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"1 suit of scarlet and gold, cloth. "I suit of white and silver, cloth.

"1 suit of blue and silver, camblet. "1 suit of flowered silk.

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"1 suit of black silk.

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"If you have any fellow feeling, you cannot "but be kind to them; since they too, as well

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as yourself, are outlawed in England; and on "the same account-their superior worth. "I am, dear sir,

"Your very affectionate,
"humble servant,

"JOHN HOrne."

CHAPTER III.

FROM 1768 TO 1769.

Mr. Horne becomes a popular Preacher-a new` Direction suddenly given to his Habits of Life, by the Middlesex Election-his successful Exertions in behalf of Mr. Wilkes and Serjeant Glynne-an Anecdote.

MR. HORNE returned to England during the summer of 1767; and leaving the young gentleman committed to his care at the paternal mansion, he repaired to his vicarage, and resumed his former course of life. Having previously resumed his black coat, he proceeded as before to discharge the various functions attached to his office; which, during his absence, had been ably supplied by a curate. He had now held the chapelry of Brentford during a period of seven years, and was greatly respected by all around him, not only on account of his moral, but his companionable qualities, of both which, all

men either are, or pretend to be judges, while his singular talents, hitherto undeveloped to the public at large, were only unveiled to a few who knew how to admire and appreciate them.

I am in possession of two anecdotes, connected with the present portion of his life, one of which I learned from one of his relatives, and the other from himself. Having aspired about this time to become a popular divine, he was often solicited to preach in several churches of the metropolis, and frequently officiated at St. Paul's, Covent Garden. On one of these occasions, after having recapitulated, with his accustomed ability, the leading principles of the Christian religion, in a short, but argumentative discourse, he was followed into the vestry by two well-dressed females. The elder of these informed him, that her niece, miss **** had been greatly affected with his sermon, and having had many strange doubts, for a long time, preying on her mind, relative to certain points of doctrine, the young lady was extremely desirous to have her scruples removed by a person of his high character and talents. This of course led to an acquaintance, and Mr. Horne was ever after accustomed to boast, "that he had found the young lady an infidel, and left her a good member of the church of England,"

The other is of a different kind. Having been requested to preach a charity sermon, at St. John's church, he prepared himself accordingly; and, not knowing that there were two parishes of this name, the one in the city, the other in its immediate vicinity, he happened to repair to the wrong one. On discovering the mistake, he immediately hurried away to St. John's, Shadwell; and on his arrival was told, "that the congregation had been singing psalms for half an hour, in expectation of the famous Mr. Horne." Upon this, he hurried on his gown, and prepared to ascend the pulpit, when, lo! he discovered that he had forgotten his manuscript. In this new dilemma, a clergyman, who happened to be present, offered to supply him with a discourse, "on the dignified conduct of St. Paul before Agrippa." This, although little to the present purpose, was readily accepted, and as he luckily recollected his own text, Mr. Horne at length resolved to gratify an impatient andience. He accordingly commenced, with a suitable introduction, conceived and pronounced extemporaneously; he then proceeded to the argumentative part, which he borrowed chiefly from the sermon before him, supplying the declamatory portion by the usual alluring and persuasive doctrines in favour of public charities.

After this, in a short but pithy peroration, he summed up, and strengthened all the former reasons and inducements for alms-giving; and, finally, concluded with a most pathetic address to the feelings of his hearers. On his descending, he was complimented by the rector and churchwardens, for his very able discourse, which was attended with such a beneficial effect, that the congregation proved unusually liberal; so that the sum obtained far exceeded any thing of the kind hitherto received at any antecedent period.

There is abundance of proof, indeed, that Mr. Horne was now considered an admirable preacher, and that his eloquence only wanted cultivation, to place him among the most successful of our English divines. But it was in orthodox and doctrinal discourses, that he chiefly excelled, and he is accordingly reported to have distinguished himself greatly by his exhortations before confirmation, on which occasion, by mingling sound argument with kind and affectionate persuasion, he never failed to make a suitable impression on all who heard him. In short, he might not only have been greatly respected, as a popular pastor, but was still in a fair way to become one of the pillars of the Anglican church, when a memorable event occurred

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