MR. DUKE.

OF Mr. Duke I know nothing, but what is related of him by Dr. Johnson.

"He was bred at Westminster and Cambridge, and is said to have been some time tutor to the Duke of Richmond.

"In 1683 being then M. A. and Fellow of Trinity College, he wrote a Poem on the marriage of the Lady Anne with George Prince of Denmark.

"He took orders; and being made Prebendary of Gloucester, became a Proctor in Convocation for that Church, and Chaplain to Queen Anne.

"In 1710 he was collated by the Bishop of Winchester to the wealthy living of Witney in Oxfordshire, which he enjoyed but a few months. On Fe bruary 10th, 1710-11, he was found dead. His death is mentioned in Swift's Journal."

DR. ELSMERE.

FOR the sketch of Dr. Elsmere's life, I am in debted to the kindness of the Rev. Mr. Martyn, Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge; to whom, for his many obliging attentions, I For the here make my public acknowlegements. greater satisfaction of the reader, I will give the nar rative in the Professor's own words:

"Sloane Elsmere was born in Ireland: of his father I know nothing; but his mother, whom I well remember, was sister to Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. so well known as an eminent Physician, as President of the Royal Society, and collector of those natural cu

a

riosities,

riosities, which now form the basis of the British Museum. Sir Hans was godfather to his nephew, who, therefore, took his name. I do not know where Sloane Elsmere had his school-learning; but he pursued his studies in Trinity College, Dublin, and then took his degrees of B. A. and M. A. His general learning, and particularly his intimate acquaintance with the classics, with ethics, and metaphysics, is a proof that he had spent his time well, both at school and at college. Where he took the degree of D. D. I am not able to say; probably not at Dublin, because he came to England before he was of standing for it, and I believe never returned to that country; certainly not at Cambridge; perhaps at Oxford."

"On the death of Dr. John King (my grandfather), which happened on the goth of May, 1732, Sloane Elsmere was presented by his uncle, to the rectory of Chelsea; being then little more than twenty-four years. of age; so that he must have been born in or near the year 1708; certainly not later. On this occasion a friend of the family insisted that Sir Hans should present his nephew to the living, before he went to Court for the first time after the vacancy; well knowing that Queen Caroline, she then a nursing mother of the Church, would beg it for one of her own friends. Accordingly, the Queen did ask Sir Hans Sloane for the living, promising to provide for the young man some other way; but fortunately for young Elsmere, he had put it out of his power. The parsonage house having been let to a tenant with the glebe, was not in a condition to receive the new rector, he, therefore, lived many years in a hired house in Cheyne Row, and his mother lived with him but at length having in a manner built the parsonage-house, he removed thither, and continued in it to his death. He remained single during the life of his mother, and some considerable time after; but when much advanced in years, he married Miss Cotes, the eldest daughter of Digby Cotes, public Orator of the University of Oxford, who, though less than half his age, made him a most affectionate wife and a tender

:

a tender nurse, in the infirmities which attended his

latter days. He died in 1766. his sermons appeared in 1767. by his widow, for the sole

The two volumes of They were published, benefit of the charity

girls school in the parish of Chelsea, but the number of subscribers did not amount to more than a hundred. Dr. Elsmere never published any thing in his life-time. His posthumous sermons speak for themselves. His delivery of them was not graceful; and being short-sighted, he was obliged to hold down his head very near to his notes. But the matter was so good, and there was so much seriousness and energy in his manner, that he was always listened to with attention and pleasure. He used to preface his text with-hear the word of God, as it is written, &c. which, being delivered in a solemn impressive tone of voice, had a good effect."

His widow died, I believe, about two years ago. Enquiring at Chelsea of an old lady, whether she recollected Dr. Elsmere? she told me that she had known and visited the Doctor and Mrs. Elsmere: she represented them both as truly benevolent and amiable; their charities were, she said, abundant.

It would be injustice to Dr. Elsmere's memory not to state, that, happening to read his admirable sermon on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper t, just after I was ordained, I was first impressed with the conviction of the indispensable necessity of urging the observance of the duty on my hearers. In obedience to such conviction, I have, invariably, since that time, previous to the Festivals at least, either illustrated the nature of the Ordinance—or obviated the objections made against the observing of it-or persuaded to a devout celebration-; and such has been the issue of my labors, that I would, with great humility and

* I have been informed, since I received this narrative from the worthy professor, that the Sermons were sold to a bookseller for 1151. which money was appropriated to the Charity School. + Vide Vol. 2d of this selection, sermon 23d.

deference, recommend it to every parochial minister to do the same.

The Clergy are, I am aware, discouraged by their want of success; but if they will persevere with temperance and judgment, their solicitude, assuredly, will not be, altogether, in vain. I have, indeed, cause to lament that the result of my persuasion, since I removed into the South, has not afforded my mind that abundant comfort which I received in the North: I bless God notwithstanding, that many persons, regularly, attend the Altar, who had, formerly, lived entire strangers to devout communion. Besides, I have reason to hope, that those who resist all persuasion to commemorate their Redemption from death at the Lord's Table, do not depart from Church without selfreproach. May that self-reproach produce repentance not to be repented of! May it, speedily, be turned into self-approbation by their cheerful and uniform compliance with the Divine Command!

DR. GODDARD.

OF Dr. Goddard little is known. He was admitted of Clare Hall, Cambridge, in the year 1721. In 1724 he took his first degree: in 1727 he was elected a Fellow, and in the next year took his degree of M. A. he afterwards became tutor of the College; and, as appears from an extraordinary Dedication of his sermons, to the Duke of Newcastle, written, it may be presumed, in his second childhood, was appointed private tutor to his Grace. In the year 1747, he was presented by the Society to the united reetories of Fornham All Saints, and Wesley, near Bury, in Suffolk. In 1761 he was made D. Ď. and was appointed Master of the College in 1762. He was collated to a Prebend in the Cathedral Church

of

of Peterborough, and in 1770 to the Prebend of Harlston, in St. Paul's. In the year 1776, he vacated his living, and was afterwards presented to the Rectory, I believe, of Whitstead, near Bury: he died in 1781. It was during his residence in the University, when he was Tutor of his College, that he preached the sermons before the University, which he published a little before his death: he also preached them in the College Chapel when he was Master, and, during his residence, in the Cathedral of Peterborough.

Dr. Goddard was so popular a preacher as to be called the young Tillotson. His popularity could not, certainly, be derived from the composition of the discourses; the sentiment being trite and common, and the language unworthy the pulpit of an University, or of a Cathedral: it must then have proceeded from his mode of delivery, in which he must have been, singularly, happy; otherwise such sermons could not, one would conclude, have obtained the approbation of a learned, or fastidious, auditory. Excellence in delivery, however it may manifest itself, whether in the graces of elocution, in zeal, in propriety of manner, it is to be wished were more universally, and successfully, attended to, in every public seminary. Almost every one may be, if not an eloquent, at least, an useful, speaker: let his mind be impressed with a just sense of his high calling, and whilst his sermon will, under such circumstances, be an appeal to the heart, his delivery will be acknowleged, if not powerful and eloquent, still not uninteresting.

The contemplation of Dr. Goddard's character as a preacher, induces me to submit the following anecdote to the reader; which, though not having an immediate relation to his life, may be considered as recommending care and attention to the Clergy in the public discharge of their duty, both as speakers and writers.

A Doctor of Divinity, celebrated for his preaching, represented himself when he was first ordained, as the worst reader and preacher in the University,