CHAP. IX. a set of trifling and 1710. puerile notes by Salvini the Such was the triple alliance, which undertook to chastize the temerity and overthrow the credit of Dr. Bentley ! long note on Hor. Art. Poet. V. 441, where, speaking of Gronovius, he says, "Nam quod rursus nupero libello me oblique impetivit, ut et alter nescio quis, uterque sane operam et oleum perdiderunt: nondum enim eorum ictus tanti facio, ut iterum a me vapulent: "Multo majoris colaphi mecum veneunt.” CHAPTER X. Great political change in 1710-Vacancies of senior-fellowships in Trinity College-Fifty-four articles of accusation presented against Dr. Bentley -Account of Laughton, the Proctor—He disturbs a party of the representatives and their friends at the Rose tavern-Politics at CambridgeGeneral election-Expulsion of Professor Whiston-Barnes's edition of Homer-His quarrel with Bentley-His death and character-Bentley makes interest with the Queen for protection against his prosecutors— The Bishop of Ely requires his answer to the articles—Bentley presents a petition and complaint to the Crown-Question of the Visitor of Trinity College-Government stops the proceedings of the BishopOpinion of the Attorney and Solicitor General-Bentley throws himself on the protection of the Lord Treasurer-His change of party— Questions submitted to the Queen's counsel-Extraordinary efforts of Bentley to finish his Horace - Dedication to the Earl of OxfordPreface Theory of the Tempora Horatiana'—Excellences and faults of Bentley's Horace—Numerous publications ridiculing the book-John Ker's attack on his Latinity-Le Clerc's Review of his Horace-Atterbury's compliments of the work—Another edition at Amsterdam. the Queen's ministers. A CONSIDERABLE time intervened before the design of CHAP. X. the Fellows of Trinity College to prosecute their Master 1710. for malversation could be put into execution. The change in delay seems partly owing to the professional avocations of Miller the conductor of the proceedings, and partly to the overwhelming interest which the political events of the year 1710 exercised over the minds of all persons in the kingdom. The impeachment of Dr. Sacheverell caused an uncommon ebullition of spirits, and threw the country into an agitation as great as almost any event recorded in our history. The flame excited by these proceedings proved the main cause of the great ministerial revolution, by which the powerful government of Lord Godolphin and the Whigs was overthrown, and the High-church party, under CHAP. X. the lead of Harley and St. John, were admitted into the councils of the Queen. 1710. Bentley attempts to divide his To Dr. Bentley this great and unexpected triumph of the Tories seemed highly inauspicious; particularly as he had been endeavouring, in his pamphlet, to represent the opposition which he met with in his College as the fruit of his attachment to the Whig interest. It was now concluded that he could expect no favour and no quarter from those who had obtained the ascendant: and the circumstance of the mastership, when vacant, being in the disposal of Government, contributed to render his situation alarming. It may be noticed as a curious fact that his three opponents, Atterbury, Smalridge, and Freind, by whom the Phalaris controversy was conducted, had confederated to produce the popular defence of Dr. Sacheverell, and were the first persons to experience the patronage of the new ministry. To complete the coincidence, his old enemy Dr. Swift, who was strongly prejudiced against him, became the intimate companion and confidant of the two leading members of the cabinet. But, threatening as this aspect of affairs might seem, the address or good fortune of Dr. Bentley carried him safely, if not triumphantly, through all perils. His first endeavours were to break the confederacy of his Fellows, and by alternate promises and threats opponents. to induce some of them to withdraw their names from the prosecution. Among other efforts to procure the acquiescence of his College council in the schemes detailed in the last chapter, he had offered successively to the ninth and tenth Fellows, an immediate admission to the rank and profits of the Seniority on condition of compliance with his propositions. With this Hawkins. object he attempted to vacate the place of Mr. Hawkins, the oldest of the body, who had for many years 6 1710. the Senior laboured under mental malady, and was then the CHAP. X. inmate of a private madhouse; alleging that he was incapable of discharging the duties of a Senior 1. It was of course remarked that his removal from the number of the eight, supposing the reason to be valid, ought to have taken place long before, and not have been reserved to answer a particular purpose; and the Board, conceiving this to be an attack upon their freeholds, declared their dissent; or, to use the Master's sarcastic expression, the majority of the Seniors were not willing to part with him out of their number.' However, about June this year Hawkins died. The Vacancy in statutes direct that within nine days after the vacancy ity. of a senior-fellowship a successor shall be appointed by the Master and remaining seven; and they moreover enjoin that the next in standing shall be chosen, unless there exist some weighty objection considered by the Master and major part of the Seniors a sufficient cause for his rejection. Accordingly, at the meeting held within the prescribed time, the Seniors unanimously chose Mr. Cooper, the next in succession and one of the prosecutors; but the Master refused to admit him, alleging that he wanted every qualification required by the statutes, in which the members of this College council are described as octo viri et gravitate et prudentia præstantes. Whatever might be the objections against the qualifications or character of Cooper, it was clear that in his refusal he was actuated by feelings of interest or revenge; since this was the same individual to whom he had offered a senior-fellowship a few months before. Before the 1 True State of Trinity College, p. 80. John Hawkins was the contemporary of Dr. Barrow; he was elected Fellow in 1650, and became B.D. in 1661 his grace for the degree of D.D. passed in College in 1680, but he did not proceed to its completion. He had been a member of Trinity under ten successive Masters. 1710. CHAP. X. end of the year Cooper was admitted by the Seniors, in the Master's absence. The only fruit reaped by Dr. Bentley from this demonstration of power was that it became an additional item in the articles of accusation, which were immediately afterwards exhibited to the Bishop of Ely; and his conduct in this particular may perhaps be considered as among the most serious in the catalogue of his alleged malversations 2 Fifty-four articles of against Bentley. July 11, 1710. The accusation was now presented in form, comaccusation prising no less than fifty-four articles, and subscribed not only by the same names as the Petition, but by seven other Fellows, making the complainants a clear majority of the College 3. These numerous charges embraced almost every act of Dr. Bentley's administration, and every part of his conduct since his admission to the mastership. The material questions have been already laid before the reader, and their merits impartially discussed. Miller, by whom the articles were drawn up, had been careful to turn into an accusation every particular for which Bentley had in his printed pamphlet assumed merit to himself. Several of the articles are frivolous, charging the Master with violations of statute in cases where an adherence to the 2 Bentley's defence in this particular was that Cooper was addicted to intemperance: this was denied by the opposite party, who stated that he was as sensible a man as any in England. In October this year another senior-fellowship became vacant by the death of Mr. William Mayer; but, the Master being absent in town, his deputy did not dare even to give notice of the vacancy: at length, on the 26th of December, the Seniority having met to vote a dividend, Mr. Cooper protested against the validity of any proceeding, till the body was completed by filling up the vacancy. This being a sound and tenable objection, they admitted Cooper into the first vacancy, and then proceeded to elect Hanbury, the next in order, into that occasioned by the death of Mayer. Rud's Diary. 3 The additional names were, Thomas Pilgrim, Thomas Hill, John Williams, David Fleming, Robert Johnson, William Smith, and Alexander Burrell. |