confidence, as a very humble agent of your Majesty's

bounty.

I am, Sire,

With every sentiment of the profoundest

Respect and devotion,

Your Majesty's

Most loyal and grateful subject,

London, August 13. 1822.

T. ST. DAVID'S.

The public press quickly made the country acquainted with this act of Royal generosity; and the impression which it produced was not only highly honourable to his Majesty, but attracted general attention to the object of his bounty. Throughout South Wales in particular, where, strange to say, prejudices had been stirred up against the college in various quarters, the effect of the King's munificence was electrical, heightening every feeling of affectionate loyalty among the members of the Church of England, and converting many lukewarm approvers, and even decided opponents, of the plan, into professed friends and admirers.

The time was now arrived when it appeared expedient to submit the particulars of the collegiate scheme to the two Universities, accompanied by an application for their sanction and support, which were justly deemed of no trifling importance to its final success. Dr. Kaye, then Bishop of Bristol, and Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, under

Y

took to bring the subject before the Heads of that University, and the same kind office was performed at Oxford by Dr. Copleston, then Provost of Oriel, and now Bishop of Llandaff. The cordial support given by each of these learned and eminent persons to the application in question, and the kind interest which they manifested in its favour, tended in a great degree to insure the favourable result which followed. A donation of 2001. was voted by each of the Universities towards the erection of the College; the additional sum of 100l. was subscribed by Oriel College; and liberal donations of books were made by most of the colleges in aid of the future library of the projected institution. The Rev. Mr. Tyler, then Tutor of Oriel, and now Rector of St. Giles's, displayed a most friendly zeal in promoting these latter contributions.

CHAP. XXVI.

THE BISHOP'S NOBLE SACRIFICE OF FINES FOR THE AUGMENTATION OF THE INCOMe of the see of st. David's.

1823.

CHRISTIANITY is the fruitful parent of the noblest and purest principles of conduct. In place of those selfish and contracted motives which so commonly sway the conduct of men of the world in pecuniary matters, it prompts to deeds of generosity, and to habits of self-denial. While it exhibits to the eye of Faith glorious objects of pursuit, and a standard of action no less elevated, and stamps comparative littleness on earthly concerns and interests, it enforces by the highest sanctions the faithful and conscientious discharge of every relative, social, and civil duty-inseparably conjoining charity to man with love to God.

He
He

Such was the tendency of religion in the mind and heart of the good Bishop of St. David's. was moreover reflective and persevering. framed his plans wisely, and he pursued them steadily; and qualities like these are an overmatch for all ordinary difficulties. After eighteen years of previous patient preparation, the College was on the eve of foundation. Only a short time before

this work was accomplished, he completed another plan for the benefit of his diocese, which had long been maturing; a plan at that time little known even within its precincts, but which so eminently illustrates his disinterestedness and liberality, that generous minds will delight to dwell to dwell upon its

details.

Upon his occupation of the See of St. David's, its annual produce was only about 12001. The palace, which was ill built and ancient, needed frequent repairs, and there were various other local drawbacks on his income.

This see had therefore been usually regarded as a stepping stone to better preferment, a circumstance which naturally operated very detrimentally with respect to any permanent plans for its improvement. The prebendal stall at Durham, held by Dr. Burgess, produced, together with his bishopric, an income which, though not large, considering his station in the Church, his necessary expenditure, and his munificent disposition, was adequate to his wants; and he had devoted himself with an entire singleness of heart and intention to the great work of ameliorating the condition of his diocese.

As there was then no reason to expect any of the public enactments which have since been made, for augmenting the annual value of the poorer bishoprics, the reflection often occurred to him, when anxiously occupied in promoting his own measures of improvement, "Unless the exertions I am making,

the plans I am pursuing, are followed up by my successors, the good I may be enabled to effect may very possibly prove only temporary, and my best endeavours be finally frustrated. Can I devise any means of improving the annual value of the see to such a degree, as will place future bishops in a state of comfortable independence, and induce them to regard it as their permanent field of labour and usefulness?" After these questions had been much and often revolved, the following mode of effecting his object occurred to him. It is well known that before the passing of the Act of 6 & 7 William IV. cap. 77. the revenues of our bishoprics mainly arose from fines accruing upon the renewal of lives on leases of the Episcopal estates, occasionally amounting to very large sums. These fines he determined to relinquish on certain estates best adapted to the purpose he had in view, and to run his own life, which he had reason to believe was a good one, against the remaining life or lives on them, till they should all fall in, when he proposed to annex the estates by act of Parliament, in perpetuity, to the see. He calculated that in all human probability he should finally secure to his successors, by this sacrifice, a liberal income; and as he had no wish for translation, he saw his way clearly to the entire completion of the plan. As far back as the year 1807 he requested the late Lord Eldon to give him his legal opinion upon the project. It received the