"that excellent poet who made this way "of writing free of our nation," and being "fo little equal and proportioned to "the renown of a prince on whom they "were written; fuch great actions and'

lives deferving to be the fubject of the "nobleft pens and moft divine phanfies." He proceeds: "Having fo long experienced your care and indulgence, and been

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formed, as it were, by your hands, not "to entitle you to any thing which my "meanness produces would be not only in"justice, but facrilege."

He published the same year a poem on the Plague of Athens; a subject of which it is not easy to say what could recommend it. To these he added afterwards a poem on Mr. Cowley's death.

After the Restoration he took orders, and by Cowley's recommendation was made chaplain to the duke of Buckingham, whom he is faid to have helped in writing the Rebearfal. He was likewife chaplain to the king.

As he was the favourite of Wilkins, at whofe house began thofe philofophical conferences and enquiries, which in time produced

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duced the Royal Society, he was confequently engaged in the fame ftudies, and became one of the fellows; and when, after their incorporation, fomething feemed neceffary to reconcile the publick to the new inftitution, he undertook to write its hiftory, which he published in 1667. This is one of the few books which felection of fentiment and elegance of diction have been able to preserve, though written upon a fubject flux and tranfitory. The History of the Royal Society is now read, not with the wish to know what they were then doing, but how their Tranfactions are exhibited by Sprat.

In the next year he publifhed Obfervations on Sorbiere's Voyage into England, in a Letter to Mr. Wren. This is a work not ill-performed; but perhaps rewarded with at least its full proportion of praise.

In 1668 he published Cowley's Latin poems, and prefixed in Latin the Life of the Author; which he afterwards amplified, and placed before Cowley's English works, which were by will committed to his care.

Ecclefiaftical benefices now fell faft upon him. In 1668 he became a prebendary of Westminster,

Westminster, and had afterwards the church of St. Margaret, adjoining to the Abbey. He was in 1680 made canon of Windfor, in 1683 dean of Westminster, and in 1684 bishop of Rochefter.

The Court having thus a claim to his diligence and gratitude, he was required to write the Hiftory of the Ryehoufe Plot; and in 1685 published A true Account and Declaration of the horrid Confpiracy against the late King, his prefent Majefty, and the prefent Government: a performance which. he thought convenient, after the Revolution, to extenuate and excuse.

The fame year, being clerk of the clofet to the king, he was made dean of the chapelroyal; and the year afterwards received the laft proof of his master's confidence, by being appointed one of the commiffioners for ecclefiaftical affairs. On the critical day, when the Declaration diftinguished the true fons of the church of England, he stood neuter, and permitted it to be read at Westminster; but preffed none to violate his confcience; and, when the bishop of London was brought before them, gave his voice in his favour,

Thus far he fuffered intereft or obedience to carry him; but further he refused to go. When he found that the powers of the ecclefiaftical commiffion were to be exercised against those who had refused the Declaration, he wrote to the lords, and other commiffioners, a formal profeffion of his unwillingness to exercise that authority any longer, and withdrew himself from them. After 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 those who confidered, in a conference, the great question, whether the crown was vacant; and manfully spoke in favour of his old mafter.

Hecomplied, however, with the new eftablifhment, and was left unmolefted; but in 1692 a strange 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 declared their refolution to

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reftore king James, to feize the princess of Orange, dead or alive, and to be ready with thirty thoufand men to meet king James when he fhould land. To this they put the names of Sancroft, Sprat, Marlborough, Salisbury, and others. The The copy of Dr. Sprat's name was obtained by a fictitious request, to which an answer in his own hand 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 message, was very curious to fee the houfe, and particularly importunate to be let into the study; where, as is fuppofed, he defigned to leave the Affociation. This, however, was denied him; and he dropt it in a flower-pot in the parlour.

Young now laid an information before the Privy Council; and May 7, 1692, the bishop was arrested, and kept at a messenger's under a strict guard eleven days. His house was searched, 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.

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