in the lady's communications, which delicacy therefore, he thought, required him to suppress.' * In 1724, Dr. Berkeley resigned his fellowship; being promoted by his patron, the Duke of Grafton, to the deanery of Derry, worth 1,100l. per ann. In the interval between this removal and his return from abroad, his mind had been employed in conceiving a benevolent Scheme for converting the savage Americans to Christianity, by a College to be erected in the Summer Islands, otherwise called the Isles of Bermuda. He published a proposal † for this purpose * See Delany's Observations on Orrery's Remarks. He was not apprised of a strong proof, which this exasperated female had herself recently given of the little regard she herself retained for this virtue. On her death-bed, she delivered to Mr. Marshal a copy, in her own hand-writing, of the entire correspondence between herself and the Dean; with a strict injunction to publish it immediately after her decease. What prevented the execution of this request, cannot now be affirmed with certainty. Possibly, the executor did not care to draw upon himself the lash of that pen, from which his friend Bettesworth had so severely smarted. Some years after the Dean's death, Mr. Marshal had serious thoughts of fulfilling her commands: but the affair was from various causes protracted, till his death finally put a stop to it. The letters, it is said, are still in being; and, whenever curiosity or avarice shall draw them into public light, they will not improbably be found as trifling and as innocent as those, which our author saw and suppressed. The whole executorship was for four years a source of considerable trouble to the Doctor, particularly as it occurred in the midst of his Bermuda project; and he most earnestly and repeatedly entreated his friend Mr. Prior to aid him in "disentangling those matters." + A Proposal for converting the savage Americans.' With this proposal he carried a letter of recommendation from Dean Swift to Lord Carteret, Lieutenant of Ireland, which is here inserted, both because it contains a number of particulars of Dr. at London, in 1725; and offered to resign his own opulent preferment, and to dedicate the remainder of Berkeley's life, and is besides a proof, as well of the friendly temper of the writer, as of his politeness and address. 'September 3, 1724.—There is a gentleman of this kingdom just gone for England: it is Dr. George Berkeley, Dean of Derry, the best preferment among us, being worth about 1,100l. a year. He takes the Bath in his way to London, and will of course attend your Excellency, and be presented, I suppose, by his friend my Lord Burlington: and because I believe you will choose out some very idle minutes to read this letter, perhaps you may not be ill entertained with some account of the man and his errand. He was a Fellow in the University here; and, going to England very young, about thirteen years ago, he became the founder of a sect there called the 'Immaterialists,' by the force of a very curious book on that subject. Dr. Smalridge, and many other eminent persons, were his proselytes. I sent him Secretary and Chaplain to Sicily, with my Lord Peterborough; and, upon his Lordship's return, Dr. Berkeley spent above seven years in travelling over most parts of Europe, but chiefly through every corner of Italy, Sicily, and other islands. When he came back to England, he found so many friends, that he was effectually recommended to the Duke of Grafton, by whom he was lately made Dean of Derry. Your Excellency will be frighted when I tell you, all this is but an introduction; for I am now to mention his errand. He is an absolute philosopher, with regard to money, titles, and power; and, for three years past, hath been struck with a notion of founding an University at Bermuda, by a charter from the Crown. He hath seduced several of the hopefullest young clergymen and others here, many of them well provided for, and all of them in the fairest way of preferment: but in England his conquests are greater, and I doubt will spread very far this winter. He showed me a little tract, which he designs to publish; and there your Excellency will see his whole scheme of a life academico-philosophical (I shall make you remember, what you were) of a College founded for Indian scholars and missionaries, where he most exorbitantly proposeth a whole hundred pounds a year for himself, forty pounds for a Fellow, and ten for a Student. His heart will break, if his deanery be not taken from him, and left to your Excellency's disposal. I disVOL. VI. G his life to the instructing of youth in America, on the moderate subsistence of 100l. per ann. Such was the force of this disinterested example, and of the eloquence of the enthusiast by whom it was displayed, that three Junior Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, the