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Dr. Fisher was for some time with Sir J. Cradock, the late governor of the Cape of Good Hope. However, deriving no very great advantage from these connections, he accepted the curacy of Hampton.

An extraordinary and unforeseen event occurred about that period. The late eminent Dr. Powell, Master of St. John's-college, Cambridge, having been presented by that Society with the living of Freshwater, in the Isle of Wight, contracted an intimacy with Dr. Fisher's father; and it was in consequence of Dr. Powell's recommendation, that Dr. Fisher became a candidate for the fellowship which he obtained in St. John's-college. Dr. Powell dying soon after, a strong contest took place for the vacant headship, between Dr. Chevalier and Dr. Beadon. Parties ran very high; and Dr. Fisher naturally engaged with his friends, the junior part of the college, in support of Dr. Chevalier, the known friend of his patron, Dr. Powell. Applications were made to Dr. Fisher's father, by the minister, Lord North, by Lord Sandwich, and by other men of high rank and station, his old and particular friends; and above all, by the late Bishop of Winchester, his immediate patron; calling upon him in the strongest terms to prevail on his son to vote in favour of Dr. Beadon. The good old man, however, was too honourable to wish his son to be induced by any motives of interest to desert what he considered a just cause, and to act in opposition to his conscience; and, therefore, left him to decide for himself; and Dr. Fisher being influenced by similar feelings, determined, notwithstanding all the entreaties he received, and the promises which were held out to him, to adhere to his friend's friend. The election was in Dr. Chevalier's favour; an event principally owing to Dr. Fisher's exertions.

To his conduct on this occasion, which in the first instance threatened him with worldly evil, Dr. Fisher was himself accustomed to attribute all the good fortune of his future life. Such was the high character which he obtained by his in

flexible integrity, that when our late revered Monarch applied to Bishop Hurd, to recommend him a person properly qualified to become the private tutor of Prince Edward, previous to his removal to Gottingen, that great prelate, without hesitation, named Dr. Fisher, who accepted the office, and removed to Windsor. This was in 1780; in which year he proceeded B. D. and soon after he was sworn in one of His Majesty's chaplains in ordinary, and appointed a deputy clerk of the closet, with a certain assurance of further advancement. With the King he soon became a very great and deserved favourite, on account of his unaffected piety, and the perfect simplicity of his manners. The fidelity with which he discharged his important trust as the tutor of Prince Edward is best illustrated in the history of his Royal Highness when he became Duke of Kent. Certain it is, that the conduct of the preceptor was duly appreciated both by the illustrious pupil, and by his august parent; the one treating him, through life, with gratitude, and the King with almost unbounded confidence. So pleased, indeed, was His Majesty with the facile mode of communicating knowledge which distinguished the instructor of his son, and so gratified was he with the solid foundation of moral principle laid in the mind of the Prince, without pedantry, that when, many years after, called upon to provide for the education of the presumptive heiress to the crown, though then in her infancy, the King found not the smallest difficulty in determining his choice of a teacher.

In 1783, Dr. Fisher was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1785, his attendance upon Prince Edward ceasing on his Royal Highness's going to Germany, to finish his education there, he went to Italy for his health; but was recalled from Naples in 1786, being appointed by His Majesty a canon of Windsor, upon the death of Dr. John Bostock, who had enjoyed that situation for thirty years. On the 5th of September, 1787, Dr. Fisher married Dorothea, only daughter of John Freston Scrivenor, Esq., of

Sibton Abbey, Suffolk; by whom he had one son, and two daughters.

In 1789, he proceeded D.D. - On the bishopric of Exeter becoming vacant, by the death of Dr. Reginald Courtenay, His Majesty at once nominated Dr. Fisher to that see, and on the 17th of July, 1803, the consecration took place, in Lambeth chapel, where also Dr. Thomas Burgess was then set apart, with the same solemnity, to the government of the diocese of St. David's; the sermon being preached by Mr. Ralph Churton, of Brazennose-college, Oxford. Two such prelates have not often been consecrated together; both being men of great learning, remarkably modest, and unaffectedly pious. Of both it may be said, that though they did not refuse the episcopal chair, they neither of them sought it; and when the dignity was offered them, it came upon them by surprise. The King himself first communicated his intention to Dr. Fisher, who, of course, received the gracious proffer with the respect due to his Sovereign. Of the other right reverend prelate, we shall here take the liberty of relating an anecdote which is highly honourable to all the parties concerned.

