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what is moft pleafing to the fupreme goodness." These his fentiments were realized by his conduct at this trying period. As death approached nearer, he was fo far from terrour or confufion, that he seemed less fenfible of pain and more cheerful. He died on the 25th of September, 1738, in the feventieth year of his age; much honoured and lamented. His funeral oration was spoken in Latin, before the university of Leyden, to a very numerous audience. His works were published in 1779, in five quarto volumes. Johnson's Works, Vol. IV.-Encyclopedia, Vol. III.Hutchinfon's Biographia Medica, Vol. I.

SIR PETER KING.

PETER KING, chancellor of England, and famous for his ecclefiaftical learning, as well as his knowledge in the law, was born in 1669, at Exeter in Devonshire. His father, who was a refpectable grocer in that city, had determined to bring him up in his own trade. However, as his fon's inclination was ftrongly bent to learning, he expended all the money he could fpare in books, and devoted every moment of his leisure hours to study; and by this method became an excellent scholar before the public was apprized of his improvement. His acquaintance with Mr. Locke, who was his uncle by his mother's fide, was very advantageous to him. That gentleman being great. ly furprised and pleafed with the prodigious advances his nephew had made in literature, advised him to go and perfect himself at Leyden; and it is said to have been by his advice that Mr. King afterwards entered himself a ftudent

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in the Inner Temple, and applied himself to the law, in which profeffion his great parts and indefatigable industry • foon rendered him famous.

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In the mean time, he gave a proof of uncommon learning, by publishing in 1691, when only twenty two years old, the first part of a work entitled, "An Inquiry into the Conftitution, Difcipline, Unity, and Worship of the Primitive Church that flourished within the first three hundred years after Chrift, faithfully collected out of the extant writings of thofe ages. This was written with a view to promote the scheme of a comprehenfion with the diffenters and the author has abundantly fhewn that spirit of peace, unity, and moderation, which he recommends in a very powerful manner to all the parties concerned. He afterwards published the fecond part of the Inquiry into the Conftitutions, &c. In 1702, he gave the world the "Hiftory of the Apoftle's creed," with critical obfervations on its feveral articles.

Mr. King had not been many years at the Temple when he had acquired as high a reputation for his knowledge in law, as he had before for his knowledge in divinity; fo that in 1699, he obtained a feat in the houfe of commons, which was continued to him, not only in the enfuing, which was the last parliament of King William, but in the five fucceeding parliaments of Queen Anne.

In a few years his abilities as a lawyer procured him the highest honours. July 1708, he was chofen recorder of London; and knighted by the queen, September following. Upon the acceffion of George 1. he was appointed lord chief juftice of the court of common pleas, and foon after fworn of the privy council. He was created a peer

in 1725, by the title of Lord King, Baron of Oakham in Surrey; and the grand feal was delivered to him the first of June following. He took extraordinary pains in the discharge of his office, which, impairing his conftitution by degrees, brought him at last into a paralytic disorder, of which he died July 22, 1734. The motto under his coat of arms is, "Labor ipfe Voluptas," which was thought to be chofen by him with great propriety, as being the characteristic of his nature, although he poffeffed very uncommon abilities.

He appears from his life and writings to have entertained the highest veneration for the christian religion; and to have been diftinguished for virtue and piety, as well as for the variety and extent of his information.

General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. IX.

JOSEPH ADDISON, Esq.

JOSEPH ADDISON was born May 1ft, 1672, at Milton in Wiltshire, England, where his father Dr. Lancelot Addison was rector. His domeftic education, from the character of his father, may be reasonably fuppofed to have given him strong impreffions of piety.

He was entered into Queen College, 1689, where he affiduously applied himself to claffical learning, and first acquired fame by his Latin compofitions. He was very ardently folicited, while at the univerfity, to enter into holy orders, and once appeared refolved to make divinity his profeffion; but his great modefty inclining him to doubt his abilities, he receded from this choice.

After Addifon left the university, he received an an nual penfion, which enabled him to make a tour of the different countries of Europe. He returned to England in 1702, and publifhed his travels. He foon acquired diftinguished fame as an author; his poems have been admired for their elegance; his profe has been confidered as the model of the middle ftyle, not formal or grave, not groveling on light occafions; pure without fcrupulofity, and exact without apparent elaboration; always agreeable, and always eafy, without glowing words or pointed fentences.

In early life he contracted an intimate friendship with Sir Richard Steele ; and when that gentleman commenced the Tatler, voluntarily lent his affiftance. After the Tatler was completed, in concert with Steele, he published the Spectator, a feries of effays of a fimilar kind; but written upon a more regular plan, and published daily. The papers which Addifon wrote were particularly applauded..

It has been obferved, that before the Tatler and Spectator, "if the writers for the theatre are excepted, England had no mafters of common life. No writers had yet undertaken to reform either the savageness of neglect, or the impertinence of civility; to fhew when to speak or to be filent; how to refuse or how to comply. We had many books to teach us our more important duties, and to fettle our opinions in philofophy or politics; but a judge of propriety was yet wanting. Addison was admirably qualified for this office. He had converfed with many different claffes of men. He had read with critical eyes the important volume of human life, and knew the heart of man, from the depths of ftratagem to the furface: of affectation."

In the year 1713, another daily paper called the Guar dian, was published by Steele, to which Addison gave great affiftance. He also published his admired Tragedy of Cato; the "Whig Examiner," and other pieces on political fubjects.

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In 1716, he married the Countefs Dowager of Warwick. The year after, he was made fecretary of state but it is generally allowed, he was not well calculated for that station; being no orator, he could not harrangue in the house of commons in defence of the government. He foon relinquished this office, and obtained a penfion of £1500 per annum. He now returned to his vocation, and began to plan literary occupations for his future life.

Addison gave abundant proofs of his belief of christianity, which he always mentions with veneration in all his writings. After he relinquifhed his office, he engaged in a noble work, " A Defence of the Chriftian Religion," of which part was published after his death; and he defigned to have made a new poetical verfion of the Pfalms.

The practice of this excellent man was agreeable to his profeffion; amidst that ftorm of faction in which moft of his life was paffed, though his ftation made him confpicuous, and his activity rendered him formidable, the charafter given him by his friends was never contradicted by his enemies of those with whom intereft or opinion united him, he had not only the esteem, but the kindness; and of others, whom the violence of oppofition drove against him, though he might lose the love, he retained the reverence.

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The manner of his death is the beft comment on his

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