Duke of York, who was at the head of the navy, than from any motives of patriotism or disinterested love for the service. This battle was perhaps the most obstinate and bloody that was fought during the whole war: and it was not till after a struggle of four days, that victory declared in favour of the English.

During this protracted engagement, a circumstance occurred that afforded Lord Rochester an opportunity of signalizing his courage in a very particular manner. In the heat of the action, Sir Edward Spragge having lost most of his volunteers, and not being satisfied with the behaviour of one of his captains, found some difficulty in getting a person that would cheerfully venture through so much danger, to carry his commands to the officer in fault. In this emergency, the young nobleman in question readily offered his services, and pushing off in an open boat, he delivered his message, and returned through the thickest of the fire back to his ship, amidst the cheers and plaudits of all who witnessed this gallant feat of deliberate heroism.

He had thus at the very outset of life sufficiently established his character as a brave man, by giving such undoubted demonstrations of courage in an element and way of fighting, which is acknowledged to be the greatest trial of cool and undaunted valour. And it is matter of regret, that these noble energies which were capable of such distinguished exertions, should have been so perverted and debased by the irregularities of his life, as to sink him in degradation to the level of the meanest and most wretched of the species. The reputation for bravery which he had so justly gained, he afterwards forfeited by some other less

honourable adventures. His companions would sometimes reproach him for deserting them in brawls and street quarrels ; and Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, has recorded a story of his declining to fight him, although the whole charge may perhaps be resolved into his love for trick and buffoonery, rather than want of courage; as it was a paradox or maxim of his, that every man would be a coward if he durst.

On quitting the sea-service, he repaired to court, where it appears his merits were not left unrewarded, as he was made one of the gentlemen of the King's bed-chamber, and comptroller of Woodstock Park. Here his former habits of intemperance, which he had subdued and entirely relinquished on his travels, were again resumed. The lessons of moderation and restraint which he had learned from his excellent tutor, were gradually forgotten; and he began by progressive steps, though not without some reluctance, to yield himself up to all the sensual gratifications and extravagant pleasures of a depraved and unprincipled court. He became unhappily addicted to riotous and profane company, by which all sense of religion or morality was completely effaced from his mind.

The licentiousness of his habits, with the sprightliness of his wit, disposed him to love the society and the conversation of those who made lewdness and impiety the chief amusement of their social hours. As he excelled in that boisterous and irregular merriment which wine excites, his companions, as well as his own natural temper, encouraged him in these excesses; in which he was at length so entirely immersed, that, as he confessed, for five years together he was continually drunk, or at least

so inflamed by repeated inebriety, that during all that time, he was not cool enough to be perfectly master of himself. In this state, he said and did the most extraordinary things that the wildest imagination could conceive, and was led to play many frolics, which it is not for his honour that posterity should remember, and which are not now distinctly known. Many jeux d' esprit, and humorous stories have been preserved in jestbooks, and are still circulated in conversation, which, perhaps, are falsely ascribed to him; and which, even had they been true, could not with propriety be admitted into the graver pages of biography.

The recital of these extravagances often furnished the merry Monarch with curious narratives, to entertain his idle courtiers; and writers of modern romance, have drawn from this store-house a rich supply of traditionary anecdote to embellish their columns. The King made him a frequent associate in his recreations and convivial parties, not so much out of love to his person, as for the diversion his company afforded him. He dreaded

"The King dining at the Dutch Ambassador's, after dinner they drink and turn pretty merry; and among the rest of the King's company, there was that witty fellow, my Lord of Rochester, and Tom Killigrew, whose mirth and raillery offended the former so much that he did give him a box on the ear in the King's presence; which do give much offence to people, to see how cheap the King makes himself; and the more for that the King hath not only passed by the thing, and pardoned it to Rochester already, but the very next morning the King did publicly walk up and down and Rochester with him, as free as ever, to the King's everlasting shame, to have so idle a rogue his companion."-Pepys's Diary 11. 305.

B

This course of life, however, broke his constitution, which was originally strong, and ruined his reputation almost beyond the hope of recovery. During the intervals of dissipation, he would spend months together in study, either reading the works of comic authors, or expending his wit in composing ludicrous satires on the vices and adventures of his companions,-an art in which he had the peculiar talent of saying the most malicious things in such a way as to please, rather than give offence. In these occasional sallies, he did not pretend to confine himself to the truth, but mixed facts with falsehoods, sparing nothing that might gratify his revenge, or make the subjects of his verse ridiculous. These expedients he even defended as necessary; alleging that no man could express himself with life, unless heated by revenge; and that to write a satire without resentment, upon the cool principles of philosophy, was, as if a man would, in cold blood, cut another's throat, who had never offended him; and he was of opinion, that lies in these libels came often in as ornaments, that could not be spared, without spoiling the beauty of the poem.

By indulging for a series of years in these perverse opinions, he had contracted principles which almost quite extinguished the inherent propensities in his nature to justice and virtue. Having surrendered himself, without reserve, to every licentious habit, and finding it not convenient to admit the authority of laws, which he was resolved not to obey, he had recourse to infidelity, the usual expedient of those, who, having yielded to the solicitations of passion or prejudice, generally endeavour to shelter their wickedness under the prin

ciples, or rather the pretext of disbelief. For it may be laid down as an observation confirmed by universal experience, that a dislike to the precepts and duties of Christianity, lays the foundation of all the doubts and objections that have been urged against the evidences of its truth, or the mysterious nature of its doctrines. Men in general are profligates before they turn sceptical. They become apostates, and abandon the paths of virtue, only when they find them no longer to be ways of pleasantness and peace. Incredulity springs more from the corruption of the heart, and a rooted disinclination of the will, than from any want of conviction, any weakness of comprehension, or error of the understanding. Few become infidels who sit down to investigate the sacred records of Scripture, with earnest desires and honest intentions. The candid inquirer is uniformly rewarded with conviction. If any doubt or deny, it is not that they have found Christianity to be false, but because they have reasons or inclinations for wishing it to be so; and were it possible to remove the apprehensions of future punishment,-to level the distinctions between virtue and vice, and reconcile conscience to criminal indulgences, we should soon find neither atheists, infidels, nor sceptics in the world.

It was by steps such as these that Lord Rochester advanced in his career; from profligacy to impiety, from a reckless debauchee, to a confirmed disbeliever. Like most other apostates, his guilt had this aggravating circumstance, that he not only gloried in wickedness himself, and gratified every appetite to the utmost extent, but he laboured most industriously to instil the moral