Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/238

 202 A M H U R S T. lingbroke and Mr. Pulteney, and probably by other leaders of the oppoficion. Their fame, and their writings, were the grand fupport of the " Craftfman." Neverthelefs, Mr. Amhurft's own papers are allowed to have been compofed with ability and fpirit; and he conducted the " Craftfman," in the very zenith of its profperity, with no fmall reputation to himfelf. July 2, 1737, there appeared in that publication an ironical letter, in the name of Colley Gibber, the defign of which was to ridicule the act that had jutt paffed for licen- fing plays. In this letter, the laureat propofes himfelf to the lord chamberlain to be made fuperintendant of the old plays y as (landing equally in need of correction with the new ones ; and produces feveral pafTages from Shakefpeare, and other poets, in relation to kings, queens, princes, and miniflers of Hate, which, he fays, are not now fit to be brought on the itage. The printer, c. having been laid hold of by order of government, Mr. Amhurft voluntarily furrendered himfelf in their (lead; and, after having been kept in cuftody ten days, was obliged to bring his Habeas Corpus for his liberty, before he could obtain it ; becaufe he refufed to give bail for his good behaviour, as well as his appearance. The miniftry, we believe, prudently dropped the profecution. Notwith- ftanding Mr. Amhurft's merit with his party, he was totally neglected by them, when they made their terms with the crown ; and he died foon after, of a fever, at Twickenham. His death happened April 27, 1742 ; and his diforder was probably occalioned, in a great meafure, by the ill ufage he had received. Mr. Ralph, in his " Cafe of Authors," (peaks with a juft feeling and indignation upon the fubject. " Poor " Amhurft ! after having been the drudge of his party for " the beft part of twenty years together, was as much for- cc been born ! And when he did of what is called a broken " heart, which happened a few months afterwards, became <c indebted to the chari'ty of a bookf-ller for a grave; not to " be traced now, becaufe then no otherwife to be diftinguiih- " ed, than by the frefhnefs of the turf, borrowed from the in the character of Mr Pul.eney, exprelles himfelf concerning the treatment of Mr. Amhurft- m the following terms : " But " if the earl of Ba'.h had his lift of penfioners^how comes it " that Amhurfr. was fo; gotten ? The fate of this poor man " is fingular : He was the able allociate of Bolingbroke and " Pulteney, in writing the celebrated vveeklv paper called " The Craftfman. His abilities were unqucftionable ; he
 * ' gotten in the famous compromi'eof 1742, as if he had never
 * ' next common to cover it." A Jr. T. Davies the bookieller,
 * had