Churchill, who afterwards married the lady Anna Maria Walpole, natural daughter of the earl of Orford. About 1718, Savage, the poet, being reduced to extreme necessity, his very singular case so affected Mrs. Oldfield, that she settled on him a pension of 50l. per annum, which was regularly paid as long as she lived. This, added to other generous actions, together with a distinguished taste in elegance of dress, conversation, and manners, have generally been spread as a veil over her failings; and such was her reputation, that upon her death, which happened Oct. 23, 1730, her corpse was carried from her house in Grosvenor-street to the Jerusalem Chamber, and after lying in state, was conveyed to Westminster abbey, the pall being supported by lord De la Warr, lord Hervey, the right hon. George Bubb Doddington, Charles Hedges, esq. Walter Carey, esq. and captain Elliot; her eldest son Arthur Maynwaring, esq. being chief mourner. She was interred towards the west end of the south aile, between the monu ments of Craggs and Congreve. At her own desire, she was elegantly dressed in her coffin, with a very fine Brus sels laced head, a Holland shift, with a tucker and double ruffles of the same lace, a pair of new kid gloves, and her body wrapt up in a winding-sheet. On this account, Pope introduced her, in the character of Narcissa, in Epistle I. line 245,

"Odious! in woollen! 'twould a saint provoke," &c. She left the bulk of her substance to her son Maynwaring, from whose father she had received it; without neglecting, however, her other son Churchill, and her own relations.

In her person, we are told by her contemporaries, that she was of a stature just rising to that height where the graceful can only begin to shew itself; of a lively aspect and command in her mien. Nature had given her this peculiar happiness, that she looked and maintained the agreeable at a time of life when other fine women only raise admirers by their understanding. The qualities she had acquired were the genteel and the elegant; the one in her air, the other in her dress. The Tatler, taking notice of her dress, says, "That, whatever character she re

fessional merit, and her connection with Mr. Churchill, the duke of Marlborough's brother; that she used to go to the play-house in a chair, attended by two footmen; that she sel

dom spoke to any of the actors; and was allowed a sum of money to buy her own clothes. -Letters from the rev. J. Orton, and the rey. sir J. Stonhouse, vol. II. p. 250.

presented, she was always well dressed. The make of her mind very much contributed to the ornament of her body. This made every thing look native about her; and her clothes were so exactly fitted, that they appeared, as it were, part of her person. Her most elegant deportment was owing to ber manner, and not to her habit. Her beauty was full of attraction, but more of allurement. There was such a composure in her looks, and propriety in her dress, that you would think it impossible she should change the garb you one day saw her in for any thing so becoming, till you next day saw her in another. There was no other mystery in this, but that, however she was apparelled, herself was the same; for, there is an immediate relation between our thoughts and gestures, that a woman must think well to look well."

OLDHAM (HUGH), an English prelate, and an eminent benefactor to Corpus college, Oxford, is supposed to have been born at Manchester, or more probably at Oldham, near Manchester. He was educated at Oxford, whence, after remaining some time, he removed to Cambridge, completed his studies, and took the degree of D. D. In 1493, Margaret countess of Richmond, whose chaplain he was, presented him to the rectory of Swinshead in Lincolnshire, and in July 1494, to the valuable living of Cheshunt, of which he was the last rector, as it was appropriated shortly after to the convent of Westminster. In the same year we find him prebendary of Collwich in the church of Lichfield, and of Freeford in that church in 1501. In 1497, he was prebendary of Leighton-Bosard in the church of Lincoln, and in 1499 prebendary of South Cave in York. In 1504, he was, by the interest of his patroness the countess of Richmond, advanced to the see of Exeter, in which he sat till his death, June 15, 1519. He is, said not to have been a man of profound learning, but a great encourager of it. Wood says that he had an intention of joining with bishop Smyth in the foundation of Brazen-nose college, but mentions no authority, yet since his arms were displayed in the windows of the original library of that college, there can be no doubt that he contributed to finish or furnish the room. His principal benefactions, however, were bestowed on the contemporary

Life published under the name of Egerton, 1731, 8vo.-Biog. Brit.-Tat Jer, 8vo edit, 1806, vol. I, p. 104; IV. 152.

foundation of Corpus Christi college. The design of Fox, the founder of Corpus, originally went no farther than to found a college for a warden, and a certain number of monks and secular scholars belonging to the priory of St. Swithin in Winchester; but our prelate induced him to enlarge his plan to one of more usefulness and durability. He is said to have addressed Fox thus: "What, my lord, shall we build houses, and provide livelihoods for a company of monks, whose end and fall we ourselves may live to see! No, no: it is more meet a great deal that we should have care to provide for the increase of learning, and for such as who by their learning shall do good to the church and commonwealth." This wise and liberal advice being taken, Oldham became the second great benefactor to. Corpus, by contributing six thousand marks, besides lands. He also founded the grammar-school of Manchester, still a flourishing seminary, and connected with the three colleges of Corpus and Brazen-nose in Oxford, and St. John's in Cambridge.'

