ing, for fear it might be an inducement to him to become a pluralift, being at that time utterly averfe to this; though he afterwards changed his mind on this head, as he faw it made him more ufeful, and furnished him with the means of being more charitable.

IN the year 1750, at his father's death, he fucceeded to the livings of WESTON and COLLINGTREE.

His

health was fo impaired at this time by his close attention to his studies, and the duties of his office, that his family and friends thought that a change of air would be of fervice for the recovering it;

they therefore formed a scheme of conveying him to LONDON, which they affected by getting him into a chaise of a

friend, who was going there, under a pretence of riding only a few miles; of which he pleasantly complains, in a letter to a friend, upon his arrival there, which begins thus:

6. MY DEAR FRIEND,

IF

"If you chide, I must accuse. Pray 'where was your warrant, where your

commiffion, to impress me into this

'journey? However, as a good Christi'an, I forgive you and your accompli'ces.' After commending several cler

gymen his friends, whom he faw on the

road, he concludes thus: My animal

"nature is fo very feeble, that I find no

benefit from the change of air, nor "from the enjoyment of the most plea *fing fociety.

HE continued in LONDON till APRIL or MAY 1752, during which time he was feized with a fevere illness, which nearly coft him his life: but he recovered, returned to WESTON, and took poffeffion of it and COLLINGTREE, the two family livings..

It will doubtlefs be thought ftrange,

after what has been faid, that our divine fhould accept of thefe two livings, and hold them during life. In answer to which, we are affured, that when his father died, he remained determined to have WESTON-FAVELL only, which he frequently declared to his family and friends, and refused to accept of CoLLINGTREE, or to qualify himself for the fame, infomuch that it was in danger of lapfing to the bishop. But at length, through the earneft and constant intreaties of his family and friends, who, unknown to him, had fent to, and procured from OXFORD the neceffary certificates of his being A. B. in order to

his taking his Mafter's degree at CAMBRIDGE, he was after much importunity prevailed on to comply with their requests, hoping that he might be thereby enabled to do fo much more good. And when he waited upon Dr. THOMAS, then Bishop of PETERBOROUGH, for inftitution to COLLING TREE, which was near fix months after his induction into WES

TON, he said, I fuppofe your lordship

will be furprized to fee JAMES HERVEY come to defire your lordship's permiffion to be a pluralift; but I affure you, I do it in obedience to the repeated folicitations of my mother and