come of about 200 l. a year. But as almoft the whole lands of these parifhes were employed in pafture, the tithes would have amounted to more than twice that fum if the herbage had been paid for black cattle, which was certainly due by law. Several of the clergy of Ireland had, before him, fued for this herbage in the Court of Exchequer, and obtained decrees in their favour. Mr. Robertfon, encouraged by the exhortations and examples. of his brethren, commenced fome fuits in the Exchequer for this herbage, and fucceeded in every one of them. But when he had, by this means, doubled the value of his. benefices, the Houfe of Commons in Ireland paffed feveral fevere refolutions against the clergy who had fued or would fue for this "new demand," as they called it, which encouraged the graziers to oppofe it fo obftinately as to put a period to that demand. This proceeding of the Commons provoked Dean Swift to write "The Le"gion Club." Mr. Robertfon foon after published a pamphlet, intituled, " A Scheme for utterly abolishing the

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prefent heavy and vexatious Tax of Tithe;" the purport of which was, to pay the clergy and impropriators a tax upon the land in lieu of all tithes. This went through feveral editions; but nothing further was done in it.

In 1739, Lord Cathcart (though Mr. Robertfon's perfon was quite unknown to him) fent him, by Captain Prefcott, a very kind meffage, with a proper qualification under his hand and feal, to be his chaplain.

Mr. Robertfon had, in 1728, married Elizabeth daughter of Major William Baxter, who in his younger years had been an officer in Ireland in the armies of king Charles II. and James II. but was cafhiered by the earl of Tyrconnel, James's lord lieutenant of Ireland, as a perfon. not to be depended upon in carrying on his and his mafter's defigns. Captain Baxter upon this repaired to London, and complained of it to the duke of Ormond. His father was at that time fteward to the duke's eftate.. His Grace, who was then joined with other English noblemen in a correfpondence with the prince of Orange, recommended him to that prince, who immediately gave him a company in his own forces. In this ftation he returned to England with the prince at the Revolution, and acted his part vigorously in bringing about that great event. While the Captain was in Holland, he wrote that remarkable letter to Dr. Burnet, afterwards bifhop of Salisbury, which is inferted in the Bishop's life at the end of the "Hiftory

"Hiftory of his own Times." By this lady, who was ex- P. 694, 5
tremely beautiful in her perfon, but much more fo in her fol.
mind, Mr. Robertfon had one and twenty children. There
is a little poem written by him eight years after their mar-
riage, and infcribed to her, upon her needle-work, in-
ferted in the Gent. Mag. 1736. In 1743, Mr. Robertfon P. 416.
obtained the bishop's leave to nominate a curate at Ra-
villy, and to refide for fome time in Dublin, for the edu-
cation of his children. Here he was immediately invited
to the cure of St. Luke's parifh; and in this he continued
five years, and then returned to Ravilly in 1748, the town
air not agreeing with him. While he was in the cure of
St. Luke's, he, together with
Mr. Kane Percival, then
curate of St. Michans, formed a fcheme to raise a fund
for the fupport of widows and children of clergymen of
the diocefe of Dublin, which hath fince produced very
happy effects. In 1758, he loft his wife. In 1759, Dr.
Richard Robinfon was tranflated from the See of Killalla
to that of Ferns; and in his vifitation that year, he took
Mr. Robertfon afide, and told him, that the primate, Dr.
Stone (who had been bishop of Ferns, and had kept up a
correfpondence with Mr. Robertfon), had recommended
him to his care and protection, and that he might there-
fore expect every thing in his power. Accordingly, the
firft benefice that became vacant in his lordship's prefenta-
tion was offered to him, and he thankfully accepted it.
But before he could be collated to it, he had the "Free

and Candid Difquifitions" put into his hands, which he had never feen before. This infpired him with fuch doubts as made him defer his attendance on the good bishop. His lordship wrote to him again to come immediately for inftitution. Upon this, Mr. Robertfón wrote him the letter which is at the end of a little book that he published fome years after, intituled, "An At"tempt to explain the words Reafon, Subftance, Perfon, "Creeds, Orthodoxy, Catholic Church, Subfcription, "and Index Expurgatorius;" in which letter Mr. Robertson returned his lordfhip the moft grateful thanks for his kindness, but informed him that he could not comply with the terms required by law to qualify him for fuch preferment. However, Mr. Robertfon continued at Ravilly performing his duty; only, from thenceforward, he omitted the Athanafian creed, &c. This gave fome people offence; and therefore he thought it the honefteft courfe to refign all his benefices together, which he did

a

修

in the year 1764; and in 1766 he published his book by way of apology to his friends for what he had done; and foon after left Ireland, and returned to London. As this, book had been taken notice of in all the performances, and feveral extracts from it inferted in the public newspapers, the author of it was enquired after, and feveral gentlemen in that metropolis received him with great cordiality, and generously contributed to his fupport. In 1767, Mr. Robertfon prefented one of his books to his old Alma Mater the Univerfity of Glafgow, and received in return a moft obliging letter, with the degree of D. D. In 1768, the mafterfhip of the free-grammar-fchool at Wolverhampton in Staffordshire becoming vacant, the company of Merchant Taylors, the patrons, unanimoutly conferred it on him. In 1772, he was chofen one of the committee to carry on the bufinefs of the Society of Clergymen, &c. in framing and prefenting the famous petition to the House of Commons of Great Britain, praying to be relieved from the obligation of fubfcribing affent and confent to the thirty-nine articles, and all and every thing contained in the book of common-prayer. After this he lived feveral years at Wolverhampton, performing the duties of his office, in the greateft harmony with all forts of people there, and enjoying, with a deep fenfe of his infirmities, fome fatisfaction from the reflection, that in his humble ftation he had done fomething for promoting and fecuring thofe great bleffings of human life, liberty and property, for his fellow creatures; and died, of the gout in his ftomach, at Wolverhampton, May 20, 1783, in the 79th year of his age; and was buried in the churchyard of the new church there.

