Great interest was of course made to obtain this appointment; and it was reported and believed, that Royalty itself interposed, under circumstances which, in some degree, might be supposed to justify such interposition. It proved, however, ineffectual; and the Bishop, influenced by no other motive than the desire of having a zealous, active, conscientious Pastor in a very large and populous parish, wrote to the individual, the subject of this notice, and with no personal knowledge of him, and without any other recommendation than that of his professional character, offered the living to his acceptance. It was of course accepted, and the good and pious intentions of the Bishop were adequately fulfilled. His good fortune, however, did not stop here. The character he had established was confirmed, the reputation of his professional excellence was extended, and finally, he rendered himself so acceptable to those who have it in their influence to obtain, or in their power to confer, ecclesiastical dignities, that a valuable Deanery was given; and it has indeed further been reported, that if it had been agreeable to his views and wishes, he might have obtained still higher honours. And now a bubble bursts, and now a world. CHAPTER XXXII. Detached from every other part of the Recollections, the following anecdote appears by itself, and as it seems to have been communicated from the very highest authority, may be recorded more particularly, as its authenticity may be easily ascertained. In the year 1720, celebrated for the bursting of the South Sea bubble, a gentleman called late in the evening at the banking-house of Messrs. Hankies and Co. He was in a coach, but refused to get out, and desired that one of the partners of the house would come to him. Having ascertained that it was really one of the principals, and not a clerk, who appeared, he put into his hands a parcel, very carefully sealed up and protected, and desired that it might be laid on one side till he should call again, which would be in the course of a very few days. A few days passed away—a few weeks did the same, and indeed some months also, but the stranger returned no more. At the end of the second or third year, the partners agreed to open this mysterious parcel in the presence of each other. They found it to contain thirty thousand pounds, with a letter, stating that it was obtained by the South Sea speculation, and directing that it should now be vested in the hands of three trustees, whose names were given, and the interest appropriated to the relief of the poor.