HICKES, (GEORGE,) the son of a fariner, was born at Newsham, in Yorkshire, on the 20th of June, 1642. Having received the rudiments of education at a grammar-school in the county, he was sent to Oxford, where he became, successively, a member of St. John's and Magdalen's, and, in 1664, a fellow of Lincoln College. In the following year, he graduated M.A.; and, after taking holy orders, in 1666, he remained some years at the university, in discharge of his duties as college tutor. In 1673, he proceeded, with one of his pupils, Sir John Wheeler, to Paris, where he became acquainted with Henry Justell, who intrusted him with the care of the original Greek manuscript of the Canones Ecclesiæ Universalis, which had been published by his father, as a present to the University of Oxford. After his return, in May, 1675, he took his degree of B. D., and was presented to the rectory of St. Ebbes, Oxford; and, in 1677, he accompanied to Scotland, in the capacity of his chaplain, the Duke of Lauderdale, the lord high commissioner; shortly after which, he was presented, by the University of St. Andrews, with the degree of D. D. In 1679, he received the same honour at Oxford; and, in 1680, he was made a prebend of Worcester, and presented, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to the vicarage of Allhallows, Barking, when he resigned his fellowship. In December, 1681, he was made chaplain in ordinary to the king; and, in August, 1683, Dean of Worcester, but he obtained no further advancement during the reign of James the Second, owing to his determined opposition to popery. At the revolution of 1688, however, he became a non-juror; and, refusing to take the oaths to William the Third and his consort, he was suspended, in August, 1689, and deprived of his benefices, in the February following. On the appointment of his successor to the deanery,

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he immediately drew up a protest; and, in 1691, affixed it over the entrance into the choir of the cathedral, in consequence of which, he was obliged to remain, for some time, in concealment, to avoid prosecution. In 1693, he was sent, by the non-juring clergymen, on the dangerous mission of conferring, at St. Germains, with the exiled James, respecting the appointments of English bishops from their party; and, on his return, in 1694, he was consecrated Bishop of Thetford. He continued to live in London, in secret, till May, 1699, when Lord-chancellor Somers, out of regard to his uncommon abilities, procured an act of council in his favour, by which the attorney-general was directed to drop all proceedings pending against him. He now seems to have devoted himself entirely to literary pursuits; and, after being grievously tormented with the stone, for several years, he died, of that disease, on the 15th of December, 1715. Dr. Hickes was a man of profound learning, both as a divine and antiquary; he was deeply read in the primitive fathers of the church, and no one understood better the doctrine, worship, constitution, and discipline of the catholic church, in the early ages of Christianity, to which he constantly endeavoured to prove the church of England to be conformable. In his controversial writings, he has proved himself a sound and acute reasoner; but the violence of his prejudices seems, occasionally, to have obscured his judgment, and party spirit to have driven him to the use of unjust and offensive epithets against his opponents. His theological works, however, consisting of three volumes of sermons, and a multitude of tracts against popery, and in defence of the non-jurors, sink into insignificance, compared with the treasury of Gothic literature which he has left behind him. Indeed, perhaps, it is only as a Saxon scholar that Dr. Hickes has attained

permanent celebrity; but, in that character, he stands unrivalled. The works which have so deservedly rendered his name famous are, Institutiones Grammaticæ Anglo-Saxonicæ et Maso-Gothicæ, and Thesaurus Grammatico-Criticus et Archæologicus Linguarum Veterum Septentrionalium, Oxford, 1705, two volumes. folio. This splendid and laborious work, as it has been justly called, was admired and sought after by the most learned of all countries, and is now not to be purchased under five times the original cost.

SETTLE, (ELKANAH,) was born at Dunstable, in Bedfordshire, in 1648. In 1666, he was entered a commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, but left the university without taking a degree; and, coming to London, wrote a pamphlet in favour of the exclusion bill, entitled The Character of a Popish Successor. It produced a reply from Sir Roger L'Estrange and others, and induced Settle to publish another pamphlet, called The Character of a Popish Successor Complete, which was considered the cleverest piece that had been written upon the subject. Both his pamphlets, however, together with the Exclusion Bill, were burnt, on the accession of James the Second; about two years previous to which, Settle is said to have changed sides, and turned Tory, with as much violence as he had formerly displayed in espousing the interests of the Whigs. This is, in some measure, confirmed by his Narrative, a work written against Titus Oates; and he is also reputed to have been the author of some animadversions on the last speech and confession of William Lord Russel; and of Remarks on Algernon Sydney's Paper, delivered to the Sheriffs at his Execution. He also wrote a poem on the Coronation of James the Second, commenced a journalist for the court, and published, weekly, an essay, in behalf of the administration; and is even said to have entered himself a trooper in the king's army, when encamped at Hounslow. The revolution of 1688, brought with it a great change in his fortune; and, though he obtained a pension from the city, for writing an annual panegyric in celebration of lord mayor's day, he became so poor, that he was not only obliged to write drolls for Bartholomew

