CHAPTER XV.

Misunderstanding between the President and the Fellows of Queen's College.Written Documents.-Industry of Dr. Milner.-Election of Fellows by Royal Dispensation.—Comparative advantages of Open or Close Colleges.~ Domestic Affliction.-Board of Longitude.-Sentiments with respect to Public Affairs.-Letter to the Rev. William Richardson.-Preaching at Carlisle.—Fourth Volume of the Church History.—Accuracy of the History.-Dr. Milner's qualifications as an Ecclesiastical Historian.-Habitual Study of Theological Subjects.-Remarks upon Dr. Kipling's Work on the Articles of the Church of England.-Hebrew Language.-State of the Country.--Recollections of Dean Milner, by a Clergyman formerly of Queen's College.-Christian Observer's Critique upon Milner's Church History.-Dr. Milner's Remarks on the Critique.—His Opinion of the Christian Observer.

A.D. 1803. ÆTAT. 53.

THE beginning of the year 1803 was marked by certain differences of opinion between Dr. Milner, in his capacity of President, and the Tutors and other Fellows of Queen's Collegedifferences which led to discussions of a character highly distasteful to the frank and friendly spirit of the Master.

It would be easy, were it necessary, to prove, by means of documents now in existence, that throughout these occurrences Dr. Milner acted with a determined view to the real good of the society which he governed, and with a steady firmness of purpose, tempered by the natural urbanity of his disposition. But in order to demonstrate this, it would be necessary not only to enter into some matters which are now no longer interesting, but also to incur the hazard at least, of wounding the feelings of some persons who still survive.

One observation should, however, be made.

It is notorious that there have been persons, very ill informed, no doubt, who have suspected that after his settlement at Queen's Lodge, Dr. Milner contracted habits of selfindulgence; in short, that he became indolent.

The very full and carefully digested statements which he, on all important occasions, made in writing, with the arguments pro and con, for the guidance of his own judgment respecting

natters afering ne vel-jang af is eclege, statements which vere Lund anong is papers after his death, and which of nurse have been preservat, are sucent, even if there were but uncance of cher enitence, clear his memory from this

As examples feature of these written documents, I nay nencia v manuscripts of considerable bulk, and eventig gut getter vin great care and labour.

One of these embodies a account of the "Misunderstanding," already alluded to as having taken place in the bernary of the year 1903, between the Master and his Tutors with the causes which led to that misunderstanding, and the Ine of contact which, after a full consideration of the circumstances, the Master thought it his duty to pursue.

The other manuscript, also dated 1803, is entitled "A Statement of Facts relative to the Election of Fellows by Dispensation."

This latter subject was pressed upon Dr. Milner's consideration, in consequence of a general wish existing in the minds of the majority of the governing part of the Society of Queen's, a wish, be it observed, in which he was disposed cordially to coincide, to elect to a Fellowship, by dispensation, his county being full, a gentleman distinguished both by character and learning.

Both these manuscripts are drawn up with much ability, and are highly interesting and characteristic.

Concerning the first, however, little can be said, without betraying matters which, in his accustomed spirit of charity, Dr. Milner had certainly determined to conceal.

therefore to observe, that in this very able production he investigates and lays open, with his usual perseverance and penetration, the whole chain of causes which had produced the unfriendly state of feeling actually existing in the breasts of certain individuals towards himself; having, at first, with a passing gleam of his constitutional gaiety, felt “like Ajax, at his wits' end; not on account of his enemies, but on account of the darkness which surrounded him.”

says,

Those who have read the foregoing portion of this very

imperfect memoir of Dr. Milner, must be aware that he was a man of an exquisitely susceptible and affectionate temperament; lest, however, any person should be inclined to imagine that the "misunderstanding" alluded to, although irritating at the time, was but, after all, the consequence of some such trifling ebullitions of temper, as will sometimes take place even among friends who in the main cordially esteem each other, it may be advisable here to insert a short extract from the concluding part of Dr. Milner's manuscript.

"I have now,” writes Dr. M., "but two very brief observations to make. The first is but a repetition of a declaration which I made at the outset of this narrative; viz., that by far the most agreeable event that could happen to me, would be to see matters assume such an appearance of perfect amity and cordial reconciliation, that I might cheerfully and at once commit these papers to the flames.

