBORNE,-I feel much ashamed that your letter should be so long unacknowledged, but as I am sure you will consider truth as the best apology, I am bound to confess that in removing to town it was somehow mislaid, and I did not recollect your address. My sister has now fortunately hit upon the letter. I am sorry that I cannot give a very favourable account of her health. We were for some weeks in November at the sea-side, and she seemed to be much refreshed by the air, but the benefit seems to have been only of short continuance; I see, however, no actual cause for alarm, but she is feeble and incapable of exertion. I hope both your Ladyship and Miss Osborne find the air of Paris agree with you. I am afraid I cannot give her any useful advice respecting Decker's pictures. The late king had some pleas

ing works of that master, and I think Miss O. might rely on the recommendation of her instructor. I am afraid we must not attempt in this country to rival the magnificence of the Louvre, but if Wilkins's design is carried into execution we shall have no reason to be ashamed of the British Picture Gallery, except that it will stand somewhat awkwardly with respect to the Portico of St. Martin's. I read Silvio Pellico's book with pain and disgust, though it is only reasonable to suspect some exaggeration in the statements; and it must be remembered, that the sufferers would in most countries of Europe have been punished with death at any time previous to the present century. It is however lamentable that the Austrian Government should expose itself to such imputations with any degree of foundation. It is very pleasing to see in a Roman Catholic the spirit of piety which prevails in the book. You must have heard of the heavy loss the friends of religion in general, and the Bible Society in particular, have suffered from the death of Lord Teignmouth; and it may have reached you that the Committee has pressed upon me to take his place. At my age it would better become me, and be far more agreeable to my feelings, to retire from a situation of exertion and responsibility, but being the only vice-president who has taken any active part in the detail of their business, I could not refuse such services as the Divine goodness, called for, I trust the united prayers of many sincere christians, may for a short period enable me to perform. My sister desires to return her thanks for your kind inquiries, and to send her kindest remembrances.

Believe me, my dear madam,

Yours faithfully,

BEXLEY.

I take the liberty of enclosing the minute of the Committee

of the Bible Society on Lord Teignmouth's death.

Great George's Street, 21st March, 1837.

DEAR LADY OSBORNE,-I am not a member of the Committee on Irish Education-the Government not having proposed my name, perhaps from thinking me prejudiced on the subject. I must confess that I dislike the new system, as tending to suppress the Kildare Place Society, which appeared to me to be conducted with great ability and most beneficial effects. I never, however, doubted that the new schools were capable of producing great good when conducted with perfect fairness, and under the superintendance of pious and judicious visitors; I have therefore no doubt that the schools under your care are very useful and indeed probably not distinguishable in practical effect from Kildare Place Schools, though in principle open to the great, and I think fatal, objection of a restricted use of the Scriptures. But what I suspect is that in places not so carefully attended to, the ostensible rules of the system are disregarded, and that the schools are in fact conducted almost as Roman Catholic seminaries. On this point I shall be anxious to see the evidence produced before the Committee, and it will give me great pleasure if I can see satisfactory reason to believe that my suspicions are unfounded. How far any neglect of the rules is justly attributable to prejudiced opposition on the part of the Protestant Clergy is a very proper subject of inquiry before the Committee. That any part of them should be placed in a state of collision with the Archbishop of Dublin is most deeply to be regretted, whatever may be the cause, and cannot fail to be injurious to the general interests of Protestantism. I am not conscious of any prejudice against his Grace, but was rather prepossessed in his favour through some common friends; but I cannot say that I think the opposition to him unprovoked, though it has been carried to unjustifiable lengths. In his theology, I know of nothing

inconsistent with sound Christianity, though he is a bold speculator; and in his character I believe him to be sincere and disinterested, though I am afraid dogmatical and imperious. With his duties, it is impossible he can attend to the details of the Education Board, which therefore must be left to subordinates perhaps less ingenuous than himself. He will of course take a leading part in the Education Committee, and between him and the Bishop of Exeter, I hope the truth will be brought out. I am afraid the enquiry will be a long one, and that we shall not have any report until late in the summer.

My nieces desire their kindest remembrances to your Ladyship and Miss Osborne; and they request you will have the kindness to inform them where Colonel and Mrs. Phipps are to be found.

Believe me, dear madam,

Very sincerely yours,

BEXLEY.

To a person superficially acquainted with Archbishop Whately, the Editor can understand his being supposed imperious and dogmatical, but Mrs. Hill understood his real

nature.

"[The following letter was written by Bishop Walker, Bishop of Edinburgh.]"

Nunraw, near Haddington, 16th August, 1831.

MY DEAR LADY OSBORNE,-I feel both ashamed and sorry when I look at the date of your letter and recollect that it remains unanswered. The receipt of it gave me great pleasure, and my resolution was to answer it without delay. I have ever been a dilatory correspondent, but I often think

VOL. II.

H

of my friends and relatives, and many a time since your residence has been in Ireland, have I determined to renew my acquaintance with you. My locomotive powers, however, are much impaired; I am exceedingly bent and cramped by rheumatism, and since the 22nd of January last, to this painful complaint has been added a feebleness which is singularly distressing. This will account for my too long delay in answering your kind and most acceptable letter.

It would have afforded me much satisfaction if I could, in the course of the present summer, have paid my respects to you in Ireland, but I am quite unequal to such an exertion. From the 18th June we have been in a sweet rural retirement, where I have the advantage of getting out into the open air at all hours, from which I doubtless derive benefit, though my strength by no means returns.

On considering attentively your letter and the religious reflections which it contains, I am not aware that either in correspondence or conversation we should have any serious subject of dispute. I have never been satisfied, God help me, with my own attainments and efforts, either as a Christian or a minister; but my purpose has ever been to preach the Gospel and the whole Gospel as the Scripture gives it, and as our church faithfully receives and truly expounds it. I am no enemy, and never have been an enemy to the serious part of the clergy, so far as their seriousness is accompanied with sound kept sincerity. A clergyman without seriousness and sincerity in the principles and practices of his profession is a most pitiable object, while a sound faith is indispensably necessary towards a consistent Christian practice. What I dislike in the party called Evangelical is not their seriousness nor their doctrinal zeal, so far as their doctrine is sound; it is their want of charity, and the exclusive spirit which they so frequently display. I have in numerous instances found