man, one of the best parish priests I ever knew. He was intimate with Tom, at College, and I then thought highly of him; but his character has displayed itself very much during this last year. With greater learning and talent than, whom I mentioned to you, he puts me a good deal in mind of him. I am sure I may derive great advantage from such an example * within two miles; and I think, I, too, may be of some little use to him, in keeping him from low spirits and a too great love of retirement, and diffidence of his own abilities, faults to which some of his friends think him inclined, but which I have not seen much of in his character."

as

*

*

To John Thornton, Esq.

Hodnet Hall, 1807.

"I have been sadly delayed in copying the drawings; the costumes will, I hope, be finished in a day or two, and I will send them. I had hoped to have brought them myself, but I have been so little with my mother, that she will not yet consent to spare me; and my visit to Albury cannot take place for some weeks. Christmas I had hoped to have passed with you; and nothing but the particular wishes of my friends, and the expectation of a family party, a thing which cannot be said to have taken place for several years at Hodnet, would have prevented my coming.

"A thousand thanks for your care about the books, and your present of the Swedish turnip-seed, the promise of which last has already conferred more happiness on a respectable magistrate in our neighbourhood, than any other boon could have done. I am very sorry, however, that I have pillaged your father's acres, and heartily wish that the barren heaths of Shropshire contained any thing which I could send in return. We have indeed, as I have just discovered, the Norwegian multiberry, which is here known under the name of cloud-berry, as only growing on the wildest hill-tops; but I fear where salad and currant jelly are known, the venison and mutton of Surry would not relish so wild an auxiliary. When, however, you come to see me, I will take care (with my wife's permission) that you shall begin your dinner with salt-fish, and end with 'braten and multiberry.'

1

PUBLICATION OF "EUROPE."

333

"I have been busy in recovering and copying my Norwegian views, in which I have succeeded better than I at first hoped, and shall send you some with the costumes.

"The good folks in this neighbourhood are all running wild after cole-rabi, and I find I have lost much influence in the county by not bringing a sackful of Buda kail.

"You will be glad to hear that I shirk volunteers, shun politics, eschew architecture, study Divinity as employment, and draw costumes for recreation; and you will, I am sure, believe how much I am ever

"Your obliged friend."

When Mr. Reginald Heber was at Dresden in the summer of 1806, he wrote the first lines of a poem, which were suggested to him during a sleepless night, by hearing the beating of drums, and the bustle of troops marching through the town to meet the French in Lower Saxony, and which, in 1809, he completed and published under the title of "Europe." The prophecy with which it concludes may seem, in its fullest sense, at the present moment, far from completion; and yet, as Spain has overcome the efforts of foreign tyranny, we may hope that, at no very remote period, she will shake off the still more galling yoke of superstition, and that we may yet hail the period when

"Spain, the brave, the virtuous, shall be free!"

To John Thornton, Esq.

Hodnet Hall, February 15th, 1809.

"You will be, perhaps, surprised to find that, after so long an interruption, I have, during the last fortnight, finished and sent to the press the verses, part of which I repeated to you. Both their name, 'Europe,' and the moment at which they are published is an unfortunate one; but I am glad that while Spain yet exists, I shall have borne my testimony in her favour. *** While I am on this subject, will you allow me to solicit your assistance in procuring recruits for the Quarterly Review, a work in which several of our common friends are likely to be

engaged, and which may serve to set some limits to the despotic authority of the Edinburgh. I have, myself, refused to undertake giving any thing, but very likely shall, hereafter, if I have time, and if the first number gives me a favourable specimen of their callibre and opinions. As to your inquiries respecting my parish, I hardly know what answer to make. I have reason to believe that both my conduct and my sermons are well liked, but I do not think any great amendment takes place in my hearers. My congregations are very good, and the number of communicants increases. The principal faults of which I have to complain are, occasional drunknness, and, after they have left Church, a great disregard of Sunday. You know my notions respecting the obligation of the Christian Sabbath are by no means strict; but I have seen much mischief arise from its neglect, and have been taking some pains to prevent it. By the assistance, I may say advice, of one of the Churchwardens, a very worthy and sensible, though plain farmer, the shop-keepers have been restrained from selling on Sundays; and I have persuaded the inn-keepers to sign an agreement, binding themselves under a five guinea forfeiture, not to allow drinking on that day. But though the wealthy farmers and women are generally orderly, the young labourers are a dissolute set, and I have not so much influence with them now as I had when I was their captain. It is a misfortune to me, in so wide a parish, that I am slow at remembering either names or faces, which is a very useful talent. I trust, however, to acquire this gradually. My Psalm-singing continues bad. Can you tell me where I can purchase Cowper's Olney hymns, with the music, and in a smaller size without the music, to put in the seats? Some of them I admire much, and any novelty is likely to become a favourite, and draw more people to join in the singing. What book is used at the Lock? If I could get one or two I should like to select from them. The Methodists are neither very numerous nor very active, they have no regular meetings, but assemble from great distances to meet a favourite preacher. Yet I have sometimes thought, and it has made me really uncomfortable, that since Rowland Hill's visit to the country, my congregation was thinner. Perhaps it was only

owing to the bad weather, as my numbers are now a little increasing again. The test here of a Churchman is the Sacrament, which the Methodists never attend.

"The Hills of Hawkstone, have declared their intention of attending Hodnet, which is their parish Church, and I can perceive this will do a great deal of good. Their whole family live together, and they are very pleasing neighbours to us. I make no apology for this detail, since I know that to your friendship every thing is interesting which concerns the happiness of

"Your's affectionately,

"REGINALD HEBER."

CHAPTER XI.

Mr. Reginald Heber's marriage-Anecdote--Settles on his living --His charities-Remarks on "Calebs," and on "Zeal without innovation"-Translation of an Ode of Klopstock's-Review of Kerr Porter's travels in Russia-Luther-Clarke's travels-"Curse of Kehama"-Odes of Pindar-Duke of Gloucester's installation-Prefatory notice to the Hymns published in the Christian Observer-Dictionary of the Bible"Morte d'Arthur"-Poems-Illness, and removal to Moreton. 1809-1812.

"IN April, 1809, Mr. Reginald Heber married Amelia, youngest daughter of the late William Davies Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph, and grand-daughter of the late Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph. It may be here mentioned, as a proof of the value he set on the Holy Scriptures, that the first present he ever made her was a Bible.

To John Thornton, Esq.

Llanbedr, near Ruthin, April 17, 1809. "I write this from a little parsonage-house, which has been kindly lent to Emily and myself for the first week of our marriage. The ceremony, which we hardly expected to have taken place till to-day, was performed on Friday, and we came here the same evening. The situation, which is extremely beautiful, we are very much precluded from enjoying by a deep fall of snow, which has covered all the hills.

"Tell Mrs. J. Thornton, with my kindest regards, that I am now become a competent cicerone for the whole of the vales of Clwyd and Llangollen, and shall be most happy to show them to her and to you. We past on Friday by the seat of her ancestors, Llanrhaider, which is one of the most beautiful spots I ever saw, more like a situation in the Crimea than in Great Britain.