because not approved on the stage.

Sir William has also a little poem extant, which was set to music by Mr.
Henry Lawes, a man in the highest reputation of any of his profession in
his time. Mr. Wood says, that after our author had retired from court in
his declining age, he wrote

The Artless Midnight Thoughts of a Gentleman at Court; who for many
years built on sand, which every blast of cross fortune has defaced;
but now he has laid new foundations, on the rock of his salvation,
&c. London 1684. It is dedicated to King Charles II. and besides 233
thoughts in it, there are some small pieces of poetry.

Midnight and Daily thoughts in verse and prose, Lond. 1694, with
commendatory verses before it, by H. Briket. He died 1693, and was
buried in Westminster Abbey.

[Footnote 1: Wood, Athen. Oxon. vol. 2.]

* * * * *

Sir ROBERT HOWARD.

This gentleman was a younger son of Thomas earl of Berkshire, by
Elizabeth his wife, one of the daughters and coheirs of William lord
Burghley, and received his education at Magdalen-college, Oxford, under
the tuition of Dr. E. Drope. During the civil wars, he suffered with the
rest of his family, who maintained their loyalty to the unfortunate King
Charles I. Upon the restoration, our author was made a knight, and was
chosen one of the burgesses for Stockbridge in Hampshire, to serve
in the Parliament which began at Westminster 8th of May 1661; he was
quickly preferred to the place of auditor of the Exchequer, then worth
some thousand pounds per annum, and was reckoned one of King Charles's
creatures, whom he advanced, on account of his faithful services in
cajoling the Parliament for Money.

In the year 1679 he was chosen burgess for Castle-rising in Norfolk,
to serve in that Parliament which began at Westminster on the 17th
of October 1680. When the revolution was effected, and King William
ascended the throne, he was elected burgess again for Castle-rising, to
fit in the Parliament which began the 22d of January 1688, was made one
of the privy council, about the 16th of February took the usual oaths,
and commenced from that moment a violent persecutor of the Non-jurors,
and disclaimed all manner of conversation and intercourse with any of
that character. He is said to have been a man extremely positive, and a
pretender to a more general understanding than he really possessed. His
obstinacy and pride procured him many enemies, amongst whom t