Untitled - Electric Scotland

270 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. xi.
very busy week, and have been much in God s House. How
great the privilege of thus ministering continually! ... I pray
for the Diocese. Prosper the works undertaken in Thy name.
Make them conduce to the good of souls. To-day I have had
an hour s conversation with Hugh, the under-butler, about his
confirmation. How many am I privileged to address at these
confirmations ! . . . My dear boy comes home, I hope, from
school in ten days.
him grow up. But
It would be a great pleasure to live to see
God knoweth what is best for him and
me.
The fainting-fits proved difficult to cure, and he went to
Scotland for a holiday.
On September 6th, 1862, Archbishop Sumner died at
Addington, and three weeks later Archbishop Longley
was translated from York to Canterbury. Bishop Tait
was in the Highlands when he received the following
letter :-
" MY
Viscount Palmerston to the Bishop of London.
"BROADLANDS, 27/7* Sept. 1862.
DEAR LORD, I have been authorised by the Queen to
propose to you to take charge of the Archbishopric of York, which
will become vacant by the transfer of the present Archbishop to
the See of Canterbury ; and I hope that this proposal may be
agreeable to you. Yours faithfully, PALMERSTON."
The Bishop asked for a few days in which to consider
the proposal. He consulted some three or four trusted
friends, and although their advice was, on the whole, in
favour of the move, he was unable to persuade himself
that it would be right to leave London, and on October
5th he wrote to Lord Palmerston declining
bishopric. The following letters ensued :
" MY
Viscount Palmerston to the Bishop of London.
the Arch
"BROADLANDS, 6th Oct. 1862.
DEAR LORD, I have received your letter of yesterday,
and I cannot refrain from asking you to reconsider your decision.