"The second observation is, that if all my endeavours to restore harmony in this society, and general prosperity to the college, should finally prove abortive, there will be one resource left to me, of which I cannot be deprived; viz., that of publishing these papers, and of depositing among the college archives this, or a more complete testimonial of the facts and reasons which produced these differences among us. Such an exact statement of the truth may prove serviceable to an impartial posterity, and it will be an ample justification of my present friends in the support which they may be pleased to afford me. With respect to others, even they, when passion and prejudice shall have subsided, and shall have given way to cooler reflections, may discover, through the help of these pages, by what steps they have been misled, and how erroneous a judgment they have formed of the Master's conduct. In such an event, some of them may, perhaps, at last experience painful feelings, when they shall come to understand how much their unjust treatment of the Master has been calculated to destroy the comfort, and injure the reputation, of a man whom they were bound to have regarded with sentiments of kindness. and gratitude.

"The public reputation, indeed, of the Master has hitherto

been assailed in vain, notwithstanding the industrious circulation of many plausible charges. It is his triumph to find, that these are no sooner propagated than they are understood to be notorious falsehoods, and that he is respected as much as ever by those whose good opinion he values."

The latter part of the extract above given, will be read with satisfaction not only by the surviving personal friends of the late Dr. Milner, but by all who revere his memory.

The same "plausible charges" against him, which were put into "industrious circulation" during his life, have been, in some few instances, renewed since his death.

The above extract certainly proves, that to his own conscience, Dr. Milner stood acquitted of these charges; and if his innocence be not thereby absolutely demonstrated to the minds of others, it is because his biographer declines to make public facts and circumstances, which, in his tender regard for the feelings even of persons who had shewn him but a scant measure of kindness, he has gone to the grave without divulging.

It would have been improper in a work purporting to be a Life of Doctor Milner, to omit all mention of an affair which, at the time of its occurrence, so deeply affected his comfort, and of which he thought it expedient to leave, in writing, an

accurate account.

It is, perhaps, scarcely necessary to add, that time brought the truth to light. The purity and integrity of Dr. Milner's character became daily more and more apparent. He completely outlived the prejudices which, in the minds of certain members of his college, had once operated to his disadvantage, and died in the possession of their hearty esteem and reverence.

The other manuscript already mentioned in evidence of Dr. Milner's laborious habits, is a very able and dispassionate "Statement of Facts relative to the Election of Fellows by Dispensation, and of the Arguments respecting the General Question of Dispensations and Second Dispensations."

Such a treatise, admirably as it may be drawn up, cannot be supposed likely to excite much general interest. It contains, however, one passage which immediately bears upon a question which has lately been agitated with considerable earnestness;

and upon every such question, the deliberate opinion of such a man as Dr. Milner, must be valuable.

"In the discussion of the point before us," writes Dr. Milner, "much depends on not mistaking the true nature of the general question, and also of some other questions closely connected with it.

"Thus, in considering the effects of second, and even of first dispensations, it is scarcely possible not to make some comparison in our minds betweeen the advantages of open colleges, and such as are confined and restricted by their foundation. Queen's College, for example, is, by statute, a confined or a close college; but we open it, in a measure, by dispensations. Now I beg leave to remark, that the question before us is not whether a close or an open college be better, that is, whether a close or an open college be more likely to promote the pious purposes of the founders in assisting the poor, and in advancing religion and learning, but whether, as we have now the college founded already to our hands, and closed by statute, and as dispensations, with all the circumstances of procuring them, &c. &c. are the only means we have of opening them, we ought to open them in this way as much as we can, or, on the contrary, to use great reserve in the use of these means. Or the real question may be put still more accurately thus. Always keeping in view that we are, by statute, compelled to be a close college, to what degree is it advisable to open the fellowships, by dispensations, subject to the inconveniences of petitions, &c. &c.?

"In the solution of this question, my own mind has been much assisted by carefully contemplating and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of close and open colleges in general. And here, I do not scruple to own, that experience, and not mere reasoning, has taught me to pronounce differently, accordingly as the college is small or large in its foundation.

"If the fellowships be numerous, by all means let the college be open. It is next to impossible, that county connexions should much predominate in a very large college. In a small college the reverse is the truth. We find it so by experience, though it may be invidious to point out instances. In a small college, when several fellows are, at one time, of the same, or even