independent of Dacca, with instructions to correspond with the Presidency

direct. de terre of Shirley. Whether this &et-or:higher motives might Influsgefk

._

The, Honourable Robert was not Yet, however, out of the wood, for neither was he a man o shining talents, or one who greatly influenced some of his enemies advanced pari passu,. if not a step or two faster : * Letters and Memoir of Me late alien „auguetua Shirley, D.D., Lord Buhop of

Hateriard. _

lion. I now made use of every private interest I could raise upon the occasion; as a.parish priest, and his activity in the Zvangelical movements of the and had to acknowledge the able influence of a fair lady, wife of Justice Hyde, Church. He had also the advantage of -good, wipe-14,0ns. , Bin fatIleFitfi who warmly interested herself in my behalf, The consequence was, that great-grandfather was a son of the. first 'Earl Ferrero, (created late an express was sent to the Dacca Council to know (by return of poet) the cause of the removal of Mr. Lindsay.; in reply, they could assign and the Bishop himself had at one tune a chance of stgeeeding t0 t,1191: no cause whatever, excepting my being junior in rank to many others. An title. Besides the interest a Peer may be supposed to possess, the.hquOt" order was then issued, appointing ine Resident and Collector of Sylhet--moreover, of Ferrers had family livings, one of w,hich gave (or bow) the einwr reembarked in nay canoe, and returned o Sylhet with so much expedition that thIe the choice, e c oice, we _ ow not, e father . grandfather.... . .. . ...

know but th f titer and

inhabitants hardly knew I had been absent—travelling six hundred miles in an were .both in the church.: 111. father — C...11IC-.: ......- ....t.ier and lamself each hem the nying,sh of the Bialun6, Open boat, covered only by an awning. My rapid return had the happiest effect Shirley, and the bishop before his elevation obtained other prefernienli in recovering my balances, and restoring of order, which had been much disturbed connected with the Ferrers interest.

daring my absence." There were no strikl incidents in the life of Walter Augustus Shirley; his age. The moral of his life is, that steady industry and a conscien- tious discharge of duties are likely to meet even a worldly reward. He was born in 1797; he was educated at home, at school, and at Winchester;

whence he was transferred to New College, Oxford. Ordained in 1820, he did duty for several years in various curacies: in 1826 he went to Italy, and for some time filled the office of joint chaplain to the English church at Rome. There he preached "acceptably," though very plainly, the irre- ligious conduct of the English abroad being one of his topics ; and, from the station of the congregation, perhaps this chaplaincy was of more even- tual service to him than appears in these Memoirs. During Mr. Shirley's residence in Italy, his kinsman Lord Ferrers died, and bequeathed to him the next presentation to the living of Brailaford. This death and that of his locum tenens at home, with probably the attachment to his fu- ture wife, caused Mr. Shirley's return to England, in 1827; and on his marriage, in the autumn of that year, his father resigned the vicarage of Shirley in his favour.

Hitherto the future Bishop had held a subordinate position, or been as . it were influenced by circumstances ; at Shirley he began a more inde- pendent career. The parish was large and straggling, the chinch "green with damp and darkened with cumbrous galleries," the popu- lation composed only of farmers and their labourers, with manners and morals in an indifferent state. The energy, the tact, and the perseverance of the new Vicar, soon infused spirit into this lifeless mass. In nine years, by his own and Mrs. Shirley's exertions, with the aid of curates, he had brought the church and parish into a satisfactory if not an exem- plary condition ; he had also been active in the Bible Society, and on other religious questions of the day. Towards the end of 1836 he accepted the living of Whiston, till one of his late pupils should be old enough to take priest's orders. He found this parish as bad as Shirley, or worse, apparently from neglect ; but the farmers had a Yorkshire friendliness at bottom and, what with the good nature of the materials and the now practised skill of the workman, matters were soon brought into a reputable state; so that when he succeeded, in 1838, to the living ft

of Brailsford, he le Whiston amid the regrets and addresses of the people. During all this time, by means of private acquaintance and cor- respondence, occasional publications and addresses, together with his ac- tivity in religions and,_ educational questions, he must have ex- tended his connexion into high and influential quarters, though very slender glimpses of it appear in the volume before us. In 1840 be came before the world as Archdeacon of Derby : soon afterwards he was as it were suggested for a mitre by being named one of a commission to act for Bishop Bowstead, incapacitated from illness. In 1846 he was selected to preach the Bampton Lectures for 1847; and soon afterwards Lord John Russell offered him the vacant see of Sodor and Man. With doubts and misgivings he entered upon his office—not long to enjoy its dignities or undergo its responsibilities and labours : he was consecrated in January 1847, and died in the following April. For several years his health had given signs of breaking down under his laborious parochial and Bible Society duties and his extensive correspondence. He had suf- fered attacks of fever and sciatica, and latterly he had been affected by slight causes. The preparation of the Bampton lectures oppressed, or, in his own words, " haunted " him to a degree only explicable by some failure of vital power ; for, although rather a practical than a scholastic divine, Dr. Shirley was in other respects quite competent to the task, being a sensible scholar and critic, and a clear, close reasoner. It was found necessary to delay his consecration some days on account of ill- ness: in the dangerous month of March he exerted himself too much in preaching, and exposed himself too much in travelling to the Isle of Man. Soon after his arrival he was taken ill ; but no apprehensions were enter- tained, till Dr. Young was called in and pronounced the disease inflam- mation of the lungs in an advanced stage. Dr. Young immediately farbade any attempt to continue the delivery of the Bampton lectures, 'and he seems to have spoken doubtfully of the case.