He

OLDHAM (JOHN), an English poet, was born Aug. 9, 1653, at Shipton, near Tedbury in Gloucestershire, where his father was a nonconformist minister, and had a congregation. He educated his son in grammar-learning, and afterwards sent him to Tedbury school, where he spent about two years. In June 1670, he was admitted of Edmund-hall, Oxford, where he was soon distinguished for a good Latinist, and made poetry and polite literature his chief study. In May 1674, he proceeded B. A. but soon after was called home, much against his inclination. continued some time with his father, still cultivating his muse: one of the first fruits of which was "A Pindaric Ode," the next year, upon the death of his friend and constant companion, Mr. Charles Morvent. Shortly after this, he became usher to the free-school at Croydon in Surrey, yet found leisure to compose several copies of verses; some of which, being seen in MS. by the earls of Rochester and Dorset, sir Charles Sedley, and other wits of distinction, were so much admired, that they surprised him with an unexpected visit at Croydon. Mr. Shepherd (then master of the school) attributed the honour of this visit to himself; but they soon convinced him, that he was not the

1 Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Dodd's Ch. Hist, vol. I.—Willis's Cathedrals.-Churton's Lives of the Founders.-Wood's Colleges and Halls, &c.

object of their curiosity. The visit, however, brought Oldham acquainted with other persons of wit and distinction, and probably by their means, he was, in 1678, removed from Croydon, and appointed tutor to the two grandsons of sir Edward Thurland, a judge, near Rygate in Surrey. He continued in this family till 1681; when, being out of employment, he passed some time in London among the wits, and was afterwards engaged as tutor to a son of sir William Hickes. This gentleman, living near London, was intimately acquainted with Dr. Richard Lower, an eminent physician there, and who encouraged Oldham to study physic, in which he made some progress; but he had no relish for protracted study, and preferred the occasional exercise of his pen on temporary subjects. Having discharged his trust, in qualifying young Hickes for foreign travels, he declined, though earnestly pressed, to go abroad with him, and took leave of the family. With a small sum of money which he had saved, he now hastened to London, where company seduced him into intemperance, yet in other respects he neither degraded nor disgraced his character. Before he had been long in the metropolis, he was found out by the noblemen who had visited him at Croydon, and who now brought him acquainted with Dryden, who highly esteemed him, conceived a very great opinion of his talents, and honoured his memory with some very pathetic and beautiful lines.

But what turned to his greater advantage was, his being made known to the earl of Kingston, who became his patron, and entertained him with great respect at his seat at Holme-Pierpoint; apparently in the view of making him his chaplain, if he would qualify himself for it by entering into orders. But he had the utmost aversion for that office, as appears from his "Satire," addressed to a friend, who was about to leave the university, and come abroad into the world; in which he lets him know, that he was deterred from the thought of such an office by the servility too often expected from it. He remained, however, an inmate in the earl's house, till his death, which was occasioned by the small-pox, Dec. 9, 1683, in his 30th year. He was buried in the church of Holme-Pierpoint, the earl attending as chief mourner, who soon after erected a monument to his memory, with an inscription expressing his eloge in Latin, to this effect: "No poet was more inspired with the sacred furor, none more sublime in sen

timents, none more happily bold in expression, than he." In his person, he was tall of stature, very thin, long-visaged, with a high nose and prominent; his aspect unpromising, but satire was in his eye. His constitution was tender, and inclined to a consumption; and not a little injured by aplication to learned authors, in whom he was well versed. His genius lay chiefly to satire, where, however, he did not always keep within the bounds of decency.

His works have been frequently printed in one volume, 8vo; in 1722, in 2 vols. 12mo, with the "Author's Life;" and lately, under the inspection of captain Thomson, in 3 vols. 12mo. They consist of no less than fifty pieces; the chief of which are, "The Four Satires upon the Jesuits," written in 1679. In 1681 he published "Some new pieces" by the author of the Satires upon the Jesuits, Svo. The fame he acquired by these satires procured him the title of the English Juvenal, and although his language is frequently harsh and coarse, there are many passages of vigour and elegance, and much vivacity of description. Pope used to say," Oldham is a very indelicate writer; he has strong rage, but too much like Billingsgate. Lord Rochester had much more delicacy, and more knowledge of mankind. Oldham is too rough and coarse. Rochester is the medium between him and the earl of Dorset, who is the best."

OLDISWORTH (WILLIAM), a writer well known in the reigns of queen Anne and George I. but of whom little is remembered, unless the titles of some few of his literary productions. One of his names took the degree of M. A. at Hart-hall, Oxford, in 1670. He was one of the original authors of "The Examiner," and continued to write in that paper as long as it was kept up. He published, "A Vindication of the Bishop of Exeter" (Dr. Blackall), against Mr. Hoadly. 2. A volume called "State Tracts;" and another called "State and Miscellany Poems, by the author of the Examiner," 1715, 8vo. He translated, 3. The "Odes, Epodes, and Carmen Seculare, of Horace;" wrote, 4. The "Life of Edmund Smith," prefixed to his works, 1719; and, 5. "Timothy and Philatheus, in which the principles and projects of a late whimsical book, entitled The Rights of the Christian Church, &c. are fairly stated and answered in their kind, &c. By

1 Biog. Brit.-Seward's Anecdotes, vol. II.-Spence's Anecdotes, MS.