forward and earnest to visit them upon all vacations: yet he made even this submit to religion; and moved, in a letter to his mother, that he might stay in town beyond the usual time, for the sake of a Sacrament the first Sunday in April this year, though the very next was Easter Day. He had been left Captain of the school at the last election, 1709, and in October following was congratulated from St. John's with the news of a vacancy there, it being presumed he would reap the benefit of it. However, not long after he began to be somewhat dubious of success, his not reading prayers being taken notice of by the Master of the Company, Alderman Ward, who, it was supposed, came to the knowledge of it by the means of some one of the head scholars, that hoped by putting by Bonwicke to succeed himself. It is the custom of that school for the head-scholars in their turns to read the prayers there; and among other prayers for the morning, the first Collect for the King at the Communion Service of our Liturgy is appointed to be read. This our conscientious lad stuck at, it being indeed one of the most improper prayers in the whole Liturgy to be used for a governor whom he thought was not so de jure, as well as de facto. On this account he was frequently attacked by most of his friends in London, who endeavoured not only to convince him with arguments, but to affright him with the consequences of his not complying. But the heroic youth stood firm against all their assaults, resolving to sacrifice every thing rather than his conscience. In a letter to his father, dated February 22, 1709-10, wherein he gave him a large account of what two of his uncles had said to him on this point, he thus expresses himself: "Now though I am 66 very well convinced in my own breast that "these arguments are very false, yet I can66 not so well answer to them, because I do "not know whether you would have me open "myself so much as I must of necessity do, "if I go to refute these arguments; there"fore I hear all and say little: but if you "would have me do otherwise, pray let me "know it." And in another place thus: "I am stedfastly resolved to keep to your "opinion, which I take to be the right and 66 my duty; and I hope God will give me 66 grace and courage to suffer for the same, "whenever it shall please him to call me to "it." To support and comfort him in this trial, he received two days after the following letter from his mother. "Dear Ambrose, we “are afraid by your letter that came by your "uncle, that you trouble yourself too much; "and had that come time enough for us to "send you orders to come down on Tuesday, "I believe it had been done, though your "father thought it would be too great a "fatigue to return so soon, now the ways are 66 so bad. I pity you, supposing you have "not one friend at London to encourage you, but that all blame us and you: I 66 66 hope not withstanding, you will take courage "and bear up, when you consider you had "the same fate which you now fear, before 66 you were a month old, and it has pleased "God you have wanted for nothing since "that time; and therefore you have great "reason to hope, if you do your duty, God "will still provide for you some way or "other; we don't in the least doubt of it. "And if you are put by going to Oxford, " and don't like Cambridge so well, you may "assure yourself we shall not desire you to 66 go thither, nor think you a burthen to us "here, where you have a good friend to di- "Your loving mother, At length the election for this year, 1710, came on, and St. Barnabas being on a Sunday, the orations, examinations, and other exercises, were performed the day before in all which our youth came off with a reputation answerable to his post and standing. Particularly his extempore translation of Livy (which was truly so, for he declared he had never read that part of the history before) was so much admired, that Doctor Delaune, the President of St. John's in Oxford, told the Master of the school it was fit to be printed. On Sunday in the evening they proceeded to the election, and the Captain being called in, the Master of the Company spoke to him in these, or words to this effect: "Mr. Bonwicke, the "President and gentlemen who have exa"mined you as a candidate for this election, "declare that you have performed your duty 66 66 very well, and are every way capable of "being elected. But the Company who are "the electors have received information, that you have not read the prayers of the 66 school, whether enjoined by the Statutes or "your Master I cannot tell. The Company "therefore desire to know of the reason you "why you did not read them. "make what excuse you please; I You may do not put To any thing to you to say, but only the "reason why you did not read them." which he in short answered, "Sir, I could "not do it." Upon which the Master, and several other persons there present, said, It was very honestly said, a very honest answer, the best answer he could give; and one said, that he was very sorry for him. Within a little while after, the second and fourth boys were elected, the third being set aside for having been absent some considerable time from the school since the last election. Our young confessor bore this defeat serenely and cheerfully; and after he had B |