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pofed themselves to the populace in very indecent poftures. At laft, as they grew warmer, Sedley stood 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 ftones, and broke the windows of the house *.

For this misdemeanor they were indicted, and Sedley was fined five hundred pounds: what was the sentence of the others is not known. Sedley employed Killigrew and another 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 Taft 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 flips were taken, fourteen others were 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 Buckhurst had been a week employed upon it, and only retouched or finifhed it on the memorable evening. But even this, whatever it may fubftract from his facility, leaves him his courage.

The particulars of this fhameful tranfaction, and the inpudent behaviour of Sedley to the Lord Chief Juftice Hyde, at the time of pronouncing fentence, are related in the "Athen. Oxon." II. 1100.

He

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

In 1674, the eftate of his uncle James Cranfield, Earl of Middlefex, came to him by its owner's death, and the title was conferred on him the year after. In 1677, he became, by the death of his father, Earl of Dorfet, and inherited the eftate 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 fome other Lords appeared in Weftminster-hall to countenance thic bihops at their trial.

As enormities grew every day lefs fupportable, he found it neceflary to concur in the Revolution. He was one of thofe Lords who fat every day in council to preferve the public peace, after the king's departue; and, what is not the moft illuftrious action of his life, was employed to conduct the Princess Anne to Nottingham with a guard, fuch as might alarm the populace, as they paffed, with falfe apprehenfions of her danger. Whatever end may be defigned, there is always fomething defpicable in a trick.

He became, as may be eafily fuppofed, 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 thofe that were toffed with the King in an open boat fixteen hours, in very rough and cold weather,

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on the coaft of Holland. His health afterwards declined; and on January 19, 1705-6, he died at Bath. He was a man whofe elegance and judgement were univerfally confeffed, and whofe 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 Buckhurst 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 l'rior tells truth, he distinguished by his beneficence, and who lavished his blandifhments on those who are not known to have fo well deferved them, undertaking to produce authors of our own country fuperior to thofe 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 longeft compofition was a fong of eleven stanzas?

The blame, however, of this exaggerated praise 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.

STEPNEY

G

EORGE STEPNEY, defcended from the Stepneys of Pendigraft in Pembrokeshire, was born at Westminster in 1663. Of his father's condi tion or fortune we have no account. Having received the first part of his education at Weftminster, where he paffed fix years in the College, he went at nineteen to Cambridge, where he continued a friendfhip be gun at fchool with Mr. Montague, afterwards Earl of Halifax. They came to London together, and are faid to have been invited into publick life by the Duke of Dorfet.

His qualifications recommended him to many foreign employments, fo that his time feems to have been spent in negotiations. In 1692 he was fent envoy to the Elector of Brandenburgh; in 1693 to the Imperial Court; in 1694 to the Elector of Saxony; in

He was entered of Trinity College, and took his Mafter's de gree in 1689.

1696 to the Electors of Mentz and Cologne, and the Congress at Francfort; in 1698 a fecond time to Brandenburgh; in 1699 to the King of Poland; in 1701 again to the Emperor; and in 1706 to the States General. In 1697 he was made one of the commiffioners of trade. His life was bufy, and not long. He died in 1707; and is buried in Westminster-Abbey, with this epitaph, which Jacob transcribed;

H. S. E.

GEORGIUS STEPNEIUS, Armiger,
Vir

Ob Ingenii acumen,
Literarum Scientiam,

Morum Suavitatem,

Rerum Ufum,

Virorum Ampliffimorum Confuetudinem
Linguæ, Styli, ac Vitæ Elegantiam,
Præclara Officia cum Britanniæ tum Europæ
præftita,

Sua ætate multum celebratus,
Apud pofteros femper celebrandus;
Plurimas Legationes obiit
Ea Fide, Diligentia, ac Felicitate,
Ut Auguftiffimorum Principum
Gulielmi & Annæ

Spem in illo repofitam
.Nunquam fefellerit,

Haud raro fuperaverit.

Poft longum honorum Curfum
Brevî Temporis Spatio confectum,

Cum Naturæ parum, Famæ fatis vixerat,
Animam ad altiora afpirantem placide efflavit.

On

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