Deep was the regret felt by Dr.
Parr, in common with many of the best friends of their country, when he saw
the negotiations for peace, so happily begun under the auspices of Mr. Fox, terminated by his death, and the very spirit of
peace expiring with him. It was however some satisfaction to observe that, amidst the loud
and increasing clamours of the war-party, there were a few bold and determined advocates of
peace: among whom conspicuously appeared Mr.
Roscoe—a name now become as dear to liberty and humanity, as it was before to
literature and the arts. In a pamphlet, entitled “Considerations on the Causes, &c. of the Present
War,” that able writer delivered a clear and powerful exposition of the
dangers of persisting in the contest, and of the expediency and necessity of proposing a
negotiation for peace. Of this publication, and of the great object to which it
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 15 |
“Dear Sir,—I have been rambling in Buckinghamshire; where, on January 26, I kept my birth-day, in a company of sound constitutional Whigs. Yesterday, on reaching Oxford, I had the pleasure of receiving your letter, which my daughter had forwarded from Hatton. Accept my best thanks for the present of your excellent book. I read it with eagerness. It is a most masterly performance; and will produce all the good effect you wish for among good men. But of peace itself I begin to despair, &c.—S. P.”
It was at a somewhat earlier period that the “Life of Lorenzo de Medici” had been followed, from the pen of the same writer, by the “Life and Pontificate of Leo X.” During the progress of this work, Dr. Parr was often consulted and on its appearance before the public, he thus offered his congratulations to the author:—
“Dear and excellent Mr. Roscoe,—Accept my hearty thanks for the most valuable present with which you have honoured me. I expected your book with much impatience, under the fullest conviction that you have triumphed over all the difficulties of your subject. It is your right and your duty to speak out on the motives of agents, as well as on the effects of actions; and in me you will
1 “Roscoe’s Life and Pontificate of Leo X., 4th edition.—To the Rev. Dr. Parr, these volumes, improved by his corrections, and honoured by his remarks, are respectfully presented by the author.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 383. |
| 16 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
In the new parliament, which assembled January, 1807, the electors of Liverpool did themselves honour by returning, as one of their members, their highly-distinguished townsman, Mr. Roscoe; nor was there any election, at that time, which gave more general satisfaction. The lovers of literature united in their congratulations with the lovers of peace and freedom; and among the first who hastened with their joyous expressions on the happy occasion was Dr. Parr, in the following note, perhaps Mr. Roscoe’s first franked letter:—“My dear friend,—I seize my pen, amidst the bustle of elections, to congratulate you on your election.—May Heaven bless you and yours!—S. P.”
Painfully disappointed in his hopes of peace, Dr. Parr found no small source of consolation in the triumph which, about this period, the cause of justice and humanity obtained by the abolition of the slave-trade. It was a long-contested and a hard-earned victory, gained over a system of fraud, violence and oppression, revolting to all the feelings of human nature; but sanctioned by time, supported by national pride and prejudice, and connected with commercial and trading interests.
For no less than twenty-one years,1 a question
1 The first petition on the subject of the slave-trade was |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 17 |
Of all those, who devoted themselves to this glorious work of justice and benevolence, the praise is pre-eminently due to three individuals, Granville Sharpe, Thomas Clarkson, and William Wilberforce. To the first belongs the proud distinction of being the first active mover in the great cause: to the second and the third, that of being its most zealous and persevering advocates, the one within, the other without, the walls of parliament. Of bodies of men, engaged in the same great moral contest, the sect of the Quakers is entitled to the highest commendation; and next to them,
presented to the House of Commons by the Quakers in 1783. |
| 18 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
Foremost in this goodly array of all the wisdom and virtue of the nation, it is scarcely necessary to say that Dr. Parr took his stand. On every occasion, he was ready with his pen, and with the sanction of his name and his presence, to aid in exposing and destroying a system of horrible outrage against all the common rights and feelings of humanity. In a note to a neighbouring friend, dated so early as July 1800, he thus writes—“And now for the slave-trade—Pray consult with your leading men at Warwick. I shall sign; and, if called upon, but not otherwise, will write the petition. Again let me repeat—pray consult! S. P.”
