less, so resistless, and upon this occasion, so guileless an advocate for the Roman Catholics of Ireland, as Mr. Burke; of such experienced Statesmen as Lord Grey, Lord Grenville, Mr. Fox, and some contend Mr. Pitt; of such wise, temperate, upright Viceroys as Lord Hardwicke and the Duke of Bedford; of such enlightened and faithful champions for our constitutional rights, as Lord Erskine, Lord Holland, and Sir Samuel Romilly; of so profound an observer as Lord Hutchinson; of so acute and animated a speaker as Lord Donoughmore; of so intelligent and intrepid a patriot as Mr. Whitbread; of so distinguished an orator, and so honourable a man as Mr. Grattan. Sheltered I may be by the authority of these excellent men from the charge of that presumption, which sometimes seduces the mind into ostentatious singularity, and sometimes impels it to froward opposition. But shall I, therefore, be protected from the heavier imputations of lurking disaffection to the Church, or airy indifference to modes of faith, or even treacherous lukewarmness in the cause of Christianity itself? Far from it-reproaches of this kind, though wholly unmerited, would not fall upon me wholly unexpected. That which I have read in the history of this and other countries, and that of which I have been an eyewitness in my own age, and, I will add, my own neighbourhood, must have made me not quite insensible to the indignities and wrongs, which a very slight, and not perhaps a very distant, change of circumstances may bring upon the personal character and personal safety of considerate and well-meaning men, from a legion of protestant zealots, and a tribunal of protestant inquisitors. But, whatsoever may be the probability, and whatsoever the magnitude, of those indignities and those wrongs, I would sooner submit to them than I would incur the perils, which, by co-operating with my clerical brethren against the dictates of my conscience, I should most assuredly call down upon my reputation and peace of mind in this world, and upon those future interests, on the importance of which it well-becomes a man, nearly upon the verge of seventy, to meditate frequently and seriously. As to the petition to be sent from the Diocese of compelled to be absent in a distant county on the you appointed for leaving a copy of it at I was day which But, from motives of courtesy, and justice to the persons who may sign it, I shall endeavour to obtain an accurate transcript. In respect, Rev. Sir, to your printed circular letter, I have reflected again and again, not only upon the contents of it, but upon the dignified situation of the writer; upon his very advanced age; upon the growing infirmities, which for some years past have prevented him from discharging, as he was wont to do most meritoriously, the duties of an Archidiaconal visitation; and, upon the tendency of these circumstances to lead away his thoughts from the intrigues and struggles of a scene, in which he has but a short time to sojourn, and elevate them to the contemplation of more interesting and more sacred objects. Be these things as they may, I shall keep that letter carefully; I shall exercise my discretionary right of publishing, or not publishing it, at a season that may seem to me convenient and at all events, I will take measures for having it accompanied with observations, which hereafter may produce more substantial good than can reasonably be expected from them in times so unquiet, and with so slender a chance of their meeting with what I might consider a sufficient number of readers; neither rash from prejudice, nor pliant from cowardice, nor officious from views of secular interests, nor perverse from party, nor obdurate from bigotry, nor cruel from intolerance. Doubtless, if my calm and impartial judgment upon the merits of some recent petitions, and the various topics connected with them, should ever be laid before the public, it will be defended by statements and arguments, which, in this my letter to your self, it were unnecessary to employ. I am aware, Rev. Sir, that the printed paper which I had the honour of receiving from you, was an official one; and that in directing it to be delivered to me, as well as to the other Clergymen of the Diocese, you did not intend to give me personally the least offence. But, after the open part which I have formerly taken in favour of the Roman Catholics, I cannot pass over in silence any communication, in any form, which directly or indirectly calls upon me to unite with any classes of men however numerous, or any individuals however respectable, while those classes and those individuals profess suspicions and fears which I do not feel; while they insist upon doctrinal objections which, under the relative circumstances of the parties, I for the present should not urge; and while they strenuously resist political pretensions, which, with perfect sincerity and after mature deliberation, I had endeavoured to support. You will pardon me, Rev. Sir, for trespassing so far upon your delicacy, as to believe, that, if the previous and public avowal of my opinions had occurred to your mind, you would have thought it not very likely for those opinions to be very much influenced by the charms of diction, the weight of matter, or the authority of signatures in any clerical petition; and might, therefore, have spared your apparitor the trouble of leaving the printed paper at my parsonage. I really should have considered such an omission as an honourable distinction, and gladly should I have contrasted it with those contumelious slights, which it has been my lot to experience from ecclesiastical