wards became so distinguished and influential a member. The family trace their descent directly from the antient house of the Simeons of Pyrton in Oxfordshire; in which county, and that of Stafford, they formerly held very large possessions. Their only male representatives are now to be found in Mr. Simeon's branch of the family: the other branches having terminated in females; one of whom intermarried with the celebrated JOHN HAMPDEN; and others are merged in the families of the Welds of Lulworth Castle, and the Lords Vaux of Harrowden.

The eldest son of Richard Simeon, who was named after his father, died early in life. JOHN the second son, was bred to the bar; he became Senior Master of the Court of Chancery; and was one of the Commissioners, conjointly with Sir Herbert Taylor and Count Munster, for the management of the private property of George the Third. For many years he represented the Borough of Reading in Parliament; and in 1815 was created a baronet; an honour previously held by the family from a period almost coeval with the institution of the order. The third brother, EDWARD, was an eminent merchant in London; and for many years one of the Directors of the Bank of England. He realized a large fortune, but was cut off in the prime of life by a peculiar and distressing malady; during which he derived the most important benefit from the devoted attention and faithful instruction of his youngest brother.

CHARLES SIMEON was born at Reading, September 24, 1758, and was baptized at the parish-church, October 24, following. Very little can be ascertained with accuracy respecting his early history. Whilst yet very young he was sent to the Royal College of

Eton, where he was in due course admitted on the foundation; and in his nineteenth year he succeeded to a Scholarship of King's College in the University of Cambridge. The energy and vigour which so remarkably distinguished him through life, were much noticed in his youth. Horsemanship was his favourite exercise; and few persons, it is well known, were better judges of the merits of a horse, or more dexterous and bold in the management of one. In feats of strength and activity he was surpassed by none; of some of these he was pleasantly reminded in the decline of life by his early schoolfellow and constant friend, Dr. Goodall, the late Provost of Eton; who in a letter, September 29, 1833, writes to him," I much doubt if you could now snuff a candle with your feet, or jump over half-a-dozen chairs in succession. Sed quid ego hæc revoco?-at 73, moniti meliora sequamur." With regard to his moral character and habits, there is every reason to believe, from observations that occasionally escaped from him, that he was by no means profligate or vicious in the usual sense of the terms. It would rather appear that though exposed to scenes and temptations, which he often spoke of with horror, he was on the whole in early life regular in his habits, and correct in his general conduct. His failings were principally such as arose from a constitutional vehemence and warmth of temper, the more easily provoked from certain feelings of vanity and self-importance, which during the whole of his life were a subject of conflict and trial to him. These feelings would display themselves at school in too great attention to dress, and in little peculiarities of manner, which quickly attracted the notice and provoked the ridicule of his companions.

It seemed necessary to premise thus much respecting Mr. Simeon's early habits and behaviour; as it might easily be supposed from the strong language he has used, when describing "the vanity and wickedness" of his youth, that he had been guilty of some gross violations of morality. Those however who are accustomed to searching self-examination, and habitually compare their lives and tempers with the requirements of God's holy law, will have no difficulty in understanding Mr. Simeon's unreserved expressions of sorrow and humiliation when reviewing the past. It should be remembered too, that the statements of the following autobiography are those of an advanced Christian, recording with matured views his judgment of the unprofitableness of his youth. We now enter upon Mr. Simeon's own narrative.

MEMOIR WRITTEN IN 1813.

"I begin then with my early life.—But what an awful scene does that present to my view! Never have I reviewed it for thirty-four years past, nor ever can I to my dying hour, without the deepest shame and sorrow. My vanity, my folly, my wickedness, God alone knoweth, or can bear to know. To enter into a detail of particulars would answer no good end. If I be found at last a prodigal restored to his Father's house, God will in no ordinary measure be glorified in me the abundance of my sinfulness will display in most affecting colours the superabundance of his grace.

"There is, however, one remarkable circumstance which I will mention. About two years before I left Eton, on one of the fast days during the American War, I was particularly struck with the idea of the

whole nation uniting in fasting and prayer on account of the sins which had brought down the divine judgments upon us: and I thought that, if there was one who had more displeased God than others, it was I. To humble myself therefore before God appeared to me a duty of immediate and indispensable necessity. Accordingly I spent the day in fasting and prayer. But I had not learned the happy art of washing my face and anointing my head, that I might not appear unto men to fast.' My companions therefore noticed the change in my deportment, and immediately cried out Οὐαὶ, οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὑποκριταί (Woe, woe unto you hypocrites,) by which means they soon dissipated my good desires, and reduced me to my former state of thoughtlessness and sin. I do not remember that these good desires ever returned during my stay at school; but I think that they were from God, and that God would at that time have communicated richer blessings to me, if I had not resisted the operations of his grace, and done despite to his blessed Spirit."

[The late Rev. J. H. Michell, Rector of Kelshall, who was Mr. Simeon's schoolfellow at Eton, from the year 1768 to their removal together to King's College, gives the following account of this circumstance in a letter to the Editor in 1837.

"On the fast day in 1776 we attended the chapel twice, and heard a sermon from Dr. Barnard, the Provost. Though few of us had any clear notion of a fast, except that we were to abstain from meat and amusement till the afternoon after the second service, yet we could not forbear from observing and ridiculing our schoolfellow, who shut himself within his study, and instead of joining us in the public hall, contented

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himself with one hard egg. His dress and manners from this time became more plain and unfashionable. This was very observable to myself who slept within a few feet of his bed. As it was the custom for the upper boys to meet, after the outward doors were closed, in their lower chamber, many a direct and indirect jest was uttered against him. * We learnt also that he kept a small box with several divisions, into which, on having been tempted to say or do what he afterwards considered as immoral or unlawful, it was his custom to put money for the poor. His habits from that period became peculiarly strict."-He adds; "We used to have a song about him, ridiculing his strictness and devotion: and the chorus of that song, referring to his box, I am ashamed to say I once joined in: and it haunts me to this day."]

"On my coming to College, Jan. 29, 1779, the gracious designs of God towards me were soon manifest. It was but the third day after my arrival that I understood I should be expected in the space of about three weeks to attend the Lord's Supper. What! said I, must I attend? On being informed that I must, the thought rushed into my mind that Satan himself was as fit to attend as I; and that if I must attend, I must prepare for my attendance there. Without a moment's loss of time, I bought the old Whole Duty of Man, (the only religious book that I had ever heard of) and began to read it with great diligence; at the same time calling my ways to remembrance, and crying to God for mercy; and so earnest was I in these exercises, that within the three weeks I made myself quite ill with reading, fasting, and