you say they do, is that any reason that Henry should follow their
example? If he should be a clergyman, he will have great power of doing
good among his parishioners; he may be a magistrate, or perhaps a Doctor
of Divinity; and who knows but he may by and bye be a bishop?"

My father now began to grow impatient. "A bishop indeed!" said he, "God
forbid that I should ever live to see him act in such a way as to obtain a
bishopric, even if he were to go into the church."

My mother was surprised at this language, and enquired if he would not
wish his son to gain the top of his profession; to which he answered
sternly, (which was not often the case to my mother,) "No, indeed. I would
not. The road to such preferment is generally so disgraceful, that I never
wish to see him tread its path. He will never attain such an _honour_ but
by the most _dishonourable_ means. Would you like to see him the tutor to
the son of some nobleman? This is the first step to promotion. When he is
in that situation, if his pupil should be of an abandoned character and
_he_ will condescend to be his _pimp_ and the pander to his vices, laugh
at his follies, and flatter his vanity: why, then, should this sprig of
nobility hereafter become a minister of state, or a man in power, knowing
the servility of his late tutor, and that he will make a willing tool for
the administration to which he belongs, then, forsooth, he is a proper
man, and may possibly become a bishop."

My mother could not believe that the highest dignities of the church were
ever obtained by such disgraceful means; but my father justified his
assertion by pointing out one or two living instances, that had come
within the reach of his own knowledge. He also pointed out some
dignitaries of the church who lived in his immediate neighbourhood, whom
my mother knew, and was obliged to admit to be very profligate characters.