Can assure you farther, he was so earnest in this subject, that he took the pains to extract, in his own hand writing, all the matter that is most observable and useful in the five quarto volumes of I find Sir John Hawkins upon music. papers curious abridgment, which is made with critical taste and dis

cernment.

among

his

this

But his greatest affection being to the science of divinity, he would there of consequence make the greatest improvements; and there the world will find themselves most obliged to him. No considerable progress, no improvement in any science, can be expected, unless it be beloved for its own sake. How this can happen in divinity, all men may not be able to see: but it is possible for the eye of the understanding to be as truly delighted with a sight of the divine wisdom in the great economy of redemption and revelation, as for the eye of the astronomer to take pleasure in observing the lights of heaven, or the naturalist in exploring and collecting, perhaps at the hazard of his life, the treasures of the natural creation. What I here say will be best understood by those, who know what affection, what animation, is found in the first writers of the christian church; with what delight they dwell upon the wonders of the christian plan, and comment upon the peculiar wisdom of the word of God. To the best writers of the best ages he put himself to school very early, and profited by them so much, that I hope no injustice will be done to their memory, if I think he has in some respects improved upon his teachers.

A man with such talents, and such a temper, must have been generally beloved and admired; which he was almost universally; the exceptions being so few, as would barely suffice to exempt him from that woe of the Gospel, which is pronounced against the favourites of the world. But his undisguised attachment to the doctrines of the Church of England, which are still, and, we hope, ever will be, of the old fashion, would necessarily expose him to the unmannerly censures of some, and the frigid commendations of others, which are sometimes of worse effect than open scandal. But he never appeared to be hurt by any thing of this sort that happened to him. An anonymous pamphlet, which the public gave to the late Dr. Kennicott, attacked him very severely; and soon received an answer from him; which, though very close and strong, was the answer of a wise and temperate man. also, in his turn, not forseeing so much benefit to the Scriptures,

He

as some others did, from Dr. Kennicott's plan for collating Hebrew manuscripts, and correcting the Hebrew text, wrote against that undertaking; expressing his objections and suspicions, and giving his name to the world, without any fear or reserve. But so it came to pass, from the moderation and farther experience of both the parties, that, though their acquaintance began in hostility, they at length contracted a friendship for each other, which brought on an interchange of every kind office between them and lasted to the end of their lives, and is now subsisting between their families. To all men of learning, who mean well to the cause of truth and piety, while they are warmly opposing one another, may their example be a lasting admonition! But let not this observation be carried farther than it will go:

-Non ut

Serpentes avibus geminentur, tigribus agni.

In his intercourse with his own family, while the treasures of his mind afforded them some daily opportunities of improvement, the sweetness of his humour was to them a perennial fountain of entertainment. He had the rare and happy talent of disarming all the little vexatious incidents of life of their power to molest, by giving them some unexpected turn. And occurrences of a more serious nature, even some of a frightful aspect, were treated by him with the like ease and pleasantry; of which I could give some remarkable instances.

Surely, the life of such a man as this ought not to be forgotten. You and I, who saw and heard so much of it, shall, I trust, never recollect it without being the better for it: and, if we can succeed in shewing it so truly to the world, that they also may be the better for it, we shall do them an acceptable service. I have heard it said, and I was a little discouraged by it, that Dr. Horne was a person, whose life was not productive of events considerable enough to furnish matter for a history. But they, who judge thus, have taken but a superficial view of human life; and do not rightly measure the importance of the different events which happen to different sorts of men. Dr. Horne, I must allow, was no circumnavigator: he neither sailed with Drake, Anson, nor Cooke; but he was a man, whose mind surveyed the intellectua world, and brought home from thence many excellent observa

tions for the benefit of his native country. He was no military commander; he took no cities; he conquered no countries; but he spent his life in subduing his passions, and in teaching us how to do the same. He fought no battles by land or by sea; but he opposed the enemies of God and his truth, and obtained some victories which are worthy to be recorded. He was no priine minister to any earthly potentate; but he was a minister to the King of Heaven and Earth: an office at least as useful to mankind, and in the administration of which no minister to any earthly king ever exceeded him in zeal and fidelity. He made no splendid discoveries in natural history; but he did what was better he applied universal nature to the improvement of the mind, and the illustration of heavenly doctrines. I call these events: not such as make a great noise and signify little; but such as are little celebrated, and of great signification. The same difference is found between Dr. Horne and some other men who have been the subject of history, as between the life of the bee, and that of the wasp or hornet. The latter may boast of their encroachments and depredations, and value themselves on being a plague and a terror to mankind. But let it rather be my amusement to follow and observe the motions of the bee. Her journies are always pleasant; the objects of her attention are beautiful to the eye, and she passes none of them over without examining what is to be extracted from them: her workmanship is admirable; her economy is a lesson of wisdom to the world: she may be accounted little among them that fly, but the fruit of her labour is the chief of sweet things.

