at Oxford (Magdalen, 17 Dec. 1696), though he could ill afford to pay the fees. No allowance was made him for expenses, and he was obliged to dispose of his own small effects and raise money on credit. On 16 Dec. 1699 he set sail for Maryland. Knowing that missionaries were often detained in the seaports, he determined to found seaport libraries; he was able himself to deposit books on his way at Gravesend, Deal, and Plymouth. Arriving in Maryland in March, he 'at once set about repairing the breach made in the settlement of the parochial clergy,' and was well backed up by the governor Nicholson. But it was felt on all sides that Bray would do better service to the church in Maryland by returning home and endeavouring to get the law, which had been twice rejected there, re-enacted with the royal assent. If Bray had consulted his own interests, he would have remained in Maryland, for the commissary's office would yield him no profits if he left the country; but he returned to England at once, and found that the quakers had raised prejudices against the establishment of the church in Maryland. Bray refuted these in a printed memorial, and the bill was at last approved. Before he resigned his office of commissary he made a vigorous effort to obtain a bishop for Maryland. Bray had borne all the cost of his voyage and outfit; it was rightly thought unfair to allow him to impoverish himself for the public good. Viscount Weymouth therefore presented him with 300l., and two other friends with 50l. each; but he characteristically devoted it all to public purposes. On his return to England he found the work of the society so largely increased that it was necessary to make one of its departments the work of a separate society. Bray therefore obtained from King William a charter for the incorporation of a society for propagating the gospel throughout our plantations, June 1701. Thus Bray may almost be regarded as the founder of our two oldest church societies. The living of St. Botolph Without, Aldgate, which he had refused before he went to Maryland, was again offered to him in 1706. He accepted it, and set himself with characteristic energy to work the parish thoroughly. Meanwhile he never forgot his earliest project of erecting libraries, and in 1709 he had the gratification of seeing an act passed, through the instrumentality of Sir Peter King, afterwards lord chancellor, 'for the better preservation of parochial libraries in England.' He took a deep interest in the condition of the negroes in the West Indies and North America. When he was in Holland he had conversed much on the subject with Mr. D'Allone, King William's secretary, at the Hague, and this gentleman gave him 900l., to be devoted to the instruction of the negroes. In 1723 Bray was attacked with a dangerous illness, and, feeling that his life was very insecure, he nominated certain persons to carry out his work with him and after him. These were called 'Dr. Bray's associates for founding clerical libraries and supporting negro schools.' A decree of chancery confirmed their authority soon after Bray's death. The association still exists, and publishes a report of its labours every year, to which is always attached a memoir of Bray. He continued to work diligently in his parish. In 1723 Ralph Thoresby records in his diary that he ' walked to the pious and charitable Dr. Bray's in Aidgate, and was extremely pleased with his many pious, useful, and charitable works.' A week later he 'heard the charity children catechised at Dr. Bray's church,' and remarks on 'the prodigious pains so aged a man takes.' 'He is,' Thoresby adds, 'very mortified to the world, and takes abundant trouble to have a new church, though he would lose 100l. per annum.' The 'aged man' was not content with the work of his own parish. So late as 1727 'an acquaintance made a casual visit to Whitechapel prison, and his representation of the miserable state of the prisoners had such an effect on the doctor that he applied himself to solicit benefactions to relieve them;' and he also employed intended missionaries to read and preach to the prisoners. This work brought him into connection with the benevolent General Oglethorpe, who joined the 'associates' of Bray, and persuaded others to do so. And it was probably owing to his acquaintance with Oglethorpe that to the two designs of founding libraries and instructing negroes he added a third, viz. the establishing a colony in America to provide for the necessitous poor who could not find employment at home. He died on 15 Feb. 1730.
Bray is a striking instance of what a man may effect without any extraordinary genius, and without special influence. It would be difficult to point to any one who has done more real and enduring service to the church. His various appeals are plain, forcible, and racy. He cannot be reckoned among our great divines, but his writings produced more immediate practical results than those of greater divines have done. His first publication was entitled 'A Course of Lectures upon the Church Catechism, in 4 volumes, by a Divine of the Church of England,' Oxford, 1696. The first volume only, 'Upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers,' was published; it contains 303 folio pages, and consists of 26 lectures. In 1697 he
