Page:A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices.djvu/56

 his controversial writings in defence of Trinitarian doctrines, as against the Unitarianism of the Rev. Mr. Lindsey, which commenced in 1774, and procured for him the degree of D.C.L. from the University of Oxford in 1788. For the greater part of his life he resided at York, where he died 26 Dec. 1808. He was a friend of William Mason, whose poem, The English Garden, he edited in 1783.



Admitted 23 April, 1747.

Second son of Richard Burke, of Dublin, one of his Majesty's Attorneys in the Court of Exchequer, Ireland. After his admission he returned to Dublin, where he had Goldsmith as a fellow-student. In 1750 he came back to keep his law terms, but changed his mind, and was not called to the Bar.

The remaining chief events of his life may thus be summarised. In 1756 he published his celebrated essay On the Sublime and Beautiful; in 1759 he commenced the Annual Register; in 1765 he became Secretary to the Marquis of Rockingham, and in the same year was returned to Parliament for Wendover; in 1774 he made his great speech against the taxation of the American Colonies; in 1782 he became Paymaster of the Forces in Lord Rockingham's ministry; in 1786 he delivered his famous indictment against Warren Hastings; and in 1789 his equally eloquent speeches on the exciting topics of the French Revolution. In 1790 he published his celebrated Reflections on the last great event, which led in the following year to his breaking his connection with Fox and the Whig party, and finally to his retirement from parliamentary life, which took place in August, 1794. Burke survived this event but three years, dying on the 9 July, 1797.

The life of Burke (which is in a measure the history of his country during his time), has been written by many hands: by Robert Bissett (1798), Charles McCormick (1798), Sir James Prior (1824), George Croly (1840), Peter Burke, Serjeant-at-Law (1851), Thomas Macknight (1858—60), and more recently by John Morley (1867 and 1879).

The numerous works of Burke were first collected and published in 1792, with additions down to 1827, since which several editions have appeared. His writings appeared separately in the following order: A Vindication of Natural Society (1756); The Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1756); A Discourse concerning Taste [published with a second edition of the preceding] (1770); Speech on American Taxation (1774); Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies (1775); Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol (1777); Two Letters relative to the Trade of Ireland (1778); Speech on Public Economy (1780); Speech relative to the Independence of Parliament, and Economical Reformation (1780); Speech at Bristol before the Election (1780); Speech on Mr. Fox's India Bill (1784); Representation to his Majesty on the Speech from the Throne (1784:); Articles of Charge against Warren Hastings. 4 parts. (1784); Speech relative to the Nabob of Arcot's Private Debts (1785); Speech on the Army Estimates (1790); Reflections on the French Revolution (1790); Letter to a Member of the National Assembly (1791); Two Letters on the French Revolution. (1791); Letter on Roman Catholic Franchise in Ireland (1792); Speech in Westminster Hall, 18, 19 Feb. 1788 (1792); Letter on the Attacks made upon him and his Pension (1796); Three Memorials on French Affairs (1797); Thoughts on the Proposal of a Peace with France, in Two Letters (1796); A Third Letter on the same (1797); A General Reply to Answers of his Letter respecting his Pension (1796); Thoughts on the Prospect of a Regicide Peace (1796); Letter to the Duke of Portland on the Conduct of the Minority in Parliament (1797); Two Letters on the Conduct of our Domestic Politics (1797).

A complete collection of his Speeches was published in 1816.