Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/358

 354 KINGSMILL. advanced a theory on that subject which met with much opposition on the continent from the pens of Bayle, Leib nitz, and others. To these writers Dr. King, during his life, published no reply, but left behind him a number of papers, in which he endeavours to vindicate his system from their objections. These papers coming into the possession of Mr. Edmund. Law, afterwards Bishop of Carlisle, who had prepared a translation of the original treatise with notes, he enlarged the notes so far as to comprehend the substance of the papers, and published the whole in 1732. This book, which was for some years in great vogue at Cambridge, has been long declining in reputation. Soon after the publication of this treatise, he was trans lated to the see of Dublin; and, in 1717, was appointed one of the lords justices, which office he again held in 1721 and 1723. He died at his palace in Dublin, May 8, 1729. ROBERT KINGSMILL. This gallant officer, whose original name was Brice, was descended of a respectable family, long settled at Belfast, and was born about the year 1780. At a proper age he en tered the royal navy, and after passing through the subordi nate ranks with great credit, was appointed a lieutenant, in April 1756. In January 1761, he was sent to sea, for the first time in an independent station, as acting commander of the Swallow sloop of war, with orders to cruise off the French coast, where he fell in with, and captured, almost without resistance, a privateer from Bayonne, called the Sultan. In July of the same year, he was appointed to the command of the Basilisk bomb-ketch, which formed part of the expedition against Martinique, under Admiral Rodney. After the successful accomplishment of this service, Mr. Brice returned to England, and was appointed to command one of the yachts, then equipping for the purpose of convoying the late queen to this country. In the ensuing spring, he was raised to the rank of post-captain,