Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/382

 378 LESLIE. attended him, notwithstanding the ill-usage he met with at his court. The Pretender had given him a promise that he should celebrate the church of England service in his family; and that he would hear what he should repre sent to him on the subject of religion. But the chevalier was far from keeping the word he had given, and on the faith of which our divine had come over; for, though he allowed him, for form's sake, to celebrate the church of England service in his family, yet he never was present there; and not only refused to hear Leslie himself, but sheltered the ignorance of his priests, or the badness of his cause, or both, behind his authority, and absolutely forbad a l l discourse concerning religion”. He returned t o England i n 1721, resolving, whatever the consequences might be, t o die i n his own country. Some o f his friends, acquainting Lord Sunderland with his purpose, implored his protection for the good old man, which his lordship readily and generously promised; and when a member o f the House o f Commons officiously waited o n Lord Sun derland with the news that Mr. Leslie had arrived, h e met with such a reception from h i s lordship a s his illiberal errand deserved. Our author then went over t o Ireland, where h e died April 13th, 1722, a t his own house a t Glas lough, i n the county o f Monaghan. - Leslie, notwithstanding his opinions o n government were widely different from those adopted b y men eminent both for learning and talent, was unquestionably a man possessed o f ability and acquirement, and deserves, the highest encomiums for h i s defence o f the Christian reli gion against t h e attacks o f Deists and Jews. Besides the political tracts which h e scattered, our author left two volumes folio, o f theological works,(which are now become very scarce,) i n which h e has discussed nearly a l l the controversies which disturb the peace o f the Christian church. o f princely word-breaking, may, i n some measure, tend t o convince those, who i n any way disbelieve the legitimacy o f his descent.
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