The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-11-10 00:00:00

MR. 11111TAKE.ft.

TOUR°, NOT. 5.
An Smutty, the 30th ult. died, at his rectory of
Ruan-Lanyborne, Dear Tregnise, Cornwall, that
LL•reat and good man, the Rev. J. Wintalter.—Mr.
Whitaker was born at Manchester, uhuut the year

1735. Of the school part of his education we know
little or : Lot we understand that he went
curly to Oxford ; where lie was elected Fellow of
C.C.S:. and where lie discovered, iii a very short
time, thug fine origimilities, those peculiarities of
mind, which afterwards w Strifilgly marked him as
all author and as a man. His wicominon vigour
of intellect at once displayed itself a. g his co.
quaiutauce ; but whilst his auiinuted Conversation
drew many around Inns, a few were repelled front
the circle, by his impatience of contrarlictUns, (a
failing winch almost ever accompanies powers like
his), and by the conscionsuese, it should seem, of
their own inferiority. The character of his genius,
however, was soon decided in literary t• position.
.111.1771, Mr. W. publishes (I) his " Iliitury of
.Manclhester," in quarto—a work which, titr acute-
ness of research, bold imagination, independent
sentiment, mid correct information, has scarcely its
parallel in the literature of this country. Nor does
its composition less merit our appleu.e. whether we
have respect to the un•angeuie::t of the materials,
the style, or the language. In some passages there
is " supreme elegance' —la others, u magnificence
of thought, a force of expression, a glow of dic-
tion, truly astonishing•. The introduction of Chris-
tianity into this island, in particular, is described,
we had almost said, with the pen of inspiration.—
With regard to the general subject of " The diau-
cheskr,' we may obstine, that Mr. W. was the
first writer who could so light up the region of an-
tiquarianism, as to dissipate its obscurity. even to
the eyes of ordinary spectators. The discoveries
of our antiquaries, indeed, have been attended
with nu brilliant slicers::; add Whitaker's " Man-
chester" is perhaps the only hook, in which the
truth of our island history has hero elucidated by
the hand of a muster. It is rather singular, that
this work was, in the order of merit as well as tune,
the first of Mr. I.Vbitaker's publications. In pro-
puttiou as our antlior advanced hi life, his imagine-
, tion twins, by a Strange Myer of what is chit-
racterittic of our nature, to live gained an ['seen-
' dear', over his judgment, sod we shall perceive
inure of lithey and of passion, of conjecture and
hypothesis, in wine of his subsequeat productions,
than just opinion, or deliberate investigation. Mr.
Wh;‘iker's " Genuine History of the Britons As-
serted," as octavo volume, puhlished in 1772, may
be Accepted as a sequel to " The Manchester." It
contdems a complete refutation of "the oilliappy
Macpherson;' %those " lutroductinn to the Ilistory
,y* Great Britain and Ireland," is full of palpable
mistakes and misrepresentations.

In 1773, we find- Mr. W. the morning preacher
of Berkeley-Chanel ; to which office he had been
:iimointed by a Mr. Hughes ; but, about the end
of the following year, he was removed from that si-
tuatiln. This gave occasion to" The Case between
Mr. W. and Mr. Hughes, relative to the morning-
preachership of Berkeley-Chapel ;" in which Mr.
W. relates some remarkable particulars, and de-
clares himself " unsitembiy determined to carry
the matter into ll'estminster-Hull." And we may
l,e assured, that he used his utmost efforts to bring
his determination into action. But the fervour of
his resentment threw him off his guard ; and he
repressed himself so indiscreetly, thatins " Case,"
was considered as a libel by the Court of ;:log's
Bench. During his residence in London, he had
an opportunity of conversing with several of our
most celebrated writers ; among, whom- were the
author of The Rauthkr, and the historian of the

