Dr. Pearce, when the Church of St. Martin's was rebuilt, preached a sermon at the consecration, which he afterwards printed, and accompanied with an Essay on the origin and progress of tempies, traced from the rude stones which were first used for altars, to the noble structure of Solomon, which he considers as the first temple completely covered.

In the year 1739, Mr. Pultney spoke to Sir Robert Walpole, who was then Prime Minister, in the House of Commons, where, though Mr. Pultney was then in the height of opposition to him, he always sat upon the same bench, and the very next to him. Sir Robert, said he, I have a favor to ask of you. O, my good friend Pultney, replied Sir Robert, what favor can you have to ask of me? It is, said Mr. Pultney, that Dr. Pearce may not suffer in his preferment for being my friend. I promise you, said Sir Robert, that he shall not. Why then, said Mr. Pultney, I hope that you will give him the Deanery of Wells, which is now vacant. No, replied Sir Robert, I cannot promise you that for him."

In that year, Dr. Pearce was appointed Dean of Winchester. When Mr. Pultney congratulated him on the occasion, he said, among other things, you may depend upon it, that you owe this preferment entirely to Sir Robert. Now, as I am so engaged in opposition to him, it may happen, that some who are of our party may, if there should be any opposition for Members of Parliament at Winchester, prevail upon me to desire you to act there in assistance of some friend of ours; and Sir Robert, at the same time, may ask your assistance in the election of a friend of his own against one whom we recommend. I tell you, therefore, beforehand, that if you comply with my request, rather than with Sir Robert's, to whom you are so very much obliged, I shall have the worse opinion of you.

In 1748, the Bishopric of Bangor became vacant by the translation of Dr. Hutton from the see of Bangor to that of York. The Duke of Newcastle

wrote to the Dean, signifying, that his Grace had his

Majesty's

Majesty's order to make him an offer of the Bishopric of Bangor. When he waited upon his Grace, he asked whether he might be permitted to hold his Deanery of Winchester in Commendam, with Bangor, to which the answer was NO; but that he might hold the vicarage of St. Martin's with it. The Dean said, that he was desirous to quit the living, which was troublesome to him, and would be more so, as he was growing in years; but if that could not be indulged him, he rather chose to continue in his present situation. After some conservation with Lord Hardwicke, then Lord Chancellor, he was consecrated Bishop of Bangor.

In 1755, the Archbishop of Canterbury enquired of him, whether he would accept the Bishopric of Rochester and the Deanery of Westminster, in exchange for that of Bangor. The Bishop excused himself, and told his Grace plainly, that his father being dead, and his estate come to him, he had now nothing in view, but to beg his Majesty's leave to resign the see of Bangor, and to retire to a private life in the year 1757; that so long he was contented to continue in the possession of the Bishopric of Bangor; but that then he designed to try if he could obtain leave to resign, and live upon his private fortune. The Archbishop replied, I doubt whether it can be granted, or that the thing can be done. The Duke of Newcastle prevailed with him, when the Bishopric of Rochester became vacant, to accept it; and he was accordingly promoted to it, and the Deanery of Westminster, in the beginning of the year 1756.

In 1761, died Dr. Sherlock, Bishop of London, and upon his death Lord Bath spoke to the Bishop of Rochester, and offered to use his endeavors with his Majesty for appointing the Bishop of Rochester to succeed him. The Bishop told Lord Bath, that he had determined never to accept the Bishopric of London, or the Archbishopric of Canterbury.

In 1763, the Bishop being then seventy-three years old, and finding himself less fit for his stations as Bishop and Dean, informed his friend Lord Bath of

his intention to resign both. When the Bishop made his request to his Majesty, and acquainted him with the grounds of it, he added, that he was desirous to retire for the opportunity of spending more time in his devotions and studies, and that he was of the same way of thinking with a General Officer of the Emperor Charles the fifth, who observed, that every wise man would, at the end of his life, wish to have some interval between the fatigues of business and eternity. The King said he would consult some proper persons among his servants about the propriety and legality of it. About two months afterwards he sent for the Bishop, and told him that Lord Mansfield saw no objection to his resignation-but that Lord Northington was doubtful. His Majesty sent again at some distance of time to the Bishop, and told him he must think no more about resigning the bishopric.

