National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-14
The L.ie Bl.hep e wI.cA...sr.


Commercial says. The fallacious motto, "Nl
de mortuis .nisi bonun'," has been stretched
to the utmost In the case Of the late Bishop
Of Winchester. The fact that man has
been for twenty-eight years bishop Of the
Church OF England Is sufficient to hide null
titude Of unplcasantnesscs, and persons who,
. month ago, were prepared to prove that
DR.. Wherefore was the most dangerous enc
my of vital religion In the country, have now
suddenly discovered that he was paragon
among clergymen., Everything that can be
raked and scrApcd In his favor Is adduced,
and one writer even inyokcs public admlra-
ton on the ground that once when he (wilber-
force) was resident canon Of Winchester, he
reprimanded verger for being impolite to
the narrator Of the incident on his having re-
fused fee for seeing q cathedral.
Another writer relates that the inmates OF
q house of correction, where the bishop
preached, said that he was interesting, but
The knew too much about us; he tn. ned us
inside out, and one would have thought that
he had been In the house himself at least q
year" The tardy and cold mention that was
made OF him In the House Of Lords has prob
ably been the cause Of bringing forth from
the humber classes so many testimonials In
his favor, and while poor Wears testify that
he was most attentive to their wants, and,
while making them work hard, worked harder
himself, it Is rather odd TO and the distin-
guished free-thinker. George Jacob Holy
cake, coming forward 10 rotate an incident In
his honor. Mr.. Holyoake writes that on hisown
representation that certain poor school was
miserably and unhealthily housed In q small
room adjacent TO on untonanted school-room
In possession OF the parish, the bishop at
once luterfered and secured for II the commo-
dious buildlng-a fact Uhich certainly was
characteristic Of tho activity and sense Of
Justice which all concede TO the dead prelatc.
! an Informed by an intimate friend OF DIR.
Wherefore that 70 those nearest to him the
death, which all physicians agree to have
been instantaneous, Is much mitigated by q
circumstance with which the public seem 10
be unacquainted. Tho bishop had for years
suffered from cancer on the tongue. IL had
been several times cut out, but as often re-
sician had little hope Of being able to ward
of q near and painful death. Il was this
fact that probably caused that presentimeni
Of approaching death which pervaded the
prelath's recent letters to his friends. So lit
It's Ia the world able to understand when
death comes as friend.
In former letter l said that DR.. WILDER
force was man Of the world. The most dis.
eliminating criticisms which have appeared
since his death show that this was generally
felt. The Saturday Review" says that II he
had adopted the profession Of tho law hi
might have attained the success Of Erskine
The Spectator says that he had large sympa
thies, ready humor, great Tenderness OF feel
Ing, sense OF the beautiful, but no very
deep sense Of the difference between wha
was real and what was unreal; between wha
was deep and what was superficial In human
nature. .r ".. l-U
The same paper says-and think will
truth--that, as Ii Is often said that the use o.
o State Church is to get ecclesiastics who car
mediate between the Church and the world
there never was man more capable Of Thu
| function than the late Bishop. And II Is II
keeping with this remark that at present II !
| rather from fashionable than from religion
society that we hear the deepest lamentatloI
at the Bishop's death. lie was one Of thos,
who looked with favor on that world whicl
the extremely plous disown rs aoeursed.- III
mingled with II freely, and did not hold tina
what Is wrong In Clergyman Is well enougl
In q layman. lie was the life and soul o
good company, and many are tho good sto
ries current as having been set aaoat by hin
over . glass Of old port. Ills stories wer
none the less rellshed by the Bishop for pos
sosslng sometimes sonpoop OF rashness.
At one Of the last dinners In London whicl
was enllvened by his presence-a compan
Of gentlemen and ladies' being present---h
1 tUlu u btuTy WuiCh Wbo ouC VI hts isNotitcs
In family with which he was staying
French goyerness began praising to him th
English liturgy. at prays for all" she said
"eyen for us poor governesses." The Bisho
said that, having some curiosity to know III
special prayer 20 which she referred, b
asked her which 1t was, and she replied wit
naiuete, "why, where you pray for all wome
, lsboring with child !"'''
The Bishop had to pass q good deal {
time on railways, and had an arrangemel
by which he could write letters while travo
Ing. For this purpose he used to keep @
good terms with all the conductors, 30 thi
they might give him carriage to himself.
Once, on a st. Legcr race day, he fonn
S himselfin carriage with two elderly Made
v ladies, who, whenever any one tried 10 x
into II, said there Is plenty Of room" Sc
: ing that they knew who he was, the blshc
tried to shock them by calling out Justify
8 Horsham Station for the sporting Gdzeti
e saying that no doubt special edition Of Il
u Record Church paper would be PUBLISH
, to denounce his wlckedness. Finding his ~
', vain, the bishop called the guard and sal
u Take these ladies and find them the me
+ comfortable hrst-class carriage you can, Al
o let them be by themselves" The bishop W
n very fond OF horses, and Il Ia q wonder til
q he was not chief apostle Of muscular Chr
4 tlanity. He was never more delighted tn
, when he could persuade friend TO 60 OF
n horseback journey with him, and get h
Il knocked up at the end, while he him,
% would be as fresh rs at the start.