chofen a member, and ferved in two fucceffive parliaments. His expences exceeding his income, he became involved in debt, quitted his native country, and commenced that wandering traveller he continued to the time of his death. Having visited moft of the eaftern countries, he contracted a partiality for their manners. He drank lit tle wine; a great deal of coffee; wore a long beard; fmoaked much; and even whilft at Venice, he was habited in the eaftern ftile. He fat cross-legged in the Turkish fashion, through choice. With the Hebrew, the Arabic, the Chaldaic, and the Perfian languages, he was as well acquainted as with his native tongue. He published feveral pieces. One on the "Rife and Fall of the Roman Empire." Another an exploration of "The Caufes of Earthquakes." He had great natural abilities, a vaft fhare of acquired knowledge. He had fcarcely a fingle vice-for he is dead. That he had virtues to counterballance his failings, Omniscience will difcover, when weighing them in the fcale of merit. Infinite mercy will take care that the beam fhall preponderate in favour of his future happiness. Anecdotes of the late Rev. George Stubbs and John Straight, Authors of feveral ingenious Pieces in Profe and Verfe; by Mr. John Straight, SIR, F you think the following anecdotes worth preferving, they are much at your service. GEORGE Stubbs, Rector of Gunville, in Dorfetfhire, a wor thy, honeft, intelligent writer, though little known as fuch, wrote many of the best papers in the Free Thinker, 1718, (in conjunction with Ambrofe Philips and others). A New Adventure of Telemachus, printed in the London Journal of 1723 or. 4, fince printed feparately by Wilkins, in 8vo. a beautiful piece, founded upon principles of liberty and true government, and the reverfe of the Archbishop of Cambray's on that fubject, which, however palliated, are upon a wrong foundation. Three or four letters in the Londen Journal, by Bishop Hoadly, at that time, figned Britannicus, arguing against popery, (which obliged even that great and good man to make an entire submission, without exception, to the Pope, gainft the tenor of all his works) evidently laid the foundation on which George Stubbs built this New Adventure. He alfo wrote A Dialogue on Beauty, in the manner of Socrates, between Socrates and Afpafia. This he made the elegant foundation of a copy of verfes on the late Dr. John Hoadly's marriage, 1735-6, inclosing to him, with a letter, Afpafia to Florimel, referring all along to that dialogue. There are fome other copies of verfes by him, ftill in manufcript, though well worth preferving, viz. The Athenian Statue, an allegorical poem, doing (whofe virtues he knew how to juftice both juftice both to Bishop Rundle commend, as well as to laugh at his foibles), and to the ecclefiaftical prudery and flander of Bishop Gibfon and Venn; Fickle Friendfbip, on Dr. Rundle; and Verfes on Mifs Wenman's Singing, the author having dreamed of her. Though Though the critics, perhaps, may think all these too florid, yet they are very beautiful, and would better please the many. He printed alfo two fmall volumes (if not more) of Mad. Savigne's Letters, the first ever known in English, and thought to preferve the goodhumour of the originals better than any of his fucceffors. He was intimately connected with Mr. Deputy Wilkins, the Whig printer in Little-Britain, by marrying his fifter for his firft wife, who, by the way, was taken in by the French Prophets. G. Stubbs married a fecond wife at Salisbury, daughter of Mr. Alderman King, who after his death married Mr. Hinxman, Rector of Houghton, near Stockbridge. Mr. Stubbs was a filent, referved man, as feeming confcious of a want of addrefs, though at the fame time of fuperior abilities and genius. If these hints fhould be the means of collecting his works, or of rescuing any more of them from oblivion, my end in communicating them will be answered. One of the pieces above-mentioned fhall be added. Fickle Friendship. On Dr. Rundle. But it fhould firft be observed, that Dr. Rundle was a kind of male-coquette, and had as many friendhips, and