In 1764 Lord Bath died, of whom the Bishop ob serves, He was a firm friend to the established Reli gion of his country, and free from all the vices of the age in his youth. He constantly attended the public worship of God, and all the offices of it in his parish Church, while his health permitted it; and when his great age and infirmities prevented him from so doing, he supplied that defect by daily reading over the morning service of the Church before he came out of his bed-chamber.

In the year 1768, having just obtained his Majesty's consent, he resigned his deanery, which he had held for twelve years, and which was nearly double in point, of income to his bishopric, which he was obliged to retain. He was succeeded in the deanery by Dr. Thomas, who had been for many years his Subdean, there.

In 1773, in her 70th year died his wife. The children they had, died very young, and her departure made a void in his life, which it was not possible to supply. About a fortnight after her funeral, he la mented his loss, spoke of her again in the evening, and from that time mentioned her no more in his family.

VOL. III.

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The Bishop, in the same year, having confirmed át Greenwich, 700 persons, was so much exhausted, that he was the next day unable to speak, and never regained his former readiness of utterance. From that time he gradually decayed, and his power of swallowing was almost lost. Being asked how he could live with so little nutriment, I live, said he, upon the recollection of an innocent and well-spent life, which is my only sustenance. He died at Little Ealing in 1774, in his 84th year, and was buried by his wife at Bromley, where a monument is erected to his memory. His epitaph, reciting his preferments, concludes-he died in the comfortable hope of (what was the chief aim of all his labors upon earth) the being promoted to a happier place in Heaven.

He left by his will several legacies to private per sons and to public charities. There is at Bromley, where the Bishops of Rochester have their palace, a College founded for 20 Widows of Clergymen, insufficiently provided for: the revenue being scanty, the Bishop left 5000l. not to increase the number, bur to augment the happiness, of the society.

The diligence of his early studies appeared by its effects. Cicero de Oratore was published by him when he was A. B. and Cicero de Officiis, when he was Dean of Winchester.

He did not confine his attention to the learned languages: he was particularly studious of Milton's poetry, and when Dr. Bentley published his imaginary emendations of Paradise Lost, wrote in opposition to them a full vindication of the established text.

- In his domestic life he was quiet and placid, not. difficult to be pleased, nor inclined to harrass his attendants or inferiors by peevishness or caprice.

In his parochial Cure, he was punctually diligent, and very seldom omitted to preach. But his voice was low and feeble, and could not reach the whole of a numerous congregation.

To the Editor of his works he left all his MS. Sermons, his Commentary on the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and on St. Paul's First Epistle to

the

the Corinthians. After the Commentary was published, a selection of his sermons was made.

The sermons on Grace and the New Birth, are, such, I am persuaded, as to induce every orthodox reader to lament that a greater number of that description was not selected.

MY readers will, doubtless, be disappointed that I have not the means of gratifying them with a more detailed account of this excellent Divine,

The Rev. Charles Peters was descended of a very respectable family resident in the borough of Tregony, in Cornwall. His father was a member of the corporation of that borough, and a justice of the peace for the county. He left three sons, of whom Charles, the subject of these memoirs, was the youngest, whom he educated for the Church. Mr. Peters having supported the Boscawen family, who were then patrons of the borough, his son was presented by them to the rectory of St. Mabyn, one of the most valuable livings in the county. There he lived retired, and in the latter part of his days, rather in an infirm, state of health, perhaps from hard study and close application, In the discharge of his parochial duty, he was regular and exemplary; in his moral couduct, a pattern of every virtue. He was remarkable for his charity and compassion to the por; ready to distribute, willing to communicate, feeding at his table, regularly, every Sunday, a number of the most indigent of his parishoners.