He appears to have been a great encourager of literature; and the greatest collector in his time of all curious books in print or manuscript, especially those concerning the history of his own country. He was also a person of taste and learning; under which character we find a proposal addressed to him, by Swift, for correcting, improving, and ascertaining the English tongue. 8

Various letters by lord Oxford are preserved among the Harleian MSS.; and a few jocular verses in the correspondence between the dean of St. Patrick and his friends. 9

adds, that "perhaps equal allowance should be made for the compliments of poets, the political quarrels of statesmen, and the violence of party-writers." P. 75.

7 In sir Simon Harcourt's gratulatory speech to lord Oxford when appointed lord-treasurer, he says, "Even your enemies, my lord, must own, that the love of letters, and the encouragement of those who excel in them, is one distinguishing part of your character." Collins's Hist. Coll. p. 211.

8 New Biog. Dict. vol. vii. p. 338.

9 Vol. ii. p. 23. Mr. Seward relates, from the correspondence of Dr. Turner, that bishop Lloyd, a little before the peace of Utrecht, came to queen Anne and told her, he could prove from Daniel and the Revelations, that "she ought not to make a peace." The queen replied, "My lord, I am no divine; I cannot argue that matter; but lord Oxford may, perhaps, answer your objec tions." At a time appointed, the presence-chamber was full of nobility to hear the conference; when lord Oxford confounded the prophet, and completely exposed him. Dr. Turner said it was the most diverting thing he ever heard in his iife: a vast deal of learning managed with a great deal of art. Supp. to Anecd. p. 87.

In Sion College library is a tract entitled,

"Robert, Earl of Oxford's Answer to the Commons' Articles in the Impeachment for High Treason.” 1715.

"A short State of the War and the Peace," 1715, has been considered as lord Oxford's.

In the British Museum is another tract with this title:

"An Account of the Conduct of Robert, Earl of Oxford," 1715, 8vo.

which probably will be considered as his lordship's own account, from the soothing exordium to his compeers, and may therefore claim an extract.

"The earl of O. seems to resolve to appear, and to stand in his own defence. I advance one thing without doors in defence of his case in general, before the particulars come to be inquired into. If it be just to say of my lord Bolingbroke, that he knows himself to be guilty, why else did he fly? It will be as reasonable to say of my lord Oxford, he is satisfy'd in his own innocence, why else does he stay?

"Besides the opinion his lordship has of his own innocence, it must be acknowledged his lordship pays the greatest honour to the British nobility that is possible to do, and perhaps more than ever was done before; that however the turns of the government since his administration may have given impressions of things very different from what were in his time; and, as it might be suggested, very much to his disadvantage; nay, however interest may seem to run, even in a very strong stream against him; yet that he pays

such a profound respect to the unspotted honour of the peerage, as to cast his life into their hands, at a time when thoughts less generous might be apt to entertain some fears of the impressions which party2 might have made on the minds of the nobility, at a time when it is scarce to be said that any other set of men in the nation are entirely free.

"Either my lord O. must have some surprising evidence in himself of his own innocence, and not only so, but of his being able to set that innocence in a clear light to the world; or else he makes the greatest compliment to the nobility of Britain that ever man made. He supposes their lordships untainted with the prejudice of the times, and that nothing can byass their minds, nothing artfully prepossess their judgments; that they cannot be blinded by any human infirmities, moved by any passions, imposed upon by any perswasions, or affected by private views of any kind; that they cannot be hurry'd by popular winds or storms, from whatever corner they may blow, whether of faction, tumult, envy, or ambition: but that they will move in a direct path of justice, guided by truth, without the least deviation or inclination one way or other, either from parties, persons, interest, or power, of any kind whatsoever."

2 If the name of Harley has been obnoxious to party, says the Critical Review, it ought to be dear to literature; since so fortunate a circumstance seldom happens, that Edward, earl of Oxford, succeeded not only to his father's titles, but to his passion for collecting every thing that could be of service to learning or antiquity. Vol. viii. p. 185.

Articles of Impeachment of High Treason and Misdemeanours, against Robert Earl of Oxford, July 8. 1715, with "his Lordship's Answer, paragraph by paragraph;" were printed in 1727.

From the Wynne MSS. anecdotes of the duke of Buckingham and lord Oxford were inserted in the Europ. Mag. for April 1796.]

GEORGE VERNEY,

LORD WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE,

[SON of Richard Verney, who claimed the barony of Broke in 1695, was a fellow of New College, Oxford, D. D., canon and dean of Windsor, register of the order of the garter, dean of Wolverhampton, &c. and died Dec. 26. 17282, aged fifty-four.

His lordship published an eleemosynary discourse, with this title:

"The Blessedness of doing Good. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of St. Sepulchre, June 12. 1712, being Thursday in Witsun-week, at the anniversary Meeting of the Children educated in the Charity-Schools in and about the Cities of London, and Westminster." 1712. 4to.

This I have not seen; but Mr. Bindley had, among his literary hoards, a French translation from it by M. Cartault, printed at Utrecht, of which the title runs thus:

"Sermon prononcé le 12 de Juin 1712, dans l'Eglise du Saint Sepulchre, devant l'Assemblée anniversaire des Enfans élevés dans les Ecôles fondées et entretennuës par la Charité des Villes de Londres, de Westminster, et des Environs: par Milord Willoughby de Brooke, Pair de la Grande Bretagne, Docteur en Theologie, et Chanoine de Windsor. Publié

e Collins's Peerage, vol. vi. p. 557.