time he called the Jews together, by offering a reward to any one who should interpret a Hebrew inscription painted on his pulpit, and which consisted of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet jumbled together in the form of words without meaning. On another occasion, he procured a full audience of shoemakers, who were to be told how to make a pair of shoes in two minutes, which was by cutting off the tops of ready-made boots.* As there was no admittance to his oratory, without paying a sum at the door, generally a shilling, such expedients served occasionally to recruit his finances. He was also the author of a weekly paper of unintelligible declamation, called The HYP-DOCTOR, for which "secret-service"† he had 1001. a year. The origin of the HYP-DOCTOR, as it has been related to the writer of this article, will show the peculiar turn of HENLEY's humour. He went to Sir ROBERT WALPOLE, represented himself as a man who could do great service to the state, and hinted that it would be wise to employ him. Sir ROBERT declined the offer in very polite terms, and HENLEY left the room with a threat, that "he could wield a pen!" On recollection, the minister thought it might be proper to stop this writer's opposition by a small salary, and called after him from the top of the stair-case, "HYP! DOCTOR!" promised him his support, and immediately the HYP-Doctor, No. 1, made its appearance. Its purpose was to ridicule the arguments of the CRAFTSMAN. * His introductory position on this subject was omne majus continet in se minus. † Biog. Dict. In COOKE's Preacher's Assistant is a list of fifteen sermons preached on public occasions, and printed, by our orator. One is entitled, "The Butcher's Mr. COOKE calls him "Rector of Chelmondiston, Suffolk." In No. 288, is a letter from a tradesman, recommending his wares, signed PETER MOtteux, the real name of a man of some talents, but, if the manner of his death has not been misrepresented, of immoral character. He was a native of France, and came to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantz. Such was the skill he acquired in the English language, that he translated with success Rabelais and Don Quixote, and wrote some very popular plays. He had a large East-India warehouse in Leadenhall-street, and held a place in the foreign Post-office. Although advanced in life, and married to a very beautiful woman, he indulged in the licentiousness of brothels, in one of which he was found dead, Feb. 19, 1717-18*. The affectionate letter on the death of a wife, in No 520, is attributed to a Mr. FRANCHAM, of Norwich, of whom nothing else is now remembered: and an excellent dream, in No. 524, is said to have been the joint production of Mr. DUNLOP, then Greek professor of Glasgow University, and of Mr. MONTGOMERY, a merchant. Of the latter gentleman, we are told, that he traded to Sweden, and his business carrying him there, he was obliged to leave that kingdom abruptly, in consequence of "something between" him and Queen Christina. This event is supposed to have affected his intellects, much in the manner as Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY is represented to have been injured by his passion for the widowt. Mr. DUNLOP is chiefly known as the author of a Greek grammar, used in most of the schools and universities of Scotland. Upon what authority the * Biog. Dict. and Dram. Speet. 8vo. vol. vii. p. 284, note. Point concern of these gentlemen in this paper is asserted, does not appear. It was formerly ascribed to PROFESSOR SIMPSON, of Glasgow, but whether the mathematician or the divine, for there were two of the name contemporaries, we are not informed. A letter in No. 140, signed Leonora, and another in No. 163, with the same signature, are said to have been written by a Miss SHEPHEARD, and a letter in No. 92, by her sister. Of these ladies it is only related that they were collateral descendants of Sir FLEETWOOD SHEPHEARD, "of facetious memory." A very short letter in No. 480, signed M. D. was written by Mr. ROBERT HARPER, of Lincoln's-Inn, an eminent conveyancer. STEELE omitted some parts of it, and made some alterations in it. The last contributor to the SPECTATOR, of whom we have any knowledge, and who was the longest survivor, is Dr. ZACHARY PEARCE, a late BISHOP of ROCHESTER. He was the son of an opulent distiller in Holborn, and was born in 1690. He had his education at Westminster school, where he was distinguished by his merit, and elected one of the king's scholars. In 1710, he was elected to Trinity-College, Cambridge. In 1716, he published the first edition of his "Cicero de Oratore," and at the desire of a friend, dedicated it to Lord CHIEF JUSTICE PARKER, afterwards Earl of MACCLESFIELD, to whom he was an entire stranger. This incident laid the foundation of his future fortune, for Lord PARKER soon after recommended him to Dr. BENTLEY, master of Trinity, to be made one of the fellows. In 1717, being then M. A. he was ordained, and in 1718 was invited to live with the LORD CHANCELLOR PARKER, as his lordship's domestic chap lain. In 1719, he was instituted to the rectory of Stapleford Abbots, in Essex, and in 1720, to that of St. Bartholomew, Exchange, London. In 1723, his noble patron presented him to St Martin's in the Fields, and in 1726, he preached a sermon at the consecration of that church, when rebuilt in its present splendid form. In 1724, the degree of D. D. was conferred on him by Archbishop WAKE. In 1739, he was appointed to the deanery of Winchester, and in 1748 to the bishoprick of Bangor; in 1756, he was removed to the see of Rochester, and the deanery of Westminster. In 1763, when the infirmities of age began to be felt, he wished to resign both, and retire into a quiet station, but his majesty prevailed on him to continue. Dr. PEARCE's reasons for an application so unusual, do him much honour; he said, that as he never made a sinecure of his preferments, he was tired with business, and being in the 74th year of his age, he wished to resign his preferments while his faculties were entire, lest he should outlive them, and the church suffer by his infirmities". In 1763, however, he obtained leave to resign the deanery. In 1773, he lost his lady, with whom he had enjoyed an uninterrupted course of domestic comfort for fifty-two years, and after some months of lingering decay, he died at Little Ealing, June 29, 1774. Being asked one day how he could live with so little nutriment, "I live," said he, "upon the recollection of an innocent and well-spent life, which is my only sustenancet." He supported through this long life the character of an able divine, and a sound critic and philologer*. * MS. Letter from Dr. PETTINGAL to Mr. COLE, in Brit. Mus. † NICHOLS'S Anecdotes of BowYER. During his early years, he amused himself with light compositions, of which it is to be regretted he did not publish more than the SPECTATOR, No. 572, on quacks, which was a little retouched by ADDISON, and No. 633, on eloquencef. He wrote also a paper in the GUARDIAN, which will be noticed in its proper place, and an exquisite little fancy in a periodical paper entitled THE FREETHINKER. At the conclusion of No. 555, STEELE says, " It had not come to my knowledge, when I left off the SPECTATOR, that I owe several excellent sentiments and agreeable pieces in that work to Mr. INCE, of Gray's Inn." The annotators follow this intimation with some account of Mr. INCE, but no discovery has been made of his "sentiments," or "pieces." In a conversation with Dr. JOHNSON, in 1777, Mr, MURPHY said, he remembered when there were several people alive in London, who enjoyed a considerable reputation merely from having written a paper in the SPECTATOR. He mentioned particularly Mr. INCE, who used to frequent Tom's coffee-house. Dr. JOHNSON, who seemed to think this kind of mention depreciating, repeated how highly STEELE speaks of Mr. INCE. He was secretary to the accounts of the army, and died October 11, 1758. * His life was prefixed to his posthumous works by the Rev. Mr. DERBY, his chaplain, 2 vols. 4to. 1777, but his papers in the SPECTATOR and GUARDIAN, were acknowledged by Dr. PEARCE, in a letter to Dr. BIRCH, dated June 5, 1764. † The annotators on the SPECTATOR, by some mistake, say that No. 636 was printed by TICKELL, in his edition of ADDISON'S works. TICKELL published no SPECTATORS in that edition, after No. 600. |