lege, he confented fo to do, but on this condition, that I would pro• mife to unmake you again as foon as it lay in my power, and now he, by having performed his promife, has bound me to give you this living.'

"He was inducted into the rectory of St. Bartholomew, March 10, 86 1719-20.

"In the fame year, the minifters of ftate dining one day with the "lord chancellor, Mr. Pearce being called in to fay grace to them "before they fat down to dinner, the Duke of Newcattle, then lord "chamberlain, and one of the company, was pleafed to take notice "of Mr. Pearce, as he had known him at Westminster-school, and at "Cambridge, in which places they had both been educated together; "and after he was withdrawn, the duke expreffed to the lord chancellor a favourable opinion of him. Upon which the lord chancellor faid, Then, lord chamberlain, I hope, that, as you think fo well of him, you will make him one of his Majefty's chaplains, when there is a vacancy. Yes, my lord, replied he, I will do so, when I • have an opportunity,' and accordingly Mr. Pearce received foon after "this the faid chamberlain's warrant for that honour."

"In the year 1722, fays the editor, the plague at Marfeilles filled Europe with terror. A Faft was appointed for the deprecation of divine vengeance, which was observed through the kingdom with parti cular seriousness and devotion. We efcaped the dreadful vifitation, and when the day of thanksgiving for the deliverance was fet apart in the year following, Mr. Pearce preached before the lord mayor and aldermen of London, and afterwards published the fermon.

"In February 1721-22, he married Mrs. Mary Adams, the daughter of Mr. Benjamin Adams, an eminent diftiller in Holborn, with a confiderable fortune. It is always pleafing to be told, that men who deferve well of the publick, are happy in domeftick life. He lived with her fifty-two years in the higheit degree of connubial happiness. The fiftieth year of their union they celebrated as a year of jubilee; on which occafion they were complimented by a friend in the follow ing stanzas.

No more let CALUMNY complain,
That HYMEN binds in cruel chain,

And makes his fubjects flaves:
Supported by the good and wife,
Her keeneft flander he defies,
Her utmost malice braves.
TO-DAY-he triumphs o'er his foes,
And to the world a PAIR he shews,
Though long his fubjects-Free:

Who happy in his bands appear,
And joyful call the FIFTIETH year,
A year of JUBILEE.”

On January the 10th, 1723-24, we are told, Mr. Pearce was inducted into the vicarage of St. Martin's in the Fields, to which he was prefented by his patron the lord chancellor, between whom and Lord Carteret, then fecretary of ftate,

fome

fome little misunderstanding happened on the occafion, refpecting the right of presentation. Soon after this induction, Mr. Pearce had the degree of doctor of divinity conferred on him by the archbishop of Canterbury, at the inftance of the lord chancellor, who declined, at Mr. Pearce's requeft, to folicit a royal mandate to the univerfity for that purpose.

In the year 1724, Dr. Pearce dedicated to his patron his edition of Longinus on the Sublime, with a new Latin verfion and notes; the year after which the lord chancellor refigned the feals, and the impeachment above-mentioned foon followed; the foundation for which Dr. Pearce relates, on the beft information he could get, and which he declares, he be lieves to be the true one.

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"In the unhappy year 1720, commonly called the South-fea year "the money of the fuitors in chancery was, by ancient custom, or "dered by the lord chancellor to be paid into the hands of the master "in chancery whose turn it was to be in the court when an order was made by the lord chancellor to depofit any fum of money for "the fecurity of the fuitors. This cuftom is now altered, a better " and more fecure manner of lodging the money being now efta"blished: but the former cuftom then prevailed, and one of the "masters in chancery, Mr. Dormer, having in 1720 trafficked with "the fuitors money in 'Change-Alley, and dying foon after, it was "found out, that he was deficient in his accounts of the fuitors money 66 to near the value of £.60,000. This raised a mighty commotion 66 among the fuitors, and all who were any way interested in the court "of chancery, either as fuitors or as pleaders and practitioners there; "fome of the laft fort having perfonal refentments against that lord "from motives which were unworthy (as it might have been expected) "of operating fo far to the prejudice, as they did, of a chancellor "generally well esteemed for his great abilities and integrity in that important office. But operate thus they did, as he found by fatal "experience; for when the fire was once kindled, there wanted not "those who contributed their affiftance to raise it up to a flame. The "late King George the Second was then Prince of Wales, and had "lived feparately from his father, as he had been ordered to do; and "the education of his children had been detained from him, upon an "opinion then given by ten of the twelve judges, called together at "his Majefty's command by Lord Macclesfield then chancellor, upon "this question; Whether the education of the grandchildren did belong to "their grandfather, as fovereign, or to the Prince of Wales, as father? "This meeting of the judges having been called by the chancellor, "and the question having been put to them by him upon his Majesty's order for fo doing, and the answer of the judges being not pleafing "to the Prince of Wales, he bore it with fome refentment; and when the houfe of commons took the affair of the loft fuitors money into confideration, all the members of the house of commons who were "fervants of the Prince's court at Leicester-house, and all others of "them who paid their addreffes there, very readily joined in the out

ery against Lord Macclesfield, and came into the impeachment. "Sir Robert Walpole was at first unwilling to encourage fuch a prece "dent as the impeachment of a minister of ftate, though he had fome

