drews by putting an end to that system of spoliation to which he was resolved not to become instrumental. Struck with his style of preaching, and filled with admiration at the extent and solidity of his erudition, the king spontaneously nominated him to the see of Chichester, adding a good living in commendam, and ordered him to write in favour of the oath of allegiance. In process of time his majesty appointed him lord almoner, translated him first to Ely, and finally to Winchester, and made him dean of the chapel royal and a privy-councillor. But even this extraordinary accumulation of benefits, acting on a mind peculiarly susceptible of the sentiments of gratitude, was unable to abase the spirit of Andrews to that servile adulation which the monarch loved, and which other dignitaries of the church paid him without scruple, though at the expense of truth, of patriotism, and sometimes even of piety. To this effect a striking anecdote has been preserved by Waller the poet. On the day when James had dissolved in anger the parliament which assembled in January 1621, on account of its refusal of further supplies, Waller went to court and saw the king dine in public. Bishop Andrews, and Neil then bishop of Ely, stood behind his chair: the monarch turned to them, and, with his usual indiscretion, asked them aloud, if he might not levy money upon his subjects when he wanted it, without applying to parliament. Neil, one of the most shameless of his flatterers, replied without hesitation, 'God forbid you might not! for you are the breath of our nostrils. Well, my lord,' said the king to Andrews, 'and what say you?? Sir, replied the bishop, 'I am not skilled in parliamentary cases. No put-offs, my lord,' insisted the king, answer me presently.' 'I think, then,' replied the bishop, 'that it is lawful for you to take my brother Neil's money, for he offers it.' Nothing but the wit of the answer could have atoned for its courage. Bishop Andrews was one of the few clerical members of the society of antiquaries: Bacon appears to have held him in high esteem, and addressed to him his 'Dialogue on a holy war,' with an interesting epistle dedicatory, in which he enters at large into his own manner of life, and details the philosophical reflections and pursuits which consoled him under adversity and disgrace. The bishop ended his honourable and exemplary саreer in September 1626, in his 71st year. His death was bewailed, amongst the national calamities of the time, in an animated Latin elegy from the pen of a youth, whose noble mind, penetrated with that affectionate veneration for the wise and good which affords the best presage of future excellence, delighted thus to pay its pure and unbidden homage to the reverend sanc tity of the aged prelate. This youth was Milton, then in his eighteenth year. The concluding lines, in which he represents himself as transported in a vision to the gardens of the blessed, have been thus beautifully rendered into English by the poet of the 'Task:' ...." While I that splendour, and the mingled shade Miss Aikin's King James. THE SENSE OF OUR RELATION TO GOD. DR. PRICE in his book on morals, in remarking on the superior importance of the duty we owe to God, and of the place it holds among our other duties, has the following admirable passage. There can certainly be no proportion between what is due from us to creatures and to the Creator; between the regard and deference we owe to beings of precarious, derived, and limited goodness, and to him, who possesses original, necessary, everlasting, infinite fullness of all that is amiable. As much as this being surpasses other beings in perfection and excellence, so much is he, the worthier object of our veneration and love, The whole universe, compared with God, is nothing in itself, nothing to us. He ought then to be all to us; his will our unalterable guide; his goodness the object of our constant praise and trust: the consideration of his all-directing Providence our highest joy; the securing his favour our utmost ambition; and the imitation of his righteousness, the great end and aim of all our actions. He is the fountain of all power and jurisdiction; the cause of all causes, the disposer of the lots and circumstances of all beings, the life and informing principle of all nature; from whose never-ceasing influence every thing derives its capacity of giving us pleasure; and in whom, as their source and centre, are united all the degrees of beauty and good we can observe in the creation. On Him then ought our strongest affection and admiration to be fixed, and to him ought our minds to be continually directed. It is here undoubtedly virtue ought to begin. From hence it should take its rise. A regard to God, as our first and sovereign principle, should always possess us, accompany us in the discharge of all private and social duties, and govern our whole life. Inferior authority we ought to submit to; but with reference to that authority, which is the ground of all other, and supreme in nature. Inferior benefactors we should be grateful to in proportion to our obligations to them, but yet, considering them as only instruments of his goodness, and reserving our first and chief gratitude to our first and chief benefactor. The gifts of his bounty, the objects to which he has adapted our faculties, and the means of happiness, he has provided for us, we should accept and enjoy; but it would be disingenuous and base to do it, with little consideration of the giver, or with hearts void of emotion towards him. Created excellence and beauty we may and must admire; but it would be inexcusable to be so much engrossed with these, as to overlook him, who is the root of every thing good and lovely, and before whom all other excellence vanishes. To him through all inferior causes we ought to look; and his hand it becomes us to own and adore in all the phenomena of nature, and in every event. The consideration of his presence with us should affect us more, and be an unspeakably stronger guard and check upon our behaviour, than if we knew we were every moment exposed to the view of the whole creation. We ought to love him above all things, to throw open our minds, as much as possible, to his influence, and keep up a constant intercourse with him by prayer and unaffected devotion. We ought to refer ourselves absolutely to his management, rely implicitly on his care, commit with boundless hope our whole beings to him in well doing, and wish for nothing, at any time, but what is most acceptable to his wisdom and goodness. In short, he ought to have in all respects the supremacy in our minds; every action and design should be secured to him; reverence, admiration, hope, joy, desire of approbation and all the affections suited to such an object should discover and exert themselves within us in the highest degree we are capable of them. An union to him by a resemblance and participation of his perfections we should aspire to as our complete dignity and happiness, beyond which there can be nothing worthy the concern of any being. No rebellious inclination should be once indulged; no murmur, in any event, show itself in our minds; and no desire or thought ever entertained by us, which is inconsistent with cheerful allegiance, a zealous attachment, and an inviolable loyalty of heart to his government.'Price on Morals. |