Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/352

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HIS Gentleman was born in the city of Exeter, and the youngeſt of ſix ſons of Mr. John Yalden of Suſſex. He received his education at a Grammar ſchool, belonging to Magdalen-College in Oxford. In the year 1690 he was admitted a commoner of Magdalen-Hall, under Mr. John Pullen, who was eſteemed an excellent tutor, and a very great maſter of logic, and the following year he was choſen ſcholar of Magdalen-College. Here he became a fellow-pupil with the celebrated Mr. Addiſon and Dr. Henry Sacheverel, and early contracted a particular friendſhip with thoſe two gentlemen. This academical affection Mr. Addiſon preſerved not only abroad in his travels, but alſo on his advancement to conſiderable employments at home, and kept the ſame eaſy and free correſpondence to the very laſt, as when their fortunes were more on a level. This preſervation of affection is rendered more ſingular, by Mr. Yalden’s having eſpouſed a very oppoſite intereſt to that of Mr. Addiſon, for he adhered to the High-Church party, and was ſuſpected of an attachment to an exiled family, for which he afterwards was brought into very great trouble.

In the year 1700 he was admitted actual and perpetual fellow of Magdalen-College, and qualified himſelf