It was through his friend Swift that he known to the Earl of Peterborough, who appointed him his chaplain and private secretary, and whom he accompanied to Sicily and Italy in November 1713, in the capacity of ambassador. On returning to England in the ensuing year, he found that his hopes of preferment had expired with the change of admi nistration ; which induced him to accept the offer of travelling through Europe with the son of Di Ashe, bishop of Clogher. At Paris he visited the celebrated Father Malebranche, who was then in a declining state of health, and engaged with him in so keen a metaphysical argument, that an increase Of the disorder of Malebranche, which was an inflammation of the lungs, was the consequence. In fact, the learned father died a few days afterwards, viz. Octo ber 13,1715. On his way home, lie drew up, at Lyons, a curious tract, De 3lotu, which he transmitted to the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, and afterwards published in London in 1721. He was likewise the author of au Essay towards Preventing the Ruin of Great Britain, printed in the same year, and occa sioned by the disastrous South Sea scheme of 1720.
Upon his return, his acquaintance among the great ' was considerably extended ; and Lord Burlington, who had conceived for him a high esteem when at Rome, on account of his taste for architecture, ob tained for him the grant of the deanery of Down, worth X2000 per annum. Through the narrow sys tem of politics, however, which then prevailed in the Irish cabinet, considerable opposition was made to his appointment ; and such was Btrkeley's mildness and humility, that he could not be prevailed upon to dis pute the matter, or even expostulate on the subject. His noble patron afterwards, in 1724, procured for him the deanery of Derry, the next best in Ireland to that of Down, and worth '1100 per annum. Upon this preferment he resigned his fellowship to which he had been appointed in 1717, in which year, also, he had received the degrees of bachelor and doc tor in divinity. About this time he obtained an agree able accession to his income by the death of Mrs Vanhomrigh, the Vanessa of Swift, who made Berke ley one of her executors, and left him half her for tune, amounting to about X4000, although she had been but once in company with him. In his capacity' of executor, he committed to the flames several let ters that had passed between her and the >dean, not, as he expressly declared, because there was any thing criminal in them, but because there was a warmth in the lady's style which he thought it_ delicate to con ceal from the public.
Previous to his appointmeht to the deanery of Derry, the benevolent mind of Berkeley had been bu sied in the noble plan of converting the savage Ame ricans to Christianity, by erecting a college in the Bermudas or Summer islands, which might likewise be a seminary for more completely supplying the churches in our foreign plantations. In 1725, he
published a proposal for this purpose in London ; at the same time offering to resign his lucrative benefice, and to dedicate the remainder of his life to the in struction of youth in America, on the moderate in come of ie100 per annum. Three junior fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, influenced by this distin guished example of disinterestedness, offered their services in the intended seminary on a salary of A'40 yearly, in room of all their prospects at home. After much solicitation and attendance on the great, Berke ley succeeded in having his favourite measure approved by government, and introduced into the House of Com mons by Sir Robert Walpole. A charter was granted by his majesty for erecting a college, by the name of St Paul's college, in Bermuda, which was to consist of a president and nine fellows, who were obliged to maintain and educate Indian children at the rate of 2810 a year for each. X20,000 was allotted for this philanthropic purpose, of which one half was furnish ed by the ministers, and the other half was to be af terwards advanced. Berkeley and his associates were permitted to retain their livings in Ireland till this sum should actually be paid ; but were bound to re sign them in a limited time after the payment should take place. The benevolent dean lost no time in car rying this favourite plan into execution; but, in 17'28, passed over to America, having a little before united himself in marriage to the eldest daughter of John. Forster, Esq. of the House of Coat mons. Upon his arrival at Newport, in Rhode I Island, he contracted for the purchase of lands on the adjoining continent, and fully'expeeted that the pur chase money would, according to agreement, be im mediately paid. His expectations, however, were disappointed ; and, after various delays and excuses, he was at length informed by Bishop Gibson, in whose diocese, as bishop of London, the whole of the West Indies was included, that upon application to Sir Ro bert Walpole, he received the following remarkable answer : If you put this question to me as a mini ster," said Sir Robert, " I must and can assure you, that the money shall most undoubtedly be paid as soon as suits with public convenience ; but if you ask me as a friend, whether Dean Berkeley should conti nue in America expecting the payment of E 10,000, I advise him by all means to return home to Europe, and give up his present expectation." Accordingly the dean, after having expended a great part of his private fortune, and more than seven years of his life, in the prosecution of so laudable a scheme, found him self compelled to return to England. Before he left Rhode Island, he distributed the books he had brought with him among the clergy of that province ; and, upon his arrival in London, immediately returned all the private subscriptions that had been advanced for the support of his undertaking.