To fay, that our archbishop was born at Kinfale in Ireland; that his father was a major in the army, and we believe of an Irish family; that his grace, was made vicar of Boxley in Kent 1765, and improved the parfonage house, which he refigned in 1770, and was fucceeded in this parish by Dr. North, the present bishop of Winchester, and younger fon of the earl of Guildford, can afford no entertainment to the public. We would rather point out the most obfcure birth or defcent, productive of a train of those benevolent actions, and that bright exemplary conduct, the reading of which might excite others to go and do likewife. At the fame time we announce to our readers and friends, that Dr. Markham was preceptor to the prince of Wales and bishop of Ofnaburgh in 1771; that he was tranflated to the archbishopric of York in 1776; and that his fee is valued in the king's books at 1610l. it would, doubtless, afford both them and us, a much greater pleafure to know, that the archbishop of York has devoted a well-fpent life to the duties of his facred function, by inftructing the moft ignorant of his diocefe, and by the employment of his excellent abilities, not for his own preferment, but the glory of God. that it is our intention, by faying this, to intimate, that Dr. Markham has done little towards the converfion of finners to Chrift. We have already confeffed our ignorance both of his talents, attainments, and hiftory of his life; fo that, for aught we can fay to the contrary, all that is attractive, great, important, and beneficial,

Not

may center in his grace; and we know, in one refpect, the archbifhop of York has been useful to fociety; for we hear his grace has had fix fons at Westminster fchool; of whom, three are there now, another in the Eaft India fervice, one in the navy, and one at Chrift VOL. II. No. 11.

church, Oxford. It has also been faid that the archbishop of York, who was chaplain to the king, is a very learned man, having pub. lished two or three fingle fermons, (one of them preached at Bow church) among which is one in Latin. It is not in our power to contradict, nor can we by any authentic vouchers, confirm the truth

of this report. We frankly confefs the learning of his grace to be fo deep, that it has been out of our power to fathom it; for after the moft diligent fearch from Avemaria-lane to College-ftreet, Weftminster, we could not obtain one fingle literary morceau, for the entertainment or fatisfaction of our friends and the public.

We should, therefore, think ourselves very happy if, in this dilemma, his grace would kindly fupply our defects under this article, by taking upon himself the arduous task of writing memoirs of his own life. And though partiality, natural to one's felf, might tempt the writer to varnish over fuch parts of his conduct as might render his fame lefs glorious, yet that intimate knowledge, which he must have of the fubject, would fully compenfate for a little felf-applause, and our disadvantages; ftrike the reader with greater force, and make him enter more feelingly into the intereft of one who is both the actor and the writer, than the lefs animated performances of fuch infignificant compilers as we are (we mean in the opinion of his grace, not our own) can poffibly do. Who could have wrote the actions of Julius Cæfar with a thoufandth part of that eloquence and fpirit he himself does in his admired commentaries? Or who could have made us follow Xenephon with his ten thousand Greeks, with fuch eager anxiety and attention, in that masterly retreat which they made through a vast tract of country amidst every disadvantage and dif 4 B

culty,

ficulty, as he himself has done, in his Anabafis, with no lefs fkill than he conducted the enterprize. Cardinal de Retz, that great genius, who pushed headlong into affairs and intrigues of every kind, by the active impetuofity of his difpofition, has drawn, in his memoirs, one of the strongest portraits of the moft extraordinary characters in the world. By fairly laying before us both his good and bad qua lities; by expofing his own foibles more freely than any one else could have done, he hath made his faults ufeful to the world, and pointed out the dangers and vexatious confequences, which attend that head-ftrong ambition, which can throw every thing into confufion; but knows not how to compofe or quiet the ftorm when raifed. There are a great many other memoirs, in all languages, which are extremely amufing, and make us acquainted with the characters of feveral great men in a way that comes nearest to perfonal intimacy. For these reasons it is our fecond requeft, in which, we doubt not, the public in general will join, that his grace of York will be pleafed to make himfelf the hero of his own tale, and by a narrative of his own good actions, form the heart to a love of generous principles, prefenting at the fame time to the world (through the channel of this Magazine) an excellent pattern of a wife and virtuous conduct.

But should it be our hard lot, (which fome croaking demon whispers will be the cafe) to meet with a SECOND difappointment, we confefs a refufal will not much affect us, as it will not expofe us to the painful neceffity of not gratifying the warm expectation of our numerous friends.

