Buch 
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
Entstehung
Seite
344
JPEG-Download
 

344

< What I think of your public merits can be of no consequence to you, but what Lord Camden thought (in which I perfectly coincided with him) would perhaps gratify you to know. He never changed, but always told Pitt, that it was a shame for him and the Church that you had not the most exalted station upon the bench, as due to the unrivalled superiority of your talents and services.

Reader ! when this meets your eye, the author of it will berotting in his grave, insensible alike to censure and to praise; buthe begs to be forgiven this apparently self-commendation ; it hasnot sprung from vanity, but from anxiety for his reputation, lestthe disfavour of a Court should, by some, be considered as anindication of general disesteem, or a proof of professional de-merit.

When my friends, seeing my juniors on the Bench repeatedlytranslated, enquired why no translation had been ever offered tome, I made no other reply, than that I knew of no reasonablecause. This neglect never gave me the least uneasiness, for I feltmy heart glow with a spark of that spirit which inflamed the elderCato, when on observing that statues were erected to many butnone to himself, he said, Malim ut de me qucerant homines, quamob rem Catoni non sit posita statua, quam quare sit posita; declar-ing, as Erasmus interprets his meaning, Se matte res prceclarasgerere, ut olim scientes ilium promeruisse statuam, mirentur non essepositam.

The promise alluded to by Mr. Hayley was given in conse-quence of my having complied with his request that I would