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haps be useful, to save time for their other studies; but doubtless precomposed discourses are far better suited to the generality of ininisters of the establishment on many accounts *.

Dr. Comber distinguished himself as a candid and liberal critic on many of the productions of the most elegant writers of his day. Proofs of this appear by fragments of his correspondence with Dr. Robertson, the elegant historian of Scotland, &c. with Mr. Mason, respecting his tragedy of Elfrida, &c. &c, as also by judicious remarks on Dr. Blackwall's "Letters on Mythology," &c.

As a biographer, he likewise produced several pieces which do him much honour. In particular, he composed from the best and most authentic materials that could be had, "Memoirs of the Life and Death of Jane, Queen of Navarre, &c." "An Account of the Life, Death, and Writings of Sir Philip Sydney, &c. &c. &c." And a fragment appears amongst his papers of a "History of the Life, &c. of William I. Prince of Orange." Lastly, he had collected some materials for the life of his grandfather, sometime Dean of Durham, the execution of which was prevented by death.

From an early age our author was attached to poetry, and a great many of his fugitive pieces written when he was very young, are still extant among his MSS. It is not necessary to mention any of these in a particular manner at present; but there is one in particular which deserves to be named, as it is executed with much ingenuity and labour. It is an Epic Poem called "The Williamade," and is extended to xxiv. books; the subject being the great Revolution in 1688, and taking its name from the hero who brought about that great event, viz. William III. Prince of Orange.

* We cannot allow this account of Dr. Comber's practice, and the apology for it, to pass without expressing our disapprobation of the one, and dissent from the other. Extemporaneous preaching must necessarily be loose and declamatory. It may indeed have its effect in the way of alarming, or of pleasing ordinary minds, but it is ill calculated for solid instruction.

A divine who is anxious to discharge his duty properly, must study every subject of his public ministration with careful attention, lest by giving way to momentary feeling and casual conceptions, he fall into erors in the interpretation of the sacred Scriptures.EDITOR.

About

About the year 1761, our author turned his thoughts towards matrimony, but for some reason or other, not now known, his design did not take effect: however, he was married April 28th, 1763, to Mary, eldest daughter of the late William Brooke, M. D. of Field-head, in the West-riding of the county of York, having then nearly reached the 41st year of his age. Immediately afterwards, he took his lady to his father's house at East-Newton, where she continued until the death of the old gentleman.

In two years after his marriage, his eldest son and a daughter were born, which not only gave the truest delight to himself and his lady, but to his father also, who a few weeks afterward, yielded up his soul into the hands of his Creator, May 16, 1765, aged 77. About the year 1767, his neighbour the late Thomas Duncombe, Esq. of Duncombe Park, desired him to hold the living of Kirby-over-Carr, until the son of his friend Mr. Robinson, of Welburn, in that neighbourhood, should be old enough to take it. In February 1770, the same gentleman tendered him two good livings in Huntingdonshire, which had just become vacant by the death of the incumbent the Rev. Dr. Jenner, and he at the same time offered the livingof Kirby-over-Carr, which he then held, and which would become vacant by his acceptance of these livings, to his younger brother the Rev. William Comber, vicar of Kirby-Moorside; who was according ly presented to this living when it became vacant, on the same condition as our author had held it. Soon after the above offer, which was gratefully accepted, he went to reside at the Rectory-house of Buckworth, in the county of Huntingdon, the living of Morbourne, to which he was presented at the same time, being distant six or seven miles, and the duty of the church supplied by a curate, who resided with him in his rectory-house to the time of his death. The income of these two livings, added to his paternal inheritance, made his circumstances very easy; and if the blessing of health had been continued, he would have been as happy as man can hope to be in this sublu

nary state.

But his close application to study had very greatly impaired his constitution; nervous disorders of the most alarming kind had seized upon him, and change of air, exercise, and sea-bathing, were recommended by the faculty to restore his health. He therefore committed the care

of

of his churches to his curate, and removed to Scarborough, to comply with the directions which had been given; and he appeared to have received great benefit from the excursion. At his return to his rectory he at first seemed much improved in his health, but having resumed his usual plan of long and painful study, and often dedicating those hours to the Muses which should have been given to sleep, he thereby increased the alarming symptoms of his former disorder, and gave the most serious apprehensions to his family.

After he had been offered the Huntingdonshire livings, and before he was instituted to them, his lady presented him, May 16th, 1770, with a second son, whom he called by the name of his patron, Duncombe. In the following year he had a third son born, whom he called William Turner; the first name in compliment to his only brother, and the second after the late Sir Charles Turner, Bart. who stood god-father to the child. His fourth and last child was born in 1774, and was named Andrew, after his younger brother, who died of the small-pox in 1747. These children, as well as our author's widow, are all now living.

