One of his amusements at Lambeth, where he refided, was to mortify Dr. Tenifon, the archbishop, by a publick feftivity, on the furrender of Dunkirk to Hill; an event with which Tenifon's political bigotry did not fuffer him to be delighted. King was refolved to counteract his fullennefs, and at the expence of a few barrels of ale filled the neighbourhood with honeft merriment.

In the Autumn of 1712 his health declined; he grew weaker by degrees, and died on Chriftmas-day. Though his life had not been without irregularity, his principles were pure and orthodox, and his death was. pious.

After this relation, it will be naturally fuppofed that his poems were rather the amufements of idleness than efforts of study; that he endeavoured rather to divert than aftonifh; that his thought feldom afpired to fublimity; and that, if his verfe was eafy and his images familiar, he attained what he defired. His purpose is to be merry; but perhaps, to enjoy his mirth, it may be fometimes neceffary to think well of his opinions.

SPRA T,

T

HOMAS SPRAT was born in 1636, at Tal laton in Devonshire, the fon of a clergyman; and having been educated, as he tells of himself, not at Westminster or Eaton, but at a little fchool by the churchyard fide, became a commoner of Wadham College in Oxford in 1651; and, being chofen scholar next year, proceeded through the ufual academical course; and in 1657 became mafter of arts. He obtained a fellowship, and commenced poet.

In 1659, his poem on the death of Oliver was publifhed, with thofe of Dryden and Waller. In his dedication to Dr. Wilkins he appears a very willing and liberal encomiait, both of the living and the dead. He implores his patron's excufe of his verfes, both as falling fo infinitely below the full and fublime genius of that excellent poet who made this way of writing free of our nation, and being fo little equal and proportioned to the renown of the prince on whom they were written; fuch great actions and lives deferving to be the fubject of the nobleft pens and most divine phanfics. He proceeds: Hav

ing fo long experienced your care and indulgence, and been formed, as it were, by your own hands, not to entitle you to any thing which my meanness produces, would be not only injustice, but facrilege.

He published the fame year a poem on the Plague of Athens; a fubject of which it is not eafy to fay what could recommend it. To thefe he added afterwards a poem on Mr. Cowley's death.

After the Restoration he took orders, and by Cowley's recommendation was made chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham, whom he is faid to have helped in writing the Rehearsal. He was likewife chaplain to the king.

As he was the favourite of Wilkins, at whofe houfe began thofe philofophical conferences and enquiries, which in time produced the Royal Society, he was confequently engaged in the fame ftudies, and became one of the fellows; and when, after their incorporation, fomething feemed neceffary to reconcile the publick to the new inftitution, he undertook to write its hiftory, which he published in 1667. This is one of the few books which felection of fentiment and elegance of diction have been able to preferve, though written upon a fubject flux and tranfitory. The Hiftory of the Royal Society is now read, not with the wifh to know what they were then doing, but how their Tranfactions are exhibited by Sprat.

In the next year he published Obfervations on Sorbiere's Voyage into England, in a Letter to Mr. Wren. This is a work not ill performed; but perhaps rewarded with at least its full proportion of praife.

In 1668 he published Cowley's Latin poems, and prefixed in Latin the Life of the Author; which he afterwards

B 4

afterwards amplified, and placed before Cowley's EngJifh works, which were by will committed to his

care.

Ecclefiaftical benefices now fell faft upon him. In 1668 he became a prebendary of Westminster, and had afterwards the church of St. Margaret, adjoining to the Abbey. He was in ì680 made canon of Windsor, in 1683 dean of Westminster, and in 1684 bishop of Rochefter.

The Court having thus a claim to his diligence and gratitude, he was required to write the Hiftory of the Ryehoufe Plot; and in 1685 published A true Account and Declaration of the horrid Confpiracy against the late King, his prefent Majefty, and the prefent Government ; a performance which he thought convenient, after the Revolution, to extenuate and excufe,

The fame year, being clerk of the closet to the king, he was made dean of the chapel-royal; and the year afterwards received the laft proof of his master's confi, dence, by being appointed one of the commiffioners for ecclefiaftical affairs, On the critical day, when the Declaration diftinguished the true fons of the church of England, he ftood neuter, and permitted it to be read at Westminster; but preffed none to violate his confcience; and when the bishop of London was brought before them, gave his voice in his favour,

Thus far he fuffered intereft or obedience to carry him; but further he refused to go. When he found that the powers of the ecclefiaftical commiffion were to be exercifed against thofe who had refufed the Decla ration, he wrote to the lords, and other commiffioners, a formal profeffion of his unwillingness to exercife that authority any longer, and withdrew himself from them,

After

After they had read his letter, they adjourned for fix months, and fcarcely ever met afterwards,

When king James was frighted away, and a new government was to be fettled, Sprat was one of thofe who confidered, in a conference, the great question, whether the crown was vacant; and manfully fpoke in favour of his old mafter.

He complied, however, with the new eftablishment, and was left unmolested; but in 1692 a strange attack was made upon him by one Robert Young and Stephen Blackhead, both men convicted of infamous crimes, and both, when the fcheme was laid, prifoners in Newgate. These men drew up an Affociation, in which they whofe names were fubfcribed declared their refolution to restore king James; to feize the princefs of Orange, dead or alive; and to be ready with thirty thousand men to meet king James when he fhould land, To this they put the names of Sancroft, Sprat, Marlborough, Salisbury, and others. The copy of Dr. Sprat's name was obtained by a fictitious request, to which an answer in his own hand was defired. His hand was copied fo well, that he confeffed it might have deceived himself. Blackhead, who had carried the letter, being fent again with a plaufible meffage, was very curious to fee the houfe, and particularly importunate to be let into the study; where, as is fuppofed, he defigned to leave the Affociation. This however was denied him, and he dropt it in a flowerpot in the parlour.

Young now laid an information before the Privy Council; and May 7, 1692, the bishop was arrested, and kept at a meffenger's under a ftrict guard eleven days. His houfe was fearched, and directions were

given