Scarcely had this most wise and most righteous measure been accomplished,
when, by a sudden revolution in the cabinet, produced by the agitation of the Catholic
question, the Tory principles, so triumphant through the late reign, after a momentary
depression, revived once more; and gained a new and signal victory in the dismissal of the
Whig ministers, who have never since been
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 19 |
The following encomium, passed by Dr. Parr upon the members and the measures of the Whig administration, though merited, on the whole, is yet too indiscriminate to be perfectly just:—
“They were men of sense, men of letters, gentlemen, and statesmen. They restored the old and venerable character of a free, a just and strong government, in the view of the people and of Europe. When I think of Mr. Canning, Lord Harrowby, and Lord Chatham, I shall not say that their predecessors engrossed all the talents. They never themselves harboured such a presumptuous thought: they never uttered such a silly expression. But their intentions were honest: their measures were wise; and their fall was unmerited by themselves, though not unexpected by those who have observed of what stuff court favourites and novi homines are sometimes made.”2
|
1 Dr. Johnson’s words were often quoted on this occasion, with too much appearance of reason, “that Tories are Whigs when out of place, and Whigs Tories when in place.” 2 Characters of Fox, p. 306. |
| 20 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
Whilst thus lamenting the dissolution of the Whig ministry, Dr. Parr, in anticipation of allusions that might be made to his own connexion with them, has given a sketch of himself, conceived with much spirit, and touched with strong effect, in the following passage:—
“Some men will ask—Was I not personally interested in the continuance of their power? For aught I know, I might; and for aught I know, I might not. But thus much I do know; and to those who would insult me with the question, I should confidently say thus much—that, from my youth upward to the present moment, I have never deserted a private friend, nor ever violated a public principle—that I have been the slave of no patron, and the drudge of no party—that I have formed my political principles without the smallest regard, and have acted upon them with an utter disregard, to personal emoluments and professional honours—that for many and the best years of my existence I endured very irksome toil, and suffered very galling need—that measuring my resources by my wants, I now so abound, as to unite a competent income with an independent spirit—and that, above all, looking back to this life, and onward to another, I possess that inward peace, which the world can neither give nor take away.”1
The dismissal of the Whigs from office was speedily followed by the dissolution of parliament; and so complete was the triumph of toryism, supported by its powerful ally, fanatical zeal, that
1 Characters of Fox, p. 306. |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 21 |
“Dear Mr.
Roscoe—I am seized alternately with stupor and indignation at the
state of public affairs. Do not suppose that I am a tame or careless observer
of the strange and disgraceful events, which have occurred at Liverpool.
Disdain, I beseech you, to repel any accusations. All wise and all virtuous men
will deplore your removal from parliament, and will detest or despise the
artifices of your opponents. Reading, reflection, the society of wise men, and
the conscious rectitude of our own intentions, will preserve you and me from
the perturbation and dismay which other men may experience in these strange and
eventful times. The yell of ‘No popery!’ has been heard even at
Cambridge; the effects of it were visible in the late election; and on the
walls of our senate-house, of Clare-Hall chapel, and of Trinity-Hall, I saw the
odious words, in large characters. The good sense of the country, dear sir,
will not speedily return. There is a great and portentous change in the public
mind; and you and I are at a loss to assign the cause, or to predict the
consequences. So it is that amidst the fury of the tempest, and the wreck of
our fairest
| 22 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
The old and the hideous cry, mentioned in the above letter, raised by the Tory ministry, in order to secure their triumph, was re-echoed with all the frantic vehemence, real or assumed, of terrified or irritated bigotry, from all classes of the people, and especially—eheu! posteri, negabitis!—from the two universities1 and the whole clerical body—though not without some splendid exceptions. Among the last, who not only admitted, but strenuously supported, the claims of the Catholics, a conspicuous place is due to Dr. Paley, Mr. Wyvill, Bishop Watson, Bishop Bathurst, and Dr. Parr.
