fpecting the iffue of this tranfaction, and the matter feems not to have been generally understood. The fact is, the doctor's health would not permit him to undertake the journey to fo inhofpitable a climate as that of Ruffia; and, agreeable to the advice of his friends, he declined the imperial invitation. This disappointment, however, concurring with his fevere indifpofition, and accompanied by a recollection of other failures in his expectations, was fucceeded by a dejection of fpirits, which caufed him to commit an act of fuicide, by cutting the jugular vein with a razor, at his apartments in Pall-mall, on the 23d of September, 1766, in the 51st year of his age. Richard Fawcett, D. D. was inducted to this vicarage, Jan. 3, 1767. He was the fon of John Fawcett, efq. recorder of Durham. Dr. Fawcett was bred at Oxford, and had feveral livings previous to his appointment to Newcattle. He was one of his majeity's chaplains in ordinary, and chaplain to the bishop of Durham, by whom he was collated to the rectory of Gateshead, which he held by a difpenfation with this vicarage. He was alfo one of the prebendaries of Durham; at which city he died in 1782. He had no animation in his manner of preaching, but was highly diftinguished for a clear, nervous ftrain of folid reafoning. Anno The empress of Ruffia had sent a similar requeft, about the end of the year 1762, to M. D'Alembert, through the medium of M. De Soltikoff, who then refided at Paris, offering that profound mathematician one hundred thousand livres per year, which he refufed; whereupon the emprefs renewed her folicitation, by a letter under her own hand, inviting him to come "with all his friends:" this the philofopher also withstood, as he did the earneft folicitations of the Great Frederick of Pruffia, through the lord Marefchal, his ambaffador at the fame place. Anno Dom. 1782, Stephen Lufhington, A. M. was inducted into this vicarage. He refided very little at Newcastle, and died in 1801. His fucceffor, the reverend J. D. Carlyle, B. D. F. R. S. E. chancellor of Carlisle, chaplain to the bi fhop of Durham, and profeffor of Arabic in the univerfity of Cambridge, is a gentleman of polished manners and extenfive erudition. In his late journey into Egypt, and his intercourfe with the leaders of the contending armies, he has proved to his orthodox brethren, that learning is of no political party: VIRGIL. Tros Tyriufque mihi nullo difcrimine agetur. Trojans and Tyrians are alike to me. Whilst from these his extenfive and laborious journies in fearch of that fpecies of knowledge attached to his profefforfhip, that may be truly applied to him which Homer, from the extent of his travels, fays of Ulyffes, the favourite of Minerva : Wand'ring from clime to clime, obfervant fray'd, POPE'S HOMER. But this gentleman having only lately accepted the office of which we now treat, we fhall close this account with obferving, that as vicar he is alfo one of the trustees for the extenfive library of Dr. Thomlinfon, mentioned before; and we do not furely flatter ourselves too much by hoping, that the character of a hero in one of his favourite authors may be alfo applied to Profeffor Carlyle: wamokaffimin yothér álájbéiraho bhakkahá He diftributes equal fhares: he difpenfes juftice to the tribes: he is indignant, when their right is diminifhed: and, to establish their right, often relinquifhes his own. POEM OF LEBEID. AFTERNOON LECTURERS AT ST. NICHOLAS. We will be very fhort in this enumeration; altho we find among the afternoon lecturers men of great worth and high talents. Upon the first appointment of this office, the town paid for the fervice of the forenoon, and the parish for that of the afternoon. Some time after, the corporation augmented the falaries of both, upon which the parish withdrew their contributions. In this ftate is the lectureship at this time. May 30, 1645, the common-council appointed Mr. William Durant and Mr. Cuthbert Sydenham the former with a falary of eighty, the latter of one hundred pounds per annum. Mr. Sydenham was afterwards fettled fingly, with a falary of one hundred and forty pounds per annum. The biographer Wood, however hoftile to puritans and prefbyterians, yet gives Sydenham an excellent character. ne "He was (fays that writer) lecturer of St. Nicholas' church in Newcastle, without any orders, unless those of prefbytery; a great ftatesman, yet a greater divine; and though no commiffioner to the Weftminster fynod, yet he privately drew up the papers that paffed in the debates between that vaft body of divines and the five diffenting brethren, of the independent persuasion." The manufcript Life of Barnes fays, that he was of an ancient family in Cornwall, had a genteel and comely perfon. His aqueline nofe called to remembrance the description given by Lucian of St. Paul, when he calls him that hawk-nofed Galilean, who mounted up to the third heaven, and thence brought thofe those goodly notions, which he preached to the world."---He published a book, entitled "The Myftery of Godliness.” Anno 1679, Mr. John Rawlett was appointed, with a falary of ninety, which was afterwards raised to one hundred and twenty pounds per annum. He died in 1686, aged 44 years, and was buried in this church. There is a curious anecdote of this gentlemen in the manufcript Life of Barnes, "Mr. Butler left a daughter, who married Mr. John Rawlett. He was a conformist minifter, a devout and laborious lecturer in St. Nicholas' church. They had been fome time mutually in love; but he falling fick, married her upon his death-bed, at her own request, that she might bear his name, and left her a maid, a wife, and a widow." He was author of many works, viz. "A Treatife of Sacramental Covenanting with Christ." "An Explication of the Chrift," "The Chriftian Monitor," &c. In the year 1695, Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Thomlinfon was appointed: the falary one hundred and twenty pounds per annum. He died on the 24th of March, 1747. We have had repeated occafion, (of which fee in particular page 84) and fhall have at least another very eminent one, of mentioning this good and great man. Dr. Dockwray was afterwards appointed, anno 1752, with a falary of one hundred pounds per ann. He died December 18, 1783, At his death Henry Ridley, A. M. brother to Sir Matthew White Ridley, fucceeded. On the late refignation of this gentleman, the Rev. John Forster was appointed. This, as we fhall fee afterwards, is another of thofe offices that give to the poffeffor the right of a trustee in Dr. Thomlinfon's library. Chapels of Eafe to St. Nicholas. BRIDGE-END CHAPEL. We have, already, given fome account of this religious foundation, under the title of St. Thomas's Chapel and the Magdalen Hofpital. After having been conveniently pewed, it was fet apart to be a chapel of eafe to St. Nicholas' church, anno 1732, the whole body of magiftrates attending in form on the occafion! It is unneceffary to enumerate the names of thofe appointed to perform divine fervice at this chapel, for which they receive ten pounds per annum, it being, in general, the loweft ftep in the clerical climax of preferment; as we have noticed them, and fhall afterwards have occafion to do fo, a great many steps higher. SOUTH GOSFORTH, OR GOSFORD CHAPEL. This place, is of great antiquity, and is mentioned as far back as the reign of Henry II. The names of the officiating curates we omit, as they generally obtained curacies in the town, where we meet with them in other fituations, more comfortable to their feelings. NORTH GOSFORTH CHAPEL. This has been pulled down. Nothing remains but a few folitary grave-ftones, infcribed with memorials, in the chapel-yard. CRAM |