K I 
prove the primitive co-equality of prefbyters and bifhops 
with refpeft to order, and by confequence the validity of 
the facraments adminiftered by them. The work excited 
confiderable notice, and was regarded as a powerful bul¬ 
wark of the caufe which it efpoufed ; whence it met with 
feveral antagonifts. 
After his return from Leyden, the advice of Mr. Locke 
induced him to choofe the law for his profeffion, and he 
accordingly entered of the Inner Temple. He did not, 
however, entirely renounce his former ftudies; but, hav¬ 
ing been led by his inquiries to examine the origin of the 
Apoftles’ Creed, he published in 1792 an oftavo volume 
under the title of “The Hiftory of the Apoftles’ Creed, 
with critical Obfervations on its feveral Articles.” This 
was efteemed a performance of great learning and judg¬ 
ment, and fuch as threw new light on the fubject, even 
after bilbop Pearfon’s elaborate expofition of the fame 
creed. Mr. King’s employment as a lawyer increafed with 
his general reputation: in 1708 he was chofen recorder 
of London, and in the fame year was knighted. In 1709 
he was appointed by the houle of commons one of the 
managers on the trial of Dr. Sacheverel. He appeared in 
1712 as gratuitous council for Mr. Whifton, on his pro- 
fecution for herefy before the court of delegates. Upon 
this occafion, as Whifton relates in his Memoirs, when 
none of the judges would.agree to a fentence againft him, 
and the reft of the court, confifting of biftiops and civili¬ 
ans, were refolving to proceed without them, fir Peter 
King threatened to fue them to a praemunire fhould they 
do fo; upon which they defifted. Upon the acceflion of 
George I. he was appointed, in 1714, to fucceed lord 
Trevor as lord-chief-juftice of the common-pleas, and w’as 
fworn of the privy-council. While occupying this poft, 
in 1721, he prefided at the remarkable trial of Coke and 
Woodburde, at Bury in Suffolk, who attempted to evade 
the Coventry-aft by pleading, that, in the alfault they 
committed, their intention was to kill, and not to maim 
or disfigure. This infamous plea was overruled by the 
judge} but it was generally thought that in this cafe the 
It rift letter of the law gave way to confiderations of fub- 
ftantial juftice. In 1725 lirPeter was raifed to the peerage 
by the ltyle of Lord King, Baron of Ockham in Surrey, 
and was created lord-chancellor in the room of the earl of 
Macclesfield. The care and fatigue which he underwent 
in the execution of this high office, for which he is faid 
not to have been well calculated, gradually impaired his 
health, and brought on a paralytic diforder. He refigned 
the feals in 1733, and died in July 1734 ; leaving a charac¬ 
ter of great virtue and humanity, and fteady attachment to 
civil and religious liberty. See Heraldry, vol. ix. p. 566. 
KING (Dr. William), principal of St. Mary’s hall, 
Oxford, fon of the reverend Peregrine King, was born at 
Stepney in Middlefex in the year 1683. He was made 
doftor of laws in 1715; was fecretary to the duke of Or¬ 
mond and earl of Arran, as chancellors of the univerfity ; 
and was made principal of St. Mary’s hall on the death of 
Dr. Hudfon in 1719. When he flood candidate for mem¬ 
ber of parliament for the univerfity, he refigned his office 
of fecretary, but enjoyed his other preferment, and it was 
all he did enjoy to the time of his death. Dr. 'Clark, wdio 
oppofed him, carried the eleftion ; and, after this difap- 
pointment, he in the year 1727 went over to Ireland, 
where he is faid to have written an epic poem called The 
Toaft, which was a political fatire, printed and given 
away to his friends, but never fold. On the dedication 
of Dr. Radcliff’s library in 1749, ' le fp°k e a Latin oration 
in the theatre of Oxford, which was received with the 
bigheft acclamations ; but it was otherwife when printed, 
for he was attacked in feveral pamphlets on account of it. 
Again, at the memorable contelled eleftion in Oxfordfhire 
in 1755, his attachment to the old intereft drew on him the 
refentment of the new, and he was libelled in newfpapers 
and pamphlets, againft which he defended himfelf in an 
Apology, and warmly retaliated on his adverfaries. He 
wrote feveral other things, and died in 1762, He was a 
N G. 739 
polite fcholar, an excellent orator, an elegant and eafy 
writer, and efteemed by the firft men of his time for learn¬ 
ing and wit. 
