CHURCHILL, CHARLES, was born in Vine-street, in the parish of St John the Evangelist, 'Westminster, in February 1731. His father was for many years cu rate and lecturer of that parish, and rector of Rainham near Grays, in Essex. Young Churchill was placed at Westminster school at eight years of age, and, in his l9th year, applied for matriculation at Oxford, but was re jected, cithcr from inability to answer the questions that were put to him on his examination, or from a petulant contempt of his examiners, which was mistaken for ig norance. Ile was afterwards admitted to Cambridge ; but instead of revisiting the university, he made a clan destine marriage in London, after the discovery of which, his father took home the imprudent couple to his own house for a twelvemonth. Young Churchill now appli ed in earnest to such studies as might fit him for the church. At the customary age he received deacon's or ders, and in 1756 was ordained a priest. He first preach ed at Cadbury in Somersetshirc, and at Rainharn, his fa ther's living. At the latter place, he endeavoured to provide for his family by teaching the youth in the neigh bourhood ; but in 1758, his father's death opened a new prospect to him in the metropolis, where he was chosen his successor in the curacy and lectureship of St John's. For some time he performed his duty in these offices with external decency, and added to his income by pri vate tuition ; but about his 27th year he began to relax from habits of industry and decorum, and to plunge into debt and dissipation. The father of his friend, Lloyd the poet, one of the masters or 'Westminster, persuaded his creditors to accept of five shillings in the pound, and to grant him a releas:. Amid all the profligacy of Chur chill's life, it deserves to be told, that When he had after wards realised some money by his writings, he voluntari ly paid the full amount of his debts. After several po etical efforts, which were cithcr suppressed by advice of his friends, rejected by the booksellers, or which attract ed but insignificant notice in a magazine, his attendance at the theatres suggested a subject of satire against a set of men, who have seldom any ineans of retaliation.
l'he Rosciad appeared in 1761, and its success, together with that of its sequel the Apology, a severe satire on the reviewers who had attacked it. was such as to produce at once fame and profit, and to open new prospects to his ambition. Unhappily the decline of his moral conduct kept pace with the rise of his literary name, Ilis pro fligacy drew down the displeasure of the dean of 'West minster, and had long shocked his parishioners. Chur chill conceiving his dignity above reproof, and probably feeling his habits beyond the power of reformation, threw off his clerical character, and with that the few restraints of external decency which it yet imposed. Ile dressed his uncouth form in a splendid fashionable suit, parted from his wife, and addressed a poem, entitled Night, to his friend Lloyd, which is little more than a doleful ex hortation not to blush for immorality. His next publi atiou was the Ghost in 1762, founded on the Cock-lane story, but which he contrived to make the vehicle of some characteristic sketches, Ilis acquaintance with Wilkes commenced about this time, and he probably wrote in the North Briton. For this political patron, his Prophecy of Famine was cont•ived,—a piece, which has strong though scurrilous humour, and was admirably fitted to raise the horse laugh of party and nationality. The Epistle to Ilogarth, his next poetical production, was much more personal, and, from its personality, more malignant. Whatever was the cause al the quarrel, and it is by no means certain whether Hogarth's caricature of the Bear and the Mug of Porter (in allusion to Chur chill's fondness for that beverage) preceded or followed the poet's angry epistle, it is disgusting to peruse his re proaches of the painter for being old and infirm.