Roman Empire. It does not appear, indeed, that
Johnson wits much attached to Whitaker. Equally
strong in understanding, equally tenacious af
and equally impassioned in conversation, it is
not probable that they should amicably coalesce
On all ocensimis. In the Ossianic controversy, they
were decidedly hostile. Wi►h Gibbon, Mr. W.
was well acquainted ; and the MS. of the first
volume of tt The prelitir and Fail of the Reams
Empire," was sabinitted to Mr. %Vhital.er's Mimeo-
tiou. Bat what was his surprise,when, as he reed the
same volume iii pi int, that chapter, which has been
so obnoxieruit to the Christian world, was then first
intmliteed to his notice! That chapter, Gibbon
had suppressed in the MS. over-awed by Mr. Whit-
aker's high elimeter, and afraid of iiis censure.
And, in fact. that the feeble Deist should have
shrunk from his indignant eye, may well be con-
ceived, when a e see his Christian principle and his
manly spirit uniting in the rejectiou of a hying of
considerable value, which was at this time offered
him by a Unitarian patron !—lle spurned at the
temptation, and pitied the seducer !—(q)
Of his integrity, however, souse recompense was
now at hand, and, abort the year 1778, he succeed-
ed, as fellow of Corpus Christi College, to the
Rectory of Rian-Lanyhorne, in this county, one
of the most valuable livings in the gift of that Col-
lege. (3) and into this county he came. to reside upon
his It tort'. Here, it might have been expected,
that retirement and leisure would greatly favour
thepursuits of literature ; and that, though •• the
converser," (to use an expression of Mr. W.) had
disappeared, the author would break forth with new
energies. But Roan-Lanyhortie was, for several
years. no trai-lad seat of the Muses. That plea-
sant seclusion was now the scene of contest—but of
contest which (in the opinion of the writer Of this
Memoir) was absol tely unavoidable. Mr. W. had
proposed a :►Mlle-composition with his parishioners,
by am mean* unreasonable. This they refused to
pay : but Mr. W. was steady to his purpose. A
rupture ensued between the parties--the ty the% were
demanded in kind--,lisoutes arose upon di+nutes—
■nimosities were kindled—and litigations took
place. 'First Mr. W. was finally victorious, af-
forded pleasure to the friends of the Rector, :and,
let us add, to the friends of justice and of
truth—Yet it was long before harmony N:l4 re-
stored to Ruan-Lunyhorne. That his literary
schemes' had been so sadly interrupted, was the
subject .of general regret. But the consei••utious
Pastor looked with 'a deeper concern to the spiri-

(;) Tbehrst tremolo only, we apprehend.
(e) Os this subject Mr. Pubriscle arlArrssed to Mr.
Ow, a Solara; fur obi& see Sketobes in Terse," second
editioo
(a) He bad proceeded to Lie degree of B.D.

ttial welfare of hid parish-it:nets, 112 sow with sor-
row their aversion from his preachnig—them
iudH-
ference to his instilictions—their repugnance to hi,
authority ; and " lie laboured snore ii` uadautly ;"
till, after a few years, he hail the satisfaction to
perceive a visible alteration in the behaviour of the
principal parishioners; and o mutual good mider-
standing was established between the Pastor add
his flock. Ilia cordial—his familiar manner, in-
deed, was always pleasing to those whom preju-
dice had not armed against him ; and, iii propor-
tion its they became acquainted i% ith his kiwi dis-
position, the transitoriness of Ilk resentments, and.
after injurit a, his promptness to forgive, anal
anxious %%idi to be forgives; they rodeawilied
snore and ,sore to cultivate his friendsisip, anal at
length loved and revered him us their father. No-
thing can more fully display the warmth of his af-
fections, his zeal as a Minister of Christ, or hi. im-
passioned style of eloquence, than those " Ser-
mons," '(;) winch he published in 1783 ; after hav-
ing preached them to his patislinnieni, we doubt
not with a voice mid manner to penetrate the con-
science, and strike conviction into the soul, 1.1
awaken the tears of penis ace, and elevate the
hopes of the Christian W the abodesof immortality.
That lie should have published so little its the line
of 114 profession, is, perhaps, to he regretted ;
though his " of A rianism" be a large vo-
lume, it is a controversial tract, full of erudition
and ingenious argumentation. ‘Ve have read nu
other Work of Mr. W. io Divinity, except " The
Real Origin ty. Government," (expanded into a con-
siderable Treatise. from a Sermon, which he had
preached before Bishop Buller, aft his Lordship's
primary visitation), and " The Introduction to blin-
dell's Bible." This has been much admired us a
masterly piece of eloquence.
In the mean time, the Antiqpary was not at rest.
His " Mary, Queen of Scots: published in 1787,
in three octavo volumes; his " C'ourse Hannibal
over the Alps,"—hie "Ancient Cathedral of corn-
Sapp/L./neat to Mr. Polichek's Anti-
quities of Cornicall,"—his " Landau," and his
" Osfird," (both as yet in MS.) furnish good evi-
dence of an imagination continually occupied in
pursuits which kindled up its brightest flame,
though not always of that judgment, discretion, or
candour, which, if human characters, had been erer
perfect, we should have exliccted from a Whitaker.
In criticism, ho v... t • .re writing anony-
mously, he would piobably have writt..a as temper
or caprice suggested) we fled him, for the most
pert, candid and good-natured—not sparilig of (vit.
sure, nor yet lavish of applause--..nd affoi ding us,
is numerous instanees, the most agi proofs of
genuine benevolence. Even in tin. ,:.s-eance of
Gibbon. (5) where he has been thought severe be-
yond all former example, we have a large mixture
of the sweet with bitterness. It was the critique on
Gibbon that contributed greatly to the reputation
of " The English Review," to which Mr. W. was
the author of many valuable articles. To his pen,
also, " The British Critic; " and ." The Antijacobiot
Review," were indebted for various pieces of criti-
cism.

