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Anecdotes of the life of Richard Watson, bishop of Landaff : written by himself at different intervals, and revised in 1814 / published by his son, Richard Watson
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say, there is no pleasure in them ; may 1 not be allowed, then,without incurring the imputation of vanity, to live, in a man-ner, an happy life (for which I am most thankful to its Au-thor) over again, by collecting and arranging some of the de-tached papers which I have written at different periods? Bythis means my children, when I am in my grave, may be grati-fied with knowing the character of their father; and the world, ifit has any curiosity concerning him, will have an opportunity ofperusing authentic, if not interesting, Memoirs of the Bishop ofLandaff.

All families being of equal antiquity, and time and chance sohappening to all, that kings become beggars, and beggars becomekings; no solid reason, I think, can be given, why any manshould derive honour or infamy from the station which his ances-tors fdled in civil society; yet the contrary opinion is so preva-lent, that no words need be employed in proving that it is so.German and Welch pedigrees are subjects of ridicule to mostEnglishmen; yet those amongst ourselves who cannot inscribe onthe trunk of their genealogical tree the name of a peer, bishop,judge, general, of any person elevated above the rank of ordi-nary citizens, are still desirous of showing that they are notsprung from the dregs of the people. Without entering into adisquisition concerning the rise of this general prejudice, I freelyown that I am, on this occasion, a slave to it myself. I feela satisfaction in knowing that my ancestors, as far as I can tracethem, have neither been hewers of wood, or drawers of water, buttit prisca gens mortalium tillers of their own ground, in the idiomof the country, Statesmen.