KING, Peter, lord high chancellor of Great Britain, was the son of an eminent grocer and falter, and was born at Exeter in 1669, and bred up for some years to his father's business; but his inclination to learning was so strong, that he laid out all the money he could spare in books, and devoted every moment of his leisure hours to study: so that he became an excellent scholar before the world suspected any such thing; and gave the public a proof of his skill in church history, in his Inquiry into the Constitution, Discipline, Unity, and Worship of the primitive Church, that flourished within the first 300 Years after Christ. London, 1691, in 8vo. This was written with a view to promote the scheme of a comprehension of the dissenters. He afterwards published the second part of the Inquiry into the Constitution, &c.; and having desired, in his preface, to be shown, either publicly or privately, any mistakes he might have made, that request was first complied with by Mr Edmund Elys; between whom and our author there passed several letters upon the subject, in 1692, which were published by Mr Elys in 1694, 8vo, under the title of Letters on several Subjects. But the most formal and elaborate answer to the Inquiry appeared afterwards, in a work entitled, Original Draught of the Primitive Church.
His acquaintance with Mr Locke, to whom he was related, and who left him half his library at his death, was of great advantage to him; by his advice, after he had studied some time in Holland, he applied himself to the study of the law; in which profession this learning and diligence made him soon taken notice of. In the two last parliaments during the reign of King William, and in five parliaments during the reign of Queen Anne, he served as burgess for Beer-Alston in Devonshire. In 1702, he published at London, in 8vo, without his name, his History of the Apostles Creed, with critical observations on its several articles; which
is highly esteemed. In 1708, he was chosen recorder of the city of London, and in 1710, was one of the members of the house of commons at the trial of Dr Sacheverell. In 1714, he was appointed lord chief justice of the common pleas; and the April following, was made one of the privy council. In 1715, he was created a peer, by the title of Lord King, baron of Ockham, in Surrey, and appointed lord high chancellor of Great Britain; in which situation he continued till 1733, when he resigned; and in 1734 died at Ockham in Surrey.
King's Bench. See BENCH, King's.
King Bird. See PARADISEA, ORNITHOLOGY Index.
King's Fisher. See ALCEDE, ORNITHOLOGY Index.
Books of Kings, two canonical books of the Old Testament, so called, because they contain the history of the kings of Israel and Judah from the beginning of the reign of Solomon down to the Babylonish captivity, for the space of near 600 years. The first book of Kings contains the latter part of the life of David, and his death; the flourishing state of the Israelites under Solomon, his building and dedicating the temple of Jerusalem, his shameful defection from the true religion, and the sudden decay of the Jewish nation after his death, when it was divided into two kingdoms: the rest of the book is taken up in relating the acts of four kings of Judah and eight of Israel. The second book, which is a continuation of the same history, is a relation of the memorable acts of 16 kings of Judah, and 12 of Israel, and the end of both kingdoms, by the carrying of the 10 tribes captive into Assyria by Shalmaneser, and the other two into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
It is probable that these books were composed by Ezra, who extracted them out of the public records, which were kept of what passed in that nation.
King's County, a county of the province of Leinster in Ireland, taking its name from King Philip of Spain, husband to Queen Mary. It is bounded on the north by West Meath; on the south by Tipperary and Queen's county, from which it is divided by the Barrow; and part of Tipperary and Galway on the west, from which it is separated by the Shannon. It is a fine fruitful country, containing 257,510 Irish plantation acres, 56 parishes, 11 baronies, and two boroughs. It is about 38 miles long and 30 broad, and the chief town is Philipstown.
King's Evil, or Serophula. See MEDICINE Index.