friend to tythes. As soon there fore as I had any income at all, I began by devoting a tenth part of it to objects, in which SELF HAD NO CONCERN; and I kept to this little proportion, not intending to wrong myself or my heirs, by appropriating more. I have sometimes, however, improved my charitable stock, from windfalls on my leases, and by economy in my expenditure. For as this fund really affords me more pleasure than any other, I catch at any fair means of improving it; and without departing from my original proportion, I have found it (although sometimes anticipated) in general equal to the calls, which have been made upon it. MR. LYTTELTON. According to your principle then, my Lord, the poor man may be charitable: I wish he had also the power of benefitting mankind by example. BISHOP GIBSON. And why not, Mr. Lyttelton? If he has a wife and children, will they not be better for what he may do, or say? If he has relations and neighbours; may not his example extend also to them? and have not they their families and friends, who will probably be influenced by them? See then how far the light of one individual extend. may BISHOP HOUGH. Let me now say a few words, about the division and employment of my time. We assemble in the morning to prayers and breakfast, and again at dinner and also at supper, where if the conversation prove interesting, we sometimes linger on unwilling to part, though hoping to have the pleasure of meeting the next morning as well as we parted. In the winter my quadrille party, and in the summer my bowling green, are of no small importance to me. The last ten or twelve days have been fine and I have not neglected to make the best of them, either by bowling at home, or taking the air abroad: which, I thank God, keeps me in good health. Let the young have their hunters and their tennis-courts, provided they envy not me my bowling-green, my easy carriage, and my quadrille-table.-The spring is to me always delightful: and old as I am, I cannot forbear, after the winter's confinement, to peep out as the insects do, and see how my little im provements are advancing. My horses and carts have for some time back, been employed in conveying earth to a low piece of ground, which, by degrees, we have gained from the moat,-a tedious work, that shews nothing at present but rubbish and disorder: yet I flatter myself, that when I have given it its projected form, I shall not only have got an acre of useful ground, but have gained some credit for taste in the picturesque. You, Bishop of London, who are prudent and discreet, will, I fear, think I have always been too fond of brick and mortar. BISHOP GIBSON. I'll confess that I have often wondered at your troubling yourself so much with building, when planting and improving your ground would have occupied you with less cost or anxiety. BISHOP HOUGH. I like planting well enough: but I never could make my trees grow as fast as my walls do. Indeed I have been building now for above half a century. I begun with my Rectory at Tempsford, just fifty-five years ago. The President's apartment at Magdalen College, and the new building there, occupied all my spare money and time, till I was translated to Lichfield and Coventry, in 1699. I then found my new episcopal residence at Eccleshall in a very proper state for a building Bishop. In fact I almost renewed it; and I have since added a new front to the palace at Worcester, and done a good deal to this Castle, as it is |