About this time he entertained thoughts of changing his Huntingdonshire livings for one in London worth 5007. per annum; and a letter from his patron is extant, wherein he consents to the meditated exchange, on con dition of the new incumbent's engaging to reside at Buckworth. Nothing farther, however, appears on this subject at present, and the reason of the negotiation being broken off is not known.

It appears from authentic documents in our author's handwriting, that he performed his exercise for the degree of LL.B. in the year 1770, and that for the degree of LL.D. in 1744, and he took this last degree in 1775. On the occasion of performing this last-mentioned exercise he distinguished himself in a very remarkable manner, and the singular honour he obtained from the professor, was suitable to his merit. It was conceived in the following terms: "Sed, doctissime Respondens, jam tempus est receptui canère: et non possum non (quoniam te respondentem postremo alloquor) tibi et Academiæ nostræ gratulari ob tot questiones, tuo ordine dignissimas, defensas summo cum acumine et doctrinâ singulari."

Dr. Comber did not long enjoy his new dignity, for his health, which had been long in a very declining state,

was

was in the spring of the year 1778, so extremely shakeri; as to cause the most serious alarm to his friends and family. He was twice attacked by the palsy, and the se cond stroke considerably affected his speech; which, however, in a great degree he recovered, and for a short time he appeared to be better. This, however, was only a deceitful calm, for in the middle of the night of April 6th, 1778, he was visited with a third stroke of the palsy, which totally deprived him of speech, and in that melancholy state he laid till the ninth of the same month, when it pleased Divine Providence to release him from his sufferings. He was aged 55 years and nearly ten months at the time of his death; and as he had particuJarly requested that his body might be deposited in the same church with those of his father and grandfather, this wish was strictly complied with a few days after his decease.

The person of Dr. Comber was above the middle size, stout and well-proportioned, and, in the latter part of his life, considerably inclined to corpulence. His complexion was fair, his features regular and open, and his countenance very prepossessing. His face was the fair and genuine picture of his mind, which was always turned to what was honourable and virtuous. His intellectual powers will best appear from his writings, in which are displayed profound erudition, an excellent judgment and au elegant taste, blended with a warm zeal for the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and a proper sense of the great danger of the attempts against it by the sectaries and adherents of the Church of Rome. He possessed a critical knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian tongues, as in his unpublished MSS. he hath quoted largely, and liberally criticised, a variety of authors in all those languages.

The character of Dr. Comber, whether considered in the light of a Scholar, a Christian, or a Man, will not suffer by a comparison with that of his grandfather, the dean of Durhain, Memoirs of whose Life and Writings are already before the public. In many particulars there was a striking resemblance between them, which may with propriety be mentioned in this place. They both distinguished themselves greatly at the university by their regularity and proficiency in literature; both took holy orders about the same period of their lives; they both adhered to the practice of extemporaneous preach

ing, that they might have more leisure to prosecute their private studies; they were alike indefatigable in their support of the established Church, and equally opposed the efforts of the sectaries and Roman Catholics to overturn the same. They were both profound and elegant scholars; both of them obtained preferment in the church on account of their merit; both of them wrote valuable pieces in divinity, and other walks of literature; and both left numerous literary works behind them, and both died in the same year of their age. As Christians they were equally exemplary in their public and private duties, as appears from many documents, in their own hand-writing, still in existence. As men, they were esteemed, and corresponded with the most learned and eminent characters of the times in which they respectively lived, as is fully proved by several letters of their correspondents. They were both of them tender husbands, affectionate fathers, and sincere friends. And there is little reason to doubt, that if our author had been thrown into the same public situation as fell to the lot of the Dean, he would have distinguished himself as much as that learned and excellent man had done before him *,

MISCELLANIES.

REMARKS ON THE PREFACE TO ST. LUKE's GOSPEL.

IN

(Continued from page 251.)

N the Acts of the Apostles we perceive that Philip, who had been in the early part of the church one of the seven deacons, is mentioned by St. Luke as being

*The writer of the above sketch proposes to print an octavo Volume of Selections from the writings of Dr, Comber, to which he intends to prefix a more enlarged account of the author, and to give an analysis of the matter and merit of his different works, provided a sufficient encouragement shall be given to the design. Subscribers' names will be received at Messrs. Rivingtons'; and when 300 copies are subscribed for, the work will be put to the press. U u

Vol. X. Churchm. Mag. May 1806.

well

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