sermons, it is proper to add, that as a preacher he almost wholly
failed. His sermons were sometimes interesting and pathetic; but they
were always desultory, and almost always immeasurably long. The editor
has lately published his _Short Life of Sir Toby Matthews_.

He was very communicative of his manuscripts, and consequently many of
them were lost; so that, on an attentive examination of them, after his
decease, none but those we have mentioned were thought fit for the
press.

XVI.

The number of _letters_ written by our author exceeds belief; if they
could be collected, they would be found to contain an immense mass of
interesting matter on many important topics of religion and literature.
He corresponded with many persons of distinction, both among the
communicants with the see of Rome, and the separatists from her. Among
the former may be reckoned the learned and elegant Lambertini, who
afterwards, under the name of Benedict XIV., was honored with the papal
crown: among the latter may be reckoned Dr. Louth, the bishop first of
Oxford, afterwards of London, the celebrated translator of Isaiah. In a
Latin note on Michaelis, our author speaks of that prelate as his
intimate acquaintance, "_necessitate conjunctissimus_."

He had the happiness to enjoy the friendship and esteem of many persons
distinguished by rank, talents, or virtue. The holy bishop of Amiens
spoke of him in the highest terms of admiration and regard. In the life
written in French of that excellent prelate, he is mentioned "as the
most learned man in Europe." He is styled by father Brotier, in his
preface to his edition of Tacitus, "sacra eruditione perceleber." The
late Mr. Philips, in the preface to his life of cardinal Pole,
mentioning the edition of his letters by cardinal Quirini, expresses
himself thus: "They were procured for the author by Mr. Alban Butler, to
whom the public is indebted for the most useful and valuable work which
has appeared in the English language on the Lives of the Saints, and
which has been so much esteemed in France, that it is now translating
into the language of a country celebrated for biography, with large
additions by the author. This gentleman's readiness on all occasions to
assist the author in his undertaking, was answerable to his extensive
knowledge and general acquaintance with whatever has any relation to
erudition." Our author was not satisfied with the French translation of
his work: the writers pro