ness, sufficient to evidence his own
conviction of their reality; but as they appear to have been the
offspring of a disordered imagination, they have no right to a place
here.

In order to train him up to the ministry, his father at first resolved
to place him under the care of one Mr. Pelset, lately come from
Cambridge to be the public preacher at Leicester, who undertook to
give him an education equally finished with that of the university,
and by these means save much expence to his father: This resolution,
however, was not executed, some other friends advising his father to
send him to Cambridge, and persuaded him that no private tuition could
possibly be equal to that of the academical. When our author had
remained six years at Cambridge, he had a right to preferment, and to
stand for a fellowship, had not his tutor Mr. Gilby been born in the
same county with him, and the statutes not permitting two of the same
shire to enjoy fellowships, and as Mr. Gilby was senior to our
author, and already in possession, Mr. Hall could not be promoted.
In consequence of this, he proposed to remove, when the Earl of
Huntingdon, being made acquainted with this circumstance, and hearing
very favourable accounts of our author, interested himself to prevent
his removal. He made application to Mr. Gilby, promised to make
him his chaplain, and promote him in the church, provided he would
relinquish his place in the college, in favour of Mr. Hall. These
promises being made with seeming sincerity, and as the Earl of
Huntingdon was a man of reputation for probity, he complied with his
lordship's request, and relinquished his place in the college. When
he was about to enter upon his office of chaplain, to his great
mortification, the nobleman on whose promises he confided, and on
whom he immediately depended, suddenly died, by which accident he was
thrown unprovided upon the world. This not a little affected Mr. Hall,
who was shocked to think that Mr. Gilby should be thus distressed, by
the generosity of his temper, which excited him to quit a certainty in
order to make way for his promotion. He addressed Dr. Chadderton,
then the master of the college, that the succeeding election might be
stopped, and that Mr. Gilby should again possess his place; but in
this request he was unsuccessful: for the Doctor told him, that Mr.
Gilby was divested of all possibilty of remedy, and that they
must proceed in the election the day following; when Mr