The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

Our author had _projected many works_ besides those which we have
mentioned. Among them his Treatise on the _Moveable Feasts_ may be
reckoned. He very much lamented that he had not time to complete: what
he had prepared of it, he thought too prolix, and, if he had lived to
revise it, he would have made great alterations in it. Some time after
his decease, it was published under the inspection of Mr. Challoner. He
proposed writing the lives of bishop Fisher and sir Thomas {039} More,
and had made great collections, with a view to such a work: some of them
are in the hands of the editor, and are at the command of any person to
whom they can be of use. He had begun a treatise to explain and
establish the truths of _natural and revealed religion_; he was
dissatisfied with what Bergier had published on those subjects. He
composed many _sermons_, and an immense number of _pious discourses_.
From what remained of the three last articles, _the three volumes of his
discourses_, which have appeared since his decease, were collected. The
editor is happy in this opportunity of mentioning his obligations to the
Rev. Mr. Jones, for revising and superintending the publication of them.
They are acknowledged to possess great merit; the morality of them is
entitled to great praise; the discourse on conversation shows a
considerable knowledge of life and manners. Having mentioned his
sermons, it is proper to add, that as a preacher he almost wholly
failed. His sermons were sometimes interesting and pathetic; but they
were always desultory, and almost always immeasurably long. The editor
has lately published his _Short Life of Sir Toby Matthews_.
He was very communicative of his manuscripts, and consequently many of
them were lost; so that, on an attentive examination of them, after his
decease, none but those we have mentioned were thought fit for the
press.
XVI.
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The number of _letters_ written by our author exceeds belief; if they
could be collected, they would be found to contain an immense mass of
interesting matter on many important topics of religion and literature.
He corresponded with many persons of distinction, both among the
communicants with the see of Rome, and the separatists from her. Among
the former may be reckoned the learned and elegant Lambertini, who
afterwards, under the name of Benedict XIV., was honored with the papal
crown: among the latter may be reckoned Dr. Louth, the bishop first of
Oxford, afterwards of London, the celebrated translator of Isaiah. In a
Latin note on Michaelis, our author speaks of that prelate as his
intimate acquaintance, "_necessitate conjunctissimus_."
He had the happiness to enjoy the friendship and esteem of many persons
distinguished by rank, talents, or virtue. The holy bishop of Amiens