ter they had read his letter, they adjourned for fix months, and scarcely ever met afterwards.

When king James was frighted away, and a new government was to be fettled, Sprat was one of thofe who confidered, in a conference, the great queftion, whether the Crown was vacant, and manfully fpoke in favour of his old mafter.

He complied, however, with the new establishment, and was left unmolested<; but in 1692 a ftrange attack was made upon him by one Robert Young and Stephen Blackhead, both men convicted of infamous crimes, and both, when the fcheme was laid, prifoners in Newgate. Thefe men drew up an affociation, in which they whofe names were fubfcribed

de

declared their refolution to reftore king James; to feize the princess of Orange,

-dead or alive; and to be ready with

thirty thousand men to meet king James when he should land. To this they put the names of Sancroft, Sprat, Marlborough, Salisbury, and others. The copy of Dr. Sprat's name was obtained by a fictitious requeft, to which an answer in his own band was defired. His hand was copied fo well, that he confeffed it might have deceived himself. Blackhead, who had carried the letter, being fent again with a plaufible meffage, was very curious to fee the house, and parti-cularly importunate to be let into the study; where, as is fuppofed, he defigned to leave the Affociation. This

how

however was denied him, and he dropt it in a flower-pot in the parlour.

Young now laid an information beefore the Privy Council; and May 7, 1692, the bishop was arrefted, and kept at a meffenger's under a ftrict guard eleven days. His houfe was fearched, and directions were given that the flower-pots fhould be infpected. The meffengers however miffed the room in which the paper was left. Blackhead went therefore a third time; and, finding his paper where he had left it, brought it away.

The bishop, having been enlarged, was, on June the 10th and 13th, examined again before the Privy Council,. and confronted with his accufers. Young

per

perfifted with the most obdurate impudence, against the ftrongest evidence; but the refolution of Blackhead by degrees gave way. There remained at laft no doubt of the bishop's innocence, who, with great prudence and diligence, traced the progrefs, and detected the characters of the two informers, and

published an account of his own examination, and deliverance; which made fuch an impreffion upon him, that he commemorated it through life by an yearly day of thanksgiving.

With what hope, or what intereft, the villains had contrived an accufation which they must know themselves utterly unable to prove, was never discovered.

After

After this, he paffed his days in the quiet exercise of his function. When the cause of Sacheverell put the publick in commotion, he honestly appeared among the friends of the church. He lived to his feventy-ninth year, and died May 20, 1713.

Burnet is not very favourable to his memory; but he and Burnet were old rivals. On fome publick occafion they both preached before the house of commons. There prevailed in those days an indecent cuftom: when the preacher

touched any favourite topick in a manrner that delighted his audience, their approbation was expreffed by a loud -hum, continued in proportion to their zeal or pleasure. When Burnet preach

ed,