Thus far he fuffered intereft or obedience to carry him; but further he refufed to go. When he found that the powers of the ecclefiaftical commiffion were to be exercifed against those who had refused the Declaration, he wrote to the lords, and other commiffioners, a formal profeffion of his unwillingness to exercise that authority any longer, and withdrew himself from them. After they had read his letter, they adjourned for fix months, and scarcely ever met afterwards.

When king James was frighted away, and a new government was to be fettled, Sprat was one of thofe who confidered, in a conference, the great question, Whether the crown was vacant? and manfully spoke in favour of his old master.

He complied, however, with the new eftablifhment, and was left unmolefted; but, in 1692, a ftrange attack was made upon him by one Robert Young and Stephen Blackhead, both men convicted of infamous crimes, and both, when the fcheme was laid, prifoners in Newgate. Thefe men drew up an Affociation, in which they whofe names were subfcribed declared their refolution to reftore king James, to feize the princefs of Orange dead or alive, and to be ready with thirty thoufand men to meet king James when he fhould land. To this they put the names of Sancroft, Sprat, Marlborough, Salisbury, and others. The copy of Dr. Sprat's name was obtained by a fictitious requeft, to which an answer in his own hand was defired. His hand was copied fo well, that he confeffed it might have deceived himself. Blackhead, who had carried the letter, being fent again with a plaufible meffage, was

very curious to see the house, and particularly importunate to be let into the study; where, as is fuppofed, he designed to leave the Affociation. This, however, was denied him; and he dropped it in a flower-pot in the parlour.

Young now laid an information before the Privy Council; and May 7, 1692, the bishop was arrested, and kept at a meffenger's under a ftrict guard eleven days. His houfe was fearched, and directions were given that the flower-pots fhould be infpected. The meffengers, however, miffed the room in which the paper was left. Blackhead went therefore a third time; and finding his paper where he had left it, brought it away.

The bishop, having been enlarged, was, on June the 10th and 13th, examined again before the Privy Council, and confronted with his accufers. Young perfifted, with the moft obdurate impudence, against the strongest evidence; but the refolution of Blackhead by degrees gave way. There, remained at last no doubt of the bishop's innocence, who, with great prudence and diligence, traced the progrefs, and detected the characters of the two informers, and published an aceouut of his own examination and deliverance; which made fuch an impreffion upon him, that he commemorated it through life by an yearly day of thanksgiving.

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

After this, he paffed his days in the quiet exercise of his function. When the caufe of Sacheverell put the publick in commotion, he honeftly appeared

among

among the friends of the Church. He lived to his seventy-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 houfe of of commons. There prevailed in those days an indecent cuftom: when the preacher touched any favourite topick in a manner that delighted his audience, their approbation was expreffed by a loud hum, 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 those 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 commons.

The works of Sprat, befides his few poems, are, The Hiftory of the Royal Society, The Life of Cowley, The Answer 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 juftnefs, that every book is of a different kind, and that each has its diftinct and characteristical excellence.

My

My business is only with his poems. He confidered Cowley as a model; and fuppofed 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 thofe our judgement may be fettled by the first that appears in his praise of Cromwell, where he fays, that Cromman, grow

well's "fame, like will white as it grows

"old."

HALIFAX.

HALIFAX.

TH

HE 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 the ftate, but to his rank among the writers of verfe.

Charles Montague was born April 16, 1661, at Horton, in Northamptonfhire, the fon of Mr. George Montague, a younger fon of the earl of Manchester. He was educated first in the country, and then removed to Westminster, 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 friendship 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