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degree of ill-will to that lord on former minifterial motives: how&6 ever, when he found that it could not be easily flopped, he came "into the defign, and as far concurred as he farely could with it, well knowing, that the King looked upon Lord Macclesfield with a gracious eye, and thought that his fon, the Prince of Wales, had too much contributed to increase the flame for his being concerned in doing what was fo much to his mind, and fo much against his fon's, "Lord Macclesfield's trial before the houfe of lords is in print, and "to Dr. Pearce, who was every day present at it, it appears, that the judgement of that houfe was a fevere one. He was unanimously declared guilty, and was fined £30,000, though he had some time "before paid £10,000.into the court of chancery, which was the "whole fum received by him from the two last whom he had ap "pointed to be matters there, and which two largest fums were the

mott clamoured against. And the houfe of lords directed, that he "fhould be confined in the Tower till that fine of L. 39,000 was paid, "This judgement was given upon a flatute fo long ago made as in the reign of Richard the Second, which forbade the felling of the office "of a mafter in the chancery. That ftatute had never been repealed, but a contrary custom had prevailed beyond the memory of man. "Lord Macclesfield could have proved the fact to be fo with regard to feveral of his more immediate predeceffors; but when he called r upon his witnefies, who were then prefent, to prove the fact, Lord "Townsend ftood up and objected to it, faying, My lords, I hope that you will not fuffer witneffes to be produced to this purpofe; for that will only fhew, that this fort of corruption is bereditary,' ufing "the word bereditary, on this occafion, by a very ridiculous mistake. "Lord Macclesfield was, as I faid, declared to be guilty, and a fine "of 6.30,000 was laid upon him; but, as he was then unable to pay

it, he borrowed it all of his fon-in-law, Sir William Heathcote, "mortgaging a part of his fmall eftate of £. 3100 per annum; and "the money was all, by degrees, repaid to Sir William by Lord Mac"clesfield's fon after his father's death.

"The knowledge of two circumftances, which not many perfons are informed of, may contribute not a little to take off much of the odium of the charge brought against the noble earl, and of that of "the fentence given upon it in the houfe of lords. The one was, that before Lord King, who fucceeded him as chancellor, accepted of that high poft, an additional falary of £. 1500 or £. 2000 a year was annexed, it was credibly faid, to the poft out of the hanaperoffice, by way of recompence for the lofs which would arife to the "chancellor for the time being, by that judgement of the houfe of lords; though he was fill allowed to difpofe of the materships to his friends and relations, or to the recommendations of inen in 86 power, who could in another way serve his friends and relations.

The other circumftance was, that, when fome bill was brought "before the lords, it is not remembered what the bill was, and a "lord, objecting to fome claufe of it, or expreffion in it, faid, That

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in time perhaps the masterships in chancery might come again to be fold,' the Lord Chancellor King acquainted the house, that it ap "peared on their journals, that, in King William's reign, when a "bill for preventing the lord lieutenants of counties from felling the "office of clerk of the peace in thofe counties was brought from the commons to the lords, a motion was made by one of the lords for a "clause to be added, that the lord chancellor fhould be restrained from felling the mafterships in chancery; but that the lords, after a debate, "rejected the claufe, and paffed the bill without it.

"King George the Firft, being fully fenfible that the earl's cafe was hard, and that he had fuffered chiefly upon his account, fent "him word, that he intended to repay the £30,000 to him out of his privy purfe, as fast as he could fpare the money. Sir Robert Wal"pole delivered this meffage to Lord Macclesfield, with fome gracious expreffions of the king in his favour. And accordingly, within "twelve months, Sir Robert paid him L. 1000 by his Majesty's order. "In the next year, Sir Robert fent him word, that he had received "his Majefty's farther order to pay to him .2000 more, when his "lordfhip was pleafed to fend for it. Lord Macclesfield, thinking it not fo genteel to fend for it immediately, let a month or five weeks "pafs, and then his Majefty went towards Hanover, and died at Ofnaburgh in his way thither, in 1727. Upon the news of his death, "Lord Macclesfield's fon waited upon Sir Robert by his father's order 66 to receive the money; but he was then told by him, that, ← His * late Majefty and he had a running account, and that at prefent he 'could not tell on whofe fide the balance was, and that therefore he 'could not venture to pay the £. 2000. So that the fum of £. 1000 "was all that Lord Macclesfield ever received from the intended "bounty of his gracious matter."

