employed upwards of four years, and his curiosity led him to extend what is commonly called the grand Tour, to places less known, travelling over Apulia, Calabria, and the whole island of Sicily, but his journal of transactions in these places was unfortunately lost. On his way homeward, he drew up, at Lyons, a curious tract, "De Motu," which he sent to the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, the subject being proposed by that assembly, and committed it to the press, shortly after his arrival in London, in 1721; and about the same time, in consequence of the extensive miseries occasioned by the South Sea Scheme, he wrote "An Essay towards preventing the Ruin of Great Britain." After the publication of this pamphlet, he accompanied the DUKE of GRAFTON, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to that country as one of his Grace's chaplains, and now took the degree of Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity, November 14, 1721 *.

Although he had still no preferment in the church, a circumstance, considering the extent of his reputation, not easily accounted for, he received an accession to his slender finances from SWIFT'S VANESSA, Mrs. ESTHER VANHOM→ RIGH, to whom SWIFT had introduced him on his first going to London in 1713. This lady, disgusted with SWIFT's continued neglect, left the whole of her fortune, about 80001. to be

This fact is denied by a writer in the Gent. Mag. vol. 46, 569. Our authority is chiefly the Life published by Dr. R. Berkeley, the Bishop's brother: and the same article enlarged in the Biog. Brit. 2d edit.

equally divided between Mr. MARSHAL, a lawyer, and Dr. BERKELEY, a bequest the more remarkable as the latter had never seen her once from the time of his return to Ireland to her death.

His first ecclesiastical promotion took place in 1724, when the DUKE of GRAFTON bestowed on him the Deanery of Derry, worth 11001. per annum; and he now attempted to carry into execution what had long been forming in his benevolent mind, "A scheme for converting the savage Americans to Christianity, by a college to be erected in the Summer Islands, otherwise called the Isles of Bermuda." In this proposal he was sincere and disinterested beyond the usual sacrifices of the benefactors of mankind. He offered to resign his opulent preferment, and to dedicate the remainder of his life to the instruction of the youth in America, on the moderate subsistance of 1001. only, and such was the force of his example, and perhaps of his eloquence, that three junior fellows of Trinity College offered to accompany him, and exchange all hopes of preferment at home for 401. per annum in the Atlantic ocean. In his life are detailed, at length, the manly firmness, patience, and assiduity with which Dr. BERKELEY prosecuted this plan, the loss he sustained in his fortune and expectations, and the ultimate causes of its failure, which are not very honorable to the parties concerned.

In 1732, after his return from this expedition, he published his "Minute Philosopher," a work which must ever rescue him from the suspicion of scepticism. In this he pursues the freethinker

through the various gradations of atheist, libertine, enthusiast, scorner, critic, metaphysician, fatalist, and sceptic, and very successfully employs against him several new weapons drawn from his

66

Theory of Vision." In 1734 he was promoted to the bishoprick of Cloyne, to which he immediately repaired, and afterwards almost constantly resided, faithful in the discharge of every episcopal duty. His zeal for religion prompted him, about this time, to write "The Analyst," against the scepticism of Dr. HALLEY. In this work, he demonstrated that mysteries in faith were unjustly objected to by mathematicians, who admitted much greater mysteries, and even falsehoods in science; of which he endeavoured to prove that the doctrine of fluxions furnished an eminent example. This produced a controversy of some length *.

From this time his publications were chiefly upon occasional subjects, except his celebrated "Treatise on Tar-Water," a medicine from which he had experienced relief in a case of nervous colic, and which he wished to recom

* This part of Dr. BERKELEY'S Life is related by all his Biographers with an unpardonable inattention to dates. It is stated, that our author wrote the Analyst in consequence of a communi cation of ADDISON respecting Dr. GARTH's last illness. Now GARTH and ADDISON died within six months of each other, in 1719, about fifteen years before Dr. BERKELEY is said to have written the Analyst; in consequence of ADDISON's information respecting Dr. GARTH's dying words. This Biographer's expression is," ADDISON had given the Bishop, &c." who was neither Bishop, Dean, nor Rector until 1734. But what is of more importance, it is not clear from Dr. BERKELEY'S Life, that he was in England in 1719, when GARTH died, nor afterwards before ADDISON's death.

mend to more general use in a pamphlet written with all his peculiarities of manner, and depth of research, entitled "Siris, a chain of Philosophical Reflections and Inquiries concerning the vir tues of Tar-Water," 1744. It is indeed a chain, says his biographer, which, like that of the Poet, reaches from earth to heaven, conducting the reader, by an almost imperceptible gradation, from the phenomena of Tar-Water, through the depths of the ancient philosophy, to the sublimest mystery of the Christian religion. It was printed a second time in 1747, and he added "Farther Thoughts on Tar-Water," in 1752. The medicine became exceedingly popular, and continued so for a considerable time, but farther experience has not confirmed its virtues, and it is now fallen into disuse.

In July 1752 our aged prelate removed with his family to Oxford, in order to superintend the education of one of his sons (the late Dr. GEORGE BERKELEY, Prebendary of Canterbury, &c.) and wished to pass the remainder of his life in a place so well suited to his passion for learned retirement; but sensible at the same time of the impropriety of a bishop's non-residence, he endea➡ voured to exchange his high preferment for some canonry at Oxford. Failing of success in this, he requested permission to resign his bishoprick, but when the KING heard who it was that had presented so extraordinary a petition, he declared that he should die a bishop in spite of himself," and gave him full liberty to reside where he pleased.

Of this indulgence, however, he was not long permitted to avail himself. On Sunday evening, Jan. 14, 1753, as he was sitting in the midst of his family listening to the lesson in the Burial Service (1 Cor. chap. xv.) which his Lady was reading, and on which he was commenting*, he was seized with what the physicians termed a palsy of the heart, and instantly expired. The characters of few men have been handed down with so many testimonies of beauty and excellence: whatever may be thought of some of his writings, his intentions were unquestionably good, and the actions of his whole life were eminently liberal, virtuous, and disinterested. Bishop ATTERBURY declared on one occasion, that he did not think so much understanding, so much knowledge, so much innocence, and such humility, had been the portion of any but Angels, until he saw Mr. BERKELEY. It would not be easy to add to so high a panegyric, nor, if the whole of his character be considered, to take from it.

Dr. BERKELEY's share in the GUARDIAN has been ascertained, partly on the authority of his son, who claims Nos. 3, 27, 35, 39, 49, 55, 62, 70, 77, and 126, and partly on that of the Annotators who add to these Nos. 83, 88, and 89 †. The principal design of these papers is to explain and defend some branch of the evidences of Christianity against the freethinkers of the age,

Biog. Brit. vol. 3. Corrigenda prefixed to that vol. art. BIRKELEY.

+ No. 69 has been claimed for Dr. BERKELEY, Gent. Mag. 1780, p. 125.