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WILLIAM

G.

G.

ILLIAM KING was born in London in 1663 the fon of

Ezekiel King, a gentleman. He was allied to the family of Clarendon.

From Weftminfter-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 faid to have profecuted his ftudies with fo much intenfenefs and activity, that, before he was eight years ftanding, he had read over, and made

remarks upon, twenty-two thoufand odd hundred books and manufcripts.,The books were certainly not very long, the manufcripts not very difficult, nor the remarks very large; for the calculator will find that he dispatched feven a-day, for every day of his eight years, with

a remnant that more than fatisfies most

other students. He took his degree in the most expenfive manner, as a grand compounder; whence it is inferred that he, inherited a confiderable fortune,

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In 1688, the fame year in which he was made master of arts, he published a confutation of Varillas's account of

Wicliffe and, engaging in the study of the Civil Law, became doctor in 1692,

7692, and was admitted advocate at

Doctors Commons.

He had already made fome tranflations 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 thofe wild principles, by

which he fuppofes liberty to be efta

blished, and his adverfaries fufpect that all fubordination and government is endangered.

This book offended prince George; and the Danish minifter prefented a memorial against it. The principles of its author did not please Dr. King, and there

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