Burnet gravely asserts the spuriousness of the child, when it must be evident, that he knew the contrary. This circumstance seems to justify the severity of Lord Dartmouth's remark. In one of his notes on his History, his Lordship expresses an opinion, that Burnet would not designedly publish any thing which he believed to be false: but in another note on the second volume he writes: "I wrote in the first volume of this book, that I did not believe the Bishop designedly published anything he believed to be false: therefore think myself obliged to write in this, that I am fully satisfied that he published many things that he knew to be so." The following testimony is from a friendly pen: "Several other works shew him to be a man neither of prudence nor temper: his sometimes opposing and sometimes favoring the Dissenters, hath much exposed him to the generality of the people of England."[1]
Before we proceed further, a circumstance must be mentioned relative to Archbishop Sancroft, which may shield his memory from the imputation of a popish leaning. Besides his refusal to sanction the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, he printed
- ↑ Macky's Memoirs, p. 139. It appears from a disgraceful circumstance at his funeral, that Burnet was in no favour with the populace. The following extract, though disgraceful to the people, is sufficient evidence of unpopularity. "Last Tuesday night (March 22, 1714-15) the body of that great and good man, the late Dr. Burnet, Bishop of Sarum, was interred near the Communion Table, in Clerkenwell Church. As the corpse was conveying to the Church, the rabble (that shews no distinction to men of great parts and learning, when once they conceive an ill opinion of them) flung dirt and stones at the hearse, and broke the glasses of the coach that immediately followed it." Gent's Mag. 1788, Vol. lviii. 952. From a Letter containing an extract from a newspaper of the period.