"On Sunday the 11th, he said to his wife= It is such a relief to think I have

quite done with the Hampton lectures ; I shall now be quite free, and can give myself up to my family and my diocese: only think how much more I shall see of you, dearest!' After a pause, Yes,' he added, I can now be content to live, and, if it be Cod's will, to die here: do you not feel the same?' Mrs. S. being much overcome from feeling how very probable it was that the latter part of his sentence would be fulfilled, he gently reproved her for her want of a missionary spirit, not understanding the real cause of her sorrow.

"On the 13th, another physician, Dr. Kemp, was called in, and entirely con-

firmed Dr. Young's view of the case. From this time Dr. Young took up his abode in the house, and continued to render every service to his patient which un- wearied attention, medical skill, and Christian sympathy, could devise. Dr. K.'s opinion was so unfavourable, that, after a long consultation together, the medical men thought it right to inform Mr. W. Shirley of the state of the case; requesting him to break to his mother the cruel truth, that possibly his father had not many hours to live. Inflammation on the lungs had already taken place. The expec- toration was now strongly tinged with blood; and it was apprehended that in coughing he might rupture a blood-vessel, which would put an immediate end to his existence. Meanwhile, the Bishop had earnestly requested his wife not to conceal the result of the consultation; adding, I should wish to know it, what- ever it may be.' Accordingly, when sufficiently recovered from the dreadful shock to be able to speak, Mrs. Shirley, accompanied by her son, went into the room, and asked if she should read to him a chapter from the Bible. John xiv. was proposed; when he immediately said, Why do you choose that chapter? Walter read it to me yesterday.' It was then changed to 2 Cor. v. He listened with great attention repeating after his wife parts that particularly. struck him espe- cially the fourteenth verse, For the love of Christ constrameth us,' which he dwelt on with great emphasis•' making, however, no remarks, excepting on the vividness and earnestness of feeling displayed by the apostle in that chapter, so different from our own lukewarmness. Prayer was then offered up, his wife and son both kneeling by his bedside- after which, he was told that the chapter and prayer had his case in view, and the fatal termination of his illness was but too probable. The look of earnestness which he turned on his wife and son can never be forgotten by them; but he said nothing, and showed no signs whatever of emotion, excepting that a slight perspiration appeared on his forehead. In about a minute after he said, What a very happy and blessed life I have had!' After this, some necessary allusions were made to his worldly affairs, and be be- came too much exhausted to converse. His daughter, it was settled, should be seat for by the first packet, and his parents and friends informed of his state of danger. In the evening, the same members of his family being present, he w. asked whether he felt happy ? Perfectly,' was his reply; perfectly happy The patient struggled, with one passing prospect of recovery, tie the 21st of April ; his case suggesting a difficult example of the medium be.. tween medical prudence and Christian duty. There can be no doubt that the exciting interviews and exhortations in which he passed his time cut away the last chance of life : on the other hand, it is difficult to interpose in matters like these.

"He afterwards saw his old servants and thanked them for their affectionate services, especially during his preceding illness; adding, I can never forget your kindness, and desire to thank you for it from my heart. I hope you will lead Christian lives and then you will not be afraid to die.' TG the servant who ale going the next for his daughter he said, 'Tell her, with my most tender love and blessing, that I could have wished to have seen her before my death; but I fear I shall not- But Jesus says we must bear the cross ; and Jesus is saying to me, "Can you bear this cross, to die without seeing your child?" and I sv "Yes, Lord." Tell her how her father dies, will you? Promise use you wile Tell her I submit cheerfully to God's will, because I know His will to be the beat.' To the butler he said, You and I did not expect to part so soon when flat* engaged you, neither did I expect to come here only to die. It is a lesson to es all, and 1 hope you will learn to be a Christian man.' To the coachman he spoke on the importance of maintaining a holy and consistent profession; and to a lad who had been at school at Shirley he said, Be a good lad, my boy, and pray to God to impress upon your mind the lessons you have been taught at the Sunday school.'

