CORE, WILLIAM, archdeacon of Wilts, was born in London, March 1747. In 1768 he was a fellow of King's College, Cambridge. In 1771 he was appointed to the curacy of Denham, near Uxbridge, but soon after he went to travel on the continent as tutor to the Marquis of Blandford, son of the Duke of Marlborough, with whom he remained two years. In 1775 he accompanied in the same capacity Lord Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke, with whom he visited a considerable part of Europe. His Sketches of the Natural, Civil, and Political State of Switzerland, in a series of Letters to IV. Mel moth,' 8vo, 1779, was translated into French with considerable additions by M. Rausond, a French traveller of taste and information, who rendered Coxe's work, which was rather dry and prosy, more attractive by adding many entertaining details. Coxe's attention had been chiefly directed to the political institutions of the numerous republics of the old Helvetic Confederation, a subject which had been already in some measure treated by Stanyan half a century before. Ramond travelled as a pedestrian through the most remote Alpine districts : he understood the dialects of the country, and in this respect had a great advantage over Coxe. He added to Coxe's work several entire letters, among others one in which he describes the striking scene, which few travellers have witnessed, of a general landsgemeinde, or assembly of the whole sovereign people of the canton of Glarus. Ramond'e book is still one of the most interesting works upon old Switzerland, such as it was before the French invasion and subsequent changes. (‘Lettres de Mr. W. Coxe sur l'Etat Poli tique, Civil, et Naturel, de la Suisse, augmeutdes des Observations faites dans le mdme Pays par le Traducteur,' 2 vole. 8vo, Pads, 1781.) In 1789 Coxe published a second edition, much enlarged, of his own work, under the title of Travels in Switzerland,' 3 vols. 8vo. The third volume is entirely engrossed by a description of the Grisons. Meantime in 1784, having visited the northern kingdoms of Europe, he published Travels into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark,' in 5 vols. 8vo, which were translated into French. Soon after the pub lication of this work he accompanied Mr. Samuel Whitbread ou tour on the continent, and in 1786 he went there again with the son of Mr. Portman, of Bryanstou, Dorset. In 1788 he was presented to tho rectory of Bemerton by the Earl of Pembroke. In 1794 he again visited tho continent with Lord Brome, eldest son of the Marquis Cornwallis; and on his return was made chaplain of the Tower.
Coxo had collected a considerable store of information during his travels, of which he availed himself in writing several historical works, the most important of which is the History of the House of Austria from the foundation of the Monarchy by Rudolf of Habsburg to the death of Leopold II. in 1792,' 3 vols. 4to, London, 1807. It is
a work of considerable labour and research, and conscientiously written. The author quotes in his preface and in the body of the work his authorities both printed and manuscript ; and he also availed himself of oral information which he collected in his travels. The author has confined himself to the German branch of the house of Austria, leaving out the Spanish branch from Philip IL The work was translated into German, and seems to have been well received at Vienna. Coxo also wrote-1, 'History of the Kings of Spain of the House of Bourbon, from 1700 to 1788,' 3 vols. 4to, 1813. 2, Memoirs of John Duke of Marlborough, with his Original Correspondence,' 3 vols. 4to, 1817-19.* 3, 'Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, illustrated with Original Correspondence and Authentic Papers,' 3 vols. 4to, 1798. 4, 'Account of the Russian Discoveries between Asia and America; to which are added, the Conquest of Siberia, and the History of the Transactions and Commerce between Russia and China,' in 4to: Gmelin, Pallas, Muller, and others had already treated these subjects, but Coxe has added more complete information which he collected at St. Petersburg. 5, Private and Original Correspondence of Charles Talbot, Duke of Shrewsbury, with King William III., the Leaders of the Whig Party, and Others.' 6, 'An Historical Tour in Monmouthshire, illustrated with plates from the drawings of Sir R. C. Hoare,' 2 vole. 4to. 7, 'An Account of the Prisons and Hospitals in Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, with Remarks OD the Different Modes of Punishment in those Countries,' 8vo. 8, Literary Life and Select Works of Benjamin Stillingfieet,' 3 vela. 8vo; besides several minor works.
In 1803 ho married Eleanora, daughter of Walter Shairp, consul general of Russia. In 1805 be was appointed archdeacon of Wilts. After publishing the 'Memoirs of Marlborough,' in 1819 his eight failed him, and he became gradually blind. Ile died at Bemerton at an advanced age, in June 1828. Coxe, though a heavy writer, occupies a respectable place among modern historians : the subjects that ho has treated are numerous and important; and he spared no pains to collect the best information, for obtaining which he had facilities of access to some important private collections. The following work was published after his death: 'Memoirs of the Administration of the Right Honourable Bleary Pelham, collected from the Family Papers,' 2 vole. Ito, London. 1329.