You know, sir, to what interruptions my life has been subject for thirty years past, and there is some tender ground before us, on which I am to tread as lightly as truth will permit; you will pardon me therefore if my progress hath not been so quick as you could have wished; and believe me to be, as I have long been,

Dear Sir,

Your most affectionate and

obliged humble servant,

WILLIAM JONES.

PREFACE

TO THE

SECOND EDITION.

IN publishing the Memoirs of the Life of Bishop Horne, my

intention was only to give a true idea of that good man, as it presented itself to my memory and affections; and to produce an edifying book, rather than a formal history. I flatter myself it has done some good; and I hope it may do more. If any offence has been given, I can only say it was no part of my plan: but it is a common fault with plain Christians, who know little of the world, to tell more truth than is wanted; and they have nothing left but a good conscience to support them under the mistake.

Some few exceptions have been made to the performance by little cavillers, which are not worth mentioning: but I brought myself into the most serious difficulty of all, by representing Bishop Horne as an Hutchinsonian; which thing (it seems) ought not to have been done; as it was strongly suggested to me, from the late learned Doctor Farmer, while my work was in hand. On this matter I beg leave to explain myself a little. I never said, nor did I ever think, that Bishop Horne owed every thing to Hutchinson, or was his implicit follower. I knew the contrary: but this I will say, because I know it to be true, that he owed to him the beginning of his extensive knowledge; for such a beginning as he made placed him on a new spot of high ground; from which he took all his prospects of religion and learning ; and saw that whole road lying before him, which he afterwards pursued, with so much pleasure to himself, and benefit to the world, This declaration, however clear it may be to me, is more than some of my readers will be willing to admit, or able to bear, I perceive, by what has been written, that, if it can be effected, Bishop Horne must be taken away from the Hutchinsonians

or, if that cannot be done, his character must not be set too high; we must beware of exaggeration; he must be represented as good and pious, rather than wise or great. This comes not from the truth, but from the times: and it is what we must expect to hear, till the times shall alter, and a few stumbling-blocks shall be removed out of the way. After what I had related, with so little disguise, concerning the early studies of Doctor Horne, I could foresee that his character, excellent as it is, had a fiery trial to pass: I therefore prepared myself to see-what I have seen.

But, while I heard some things which were unpleasant, I heard others, which gave me encouragement. For, though it was commonly reported, that I had bestowed too many words upon a cause, which neither required nor deserved them, one of the wisest men of this age, who is an host of himself, wished I had said it being a cause of which the world heard much, but knew little, and wanted to know more. I shall take this opportunity of satisfying their curiosity as faithfully as I can.

more;

But I find myself called upon, by the way, to justify the Bishop against an unexpected accusation of a late author; who charges him with fancifulness and presumption: for what reason, and with how much justice, learning, and judgment, we shall see presently; and I am glad this second edition was deferred, because the delay has given me an opportunity of seeing some things, of which I ought not to be ignorant.

In a New Biographical Dictionary, a life of Dotor Horne is inserted; the author of which speaks of him with as much caution, as a man would handle hot coals. For what he is pleased to say of me, as a writer of Doctor Horne's life, I am much obliged to him; and I think it more than I deserve or desire; but, I should be false to the Bishop's memory, were I to allow his account of him to be either just or true. He gives him the praise of being a blameless man! (cold enough!) when they, that have eyes to see, and judgment to discern, must discover him to be, both for matter and manner, one of the first orators and teachers this church can boast; aud that he often displays a rich vein of wit, rarely indeed to be found in a man of so much sweetness and good temper. What a poor figure does Priestley make in the hands of the Under-graduate! And the great philosopher, Hume, in the letter to Doctor Adam Smith! Where the Bishop is reflected upon, for being an Hutchinsonian, it is al