ever he might not have confulted his own; he had therefore God's promife in hand, They that honour me, I will honour. In proof of this I cannot bur obferve, that whatever credit he lost in the city of London, as profeffor of philofophy in Gretham college, he retrieved it an hundred-fold in a bufinefs of a very different nature which happened about the fame time, I mean the famous few Bill. By his oppofition to which, both in preaching and print, he rofe and increased in favour with God and man. His reafonings upon this fubject, and answers to every thing that was attempted in vindication of a project so contrary to the decrees and declarations of heaven, and fo injurious to the religious, civil, and commercial interefts of this country, were collected by himself in a pamphlet, which was reprinted by the citizens of London in the year 1753, and it is a mafterly performance, which will bear printing again. Mr. Jones, in his life of Dr. Horne, late bishop of Norwich, with which he has just favoured the world, has a paffage fo much to our prefent purpofe, that I have taken the liberty of transcribing it. "In the year when the Jew Bill was depending, and after it had paffed the house, he (Mr. Horne) frequently employed himself in fending to an evening paper of the time, certain communications, which were much noticed, while the author was totally unknown, except to fome of his nearest acquaintance. By the favour of a great lady, it was my fortune (though then very young) to be at a table table where fome perfons of the firft quality were affembled, and I heard one of them * very earnest on the matter and ftyle of fome of these papers, of which I knew the fecret hiftory, and was not a little diverted when I knew what paffed about them.. To the author of these papers the Jew Bill gave fo much offence (and the Marriage Bill not much lefs), that he refused to dine at the table of a neighbouring gentleman, where he was much admired, only because the fon-in-law of Mr. Pelham was to be there; he was therefore highly gratified by the part taken in that perilous business by the Rev. William Romaine, who opposed the confiderations dispersed about the kingdom in defence of the few Bill, with a degree of spirit and fuccefs, which reminded us of Swift's oppofition to Wood's Halfpence in his Drapier's Letters." This honourable mention of one, who is now literally a departed brother †, reflects equal honour upon him + Lord Temple. A name given to Mr. Romaine by certain gentlemen, whofe apology was fo ably written by one who rose to the bishoprick of Norwich. They may all be ranked among the brightest ornaments and best friends of the church of England. They differed from Mr. Romaine only in the use, application, and enjoyment of the truths they held, which he fought perfonally for himself, and in the boldnefs and fervent zeal with which he endeavoured to propagate them to others. This happy, or unhappy turn (as the world is pleased to call it) led him into what fome of his former him that made it, nor can it fail of giving pleasure to all lovers of peace and truth, as it brings two old friends and acquaintance together, who pursued the fame path of ftudy, though they have been caft into different habits of life, who have contended for the fame faith, fought with the fame weapons, worshipped the fame God, and fteadily adhered to the fame communion. Why should a doubt be entertained of their happy meeting in heaven, and of their rejoicing together in the beatific vifion of the LORD their GOD *? Why should such a doubt arise even from their last meeting upon earth? which was indeed extraordinary, but of which no notice might have been taken in thefe memoirs, had it not made its first appearance in the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, under the fignature of T. H., as an " anecdote of Mr. Romaine, more characteristic of the man (as this writer is pleased to say) than might be found in twenty lives of him.". How far the trait, as he has drawn it, is lovely in the character of a " venerable faint," every one muft judge for himself who reads the extract from the Magazine for the month of March, as it is given verbatim in the note former friends called ferious miftakes and irregularities. But the church of England had never a more dutiful, affectionate, and illuftrious fon, than William Romaine. יהוה אלהיהם * below below*. The truth, as I have it under the hand of one prefent at the interview, was fimply this. "If twenty lives were written of Mr. Romaine, they will, I am confident, produce nothing more characteristic of the man, than the following anecdote. I infert the names, perhaps you will prefer the initials. T. H. About three weeks before the laft illness of that venerable patriarch Mr. Romaine, he was walking in the city, and fol. lowed close by Dr. G. of Iflington, and Mr. J. of Pluckley, who had been formerly his intimate acquaintance, and, like many other old Hutchinsonian friends, had long forsaken and shunned him. His friendship, they knew, was not the road to Canterbury." Niger eft, hunc tu Romane caveto. Mr. Mr. Dr. G. faid, "There goes Mr. Romaine, juft before us." J. replied, "He is an old acquaintance of mine," and in his facetious manner, whipped by Mr. Romaine, and turning round, ftopped him full; just then Dr. G. was at his elbow. Romaine looked at him-" Do not you know me, Mr. R.?" faid he. "No," faid the venerable faint, " nor my Mafter neither ;" and, turning round on his heel, croffed the way, with contempt and indignation, leaving them confounded at this unexpected reception." Such is the famous anecdote which is to fupply the place of twenty lives! It impreffed the prefent rector of Blackfriars as fuch a ftigma upon his late venerable friend and predeceffor, as well as fuch an undeserved reflection upon a great character, now living, that he immediately fent to the editors of the Evangelical Magazine the following letter. SIR, In your Magazine for the last month I obferved an anecdote of my late venerable rector, Mr. Romaine, which, had it been true, this. A little while before the death of Mr. Romaine, Mr. Jones and Dr. Gaskin overtook him in Cheapfide, true, I was at a lofs to account for the reafons of its infertion. If meant as a compliment, it has generally been understood as a reflection; while it cafts an undeferved odium alfo on two characters that are very worthily respected. But as the flatement which has appeared is altogether erroneous, I have no doubt but you will be ready to counteract the effect which it has produced, by publishing the circumftances, as I received them from unquestionable authority, not long after they took place. The Rev. Dr. G. and the Rev. Mr. J. were walking together in Cheapfide, when the fight of Mr. Romaine at a distance gave rife to the following converfation. Mr. J. There is Mr. Romaine-Do you know him? Dr. G. No. I have no perfonal acquaintance with him. Dr. G. I am not fure that he does; have you any knowledge of him? Mr. J. Yes. Some years ago we were very intimate, and he has been at my houfe fome days together; I will speak to him. As Mr. Romaine came near, he was addreffed by Mr. J. in this manner-How do you do, Mr. Romaine? I do not know whether you forget one William J. I do not forget you. To which Mr. Romaine replied, "No, nor my Mafter neither, I hope." Without waiting for a reply, he croffed the street, and paffed on. In whatever way Mr. Romaine's anfwer be understood, it implies no fuch reflection on Mr. J. as is fo strongly marked in the statement you have given. I am rather inclined to think he meant it as a compliment, as I have heard him exprefs himself in terms of great refpe&t, as to the perfon he then spoke to, No idea of difrefpect need be attached to his immediately paling from them, for it was what Mr. Romaine would fre. quently |