with his parishioners; all which he bore with the utmost composure, until a desperate attempt was made upon his life. He then left Simonburn, and went to London, where he became a frequent preacher at St. George's Hanover-square, and at Park-street, and Audley Chapels; and was a zealous and successful advocate for many of the charitable institutions in the metropolis. In summer he spent three or four months at Thornton, in the district of Craven, in Yorkshire : the living of which the late Sir John Kaye was so kind to him as to give to his Curate, that he might be accommodated with a house to dwell, and a Church to preach in. In the parish of Thornton, there are a great many sectaries, who had an idea that a Clergyman of the Church of England had not the gift of preaching as their ministers did, extempore. This he thought it expedient to convince them was not the fact, by preaching to them extempore, or rather memoriter, for many years. But this, indeed, may be said to have been his usual mode of preaching. He took his sermon into the pulpit, but seldom looked at it; for being shortsighted, it was of little use to him; he therefore, invariably, repeated it: some previous labor was certainly requisite, but the effect was astonishing. To every young Clergyman I say, Go, AND DO THOU LIKEWISE. employed himself during the three last years of his life in preparing many of his sermons for the press: from the specimens contained in this work, the reader may anticipate the satisfaction which may be derived from the perusal of them.

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A short time after Dr. Scott had been in possession of his living, he married Anne, daughter of William Scott, Esq. with whom he lived in an enviable state of harmony and happiness for more than forty years. They had three children who all died young. After he had settled his disputes with his parishoners, he resided, chiefly, at Leeds in the winter, and at Simonburn during the summer months, occasionally visiting Lons don, Bath, &c. He left the north, entirely, the last year, and took a house in Somerset-street, Portmansquare, when after being confined to his bed a few

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days,

days, he left this world for a better on December 10th, aged 81 years. His manners were refined and polished; and his conversation beyond that of most other men, was entertaining, interesting, and instructive. His family establishment was such as became his situation; whilst his hands were, always, open to public charities, and more especially to private distress.

Of Dr. Scott, I speak with the same sensations as Dr. Johnson has spoken of * Gilbert Walmsley. My acquaintance with him commenced at Bath four years ago. The friendship with which he honored me, was peculiarly gratifying; for in my youth I had heard him often from the pulpit, and always with delight and rapture; and to this circumstance, I consider myself, under Providence, indebted for the preferment I have obtained in the evening of life-preferment insufficient, indeed, to gratify avarice, or delight ambition, but which is as much beyond my expectation, as, I fear, above my deserts.-As a speaker I never heard his equal: his voice was loud and harmonious; his action solemn and dignified. In declaring the promises, and denouncing the terrors, of the Gospel, he produced, in an unusual degree, the corresponding emotions of comfort and alarm in the breasts of his hearers. These effects were ascribed by some to the manner rather than the matter, to vehement declamation rather than to genuine pathos. His discourses, a volume of which will be published during the course of the year, will, I am confident, evince the fallacy of this criticism. I shall be highly disappointed, if as pulpit discourses they are not, generally, esteemed invaluable.

May 14, 1814.

MR. SKELTON.

PHILIP SKELTON was born in the parish of Derriaghy, near Lisburn, in Feb. 1706-7. His father,

Vide Life of Smith.

Richard

Richard Skelton, was a decent honest countryman, who held under Lord Conway, a large farm at a cheap rent. Philip, when he was about ten years old, was sent to Lisburn Latin-school, which was then kept by the Rev. Mr. Clarke, a man of eminence in his profession. His father, though he lived within two miles of the town, placed him in lodgings there, that he might enjoy every opportunity of improvement. Sensible of its importance, he did not spare expence to give his children education. He was a man of understanding, and the gentlemen of fortune had such a high opinion of him, that they used to invite him, frequently, to their houses, for the sake of his conversation. But he died soon after Philip went to school. Thus did Skelton lose, in his tender years, an excellent father, a man of admirable sense, a strict observer of Religion, and a careful instructor of his children. The son retained ever after a grateful remembrance of his worth. He used to say, with Horace, that if he were appointed to chuse a father out of all the men in the world, he would take the one he had.

