duty, and enjoying with the highest relish those leisure hours, which his retirement at Cuddesden sometimes afforded him, for the prosecution of his favourite studies. At length however his distinguished merit prevailed over all the political obstacles to his advancement; and placed him, without any efforts or application of his own, in that important station which he had shewn himself so well qualified to adorn. For within a very few days after the death of archbishop Hutton, he received a message from the duke of Newcastle, acquainting him that his grace had proposed him to the King for the vacant see of Canterbury. He returned the duke a short note of thanks, expressing at the same time his wishes that his majesty might fix on a properer person. Soon after this his grace desired an interview with the bishop, at which he informed his lordship that the King had appointed him archbishop. This promotion accordingly took place, and he was confirmed at Bow church, April 21, 1758.

In accepting this high and burthensome station, Dr. Secker acted on that principle which influenced him through life; he sacri

ficed his own ease and comfort to considerations of public utility. Apart from this, the mere secular advantages of grandeur were objects below his ambition: were, as he knew and felt, but poor compensations for the anxiety and difficulties attending them. His idea of these things was always the same with that which is expressed in his intended speech to the convocation of 1761: "Non sunt, ex"perto credite, non sunt tanti vel honores vel "reditus amplissimi ecclesiasticis destinati, ut

66

a quopiam enixè cupiantur. Multum ha"bent solicitudinis, non parum forsan invidiæ, 66 veræ delectationis nihil, nisi quoties occurrit, "occurrit autem raro, insignis benefaciendi " occasio *." These were not mere words of course they were the genuine sentiments of his heart; his whole conduct bore testimony to the sincerity with which he spoke. He had never once through his whole life asked preferment for himself, nor shewn any unbecoming eagerness for it; and the use he made of his newly acquired dignity very clearly shewed, that rank, and wealth, and power had in no other light any charms for him, than as they

* Oratio Synodalis, p. 368, 369.

they enlarged the sphere of his active and industrious benevolence.

The first thing that engaged his attention was the care of his new diocese, which he immediately visited. And finding that partly the real, and partly the presumed unwholesomeness of some parts of it, had deterred too many from living on their benefices, he made this the first article of his charge, and pressed the necessity of residence upon his clergy, in the strongest, yet most affectionate terms But whenever particular circumstances rendered the personal presence of the minister himself clearly impracticable, he then earnestly recommended peculiar care in the choice of a substitute; and so much tenderness and liberality in the provision made for him as might be some compensation for the unhealthiness or disagreeableness of his situation. Yet as this would, he knew, bear hard on some incumbents, whose small preferments, or narrow circumstances, or numerous families obliged them to obtain help on as easy terms as they well could; in such cases he frequently made

an

* First Charge to the Diocese of Canterbury, p. 207-219. + Ibid. p. 219-222.

an addition himself to the curate's salary, and, as a still further encouragement, rewarded occasionally with preferment, those who had resided long upon their cures, and performed their duty well; especially in unwholesome places.

In little more than two years after his grace's promotion to the see of Canterbury, died the late King George the Second. Of what passed on that occasion, and of the form observed in proclaiming our present most gracious Sovereign (in which the archbishop of course took the lead) his grace has left an account in writing. He did the same with regard to the subsequent ceremonials of marrying and crowning their present Majesties, which in consequence of his station he had the honour to solemnize, and in which he found a great want of proper precedents and directions. He had before, when rector of St. James's, baptized the new king, (who was born in that parish) and he was afterwards called upon to perform the same office for the greatest part of his majesty's children; a remarkable, and perhaps unexampled, concurrence of such incidents in the life of one man. From the time he was made dean of St.

Paul's,

Paul's, his late majesty used to speak to him at his levee occasionally, but with no particular marks of distinction. But after he became archbishop, the King treated him with much kindness, and on one occasion was pleased to assure him very particularly, that he was perfectly satisfied with the whole of his conduct in that station. And surely his majesty, as well as all his people, had good reason to be so. For never did any one support the rank, or discharge the various duties, of a metropolitan, with more true dignity, wisdom and moderation, than archbishop Secker*. He considered himself as the natural guardian, not only of that church over which

* Ecquâ vero in parte spem nostram fefellit? imo vero exsuperavit. Sine offensione partium, sine invidiâ, sine ambitione, ecclesiæ principatum adeptus, sine arrogantiâ cum dignitate verâ sustinuit; magni vir animi, et verè apxixos, qui politiam ecclesiasticam animo complectebatur, consilio dirigebat, auctoritate tuebatur, exemplo ornabat; in negotiis impiger & indefessus, nihil a se alienum putabat quod ad clericorum jura, mores, famamque pertinebat auctoritate ita usus ut nihil pro libidine aut insolentiâ imperii affectaret, sed omnia ad onodoune communesque ecclesiæ utilitates referret. Johannis Burton ad amicum epistola, p. 14. Printed at Oxford, in 1768, and sold by Rivington.