LIFE OF THE FIRST LORD BARRINGTON. JOHN SHUTE,' first Viscount Barrington, was born in 1678, at Theobalds in Hertfordshire. He was the third son of Benjamin Shute, merchant, who was the youngest son of Francis Shute, Esq. of Upton, in the county of Leicester; and was lineally descended from Robert Shute, Esq., who was appointed one of the barons of the exchequer by Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1577. His ancestors were eminent for their virtue, and zeal in the cause of liberty; and several of them served the kings of England with honour as commanders in the wars of Normandy, when that dutchy was annexed to the English crown. 'The Shute family is of Norman extraction. While Normandy continued to be annexed to the English crown, there were to be seen the remains of a castle bearing the name VOL. 1. a His mother was a daughter of the famous Mr. Caryll, author of the "Commentary on the Book of Job." At the age of 16, Mr. Shute was sent to the university of Utrecht, where he distinguished himself greatly by his academical exercises,' which have not only been printed, but have been cited with great commendation by some eminent writers on the Civil Law. After passing of Shute, which castle formerly belonged to the family. There were also other monuments in several towns of that dutchy. • Exercitatio Physica de Ventis. Utrecht, 1696, 4to. Dissertatio Philosophica de Theocratia Morali, 1697. Dissertatio Philosophica Inauguralis de Theocratia Civili, 1697. Oratio de studio Philosophiæ conjungendo cum studio Juris Civilis, habita in inclytâ Academiâ Trajectanâ, Kalendis Junii, 1698. * Heineccius and Cocceius, the eminent civilians, have thus testified their high opinion of Mr. Shute's juvenile treatise De Theocratia Morali: "Theocratiam quandam moralem, singulari dissertatione, Ultraj. 1697, pro fundamento juris naturæ habuit Joannes Shute, Anglus; ex qua dissertatione ingeniosa," &c. J. Gottlieb Heineccii Opera, Ed. tertia, Geneva, 1744. "Imprimis vero mirum in modum me cepit nova principium hoc constituendi methodus, cujusdam et nobilitate et eruditione illustris juvenis Angli Joannis Shute, quocum in Anglia degerem familiariter me usum esse impense mihi gratulor. Hic in dissertatione suâ de Theocratia Morali, anno 1697, Ultraj. habita, terrarum orbem regnum aliquod constituere demonstrat, illudque vocat regnum morale; hujus regni constituit Deum Regem, eumque solum, id quod ex four years at Utrecht, he returned to England, and applied himself with diligence to the study of the common law at the Inner Temple. In 1701 he began to write in favour of the Protestant dissenters, to which body he belonged. He published in this year, but without his name, a pamphlet in 4to, entitled, "The Interest of England considered in respect of Protestants dissenting from the Established Church." This was reprinted two years afterwards with considerable alterations and enlargements. As he dwells much in this pamphlet on the rights of the dissenters to toleration, it was probably the occasion of his being known to Mr. Locke, who afterwards honoured him with his friendship, notwithstanding the great disparity of their ages. This circumstance, which does the character of Mr. Shute so much credit, appears by an ode addressed to John Shute, Esq., in the year 1704, on occasion of the dangerous illness which terminated in the death of Mr. Locke. ejus attributis, et imprimis independentiâ probat, et humanum genus civium esse loco asserit; addit porro regnum illud quoque legibus gubernari, quæ ex voluntate divinâ fluunt, et vocantur leges naturales, quibus si resistant cives, immorigeros habendos esse. Has autem leges claras esse probat, et quidem ex Dei sanctissimâ naturâ; unde a Dei omni sufficientiâ cultus divini necessitatem inducit." Sam. D. Cocceii de Princ. Jur. Nat. Diss. 1. 1. 3. s. 8. And must the man of wondrous mind, Reason at length submits to wear The wings of Faith, and lo! they rear Go, Friend, and wait the prophet's flight, Shute is the darling of his years, Young Shute bis better likeness bears; Thus when our follies or our faults The sallies of whose youthful wit About two years after he had written the above-mentioned pamphlet, he published another, entitled, "The Rights of Protestant Dissenters," in two parts, which reached a second edition in 1705. Mr. Shute's character was now so generally known, though only in his 24th year, and his influence with the dissenters was so considerable, that he was sent for by the cabinet council, when it had been determined by the Queen's ministry that the important measure of the union of the two kingdoms should take place. The Lords Somers, Wharton, Halifax, and Sunderland were at this meeting, the first of whom opened the design and general view which they had in promoting this great object, and condescended so far, since they designed he should take a part in it, as to ask his opinion on this head. Mr. Shute having then expressed himself most warmly with regard to the national advantages to be expected from such a close connexion between the two kingdoms, Lord Somers said that it could not be carried without the assistance of the dissenters in England, and of the presbyterians in Scotland; for which reason they wished he would undertake a journey to Scotland for that purpose. Mr. Shute at first declined this service, because it was inconsistent with his professional views-the study of the common law-and also because he conceived that he could scarcely prevail with the presbyterians and dissenters to promote the Union, unless the corporation and test acts were repealed. To this it was replied, that on account of the sacrifices he would be obliged to make in foregoing the advantage of pursuing his professional engagements, he should, on his return from Scotland, have an employment to the amount of 1000l. per annum, and that there was little doubt that the test act would be repealed |