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university exercises, the writer of this sketch became acquainted with him, and was greatly impressed with his acuteness and ingenuity.

'Not long after he had obtained a fellowship, partly from infirm health, and partly from the desire of extending his literary acquisitions, he went abroad. How successfully he obtained one at least of his objects, literary reputation, has been demonstrated by some of the most learned and valuable works which modern times have produced.'

Then follows an account of the History of the Politics and Marsh's subsequent introduction to Pitt by bp. Tomline.

'The subject of politics, however, seems to have been forced upon him by local and peculiar circumstances; the natural bias of his mind, and his studies, had a very different direction. The most celebrated Theological writers on the Continent had exercised his talents and occupied his time so effectually, that the result was the publication of a work, which no scholar would choose, and no theological student ought, to be without. Others, equally important and valuable, in the strict line of his profession, have succeeded; and whether his profound erudition, his sagacity in detecting error, his subtilty of disputation, or his facility of writing, be considered, there are but few authors of modern times who can submit to a competition with him. He bears however his faculties meekly; and though in a very lofty situation, his manners are extremely conciliating without the smallest symptoms of superciliousness or arrogance, even towards his opponents.'

Herbert Marsh, Hora Pelasgicæ, p. 137 n. "Though I have lived twelve years in Saxony, where German is spoken the most correctly, and have had intercourse with Saxons ever since, I have never heard the German W pronounced like the English W.'

Herbert Marsh, Comparative View, 1816, p. 199: 'Among other instances of patient submission, I remember many years ago to have seen, in the Cathedral of Mechlen, a Grenadier, who had been the terror of the Turks, performing a Penance imposed by his Confessor.'

'In 1799 Mr Marsh published a political...essay, in defence of his country, both in German and English; a copy of which falling into the hands of Mr Pitt, an interview with the minister took place in 1800, when Mr Pitt offered him a pension, which was at first declined, but afterwards accepted. This he resigned at a subsequent period' (C. YATE).

Letter to the conductor of the Critical Rev. 16 Apr. 1810, 36, 37:

'You upbraid me...with having a pension from government. That pension, Sir, was given me (though I am indebted for its continuance to another highly valued friend) by the greatest and most disinterested statesman, that ever directed the councils of this nation, and whom his enemies have never accused of being prodigal in the reward of literary merit. It was given me for services, which in his estimation I bad rendered to my country. It was intended only as a temporary recompense, till a suitable provision was made for me in the church and if the execution of the plan was prevented, it was

prevented by causes, over which I had no controul.

disgrace therefore in retaining it.'

There is no

Eternal punishment proved to be not suffering, but privation. By a member of the church of England. London, 1817. 8vo. In the dedication to bp. Marsh, Lond. 8 Oct. 1817, we read 'Your Lordship's 5 character as a scholar stands too high to be injured by any thing I can do. Should the present attempt be judged weak and futile, thus far associating it with your Lordship's name will but recall to mind the solid ground on which you have established the character of the first theological critic of the present day.

'It is as such that I court your Lordship's attention to my work; and being, above all things, desirous to know the truth, the knowledge of my errors is a benefit I may hope to attain from that union of amenity and condescension with the most highly cultivated abilities, which I know your Lordship to possess.'

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On the 31 Mar. 1819 Marsh wrote to the clergy of Llandaff from Westminster, thanking them for the sacrifices of private interest by which the churches, chancels, and glebehouses had been repaired, or built anew, and residence promoted. They have shewn by their conduct a due sense of the obligation imposed on every pastor, to live 20 near to his flock, that he may be ever ready to attend to their spiritual wants. They have further shewn their conviction, that a multiplicity of cures is incompatible with their duty to any and that even where divine service is performed only once on the Sabbath day, the service of two churches is as much as can be properly undertaken by 25 one clergyman. The bishop, in leaving the diocese, has the satisfaction to reflect that he leaves it with only a few exceptions to this salutary rule; and measures were already in contemplation for the removal even of those few exceptions' (Christ. Remembr. 1. 331).