"While Dr. Pearce was vicar of St. Martin's (continues the bishop's "narrative), Lord Sundon was one of his parishioners, and one of "the members of parliament for Weftminster. Thefe two circum"ftances brought them acquainted together, and that lord fometimes "invited him to dinner. This produced an acquaintance likewise "with Lady Sundon, at that time thought to be the great favourite "of Queen Caroline, the Wife of King George the Second. Doctor "Pearce had the good luck to be foon in the good graces of Lady Sundon, and he often mentioned her good opinion of him to the "Queen, who, upon that recommendation, had defigned him for a ❝deanry. In the year 1737, Doctor Herring, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, was nominated to the fee of Bangor, and it was intended he fhould quit his deanry of Rochefter, and hold his rectory of Elechingley in commendam with his bishoprick, and that "Doctor Pearce fhould fucceed him in the deanry. Sir Robert told this to Doctor Hare, then bishop of Chichester, and he came immediately from Sir Robert to Doctor Pearce's houfe, in St. Martin's "Church-yard, and informed him of what Sir Robert had faid, and very kindly exprefled his fatisfaction in being able to be the bearer of the news. Doctor Pearce was ready to accept it, and accordingly thought that he might depend upon his being promoted to that dignity; but the fcene was foon changed, and Doctor Herring ob

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"tained

"tained leave to hold the deanry instead of the rectory, in commen dam, with the bishoprick of Bangor.

"The gracious Queen alfo frequently honoured him with her con "verfation at her drawing-room. One day at that place, in the "above-mentioned year, 1737, the asked him, if he had read the "pamphlets published by Doctor Stebbing and Mr. Forfter upon the "fort of hereticks meant by St. Paul, whom, in Titus iii. 10, 11. he "reprefents as felf-condemned. Yes, Madam, replied the Doctor, I have read all the pamphlets written by them on both fides of the question? Well, faid the Queen, which of the two do you think to be in the right? The Doctor replied, I cannot fay, Madam, which of the two is in the right; but I think that both of them are in the wrong.' "She fimiled, and faid, Then what is your opinion of that text?" Madam, faid the Doctor, it would take up more time than your Majefty can fpare at this drawing-room, for me to give my opinion and the reafons of it; but if your Majesty fhould be pleafed to lay your commands upon me, you fhall know my fentiments of the matter in the next fermon which I fhall have the honour to preach before his Majesty.' Pray do then,' faid the Queen, and Doctor Pearce ac-.. cordingly made a fermon on that text; but the Queen died in the " November following, which was a month before his turn of preach"ing came about*.

"Soon after this difcourfe with her, and on one of her drawing "room days, the enquired of Doctor Pearce, how Doctor Lockyer, the "then dean of Peterborough, did; for the had heard, that he was "dying. Doctor Pearce told her, that all his danger was over, and that he was now upon the recovery. Well, faid fhe, if he had died, I can tell you, that his Majefty intended you to be his fucceffor.' I thanked her Majesty, and there was an end of that conver-, "fation. She afterwards, as Doctor Pearce was well informed, re"commended the Doctor to be thought of by Sir Robert, whenever a

deanry fhould become vacant, which should be worth his accep "tance; and Sir Robert remembered her recommendation accord"ingly, though she was dead before fuch a vacancy happened.

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"In the year 1739, the deanry of Wells became vacant, and "Doctor Pearce, who knew that Sir Robert had expreffed his incli"nations to ferve him in fuch a way, waited upon him one day at "his levee to put himself in the way, and in the thoughts of that mi"nifter of ftate. He there came up to him, and faid, Doctor Pearce, • what brings you here? He might well fay fo; for it was the first time, "that he had ever appeared at his levee. Sir, faid the Doctor, I come to pay my respects to you. Then, faid Sir Robert, don't come any more here, for I will fee you at any other time.' Accordingly, "Doctor Pearce went to no more of his levees; but about a fortnight "afterwards, he waited upon him at his houfe between eight and nine "o'clock in the morning, was admitted to him, and told him that the "deanry of Wells being vacant, he hoped for his favour to recom

This fermon was of courfe not preached, and in confequence has not been published. We understand, however, it is one of thofe difcourfes which the editor poffeffes in manufcript, and has advertifed his intention of publishing. Rev.

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