argument of an antagonist, never conceals the difficulties which encumber his own. In short, he exhibits nothing of the artifice and generalship which usually render controversial divinity so comparatively unproductive of conviction. But indeed he could afford the negligent simplicity of greatness; for at the same time that his speculations were uniformly sound and just, they were infinitely more original than all the brilliant paradoxes that ever flashed across the imagination of Horsley or of Warburton. The style of Bishop Butler has, we think, been condemned undeservedly. It certainly is not formed to any thing like Ciceronian harmony and elegance; but it seldom offends the ear, or violates the purity of the English idiom. The charge of obscurity may be confidently repelled; and indeed it is difficult to conceive how it should ever have been advanced by any but a brainless sciolist,

"too weak to bear

The insupportable fatigue of thought."

Dr Butler was a man of great liberality and benevolence. He is said to have expended, in the repairs and embellishment of the episcopal palace at Bristol, more than he received from the bishopric during his whole tenure of that see. It is reported that, when he was bishop of Durham, he one day asked his steward how much money was in the house; to which it was answered, "Five hundred pounds." "Five hundred pounds!" exclaimed the worthy prelate, "what a shame for a bishop to have so much money in the house at one time!" On this he ordered a great part of it to be distributed to the poor. His piety, though not free from a tincture of austerity and mysticism, was full of seriousness, humility, and fervour. Fifteen years after his decease, the religious world was startled by the affirmation of an anonymous writer that Bishop Butler died in the communion of the church of Rome. For this, when the subject came to be examined, no better evidence was produced than Butler's excessive predilection for the external ceremonials of religion, and the fact that he had a cross set up in his chapel at Bristol. Archbishop Secker, with a pious and affectionate regard for the memory of his illustrious friend, entered zealously into his defence, and entirely refuted this gratuitous and monstrous calumny."

Bishop Berkeley. "

BORN A. D. 1684.-DIED A. D. 1753.

THIS learned and eminent prelate was the son of William Berkeley, Esq. of Thomastown, in the county of Kilkenny, a cadet of the family of Earl Berkeley. He was born at Kilerin, on the 12th of March, 1684; and had the first part of his education at Kilkenny school on the Ormond foundation under Dr Hinton. Swift had preceded him a few years before at this provincial seminary. At the age of fifteen he was entered a pensioner of Trinity college, Dublin, under the tuition of Dr Hall. In 1707, whilst bachelor of arts, he obtained a fellowship of Trinity.

See Dr Halifax's Account of the Character and Writings of Bishop Butler,'

A.Fullarton & Co London & Edinburgh.