We have been informed that prior to Dr. Markham's being appointed head master of Weftminster fchool, that Mr. Pearfon Lloyd having been 30 years under-mater

(the father of Robt. Lloyd, the intimate of Charles Churchill, Bonhill Thornton, John Wilkes, &c. author of the Actor, and many other poems of merit) had a tolerable claim to the place; however being involved from the extravagancies of fome of his family, Dr. Markham gave him, as it was then faid, two thousand pounds to relinquish his claim. Major Markham and his fom, the doctor, then propofed the building a fquare near the fchool, which plan was begun but never completed; and from thence the doctor was called at Westmin

fter Square Markham. At Westminfter he was remarkable for his conftant attendance at levee more than at fchool. His grace has been generally esteemed a high flyer in divinity and politics. The fee of Canterbury, we are told, was latelygiven to Dr. Moore, in preference to him, because it has been, and very juftly, the rule to appoint a tolerating and moderate man to that important charge, in order · that the Diffenters may not be molefted in the free exercife of their fentiments according to law.

We fhall conclude with laying before our readers our fecond letter which our publisher, by our defire, fent to his grace, in North Audleyftreet, the 31st of May laft, and we are induced the more to print a copy of this letter in this place, that his lordship may not plead ignorance, by faying it never came to his hands, through the neglect of his fteward, chaplain, &c.

COPY OF A LETTER.

MY LORD,

Y defire of the Editors of the

B New Chriftian's Magazine,

(of which I am appointed publisher) I took the liberty the ft of January 1783, to addrefs your lordship, on a fubject to which I prefumed

you

you could have no objection, the intention being obviously fair and honourable. The purport of that application was to acquaint your lordship, that the Editors, who are a felect number of reípectable Clergymen, had undertaken to gratify and furnish their numerous readers and the public, among a variety of other curious and interefting matter, with memoirs and anecdotes of the family, preferments, &c. (of which the public in general are at this time defirous) of all the present bifhops, accompanied with their portraits accurately taken from the original paintings;-That in Number I. of that work, are already given memoirs of Dr. Lowth, biihop of London, and in Number II. thofe of Dr. Porteus, bishop of Chefter, whofe portraits were actually taken from the originals in St. James's-fquare, and Great "George-street, Westminster ;-That an account of Dr. Hurd, bishop of Worcester, is given in Number III. and embellished with his likeness, copied from an original painting, exhibited last season at the Royal Academy, and now at the Queen's palate;-That Numbers IV. V. VI. &c. are embellished with the portraits of Dr. Hinchliffe, Dr. Law, Dr. Thurlow, and other prelates of our church;-That an account of your lordship's preferments, &c. was intended for an enfuing Number, and as we wished to do full justice to the fubject, without mifreprefenting a fingle circumftance, I was defired to apply to your lord

hip perfonally (as we fhould to all the other bishops in turn) for fome leading hints, as materials for the arricle; That the Editors were already poffeffed of many valuable anecdotes, (fuch as you could by no means object to feeing inferted) but they wished to enrich them with fuch neceffary particulars relative to your preferments, degrees at college, &c. as your lordship would pleafe to communicate, that the

whole might be as authentic and complète as poffible; being determine. not to infert any thing but what is ftrictly genuine and unexceptionable. My laft circular letter, directed to your lordship in Bloomsbury-fquare, concluded with requesting your lordship to order your fteward, fecretary, chaplain, or whomfoever you pleafed, to minute down fuch information as you might think proper to communicate; but no aniwer having ever come to hand, I am again defired to trouble your lordship on this occafion; as the Editors have pledged their words with their readers and the public, to report in their monthly repofitory the precife reception, fuch a fair and candid application meets with, in order that they may thereby judge of your regard for, and your readiness to promote the religion of him, whose Providence has fo confpicuously placed your lordship in this world, that you might be faithful to your charge, in forwarding whatever tendency to extend to the practice of piety and virtue. If your lordship will therefore favour me with an anfwer to this letter, fo that it may come to hand in the courfe of ten or twelve days, you will much oblige the above-mentioned gentlemen, who have from the belt of motives undertaken the editor/hip of the New Chriftian's Magazine, and for whom I fubfcribe myfelf My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant, ALEX. HOGG.

has a

May 31, 1783.
No. 46, Paternofter-Row, London,

P. S. The materials already in hand being kept back from the prefs on account of this fecond application, your lordship's anfwer is again, requested, and will be efteemed a particular mark of condefcenfion and humility.

ANTIENT

ANTIENT

MEMOIRS

OF SIR JOHN BARNARD,

TRUE PATRIOT, A WORTHY CITIZEN, AND A GOOD CHRISTIAN.

IR John Barnard's first appear

STR

ance on the public ftage, on which he afterwards made fuch a diflinguished figure, was in the year 1722, when he was chofen one of the reprefentatives in parliament for the city of London; a trust, which he continued to enjoy during the fix fucceeding parliaments, and which he always difcharged with equal integrity and ability. In 1725, he received the thanks of the common council, for oppofing a bill, introducing a change in the method of conducting elections in the city of London. In 1727, he was chofen alderman of Dowgateward, in the room of John Crowley, Efq. deceafed, who had enjoyed that office but a few months. Next year he prepared and prefented to the commons a bill for the better regulation and government of feamen in the merchants fervice.

