BOYLE (Charles) earl of Orrery in Ireland, and baron of Marston in the county of Somerset, was the second son of Roger the second earl of Orrery, and was born in August 1679. He was educated at Christ-church in Oxford, and soon distinguished himself by his learning and abilities. Like the first earl of Orrery, he was an author, a soldier, and a statesman. He translated the life of Lyfander from the Greek of Plutarch; and published a new edition of the epistles of Phalaris, which engaged him in a literary dispute, in which he defended the genuineness of these epistles against Dr. Bently. He was three times member for the town of Huntingdon; but his elder brother, Lionel earl of Orrery, dying on the 23d of August 1703 without issue, he succeeded to that title; and, entering into the Queen's service, had a regiment given him, when he behaved with such bravery, that in 1709 he was raised to the rank of major-general, and sworn one of her majesty's privy council. At the famous battle of the wood, he gave the strongest proofs of his intrepid courage, remaining at the head of his regiment in the warmest part of the action, till the victory was complete, which, as it was one of the most glorious, so it was the dearest bought, of any of that war. His lordship had the honour of being appointed the Queen's envoy to the states of Brabant and Flanders; and having honourably discharged that trust, was raised to the dignity of a British Peer, by the title of lord Boyle, baron of Marston, in Somersetshire. He enjoyed several other additional honours in the reign of King George I.; but having the misfortune to fall under the suspicion of the government, his lordship was committed to the tower: he was, however, at length admitted to bail; and nothing being found that could be esteemed a sufficient ground for a prosecution, he was discharged. His lordship died August 28th 1731, in the 66th year of his age. To his tutor, Mr. Atterbury, he probably owed a good part of that fine relish he had for the writings of the ancients. He made these his constant study, and expressed a high contempt, says Budgell, for the greater part of our modern wits and authors. He was delighted with the company of two sorts of persons; either such as were really geniuses of the first rank, who had fine understandings, strong judgements, and true tastes; or such as had a few foibles, and an eye of ridicule in them, which served to make him laugh. He would rally these in so agreeable, and yet in so tender a manner, that, though it diverted himself and others, it was never offensive to the person rallied. The instrument which was invented by him, and bears his name, representing the solar system according to the sentiments of the new astronomers, is an undeniable
undeniable proof of his mechanic genius. His lordship had also a turn for medicine; which led him not only to buy and read whatever was published on that subject, but also to employ his friends to send him accounts of herbs and drugs in foreign countries.