Memoir of Francis Hodgson
James Hodgson to Francis Hodgson, 26 April 1810
My dear Son,—I have been so very unwell for the last
fortnight as to have been in some degree ![]()
| 132 | MEMOIR OF REV. F. HODGSON. | |
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obliged to defer
till now making an acknowledgment of your last letter. . . . . Thank you for
the epigrams! Your pupil room, under the auspices of two such demigods,1 must be the ipsissimus locus scientiæ et
sapientiæ. In answer to your query respecting Butler’s ‘Analogy,’ I will transcribe a note
which I made many years ago, and which stands now in the first blank page of
Archbishop Secker’s Sermons,
vol. I. ‘The merit of these sermons consists in explaining, clearly and
popularly, the principles delivered by Butler in his
famous book of the “Analogy,” &c.,
and in showing the important use of them to religion.’ Upon this I
observed at the time: ‘This remark applies more particularly to
Secker’s first three sermons, vol. i.’
Dr. Burney of Greenwich has lately
published an abbreviated edition of ‘Pearson on the Creed.’ Perhaps it
may be more readable than the original. After all, the book, the whole book, is
aureum opus.
I lament your separation from the ‘Quarterly Review,’ because the last two
numbers have given me a high opinion of the writers in it. Dr. Ireland has shown his transcendent
abilities in more than one article if I am not mistaken. I have not seen the
last ‘Monthly,’ and
therefore cannot say anything
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of its merits. But I should
imagine one Review quite enough for one critic. It pleases me much to hear you
speak so handsomely of Mr.
Griffiths.1
I am happy to add your mother is getting better. She has been
out once in the carriage, and we are going again to-day to call on the new
proprietors of Parlington, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver
Gascoigne.
We all join in love and best wishes,
Yours always,
Charles Burney the younger (1757-1817)
Son of the musicologist; after a scandalous youth he became a noted scholar, book
collector, and schoolmaster at Greenwich. His collection of newspapers is now in the
British Library.
Joseph Butler, bishop of Durham (1692-1752)
English physico-theologian; he was author of the
Analogy of
Religion (1736); he was dean of St. Paul's (1740) and bishop of Durham
(1750).
Richard Oliver Gascoigne (1760 c.-1843)
Originally of Castle Oliver, Limerick; in 1810 he inherited Parlington Hall, Yorkshire,
assuming the name of Gascoigne.
George Edward Griffiths (1772-1828)
In 1803 he succeeded his father Ralph Griffiths as editor of the
Monthly Review, continuing until 1825.
James Hodgson (1749 c.-1810)
The father of Francis Hodgson; educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he was rector of Keston
in Kent and master of the school at Croydon; he was afterwards rector of Barwick in
Yorkshire and chaplain to Lords Liverpool and Dunmore.
John Ireland (1761-1842)
Dean of Westminster and a close friend of William Gifford; he published
Nuptiae sacrae, or, An Enquiry into the Scriptural Doctrine of Marriage and
Divorce (1801).
John Locke (1632-1704)
English philosopher; author of
Essay concerning Human
Understanding (1690) and
Some Thoughts Concerning Education
(1695).
John Pearson, bishop of Chester (1613-1686)
English divine; Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge (1661-72) and bishop of
Chester (1673); he published
Vindication of the Creed (1659).
The Monthly Review. (1749-1844). The original editor was Ralph Griffiths; he was succeeded by his son George Edward who
edited the journal from 1803 to 1825, who was succeeded by Michael Joseph Quin
(1825–32).
The Quarterly Review. (1809-1967). Published by John Murray, the
Quarterly was instigated by Walter
Scott as a Tory rival to the
Edinburgh Review. It was edited by
William Gifford to 1824, and by John Gibson Lockhart from 1826 to 1853.
