d of being
insulted with Latin and Greek at his own table; for which reason he
desired a particular friend of his at the University to find him out a
clergyman rather of plain sense than much learning, of a good aspect, a
clear voice, a sociable temper, and, if possible, a man that understood
a little of backgammon. My friend, says Sir Roger, found me out this
gentleman, who, besides the endowments required of him, is, they tell
me, a good scholar, tho' he does not shew it. I have given him the
parsonage of the parish; and because I know his value, have settled upon
him a good annuity for life. If he outlives me, he shall find that he
was higher in my esteem than perhaps he thinks he is. He has now been
with me thirty years; and tho' he does not know I have taken notice of
it, has never in all that time asked anything of me for himself, tho' he
is every day soliciting me for some thing in behalf of one or other of
my tenants his parishioners. There has not been a law-suit in the
parish since he has liv'd among them. If any dispute arises they apply
themselves to him for the decision; if they do not acquiesce in his
judgment, which I think never happened above once or twice at most, they
appeal to me. At his first settling with me, I made him a present of all
the good sermons which have been printed in English, and only begg'd
of him that every Sunday he would pronounce one of them in the pulpit.
Accordingly, he has digested them into such a series, that they
follow one another naturally, and make a continued system of practical
divinity.

As Sir Roger was going on in his story, the gentleman we were talking of
came up to us; and upon the Knight's asking him who preached to tomorrow
(for it was Saturday night) told us, the Bishop of St. Asaph in the
morning, and Dr. South in the afternoon. He then shewed us his list of
preachers for the whole year, where I saw with a great deal of pleasure
Archbishop Tillotson, Bishop Saunderson, Dr. Barrow, Dr. Calamy, with
several living authors who have published discourses of practical
divinity. I no sooner saw this venerable man in the pulpit, but I very
much approved of my friend's insisting upon the qualifications of a good
aspect and a clear voice; for I was so charmed with the gracefulness of
his figure and delivery, as well as with the discourses he pronounced,
that I think I never passed any time more to my satisfaction. A sermon
repeated after this manner, is like the composi