The Hon. and Rev. William Bromley Cadogan, second son of Lord Cadogan, was born in 1751, and had his education at Westminster School, from whence he was removed to Christ Church College, Oxford. He obtained several prizes at the University for classical knowledge. On the death of Dr. Drake he was presented to the rectory of Chelsea. He also became vicar of St. Giles’s, Reading. Mr. Faulkner gives a singular anecdote relating to the unsolicited offer of this vicarage to Mr. Cadogan. Lord Bathurst, who was then Chancellor, called at Lord Cadogan’s house, and desired to see him. His lordship was not at home; and the servants, seeing Lord Bathurst very plainly dressed, admitted him into the hall only, having no suspicion of his high rank. The Chancellor therefore wrote a note at the hall table, requesting Lord Cadogan to accept the vicarage of St. Giles’s, Reading, for his son. The offer of so valuable a preferment, and so near to the family seat at Caversham, was peculiarly acceptable to Lord Cadogan. It appeared, however, that the parishioners were deeply affected by the death of the Rev. Mr. Talbot, their late vicar, and equally grieved at the appointment of his successor; but they flattered themselves that the new vicar, being a young gentleman of noble family, would feel no disposition to do the duties himself, and that the Rev. Mr. Halward, who had been recently appointed, and towards whom they already were much attached, might be continued in the curacy. A petition for this purpose was presented to Mr. Cadogan, but it was rejected with strong marks of disapprobation. The old congregation therefore became dispersed. Some of them, under the patronage of the Countess of Huntingdon, opened a place for Divine worship for themselves, while others, who were unwilling to leave the church altogether, thought that they perceived marks of sincerity in his conduct and preaching, attempted, by frequent admonitory letters, to convince Mr. Cadogan of what they considered to be his “errors,” and to set him “right.” On this occasion several letters passed between him and Mrs. Talbot, the widow of the previous vicar, whose house was opened for religious exercises, and where prayer was occasionally offered up for his conversion. Mr. Cadogan is said to have been highly offended, but at length, humbled and subdued, he fell at the feet of accumulated kindness, and confessed to the last moment of his life, that “Mrs. Talbot’s letters and example were the principal means of leading him to the saving knowledge of Christ.” It produced, it appears, a great change in his manner of preaching, and led the way to his intimacy with the Rev. Mr. Hill, Mr. Romaine, and others, who were distinguished by the title of popular preachers. He likewise offered the curacy to Mr. Halward, who previously he had but “lightly esteemed,” but that gentleman had then accepted some preferment which prevented him from acceding to the offer. Mr. Cadogan divided his time