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

After this, he paffed his days in the quiet exercife of his function. When the caufe of Sacheverell put the publick in commotion, he honeftly appeared among the friends of the church. He lived to his feventy-ninth 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 house of commons. There prevailed in thofe days an indecent custom: when the preacher touched any favourite topick in a manner that delighted his audience, their approbation was expreffed by a loud bum, continued in proportion to their zeal or pleafure. 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 likewife was honoured with the like animating bum; but he ftretched out his hand to the congregation, and cried, "Peace, peace, I pray you, peace."

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 Sprat's for loyalty. Burnet had the thanks of the houfe; Sprat had no thanks; but a good living from the king, which, he said, was of as much value as the thanks of the com

mons.

The

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

My bufinefs is only with his poems. He confidered Cowley as a model; and supposed 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 praife of Cromwell, where he fays that Cromwell's "fame, like man, will grow "white as it grows old."

HALIFAX.

THE life of the Earl of Halifax was properly that of an artful and active ftate fman, 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

1 6

the

the flate, but to his rank among the writers of verse.

Charles Montague was born April 16, 1661, at Horton in Northamptonshire, the fon of Mr. George Montague, a younger fon of the earl of Manchefter. He was educated firft in the country, and then removed to Weftminster, where, in 1677, he was chofen a king's fcholar, and recommended himself to Bufby by his felicity in extemporary epigrams. He contracted a very intimate triendship with Mr. Stepney; and in 1682, when Stepney was elected at 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 wish for a removal; for he was already a fchool-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 attefted by a legacy.

In 1685, his verfes on the death of king Charles made fuch impreffion on the earl of Dorfet, that he was invited to town, and introduced by that univerfal patron to the other wits. In 1687, he joined with Prior in the City Mouje and the Country Moufe, a burlefque 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

and intended to have taken orders; but afterwards altering his purpose, he purchased for 1500/. the place of one of the clerks of the council.

After he had written his epiftle on the victory of the Boyne, his patron Dorfet introduced him to king William, with this expreffion: "Sir, 1 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.

In 1691, being member of the house of commons, he argued warmly in favour of a law to grant the affiftance of counfel in trials for hightrealon; and, in the midft of his fpeech falling into fome confufion, was for a while filent; but, recovering himself, obferved, "how reafonable it "was to allow counfel to men called as criminals "before a court of Juftice, when it appeared how "much the prefence of that affembly could dif"concert one of their own body

After this he rofe faft into honours and employments, being made one of the commiffioners of the treafuty, and called to the privy-council. In 1694, he became chancellor of the exchequer ; and the next year engaged in the great attempt of the re-coinage, which was in two years happily

*This anecdote is related by Mr. Walpole, in his Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, of the Earl of Shaftefoury, author of the Characterifticks. R.

completed.

completed. 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 deferved his Majefty's favour. In 1698, being advanced to the first commiffion of the treafury, he was appointed one of the regency in the king's abfence: 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 difmiffed 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 escaped by the protection of the lords. In 1704, he wrote an answer to Bromley's fpeech against occafional conformity. He headed the Enquiry into the danger of the Church. In 1706, he propofed and negociated the Union with Scotland; and when the elector of Hanover received the garter, after the act had paffed for fecuring the Proteftant Succeffion, he was appointed to carry the enfigns of the order to the electoral court. He fat as one of the judges of Sacheverell; but voted for a mild fentence. Being now no longer in favour, he contrived to obtain a writ for fummoning the electoral prince to parliament as duke of Cambridge.

At the queen's death he was appointed one of the regents; and at the acceffion of George the Firft was made earl of Halifax, knight of the garter, and firft commiffioner of the treafury, with a grant to his nephew of the reverfion of the audi torfhip of the Exchequer. More was not to be

had,