the Second, which he helped to enliven by his wit and gaiety, and disgrace by his dissipation. A drunken frolic in which he was engaged with a party of noblemen and men of fashion, in the year 1663, roused the indignation of the populace, and produced a riot, for which he suffered with the others, a prosecution in the Court of King's Bench, and was sentenced to pay a fine of £500. This served to rouse him from a long. course of extravagance and debauchery; he procured a seat in parliament, and became an active member, and a frequent speaker.

In the following reign of James the Second, he was also in parliament, and opposed himself with manly firmness to the arbitrary measures of that infatuated monarch. From this period Sir Charles Sedley made ample amends for the dissipation of his youth, by his public conduct as a member of the legislature, which was highly patriotic and independent. He exerted all his influence in promoting the revolution of 1688, and when he was taxed with ingratitude for having deserted a king. who had been liberal of his favours to him and to his family, who had honoured his daughter with his affection, and elevated her to the rank of a countess, he replied with his usual felicity of wit,-"I hate ingratitude, and therefore as the king has made my daughter a countess, I will endeavour to make his daughter a queen.'

In the reign of William and Mary, Sir Charles Sedley also continued in parliament, and seems to have been what is now called an opposition member. The following selection from his printed speeches, exhibit him to advantage as a patriot.

A Speech in the House of Commons made on the bill for

the raising monies for the civil lists, in the first year

of the reign of King William the Third.

MR. SPEAKER,

"We have provided for the army; we have provided for the navy; and now, at last, a new reckoning is brought us; we must provide likewise for the Civil Lists. Truly, Mr. Speaker, it's a sad reflection, that some men should wallow in wealth and places, whilst others pay away in Taxes the fourth part of their revenue for the support of the same government. We are not upon equal terms for his majesty's service. The courtiers and great officers charge, as it were, in armour; they feel not the taxes by reason of their places, whilst the country gentlemen are shot through and through by them.

"The King is pleased to lay his wants before us, and I am confident expects our advice upon it; we ought therefore to tell him what pensions are too great; what places may be extinguished during the time of the war and public calamity. His majesty is encompassed with

His majesty sees nothing but coaches and six horses, and great tables, &c. and therefore cannot imagine the want and misery of the rest of his subjects. He is a brave and generous prince; but he is a young king, encompassed and hemmed in by a company of crafty old courtiers, to say no more. Some have places of 3000l. some of 60007. and others 68007. per annum; and I am told the Commissioners of the Treasury have 16001. per annum each. Certainly public pensions, whatever they may have been formerly, are much too great for the present want and calamity that reigns every where else.

** And it's a general scandal, that a government, so sick at heart as ours is, should look so well in the face.

"We must save the King money wherever we can, for I am afraid the war is too great for our purses, if things be not managed with all imaginable thrift; when the people of England see all things are saved that can be saved; that there are no exorbitant pensions nor unnecessary salaries; and all this applied to the use to which they are given, we shall give, and they shall cheerfully pay, whatever his majesty can want to secure the Protestant religion, and to keep out the king of France, and king James too; whom, by the way, I have not heard named this sessions; whether out of fear, discretion, or respect, I cannot tell. I conclude, Mr. Speaker, let us save the King what we can; and then let us proceed to give him what we are able."

A Speech in Parliament on the bill for disbanding the army, anno 1699.

MR. SPEAKer.

"I hope my behaviour in this House has put me above the censure of one who would obstruct his Majesty's affairs; I was as early in the apprehensions of the power of France, as any man: I never stuck at money for fleets, armies, alliances, or whatever expences seemed to have the preservation of our new-settled government for that end. I am still of the same mind; but that was war and this is peace; and if I shall now differ from some worthy gentlemen who have spoke before me, they will be so just as to believe it is not about the end but the means we contend.

"Some may think England cannot be safe without a standing army of 30,000 men; and will tell us the King of France has 200,000 in pay, disciplined troops; that all our neighbours are armed in another manner than they were wont to be; that we must not imagine we can defend ourselves with our ordinary and legal forces.

"All this is very material, and would have great weight with me if England were not an island, accessible only by sea; and in that case, not till they have destroyed our navy, which is, or may be made superior to any force that can be brought against us.

"It is very difficult to land forces in an enemy's country; the Spanish armada was beaten at sea, and never set foot on English ground; his present Majesty with all the navy of Holland could bring over but 14,000 or 15,000 men, and that so publicly that nothing but an infatuated prince would have permitted their landing. Our attempts upon Brest shew us that it is easy with a small force to prevent an assault from t'other side of the water. As we are capable of being attacked in several places, so it may be urged as reason for several troops more than our purposes can bear; but if we burthen the people thus far in peace, it may tempt some to wish for war again, every change carrying a prospect of better times, and none can make it worse than a standing army, of any number of men, will at present. If we are true to ourselves, 10,000 men are enough; and if not, 100,000 too few.”

The works of Sir Charles Sedley consist of a variety of short poems and six dramatic pieces. The best edition is that of 1719 in two vols. 8vo.

There is a neatness and felicity of expression in some of the shorter pieces of Sir Charles Sedley, which have preserved them from total oblivion, and secured him a place in modern collections. Beyond this, nothing can be said in favour of his poetry.*

Sedley's dramatic pieces are now forgotten, and never appear to have attained any great degree of popularity; those which we have seen are a mixture of prose and rhyme, the serious scenes being of the latter kind. The Mulberry Garden" which is one of the best, has the following neat dedication.

"To her Grace the Dutchess of Richmond and Lennox.† "MADAM.

"Tis an unquestioned priviledge we authors have of troubling whomsoever we please with an epistle dedicatory, as we call it, when we print a play; Kings and Princes have never been able to exempt either themselves or their favourites from our persecution. I think your Grace, for a person of so great eminence, beauty, indulgence to wit, and other advantages that mark you out to suffer under addresses of this nature, has escaped very well hitherto; for I do not remember your name made a sanctuary for any of these criminals: but Madam, your time is come, and you must bear it patiently ;-all the favour I can shew you, is that of a good execu

*The poetry of Sir Charles Sedley acquired a high reputation with his contemporaries and was distinguished by the Duke of Buckingham by the phrase of "Sedley's Witchcraft." Langhorn remarks that "he studied human nature, and was distinguished for the art of making himself agreeable, particularly to the ladies; for the verses of Lord Rochester beginning with "Sedley has that prevailing gentle art," so often quoted, allude not to his writings, but to his personal address.” + This was the famous Miss Stewart, whose adventures form so conspicuous a part of the amusing memoirs of Count Grammont