Reverend William Thompson, Jonathan Rogers, and James King, Masters of Arts, consented to exchange for a settlement in the Atlantic Ocean, and the passing wealth of forty pounds a year,' all their prospects at home; at a time, too, when their fellowships might be supposed to have placed them in a very fair point of view for attracting the notice of their superiors, both in the Church and in the State. Berkeley, however, was not so ill acquainted with the world, as to rest the success of his application to the ministry entirely on the hope, which his scheme afforded, of promoting national honour and the cause of Christianity: his arguments were drawn from the more alluring topic of present advantage to the government. Having, with much industry, acquired an accurate knowledge of the value of certain lands* courage him by the coldness of courts and ministers, who will interpret all this as impossible, and a vision ; but nothing will do. And therefore I do humbly entreat your Excellency, either to use such persuasions, as will keep one of the first men in this kingdom for learning and virtue quiet at home; or assist him by your credit to compass his romantic design, which however is very noble and generous, and directly proper for a great perexcellent education to encourage.' son of your *The Island of St. Christopher's,' says Anderson (History of Commerce,' vol. II.) having been settled on the very same day and year by both England and France, A.D. 1625, was divided equally between the two nations. The English were twice driven out thence by the French, and as often re-possessed themselves of it. But at length, in the year 1702, General Codring ton, Governor of the Leeward Islands, upon advice received that in the island of St. Christopher's, which were then tò be sold for the public use, he undertook to raise from them a much greater sum than was expected; and proposed, that a part of the purchase-money should be applied to the erecting of his college. By the assistance of a Venetian of distinction, the Abbé Gualteri (or Altieri) with whom he had formed an acquaintance in Italy, he found means to carry this proposal directly to George I.,* who laid his commands on Sir Robert Walpole, to carry it through the House of Commons. His Majesty was farther pleased to grant a charter for erecting a College, by the name of St. Paul's College,' in Bermuda, to consist of a President and nine Fellows, who were obliged to maintain and educate Indian scholars at the rate of 10l. per ann. The first President, Dr. George Berkeley, and first three Fellows named in the charter (being the gentlemen above-mentioned) were licensed war was declared by England against France, attacked the French part of the island, and mastered it with very little trouble. Ever since which time, that fine island has been solely possessed by Great Britain, having been formally conceded to us by the treaty of Utrecht.' The lands therefore, which had belonged to the French planters, by this cession became the property of his Britannic Majesty. The first proposals for purchasing these lands were made to the Lords of Trade, in 1717 (See Journal of the British Commons'); after which the affair seems to have been forgotten, till it was mentioned by Berkeley to Sir Robert Walpole in 1726. * It was the custom of this Prince to unbend his mind, in the evenings, by collecting together a company of philosophical foreigners, who discoursed in an easy and familiar manner with each other entirely unrestrained by the royal presence. One of this select party was Altieri, who had thus an opportunity of laying before his Majesty Dr. Berkeley's proposal. to hold the preferments in these kingdoms, till the expiration of one year and a half after their arrival in Bermuda. The Commons, May 11, 1726, voted, "That an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that out of the lands in St. Christopher's, yielded by France to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht, his Majesty would be graciously pleased to make such grant for the use of the President and Fellows of the College of St. Paul, in Bermuda, as his Majesty shall think proper." The sum of 20,000l. was, accordingly, promised by the minister; and several private subscriptions were immediately raised for promoting "this pious undertaking."* Such a prospect of succeeding in the favourite object of his heart drew from Dr. Berkeley a copy of verses; † in which a * So it is stiled, in the King's answer to the above Address. See the Commons' Journal, May 16, 1726. † On the Prospect of planting Arts and Learning in America. The Muse, disgusted at an age and clime Barren of every glorious theme, In distant lands now waits a better time, In happy climes, where from the genial sun In happy climes the seat of innocence, There shall be sung another golden age, The rise of empire and of arts; |