in his ftudies, and commenced the practice in 1778. On Feb. 18, 1779, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

The warm affection which Dr. Jebb had for the liberties of mankind, and the fhare he was difpofed to take in their fupport, first appeared in An Addrefs to the Freeholders of Middlefex, affembled at Free Mafons' tavern, December 20th, 1779,' for the purpose of establishing meetings to maintain and fupport the freedom of election. On Feb. 2, 1780, a large meeting of the electors and inhabitants of the city and liberty of Westminster, was held at Weftminster-hall, for the purpofe of petitioning parliament for the correction of the grofs abufes in the expenditure of public money, &c. Dr. Jebb now rofe, for the firft time, to addrefs a popular affembly on a political queftion; he fupported Mr. Fox, with great ability, and requested that gentleman to offer himself a candidate to reprefent Weftminster, at the next general election.

In the fame month, Dr. Jebb was nominated, by the committee of Huntingdonshire, one of their deputies to attend the meeting of the reprefentatives from the petitioning counties, in order to concert meafures for the more effectual reform of the prefent conftitution of the House of Commons. We shall not detain our readers with a particular account of all Dr. Jebb's political proceedings, as they are fresh in every one's memory; it may be fufficient to obferve, that he was, during the remainder of his life, perpetually engaged in all measures that had any tendency to fupprefs defpotifm, and to fecure both the religious and politi cal liberties of his countrymen: but the caufe of Freedom was foon deprived of this able champion-who died March 2d, 1786.

Though we must acknowledge Dr. Jebb to have been a truly confcientious man, as muft evidently appear from the foregoing abftract of his life, yet we doubt not, many of our Readers will join with us in thinking him fometimes rather too much influ enced by his great zeal, which often made him precipitate and impetuous: his activity was laudable, but he suffered himself to be frequently hurried into measures, the immediate execution of which would not, perhaps, have been fo warmly infifted on, if prudence had been more confulted. Had he, for inftance, while he was fo deeply engaged in the academical reform, been lefs ardent, and kept himfelf free from the fubfcription business, it is most probable that he would have fucceeded in his plan; the majority against him, of 39 to 38, was very fmall; and he had on his fide fome of the greatest characters of the University, as the Bishop of Carlisle, Doctors Glynn, Colignon, Symonds, Ewin, Waring, Gordon, Cooke, Goddard, Watson, Gooch, &c. The refignation of his church preferments too, at or about the fame time, effectually cut off every profpect of fuccefs in fo laudable an undertaking. H:s great zeal for the civil liberty of REV. Nov. 1787.

Bb

his

his country was alfo attended with many temporal fufferings; and he was three times rejected, when offering himself a candidate as phyfician to different hofpitals in this metropolis. It is hard that a public-fpirited perfon, labouring for the good of his country, should thus be thruft out of thofe fituations, in which benevolence, the true characteristic of a good man, could be more immediately and effectually exercifed!

Having now gone through the Life of the Author, as given by Dr. Difney, we shall fubjoin a brief view of the contents of the volumes before us.

Befide the Memoirs of Dr. Jebb's Life, the first volume contains, I. An Account of the Theological Lectures now reading at Cambridge fee Rev. vol. xliv. p. 82. II. Letters on the Subject of Subfcription to the Liturgy and 39 Articles of the Church of Eng land, first published in the Whitehall Evening Poft, with the fignature of Paulinus; they were afterward published together in a pamphlet which came under our notice in Feb. 1772. See Rev. vol. xlvi. p. 163. III. A Letter to Sir William Meredith, Bart. on the Subject of Subscription, &c. See Rev. vol. xlvii. p. 404.