In 1730, the court of Vienna having begun a negociation in England for a loan of 4c0,000 pounds, a bill was propofed and enacted, prohibiting all his majesty's fubjects from lending any fum of money to any foreign prince whatever, without licence obtained from his majefty, under his privy-feal, or fome greater authority. Violent oppofition was made to this bill, by a great number of members; among whom Mr. John Barnard (for the dignity of knighthood he obtained afterwards by his own merit) made no inconfiderable figure. He obferved that if the bill fhould pafs in its prefent form, it would, in his opinion, open a

channel for the Dutch to carry on a very lucrative branch of business to the prejudice of England: that the bill ought abfolutely to name the emperor as the power prohibited to borrow for that, otherwife, all the other ftates of Europe would think themselves equally affected by this act, which would give it the air as if England was at war with all the world: that he was, by no means, for making the exche, quer a court of inquifition; he conceived it to be equally odious and unconftitutional, that fubjects fhould be obliged to accufe themfelves, and thereby incur the moft fevere penalties; he knew, indeed, there were fuch precedents already, but that was fo much the worfe; precedents could not alter the nature of things; and he thought the liberties of his country of more confequence than any precedents whatever.

In the debate upon the famous excife fcheme, projected by Sir Robert Walpole, in 1733, Sir John fhewed him felf not more zealous for the trade of his country, than jealous of the honour of thofe, by whom it is principally conducted. While this affair was depending in parliament, the merchants of London, haying been convened by circular letters, repaired to the lobby of the houfe of commons, in order to folicit their friends to vote against the bill. Sir Robert Walpole, piqued at the importunity of thefe gentlemen, threw out fome reflections against the conduct of those, whom he fuppofed to have been the means of bringing them thither; and at the fame time infinuated, that the merchants themfelves could be confidered in no other light, than that of sturdy beggars. This expreffion was highly refented by all thofe in the oppofition, and parti

cularly

cularly by Sir John Barnard, who made the following answer:

"I know, faid he, of no irregular or unfair methods that were ufed to call people from the city to your door. It is certain that any fet of gentlemen, or merchants, may lawfully defire their friends; they may even write letters, and they may fend thofe letters by whom they pleafe, to defire the merchants of figure and character, to come down to the court of requefts, and to our lobby, in order to folicit their friends and acquain-. tance against any fcheme, or project, which they may think prejudicial to them. This is the undoubted right of the fubject, and what has been always practifed upon all occafions. The honourable gentleman talks of fturdy beggars: I do not know what fort of people may now be at the door, becaufe I have not lately been out of the house; but I believe they are the fame fort of people that were there when I came laft into the house; and then I can affure you, I faw none but fuch as deferve the name of fturdy beggars as little as the honourable gentleman himself, or any gentleman whatever. It is well known, that the city of London was fufficiently apprized of what was this day to come before us: where they got their information, I know not, but I am very certain, that they had a right notion of the scheme, which has been now open to us; and they were fo generally and zealously bent against it, that, whatever methods may have been used to call them hither, I am fure it would have been impoffible to find any legal methods to prevent their coming hither.” In a word he made fo ftrenuous an oppofition to this unpopular and unconftitutional fcheme, that, in conjunction with other members, he obliged the miniftry entirely to Jay it afide,

In 1735, he moved for leave to bring in a bill to limit the number of play-houfes, and reftrain the licentioufnefs of players, which was now increased to an amazing degree; and though the bill mifcarried at that time, it was yet, about two years after, enacted into a law, which ftill continues in force. In 1736, he ferved with his brother in law, Sir Robert Goodfchall, knt. alderman of Bifhopfgate-ward, the office of the riff of the city of London and county of Middlefex. Next year, he formed a fcheme for reducing the intereft on the national debt; a project, which, though it did not, at that time, fucceed, was, neverthelefs, afterwards carried into execution, to the great emolument of the trading part of the nation.

In 1738, he ferved the high office of lord mayor of London. During his mayoralty he had the misfortune to lose his lady, who was buried in a very grand manner at Clapham-church: the children belonging to Chrift's-hofpital, of which he was many years prefident, attending the funeral through the city. Upon the death of Sir John Thompson, knt. in 1749, he removed, pursuant to act of commoncouncil, and took upon him the office of alderman of Bridge-ward without, and then became in name, as he might already be confidered in reality, the father of the city; and in July 1758, to the inexpreffible regret of his brother aldermen, and of all his fellow citizens, he reigned his gown.

In the fame year, upon the motion of Sir Robert Ladbroke, then father of the city, the thanks of the court of aldermen were given to Sir John Barnard, and expreffed in the following terms: "It is unanimoufly agreed and ordered, that the thanks of this court be given to Sir John Barnard, knt. late one of the aldermen and father of this city,

for