Some time after his Lordship had been appointed to the Deanery of the Metropolitan Church, he retained his confidential situation about the person of Mr. Pitt, and regularly every morning attended the minister in Downing-street, when in residence at St. Paul’s. Returning one evening from Westminster to the city, he somewhere at the bottom of the Strand pulled out his handkerchief, and with it, as afterwards appeared, his purse. He heard it fall, and remarked the spot, but his natural shortness of sight, added to the darkness of the evening, prevented his finding it. On his walking the next morning to Westminster, his Lordship paused at the place where the accident had happened the night before, and actually saw his purse, which had just slipped off the curb-stone, and probably had been overlooked by ten thousand passengers. The two next examples of good fortune going as it were hand in hand with merit universally allowed, reflect the highest honour upon Lord Sidmouth, who was Prime Minister at the time. It is indeed no more than an act of candour and justice to this noble Lord, to acknowledge, that during the whole period of his enjoyment of power, short indeed, but in this at least memorable, the ecclesiastical offices in the appointment of the Crown, were well and honourably filled by individuals, whose sole recommendations were their learning, their piety, and their virtue: of which these two persons about to be mentioned, were conspicuous examples. The first of these excellent men was Bishop H. who had for a long series of years honourably and usefully distinguished himself in a great seminary, by superintending the morals and the education of youth. He was ever remarkable for his sound learning, and his conscientious, firm, and consistent discharge of all his duties. It is therefore hardly necessary to add, that his appointment to this high office, diffused universal satisfaction among all the true friends of the church. The next appointment of the kind is entitled to the same language of panegyric, whether we consider the discernment and disinterested generosity of the patron, or the great and various merits of the person promoted. Bishop B. was of respectable though humble origin, but was distinguished, at a very early period, both for his love of learning, and his success in the pursuit of it. His accomplishments, added to his most truly irreproachable conduct, soon recommended him to his superiors. Few names stood higher in the estimation of scholars, and he was also classed among the ablest and most zealous vindicators of our Church establishment, at a perilous period, when it was in danger of being undermined by false brethren from within, as well as threatened by formidable enemies from without. His promotion was of course hailed by all, as an auspicious omen of the intention of the Minister, to render the Episcopal Bench venerable for its piety, admired for its talents, and respected for its erudition.