The fecond volume contains, I. Sermons, of which only the firft hath before been published, and was noticed in our Rev. vol. xlviii. p. 334. The fecond is on Proverbs, iii. 17. in which the preacher describes the nature of that religion which the Almighty, in his mercy, intended to be the guide of man, and points out fome of the most beneficial effects of this gift of God in every fcene of focial life. The third is that which was preached before, and gave fo much offence to, the Archdeacon of Suffolk, at the vifitation in 1773. The fourth is on 1 Sam. xv. 22. in which religious rites and ceremonies are confidered only as the fteps to virtue: the preacher explains what that religion is, which reafon diates, and which God muft approve, viz. the facrifice of the affections, and the worship of our Maker in holiness and The fifth is againft articles and confeffions of faith; the text Acts, x. 34, 35. The fixth, againft fubfcriptions, was preached before the University of Cambridge, Dec. 27, 1772; the text Acts, xv. 10. II. Theological Propofitions and mifcellaneous Obervations. These have never before been published; they are detached fentences, or apophthegms, which fhew the worthy Author's opinions on many religious and moral fubjects. Ill. Thefis habita in Schola Theologica Cantab. 21 die Martii 1771. Of this we have already spoken in p. 349. The Editor says, it is now printed on account of the argument it contains, not for the fake of its Latinity.' The apology feems needlefs. IV. 4 Short State of the Reafons for a late Refignation: fee Rev. vol. liv. p. 68. V. An Anjwer to the Author of A Letter to the Rev. Mr. febb, with relation to his Sentiments about the Unlawfulness of religious Addrefes to Chrift.' This was first published as a Poft

A

fcript to Mr. Lindley's Two Differtations on the Preface to St. John's Gofpel, and praying to Chrift.' See Review, vol. lxii. P. 27. VI. A Sketch of the Plan of the Society for promoting the Knowledge of the Scripture. This Society was inftituted at Effexhoufe, Sept. 29, 1783. VII. Remarks on the prefent Mode of Education in the University of Cambridge. Thefe remarks were published in 1772, and noticed in our Review, vol. xlviii. p. 419. VIII. A Propofal for the Establishment of public Examinations, &c. See Rev. vol. li. p. 402. IX. An Addrefs to the Members of the Senate of Cambridge: fee Rev. vol. liv. p. 75. X. Select Cafes of the Disorder commonly called the Paralyfis of the lower Extremities: fee Rev. vol. lxvii. p. 299. XI. An Addrefs to the Freeholders of Middlefex. Vide Rev. vol. lxii. p. 81. XII. A Letter to Sir Robert Bernard, Bart; fee Rev. vol. Ixvi. p. 71. XIII. A Letter to the Volunteers of Ireland. Vid. Rev. vol. 1xx. p. 72. XIV. Thoughts on the Conftruction and Polity of Prisons: see Rev. vol. lxxv. p. 311.

The third volume is a collection of papers that have from time to time appeared in the public prints. They are on various fubjects, religious, political, academical, &c. under different fignatures. To recite them all, or even to give their titles, would require more room than we can spare, for they amount to 68. Many of them were merely temporary; and were it not that they difplay the opinions of their Author, and may serve as models, both with respect to argument and ftyle, for future patriots, their republication might have been dispensed with; they are doubtless the ftrongest proofs we can now have of Dr. Jebb's fteady adherence to the caufe of civil and religious liberty, of his activity to promote the best interests of his country, and of the confcientious discharge of his duty, both to GOD and man. R-m.

ART. III. The Epiftolary Correspondence, Vifitation Charges, Speeches, and Mifcellanies of the Right Reverend Francis Atterbury, D.D. Lord Bishop of Rochester. With hiftorical Notes. Vol. IV. * 8vo. 5s. Boards. Nichols. 1787.

THE

HE principal part of the letters in this volume having been communicated to the Editor by the Bishop's grandfon, Dr. Francis Atterbury, Precentor in the Cathedral of Cloyne, their authenticity is unquestionable. They were written during the Bishop's banishment; and they form, chiefly, a private correspondence between him and his daughter Mrs. Morrice, and her husband. They contain little that concerns the Public; but they fhew evident marks of the ftrong affection of the writers for each other. One remarkable circumftance of the Bishop's life is • For an account of former volumes, fee Rev. vol. Ixix. p. 4. and Ixxi. p. 41.

· Bb 2

parti

particularly described, viz. his falling into the hands of the police, under a fufpicion of his having affifted Courayer, in his retreat to England. In a letter to Mr. Morrice, dated Feb. 1727-8, he writes thus:

3

-Another accident has happened, which has neceffarily taken up a little of my time and thoughts. A meffage has been fent me by the Lieutenant de Police of this place, from the King and the Cardinal *, in relation to Pere Courayer's retreat into England, which they fuppofed me to have facilitated; and that all the methods taken by him in that refpect, and towards defending the ordinations of the Church of England, had been concerted by me. I faid what was true on that head without difguife; and, after an hour's converfation, did, I think, fatisfy the Lieutenant that I had done nothing but what became me. He owned as much, and promifed to make his report accordingly, and to justify me, not only à la cour, but à la ville; and he has been as good as his word, and behaved him felf, on this occafion, with all honour, and with all civility toward me; fo that I look upon that matter as quieted. But a great noife having been made about it at Paris, and different reports spread concerning what paffed in that conference, and concerning the event of it, I was willing to let you know the truth of matters, that neither Mrs. Morrice nor you might be under any needlefs alarm.'