"Dr. Young, who was present at this scene, said afterwards more than once, The calmest man there! I could not have conceived it. I have been by hundreds of deathbeds, and never saw anything like it. Not a look—not a tone! and they seem to have loved him so! In the evening, preparation was made for adnikue_ tering the sacrament to him, which he had told the doctor he should gladly re- ceive. As it was thought he might not outlive the night, he was asked whether he had any messages to send to his parents or friends? To the former he sent his tender love, desiring they might be thanked for their love to him. One friend, Mr. Cheney, to whom many of the letters in the preceding correspondence are addressed, he mentioned no less than three times, expressing an anxious desire that he should be informed of his state, and asking if he had been written to. Of his daughter, too, he spoke very often, sending her his love and blessing. Mr. Brown of Kirk Michael having arrived, the sacrament was duly administered, first to the invalid in both kinds, on account of his weakness, and then to those present; Dr. Young, Mrs. Shirley, her son, and all the household, excepting two young persons who had never before communicated. After the conclusion of the service, just as Mr. Brown was going to pronounce the blessing, the Bishop touched his arm to stop him, and pronounced it himself in a firm and solemn tone."

For a day or two there was a slight amendment, but it was only tem- porary.

"At eleven o'clock at night, [of the 20th,] the whole family, with some of the ser- vants, were summoned to the room, in the belief that his end was rapidly drawing near. His wife, who had gone down stairs' and had been suddenly called to the chamber of death, found him in the act of talking to a nephew who was deeply attached to him, and had hurried from Cambridge to see him. He remindedhim, earnestly and affectionately, of all the serious conversations he had held with him in times past; and concluded by saying, This is no sham, boy, no sham ; you will now believe the truth of -what I have urged upon you before.' The suf- ferer was lying in the middle of the bed with the agonies of death evidently upon him, calmly contemplating its advances without a fear or a pang, the only un- moved person present. He evidently knew all his family. To the inquiry how he felt, his answer was, 'Iam quite passive; but I wish to go to ...Issas.' He then sent messages of exhortation and love to several friends: after which all present knelt around the bed whilst his poor father offered up a prayer for him and his family; for which he thanked him by his looks, though he said nothing. Soon after which, as it appeared likely he might live through the night, it was thought better that all should disperse, with the exception of his wife, his eon, and his nephew, who never left him until the last sigh was drawn: the apothe- cary remained for a time, as long as there was a hope of sustaining the patient's sinking strength by cordials. But even this resource failed at three o'clock; and at six all were once more assembled in the dying man's room. His father again prayed, and again he received a look of unutterable thanks. An expression of individual tenderness and love was also directed to all around, as he evidently bade them each farewell in his heart. He also gave his blessing to one or two present, and again sent affectionate messages to friends. His last conscious act was to reprove his wife for weeping, by shaking his head. Soon after he became quite insensible whilst she was endeavouring to repeat to him Cowper's hymn beginning,

'To Jesus, the crown of my hope,

My soul is in haste to be gone '; and at eight o'clock a. us. 21st of April 1817, alter three deep sighs, he exchanged time for eternity."

The clerical character of Bishop Shirley was more remarkable than the incidents of his career, or than the influence which he exercised in the Church or in society. He professed to be a Whig in politics, so far as he engaged in them, which was to act for himself but not to interfere with others ; and he took what we suppose must be called Whig views in Church matters, favouring the various Education bills and similar movements. But there was more than Whiggery in him : he had larger views both lay and clerical than Parliamentary Liberals ; those views were based on clear conceptions of principle or fitness; and they were his own, not borrowed for the occasion. He advocated Catholic Emancipation; he voted for Peel in the Oxford election of 1829; and he was in favour of a change in the Irish Church, but not of an application of its revenues .to lay purposes. He wished to revise the Articles and the service, to equalize Church livings to the greatest degree practicable, and to extend the Church ministry, deriving the funds from the Church revenues existing or un- proveable. His opinions on Dissent were liberal, but peculiar : he was more tolerant of the practice than of the practitioners. If he entertained any ideas upon the Apostolical succession, they were not so strait as to lead him to deny the right of the title " reverend " to unepiscopally ordained ministers ; and he largely extended the term "church." But he entertained a poor opinion of those Dissenters who were ready to join with Papists on the one hand or Infidels on the other to injure the Establishment. Of actual Popery he had a very bad opinion, and not a much better of Tractarianism. As the powers and perhaps the views of Bishop Shirley were not generally known in his life, we will, take a few extracts extracts from his correspondence ; appending the dates, for some of his views were antecedent to the period when Liberalism and Church revivals were marketable commodities.