KING (Charles). Of this choral mufician, fir John 
Hawkins, who feems to have known him perfonally, gives 
the following account in the fifth volume of his hiftory : 
“ Charles King, bred up in the choir of St. Paul’s under 
Dr. Blow, was at firft a fupernumerary finger in that ca¬ 
thedral, for the fmall ftipend of 14I. a-year. In the year 
1704, he was admitted to the degree of bachelor in mafic 
in tlie univerfity .of Oxford ; and upon the death of Jere¬ 
miah Clark, whofe fitter was his firft wife, was appointed 
almoner and matter of the children of St. Paul’s, conti¬ 
nuing to ling for his original ftipend until the 31ft of Oc¬ 
tober, 1730, when he was admitted a vicar choral of that 
cathedral, according to the cultoms and ftatutes thereof. 
Belides his places in the cathedral, he was permitted to 
hold one in a parifh-church in the city, being organilt of 
St. Rennet Fink, London ; in which feveral Rations he 
continued till the time of his death, which happened on 
the 17th of March, 1745. With his fecond wife he had 
a fortune of feven or eight thoufand pounds, which was 
left her by the widow of Mr. Primatt, the chemift, who 
lived in Smithfield, and alfo in that houfe at Hampton 
which is now Mr. Garrick’s. But, notwithftanding this 
acceffion of wealth, he left his family in but indifferent 
circumftances. King compofed fome anthems, and alfo 
fervices to a great number, and thereby gave occafion to 
Dr. Greene fo fay, and indeed he was very fond of laying 
it, as he thought it a witty fentiment, that ‘ Mr. King 
was a very /erviceable man.’ As a mufician he is but little 
efteemed.” 
KING (Edward),F.R S.F.S.A.&c. This learned and ve¬ 
nerable gentleman was defcended from a Norfolk family of 
high refpeftability. His father, who lived to the advanced 
age of ninety and odd years, married Sarah, the eldeft daugh¬ 
ter of Thomas Cater, efq. a gentleman of fortune in the be¬ 
fore mentioned county, who having no male heir, his name 
became extinft. Mr. King was the only ilfue of this mar¬ 
riage. He received the firft rudiments of education front 
Drs. Rullock and Clark, fucceffively deans of Norwich ; 
and, in 1748, was fent to Cambridge, as a fellow-com¬ 
moner of Clare Hall; where he relided feveral years, moft: 
feduloully profecuting his academical courfe, and alike 
diftinguifhing himfelf by the correftnefs of his moral con- 
duft. He afterwards entered himfelf of Lincoln’s Inn, by 
which fociety he was called to the bar, and praftifed at it, 
with confiderable fuccefs, and the promife of future emi¬ 
nence in the profeffion, until the deceafe of his father, 
when, coming into the pofl'effion of a handfome fortune, 
he tpok his leave of Weftminfter-hall, and devoted him¬ 
felf to the quiet purfuits of learning, which, during the re¬ 
mainder of his days, he cultivated with much order and 
perfeverance. 
His firft literary performance was, an Effay on the Eng- 
lifli Conftitution and Government, 8vo. 1767. In 1773 
he publifhed A Letter addreffed to Dr. Hawkefworth, and 
humbly recommended to the Perufal of the very learned 
Deifts. In 1777 he communicated to the Society of An¬ 
tiquaries an ingenious and very interefting Memoir, on 
the Caftellated Remains of pall Ages; which was follow¬ 
ed by a fuller memoir in 1782. They are both printed in 
the Archaeologia, and feventy copies of thefe memoirs 
were printed in one quarto volume, under the title of Ob¬ 
fervations on Ancient Caftles, for the ufe of his private 
friends. In 1780 he publifhed Hymns to the Supreme 
Being, in imitation of theEaftern Songs, izmo. In 1783, 
Propofals for eftablifhing at Sea a marine School, or Semi¬ 
nary for Seamen, 8vo. In 1788, he prefen ted to the reli¬ 
gious world his curious and learned “ Morfels of Criti- 
cifrn, tending to illuftrate fome few Paffages in the Holy- 
Scriptures, upon Pliilofophical Principles, and an enlarged 
View of Things,” 4to. to which a Supplement was added 
in 1800. The public attention was in a very, particular 
manner called to the contents of the former of thefe vo¬ 
lumes, 
