COOPER (Anthony Ashley), earl of Shaftesbury, was son of Anthony earl of Shaftesbury, and grandson of Anthony first earl of Shaftesbury, lord high chancellor of England. He was born in 1671, at Exeter-house in London, where his grandfather lived, who from the time of his birth conceived so great an affection for him, that he undertook the care of his education; and he made so good a progress in learning, that he could read with ease both the Latin and Greek languages, when only 11 years old. In 1683, his father carried him to the school at Winchester, where he was often insulted on his grandfather's account, whose memory was odious to the zealots for despotic power: he therefore prevailed with his father to consent to his desire of going abroad. After three years stay abroad, he returned to England, in 1689, and was offered a seat in parliament in some of those boroughs where his family had an interest. But this offer he did not now accept, that he might not be interrupted in the course of his studies, which he prosecuted five years more, with great vigour and success; till, on Sir John Trenchard's death, he was elected burgess for Pool. Soon after his coming into parliament, he had an opportunity given him of expressing that spirit of liberty by which he uniformly directed his conduct on all occasions. It was the bringing in and promoting "the act for regulating trials in cases of high treason." But the fatigues of attending the house of commons, in a few years so impaired his health, that he was obliged to decline coming again into parliament after the dissolution in 1698. He then went to Holland, where the conversation of Mr Bayle, Mr le Clerc, and several other learned and ingenious men, induced him to reside a twelvemonth. Soon after he returned to England he became earl of Shaftesbury. But his own private affairs hindered him from attending the house of lords till the second year of his peerage, when he was very earnest to support king William's measures, who was at that time projecting the grand alliance. So much was he in favour with king William, that he had the offer of secretary of state; but his declining constitution would not allow him to accept it. Though he was disabled from engaging in business, the king consulted him on matters of very high importance; and it is pretty well known that he had the greatest share in composing that celebrated last speech of king William, December 31st 1701. On Queen Anne's accession to the throne, he returned to his retired manner of life, being no longer advised with concerning the public; and was then removed from the vice admiralty of Dorset, which had been in the family for three generations. In 1703, he made a second journey to Holland, and returned to England the year following. The French prophets soon after this, having by their enthusiastic extravagancies made a great noise throughout the nation, and, among different opinions, some advising a prosecution, the lord Shaftesbury apprehended
prehended that such measures tended rather to inflame than to cure the disease, and this occasioned his letter concerning Enthusiasm. In 1711, finding his health still declining, he was advised to seek assistance from a warmer climate, and accordingly set out for Naples; where he lived near two years, and died there in 1713. In the three volumes of his characteristics, he completed the whole of his writings which he intended should be made public, though we have several pieces of his published by other hands. His principal study was the writers of antiquity, from which he formed to himself the plan of his philosophy.