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legues, who by adapting themselves to the pleasures, promoted the best virtues of human nature; insinuated themselves by all the arts of fine persuasion; employed the most delicate wit and humour in the cause of truth and good sense; * nor gave offence to the most rigid devotees or loosest debauchees, but soon grew popular, though advocates of virtue.

"He spoke in parliament, and appeared from the press, with a warm and generous freedom. He differed from those in authority, without libelling their persons: no scandalous parallels, no ungentlemanlike invectives or womanish railings, are to be found in his writings. He spoke to facts, and things of public concern, nor invented nor revived any little stories to blacken the reputation of others: in short, he was at war with no man's fortunes or places; and he greatly despised all lucrative considerations.

"Add this to his character, he had an enthusiasm of honour, insomuch that he was always most ready to appear for the truth, when it was most difficult and dangerous: he thought himself obliged to stand in the breach, when no man else would; and his intrepidity was a public advantage.

"Witness his memorable Address to the Clergy in Defence of the Revolution; I mean, his Crisis,' for

* Perhaps, however, in it's reference to the Bangorian controversy, though the peevishness of Bishop Blackall (so admirably parodied in the Letters of the Puppet-showman) deserved reprehension, it handled a subject too serious for the kind of ridicule made use of: and, assuredly, it's wit was mis-employed upon the Royal Society," of which the enemies," says Dr. Johnson, were for some time very numerous and very acrimonious, for what reason it is hard to conceive; since the philosophers professed not to advance doctrines, but to produce facts." (Life of Butler.)

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which he was immortalised by the resentment of his enemies, and by the noble stand he made against them in his brave defence. For this he was expelled the House of Commons, while he triumphed in the judgement of his country; and raised such a spirit in the people by his writings, as greatly contributed to save our declining liberties, and establish the pre

carious Succession.

"Such was his conduct, such his character, which was invariably honest.* He flattered not his friends in their power, nor insulted his enemies in their distress: he opposed any measures, which he could not approve; and exactly adhered to that excellent sentence, fari quæ sentiat.

"This, indeed, was his principle; and if ever man always acted inviolably by his opinion, or dared to preserve his integrity upon all occasions, Sir Richard Steele was the person.'

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By his second wife he had two sons, Richard and Eugene,† and a daughter, Elizabeth. The latter alone survived him. She was married young, in 1732, to the Hon. John Trevor, then one of the Welsh Judges, and afterward Baron Trevor of Bromham; and had issue by him a daughter named Diana, who was remarkably beautiful, but unhappily an idiot.

* Whiston, however, has related that, having once met with Steele after he had given a vote in parliament contrary to some. former declarations, and reproached him for his inconsistency, the Knight replied," Mr. Whiston, you can walk on foot, but I

cannot."

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+ Godson to the celebrated Prince of that name, of whom Steele has drawn up a deservedly high character in the Spectator,' No. 340, dated March 31, 1712. A little before this time, the Savoyard General had made a visit to London.

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Beside the Epistolary Correspondence of Sir Richard Steele,' Mr. Nichols, also, republished several of his pieces in one volume 8vo., in a collection entitled, The Town-Talk; The Fish-Pool; The Plebeian; The Old Whig; The Spinster, &c. By the authors of the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian;' with notes and illustrations.

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FRANCIS ATTERBURY,

BISHOP OF ROCHESTER.*

[1662-1731.]

FRANCIS ATTERBURY was born at Milton or Middleton Keynes near Newport Pagnel in Buckinghamshire, March 6, 1662-3. He was the son of Dr. Lewis Atterbury, Rector of Milton, and was educated on the foundation at Westminster School. Thence he removed to Christ Church, Oxford, where he speedily distinguished himself by his wit and learning. Of the elegance of his taste and his classical attainments he gave early proofs, in a Latin version of Mr. Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel,' a translation of two Odes and part of an Epistle of Horace, an Eclogue of Virgil, and an Idyll of Theocritus, a Latin Elegy and two Latin Epigrams, two short Songs, an Impromptu, and an English Epigram upon the fan of Miss Osborne, whom he subsequently married. It is rather singular, that his name should not have appeared in any of the

* AUTHORITIES. Biographia Britannica, Atterbury's Epistolary Correspondence, and Coxe's Life of Sir Robert Walpole. + Published in 1682.

She was of the family of the Duke of Leeds, was a celebrated beauty, and had a fortune of 7000%.

complimentary verses ('Luctus,' or 'Gratulationes') which usually issued from the academical press upon public occasions.* His maturer pen, however, produced some political squibs, and (more to his credit) some elegant epitaphs. In 1690, his zeal for the memory of a favourite writer induced him to compose a Preface to the Second Part of Mr. Waller's Poems.' In 1684, he edited the Avoλoyia, seu Selecta quædam Poemata Italorum, qui Latinè scripserunt ; which was republished in an enlarged form by Mr. Pope in 1740, with the omission of his friend's excellent Preface !*

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He took the degree of B. A. in 1684, and of M.A. in 1687. In the latter of these years he published, in opposition to Obadiah Walker (who had assumed the name of Abraham Woodhead) a popish writer, An Answer to some Considerations on the Spirit of Martin Luther, and the Original of the Reformation." This spirited performance, though it did not escape animadversion, induced Burnet to rank him among the divines justly signalised by their admirable defences of the Protestant faith; and in the author's speech at his subsequent trial, as well as by his counsel, it was referred to as a conclusive proof of his zeal in that cause. During his stay at the University, he

* The admirable translation of Cato's Speech, 'It must be so, &c.' into Latin iambics, ascribed by common fame to Atterbury, we are assured (as is elsewhere stated) by Mr. Horace Walpole, "was the work of Dr. Henry Bland, afterward Master and Provost of Eton, and Dean of Durham: Sir Robert Walpole himself having given it to Mr. Addison, who was extremely surprised at the fidelity and beauty of it." See the 'Spectator,' No. 628, on Eternity.'

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