which young men of high rank, who afpired to be thought wits, at that time imagined themselves intitled to indulge.

One of these frolicks has, by the industry of Wood, come down to posterity. Sackville, who was then Lord Buckhurst, with Sir Charles Sedley and Sir Thomas' Ogle, got drunk at the Cock in Bow-street by Coventgarden, and, going into the balcony, exposed themfelves to the populace in very indecent postures. At laft, as they grew warmer, Sedley flood forth naked, and harangued the populace in fuch profane language, that the publick indignation was awakened; the crowd attempted to force the door, and, being repulfed, drove in the performers with stones, and broke the windows of the house.

For this misdemeanour they were indicted, and Sedley was fined five hundred pounds: what was the fentence of the others is not known. Sedley employed Killigrew and ano ther to procure a remiffion from the king; but (mark the friendship of the diffolute !) they begged the fine for themselves, and exacted it to the last groat.

In 1665, Lord Buckhurft attended the Duke of York as a volunteer in the Dutch war; and was in the battle of June 3, when eighteen great Dutch fhips were taken, and fourteen others deftroyed; and Opdam the admiral, who engaged the Duke, was blown up befide him, with all his crew.

On the day before the battle, he is faid to have compofed the celebrated fong, To all you Ladies now at land, with equal tranquillity of mind and promptitude of wit. Seldom any fplendid ftory is wholly true. I have heard from the late Earl of Orrery, who was likely to have good hereditary intelligence, that Lord Buckhurft had been a week employed upon it, and only retouched or finished it on the memorable evening. But even this, whatever it may fubftract from his facility, leaves him his courage.

He was foon after made a gentleman of the bedchamber, and fent on fhort embaffies to France.

t.

In 1674, the eftate of his uncle James Cranfield, Earl of Middlefex, by its owner's death, and the

came to him title was con

ferred on him the year after. In 1677, he became, by the death of his father, Earl of Dorfet, and inherited the estate of his family.

In 1684, having buried his first wife, of the family of Bagot, who left him no child, he married a daughter of the Earl of Northampton, celebrated both for beauty and understanding.

He received fome favourable notice from King James; but foon found it neceffary to oppofe the violence of his innovations, and with some other Lords appeared in Weftminster-hall, to countenance the Bishops at their trial.

As enormities grew every day lefs fupportable, he found it neceffary to concur in the Revolution. He was one of thofe Lords who fat every day in council to preserve the publick peace, after the king's departure; and, what is not the moft illuftrious action of his life, was employed to conduct the Princefs

3

Princefs Anne to Nottingham with a guard, such as might alarm the populace, as they passed, with false apprehenfions of her danger. Whatever end may be defigned, there is always fomething despicable in a trick.

He became, as may be easily supposed, a favourite of King William, who, the day after his acceffion, made him lord chamberlain of the household, and gave him afterwards the garter. He happened to be among those that were toffed with the King in an open boat fixteen hours, in very rough and cold weather, on the coaft of Holland. His health afterwards declined; and on Jan. 19, 1705-6, he died at Bath.

He was a man whofe elegance and judges ment were univerfally confeffed, and whose bounty to the learned and witty was generally known. To the indulgent affection of the publick, Lord Rochester bore ample teftimony in this remark: I know not how it is, but Lord Buckhurft may do what he will, yet is never in

the wrong.

If fuch a man attempted poetry, we cannot wonder that his works were praised. Dryden, whom, if Prior tells truth, he diftinguished by his beneficence, and who lavifhed his blandifhments on thofe who are not known to have fo well deferved them, undertaking to produce authors of our own country superior to those of antiquity, fays, I would inftance your Lordship in fatire, and Shakspeare in tragedy. Would it be imagined that, of this rival to antiquity, all the fatires were little perfonal invectives, and that his longest compofition was a fong of eleven ftanzas ?

The blame, however, of this exaggerated praife falls on the encomiaft, not upon the author; whofe performances are, what they pretend to be, the effufions of a man of wit; gay, vigorous, and airy. His verfes to Howard fhew great fertility of mind, and his Dorinda has been imitated by Pope..

STEPNEY.