travels in company with Dr. Halley. On the road to Paris they saw the remarkable comet which gave rise to the cometical philosophy of Sir Isaac Newton; and Mr. Nelson, probably in consequence of the information which he received from his fellow-traveller, was enabled to send a description of it to his friend Dr. Tillotson.

Before he left Paris, be received a letter from a friend of his, who was about the English court, Mr. Henry Saville, brother to Viscount Halifax, advising him to purchase a place in it, and promising him his assistance in the negotiation of the affair. Entertaining a great esteem for the king and the Duke of York, he was at first much pleased with the idea of attaching himself to the court of Charles; in which, perhaps, at that period, as it has been well observed, "he was more likely to confer honour than to derive any from it." He would not, however, determine upon an affair of such importance as this, without seeking the advice and approbation of his mother and uncle. In order to obtain the opinion of both these persons on the matter, he seems first to have applied to Dr. Tillotson; assuring him, at the same time, that he intended to be entirely guided by his advice, and that of his relatives.

Dr. Tillotson, in answer to his application, addressed a letter to him, in which he thus replied to his request for advice:—“ But now to the main business, to which I find your uncle so absolutely averse, that he did not think fit your mother should be acquainted with it. It is well if you escape chiding from him. As for myself, than whom no person in the world can wish you better, since you are pleased to repose that kind confidence in me as to ask my advice, I will faithfully give it. In the present uncertainty of things, I would not have you

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venture so considerable a sum as those places go at; and unless somebody grow better, which I hope God will grant, the temptations to which a man must be exposed in that station, are like to be so violent as would set the firmest virtue hard, even my friend's, of whom I have so good an opinion."

In another letter, addressed by Dr. Tillotson to Nelson, dated June 2, 1681, he alludes to the same subject:

-“I wish,” says he, " your good opinion of my judgment were as well grounded as that of my sincere friendship and affection for you most certainly is. Your mother is perfectly well satisfied, as I told her she had great reason, since you referred yourself to the advice and judgment of your friends, by which, I assured her, you would most certainly govern your resolutions. I shall be happy to see England so happy as that the court may be a fit place for you to live in."

Finding no encouragement from either his relatives or his friend, he appears to have relinquished the scheme altogether, and pursued his journey with his companion to Rome. Here he became acquainted with the Lady Theophila Lucy, widow of Sir Kingsmill Lucy, of Broxburne, Herts, and second daughter of George Earl of Berkeley. This lady, although considerably older than himself, appears after a short time to have manifested a strong regard for him, which, it would seem, was returned on his part; for after his return to England in 1682, he united himself in marriage to her. His disappointment and regret, however, were very great at finding that she had deceived him on a most material subject, the change, namely, which had taken place in her religious opinions. It appeared that she had been induced to embrace the errors of popery whilst travelling abroad; and that the change in her faith, which she was

some time in acknowledging, was to be attributed to her acquaintance with Bossuet, and also to the conversations which she had held whilst at Rome with Cardinal Philip Howard, grandson of the Earl of Arundel, the collector of the marbles which bear his name at Oxford. Unhappily this religious apostacy was not confined to herself alone, but extended also to her daughter by her first husband, whom she drew over by her influence to adopt the corrupt faith of Rome. Not contented with this, she became a writer in one of the controversies of the time; and was the supposed authoress of a piece, printed in the year 1686, entitled, "A Discourse concerning a Judge of Controversy in matters of Religion; shewing the Necessity of such a Judge."

This unhappy renunciation of our holy faith on the part of this lady affected her husband very deeply; so much so, indeed, that not contented with employing his own abilities as a writer in endeavouring to recover her from her errors, he also prevailed upon his friends Archbishop Tillotson and Dr. George Hickes to engage in the same task. The former addressed a long letter to her on the subject; and Dr. Hickes published on her account his "Collection of Controversial Discourses;" in which also is inserted, among other papers, "A Letter to an English Priest of the Romish Communion at Rome," written by Robert Nelson for the use of his lady. All their efforts, however, proved ineffectual; and she seems to have continued a member of the Roman faith until her death, which took place in 1705.

Her change of opinions made no change in the affection entertained towards her by her husband; for when she fell into a weak state of health, which rendered it necessary for her to drink the waters at Aix, he accompanied her thither in 1688; and being dissatisfied with

the prospects of the revolution, and the removal of James II. from the throne, instead of returning home, he extended his journey further, and revisited Italy in company with his wife and her son and daughter by her former husband. Returning through Germany, he stayed some time at the Hague, and from thence came to England in 1691, still entertaining an unfavourable opinion of the change which had taken place in the government.

About this time he seems to have become a nonjuror. Among the new connexions into whose company he was a good deal thrown in consequence of this step, was the Rev. Mr. Kettlewell, who had resigned his living of Coleshill in Warwickshire, owing to his objection to take the oaths of allegiance to William and Mary. Kettlewell is said to have advised Nelson to engage in the composition of devotional works of a general character; observing to him, that he was able to compose very excellent books of that kind, which would be apt also to do more good as coming from a layman. It may safely be said that such a suggestion as this alone would have been quite sufficient to have endeared the memory of its author to every religious person, even if he had not acquired a high reputation by his own writings. Our author, in return for this advice, is said to have encouraged Kettlewell to proceed in the gentle and temperate manner in which he so much excelled, with regard to the management of the controversy between the nonjurors and those who entertained opposite views. Kettlewell at his death, which happened in 1695, left Mr. Nelson his sole executor and trustee; in consequence of which he published several of his posthumous works.

Mr. Nelson engaged with the greatest zeal in supporting and encouraging every plan which was set on

foot for the propagation of our holy faith, both at home and abroad, and was himself the originator of several admirable and useful institutions. The establishment of charity-schools, for the children of the poor throughout the metropolis, was chiefly owing to his indefatigable exertions. It was for the use of these schools, indeed, that his work, entitled "The Whole Duty of a Christian," was written. He was an active promoter of the Societies for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and assisted in their formation. We find his name also, together with other eminent and pious individuals of the period, among the commissioners appointed by Queen Anne for the building of fifty new churches in London. In short, every scheme and design which had for its object to promote the good of man and the glory of God, was sure to enlist Robert Nelson amongst its most active and liberal supporters. His time, his talents, and his purse, appear to have been always ready to answer the various calls of charity, benevolence, and religion.

In his posthumous work, entitled "An Address to Persons of Quality and Estate," he enumerates various benevolent and religious designs, which are recommended and enforced by him with all the arguments which a truly pious and Christian spirit, united to eminent talents, could supply. The list is so complete, that it will be found to comprise a perfect system of the most enlarged and practical benevolence. They are classed under two heads: 1. "those wants which relate to the souls of men;" 2. "those wants which relate to the bodies of men. "" Under the first head, he mentions "the building of churches, or chapels of ease, in the large parishes of the city of London, or in any other city or town where they are wanted; the dispersing of