Opinion of Romanians, 1828. "lam going to advance a rather hardy opinion for these No-Popery days ; but I am really inclined to think that baptism is not the only point on which modern sea iments have fallen below the standard of antiquity. The corruptions of the ChL.ch of Rome are indeed appalling, and the nearer one observes them the more distinctly dose one read the number of the beast; but the beast does not rule at Rome alone, though his influence there is doubtless less subtle than it is nearer bouie. The services, the ceremonies, and the current superstitions of Popery, are gross and carnal to the last degree; as addressed to the multitude, in its exoteric form, it is heathenish idolatry; but there may be discovered at the bottom of all this wood, hay, and stubble, the vestiges of a church which must have been spiritual and believing to a degree of which we have' I fear, no extant exemplar. it must be oar business to do what we can towards raising ourselves and our people; which, under God's blessing, we shall be most likely to do by taking our views of the Gospel directly from the Bible, with faith for our interpreter."

Reform in State and Church, 1830.

"My own feeling is that the law of franchise ought to undergo an entire revision so as to reduce it to the state which is most consistent with the spirit of the con- stitution. For instance, I would make an income equivalent to forty shillings in boa the qualification for voting; I would then throw open the freedom of the towns to the qualified occupiers of houses, take the franchise from the nominal boroughs, and extend it to the unrepresented large towns. That is my notion of civil reform. Then with regard to the Church, I would have a Bishop to every county; the present income divided among the whole number, and the present number returned to Parliament as the Irish Bishops are. I would have a fresh valuation of all livings, and tax those above a certain amount for the benefit of those which are too small. Such are my foreign speculations."

Views of Religious Improvement, 1840.

"In addition to all this, there came your [his wife's] long lecture about Mr. Hull's petition, which was at the moment the most disturbing circumstance of them all; for Lain always distressed when your judgment does not coincide with mires But my opinion is not shaken. On the expediency of signing such a peti- tion I shall not enter, because I know full well that if one wishes to pass quietly through the world the best plan is not to have any opinions on any subject; and if one is unfortunately troubled with opinions, the next best plan is, not to express them. On the merits of the case, however, I have long thought that the state of our subscription is most unsound. We have articles on points not essential to soundness in the faith on which real Christians may differ, and yet we require people holding opposite views to subscribe to them; so that it becomes necessary to receive the Articles in different senses. Is this a satisfactory state of things? Then there are things in our services—not many, nor of very great importance— which most good and wise meu wish to be altered. Must we go on without at- tempting such alterations, when every day is increasing the difficulty of making the attempt? or shall we, while yet there is opportunity, go to the highest tribu- nal in the country, (not to the Ministry, but to the Lords, with whom the Ministry has not a majority,) and invite that tribunal to provide such a remedy as to its wisdom shall seem most fit? It is manifest that there is a growing tendency among the heads of the Church to contract its terms of union, and there is a growing tendency among the people to the contrary; and all this is leading to a separation between the Nation and the National Church. I want to see the doors of the Church made as wide as the doors of Heaven, (as far as existing cir- cumstances will admit,) and to confine our subscription and uniformity to such points as are essential to the character of a child of God and of a true and faith- ful Church of Christ."

Criticises on the Fathers, 1847. "I believe that I have thought better of the Fathers than they deserved. Our early Reformers attributed too much to their authority, and have communicated something of that feeling to their symbolical treatises. In paint of earnest piety, several of the Fathers are full of interest; but the gnosticism of one age the as- cetism of another, and the narrow spirit of all, perverted their views. And most of them, in an age when few had access to the Bible, and when the memory of apostolical teaching and still more of apostolical discipline had hardly passed away, attributed more than was due to tradition even then, and far more than we can attribute to it now. But I must try to see you, or at least to send you one or two of my lectures; for I should much like to set the lay mind at work upon them. I should like to meet your friend —: I have no doubt that he is right in thinking that Puseyism is the result of conceit much more than of study; most of those whom I have met are painful and supercilious coxcombs."

As Bishop Shirley will perhaps be better known to the world by his Memoirs than he was during life, this volume is more bulky than was necessary or desirable, where the reader, feeling no previous personal inte- rest in the man, does not care for very minute particulars. The narrative to a great extent is carried on by correspondence ; but sometimes the letters relate to matters of a common domestic kind, or are repetitions on the same topics. There is sometimes a want of distinctness in the ar- rangement of the epistolary matter. We also think a critical acquaintance of the hero could have marked the gradual impression be made on influen- tial society, more distinctly than is done by Archdeacon Hill. Subject to these drawbacks, which admit of remedy in a new edition, the Letters and Memoir of Bishop Shirley is a solid and interesting volume; contain- ing, in addition to the biography or autobiography of the Bishop, various intelligent remarks on public affairs and theological questions, with a good many descriptive sketches of scenery and of mankind, at home and abroad.