The three former, in this small but illustrious band, have left their deliberate and decided opinion in favour of Catholic emancipation—the first in a celebrated work,2 considered by some as of almost oracular authority—the second, in a small, but admirable pamphlet, entitled, “A more extended Discussion in favour of Liberty of Conscience recommended”—the third, in a “Charge” delivered to his clergy, and published in 1808, and also in the interesting “Memoirs of his own Life.” In this last posthumous work, Bishop Watson thus strongly
1 “No circumstance, in the opposition made to the Catholic claims, is so provoking to me, as the blind infuriate hostility of the two universities, which our Roman forefathers most meritoriously founded and endowed. Here my heart sometimes glows with indignation, and sometimes bleeds with anguish.”—Dr. Parr’s Letter to Mr. Butler. Reminiscences, vol. ii. p. 215. 2 Moral and Political Philosophy, vol. ii. p. 341. |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 23 |
The venerable Bishop Bathurst, who still lives to uphold the national church by his wisdom, and to adorn it by his virtues, from the first session after his elevation to the bench, as often as the Catholic claims were brought under the consideration of parliament has never failed to appear in his place, as their advocate; though hitherto opposed, with a single exception, by all his right reverend brethren. To the extraordinary merits of these exertions, and to the various excellencies by which this eminent prelate is distinguished, Dr. Parr has borne his testimony in his “last will” as follows—“I give a ring to the Right Reverend Dr. Bathurst, Lord Bishop of Norwich, as a mark of my reverence for his learning and wisdom—for his inflexible firmness in supporting the sacred cause of toleration—and for those pure and hallowed principles of Christian charity, which adorn every part of his character, social and religious.”
It has been noticed in a former part of this work, that Dr. Parr, early in life, entertained doubts about the expediency of repealing the test laws; but that, by further reading and reflection, these doubts were removed; and in his later years, he
1 Anecdotes of Watson, vol. ii. p. 241. |
| 24 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
The honest recorder of Dr. Parr’s opinions must not attempt to conceal that, for the old Romish church, he ever entertained an almost reverential respect; and that he was accustomed to extol its merits, to soften its errors, and to palliate its enormities, more than, to the writer’s apprehension, truth would warrant or candour require. In his strong way of talking, he used to say that he was but imperfectly a Protestant; and that, if ever he changed his religion, it would be to go back to the bosom of the mother-church, “that great and ancient and venerable church,” as he loved to designate it. So highly did he estimate the erudition of its many great scholars, that, speaking of a distinguished modern divine, he said, “he was a very learned man in the English church, and would almost have been considered so in the Church of
1 Letter to Dr. Milner, p. 35; |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 25 |
Great stress has been laid, by many Protestants, on those interpretations of Scripture which refer to the Romish hierarch and hierarchy, the prophetic declarations, in the apostolic epistles, about “the man of sin,” and “the son of perdition,” and “the antichrist;” and those also in the Apocalypse about “the mystery,” “Babylon the great,” “the mother of harlots,” and “the abomination of the earth.” But whilst Dr. Parr acknowledged “depth of science in Mede, eminence of genius in Bishop Warburton, acuteness of reasoning and elegance of diction in Bishop Hurd, and a spirit of diligent inquiry in Bishop Newton and Bishop Halifax,” by all of whom these interpretations are zealously maintained: yet, in common with Grotius, Episcopius, Archbishop Sheldon, and Dr. Hammond, he considered the interpretations them-
1 “Every intelligent and serious and honest teacher of the English church, ought to read attentively the three following books—The Catholic Liturgy, published by Gandolphy—The Roman Missal for the use of the Laity—Vespers according to the Roman Breviary. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 681. 2 Characters of Fox, p. 623. |
| 26 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
