KING, WILLIAM (1663-1712), English poet and miscel laneous writer, son of Ezekiel King, was educated at Westminster school, and at Christ Church, Oxford. He became known as a humorous writer on the Tory and High Church side. He took part in the controversy aroused by the conversion of the once stubborn non-juror William Sherlock, one of his contributions be ing an entertaining ballad, "The Battle Royal," in which the dis putants are Sherlock and South. A pamphlet in defence of Den mark was rewarded by a secretaryship to the princess Anne. He wrote various pamphlets in support of Charles Boyle in his con troversy with Richard Bentley over the genuineness of the Epistles of Phalaris. He satirized Bentley in ten Dialogues of the Dead relating to . . . the Epistles of Phalaris (1699). In 1700 he pub lished The Transactioneer, with some of his Philosophical Fancies, in two Dialogues, ridiculing Hans Sloane, who was then the secre tary of the Royal Society. This was followed up later with some
burlesque Useful Transactions in Philosophy (1709). King wrote four pamphlets in support of Sacheverell. He held various Gov ernment offices in Ireland between 1701 and 1708, and in 1711 Swift obtained for King the office of gazetteer, worth from £200 to £250. King was now very poor, but he had no taste for work, and he resigned his office on July I, 1712. He died on Dec. 25 in the same year.
King's Remains . . . were edited by J. Brown in 1732 ; and in 1776 John Nichols produced an excellent edition of his Original Works . . . with Historical Notes and Memoirs of the Author. Dr. Johnson included him in his Lives of the Poets, and his works appear in subse quent collections.