fair, but to act in them himself. In a farce called St. George and the Dragon, he played the dragon: a circumstance to which Dr. Young refers, in his Epistle to Pope, in the following lines:

Poor Elkanah, all other changes past,

For bread, in Smithfield, dragons hiss'd at last, Spit streams of fire, to make the butchers gape, And found his manners suited to his shape. He at length, however, obtained admission on the charitable foundation of the Charter-House, provided for decayed gentlemen, where he died, on the 12th of February, 1723-4. In addition to the works before-mentioned, Settle wrote ten tragedies, three operas, a comedy, and a pastoral, all of which are now forgotten, though they obtained temporary reputation, and were, some of them, acted with applause. Settle was a man of wit and learning; and Dryden, with whom he had some literary controversies, did not think him a contemptible opponent.

PRIDEAUX, (HUMPHREY,) born at Padstow, in Cornwall, in 1648, received his education at Westminster, and Christchurch, Oxford, where his publication of the inscription, from the Arundel Marbles, under the title of Marmora Oxoniensia, procured him the patronage of Lord-chancellor Finch; who, after Prideaux had taken orders, gave him a living, and a prebend in Norwich Cathedral. He subsequently became D. D., and obtained, among other preferments, that of the deanery of Norwich, in 1702, being the highest to which he was raised. Physical infirmity, however, brought on by an unskilful operation for the stone, alone prevented him from being promoted to a bishopric; and, at the same time, induced him to resign all his livings, and to devote the remainder of his days to literature. He died on the 1st of November, 1724, leaving behind him, besides other theological works, his celebrated and oft reprinted one, entitled The Old and New Testament connected in the History of the Jews and neighbouring Nations. Prideaux was no less respected for his virtue than his learning; he was often consulted on the affairs of the church; and the work last-mentioned justifies any deference that might have been paid to the opinion of its author.

SHEFFIELD, (JOHN, Duke of Buckingham,) the son of Edmund, Earl of Mulgrave, to whose title he succeeded, in 1658, was born in 1649, and was early distinguished for his bravery and accomplishments. The inefficiency of his tutor induced him, at twelve years of age, to educate himself; and, betore he was eighteen, he engaged as a volunteer in the Dutch war, and was intrusted with important commands both in the army and navy. He also entered the French service, for the purpose of studying the art of war under Turenne; previous to which, in 1674, he had been installed knight of the Garter, and made one of the lords of the bedchamber to Charles the Second, with whom he was a great favourite. He afterwards lost the favour of that monarch, who, in 1680, sent him out to Tangiers, intentionally, it is said, in a leaky ship, hoping that he would either perish at sea, or in battle with the Moors, on land. He, however, returned in safety, and was well received by the king, whose anger had been previously aroused by the earl's seduction of some of his mistresses; whilst others affirm, that he was sent on the above expedition for the purpose of removing him from the lady (afterwards Queen) Anne, who it is said, encouraged the addresses which he had the boldness to make her. On the accession of James the Second, he was admitted into the privy council, and made lord-chamberlain; accepted a place in the ecclesiastical commission; and attended the king to mass. He was, however, no papist; for, on the priest's attempting to convert him, he replied, that he had taken much pains to believe in God, who had made the world, and all men in it; but "that he should not be easily persuaded that man was quits, and made God again" an expression that had been used by Anne Askew, in the reign of Henry the Eighth. Being much attached to James the Second, he lamented, though he acquiesced in, the revolution; voted for the conjunctive sovereignty of William and Mary; was made Marquess of Normanby, in 1694; and, shortly before the accession of Queen Anne, was received into the cabinet council, with a pension of £3,000. In 1702, he was made lord privy seal, and was afterwards, successively, named a

