reward of that great service in the place where he did it. It is incredible how much every body is pleased with what the king hath done in this matter, and it is no small joy to me to see that God directs him to do so wisely. I will now give your ladyship a short account of his majesty's disposal of our English church preferments, which I think he has done as well as could be expected, in the midst of the powerful importunities of so many great men, in whom I discern too much of court art and contrivance for the preferment of their friends; yea, even in my good lord Nottingham, more than I could wish. This is a melancholy consideration to one in my situation, in which I do not see how it is possible so to manage a man's self between civility and sincerity, between being willing to give good words to all, and able to do good to very few, as to hold out an honest man, or even the reputation of being so, a year to an end. I promised a short account, but I am long before I come to it. The dean of St. Paul's, the bishop of Worcester*; the dean of Peterborough †, of Chichester. An humble servant of yours, dean of St. Paul's. The dean of Norwich ‡ is dean of Canterbury; and Dr. Stanley, clerk of his majesty's closet, is residentiary of St. Paul's, and Dr. Fairfax, dean of Norwich. The warden of All Souls in Oxford, is prebendary of Canter * Dr. Stillingfleet. Dr. John Sharp. † Dr. St. Patrick. Leopold William Finch, fifth son of Heneage, earl of Win chilsea. bury; and Mr. Nixon hath the other prebend there, void by the death of Dr. Jeffreys. These two last merited of the king in the west. Mr. Finch by going in early to him, and Mr. Nixon, who is my lord of Bath's chaplain, by carrying messages between the king and my lord of Bath, as the king himself told me, with the hazard of his life. St. Andrew's and Covent-garden are not yet disposed. Dr. Birch (which I had almost forgot) is prebendary of Westminster: and, which grieves me much, Mons. Alix put by at present; but my lord privy seal* would not be denied. The whole is as well as could easily be in the present circumstances. But now begins my trouble. After I had kissed the king's hand for the deanery of St. Paul's, I gave his majesty my most humble thanks, and told him, that now he had set me at ease for the remainder of my life. He replied; "No such matter, I assure you ;" and spoke plainly about a great place, which I dread to think of, and said, "It was necessary for his service, and he must charge it upon my conscience." Just as he had said this, he was called to supper, and I had only time to say, that when his majesty was at leisure, I did believe I could satisfy him that it would be most for his service, that I should continue in the station in which he had now placed me. This bath brought me into a real difficulty. For on the one hand it is hard to decline his majesty's commands, and much harder yet to stand out against so much goodness, as his majesty is pleased to use towards me. On the other, I can neither bring my incli Marquis of Halifax, nation nor my judgment to it. This I owe to the bishop of Salisbury, one of the worst and best friends I know: best, for his singular good opinion of me: and the worst, for directing the king to this method, which I know he did: as if his lordship and I had concerted the matter how to finish this foolish piece of dissimulation, in running away from a bishopric* to catch an archbishopric. This fine device hath thrown me so far into the briars, that, without his majesty's great goodness, I shall never get off without a scratched face. And now I will tell your ladyship the bottom of my heart. I have of a long time, I thank God for it, devoted myself to the public service without any regard for myself; and to that end have done the best I could in the best manner I was able. Of late God hath been pleased by very severe ways t, but in great goodness to me, to wean *Tillotson wrote before to a nobleman (supposed the earl of Portland) begging he might be excused from accepting a bishopric. Birch remarks, instances of this kind of self-denial will perhaps be thought rare in any age; but there was a remarkable one under Henry the Eighth of another dean of Canterbury, well known by his embassies and public negociations, Dr. Nicholas Wotton, great uncle of sir Henry Wotton; this great politician, as well as divine, being informed of an intention to advance him to the mitre, wrote to doctor Bellaris from Dusseldorp, Nov. 11th, 1539, requesting him, for the passion of God, to convey that bishopric from him. So I might (adds he) avoid it without displeasure, I would surely never meddle with it; there be enough that be meet for it, and will not refuse it, I cannot marvel enough, cur obtrudatur `non cupienti immo ne idoneo quidem. My mind is as troubled as my writing is. Your's to his little power, Nicholas Wotton; add whatsoever you will more to it, if you add not bishop. + The loss of his children, and having been seized with an apoplectie disorder. me perfectly from the love of this world; so that worldly greatness is now not only undesirable, but distasteful to me. And I do verily believe, that I shall be able to do as much or more good in my present station than in a higher, and shall not have one jot less interest or influence upon any others to any good purpose; for the people naturally love a man that will take great pains and little preferment. But, on the other hand, if I could force my inclination to take this great place, I foresee that I should sink under it, and grow melancholy and good for nothing, and after a little while die as a fool dies. But this, madam, is a great deal too much, upon one of the worst and nicest subjects in the world, a man's self. As I was finishing this long letter, which if your goodness will forgive I hope never to have occasion to try it so far again, I received your letter, and shall say no more of Dr. More, of whose preaching I always knew your ladyship's opinion. The person I mentioned was Mr. Kidder, on whom the king has bestowed the deanery of Peterborough, and therefore cannot have it. I am fully of your ladyship's opinion, that what my lord Bedford does in this matter must not appear to be done by him, for fear of bringing other importunities upon the king. If my lord thinks well of Dr. Horneck, Dr. More would then certainly have St. Andrew's. I thank God for the health your family enjoys, as for that of my own; and equally pray for the continuance of it, and all other blessings. I would fain find room to tender my humble service to my lord Bedford, my lord Russell, and two of the best young ladies I know. I am, honoured madam, more than I can express, your most obliged and obedient servant. LADY RUSSELL TO THE DEAN OF ST. PAUL'S. September 1689. WHENEVER, Mr. Dean, you are disposed, and at leisure to give it me, I can be well content, I assure you, to read the longest letter you can write. But I had not so soon told you a truth you cannot choose but know, if this paper was not to be hastened to you with a little errand that I am well enough pleased to be employed in; because the effect will be good, though the cause does not please me being you said Mr. Kidder cannot have Covent-garden, because he is dean of Peterborough (though I do not conceive why, unless it is because he is great and others are not). But lord Bedford leans strongly to offer him to the king: it is from what you said to me has made him do so. Yet if you judge he should not now be the man, I am enjoined to obtain from you some character of one Mr. Freeman †, and Mr. Wil * * Richard Kidder, afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells (in Kenn's stead, 1691), was killed with his lady at Wells, by the fall of a stack of chimneys during the high wind, 27th Nov. 1703. + Dr. Freeman died dean of Peterborough, 1707. |