But though he thought thus favourably of the Romish church, yet it would be most unjust to conclude that Dr. Parr did not give a sincere and decided preference to the church to which, by profession, he belonged: nor would the writer have thought it necessary to guard against so unwarrantable a conclusion, had it not been for the amazing and audacious attempt of the late Dr. Milner, to induce the world to believe, contrary to all probability, and in the absence of all evidence, that many not only of the members, but of the dignitaries of the English church have died in the Catholic faith. Dr. Parr himself undertook to rescue the fame of Bishop Halifax2 from so gross an aspersion; and that no similar imputation may rest upon his own name, the following passages from his printed works are here subjoined:—
“For my part, it is my lot to differ from the
1 Characters of Fox, p. 653, &c. 2 “Not only Bishop Halifax, Bishop King, Dr. Rennel, Dean of Winchester, according to Dr. Milner, but Luther, Melancthon, Beza, secretly cherished, while they openly rejected, the Catholic faith!”—See Milner’s End of Religious Controversy, part iii. p. 326. |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 27 |
By the wretched expedient of rousing against the Catholics the blind rage of religious bigotry, so disgraceful to the character of the nation and their own, the new ministry, with the Duke of Portland as the nominal, and Mr. Perceval as the efficient head, soon found themselves firmly fixed on the seat of government. Their first attention was directed to the vigorous prosecution of the war; but unfortunately their wisdom did not appear equal to their vigour. Almost their first measure was an attack upon Denmark, a friendly state, because she refused to give up the entire of her fleet into their possession. This unjustifiable transaction was instantly condemned by a considerable part of the nation,3 with a truly English
1 Characters of Fox, p. 620. 658. 818. 2 Letter to Milner, p. 36. 3 “Lord Sidmouth designated it as ‘an outrage.’ Lord Grenville denounced it as ‘an indelible disgrace to the country.’ Mr. Windham and Dr. Lawrence both termed it ‘a lasting monument of disgrace.’ Mr. Whitbread branded it as ‘a treacherous and base aggression on our parts.’ Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Tierney, and other distinguished members of parliament, spoke of it in corresponding language of obloquy and |
| 28 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
“I find nine persons out of ten disposed to continue the war—disposed to approve of all that passed at Copenhagen—disposed to consider Mr. Canning’s defence of the measure as solid and satisfactory. What are you to expect from people so infatuated? When Canning proposed seizing next the Russian fleet, the King is said to have answered—“Well—well, Canning, we will have no more ship-stealing this year.” The culprits, dear sir, may be taken up and punished, when another opportunity occurs. I am with you in every statement, every opinion, every conclusion, of your book,” &c.
Early in 1808, the attention of all England and all Europe was drawn towards the Spanish Peninsula; where scenes of outrage were passing, at which the astonishment, first excited, was soon lost in the extreme of indignation and horror. The prime mover and the chief actor, it soon appeared, was the designing and daring ruler of France;
condemnation.”—See Parliamentary Debates, February 14, 1808. 1 See p. 14. |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 29 |
“Spain,” says Dr. Parr, speaking of these times, “has made a noble effort to recover her independence; and Napoleon will, I trust, experience the justness of Hannibal’s observation, Non temere incerta casuum reputat, quem fortuna nunquam decepit. Let us not despair. The people, opposed to this mighty conqueror, are actuated by the purest and strongest motives, which can influence the human mind. Under the auspices of leaders truly patriotic, they will show what a people can achieve, who are fighting for their laws, their independence, their family, their friends, and the religion of their fathers.”1
The first great object of the Spanish patriots was to effect a peace, and to form an alliance, with England; and their overtures were answered by a correspondent spirit, on the part of the sovereign, the parliament, and the people. A powerful force was sent to their aid, under the command of Sir John Moore, a general of high repute. It is not within the design of the writer to narrate the manner in which, deceived by false intelligence, and allured by deceitful promises, the British general, advancing from Corunna too far into the country, found himself opposed by a far superior force; part of which was commanded by Marshal
1 Characters of Fox, p. 576. |
| 30 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
