every obligation appertaining to a good parish priest. This retirement, however, was too solitary for his disposition, which had in it a natural cast of gloominess. And though his recluse hours were by no means lost, either to private improvement or public utility, yet he felt at times, very painfully, the want of that select society of friends to which he had been accustomed, and which could inspire him with the greatest chearfulness. Mr Secker, therefore, who knew this, was extremely anxious to draw him out into a more active and conspicuous scene, and omitted no opportunity of expressing this desire to such as he thought capable of promoting it. Having himself been appointed king's chaplain in 1732, he took occasion, in a conversation which he had the honour of holding with Queen Caroline, to mention to her his friend Mr Butler. The queen said she thought he had been dead. Mr Secker assured her he was not. Yet, her majesty afterwards asked Archbishop Blackburn if he was not dead; his answer was, No, madam; but he is buried." Mr Secker continuing his purpose of endeavouring to bring his friend out. of his retirement, found means, upon Mr Charles Talbot's being made lord-chancellor,

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to have Mr Butler recommended to him for his chaplain. His lordship accepted, and sent for him; and this promotion calling him to town, he took Oxford in his way, and was admitted there to the degree of doctor-oflaw, on the 8th December 1733. The lordchancellor, who gave him also a prebend in the church of Rochester, had consented that he should reside at his parish of Stanhope one half of the year.

Dr Butler being thus brought back into the world, his merit and his talents soon introduced him to particular notice, and paved the way for his rising to those high dignities which he afterwards enjoyed. In 1736, he was appointed clerk-of-the-closet to queen Caroline; and, in the same year, he presented to her majesty a copy of his excellent treatise, entitled, "The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature." His attendance upon his royal mistress, by her especial command, was from seven to nine in the evening every day: and though this particular relation to that excellent and learned queen was soon determined by her death in 1737, yet he had been so effectually recommended by her,

as well as by the late lord-chancellor Talbot, to his majesty's favour, that, in the next year, he was raised to the highest order of the church, by a nomination to the bishopric of Bristol; to which see he was consecrated on the third of December 1738. King George II. not being satisfied with this proof of his regard to Dr Butler, promoted him, in 1740, to the deanry of St Paul's, London; into which he was installed on the 24th of May in that year. Finding the demands of this dignity to be incompatible with his parishduty at Stanhope, he immediately resigned that rich benefice. Besides our prelate's unremitted attention to his peculiar obligations, he was called upon to preach several discourses on public occasions, which were afterwards separately printed, and have since been annexed to the latter editions of the Sermons at the Rolls-chapel. In 1746, upon the death of Dr Egerton, bishop of Hereford, Dr Butler was made clerk-of-the-closet to the king; and on the 16th October 1750, he received another distinguished mark of his majesty's favour, by being translated to the see of Durham. This was on the 16th of October; in that year, upon the

decease of Dr Edward Chandler, our prelate, being thus appointed to preside over a diocese with which he had long been connected, delivered his first, and indeed his last charge to his clergy, at his primary visitation in 1751. The principal object of it was, "External Religion." The bishop having observed, with deep concern, the great and growing neglect of serious piety in the kingdom, insisted strongly on the usefulness of outward forms and institutions, in fixing and preserving a sense of devotion and duty in the minds of men. In doing this, he was thought by several persons to speak too favourably of Pagan and Popish ceremonies, and to countenance, in a certain degree, the cause of superstition. Under that apprehension, an able and spirited writer, who was understood to be a clergyman of the church of England, published, in 1752, a pamphlet, entitled, "A serious Enquiry into the Use and Importance of External Religion: occasioned by some passages in the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Durham's Charge to the Clergy of that Diocese ;-Humbly addressed to his Lordship." Many persons, however, and we believe the greater part of the clergy

of the diocese, did not think our prelate's charge so exceptionable as it appeared to this author. The Charge, being printed at Durham, and having never been annexed to any of Dr Butler's other works, is now be come extremely scarce; and it is observable, that it is the only one of his publications which ever produced him a direct literary antagonist *.

By this promotion, our worthy bishop was furnished with ample means of exerting the virtue of charity; a virtue which eminently abounded in him, and the exercise of which was his highest delight. But this gratification he did not long enjoy. He had been but a short time seated in his new bishopric, when his health began visibly to decline; and having been complimented, during his indisposition, upon account of his great resignation to the Divine will, he is said to have expressed some regret, that he should be taken from the present world so soon after he had been rendered capable of becoming much more useful in it. In his last illness, he was

* This Charge, with all the rest of Bishop Butler's writings, is included in the present edition of his Works.