His mother was left with ten children. Philip, however, still continued to go to the Latin-school; and when he was at a loss for candles to read by at night, which frequently happened, he made use of furze, which he gathered for the purpose, and then throwing them piece by piece upon the fire, read by the glimmering light. He and some of his schoolfellows, often, met together in the fields, and examined each other, most strictly, for halfpence. He that missed the answer of the question proposed, gave a halfpenny to the boy who examined him; which made them, as he remarked, prepare themselves with great care, for halfpence were then very scarce.

sizar in the UniHis tutor was the

On leaving school, he entered a versity of Dublin, in June 1724. famous Dr. Delany, who, by his conduct, proved himself his real friend ever after. He applied there with diligence to the useful studies enjoined by that noble seminary, and soon acquired the reputation of a scholar.

After he had taken the degree of B.A. he was or dained by Dr. Sterne, Bishop of Clogher, in the year 1729, to the curacy of Newtown-Butler; previous to his ordination, he fasted and prayed two days. He left the curacy of Newtown-Butler, in 1732, and was appointed to the cure of Monaghan in the same diocese. He entered upon his cure with that zeal for the salvation of souls, which a warm sense of duty only could inspire. Well assured that he must be accountable hereafter for his discharge of the awful trust committed to his care, he resolved to act as became one, whose hopes and fears were placed beyond the grave. He labored hard in his ministry; he visited his people, from house to house, without distinction of sect; he conversed with them freely, mingling entertainment with his instruction. The children he catechized every Sunday evening in the church; and when they became, thoroughly, acquainted with the original catechism, as in the prayer-book, made them learn the proof-catechism, which confirms and illustrates the doctrines of the other texts of Scripture, On a particular evening in the week, which he ap-. pointed, he invited people of every age to his lodgings, that he might instruct them in Religion. And thus, by his means, they obtained a knowlege of their duty.

In the pulpit he displayed that strong and manly eloquence, which arrests the attention of the hearers, He explained to them, in plain and powerful lan guage, the threats and promises of the Gospel; he declared to them the indispensable conditions of Salvation; he placed, like a faithful servant of the Lord, heaven and hell before their eyes. His large gigantic size, his strong expressive action, his clear, distinct delivery, his power of changing the tone of his voice, and features of his face, and, above all, the sincerity of his heart, made an irresistible impression on his hearers.

His life was conformable to his preaching. It was a pattern of every virtue; it was decorated with piety, chastity, humility, and charity. For this last-men

tioned amiable quality, he was eminent, perhaps, above all others in Ireland. Being born, as he supposed, for the comfort of the poor, he exerted all his endea vors to mitigate their sorrows. A great part of his annual pittance he gave them, and often scarce allowed himself even the necessaries of life. His preaching was attended with the success he desired. The manners of his people were, in a short time, greatly im proved, and vice and ignorance retreated before so powerful an opponent.

He was, particularly, attentive to the state of the prisoners in the jail, whose situation renders them so helpless. On examining the jail of Monaghan, he found that the poor prisoners were often cheated of their proper allowance of bread. But he took care soon to rectify this, and every other, abuse; so that the condition of the prisoners was, in his time, as comfortable as could be expected. To those who were condemned to die, he was a faithful instructor, affording such advice and consolation as were suitable to their melancholy state.

He was once very successful in his endeavors to save the life of a convict at Monaghan, of whose innocence he was well assured, that was condemned to be hanged in five days. He set off immediately for Dublin, and, travelling without delay, on his arrival there went to the Privy Council, which was, fortunately, sitting. He was admitted, pleaded eloquently before them the cause of the poor man, obtained his pardon, and, like a good angel, returned to Monaghan, with the happy news before the day of the execution arrived.

There was in his parish a notorious sinner, whose wicked life gave offence to every sober Christian. Skelton went to him, and warning him of the danger of his evil ways, the man was so desperately wicked, that he took a spit, and ran at him to stick him. Skelton was forced then to make his escape, However, he had the courage to go back again, and, at last, after much danger and difficulty, by long perseverance, by his awful lectures, and the divine aid, brought him