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/419

 ATTERBURY. the convocation, one of the committee, for comparing Mr. W'hiiton's doctrines with thofe of the church of KncJand ; and, in June following, he had the chief hanJ in diu " Repreft-ntation of the prefent State of Religion [N]." In 1712, Dr. Attcrbury was made cle;:n of Ciinlt-Church [oj, notiWtil/hnding the {trong intercft and warm applications or feverai great men in belulf of his competitor Dr. Smalrid:;e. The next year law him at the top of his preferment, .is well as of his reputation: for, in the beginning of June 1713, the queen, at the recommendation of lord chancellor Hai- court, advanced him to the bifhopnc of Rochefler, with. the deanery of Weliminfrer in commendam j he was con- firmed July 4, and confecrated at Lambeth next <Jjy. At the beginning of the lucceeding reign, his tide of profpe- nty began to turn; and he received a fenfibb mortiftcaiion prefentiy after the coronation of king George I. when, upon hi? offering to prefent his majefiy (with a view, no doubt, of flanding better in his favour; wi'h the chair of ftate and rova} canopy, his own perquilites as dean of V eftminfrer, the offer was rejected, not Without fome evident matks of diilike to his perfon. Dui ing the rebellion in Scotland, which broke out in. the firft year of this reign, Atterbury gave an inftance of his growing difafrection to the eftablifhed government, in refuf- ing to fign the "Declaration" of the bifhops [pj, befides which, " this was duecled by Dr. Attsrbnry, " i.i'.nirier; and becaufe the other '* Jjilhops had mainrained a good cor- " refpondence with the former mini- 4< dry, it was thought fit to put the " marks of the Q^weii's diliruit u|n,n w whom her royal lavour and truft was 44 lodged." [NJ Reprinted w : th his " Zplftolary 4 Ci.nHpondentv," vol. ii. p. 315. [o] " No (boner was he fettled " there," fays St.ickhoufe, "till all " ran into dilorder and contufioii. <4 The canons had been long artiiitomsd 44 to the mild and ".-cn'.le government 44 ot a dean, who had every thing in " him that was endearing to mankind, " and coulu not tfiercfoif brook the " in Dr. Atterbury. That imperious " and deip'jtic manner, in which he " feemed revived to cirry everything, " This oppofition raifed the fetm.-nt, 14 and, in a ihort time, there ci.uKd " fuch rtrife and contention., fuch bitter words and fcaad-ilous quartsls among, them, that 'tv.-as thought .idvlfejl'lc to remove him, vn puif-o.e to report p.v.ce arid t; inquillity to that u-;u. bc;dy, and that other colleges miijit n >t t.ike the infec'tioa. A new metlsod of obtaining preferment, hy 44 in t : hith prjc'ti. -, as leaft ot all " defervc it ! In a word, adds this 41 writf-r, wnerever lie fame, u.nJn ' one pretence or other, but chiefly
 * who had the confidence of the chief
 * ' them, ihat it miyiit appear w.tii
 * 4 wide ditTerence that tiiey perceived
 * l indului n a f uc h n temper, ami purfu-
 * t under the notion ot" aflerting Ins

" rights and privileges, he had a rare ' t.ilent of fomenting dilcord, anil 4 blowing the coals of contention i ' vhuh m.tt a learned fuccefTor, in Dr.., two of his preferments, complain of ridge.
 * his hard la-.i-, in being forced to

41 nrry water after him, to exunguifli 41 i he rhmcs, which his litigioulhels - j - - - j -, it-i*iiv.r^ >* li il.ti Illy illljl 4 marie them mure tenacious of their 4I had every where occafioned/' 4 ' right?, and irclinaMe to make fewer " concelJions, the more lie cndj.r - [i>J In that iunflure of affai" who,: the Pretender's declaration was caon was 4 to graio at power, and tyrannic, polted up in molt market towns, and, fi b 8 ia