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commissioner for treating with the Scots about the union, created Duke of Normanby, and then of Buckingham. Jealousy of the Duke of Marlborough induced him to resign the privy seal, and he refused to return to office, though the queen courted him back with an offer of the chancellorship, till 1710, when he was made lord-chamberlain of the household. After the accession of George the Second, he became a constant opponent of the court party, and died on the 24th of February, 1720, leaving a son by his third wife, a natural daughter of King James, by the Countess of Dorchester. He was buried, with great pomp, in Westminster Abbey, where a monument is erected to his memory, bearing an inscription of his own composition, beginning, Dubius sed non improbus vixi. Incertus morior, sed inturbatus. (In doubt, but not in wickedness, I lived. In doubt, but not in fear, I die.) He wrote The Vision, and other poems; two tragedies, called Julius Cæsar, and Brutus; and several prose works, consisting, chiefly, of historical memoirs, speeches in parliament, characters, | dialogues, essays, &c. As a poet, he scarcely exceeds mediocrity; though Pope and others were sufficiently influenced by his rank and patronage, to place him high among the votaries of the muse. His best performances are, his Essay on Satire, and Essay on Poetry; in the former of which, however, he is said to have received great assistance from Dryden. His style in history is praised by Johnson, who awards him the merit of perspicuity and elegance; but, as a poet, thinks him deficient, both in fire and fancy. The same authority describes his character somewhat harshly; he was, undoubtedly, in the early part of his life, immoral and unprincipled; and, to the last, haughty and passionate, though always ready to atone for his violence by acts of kindness and beneficence. He was accused of covetousness; and "has been defended," says Johnson, "by an instance of inattention to his affairs; as if a man might not at once be corrupted by avarice and idleness."

D'URFEY, (THOMAS,) the son of a French refugee, was born at Exeter,

about the year 1650. He was bred to the law, but soon forsook that profession, and passed the remainder of his life as an author, being distinguished for the humour and variety of his writings. Both as a dramatist and poet he obtained some fame in his time; but his reputation has scarcely survived him in the former character; for, although he produced no less than thirty-one plays upon the stage, they are all now banished from the boards. He appears, also, to have survived the benefit of what emolument his performances may have produced him, which induced Addison to draw the attention of the public towards him, in the sixty-seventh number of The Guardian, in a paper advertising his distresses, and a play about to be performed for his benefit. "I myself," says Addison, "remember King Charles the Second's leaning on Tom D'Urfey's shoulder, more than once, and humming over a song with him. It is certain, that monarch was not a little supported, by Joy to Great Caesar; which gave the Whigs such a blow, as they were not able to recover that whole reign. My friend afterwards attacked popery, with the same success, having exposed Bellarmine, and Portocarero, more than once, in short, satirical compositions, which have been in every body's mouth. He made use of Italian tunes and sonatas for promoting the protestant interest; and turned a considerable part of the pope's music against himself. In short, he has obliged the court with political sonnets; the country, with dialogues and pastorals; the city, with descriptions of a lord mayor's feast; not to mention his little Ode upon Stool-ball, with many others of the like nature." In this miscellaneous kind of authorship, he continued to employ himself, with his usual spirit and humour, until his death, which took place on the 26th of February, 1723. His best dramatic performances, of which a list will be found in Cibber's Lives of the Poets, are The Plotting Sisters, and Cynthia and Endymion; and it is probable that many of his plays would still have kept possession of the stage, but for the licentiousness, so common to that age, which pervades them. As a poet, his reputation is preserved by a collection of sonnets, published, in six volumes, duodecimo, under

the title of Laugh and be Fat, or Pills to purge Melancholy; of which Addison says, in a humorous panegyric upon the author, "It is my opinion that the above pills would be extremely proper to be taken with asses' milk, and might contribute towards the renewing and restoring decayed lungs."

KING, (WILLIAM,) was born at Antrim, in 1650, and studied, for the church, at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated B. A., in 1670, and M. A., in 1673. He obtained several preferments, and was ultimately, in 1702, made Archbishop of Dublin; but it is as the author of a treatise, entitled De Origine Mali, that the subject of our memoir is now principally known. This work was written to prove that the presence of natural and moral evil is not incompatible with the power and goodness of the Deity, and was translated into English by Bishop Law, who answered the animadversions of Bayle, Leibnitz, and other opponents of the original author. Archbishop King died on the 8th of May, 1729, highly distin guished for his wit and learning. The following anecdote is told of him :-On receiving a visit from Dr. Boulter, who had just been appointed Archbishop of Tuam, an elevation to which King had not been called, in consequence of his advanced age, he saluted him, sitting; apologizing, by saying, "I am sure your grace will forgive me, because, you know, I am too old to rise."

