The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-08 00:00:00

FiISHIONS FOR GENTLEMEN.

The prevailing colours are dark brown and bottle green. The
coat for eveningdress is cut rather long in the waist, and short in
the skirts, double breasted, with pointed lappets, corresponding
is length to the hip button; the lappets are padded to fall back
with the collar, which is made pretty high and stitched narrow,
the collar to fall back about an inch and an half, deep pockets
ender the cross flaps; the cuff's round. The morning coat is made
in nearly the same manner, only the pockets are in the plaits of
the skirt, and the cuffs are either round or with a flat and three
buttons. The buttons are either gilt basket, or moulds covered
with cloth.— Waistcoats are made single breasted, with a small
flap about two inches lower than the coat lappel.—Breeches are
not made so high by two or three inches as they were, and the
knee-band exteadiAlmost to the calf of. the leg, with four
buttot;. at the knee; they are made very tight, and pantaloons
ire pretty generally ornamented up the bides with brade.

GISTER.

JAN. 8.

Afr. ay.- 4
'7lll/. POPULAR PREACHERS.

No. XXII.

When that your Flock, assembled by the bell,
Encircle 3eti ; to hear, with reverence,
Your Expositiou of the Holy Text ! SuAtismins.

REV. ROBERT HODGSON, M.A.

OF

ST) GEORGE" N EAR. 11.1NOVISR-5t211.1 RE..

NEW-YEAR'S DAY, was this year a doleful day in most
of our parochial churches. The joyous ringing Gf the
bells, instead of intimating the season for pious gratula-
tion, awakened thousands of the good and liege people of
this nation, to prepare to hear nothing less important. in
various places of religious worship, than funeral sermons
It is customary, on the commencement of a new-year, to
look backwards and forwards, to take a bifronsic survey of
things ; to consider human life retrospectively, as well as
prospectively. I am far from wishing to discourage thi3
salutary species of reflection', if it be equitably exerted.
Surely, however, it is neither wise or kind to contemplate
chiefly the gloomy aspect of affairs ; to call to mind only
the miseries we have experienced or the judgments we have
deserved, and to anticipate future disasters and punish-
ments. Our piety has too much of deprecatory implora.
Von, too little of grateful aspiration. " Praise the Lord,
0 my Soul !" excl;iined the royal psalmist ; " and forget
not all His benefits!" We, on the contrary, are always.
praying for new mercies; while, it is much to be feared,
we are sufficiently disposed to forget the benefits we have
so bountifully received. Past mercies, howeler, supply as
good an incentive to piety as future punishments. Christi-
anity is full of religious encouragemet t, of holy confi-
dence, of the sublimest exultation of soul.—" if there be
any such thing in the world as a true height and magnani-
mity of spirit.' finely observes Stillingileet, in the Epistle
Dedicatory of his Origines Sacra., " if there be any solid
reason and depth of judgment, they are not only consistent
with, but only attainable by a.true generous Spirit cif Reli-
gion." Such is the language of one, who nobly exemplified
in himself the inestimable advantages derivable from genuine.
religious devotion. I come now to speak of the Divine
*hose clerical character remains to be investigated.
The REV. ROBERT HODGSON is one of the nephews
of Mrs. Porteous, formerly Miss Hodgson, the respected
Lady of the present venerable Bishop of London. Be is
from Benet College, in the University of Cambridge. Mr.
Hodgson has published two sermons; one preached before
the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, and another ou
the re-opening of St. George's Church, of which he is now
the Rector, after its having undergone repairs. He owes
his present ecclesiastical preferment to the patronage of
his uncle. Mr. Hodgson is married, and has several chil-
dren. As, however, he is still young in the pulpit, I must
not shrink from the duty of explicitly stating. my opinions
respecting his clerical conduct and character. While there
is room for improvement in his preaching, there is also time
*for him to effect improvement.
His person, though not striking, is sufficiently respect-
able. His entrance into the pulpit is unexceptionably be-
coining ; and he announces his text with a precision that is
really impressive, and an earnestness that indicates sinceri-
ty. Here, it is far from gratifying to me to remark, the
previous conceptions entertained of his excellence become
suddenly and painfully disappointed. The elongated em-
phasis that constituted him a good reader, now renders
him tiresome as a preacher. He is labouringly senten-
tious, needlessly magnificent, noisily monotonous. His
voice is doubtless manly; but he forces it beyond its pro-
per pitch, while his falling tones sink infinitely below its
general scope.
Respecting his style of composition, I cannot do better
than refer Mr. Hodgson to the judicious hint given on this