Selections from the letters of Robert Southey, London, 1856, III. 142. 30 R. S. to Herbert Hill. Keswick, Aug. 13, 1819: 'He [the bishop of London] desires to introduce me to Herbert Marsh when I come to London; if Marsh were as pugnacious in conversation as he is in his writings, he would be the very last person I should wish to meet.' De motu per Britanniam civico annis MDCCXLV. et MDCCXLVI. liber 35 unicus. Auctore T. D. Whitakero, LL.D. S.S.A. Lond. 1819. 8vo. Dedication. 'Viro doctissime erudito Herberto Marsh, S.T.D. et in academia Cantabrigiensi pro Domina Margareta Professori, cui de patria temporibus adversissimis domi et apud exteros optume merito, eidem erga familiares voluntate propensa, fide antiqua, hunc libellum 40 L.L.M. D.D.D. T.D.W., saltem ut testetur amicitiam sibi perhonorificam, neutri fortasse pœnitendam, communione studiorum prætextatis adhuc inter se comparatam atque conciliatam ac neque temporum diuturnitate, neque locorum intercapedine anno iam XXXIV. diremptam.'

'From this period [1819] he appears principally to have resided [at 45 Peterborough]. He spent the winters of 1827 and 1828 at Cambridge, in the former of which years I had one or two interviews with him, his eldest son being at that time my private pupil. His lordship was small

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in stature, and of remarkable (not handsome) countenance; my recollection of his features, at this distance of time, is not however distinct. I always found him polite and agreeable, but a little whimsical' (C. YATE).

A charge delivered to the clergy of the diocese of Llandaff, at the primary visitation in August, 1821. By William [Van Mildert], lord bishop of Llandaff. London: 1821. [In The Pamphleteer, 1822, 8vo. XIX. 299.] For much of the improved state of ecclesiastical concerns in this diocese, I am sensible of the obligations I owe to my immediate predecessor; whose vigilance and ability were successfully applied to the better regulation of several matters, in which some amendment had become necessary: and it will be no less my inclination than my duty, to carry on to its fullest practicable extent, what has been so auspiciously begun. But, in common with your late Diocesan, I feel particularly indebted to that valuable body of clergy, the rural deans... Upon a comparison of the returns made by the rural deans to my predecessor in the year 1817, with those made to me in the years 1819 and 1820, I observe, with pleasure, a manifest and still progressive improvement in several matters of general interest.'

Memoir of bp. Charles James Blomfield, Lond. 1863, 1. 90, from a letter to Mrs Blomfield, Althorp, Aug. 23, 1823: 'Lord Spencer was introduced the other day to Mrs — [Marsh], who accompanied the Bishop on his Visitation. He found her sitting in a room at the George Inn at Northampton, clad in all the colours of the rainbow, and covered with diamonds. Never having seen her before, the sight of such a mass of splendour quite overpowered him, and he was struck "all of a heap." The Bishop has been breaking out into sallies of violence against his clergy during the visitation in a most extraordinary manner.'

S. Atkinson, coll. Trin., in Lond. Mag. and Rev. Apr. 1825, p. 503: 'Herbert Marsh...is altogether the first man in Cambridge at the present time. He is an ornament to this University, and he would be an ornament to any society that ever existed. But he was not formed in Cambridge. He went to the Continent very shortly after he graduated-studied theology under Michaelis-ransacked the stores of German literature-wrote one of the ablest periodicals of the day called British Politics Defended, which did this country incalculable service on the Continent, and which finally became so odious to Buonaparte that he proscribed Marsh. He was concealed several months by his host, and attended by his daughter. He was not ungrateful for these services, for he married this lady shortly after his appointment to the Divinity Professorship. He is an intolerant bigot; but he supports his opinions like a man, and is the very best pamphleteer of the day.'

The following letter to Mr B. Mardon, a Unitarian minister, who proposed a reprint of Griesbach's text, is printed in the Christian Reformer, VIII. 461, 462, for August, 1841.

'REV. SIB,

'PALACE, PETERBOROUGH, Sept. 2, 1825.

'I return you many thanks for the good opinion which you entertain of my theological labours; and it is but justice to acknowledge that your letter clearly indicates no inconsiderable share of 5 theological learning on your part. I perfectly agree with you in the opinion that Griesbach's text of the Greek Testament approaches much nearer to the sacred autographs than the textus receptus. I believe that no Editor ever weighed with greater impartiality the reasons for and against the readings which were the subjects of his inquiry: he IO may have been mistaken, like other men, but I am sure that he always meant to decide on critical grounds alone. Hence I have endeavoured in my Lectures to vindicate his edition from the charges which have been unfairly laid to it. I lament that there are still persons who contend that he was influenced in the choice of his readings by a theo- 15 logical bias, which I do not know that he ever had. During many years I was in constant correspondence with Griesbach on subjects of critical theology, and no such bias ever appeared from any of his letters. But it is no easy matter to eradicate a prevalent notion; and men in public situations are often under the necessity of imposing on 20 themselves restraints, where further exertion would be unadvisable. I must content myself, therefore, with the justice which I have done to Griesbach in my Lectures, without becoming the patron of a new edition of his text.'

