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was knighted with the fword of his hero, Marlborough; and was made physician in ordinary to the king, and phyfician-general to the army.

He then undertook an edition of Ovid's Metamorphofes, tranflated by feveral hands; which he recommended by a Preface, written with more oftentation than ability: his notions are half-formed, and his materials immethodically confused. This was his last work. He died Jan. 18, 1717-18, and was buried at Harrow-on-the-Hill.

His perfonal character feems to have been focial and liberal. He communicated himself through a very wide extent of acquaintance; and though firm in a party, at a time when firmness included virulence, yet he imparted his kindness to those who were not fuppofed to favour his principles. He was an early encourager of Pope, and was at once the friend of Addison and of Granville. He is accused of voluptuousness and irreligion; and Pope, who fays that "if ever there was a good "Chriftian, without knowing himself to be

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fo, it was Dr. Garth," feems not able to deny what he is angry to hear and loth to confefs.

His poetry has been praised at least equally to its merit. In the Difpenfary there is a strain of smooth and free verfification; but few lines are eminently elegant. No paffages fall below mediocrity, and few rife much above it. The plan feems formed without just proportion to the fubject; the means and end have no neceffary connection. Refnel, in his Preface to Pope's Effay, remarks, that Garth exhibits no difcrimination of characters; and that what

any one fays might with equal propriety have been faid by another. The general defign is perhaps open to criticism; but the compofition can feldom be charged with inaccuracy or negligence. The author never flumbers in felf-indulgence; his full vigour is always exerted; fcarce a line is left unfinished, nor is it eafy to find an expreffion used by constraint, or a thought imperfectly expreffed. It was remarked by Pope, that the Difpenfary had been corrected in every edition, and that every change was an improvement. It appears, however, to want fomething of poetical ardour, and fomething of general delectation; and therefore, fince it has been no longer fupported by accidental and extrinfick popularity, it has been scarcely able to fupport itself.

KING..

KIN G.

WILLIAM KING was born in Lon

don in 1663, the fon of Ezekiel King, a gentleman. He was allied to the family of Clarendon.

From Westminster-school, where he was a scholar on the foundation under the care of Dr. Busby, he was at eighteen elected to Chrift-church, in 1681; where he is said to have prosecuted his ftudies with fo much intenseness and activity, that, before he was eight years standing, he had read over, and made remarks upon, twenty-two thousand odd hundred books and manufcripts. The books were certainly not very long, the manuscripts not very difficult, nor the remarks very large; for the calculator will find that he dispatched seven a-day, for every day of his eight years, with a remnant that more than fatisfies moft other ftudents. He took his degree in the most expenfive manner, as a grand compounder; whence it is inferred that he inherited a confiderable fortune.

In 1688, the fame year in which he was made master of arts, he publifhed a confutation of Varillas's account of Wickliffe; and, engaging in the ftudy of the Civil Law, be

came

came doctor in 1692, and was admitted advocate at Doctors Commons.

He had already made fome translations from the French, and written fome humorous and fatirical pieces; when, in 1694, Molefworth published his Account of Denmark, in which he treats the Danes and their monarch with great contempt; and takes the opportunity of infinuating those wild principles, by which he supposes liberty to be established, and his adverfaries fufpect that all subordination and government is endangered.

This book offended prince George; and the Danish minister prefented a memorial against it. The principles of its author did not please Dr. King, and therefore he undertook to confute part, and laugh at the reft. The controverfy is now forgotten; and books of this kind feldom live long, when interest and refentment have ceased.

In 1697, he mingled in the controversy between Boyle and Bentley; and was one of those who tried what Wit could perform in oppofition to Learning.

In 1699, was published by him a Journey to London, after the method of Dr. Martin Lif ter. And in 1700, he fatirifed the Royal Society, at least Sir Hans Sloane their prefident, in two dialogues, intituled, The Tranfactio

neer.

Though he was a regular advocate in the courts of civil and canon law, he did not love his profeffion, nor indeed any kind of business which interrupted his voluptuary dreams, or forced him to roufe from that indulgence in which only he could find delight. His repu

tation as a civilian was yet maintained by his judgements in the courts of Delegates, and raised very high by the addrefs and knowledge which he discovered in 1700, when he defended the earl of Anglesea against his lady, afterwards dutchess of Buckinghamshire, who fued for a divorce, and obtained it.

The expence of his pleasures, and neglect of business, had now leffened his revenues; and he was willing to accept of a settlement in Ireland, where, about 1702, he was made judge of the admiralty, commiffioner of the prizes, keeper of the records in Birmingham's tower, and vicar-general to Dr. Marsh the primate.

But it is vain to put wealth within the reach of him who will not ftretch out his hand to take it. King foon found a friend as idle and thoughtless as himself, in Upton, one of the judges, who had a pleasant house called Mounttown, near Dublin, to which King frequently retired; delighting to neglect his interest, forget his cares, and defert his duty.

Here he wrote Mully of Mount-town, a poem, by which, though fanciful readers in the pride of fagacity have given it a political interpretation, was meant originally no more than it expreffed, as it was dictated only by the author's delight in the quiet of Mount-town.

In 1708, when lord Wharton was fent to govern Ireland, King returned to London, with his poverty, his idlenefs, and his wit; and published fome effays called Useful Tranfactions. His Voyage to the Island of Cajamai is particularly commended. He then wrote the Art of Love, a poem remarkable, notwith

ftanding

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