BOYLE, ClIAILLES, third Earl of Orrery, was b. at, Chelsea, Aug.. 1676, and entered Christ.Church, Oxford, in his 15th year, where he had for his tutors Drs. Atteriniry and Friend. His attainments as an undergraduate were respectable for a nobleman, and probably this circumstance induced the master of the college, Dr. Aldrich, to select the youth for the annual task of editing a classic. In B.'s ease, it unfortunately happened that the Epistles of Phalaris were chosen, sir William Temple about that time passed the most extravagant encomiums upon them. In 1695 the work appeared. Two years later Bentley published his famous Dissertation, in which he proved that the Epistles, instead of being composed in the 6th c. n.c., were the production of the 2d c. after Christ. 13., in reality, had little to do with the unlucky performance to which his name had been attached. It was the work chiefly of Atterbury and Friend. Never theless, in the following year, and while 13. himself was absent from the country, the
wits and scholars of Christ Church again exposed him and themselves to the merciless criticism of Bentley, by publishing An Examination of the Dissertation, by the Hon. Charles Boyle. In 1699, Bentley once more replied, and sealed the lips of his adversa ries forever. But for this Battle of the Books, in which he only seemed to be engaged, 13.'s name would have been forgotten. In honor of him, the name of " Orrery " was given to the scientific apparatus of that name by its constructor, to whom 13. had been kind. He fought as a maj.gen. at 331alplaquet, was promoted to diplomatic and court appointments, wrote some literary pieces, and died in 1731. Of his poems, even sir Richard Blackmore said: AittSr fits foolish rhyrneg. both frietn1=1 and foes Conclude they know who did not write his prose.