In 1665, Lord Buckhurst attended the Duke of York as a volunteer in the Dutch war; and was in the battle of June 3, when eighteen great Dutch fhips 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 story 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 finished it on the memorable evening. But even this, whatever it may fubftract from his facility, leaves him his courage.

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

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In 1674, the estate 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 estate of his family.

In 1684, having buried his firft 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 oppose the violence of his innovations, and with fome other Lords appeared in Westminster-hall, to countenance the Bishops at their trial.

As enormities grew every day lefs fupportable, he found it neceffary to concur in the Revolution. He was one of those Lords who fat every day in council to preserve the publick peace, after the king's departure;.

and, what is not the most illustrious action of his life, was employed to conduct the

Princefs

Princess Anne to Nottingham with a guard, fuch as might alarm the populace, as they paffed, with false apprehensions 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 coldweather, on the coaft of Holland. His health afterwards declined; and on Jan. 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 testimony in this remark: I know not how it is, but Lord Buckhurft may do what he will, yet is never in

the wrong.

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If fuch a man attempted poetry, we cannot wonder that his works were praised. Dryden, whom, if Prior tells truth, he dif tinguished by his beneficence, and who lavished his blandishments 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 jatire, 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 ftanzas ?

The blame, however, of this exaggerated praise falls on the encomiaft, not upon the author; whose performances are, what they pretend to be, the effufions of a man of wit; gay, vigorous, and airy. His verses to Howard fhew great fertility of mind, and his Dorinda has been imitated by Pope.

STEPNEY.

EORGE STEPNEY, defcended

Gfrom the Stepneys of Pendegraft in

Pembrokeshire, was born at Westminster in 1663. Of his father's condition or fortune I have no account. Having received the first part of his education at Westminster, where he paffed fix years in the College, he went at nineteen to Cambridge, where he continued a friendship begun 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 Branden

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