Dr. Burgess, it is well known, was patronized in early life by the present venerable Bishop of Durham, at that time Bishop of Salisbury, who made him his chaplain, and gave him his first preferment. The doctor received his education at Winchester school, where he was contemporary with Mr. Addington, now Lord Sidmouth. After the elevation of that statesman to the office of prime minister, he took an opportunity of addressing the Bishop of Durham in the House of Lords, and, asking, whether his old friend and schoolfellow Burgess was in town, said, that he thought it very unkind to be neglected by him, and at the same time begged the prelate to let him know that he wished to speak with him the next day. The good bishop delivered the friendly message, and his chaplain, of course, waited upon Mr. Addington on the following morning, and after some conversation about former days, at parting, the premier said, 'Well, since you have

condescended to visit me at last, it shall not be said that you have been with the prime minister for nothing; so I have the pleasure of addressing you as Bishop of St. David's.' This was on the death of Lord George Murray; the congé d'elire was made out immediately; and in what manner the episcopal function has been discharged, the whole principality of Wales will bear ample and grateful testimony.

We have already observed, that Dr. Fisher's merit, both as to ability and integrity, was powerfully evinced by the flattering attention which he at all times received from his Majesty King George the Third, than whom no one was better able to discern, or more willing to appreciate, what was truly and intrinsically valuable. Of the high opinion which his Majesty entertained of the bishop, no stronger proof could be given than that he was selected, towards the end of the year 1803, to superintend the education of her Royal Highness, the Princess Charlotte of Wales; the presumptive heir to the throne of these realms; an office of no ordinary magnitude at any time; but in that case, and under the peculiar circumstances in which the Royal Family were placed, one of singular difficulty and responsibility. It is matter of general notoriety that the bishop had frequent trials, and some of them exceedingly painful ones too, for the exercise of his patience; insomuch, that nothing but a profound respect for his sovereign could have induced him to continue in the important and honourable charge with which he was intrusted. By perseverance and mildness, indeed, he overcame most of the obstacles which, for a considerable time, embarrassed and distressed him; so that, at length, the service, instead of being irksome, proved extremely pleasant. He constantly made it a point to endeavour to mould the temper of his royal pupil according to that principle of self-command, which he had so eminently acquired for his own government. It is well known, that the Princess Charlotte was, at one period, of so very impetuous a disposition, as to occasion the bishop considerable trouble. At length, he de

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sired Her Royal Highness to learn these lines of Pope's Universal Prayer:

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"Teach me to feel another's woe,

To hide the fault I see;

That mercy I to others show,

That mercy show to me."

Having fixed the stanzas strongly in the memory of the Princess, he begged her, whenever she found her resentment rising against any one, to repeat the verse which she had learnt; and though sometimes youthful heat would get the better of the monition, yet generally the lesson had a good One day the bishop came into a room where the Princess was scolding with great vehemence a very young female domestic, who stood trembling before her, without being suffered to stir out of the royal presence, Having dismissed the poor culprit, whose offence was of the most trivial description, his lordship asked the angry Princess, whether she had repeated the lesson which she had been taught. “No,” said she, “I was in too great a passion to remember that, or any thing else." The excellent preceptor then renited the lines, and applied them so forcibly to the occasion, that Her Royal Highness burst into tears, and spontaneously calling for the servant, with a magnanimity which she displayed on various occasions during the short time that it pleased Providence to spare her to the nation, asked her forgiveness in the most tender and feeling manner.

In 1804, Dr. Fisher became one of the vice-presidents of the Bible Society. The same year he made his primary visitation of the diocese of Exeter, beginning with Devonshire; and the following year he extended his episcopal inquiry through Cornwall. On both occasions he delivered the same charge, which made such a deep impression on the hearers, that, at their unanimous and repeated request, his lordship sent it at last to the press. In this excellent pastoral address, which would have done honour to Chrysostom, the amiable Bishop went over several points of importance as regarding doctrine and manners. At the time of its delivery, two sub

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