The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-02
THE SLEEPING PREACHER.


e THE SLEEPING PREACHER.
About the year 1904, the little society
Q New College, Oxford, numbered among
its fellows one named DR.. Richard Ha,
0 dock. This person had developed cur
, Gus faculty of preaching very learned an
) excellent sermons when, to all outwar
} appearance, he was in deep slumber-
: This faculty was the more noteworthy,
that l1aydock was but dull fellow in hi
waking hours, and known to be no grea
scholar. Greek and Hebrew, too, wer
familiar to his tongue in these nocturns
discourses, though the preacher was SUP
posed to be ignorant of both languages.
The famo of him soon spread Throughout
the university, and the fellows and schel
ars fiocked as regularly to hear Haydoc
preach in his sleep as to any other sermon
Nor were they ever disappointed of hi
performance; in fact, SO methodical wa
he in his proceedings, that he never faile,
to pray most fervently for tho King an,
|
discourse, which was regularly opened
with text. On concluding, he would
wake, stretch, wonder to see an audience
and remember nothing that he had said
The previous career of DR.. Haydock pre-
sented no very remarkable features. II,
was born at Grewel, in Hampshire, hac
received his early education at Winchester
from thence he had proceeded to New Col
lege, whore he was admitted fellow in
the 1890. He took the usual degree ir
arts, and afterwards travelled for some
time abroad. Haydock, on his return,
about 1898, published heavy folio Oh
the subjects of painting and engraving
this he thought sufficiently valuable to be
handed down to posterity, with his own
portrait on the title page. Thomas Bod
ley, the founder of the Bodleian Library,
was sort of patron of his, and to him the
work was dedicated.
The notoriety of the sleeping preacher
was rapidly extending beyond Oxford,
and in a few months attracted the attention
Of King James. That monaach, as we all
know, prided himself on his superior wis
dom, and eagerly seized any opportunity
that offered of displaying it before crowd
of admiring courtiers. He therefore de-
termined that Haydock' S supposed marvel
lous gift should be tested at Court, and
under his own keen eye. Cecil, Earl of
Salisbury, who was then Secretary of
State, was instructed to make inquiries of
DR.. Abbots and DR.. Iussey, leading au-
thorities of the university, relative of Hay
dock; and these learned gentlemen were
commissioned to arrange for the transfer
of the preachers services to the Court Of
St. James for a time. Haydock. however,
must have had some inkling of what was
going on, as little before that time he
quietly left Oxford, and some weeks elaps-
ed before DR.. Hussey could give any It'd
ings Of him. 1t was then found out that
DR.. Haydock was settled and lod ged in
the house of one Blacker, dwelling in the
close at Salisbury. In that city he was
rapidly acquiring fame as a physician, for,
indeed, it was principally to the study and
practice of medicine that he had devoted
himself at Oxford. A letter written from
Salisbury at the time reported him as 60
ing much to tho house of Sir William Dor
ington, who had taken great interest in
the doctors pursuits, and whose seat was
within six miles of the city The gift
which had made Haydock SO pre-eminent
at his university seems to have been al
lowed to languish since he had taken up
with the active duties of his own proper
profession. We find no record of his hav-
ing delivered any theological discourses at
Salisbury, whether sleeping or waking
However, his place of residence being dis
covered by Cecils emissaries, it was init
mated to him how gratifying it would he
to his Majesty King James to witness
display of his curious powers at Court
Tho preacher no doubt prayed inwardly
the authorities to have him excused, but
there was no getting out of what amount
ed to royal command. The next scene
in the story is best told in letter still OK
Postmaster of the Court, to the Earl Of
Shrewsbury. This letter bears date 9th
of April 1905, and is as follows
CAT Court there is ono IIaydock, of
Now College, in Oxford, by profession
doctor of physic, who uses oftentimes to
make long sermons in his sleep. The
Kings Majesty heard him one night the
next time, the Dean of the Chapel and
Sir Thomas Chaloner; the third time, my
Lord of Cranborne caused a bed to be put
up in his drawing room at Court, and
heard him preach, and sent for my Lord
Pembroke, Lord Shandos, Lord Danvers,
Lord Marie, and others. lie doth very
orderly begin with his prayer; then to his
text, and divides it; and when he hath
we'll and learnedly touched every part he
concludes it, and with groaning and
stretching, awakes and remembers moth
ing he said. The man seems to be very
honest man, Of good complexion, of a
civil conversation, and discreet; hath no
| books, or place to study; and twice Or
thrice week usually breaches. Yet the
| king will not say what he thinks of it.
lie will hear and sft him ere he depart
| from Court"
His Majesty, we are told, proceeded in
the business with infinite solemnity and
precaution and after much cross-examina-
ton by himself and his privy-councillors,
actually prevailed upon IIaydock to con-
| fess his imposturc, and to give in writing
the motives both of his beginning and of
his continuance in so strange PRACTICE
On Sunday, the 2Sth, he sent to the king
that eff it would please His Majesty to
pardon his offence, and deliver him from
punishment, he would confess the whole
truth of this deceit wherewith he had