vice to the party in whose cause he wrote; which, together with his natural vivacity and good humour, obtained him the favour of great numbers, of all ranks and conditions, monarchs themselves not excluded.

He was strongly attached to the Tory interest; and in the latter part of Queen Aune's reign, he had frequent opportunities of diverting that princess with witty catches and songs of humour, suited to the spirit of the times, written by himself, and which he sung in a lively and entertaining manner.

The author of the Guardian * gave a very humorous account of Mr. D'Urfey, with a view to recommend him to public notice for a benefit play. In this he tells us, that he remembered King Charles II. leaning on Tom D'Urfey's shoulder more than once, and humming over a song with him.

He used frequently to reside with the Earl of Dorset at Knole; where a picture of him, painted by Stealth, is, I believe, to be

seen.

From the beginning of Charles II. to the latter part of George the First's reign, he was the soul and delight of the most polite companies and conversations; and many an honest gentleman got a reputation in his country by pretending to have been in company with Tom D'Urfey, for so he was generally familiarly called.

All this, however, did not always keep Mr. D'Urfey's head above the waves of necessity." After having written," says he, as repeated by Mr. Addison, more odes than Horace, and about four times as many comedies as Terence, he found himself reduced to great difficulties by the importunities of a set of men, who of late years had furnished him with the accommodations of life, and would not, as we say, be paid with a song." We are then informed, that, in order to extricate him from these difficulties, he himself applied to the directors of the play-house, who very generously agreed to act "The Plotting Sisters," one of D'Urfey's own plays, for his benefit.

It is probable, that the result of this was sufficient to make him easy; for we find him living, and continuing to write with the same humour and livelinees to the time of his death, which happened February 26, 1723. His first play made its appearance forty-seven years before; he must, therefore, have been greatly advanced in years when he died.*

The first rector was Dr. THOMAS TENNISON, who was after. wards Archbishop of Canterbury. He was born at Cottenham, 1636, and was educated at

in Cambridgeshire, September 29, the free school in the city of Norwich. During the reign of fanaticism, he studied physic, but afterwards took orders. He first became known as a writer of considerable ability by his examination of the theo-politico creed of Hobbes; he alterwards became very active against the Roman Catholics, whose creed, (as was then the practice, and I fear still is,) he treated with no great fairness, by accusing them of practices which they deny, and attributing sentiments and opinions to them which they disavow; forgetting the maxim of Baxter, who "held himself bound to charge no man to be of a religion which he denieth." +

Dr. Tennison, however, was, in other respects, a most amiable and worthy man. His benevolence was unbounded, and his learning profound. His character is well drawn by Dr. Kennet. § He died at Lambeth, December 14, 1715, in the 79th year of his age.

Another eminent rector of St. James's, was the famous polemic DR. WILLIAM WAKE, who, though in early life an advocate for "free inquiry" into matters of religion, &c. became," by age and preferment, a little changed in that respect." He was born

Guardian, ubi supra. Gen. Biog. Dict. Art. D'Urfey: Biog. Dram.
It is a pity that Baxter himself should sometimes have charged

Papists" with opinions which they denied.

"the

The reader has already a short account of his school and library in Castle Street. Ante, p. 277.

§ Complete History of England, III. 676.

Gen. Biog. Dict. ART. Wake.

born in the county of Dorset, in the year 1657; was admitted of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1672; in the reign of James the Second was chaplain to Lord Preston, when our ambassador at the French court; and afterwards wrote many books against the Catholics, and as many perhaps, on the Bangorian Controversy.

Dr. Wake died at Lambeth, January 24, 1736-7, and left several daughters.

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But a greater man than either I have yet mentioned was the learned, the liberal, the pious, and good DR. SAMUEL CLARKE, of whom Bishop Hoadley speaks in the highest strains of friendship and panegyric, adding, that "he should think himself greatly recompensed by the want of any other memorial, if his name might go down to posterity closely joined with his (Clarke's); and himself be thought of, and spoken of, in ages to come, under the character of THE FRIEND OF DR. CLARKE."

Nor was Dr. Hare's, (Bishop of Chichester) opinion of this good man less favourable than Hoadley's. His opinions, however, concerning the Trinity, and his conscientious scruples about subscription, prevented his rising high in the church; though as Bishop Hoadley asserts, he neither wanted merit, nor interest, nor the favour of some of those in whose power it was to have raised him.

It is not the province of this work to enter into the niceties of theological controversies, or I might here exhibit many curious and highly interesting traits of character both in Clarke and his opponents during the progress of the disputes in which he was engaged.

Dr. Clarke, with his friends, Bishop Hoadley, Dr. Sykes, Sir Isaac Newton, and "honest Will. Whiston," appear to have chosen a middle path, between the hypothesis of Waterland, which certainly approximated to tritheism, and the latitudinarian principles of Dodwell, Toland, and Collins, which more than approximated to deism. There are few books, which, in the

estimation of the writer of these sheets, so accurately delineate the genuine religion of the New Testament, as Dr. Clarke's celebrated, but now too much neglected work, the Scripture doctrine of the Trinity.

This learned man was born at Norwich, October 11, 1675, and died in London, May 17, 1729, beloved and respected by the learned and the good of every denomination.

The learned SECKER, who was afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, was also at one time rector of St. James's. The present rector is the worthy Dean of Winchester, Dr. Gerrard Andrewes.

The statute, erecting this district into a parish, gives the following statement, which, at this distance of time, is both curious and interesting. This parish then comprehended " all the houses and grounds, including a place heretofore called St. James's Fields, and the confines thereof, beginning at a house at the south side of the east end of Catherine, (alias Pall Mall,) Street; the south of the road-way, called Tyburn-road, westward, to a house, being the sign of the Plough, at the north-west corner of a lane, called Mary-le-bone Laue, including the said house; and from thence proceeding southward, on the east side of the lane to the north-west corner of Crabtree Fields, comprehending the same; and the ground from thence westward, to the northwest corner of Ten Acres-Field, in the occupation of Richard, Earl of Burlington, or his assigns, including that field, and the highway between the same; and the garden-wall of the said Earl of Burlington, to the north-west corner of the said gardenwall, including that garden, and the mansion-house of the said Earl of Burlington, fronting Portugal Street.

Towards St. James's House, to the middle channel on the south side of a new street called Park Place, comprehending all the east side of St. James's Street to St. James's House, and all the west side thereof, from the said middle channel downwards, as far as the same extends, and including the south side of Park Place to Cleveland Gardens, comprehending the same, and