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No. III.

THE FAMILY OF THE FREINDS.

(See vol. I. p. 288.)

WILLIAM FRIEND*, M. A. born Aug. 3, 1634, was educated at Westminster-school, elected to Christ Church, Oxford, 1656; obtained the rectory of Croughton in Northamptonshire in 1663; where he resided till his death, which is thus recorded on a handsome monument in the chancel of that church: On the frieze :

"Natus Augusti iii, 1634; obiit Septemb. xx. 1689." On the tablet: "H.S. E.

GULIELMUS FRIEND, A. M.

hujus parochiæ per xxvi annos Rector, Scholæ Regiæ Westmonasterii

deinde Edis Christi Oxonii

}Alumnus;

utrique loco charus, utriusque amantissimus.
Vir

ingenii acumine satis valens,
astutiarum omninò vacuus;

in tuendâ Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ causâ,
cui fidem suam dedit,
integer, intrepidus;

in gerendâ Parochiali curâ, cui totum se devovit, diligens, indefessus :

in toto vitæ cursu,

quod vel parùm decuit, vel sordidi fuit animi,
nihil non aspernatus:
quod justum fuit et honorificum
nihil non ausus.

Neque fuit illo usquam, quoad potuit,
vel egenis liberalior, vel vicinis beneficentior,
vel hospitibus hospitalior, vel amicis amicior;
nemo aut Sacerdotis, aut Mariti, aut Parentis
munera fidelius pleniusve obivit.

* So spelt; but his sons wrote the name Freind.

Tres,

Tres, qui hodie supersunt, filios,
ROBERTUM, S.T. P.

Scholæ Westmonasteriensis Archididasculum,
GULIELMUM, A. M.

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Manerii de Hitcham in Com' Buck', Dominum, JOANNEM, M.D. Londinensem,

sub iisdem, in quibus ipse olim adolevit, Penetralibus erudiri probè curavit. Qui filii

et ipsius exemplar,

et fœlicissimam suam educationem egregium fuisse Patrimonium arbitrati, marmor hoc optimo Parenti

P. P."

Mr. Friend, besides the three sons recorded in his epitaph, had a daughter Anne, who was married to the successor of her father in the rectory; as appears by the following epitaph:

"Hic cum certâ
resurgendi spe sepultus est

JOANNES MAXIMILIANUS DEL'ANGLE
SAMUELIS DEL'ANGLE, S.T. P.

DE CHARENTON juxta Parisios
celebris olim Ecclesiæ pastoris,
deinde, pulsis in exilium Protestantibus,
Ecclesiæ WESTMONASTERIENSIS Præbendarii,
filius;

et magni BOCHARTI ex Sorore Nepos;
Patriâ Gallus, fide omninò Anglus.
Qui

hujusce parochiæ curam administravit,
Rector pius, integer, industrius,
à suis omnibus et dilectus et cultus.
Uxorem duxit ANNAM FRIEND,
Gulielmi Annæque filiam,
quæ Marito desideratissimo
H. M. P.

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Obiit An. Dom. 1719, Aug. 20, æt. 53."

* M. A. of Christ Church, Oxford, 1694. Two others of the family obtained the same degree in 1719 and 1752.

† Of whom see p. 89.

ROBERT

ROBERT FREIND, the eldest son, was admitted in 1680 to Westminster-school, whence he was elected to Christ Church in 1686; where he was a student at the time of the inauguration of King William and Queen Mary; and made on that occasion ́a good copy of English verses, which were printed in the University Collection*. In the famous dispute between Bentley and Boyle, Mr. Freind was a warm partizan for the honour of his College.

He proceeded M.A. June 1, 1693; became second master of Westminster-school in 1699; and accumulated the degrees of B. and D.D. July 7, 1709.

In 1711 he published a Sermon preached before the House of Commons, Jan. 30, 1710-11, from Jer. iii. 25. In the same year he succeeded Duke the Poet in the valuable living of Witney in Oxfordshire; became head-master of Westminster-school; and is said to have drawn up the preamble to the Earl of Oxford's patent of Peerage.

March 16, 1722-3, the day after his brother (Dr, John) was committed to the Tower, Dr. Robert Freind caused much speculation in the school, and its vicinity, by giving for a theme, " Frater, ne desere Fratrem."

In 1724, he published Cicero's "Orator;" and in 1728 Mr. Bowyer was indebted to him for the West

* "Vota Oxoniensia pro serenissimis Guilhelmo Rege et Mariâ Regina M. Britannia, &c. nuncupata; Oxon. 1689."-These verses were also printed in the Select Collection of Miscellany Poems, 1781, vol. VII. p. 132.

† A niece of Dr. Robert Freind was married to a son of Dr. Bentley, who, after that event, conceived a better opinion of the Christ Church men; and declared, that "Freind had more good learning in him than ever he had imagined."

