arrangement was made respecting
Australia--an archdeaconry a great deal larger than the continent of
Europe! Thence Bishop Middleton received and attended to the petition of
the Rev. Samuel Marsden, a devoted worker in the vineyard, of whom our
next chapter will speak.

Distinct missionary labour was scarcely possible to a man overtasked like
Bishop Middleton. The district that kept St. Paul in continual
"journeyings often" would have been but a quarter of that which depended
on him for "the care of all the churches," and the long journeys by sea
and land were by far the least harassing part of his life; for he had to
fight the battles, sometimes of his Church, sometimes of the whole
Christian cause, with unfair and prejudiced officials, and a malignant
newspaper press, by which the bitterest attacks were circulated against
him and his doings. And, "besides those things that were without," there
were the troubles of dealing with men used to do "that which was right in
their own eyes," and determined to oppose or neglect one whose powers
could only thoroughly be defined by actual practice. To go into these
conflicts would be wearisome and vain. They have lost their interest
now; but it must be remembered that it is by manfully and firmly enduring
vexations such as these, that systems are established which form the
framework and foundation of more visible labours, which gain more praise
for those who are allowed to carry them out.

The constant wearing effort, the daily vexation, the inability to gain
support, the binding of his hands from free action by the machinery of
State regulations only applicable to home ecclesiastics, the continual
making beginnings that never were allowed to progress--or, as he himself
called it, the continual rolling of the stone of Sisyphus--could not but
exhaust his powers, above all in such a climate; and that same sickly
summer of 1822 which proved fatal to Felix Carey was his last. In July,
one of his clergy, on whom he had been obliged to pass censure,
instituted proceedings against him in the Supreme Court--a most improper
and disloyal act, which much grieved and agitated him. He had to spend
eight hours in writing in preparation for this painful matter, and
afterwards went out in the carriage with his wife, but too early in the
evening, for the slanting rays of the sun, not yet down, fell full on
him, and their force is always especially dreaded at that damp and sickly
season.