, and a critical and accurate knowledge of ancient and modern literature.
As Sir Sidney's was a kind of house of call to good characters out of employ, no wonder this gentleman was sometimes with him. His visit at present, however, was on another account; for the baronet, to tell the reader the truth, was not without hopes of seeing him rector of Little Hockley. He had been some time nominated curate; and, at the death of the present incumbent, the living would be in the gift of Lord Hazard. That this circumstance, which has not been mentioned before, may not appear extraordinary, I shall now explain how it came about.
When Sir Sidney wrote to Lord Hazard, as we have seen, relative to Little Hockley, he little dreamt that his application would have produced all the cordiality that now subsisted between them.—On the contrary, there was more of delicacy than hopes of success in consulting him at all.
To Mr. Standfast, however, he did not conceive he owed any such delicacy; and therefore, as the right of nominating a curate reverted to the rector,

at the death of Major Malplaquet, disliking the bargain and sale manner in which it had been transacted before, he applied, in the strongest possible way, to the good pastor, for the appointment of Mr. Friend to that situation: namely, by making an offer to commute with him for the entire profits of the living, at a very handsome price, and to pay the curate's salary out of his own pocket.
The rector, who could calculate much better than he could preach, entered into the whole spirit of the argument, and Mr. Friend became to Sir Sidney, what Mr. Standfast had been formerly to Major Malplaquet. This was the reason why Mr. Figgins removed to his vicarage, who, officiating for some short time at Little Hockley, while the negociation was pending between Sir Sidney and the rector, became known to the baronet and Mr. Friend, both of whom believed him to be a very valuable young man, and Sir Sidney, in particular, assured him that if he could in future be of any service to him, it would give him pleasure.
In a few days after the arrival of Mr. Friend, Standfast had so ingratiated himself into his good opinion, that the worthy man was charmed with him. Indeed Standfast saw plainly that this was a good medium of recommendation to Sir Sidney,

whose friendship, for some reason or other, he was strenuously desirous to cultivate. Perhaps, as providence appeared to have
