given that the flower-pots fhould be infpected. The meffengers however miffed the room in which the paper was left. Blackhead went therefore a third time; and finding his paper where he had left it, brought it. away,

The bishop, having been enlarged, was, on June the 10th and 13th, examined again before the Privy Council, and confronted with his accufers. Young perfifted with the most obdurate impudence, against the strongest evidence; but the refolution of Blackhead by degrees gave way. There remained at last no doubt of the bishop's innocence, who, with great prudence and diligence, traced the progrefs, and detected the characters of the two informers, and publifhed an account of his own examination, and deliverance; which made fuch an impreffion upon him, that he commemorated it through life by an yearly day of thankf giving.

With what hope, or what intereft, the villains had contrived an accufation which they must know themfelves utterly unable to prove, was never discovered,

After this, he paffed his days in the quiet exercise of his function. When the cause of Sacheverell put the publick in commotion, he honeftly appeared among the friends of the church. He lived to his feventyninth year, and died May 20, 1713.

Burnet is not very favourable to his memory; but he and Burnet were old rivals. On fome publick occafion they both preached before the houfe of commons, There prevailed in thofe days an indecent cuftom ; when the preacher touched any favourite topick in a manner that delighted his audience, their approbation was expreffed by a loud hum, continued in proportion

to

to their zeal or pleasure. When Burnet preached, part of his congregation hummed fo loudly and fo long, that he fat down to enjoy it, and rubbed his face with his handkerchief. When Sprat preached, he likewise was honoured with the like animating hum; but he ftretched out his hand to the congregation, and cried, "Peace,' peace, I pray you, peace." I

This I was told in my youth by my father, an old man, who had been no careless obferver of the paffages of thofe times.

Burnet's fermon, fays Salmon, was remarkable for fedition, and Sprát's for loyalty. Burnet had the thanks of the houfe; Sprat had no thanks, but a good living from the king; which, he faid, was of as much value as the thanks of the Commons.

The works of Sprat, befides his few poems, are, The Hiftory of the Royal Society, The Life of Cowley, The Anfwer to Sorbiere, The Hiftory of the Ryehoufe Plot, The Relation of his own Examination, and a volume of Sermons. I have heard it obferved, with great juftnefs, that every book is of a different kind, and that each has its distinct and characteristical excellence.

My business is only with his poems. He confidered Cowley as a model; and fuppofed that as he was imitated, perfection was approached. Nothing therefore but Pindarick liberty was to be expected. There is in his few productions no want of fuch conceits as he thought excellent; and of those our judgement may be fettled by the first that appears in his praise of Cromwell, where he fays that Cromwell's fame, like Qian, will grow white as it grows old.

HALIFAX.

TH

HE life of the Earl of Halifax was properly that of an artful and active statefman, employed in balancing parties, contriving expedients, and combating oppofition, and expofed to the viciffitudes of advancement and degradation: but in this collection, poetical merit is the claim to attention; and the account which is here to be expected may properly be proportioned not to his influence in the ftate, but to his rank among the writers of verfe.

Charles Montague was born April 16, 1661, at Horton in Northamptonshire, the fon of Mr. George. Montague, a younger fon of the earl of Manchester, He was educated first in the country, and then removed to Westminster; where in 1677 he was chosen a king's scholar, and recommended himself to Busby by his felicity in extemporary epigrams. He contracted a very intimate friendship with Mr. Stepney ; and in 1682, when Stepney was elected to Cambridge, the election of Montague being not to proceed till the year following, he was afraid left by being placed at

Oxford he might be feparated from his companion, and therefore folicited to be removed to Cambridge, without waiting for the advantages of another year.

It feems indeed time to wifh for a removal; for he was already a school-boy of one and twenty.

His relation Dr. Montague was then mafter of the college in which he was placed a fellow-commoner, and took him under his particular care. Here he commenced an acquaintance with the great Newton, which continued through his life, and was at last attested by a legacy.

In 1685, his verfes on the death of king Charles made fuch impreffion on the earl of Dorset, that he was invited to town, and introduced by that universal patron to the other wits. In 1687, he joined with Prior in the City Moufe and Country Moufe, a burlesque of Dryden's Hind and Panther. He figned the invitation to the Prince of Orange, and fat in the convention. He about the fame time married the countess dowager of Manchester, and intended to have taken orders; but afterwards altering his purpose, he purchafed for 1500l, the place of one of the clerks of the council.

After he had written his epifile on the victory of the Boyne, his patron Dorfet introduced him to king William with this expreffion: Sir, I have brought a Moufe to wait on your Majefty. To which the king is faid to have replied, You do well to put me in the way of making a Man of him; and ordered him a penfion of five hundred pounds. This ftory, however current, feems to have been made after the event. The king's anfwer implies a greater acquaintance with our proverbial and familiar diction than king William could poffibly have attained.

3.

In

In 1691, being member in the houfe of commons; he argued warmly in favour of a law to grant the affiftance of counsel in trials for high treason; and in the midft of his fpeech, falling into fome confufion, was for a while filent; but, recovering himself, obfervéd, "how reasonable it was to allow counsel to men called as ériminals before a court of juftice, "when it appeared how much the prefence of that "affembly could difconcert one of their own body."

After this he rofe faft into honours and employments, being made one of the commiffioners of the treafury, and called to the privy council. In 1694, he became chancellor of the Exchequer; and the next year engaged in the great attenipt of the recoinage, which was in two years happily compleated. In 1696, he projected the general fund, and raised the credit of the Exchequer; and, after enquiry concerning a grant of Irish crown-lands, it was determined by a vote of the commons, that Charles Montague, efquire; had defcrved his Majefty's favour. In 1593, being advanced to the first commiffion of the treasury, he was appointed one of the regency in the king's absence: the next year he was made auditor of the Exchequer; and the year after created baron Halifax. He was however impeached by the commons; but the articles were dif miffed by the lords.

At the acceffion of queen Anne he was difmiffed from the council; and in the first parliament of her reign was again attacked by the commons, and again efcaped by the protection of the lords. In 1704, he wrote an answer to Bromley's fpeech against occasional *This Anecdote I have heard related of the Earl of Shaftesbury, Author of the Characteristics.

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