his idleness, and his wit; and published fome effays, called Useful Transactions. His Voyage to the land of Cajamai is particularly commended. He then wrote The Art of Love, a poem remarkable, notwithstanding its title, for purity of fentiment; and in 1709 imitated Horace in an Art of Cookery, which he pubWithed, with fome letters to Dr. Lifter.

In 1710, he appeared as a lover of the Church, on the fide of Sacheverell; and was fuppofed to have concurred at leaft in the projection of The Examiner. His eyes were open to all the operations of Whiggifm; and he bestowed fome ftrictures upon Dr. Kennett's adulatory fermon at the funeral of the duke of Devonshire.

The Hiftory of the Heathen Gods, a book compofed for schools, was written by him in 1710. The work is useful; but might have been produced without the powers of King. The next year, he published Rufinus, an hiftorical effay; and a poem, intended to difpofe the nation to think as he thought of the Duke of Marlborough and his adherents.

In 1711, competence, if not plenty, was again put into his power. He was, without the trouble of attendance, or the mortification of a requeft, made gazetteer. Swift, Freind, Prior, and other men of the fame party, brought him the key of the gazetteer's office. He was now again placed in a profi table employment, and again threw the benefit away. An Act of Infolvency made his business at that time particularly troublefome; and he would not wait till Aurry should be at an end, but impatiently refigned

1

it, and returned to his wonted indigence and amuse

ments.

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 idlenefs than efforts of ftudy; that he endeavoured rather to divert than aftonish; that his thoughts feldom aspired to fublimity; and that, if his verse was eafy and his images familiar, he attained what he defired. His purpose is to be merry; but perhaps, fo enjoy his mirth, it may be fometimes neceffary to think well of his opinions *.

* Dr. Johnfon appears to have made but little ufe of the Life of Dr. King, prefixed to his "Works, in 3 vols," 1776, to which it may not be impertinent to refer the reader. His talent for humour ought to be praised in the highest terms. at least he yielded to none of his contemporaries. C.

In that

SPRAT.

THOMAS SPRAT was born in 1636, at Tallaton in Devonshire, the fon of a clergyman; and having been educated, as he tells of himself, not at Westminster or Eton, but at a little school by the church-yard fide, became a commoner of Wadham College in Oxford in 1651; and, being chofen fcholar 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 published, with thofe of Dryden and Waller. In his dedication to Dr. Wilkins, he appears a very willing and liberal encomiaft, 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 re"nown of a prince on whom they were written; "fuch great actions and lives deferving to be the

"fubject

fubject of the nobleft pens and moft divine phan"fies." He proceeds: "Having fo long expe"rienced your care and indulgence, and been "formed, as it were, by your own hands, not to en

"title you to any thing which my meannefs pro"duces would be not only injuftice, but facrilege."

He published, the fame year, a poem on the Plague of Athens; a fubject of which it is not easy to say what could recommend it. To these 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 whose house began those philosophical 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 Transactions 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 leaft 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 amplified, and placed before Cowley's English works, which were by will committed to his

care.

Ecclefiaftical benefices now fell faft upon him, In 1668, he became a prebendary of Weftminster, and had afterwards the church of St. Margaret, adjoining to the Abbey. He was, in 1680, made canon of Windfor; in 1683, dean of Westminster and, in 1684, bishop of Rochester.

The Court having thus a claim to his diligence, and gratitude, he was required to write the History of the Rye-house Plot; and, in 1685, published A true Account and Declaration of the horrid Confpiracy against the late King, his prefent Majesty, 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 confidence, by being appointed one of the commiffioners for ecclefiaftical affairs. On the critical day when the Declaration diftinguifhed the true fons of the Church of England, he ftood neuter, and permitted it to be read at Wefiminfter; but preffed none to violate his confcience; and, when the bishop of London was brought before them, gave his voice in his favour,

Thus