was as fantaflical in them, as any of the other fexlovers. When his good friend, the Hon. Mr. John Talbot, married, he was fo remarkably jealous of his wife, and all her charms and virtues, as to give occafion to our author, who knew him well, to make this the uncommon fubject of the following elegant poem. "ALEXIS, with Platonic pride, The feeble darts of Love defy'd, The pow'r of friendship fill he fung, And oft the harp with Shaftefb'ry ftrung: No nymph could taint his purer mind, vour. No fam'd coquette, or fav'rite toaft, Acon was now his only joy, Acon did all his thoughts employs The wav'ring fteel was here at relt, And all its wanton motions ceas'd. Though piqu'd, the boy with de His golden fhafts refus'd to ftain, Who now does like Alexis mourn, charms, A worthy, fenfible, honeft man, a warm friend to the Hanover fucceffion, and poffeffed of a liberality of fentiment fuperior to his ftation, the age of the Stephens's being paft, though we have had a Richardson and a Foulis, and have itill a Bowyer. D 3 With With the fame view accept the following anecdotes of The Rev. JOHN STRAIGHT, Rector of Findon, in Suffex, to which he was prefented by Mag prebend of Warminster in Salif bury cathedral, is taken from "Letters by feveral eminent Perfons deceased," vol. iii. 2d edi tion. My Lord, Hoadly. 413 1732. I JUST now received your lord. fhip's moft furprifing, generous, opportune, beatific letter. I was dead till I received it, but it has given me new life: I feel myself gay, elated I have been tithe gathering thefe three weeks, and never thought to enquire after any thing for the future but the price of corn: but now I fhall fee London again, I fhall fee Sarum again, I fhall fee the Bishop again; dalen College, Oxford, being Fel- Reverend Mr. Straight to Bishop low of that Society. He was author of the following poems in Dodfley's Collection, vol. v. p. 244, &c. "To Mr. J[ohr] H[oadly], at the Temple, occafioned by a Tranflation of an Epistle of Horace, 1730. Answer to fome Verfes from Mr. J. H. 1731. Cupid and Chloe. The Poet to his falfe Mifrefs, &c." Thefe pieces are excellent, and much in the manner of Prior. Mr. Straight was ever in a state of perfecution, as it were, for his extraordinary parts and eccentric good fenfe; by which he entirely got rid of his good enthusiastic father's preju dices (in which he was educated) in favour of the French prophets (above-mentioned), by whom he was eaten up and betrayed. Mr. Straight married the daughter of Mr. Davenport, Vicar of Broad Hinton, Wilts, whom he left a widow with fix children. After his death, two vols. 8vo. of "Select Difcourfes," were published for their benefit, which, though never defigned by him for the prefs, were extremely worthy of it. His circumftances and health were particularly hurt by his turning farmer, merely for the fake of his numerous family, and dying foon after, before he had time to retrieve the extraordinary first expences. The following letter, occafioned by Bp. Hoadly's giving him the Shall eat his oyfters, drink his ale, Gent. Mag. I am, &c. J. STRAIGHT. Mr. John Hoadly. Rector Rector of St. Peter's le Poor), O. 8, 1711. He was educated at Mr Newcome's school at Hackney, where he played, with great applaufe, the part of Phocyas, in the Siege of Damafcus *, and was admitted in June, 1730, at Corpus-Chrifti (or Bene't) College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of LL. B. in 1735. Nov. 29 following, he was appointed Chancellor of the diocefe of Winchester, and ordained by his father dea con Dec. 7, and prieft the 21ft. He was honoured (and particularly by the genteel manner of it) by the late Prince of Wales, being im. mediately (Dec. 26), by his fole + defire, appointed his Chaplain; and by the Princefs Dowager of Wales, in like manner, May 6, 375 Feb. 10, 1735-6, he married Elizabeth, daughter of James Afhe, Efq; of Salisbury, by whom he had no iffue. He was first collated (by his father) to the rectory of Michelmerth, March 8, 1737; to that of Wroughton (finecure), in Wilthire, Sept. 8, 1737; and to that of Alresford, and a