he took the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and published his Thefis, which is deemed a learned performance, De Medicina Statica.

RETURNING to England, he entered himfelf a Gentleman Commoner of Exeter College, Oxford, and about a twelvemonth after, took the degree of Batchelor of Arts in that Univerfity.

IN the 1721, Bishop Talbot being appointed to the lucrative and magnificent fee of Durham, ordained Mr. Secker a deacon, and not long after, a priest in St. James's church.

MINDFUL of the recommendation of his deceafed fon, and fenfible of the great merit of Mr. Secker, the Bishop of Durham bestowed on · him the valuable rectory of Houghton le Spring.

BEING now fettled in the world to his with, Mr. Secker made his addreffes to Mrs Katharine Benfon; and, in October 1725, was married to her, by her brother, afterwards Bithop Benfon. Mrs. Talbot and her daughter came immediately to Mr. Secker's houfe, and, without the fmalleft diminution of mutual friendship, lived in his family till the day of his death.

In this retreat, Mr. Secker entered, with uncommon zeal and fervour, into the duties of his facred office; made great exertions to enlighten the minds of the ignorant; applied his medical fkill to the relief of the poor; and, from the retired fituation of his rectory, found time for the cultivation of literature, in which he much delighted. So pleafant was the recollection of

his labours here, that Mr. Secker has often been heard to fay, that at Houghton le Spring, he spent fome of the happieft hours of his life.

BUT Mrs. Secker's health began to decline, owing, as it was thought, to the damp fituation of the place. Compaffion and duty, therefore, called upon him to leave his rectory, however much he was delighted with it.

BUT as Mr. Sccker, in all the steps of his preferment, never folicited himfelf, and often was ignorant of the caufe of his elevation, till it happened, his friend, Mr. Benfon, folicited and obtained for him a prebend of Durham, and the rectory of Ryton, to which he was instituted in the 1727.

AT the folicitation and recommendation of Dr. Sherlock, Mr. Secker was honoured with the appointment of chaplain to the King, in the 1732, by the Duke of Grafton, the Lord Chamberlain. We now find Mr. Secker exhibited to public view, having, from his character and station, access to the great and to the learned. His merit as a preacher, and his character as a man of worth and genius, would not allow him to remain unnoticed: Accordingly, his elevation was progreffive and certain.

IN the 1733, he was appointed rector of St. James's, and that fame year, not being of fufficient ftanding to take the degree of Doctor in Divinity, he took that of Laws, in the University of Oxford; on which occafion he preached his

act

act fermon, on the Advantages and Duties of an Academical Education, published in his volume of occafional fermons.

THIS fingle fermon was confidered of fuch merit, as to be given as the cause of his promotion to the fee of Bristol, in December 1734.

IN his diocese of Bristol, and parish of St. James's, he exerted himself in the execution of his high office, with uncommon diligence and fuccefs. At that time he drew up that admirable course of lectures on the Church Catechism, for the instruction and information of his flock, which was afterwards published in two volumes.

IN Spring. 1748, Mrs. Secker died of the gout in her ftomach. She had been married to the Bishop more than twenty years, during moft of which period, fhe had been in a very tender and delicate ftate, and had met with all the compaffion and attention to be expected from a hufband fo benevolent and humane.

By the intereft of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, Bishop Secker was, in 1750, appointed dean of St. Paul's, and then refigned the rectory of St. James's and prebend of Durham.

IN every elevated ftation to which Bishop Secker was raised, he difcriminated his proper duty with precifion, and executed it with zeal and ability. At this period he compofed, and delivered fome of his admirable charges to the clergy, afterwards publifhed in one volume.

THOUGH, from fome mifconception of his political conduct, he was not always a favourite at court, yet His Majesty, in the Duke of Newcaftle's adminiftration, was pleased to raise him to the fee of Canterbury, in the 1758.

ARCHBISHOP SECKER, not by intereft, but by perfonal merit, now raifed to the highest degree of ecclefiaftical dignity, metropolitan of all England, is it not reasonable to predict, that he would fupport that elevated station, with dignity and propriety?

HERE the moft fanguine expectations were perfectly answered.

He was induftrious and indefatigable in the execution of his high truft; equally ready with heart and hand, in the fupport of the cause of religion, virtue, and literature.

THOUGH the duties of his public station might be fuppofed to confume most of his time, yet, by a proper diftribution of it, he found leifure to compofe many valuable works, befides the cleven volumes published after his death. He left behind him, a variety of manufcripts, on biblical literature, and fimilar fubjects, which were depofited in the library at Lambeth.

His Grace had been many years afflicted with the gout, which, in the latter part of his life, returned with greater violence, This, with a ftill more acute pain, he bore with uncommon patience. He died in Auguft 1768, in the 75th year of his age, from a caries in the thigh-bone,

which

which had been the cause of thofe acute pains,
which had fo long afflicted him.

To Mrs. Talbot and her daughter, he left by
his will, the intereft of thirteen thousand pounds;
and after their deaths, this fum was to be given
to charitable purpofes, which he pointed out.

THE refidue of his fortune, after the payment
of fome legacies to his fervants and others, he
left to his relations.

CONTENTS.