P. WHITEHEAD.

AUL WHITEHEAD was the youngest

PAUL

fon of Mr. Edmund Whitehead, a tradefman, faid to have been a taylor in Castle-yard, Holborn, and was born in 1710, on St. Paul's day, from which circumftance he obtained the Chriftian name he bore. He received his education from a clergyman at Hitchin in Hertfordshire. Being intended for trade, he was placed an apprentice to a mercer in London; but, difliking his fituation, he foon quitted it, and entered himself of the Temple, in order to study the law.

Being acquainted with Mr. Fleetwood, the manager of Drury-lane theatre, he was prevailed upon by that gentleman to become bound with him for the payment of a

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confiderable fum of money, which, when it became due, the manager was unable to difcharge. He abfconded, therefore, and left Mr. Whitehead anfwerable for it, who, being arrested, was confined for feveral years within the walls of the Fleet Prifon.

His firft performance was "The State "Dunces," infcribed to Mr. Pope, in 1733; and in 1738 he published "Manners," a fatire, in which fome nobleman having been treated with very little refpect, a complaint was made to the Houfe of Lords, and on the 12th February, 1738-9, it was voted to be fcandalous, and Dodfley the publifher of it was taken into cuftody by the Black Rod, and confined a week. On this occafion Mr. Whitehead withdrew until the ftorm was over.

His next performance was "The Gymna"fiad," published in 1744; and that was fucceeded by Honour, a Satire," in 1747. At this period the Prince of Wales being in oppofition to the Court, Mr. Whitehead connected himself with that party, and was author of the celebrated pamphlet, called "The Cafe of the "honourable Alexander Murray," which fel under the cenfure of the Houfe of Commons,

who

who procured Mr. Owen, the publisher, to be profecuted for vending it. In 1755 he published The Epiftle to Dr. Thompson."

He had, in the year 1735, married Mifs Dyer, only daughter of Sir Swinnerton Dyer, of Spains Hall in Effex, with whom he is faid to have received 10,000l. She died young; and Mr. Whitehead, after his release from Fleetwood's debt, lived in a ftate of independence, if not affluence. He was particularly attached to Lord Le Defpenfer, at whofe house he almost constantly refided, and by whom he was held in an equal degree of eftimation. To this nobleman he bequeathed his heart, with sol. for an urn, defiring it to be placed in some corner of his lordship's maufoleum, as a memorial of its warm attachment to the noble founder.

For fome time before Mr. Whitehead's death he lingered under a fevere illness, during which he employed himself in burning his manufcripts. Though his disorder was such as no medicine would reach, he bore the excruciating pains which he suffered with great refignation, and died December 30, 1774. On the 13th of Auguft following his heart was depofited, as he defired, with great pomp and ceremony.

VOL. VI.

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ARM

A R M STRONG.

OHN ARMSTRONG was born in

JOH

Caftleton parish, Roxboroughshire, where his father and brother were both minifters. He compleated his education in the University of Cambridge; and took his degree in phyfick, February 4, 1732, with much reputation. He foon after came to the metropolis, where he was more fuccefsful as an author than a phyfician.

In 1737 he published his celebrated, though too licentious, poem, called, "The Economy "of Love;" which has paffed through many editions, more, it is to be feared, to the ad-. vantage of the bookfeller than to the reader.