His house in Benet Street, devised to the University for charitable 25 uses, was held by him at a rent of £3, according to Gamaliel Thorn (Letter to the Burgesses of Cambridge, 1835, p. 23, in the Cambridge Univ. Libr. Bb. 28. 4). The house is now known as Peeling's hotel; the stable is opposite.

At the confirmation at Oakham in July 1827, Marsh was informed 30 that C. Collier, vicar of Braunston, had refused certificates to some children, that the parents of others with whom he had quarrelled, had thought it unsafe to send their children for examination to a man of his violent temper, and that other children of other parishes had accidentally been unable to attend the examinations. The bishop appoint- 35 ed his acting chaplain to examine all the children who had no testimonial. Those whom Collier had rejected gave satisfactory answers and were confirmed.

Hardly were Marsh's hands lifted from their heads, when Collier bustled up, and threatened 'to drag the children from the rails.' Marsh's 40 calm rebuke and the further insolence of Collier, may be seen in a letter of Geo. Wilkins, Vicarage, Nottingham, 23 Nov. 1827, printed in Christ. Remembr. x. 63, 64.

T. F. Dibdin's Northern Tour (Lond. 1838) 1. 32, 33: 'In intellectual perspicacity and vigorous pursuit of biblical researches the name 45 of Marsh has no equal among its predecessors. Bishop Marsh is now in his eighty-second year, and necessarily in such a state of repose, if not imbecility, as to render all farther activity hopeless... Those who have read Bishop Marsh's controversial pamphlets with the late Dr

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Milner,...will agree with me in pronouncing them to be perfect of their species. Many years have passed away since I enjoyed the author's society; and he is now, I fear, in a condition to be almost equally insensible of censure and of praise.'

It is not too much to say of Marsh that he was in his time the foremost man of letters and divine in Cambridge, and the foremost bishop on the bench. When (as we see by the pamphlets of bp. Randolph, and again by those of Milner, Simeon and others, in the Bible Society controversy) a critical study of the Bible was denounced even in the universities not as useless only, but presumptuous and dangerous, his reputation for theological learning was so secure, that he was elected Margaret professor without opposition; and his translation of Michaelis was printed by the university press. His letters to Travis deserve a place on the same shelf with Porson's, and with Bentley's dissertation. His History of the Politics etc. is not only remarkable as one of the few successful efforts of Englishmen in a modern language not their own, but was productive of signal benefit to the country at the time, and still ranks as the standard authority for our relations with the French republic. His notes on Michaelis are to this day cited as among the best authorities on the MSS. and versions of the N.T., nor have the subsequent discoveries of MSS. and progress of inquiry made obsolete his lectures on the criticism and interpretation, the authenticity and credibility of the Bible. There is a native vigour in his style, and a close logic in his reasoning, which enliven the dullest details. An edition of these lectures, annotated as Marsh annotated Michaelis, would be of great service to the theological student. To his energy was due the foundation of the National Society, and his criticisms provoked his opponents to found the Prayer Book and Homily Society. As a bishop he revived the office of rural deans, discouraged nonresidence and pluralities, urged the establishment of schools and of additional services in the churches; his zeal for the interests of curates involved him in heavy pecuniary loss. He was a warm friend, and was seconded in his researches and practical plans of church reform by the diligence and the zeal of numerous admirers; he was liberal in his intercourse with dissenters, and singularly courteous in his controversies with them. His faults were those of his age, ambition of preferment, an exaggerated estimate of the value of tests and legal securities, a belief in the power of direct attack and argument to counteract what he justly blamed in the so-called ‘Calvinistic' party, their spiritual pride and exclusiveness, and their Obscurantist proscription of scholarship. His eager, combative temper made him waste much precious time in his controversies with this party in 1811-13, at Cambridge, and led him when bishop to impose what was virtually a new test in the evident design of purging the church from Calvinists. In his controversial tracts there is singular freshness and humour, but it is often apparent that success is his principal aim; the very term 'adversary,' which he applies to his literary opponents, shews that he entered the lists as an athlete, resolved at all events to win.

An essay on the usefulness and necessity of theological learning to those