ASGILL, (JOHN,) born about the year 1650, was, by profession, a lawyer, but attained more eminence as a writer, though, in the former capacity, he amassed wealth enough to purchase an estate, and obtain a seat in the Irish parliament. From this, however, a previous publication, which was considered blasphemous, caused him to be expelled, when he went back to England, and found means to obtain a return to the British house of commons, for Bramber, in Sussex, in 1705. Here, also, he lost his seat, in 1707, in consequence of his arrest during an interval of privilege, though the publication before mentioned was made the ground of his expulsion. This work, entitled An Argument, proving that, according to the Covenant of Eternal Life, re

vealed in the Scriptures, Man may be translated from hence without passing through Death, &c.; has been described, by Dr. Aikin, as rather absurd than impious; and the author, he adds, deserved rather to be pitied or ridiculed as an enthusiast, than to be condemned as a blasphemer. Asgill passed the last thirty years of his life in the rules of the King's Bench Prison, and died there in 1738, as some say, at the age of near a hundred. Besides the work beforementioned, he wrote Several Assertions Proved, in order to create another species of Money than Gold and Silver; An Essay on a Registry for Tithes of Lands; and a variety of pamphlets against the Pretender.

TATE, (NAHUM,) was born at Dublin, about the year 1655. He received his education at the university of his native city; and, afterwards, coming to London, fell into pecuniary difficulties, from which he was relieved by the patronage of the Earl of Dorset. In 1692, he succeeded Shadwell as poet laureate to King William the Third. He held that situation till the accession of George the First, whose birth-day ode he wrote, which is considered his best composition of the kind. He died about three months afterwards, on the 12th of August, 1715, leaving behind him nine dramatic pieces, all of which were acted but two, and a variety of miscellaneous poems, now deservedly forgotten. He also assisted Dr. Brady in his version of the Psalms, generally affixed to the Liturgy of the Church of England, and by which his name is now principally known. His dramatic works are, the tragedies of Brutus of Alba; The Loyal General; Richard the Second, altered from Shakspeare; The Fall of Coriolanus; Lear, King of England, altered from Shakspeare; and, Injured Love, or the Cruel Husband: two farces, called The Cuckold's Haven, and A Duke and no Duke; and a tragicomedy, altered from Fletcher, entitled The Island Princess.

DENNIS, (JOHN,) the son of a saddler, was born in London, in 1657. He was educated at Harrow and Cambridge; but after having taken his bachelor's degree, was expelled his college, though, it seems, he subse

quently procured his admission to Trinity Hall, where he graduated M. A. He then went abroad, and, on his return, the Duke of Marlborough gave him a place in the Custom-house, worth £120 a-year; but this, together with a fortune left him by his uncle, was insufficient to keep him out of pecuniary difficulties; to remedy which, he sold his situation. Lord Halifax, who had endeavoured to dissuade him from the sale of it, insisted that it should be with some reversion to himself for the space of forty years; a term which Dennis outlived. His earliest productions were pieces, both in prose and verse, in favour of the Whigs; and, in particular, he wrote several letters and pamphlets, for the administration of the Earl of Godolphin; in which he inveighed against the French with all the virulence which fear, aided by conceit, could inspire. Carried away by the idea of his own importance, he, in the anticipation of being demanded as a hostage by the French, called upon the Duke of Marlborough, and begged he might not be sacrificed to them, as he had always been their enemy. The duke gravely assured him he should not be given up to the French, adding, "I have been a greater enemy to them than you, and, you see, I am not afraid of being sacrificed." This absurd notion, however, did not forsake him; for, afterwards, whilst on a visit to a friend, who resided near the sea-shore, seeing a ship approach, which his imagination portrayed to him as a French one, he left his friend's house precipitately, declaring that he was in league with that nation to carry him off. Some time after the death of Dryden, our author took it into his head to abuse Pope, out of mere zeal for the fame of the former. Pope, in return, lashed him in The Dunciad, and held him up to further ridicule by publish ing, in conjunction with Swift, a sarcastic piece, entitled A Narrative of the Deplorable Frenzy of Mr. John Dennis. Pope, however, was a generous antagonist; for when Dennis, in the latter part of his life, was reduced to indi gence, he assisted in procuring a play to be acted for his benefit, and himself wrote the prologue. He died, as his biographer in Cibber's Lives of the Poets observes, after a life exposed to vicissitudes, habituated to disappoint