«oo 



5"//' Richard King, bart, — Mr. Dcmuan, 



[Jan. I, 



prcfencc of mind. Towards the clofc of the 

 aftion, when two of the enemy's (hips were 

 bearing down to ;itt:ick the Exeter, the maitcr 

 a(ked him what he fliould do with the lliip, 

 to which he replied with the charaflerilHc 

 fpirit of a Britiih fcanian : '• There is nothin;; 

 to be done but to fight licr till ihe finks !" 

 The Exeter was, however, prel'erved ; but 

 fhe was fo completely difabled, that for two 

 days after the adion, (he was under the nc- 

 ceflity of being towed hy the Monmouth, not 

 being in a condition to carry any fail Du- 

 ring the latter part of the time that Commo- 

 dore King ferved in India, he had his bruad 

 pendant on board of the Hero, and in the 

 lart aiflion with the enemy's fjuadron on the 

 loth of June ]7tl.i, he narrowly efcaped be- 

 ing Killed by the bolt of a grapc-(hot, which 

 itruclc the fpcaking trumpet out of his hand, 

 while he was giving orders on the poop of 

 the (hip. On the conclufion of peace he re- 

 turned to England witii the iiill divifion of 

 the fleet, and fnon at'ter his arrival, in May 

 i7iii, his iVIajelly conferred on him the ho- 

 jiuur of knighthood, in conlideration of his 

 meritorious fervices. In September 1787, a 

 j'romotion of flag-officers took place, by which 

 iir Richard King became rear-admiral of the 

 white; and in 17'.)0 he was appointed rom- 

 injndcr irich cf in the Downs. In 17'.U he 

 ■was promoted to be rear-admiral of the red, 

 and was appointed to command the third 

 divifion pf the fleet at Spithcad. In 17'.l'2 

 he experienced the farther honor of being 

 created a baronet of Great Britain, and was 

 fcnt out as governor and commander in chief 

 at Newfoundland. In 17<>.J he was promoted 

 to be vice-admiral of the blue, and on his re- 

 turn from his government, was the following 

 yiar elcfted member of parliament for Ho- 

 chelter. About tlie fame time he was ap- 

 pointed port-admiral at Plymouth, and in 

 June I70.">, was promoLcd to the rank ij( ad- 

 miral of the blue. In February \79'Ji, he be- 

 came admiral of the white ; and in the month 

 cf April (allowing, he was luccccdcd in his 

 command at Plymouth, by Sir Thomas Palf- 

 ley. This was the lait profelhonal appoint- 

 ment held by Sir Richard, who in November 

 1805, was raifed to the rank of admiral of the 

 red. It may be afl'ertcd of the decealed admi- 

 ral, with the grcatcll truth, that his majcfty's 

 navy did not poliefs a braver otficir, or a mort; 

 iionorable and refpeited man. Sir Richard 

 is fucccedcd in his title by his only Ion, Cap- 

 tain King, of L'Achille of 74 guns, which 

 fhip he commanded in the evfr-mcmorable 

 battle of Trafalgar. 



At Newport, Ifle of Wight, Mr. Denmait, 

 of the Haymarket and Portfmouth Theatres, 

 lie was tJie fon of an oflacer in the Rovd 

 >;avy, and was originally intended for the 

 fame fervice himfelf, but in compliance with 

 the wi(h of hii mother, he was placed with an 

 eminent Bookfeller, in Roche.tcr. At the 

 expiration of his apprenticelhip, he repaired to 

 LanduiJ, wliejc h? reUn<iuiih;d his fonpcr oc- 



cupation for the ftage, which he had long con- 

 templated as the profeflion, which, of all 

 others, would yield him the greatcft delight. 

 His firft eflay was at Kingflon, in Surrey ; 

 where, having been noticed by the Manager 

 for fome propriety in what is technically term- 

 ed level fpeaking, he was foon fit to reprc- 

 fent the buried Majclty of Denmark; but 

 another performer claiming the chara£ler as 

 his right, Mr. Dcnman w.n obliged to take 

 the part of the living King, and to give up 

 t\ie gtoji. This, indeed, had nearly happened 

 in reality, for the Manager, who played Ham- 

 let, ufiiig a fword inllead of a ftage foil, was 

 ruihing, with his accu(tomL'd ardour, to ftab 

 the guilty king ; but, fortunately for Mr. Den- 

 man, he dilcovercd his danger in time to avert 

 the cataltrophc. Laying afide the dignity of 

 his aflumed fituation, lie fprang from his chair, 

 and in the greiiti (V terror, abruptly exclaim- 

 ed, " 'Tis a fword !" I lamlet inllantly check- 

 ed himfelf; King Claudius died without be- 

 ing killed, and the tragedy ended in the high- 

 ell ftyle of merriment. In the winter of 17 ilo, 

 Mr. Denman was engaged by Mr. Crubb, for 

 Drury-lane, where his firft app(;arance was in 

 Foigard, inTlie I5eaux Stratagem. The prin- 

 cipal catifc of his engagement was a new 

 piece, called, " The Charity Boy," which 

 had been aiinouncud for rcprefenlation at the 

 Haymarket, but transferred to Drury-lane, on 

 account of the indiliiofuion of Mr. Johnrtont. 

 The condemnation of this mufical entertain- 

 ment, in which Mr. Denman fuftained the 

 character intended (or Mr Johnltone, render- 

 ed his (lay in London of fliort daration. He 

 then went to Edinburgh, lor a year, alter 

 which he returned to England, and engaged 

 with the late Mr. Wilkinlun, at York. Here 

 lie continued till the beginning of the fummer 

 o( IbO.i, when Mr. Culinan, having feen him 

 aft, conceived fo fivourably of his talents, 

 that he made him a liberal oHer for the ll.iy- 

 markct, which was accepted. He chiefly (up- 

 plied the place of Mr. Johnftonc, but the fu- 

 perior humour of the latter, caufed Denman 

 to appear todifadvantage. It has been aflcit- 

 ed by his iriends, that be did not give his per- 

 formances that daring colouring of which he 

 was fully capable, on account of a certain 

 diihdence and modcfly, which never forlook 

 him, even when moll luccelsful. In his pri- 

 vate life, he was a man of uncommon woftii. 

 He was diftingyKhed by frar.kncfs and inflexi- 

 ble integrity ; and his beti.iviour and coiulutt 

 Were manly ;^nd intereiHng. 



At Exeter, Liemcmint-gcricrnl John Oravet 

 Simcoc, .')6. This highly efteem?d and la- 

 mented ol^ccr was a native of Devonihiie, 

 in which county he poireilcd an eftate and 

 beai-tiful demefnc, called WaU'ord Lodge, 

 near Exeter. He was born at the Ume place, 

 about ;he year 17.')n. Bt ing addiclcd from 

 his early youth to military affairs, he entered 

 the army in 1770, as an eufign, in the j.uh 

 regiment, then quartered in Exeter. Mr. 

 Simcoe, in co;ifc^uenc(; of jrcat attention ta 