dignitaries, in various instances, and from various quarters. Other Clergymen, not approving of the petition, may be content with not signing it. But my particular situation, as I have before told you, will justify me in expressing my dissent more unequivocally and more pointedly. In regard to yourself, Rev. Sir, I shall always look back with pleasure to the good manners, and good nature, uniformly shewn by you to the Clergy at your visitations; and as, in all probability, I shall "see your face no more" upon this side of the grave, I will conclude my letter with expressing my sincere wishes for your health, and subscribing myself, Rev, Sir, your respectful and obedient servant, S. PARR. The following is the Archdeacon's reply. REV. SIK, I am extremely obliged to you for the favour of your letter, in which you discuss at some length the propriety of petitions to Parliament from the Clergy on the subject of the Roman Catholic Claims, and are pleased at the same time to approve of my general conduct, as the Archdeacon of the Diocese. Age and infirmities, which will not even allow me to acknowledge with my own hands the honour you have now done me, will still less permit me to enter into the merits of the Question. I cannot, however, omit the present opportunity to assure you of my high esteem for your eminent talents, and to wish you every happiness you can wish for yourself in this world. I am with great respect, dear Sir, your faithful and obliged servant, THOMAS EVANS. Dr. Parr, to T. W. Coke, Esq. DEAR SIR, I shall make an effort to look at London soon after Easter. You are, I hope, aware that my house stands by the road from Warwick to Birmingham; and Birmingham, I think, is very little out of your way to Mr. Anson's. I rejoice at this circumstance, because it increases my chance for the pleasure of seeing you. The best ministry which this country can have, is one in which Mr. Fox is the guide. The next is that which he is disposed to support, and this in all probability is the ministry we shall have, The Prince may not have a thorough relish for the plain-dealing of Mr. Fox. He may inherit a thorough aversion to those strong but salutary measures, which Mr. Fox may deem necessary for the salvation of the country. He may wish to decline the odium which he may incur among the Tories, by hastily bringing forward a person whom his father had always reprobated, and had so recently excluded even from the Privy Council. He may have some uneasy sensations too, from the consciousness that he is completely understood by our friend; and he may have some secret wishes for retaining that junto which pleased his father, which has ruined the kingdom, which has managed the Parliament, and which Mr. Fox assuredly would banish. Again, alarmed at the unparalleled difficulties of the country, sensible of the awful responsibility which would lie upon himself, and understanding both the readiness of Pitt and his associates to raise clamours, and the disposition of the public to quarrel with him for inability to remedy what, with their assistance, he would have been able to prevent,-our friend may shrink from the perils of high power, and indulge his habitual fondness for retirement and study. He abhors political intrigue, he disdains to profess more than he intends; and he may not think it consistent with safety or with honour, to undertake what he may not be permitted to accomplish. Under all these circumstances, I am inclined to think that our friend will stand aloof. To Lord Moira I give very large credit for rectitude of intention, and his ministry may be effectual and durable if, with Mr. Fox's approbation, he employs many of Mr. Fox's friends; if he unites with them some persons who are now quite hostile to Mr. Pitt; if he brings back the old and respectable families, and if he bars the door against Hawkesbury and his minions. After all, while the King lives, there will be danger; and so many reserves must be made for his prejudices and partialities, as must cramp the exertions and disturb the councils of any administration formed under a regency. The first and great object is to improve the opportunity which has now occurred for laying open the tricks, and correcting the influence, of Mr. Pitt; and I hope that the Prince may deeply feel the importance of this consideration, not only to the credit of his regency, but to the peace, and even the continuance of his reign. Till this point is secured, all other contrivances will be of little effect. I am glad that our friend is upon such good terms with Lord Fitzwilliam; and if the Prince is steady, I shall have some hope. I find that between the Grenvilles and Mr. Addington there is real enmity, and I shall not be sorry to see Lord St. Vincent, Lord Eldon, and Mr. Addington, forming a part of the new administration but what shall we say to the emancipation of the Catholics? Here is a swarm of difficulties ;--Mr. Fox will not abandon it, Lord Moira is ambiguous about it, Mr. Addington must oppose it, the Prince may not be friendly to it, the King's sentiments will determine many Englishmen to resist it. The Bishops will certainly take fright, and in the meantime Ireland, I think, is lost. I see nothing but confusion and distraction upon this subject. As to myself, I am decidedly for the emancipation, and if it were followed up by correspondent measures towards the sectaries of this country, I am confident that our internal tranquillity will gain one security. But I forebode evil, and you see that Reeves is already busy at his dirty and mischievous work. I have told some of our friends what my opinions are |