prebend of Winchefter (both vacated by the fudden death of the Reverend Mr. Soley), on November 29 of the fame year, He was inftituted to the rectory of St. Mary's, near Southampton, June 9, 1743, on the prefentation of Martin Folkes, Efq; &c. executors of the will of Archbishop Wake, his nephew, the prefent Dr. Wake, not being then capable of orders. Dec. 16, 1746, he was collated to the rectory of Overton (finecure), void by the death of Bishop Clagett. Jan. 4, 1747, he was honoured with the degree of LL. D. (the first degree conferred) by the excellent Archbishop Herring. In May, 1760 (on the death of Dean Lynch), he was appointed to the maftership of St. Cross (finecure); which preferments (all in the county of Hante) he enjoy ed till his death; except the finecure of Wroughton; the prebend of Winchester, which on that occafion the Bishop permitted him to refign in favour of his wife's brother, the Rev. Mr. Robert Afhe and the rectory of Michelmerfh, in which the fame gentleman fucceeded him in 1743, on his removal to St. Mary's. His houfe there, as fpacious and elegant a parfonage as any in the kingdom (his predeceffor, Archbishop Brideoke, in whofe time it was burnt down, having expended 4000l. on it, befides 500l. on the church), was The prefent Dr. Charles Plumtre (Archdeacon of Ely) was as good an Eudocia; with whom (faid Dr. Hoadly to a friend)" I have been in love ever fince; but chiefly with the virtues of her mind, which are as confpicuous and fuper-excellent as thofe in the play." On the revival of this tragedy in its original form by Mr. Newcome's fcholars, many years after, Dr. Hoadly wrote the prologue. †The Prince, knowing the Bishop's taste and knowledge of mufic, and the impoffibility of his gratifying it at the theatre without impropriety, invited him to a rehearsal of an opera at Carleton-Houfe; very politely affuring him, that he fhould be quite at his eafe, and alone in the next room, unless he would bring his fon with him, who, he heard, was just going into orders, and whom he then begged leave to befpeak as his chaplain. D 4 embellished With the fame view accept the following anecdotes of The Rev. JOHN STRAIGHT, Rector of Findon, in Suffex, to which he was prefented by Mag prebend of Warminfter in Salif bury cathedral, is taken from "Letters by feveral eminent Perfons deceased," vol. iii. 2d edi tion. Hoadly. My Lord, 1732. dalen College, Oxford, being Fel- Reverend Mr. Straight to Bishop low of that Society. He was author of the following poems in Dodfley's Collection, vol. v. p. 244, &c. "To Mr. J[ohr] H[oadly], at the Temple, occafioned by a Tranflation of an Epiftle of Horace, 1730. Anfwer to fome Verfes from Mr. J. H. 1731. Cupid and Chloe. The Poet to his falfe Mifrefs, &c." Thefe pieces are excellent, and much in the manner of Prior. Mr. Straight was ever in a state of perfecution, as it were, for his extraordinary parts and eccentric good fenfe; by which he entirely got rid of his good enthufiaftic father's prejudices (in which he was educated) in favour of the French prophets (above-mentioned), by whom he was eaten up and betrayed. I JUST now received your lord. fhip's moft furprifing, generous, I was opportune, beatific letter. dead till I received it, but it has given me new life: I feel myself gay, elated--- I have been tithe gathering thefe three weeks, and never thought to enquire after any thing for the future but the price of corn: but now I fhall fee London again, I fhall fee Sarum again, I fhall fee the Bifhop again; Mr. Straight married the daughter of Mr. Davenport, Vicar of Broad Hinton, Wilts, whom he left a widow with fix children. After his death, two vols. 8vo. of "Select Difcourfes," were publifh ed for their benefit, which, though never defigned by him for the prefs, were extremely worthy of it. His circumstances and health were particularly hurt by his turning farmer, merely for the fake of his numerous family, and dying foon after, before he had time to retrieve the extraordinary firft expences. The following letter, occ ed by Bp. Hoadly's giving Shall eat his oysters, drink his ale, |