But the strength of his principles is no where
more apparent than iu those articles where he
comes forward, armed with the panoply of truth,
in defence of our Civil and Ecclesiastical Constitu-
tion. It was there he struck his adversaries with
consternation, and we beheld the hest of Jacobins
shrinking away from before his face, and creeping
into their caverns of darkness.—But we are here,
perhaps, betrayed into expressions too violent for
plaits prose, which reminds us of another part of
our friend's literary' character—we mean his po-
etical genius. That he contributed some fine
pieces of poetry to " The Cornwall and Decon
Potyie," is well known. These were published in
two small octavo volumes ; and the Editor has now
in his possession a sufficient quantity of good verse,
by Mr. Whitaker, to till forty or fifty pages of a
third volume, now in contemplation.
We have thus, (with rapid glances, and in a man-
ner too desultiry to be perfectly satisfuctory to
oarselves) reviewed the productions of our old and
valued friend ; and hailed him in the several depart-
ments of the historian, the theologist, the critic, the
politician, and the poet. Versatility, like IVhita-
ker.', is, in truth, of rare occurrence. But still
more rare is the splendour of original genius, ex-
hibited in walks so various. Not that Mr. W.
WRY equally happy in them all. His characteristic
traits as a writer, were acute discernment, and a
velocity of ideas which acquired new force in com-
position, and a power of conshining images in a
manner peculiarly striking, and of flinging on every
topic of discussion the strongest illustration. With
little scruple. therefore, we hazard an opinion, that
though his chief excellence be recovi4ed in anti-
quarian research, he would have risen to higher
eminence as a (poet, hail lie cultivated in early )ourli
the favour of the Muses. Be this, however, as it
may—there are none who will deem us extravagant
in pronouncing, that Mr. W. was a." great" lite-
rary character.
That lie was " good" as well as great, would
sufficiently appear in the recollection of any period
of his life; whether we saw him abandoning pre-
ferment from principle, and heard him " reasoning
of righteousness and judgment to come" until a
Gibbon trembled; or whether, innoospit his pa-
rishioners, we witnessed his onsalfeeted earnestness
of preaching, his humility in conversing *with the
poorest cottagcrs, his sincerity in assisting them
with udvice. his tenderness in offering them couso-
lotion, and his charity in relieving theiv distresses.
It is true, to the same warmth of temper, together
with a sense of good intentions, we most attribute
an irritiibility at times destructive asocial comfort,
an impetuousness that brooked not opposition, mid
bore down all before it. This precipitation was in
part also to be traced to his ignorance of the world
—to his simplicity in believing wilier. like Isisarelf,
—precisely w hat they seemed to lie--.end on the
detection of his error, his anger sit dissimulation or
hypocrisy. But his generul good humour, his hos-
pitality, and his convivial pleasantry, were surely
yoolioli to atone for those auddeu bursts of passion,
those flashes which betrayed his " hnman frailty,"
hot still argued genius. And they who knew how
fearfully and wonderfully he was mile," could
bear from am Whitaker what they could not 5,P well

(4) They are entitled, " Ramona alum Death, Judgment,
Heaven and Hell."
(3) Whitaker's Review of Gihawstea ir r
and VII originally eppaired in The Ruttish r.