In another letter, of the fame date, he fays,

I wrote to you by the post this day on account of a meffage fent me from the King and the Cardinal, by the Lieutenant de Police, in relation to Pere Courayer. It has made a great noife here: but the truth is as I have told you. I did not mince the matter to the magiftrate, nor am I at all afhamed of what has happened, or concerned for it. I owned my friendship for Pere Courayer; told them frankly a great deal more than they knew of that matter, as far as I was concerned; and thought there was no reason to wonder at, or blame my conduct. I convinced them of that point, and I believe there is an end of it. I fhewed the Lieutenant the picture + of Courayer hanging up in my room, told him I had vifited him in his retreat at Hanment, while he was in difgrace there; and that he came to take his leave of me the night before he left Paris; and that in all this I thought I had done nothing that mifbecame me. If you see Pere Courayer, let him know thefe circumstances.'

There is a letter from the Bishop, thanking the Lieutenant de Police for his kindnefs, and the Lieutenant's anfwer, affuring the Bishop of protection during his ftay in France, on condition of his obferving a few reftrictions relative to his behaviour toward the Janfenifts, or any other priests whofe doctrine differs from that of the Romish church.

This private correfpondence, confifting of 103 letters, is concluded in the year 1731, a few months before the Bishop's death.

*Fleury, then prime minifter of France.

This fame picture is now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford; it was given by the Bishop's Will to that Univerfity. It is esteemed an excellent painting.

His health had been gradually declining for fome time; and the affliction he fuftained by the lofs of Mrs. Morrice, in 1729, appears, from fome of the letters in this feries, to have haftened his diffolution.

The 104th and 105th are Latin letters, from the Bishop to Dr. Bufby; they are followed by a differtation which feems to have been a fchool exercise. These three pieces were found among a collection of Dr. Bufby's letters, which are depofited in the British Mufeum. They are fufficient proofs, if proofs were wanting, of Atterbury's claffical abilities; and the thanks of the Public are due to the Editor for communicating them.

The 107th is a letter from Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Bishop of Bristol, dated June 20, 1687, to Captain Kelly; it chiefly concerns the Bishop's domeftic affairs, but it affords, alfo a true fpecimen of his fentiments in relation to fome matters of public concern. Speaking of his bishopric he fays, "It is impoffible I fhould ever be above a moneth in the country in a yeer, unleffe I am forced there from my bifhopricke altogether; and should that happen, I would not (pend 200l. a year; and fuch a thing may happen, the King being very angry with me for not figning the addreffe, which fhall never have my hand, though I was fure the refufal of it would not only cut off my hand but my head alfo.' The addrefs here mentioned was one that was prefented by the clergy to James the Second for his declaration in favour of religious toleration, in 1687.

We have alfo letters from Dr. King concerning Dr. Bentley's Phalaris.

The 110th, and following, to the 141ft inclufive, are from Bishop Atterbury to Bifhop Trelawny, excepting two to Dr. Newey. The Reader will here find many curious circumstances relative to the hiftory of the times in which these letters were written, viz. from Jan. 1701-2 to March 1703-4. They particularly relate to the proceedings in Parliament, and in the Houfe of Convocation. The remainder of the volume confifts of nine letters to different perfons, a collection of epitaphs, and a Latin poetical burlefque defcription of Oxford.

The Public, is obliged to Mr. Nichols, for the numerous notes, with which he hath illuftrated the several letters in this volume; particularly for thofe which contain biographical and hiftorical information. R_m.

ART. IV. Memoirs of the Medical Society of London; inftituted in the Year 1773. Vol. I. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Dilly. 1787.

T hath been ufual, on the publication of the first volume of the memoirs or tranfactions of a learned fociety, to give some account of its inftitution, and the purfuits in which it is de

Bb3

figned