Matthew Prior

On the decease of his father, he devolved to the care of his uncle, a vintner near Charing-cross, who most faithfully discharged the trust reposed in him by his brother, as was acknowledged by his nephew with the utmost gratitude. - Prior was placed for some time under the care of the eminent Dr. Busby, of Westminster school; but, as he was not intended for any of the scientific professions, his uncle, when he had acquired a considerable degree of classical knowledge, took him to reside at his own house, where, fortunately, he was observed by the earl of Dorset, reading Horace, and that noble lord, ever known as the patron of genius, was so pleased with his proficiency in classical learning, that he generously undertook the care and expense of his academical education. In his eighteenth year he was admitted into St. John's College, Cambridge, and in a few days after was appointed, through the interest of his noble patron, a scholar of that house, on the foundation of the Duchess of Somerset, by her Grace's own recommendation. He soon became distinguished among his contemporaries, having written during the first year of his admission a copy of Latin verses, "On the marriage of George, Prince of Denmark, with the lady Anne," which were acknowledged to possess a classical terseness of diction and harmony of numbers. He was admitted to his Bachelor's degree in 1686, and two years afterwards produced his poem on the Deities as a College exercise, agreeable to the established practice of St. John's, to present the Earl of Exeter annually some poems on sacred subjects, as an acknowledgement of a benefaction enjoyed by the members, from the liberality of his venerable ancestor. This composition, though no literary eulogium was passed upon it, happens to have recommended him to the notice of the noble Earl : for his verses "to the Countess of Exeter, in praise of her Muse," and his lines, on the famous picture of "Seneca dying in a Bath," afford ground for concluding that he had been introduced to that family.

Prior was elected representative for East-Grinstead in the Parliament that assembled in 1701, at which period he added to the numberless proofs of human versatility in abandoning the whig party, and joining the tories in voting for the impeachment of Lord Sommers, and other peers, charged with advising the King to the partition treaty; that very treaty in which he himself had been engaged as a ministerial agent. Having attained to an eminent degree of fame, both personal and literary, he was induced to publish a volume of poems, with a dedication to Lionel Duke of Dorset, containing the eulogium on his predecessor, and the poet's patron. The collection began with the College Exercise and ended with the Nut-brown Maid.

The only remaining occurrence of the life of Prior upon record is, that he formed a design of writing a History of his own Times, but had made but little progress in it, when a lingering fever put a period to his existence on the 18th of September, 1721, in the 57th year of his age. He departed this life at Wimpole, the seat of his distinguished patron the Earl of Oxford, and was interred in Westminster Abbey.