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XXIX.

The Burial Service

The true Church and its

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-The Titles and Offices of

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-The Account of his Expul-

sion from College, for Non-conformity
XXX.-Rab. to L. S. E.-Mrs. G. turned Dis-
senter-a union projected with the Metho-
dists

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PREFACE,

ADDRESSED TO

THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

CHARLES JAMES BLOMFIELD, D.D.

THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON*.

MY LORD,

IN executing the office of Editor of the Letters contained in this volume, I feel myself bound by every tie of duty, respect, and gratitude, to dedicate it to your Lordship, by whose illustrious patronage the letters of L. S. E. have become a text-book amongst the Clergy of the establish

ment.

We were in a pitiable plight till those Letters were published; every day saw the press teeming with fresh invectives and threats against our holy order, and the reformers were already feeling our ribs, to ascertain if we were quite fit for

"The letters of L. S. E., a publication which I recommend as containing a great deal of useful information and sound reasoning, set forth with a little too much sharpness of invective against the Dissenters."-Charge of the BISHOP OF LONDON to the Clergy of his Diocese.

the shambles; but now our enemies are covered with confusion, " they are driven back and put to shame," and we who were already tied to the horns of the altar, rear once more our sacred heads, and claim that mastership which the Gospel has given us, and the laws of our country have piously conceded.

We see every day how the venders of quack medicines are compelled to fortify their genuine drugs by threats against imitators, and fac-similes of authentic autographs: this is the case with the "Anti-Schism Pills of L. S. E.," which are already claimed by I know not what insignificant mimics of his name and abilities. A person styling himself" Michael Augustus Gathercole, Curate of Myton, near Boroughbridge," has in the provincial newspapers declared that he is the author of the Letters signed L. S. E.; but as Editor of this volume, and as a friend of the true family, I hereby declare that I know nothing of that person, and that he is no relation of the genuine Gathercoals, whose name is spelt in a different way. Common

report says of the curate of Myton, that he was, in his embryo-state, a bookseller's hawker, commonly called " a number man," going about the country with works published in cheap numbers; but whether there is any truth in that report I know not, nor care to know, for my only business

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here is with the fame of my friend, whose efforts for the supremacy of his Order are here recorded, The Letters of the Vicar of Tuddington make it pretty clear who the “vrai Amphitryon" is; so that the epistles of L. S. E. will not be handed down to posterity with the mysterious motto STAT NOMINIS UMBRA; nor will future generations have to inquire who that great man was that Bishops loved, and Archbishops admired.

The true Gathercoal has an A in the coal; no spurious coal, but genuine bituminous inflammable matter, brought into day-light out of the nether regions, and used in purposes of combustion and smoke.

The elder brother of the Vicar of Tuddington was baptized with the names Lucifer, Sandeman, Euroclydon; and the following account is given of these somewhat eccentric titles by friends of the family:"Lucifer" is the morning star; which it was determined should be the first name of the first born, to gratify the wishes of a rich old lady, a distant relation, who was an admirer of Moore's Almanac, and addicted to astrology. The family were a long time in doubt whether they should call the lad Lucifer, Phosphorus, or Morning Star, but amongst these synonymes, they at last decided for Lucifer, which gives us the first initial, L

The second name, "( Sandeman," was added to gratify Mrs. G., who not liking the sound of Lucifer, insisted on giving another name of her own choice she fixed on Sandeman, her favourite divine-and hence the second initial, S

"the tem

'Euroclydon," the third name, is pestuous wind," mentioned in the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts, which blew upon the ship when they came near the isle of Crete, Crete that island renowned for liars ;-for it so happened that Mr. G. was reading the verse in which mention is made of this wind, when news was brought him that Mrs. G. had presented him with a son. As the north-east wind-Euroclydon-was blowing a hurricane at that very time, Mr. G. determined by giving this name, to fix on his memory the exact time and circumstances of the birth of his first born and hence the third letter E.

:

Here then your Lordship sees the mystery of L. S. E's. initials, which ought to be set in brilliants, in a love-knot, with three other letters, C. J. B., not less dear to the Church of England; for it is to your Lordship that we must attribute the success of those celebrated epistles which have both restored the fainting strength of our venerable mother, and inflicted nausea on her malignant enemies.

And the thanks and gratitude due to

your lord

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