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Bromley's speech against occafional conformity. He headed the Enquiry into the danger of the Church. In 1706, he propofed and negotiated the Union with Scotland; and when the elector of Hanover received the garter, after the act had paffed for fecuring the Protestant Succeffion, he was appointed to carry the ensigns of the order to the electoral court. He fat as one of the judges of Sacheverell; but voted for a mild fentence. Being now no longer in favour, he contrived to obtain a writ for fummoning the electoral prince to parliament as duke of Cambridge.

At the queen's death he was appointed one of the regents; and at the acceffion of George the First was made earl of Halifax, knight of the garter, and first commiffioner of the treafury, with a grant to his nephew of the reverfion of the auditorfhip of the Exchequer. More was not to be had, and this he kept but a little while; for on the 19th of May, 1715, he died of an inflammation of his lungs.

Of him, who from a poet became a patron of poets, it will be readily believed that the works would not mifs of celebration. Addison began to praise him early, and was followed or accompanied by other poets; perhaps by almost all, except Swift and Pope; who forbore to flatter him in his life, and after his death spoke of him, Swift with flight cenfure, and Pope in the character of Bufo with acrimonious contempt.

He was, as Pope fays, fed with dedications; for Tickell affirms that no dedicator was unrewarded. To charge all unmerited praise with the guilt of flattery, and to fuppofe that the encomiaft

encomiast always knows and feels the falfehood of his affertions, is furely to difcover great ignorance of human nature and human life. In determinations depending not on rules, but on experience and comparison, judgement is always in fome degree fubject to affection. Very near to admiration is the wish to admire.

Every man willingly gives value to the praise which he receives, and confiders the fentence paffed in his favour as the fentence of discernment. We admire in a friend that understanding that selected us for confidence; we admire more, in a patron, that judgement which, instead of scattering bounty indifcriminately, directed it to us; and thofe performances which gratitude forbids us to blame, affection will easily dispose us to exalt.

To these prejudices, hardly culpable, interest adds a power always operating, though not always, because not willingly, perceived. The modesty of praise wears gradually away; and perhaps the pride of patronage may be in time fo increased, that modest praise will no longer please.

Many a blandishment was practifed upon Halifax, which he would never have known, had he had no other attractions than those of his poetry, of which a short time has withered the beauties. It would now be efteemed no honour, by a contributor to the monthly bundles of verses, to be told, that, in ftrains either familiar or folemn, he fings like Montague.

STEPN E Y.

STEPNEY.

GEORGE STEPNEY,

defcended from the Stepneys of Pendegraft in Pembrokefhire, 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, he went to Cambridge, where he continued a friendship begun at school 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 1696 to the electors of Mentz and Cologne, and the congrefs 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 busy, and not long. He died in 1707; and is buried in Westminster-abbey with this epitaph, which Jacob tranfcribed.

H. S. E.

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