THE LIFE OF WILLIAM WARBURTON, D.D. LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER FROM 1760 TO 1779: WITH REMARKS ON HIS WORKS. BY THE REV. JOHN SELBY WATSON, M.A., M.R.S.L. AUTHOR OF 'THE LIFE OF RICHARD PORSON,' 'THE LIFE OF george fox,' etc. Αὐτὰρ ὁ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπεπωλεῖτο στίχας ἀνδρῶν, Ном. LONDON: LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, ROBERTS, & GREEN. PREFACE. In submitting to the public this Life of Bishop Warburton, an attempt to accomplish a design which I have long had in view, I would beg leave to say that I have neglected, as far as I know, no means by which light might be thrown on Warburton's career and character, and that I have made due acknowledgments, by references at the foot of the page, to all sources from which I have derived information or assistance. To the Rev. Francis Kilvert's Selections from Unpublished Papers of Bishop Warburton,' and 'Life of Bishop Hurd,' I ought to express my obligations for a few letters of Hare, Sherlock, Jortin, Towne, and two or three of their contemporaries. Bishop Warburton's own letters, it is well known, were almost wholly destroyed, except those addressed to Hurd, which were preserved and printed by him, and published after his death under the title of 'Letters from an Eminent Prelate to one of his Friends.' Among the publications to which, in the prosecution of my task, I was obliged frequently to have recourse, were the numerous pamphlets put forth, for or against Warburton, in his own time. The consultation of these was a portion of my labour attended with no great pleasure or satisfaction; for they are, with a few exceptions, very poor performances, reiterating, in trite phrase, well worn theological doctrine, with little argument, much railing, and occasional scraps of flattery. Those who may have the benefit of what they have supplied, will hardly conceive from among how many dry and dreary pages it has been gathered. If it be thought that the extracts from letters, and from some of the more obscure publications, are somewhat copious, the intention of such liberality has been, that Warburton, and his assailants or supporters, might, by being allowed to speak in their own words, show themselves as they were, and that the reader, being furnished with literal citation, might be haunted with no suspicion of misrepresentation from abridgment. Inquiries at Newark, Brant - Broughton, and other places with which Warburton was connected, have elicited no information respecting him beyond what was already in print. The edition of Warburton's works, to which references are made, is the octavo, in twelve volumes, of 1811. J. S. W. CONTENTS. Warburton's Family - His Birth and Education-His apparent Dull- ness in Boyhood - Is articled to an Attorney - Begins to manifest a love of Reading-His Aspirations-Determines to enter the Church - Is ordained Deacon at York - His First Publication dedicated to Sir Robert Sutton- -Specimens of his English Prose and Verse- Specimens of his Latin Composition - Is ordained Priest, and pre- sented to a Living by Sir Robert Sutton-Becomes acquainted with Concanen, Theobald, and other Literary Characters - Solicited to assist Theobald in his 'Shakspeare' - Letter to Concanen ponds with Theobald - - His Second Publication, the 'Enquiry into Prodigies and Miracles'-Remarks on it-Warburton's Account of its Appearance, and subsequent Anxiety to suppress it. PAGE 1 Notice of Concanen-His Literary Performances-His Praise of Pope -His Appointment in Jamaica, and Death Whether Warburton conspired with Pope's Enemies - Listened with complacency to Theobald's exclamations against Pope- His concern in 'The Legal Judicature in Chancery Stated '-Made one of the King's Masters of Arts at Cambridge - Presented by Sir Robert Sutton to the Living of Brant-Broughton- His application to Study - His Acquirements -Is in no haste to publish - His assistance to Theobald in his 'Shakspeare Theobald's Merits - Unduly depreciated - Speci- mens of his Emendations-Estrangement between him and Warbur- ton, and Reconciliation---Theobald's Death- Warburton's' Apology for Sir Robert Sutton'-His Letter to Pope on Sir Robert's Character |