With a generous admiration of skill and valour even in an adversary, Marshal Soult reared a monument to the fallen hero on the spot, where he had received his mortal wound. But being formed of wood—though afterwards repaired by order of the Spanish general, Marquis Romana—within a few years the monument appeared to be going fast to decay. In 1814, therefore, by direction of the English government, a new and more durable monument of marble was erected on the same spot; and, at the request of Lord Bathurst, the inscription was written by Dr. Parr.1
The British general fell, indeed, in “the field of proud honour:” yet, for a moment, a cloud seemed to gather over the splendour of his reputation; as if, in his Spanish campaign, he had betrayed either a want of foresight in advancing, or a want of firmness or courage in retreating. But this cloud soon passed away; and ample justice was done to his extraordinary merits, on this, as well as on former occasions, by the nation, in whose battles he had so often bled, and in whose
1 See App. No. II.—See also a translation by Dr. Parr, App. No. III. |
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 31 |
Dr. Parr entertained much regard for the family of Sir John Moore, as well as the highest esteem, mingled with admiration, for the illustrious general himself. His father was the amiable and excellent Dr. Moore, well known for his pleasing and popular works, consisting chiefly of “Travels” and “Novels;” and honourably distinguished as the kind and judicious friend and correspondent of the celebrated Ayrshire poet. With his brother, just named, a surgeon of eminence in London, and author of several useful medical publications, Dr. Parr cultivated a personal acquaintance. He frequently visited at his house; and always spoke with great respect of his character, and of his professional talents. In his last will, he bequeathes a ring “to his highly-valued friend, James Moore, Esq.”1
October 25, 1809, was pleasingly distinguished in the annals of British loyalty, as being the day on which the Sovereign entered into the fiftieth year of his reign. It was observed, therefore, throughout the kingdom, as a national jubilee. The virtues of the King’s private life, and the good intentions which marked his public acts, were the theme of
1 “Moore’s History of the Small-pox—History of Vaccination.—The gifts of the author, a skilful surgeon in Conduit-street, and brother to the celebrated, but injured, Sir John Moore.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 473. |
| 32 | MEMOIRS OF THE |
In the year 1810, during the parliamentary inquiry into the Walcheren
expedition, the public attention was suddenly and powerfully diverted from it, to some rash
and unadvised proceedings in the House of Commons. A person named John Gale Jones had been summoned to its bar, on a charge
of publishing a libel, reflecting on the character of one of its members; and was ordered,
on the speaker’s warrant, to be sent to Newgate. Against the power, thus assumed,
Sir Francis Burdett, both in his place in
parliament and in a letter to his constituents, indignantly protested, as entirely
subversive of the principles of the constitution, and utterly inconsistent with the
personal safety or liberty of the subject. If an accused person, without form of trial,
without means of defence, without examination of witnesses on oath, can thus be pronounced
guilty, and committed to prison by those who are at once his accusers and his judges, then,
indeed, there is despotic power
| LIFE OF DR. PARR. | 33 |
On this subject, after much inquiry and much deliberation, Dr. Parr formed a most decided opinion, in which almost all the reflecting part of the nation have since concurred, that under no circumstances whatever is the House of Commons invested with authority to inflict punishment for any misdemeanour, further than may be strictly necessary to preserve order, and to prevent interruption, in their own proceedings. In confirmation of his opinion, he appealed to the debates and resolutions of the two Houses, on the Aylesbury case, in the reign of Queen Anne. On that occasion, the commitment of the six men of Aylesbury to prison, by the Commons, was declared by a vote of the Lords to be contrary to the laws; and a decision was pronounced by Lord Chief-justice Holt, that they ought to be forthwith set at liberty. “If this exorbitant claim,” said that great and upright magistrate, “were once established, the subject might be deprived of his dearest right by the mere arbitrary will of the Commons; and the injured party remain wholly destitute of any legal or regular means of reparation or redress.”
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