"I will tell you what Mr. Pope told me, who had been let into the secret concerning the Oxford performance-that Boyle wrote only the narrative of what passed between him and the Bookseller, which too was corrected for him; that Freind the Master of Westminster and Atterbury wrote the body of the criticisms; and that Dr. King of the Commons wrote the droll argument to prove Dr. Bentley was not the Author of the Dissertation on Phalaris, and the Index. And a powerful cabal gave it a surprising run." Warburton's Letters, 8vo, p.11.

He probably revised it; but it was drawn up by Swift; and may be seen in the Dean's Works, 1808, vol. III. p. 367. minster

minster Verses on the Coronation of King George the Second, which are noticed under 1761.

In April 1729, Dr. Freind obtained a canonry of Windsor; which in 1731 he exchanged for a prebend of Westininster.

In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1733*, are some verses by Stephen Duck to Dr. Freind, on his quitting Westminster-school; by which it appears that Lord Carteret (afterwards Earl Granville), Lord Hervey, and the Duke of Newcastle, were greatly indebted to him for part of their accomplishments and future fame.

In 1734, he was desirous of resigning Witney to his son (afterwards Dean of Canterbury); but could not do it without the permission of Bishop Hoadly, which he had little reason to expect. On application, however, to that Prelate, through Queen Caroline and Lady Sundon, he received this laconic answer: “If Dr. Freind can ask it, I can grant it

* Vol. III. p. 152.

This lady, more known by the name of Mrs. Clayton, was the bed-chamber woman and intimate friend of Queen Caroline; and for a considerable time sole arbitress of Church-preferments. Several of Bp. Hoadly's Letters to her, from 1715 to 1734, are preserved in his Works. In one of them he says, "I do not follow great precedents, and write on the outside, or in the front, To the much esteemed, To the much respected, To the highly honoured Mrs. Clayton. But it is writ within, in lasting characters. Your own virtues have writ it. Your other accomplishments are great and uncommon; but it is your sincerity and goodness which make the deepest impression, which manage the others, and give them their agreeableness."-On the business of the living of Witney, Bp. Hoadly tells this Lady, "I had no design in my neglect of avoiding to give all the assurances that you yourself desired about Mr. Freind. If you and I continue upon this dirty planet, you yourself shall be satisfied of the truth of what I have said to you; and I say this the rather, because, if you are not satisfied in what I do, I am very sure I shall not be so myself. You have done more in two or three words, when you tell me, You shall esteem it as done to yourself, to move and engage me (if I had not been already engaged to it) than all the oratory of all others could have done. And if that case should happen which you once put; but which my heart will not suffer me to repeat; Friendship and Honour shall most certainly act a part, which if your spirit could then look out and see, it would say, This is exactly as it would have been, had I been still there."

"Dr. Freind could ask any thing. All his letters to Lady Sundon are still existing; they are trifling and low beyond conception; yet Dr. Freind was a scholar that Bentley would consult." T. F

In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1737* is an elegant Ode to the Duke of Newcastle by Dr. Freind (who was in that year made canon of Christ Church), and the following epigram:

"Reverendo doctissimoque
Roberto Freind, S.T. P.

Ecclesiæ Divi Petri Westmonast. Prebendario,
et dis Christi Oxon. Canonico.

De te, Freinde, duæ certant socialiter Ædes,
Hæc Christi insignis nomine, et illa Petri,
Quæ potior charum titulis ornaret alumnum,
Jamque senem posset læta fovere sinu.
Illustris fuerit Ducis hanc componere litem :
Utraque quem voluit Mater utrique dedit.

Dat. 14 Kal. Julii, A. S. 1737." R. L.+

Thus indifferently translated in 1738: "For you, most learned Freind! two Churches strove, (For you, the darling object of their love;)

This Christ was call'd, and that St. Peter's nam'd, (Rare Nursing Mothers, from past ages fam'd) Their friendly contest was, which Church should grace

Her Foster Son with Dignitary's place,

And cheer him, now grown old, with her most
kind embrace.

A noble Duke, this contest to decide,
Each Mother's cravings graciously supply'd,
And gave to each her darling son, right nobly
dignified."

Dr. Freind's Latin poetry was much superior to his English, as may be seen by his Verses on the Death of Queen Caroline, inscribed to the Duke of Newcastle, principal secretary of state §. He had

* Vol. VII. p. 631.

+ Probably Robert Lowth, afterwards the learned Bishop.

Dr. Atterbury, in 1712, when Dean of Christ Church, apologizing to Bishop Trelawny for the Poets of his College, says, "By Dr. Freind's assistance, I hope, we shall every day do better."

Printed in "Pietas Academiæ Oxoniensis in Obitum augustissimæ et dilectissimæ Reginæ Carolina, Oxonii, 1738;" and copied in the "Select Collection," 1781, vol. VII. p. 125.

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