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daughter was married to the reverend Mr. KNIGHT, rector of WESTON-FAVELL. His youngest fon, the reverend Mr. JAMES HERVEY, was born at HARDINGSTONE, a fmall village, one mile from NORTHAMPTON, on the twentyfixth of FEBRUARY, 1713-14.

His

mother taught him to read till he was feven years of age, after which he was

removed to the free-school at NORTHAMPTON, of which the reverend Mr. CLARK was mafter; whofe fon being dull in learning, Mr. HERVEY was allowed to proceed no fafter than he, fo that he was seventeen years of age before he was compleated in the LATIN and

GREEK languages. His father then fent him to LINCOLN college, in Oxford, and put him under the tuition of Dr. HUTCHINS, where he ftaid feven years. In the nineteenth year of his

age,

he be

came acquainted with fome perfons who distinguished themselves by their ferious impreffions of religion, and zeal in promoting it; by whofe example he became ftrictly attached to piety and learning. Here he made himself master of KEIL'S ASTRONOMY, Dr. DERHAM'S PHYSICO and ASTRO-THEology, and NATURE DISPLAY'D. Thefe he read with particular fatisfaction, and has frequently acknowledged, that he

was greatly indebted to Mr. SPENCE'S ESSAY ON POPE'S HOMER'S ODYSSEY for his improvement in ftile and compofition. He had here an exhibition of twenty pounds a-year.

IN 1736 he became curate to his father at WESTON-FAVELL, from whence he removed to BIDDEFORD, where he lived feveral years, and was fo great

ly beloved by his people, that when the old rector died, and the new rector had gotten the living, and provided another curate, the people offered to pay him his fallary out of their own pockets, providing they might have their beloved

Mr. HERVEY continued with them. The fallary of BIDDEFORD was very small, though the parishoners had raised him

fixty pounds a-year. He was much efteemed by Mr. ORCHARD of STOKEABBEY in DEVONSHIRE, and was de fired by that gentleman to ftand god-fa ther to his fon, that he might have an eye over his chriftian education; preferring him to many gentlemen in the coun ty, who would have looked upon them felves as honoured by performing that office. It was here he laid the plan of his MEDITATIONS, and it is poffible wrote fome of them, as he fays it was in a ride to KILHAMPTON in CORN

WALL, where he went to the church,

and there he lays the fcene of his ME

DITATIONS AMONGST THE TOMBS.

HE flaid two years and a half in this country, after which he had an exhibition in LINCOLN college. His father preffed him to get some curacy three or four miles from OXFORD, and hold his exhibition; but this he would by no means comply with, thinking it unjust to detain it from another perfon, who might more want the benefit of that provifion; and could not by any means be prevailed upon to take his degree of A. M. though he was of fufficient ftand