Mr. Lindsey has made deferved mention of Dr. Robertfon, and well obferved of him, that he retained and kept up that ferenity and chearful truft in the divine. "Providence, which can only belong to the virtuous and innocent mind, that has always before it thofe profpects which the Gofpel opens into a happy futurity, where "the holy and the good will meet again, never to part more [A]." And as I (fays Dr. Difney, who communicated this memoir to the "Gentleman's Maga"zine") enjoyed his friendship the laft fifteen years of his life, I wish to add my teftimony to that of our common and excellent friend, and to give this tri[4] See the "Hiftorical View," lately published, p. 478; and also his 66 Apology," p. 224.

bute

bute fo juftly due to his memory. Dr. Robertfon, befides great learning and good judgement, poffeffed a fine imagination, and a temper regulated by the mild and amiable fpirit of Chrift. And in his addrefs and manners he was at all times eafy and chearful.

Dr. Difney thinks that Dr. Robertfon was the author of a poem, published 1768, intituled, "Eleutheria," infcribed to Mrs. Macaulay; and that while he was refident in London, before his removal to the school of Wolverhampton, he wrote fome few articles in the "Monthly Review."

Dr. Robertson's appointment to the mafterfhip of the grammar-school of Wolverhampton, though highly honourable to his patrons, , was not very lucrative to himself. His own account will beft explain the nature of his new fituation." I am here" (writes he in a letter dated in Sept. 1769,)" in a very ftrange way. The falary is 701. "a year: but there is a penfion of 401. paid out of that

to an old gentleman who refigned the school upon that "condition, ten years ago, and is now in as good a state "of health as a man of eighty can be; fo that there re

mains but 301. for me, loaded with the wages of school"fervants, fchool-firing, window-money, and other taxes, "which in all come to about 71. a year, without any "emolument of any kind. So that my neceffary ex

pences have been five times as much as the falary." In a fubfequent letter, dated May 1770, he feems to have recovered, in fome degree, the difagreeable apprehenfions he had formed, for therein he writes: "Your concern "for me makes you imagine that I have abandoned and "loft a great deal in this world. Indeed, according to "the common eftimation of things, your conjecture is

66

right. But I affure you that I weighed the matter long "ago; and many things which are of great fhew and "confequence in the general opinion weighed very light

in my fcale, when fet against others which were to "me of infinitely greater moment. For the laft three "months, I have been much afflicted with the gout; fo "that pain and bufinefs have filled up all my time. How

ever, I thank God, I go on pretty well, and find my "health improve as the weather grows warm, fo that "I am in hopes I fhall have a tolerable fummer. I "make no apology for troubling you with the recital of my little affairs, as I think myfelf happy in having a friend to whom I can fay any thing as to myfelf."

66

Notwithstanding this moderate eftablishment, this worthy man was contented; and, in proof thereof, we give an extract from a letter received the following year, dated Aug. 25, 1771, which needs neither note nor comment.My own private affairs," fays he, "are exactly in ftatu quo. The old incumbent is ftill alive and well, fo that "his 401. deducted out of 701. must be felt [B]. But 66 as my defires are very moderate, I want for no necef"faries, and as for the fuperfluities of life, perhaps I 186 am better without them. The other day I was read "ing Aufonius's Epigram [c] upon Diogenes, which "really made me afhamed of having the leaft inclina"tion for the luxuries and delicacies of life. Give me leave to tranfcribe it here, and a tranflation I was "tempted to make of it:

"Pera, polenta, tribon, baculus, fcyphus, ar&ta fupellex, * Ifta fuit Cynici: fed putat hanc nimiam. "Namque cavis manibus cernens potare bubulcum, "Cur, fcyphe, te, dixit, gefto fupervacuum?

"A bag, meal, threadbare cloak, ftaff, wooden difh, "Were all the goods, Diogenes could with,

But thefe he found too much, when on the brink, "He faw Tim's hollow hand fcoop up his drink. Thus you fee I comfort myself with tags of verfe, and fayings of Philofophers. If I cannot enlarge my poffeffions, I can contract my defires."

The third edition of Dr. Robertfon's "Attempt, &c." was published fo early as 1767. Much notice had been taken of this work in the public papers and periodical publications of the time; and in 1769, there was publifhed in Ireland an anfwer, intituled, "A Confutation "of an Attempt to explain, &c. By the Rev. Smyth "Loftus, M. A. vicar of Coolock," 2 vols. Dr. Robertfon's engagements and infirmities will fufficiently account for his not executing the defign which he once entertained of replying to Mr. Loftus's book. However, it may be right to obferve here, that Dr Robertfon was, in the latter years of his life, entirely convinced of the truth of the doctrine of the divine unity, and of the proper humanity of Chrift, and that he was finally fettled therein by the writings of Dr. Prieftley and Mr. Lindley.

DR

March 1779, Dr. Robertfon concludes a letter to Difney, with an affecting recital of fome of his more [B] The old incumbent died in Feb. 1773.

Le Epigram LIII." De Diogene Cynico Philofopho."