your obligations than, my Lord, your ever faithful and moft obedient fervant,

FR. ROFFEN.

LETTER CXXVII.

To Bp. TRELAWNY.

Bromley, Aug. 24, 1718.

MY HONOURED LORD,

RECEIVED your commands yesterday at the Deanery, when I was ftepping into my coach to come hither. I endeavoured to obey them, by calling at the Dean's as I paffed. But he, and all his family, are from home; gone with Sir Charles Wager to Dr. Watfon's, in Cambridgeshire, where they are to stay for a fortnight: so no account is to be had from him; and the time prescribed. by your Lordship is fo fhort, that I could not procure any elsewhere. I am forry I was fo unsuccessful; and am your Lordship's most obedient and faithful fervant, FR. ROFFEN.

LET

LETTER CXXVIII.

To Bp. TRELAWN Y.

Bath, Sept. 7, 1719.

I

MY HONOURED LORD,

RECEIVED your Lordship's letter here, and waited to give your Lordship an account of the effect of it, having transmitted it to Mr. Nicoll, who was to meet Mr. Alfop at a feaport town in Effex, and deliver it into his own hands; and till I heard from him about it, I thought it not proper to trouble your Lordship. I have juft received my anfwer from Mr. Nicoll, who tells me, that Mr. Alfop excufes himself for not meeting him, by a promise he has made to the merchants at Rotterdam, to fupply their church in the abfence of their minifter; a promife which he the rather made, and thinks himfelf obliged to keep, becaufe without it, he fays, the congregation must have broken up.

This unexpected turn has difconcerted my measures at prefent; but there is a treaty now on foot with his creditors, which may probably

probably fucceed very foon; and, if it does, he will then be here openly, and throw up all thoughts of his Carolina-journey; upon which, otherwise, I take him to be fully bent. Even the terms of that treaty, if complied with, will engage him in fuch a debt, as he cannot in feveral, nay in many years, mafter, without fome addition to his fortune and therefore I hope the Mafterfhip, as foon as it can be made vacant, will be a temptation not eafily to be refifted by him. I wait for the refult of this affair; and as foon as I know any thing farther in it, your Lord, fhip fhall *.

I find these waters do me fervice, but flowly: however, I have thoughts of staying here till the beginning (perhaps till the fecond week) in October.

Nobody wifhes the health and happiness of your Lordship and your family, more than he who is, with the trueft refpect, your Lordship's ever faithful and most obedient fervant, FR. ROFFEN.

* See p. 350.

LET

LETTER CXXIX.

To Bp. TRELAWNY.

MY HONOURED LORD,

Bromley, Dec. 2, 1919.

HIS will meet you perhaps by the

Trime you arrive at Farnham; and you

may probably, before that, have heard, that the Peerage-bill has already received a check in the House of Commons. The Court laboured to have it read a fecond time on Friday-next: but, upon a division, 203 carried it against 158* for Tuesday; which will give the country gentlemen, who are against the bill, and who are now remarkably abfent, an opportunity of attending and oppofing it: fo that the fate of that bill, I take it, is doubtful.

Till it is over, no other bill of confequence will, I fuppofe, be moved: but after.

* The Journals of the Houfe of Commons fay, "58." Yet Bp. Atterbury could scarcely mistake in an event that happened but the day before.

that,

that, there are expectations of a bill to regulate the Universities *, which, I need not fay, will deferve your Lordship's attendance; though perhaps it may not come in before the holidays. If it does, or any thing else of inmediate importance appears, your Lordfhip fhall be advertifed of it.

1 am afraid your Lordship has no ground to ftand upon, in relation to the Archdeaconry of Surrey as unkind as the ufage may be, it is legal. I am your Lordship's, in all respect and fervice, FR. ROFFEN.

I am glad of what your Lordfhip writes about Alfop; and hope he will foon enjoy the benefit of it .

This bill feems to have been dropped.

Then vacant in the promotion of Dr. Butler to the Fishoprick of Bristol.

This is the last time that Mr. Alfop occurs in thefe letters. His exile very probably ended foon after. His death, which happened June 16, 1726, was occafioned by the falling in of the bank, as. he was walking by the river fide in his own garden, in a place where the path was narrow. quarto volume of his "Latin Odes" was publifhed in 1752 by the late Sir Francis Bernard; and feveral of his English poems are to be found in the early volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine, and in other collections,

A

LET