of two millions and two hundred thousand pounds in a few hours is preferable to any coins of Zenobia, Odenatus, and Vabaluthus. This was a specimen of that particular humour in which he excelled, and the charms of which proved irrefiftible; whence giving way to that fuga negotii fo incident to the poetical race, he paffed his days in the pursuit of the same ravishing images, which being aptly moulded came abroad in manuscript in the form of pleasant tales, and other pieces in verse, at various times as they happened to be finished t.

Thus captivated with these beauties he neglected his business, and even grew by degrees, as ufual in

But our Author did not reft the matter here; in the course of this famous difpute he published Dialogues of the Dead relating to the present Controversy concerning the Epiftles of Phalaris. He tells us "these were written in felfdefence; and I * prefume," continues he, "with modefty." And nothing fhews he had it at heart more than the various memorandums relating to that subject found scattered up and down in his Adverfaria.

+He collected thefe afterwards, and published them, together with fome other pieces, in his Mifcellanies, prefixing this remark in the preface concerning them: "The remaining "poems which are here muft feek their fate: they were "abroad in manufcript, and I hope will not have harder for"tune now they are in print than they had in the opinion " of fome friends before they were fo." That entitled Little Mouths had been univerfally admired. The reader will find it, with Dr. King's whole other poems, in this edition of his Poctical Works in two volumes.

the

fuch tempers, to dread and abhor it. Heedlefs of thofe useful fupplies which it brought to his finances, and which were in a few years fo much impaired by this neglect, and by the gay course of life he led in company of fome of the best wits and principal gentry and nobility of the age, he gladly accepted a feasonable offer made to him in 1707 by the Lord Pembroke, appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to attend his Lordship to that kingdom, where he was made Judge Advocate, fole Commiffioner of the Prizes, and Keeper of the Records; and the Lord Primate alfo conftituted him his Vicargeneral.

With these honours he was well received and countenanced by perfons of the highest rank, and might have made his fortune if the change of climate could have wrought a change in his disposition; but fo far was he from forming any defign to heap up riches, or of treasuring up any of that money which was now thrown into his lap, that he returned to England with no other treasure than a few merry poems and humorous effays; and retiring to his student's place at Chrifl-church, he employed himself in finishing his Art of Love, in imitation of Ovid de Arte Amandi, to which he prefixed an excellent account of that poet f.

This is fuch an Imitation of Ovid as that wherein the imitator and his author ftand much upon the fame terms as

We have obferved that our Author while in Ireland neglected the best opportunity of increasing his fortune, and the circumstance which occafioned it we find to be this: he had contracted an intimacy, which foon grew into friendship, with Judge Upton, a man of the fame temper with himself, who delighted in retirement and poetical amusement. The Judge had a country villa called Mountown near Dublin, where he and Dr. King used to retire and spend most of their time without any regard to their publick offices; and by these means neglecting to pay court to the Lord Lieutenant, they fell under his displeasure. These two poetical companions indulged no other, thoughts but those of living and dying in their rural retreat. Upon this occasion Dr. King wrote a pastoral poem called Mully of Mountown. Mully was the name of a red cow which gave him milk, and was the subject of his poem. As our Author was known

Ben does with his father in the comedy; "What tho'f he be 66 my father? I an't bound 'prentice to 'en." The Doctor's virtuous difpofition is no where more remarkably diftinguished than in this piece, wherein both the fubject and the example fo naturally and almost unavoidably lead into some less chalte images, fome looser love,which stands in need of a remedy. But there is no occafion for any remedy to be prescribed for the love here treated of befides the speedy obtaining of what it defires, fince it is all prudent, honourable, and virtuous. It is divided into fourteen parts, moft of which end with some res markable fable that carries with it fome real moral.

to fide with the party for the church, the criticks among the oppofite party would have impofed Mully upon the world for a political allegory, the remoteft from the Doctor's defign of any thing they could have devised; and he would hardly think of attempting to undeceive them: on the contrary, we may fuppofe he was not ill pleased to see himself in fuch good company as that of Mr. Pope, whofe Rape of the Lock was about the fame time allegorized in the fame manner by a critick, who affuming this poftulatum, that the Lock fignified the Barrier Treaty, made all the rest of the allegory out very clearly and unexceptionably. But to return from this digreffion.

Dr. King had not been long at the college after his return from Ireland when an incident fell out that had power enough to draw him from his beloved amusements. An action at law had been brought against the Earl of Anglesey for several cruelties used to his lady †, wherein the was backed by her mother the Countess of Dorchester. Upon this occafion his Lordship folicited Dr. King to come to Town and undertake his cause, which was then before the House of Lords. Here the force of friendship prevailed over

+ She was a natural daughter of James II. and having obtained a divorce on this occafion from the Earl of Anglesey, was afterwards married to John Sheffield Duke of Bucking. hamshire.

all his averfion to the wrangling task of an advocate: he complied with the request, took abundant pains for his old friend, more than ever he was known to do, and made fuch a figure in the Earl's defence as fhewed him to have abilities in his profeffion equal to any occafion that might call for them; fo that he gained the reputation of an able Civilian as well as of a humorous poet.

The Doctor's warm zeal for the church carried him in 1709 on the fide of Dr. Sacheverell, and he had a hand in fome of the political kites which flew about at that time. In this indeed he did no more than concur with those whose friendship he had always cultivated; and when these friends came into favour at court, and were taken foon after into the ministry, the Doctor was not wanting in his friendly offices to them, and gave a helping hand towards the fupport of the new measures they entered into. He printed several papers in this view, and among others one which he called The British Palladium, or Welcome of Mr. St. John, (then Secretary of State, and afterwards Lord Bolingbroke) from France.

Shortly after this the Gazetteer's place was offered to him in a way so agreeable to his temper that he could not refuse itt. Accordingly he entered upon

+ This was done in the following manner. Dr. Swift, Dr. Freind, and Mr. Prior, together with fome of theirs and Bo