CHAPTER XVII.

DR. Barclay's rectorship, continued.

Presages of Coming Trouble in tlie Provinces—Sir Danvers Osborne's Sliort Adminis¬
tration—Addresses on the Occasion of his Death—The College—Appointment of Dr.
Johnson as its Head—Dissatisfaction of Non-Conformists and Dissenters—Dr. John¬
son's Advertisement to Parents—Free Masons Attend Service in Trinity on St. John's
Day—Movements on the Frontier under Amherst—Notable Sermons by Auchmuty.

THE first Chapel of Ease being now completed, and
opened, the work proceeding under able direction,
and the cause of the Church daily strengthening, it is pro¬
posed to say something of the affairs of the province, for
the progress and interests of the Church are so closely in¬
woven with them, that they go on the same line. The
minutes of the Vestry, it is true, contain little on the sub¬
ject of political events, and throw no light upon them ;
but undoubtedly the parish must have been tingling from
centre to circumference with the agitation of the times.
The aspect of public affairs grew daily more compli¬
cated. Clinton was the Governor of the province at
the time of Mr. Barclay's induction to the rectorship.
James De Lancey, Chief Justice, filled a large place in
the public view, and seemed to be a power behind the
chair of office much stronger than the representative of
royalty himself. Governor Clinton had a long battle with
the Assembly, in which he fared so ill, that at last, broken
in health, disheartened and discouraged, he begged to be
relieved of a thankless charge, and returned to England.
This was in the year 1753, when Barclay had been rector
seven years. Times had greatly changed since the peo-
264