ferent, representing him as a fit object
of the royal bounty, a pension of two hundred pounds a year was now
granted him. Previously to his obtaining this favour, he was first
presented to the King, and was then honoured by an interview with both
their Majesties. The particulars of this visit were minutely recorded in
his diary. After much commendation of his Essay, the sovereign
pleasantly told him that he had never stolen but one book, and that was
his. "I stole it from the Queen," said his Majesty, "to give it to Lord
Hertford to read." In the course of the conversation, many questions
were put to him concerning the Scotch Universities, the revenues of the
Scotch clergy, and their mode of preaching and praying. When Beattie
replied, that their clergy sometimes prayed a quarter or even half an
hour without interruption, the King observed, that this practice must
lead into repetitions; and that even our own liturgy, excellent as it
is, is faulty in this respect. While the subject of his pension was
under consideration, the Queen made a tender of some present to him
through Dr. Majendie, but he declined to encroach on her Majesty's
munificence, unless the application made to the crown in his behalf
should prove unsuccessful. A mercenary spirit, indeed, was not one of
his weaknesses. Being on a visit at Bulstrode, his noble hostess the
Duchess of Portland, would have had him take a present of a hundred
pounds to defray the expenses of his journey into England; but he
excused himself, as well as he was able, for not accepting her Grace's
bounty.

With his pension, his wishes appear to have been bounded. Temptation to
enter into orders in our church was thrice offered him, and as often
rejected; once in the shape of a general promise of patronage from Dr.
Drummond, Archbishop of York; next, of a small living in Dorsetshire, in
the gift of Mr. John Pitt: and the third time, of a much more valuable
benefice, which was at the disposal of Dr. Thomas, Bishop of Winchester.
In answer to Dr. Porteus, through whom the last of these offers came,
and whose friendship he enjoyed during the remainder of his life, he
represented, in addition to other reasons for his refusal, that he was
apprehensive lest his acceptance of preferment might render the motives
for his writing the Essay on Truth suspected. He at the same time
avowed, that if "he were to have become a clergyman, the church of
England would certainly have been his choice; as