SPRAT, DR THOMAS, biſhop of Rochefter, was born in 1636. He had his education at Oxford, and after the Reſtoration entered into holy orders. He became fellow of the Royal Society, chaplain to George duke of Buckingham, and chaplain in ordinary to King Charles II. In 1667 he publiſhed the Hiſtory of the Royal Society, and a Life of Mr Cowley; who, by his laſt will, left to his care his printed works and MSS. which were accordingly publiſhed by him. In 1668 he was inſtalled prebendary of Weſtminſter; in 1680, was appointed canon of Windſor; in 1683, dean of Weſtminſter; and in 1684, conſecrated to the biſhopric of Rochefter. He was clerk of the cloſet to King Jaſ. II.; in 1685, was made dean of the chapel royal; and the year following, was appointed one of the commiſſioners for eccleſiaſtical affairs. In 1692 his lordſhip, with ſeveral other perſons, was charged with treaſon by two men, who drew up an aſſociation, in which they whoſe names were ſubſcribed declared their reſolution to reſtore King James; to ſeize the princeſs of Orange, dead or alive; and to be ready with 30,000 men to meet King James when he ſhould land. To this they put the names of Sancroft, Sprat, Marlborough, Salifbury, and others. The biſhop was arreſted, and kept at a meſſenger's, under a ſtreet guard, for eleven days. His houſe was ſearched, and his papers ſeized, among which nothing was found of treaſonable appearance, except one memorandum, in the following words: Thorough-paced doctrine. Being aſked at his examination the meaning of the words, he ſaid that, about 20 years before, curioſity had led him to hear Daniel Burgeſs preach; and that being ſtruck with his account of a certain kind of doctrine, which he ſaid entered at one ear, and paſſing through the head went out at the other, he had inſerted the memorandum in his table-book, that he might not loſe the ſubſtance of ſo ſtrange a ſermon. His innocence being proved, he was ſet at liberty, when he publiſhed an account of his examination and deliverance; which made ſuch an impreſſion upon him, that he commemo-
rated it through life by an yearly day of thankſgiving. He lived to the 79th year of his age, and died May 20. 1713. His works, beſides a few poems of little value, are, "The Hiſtory of the Royal Society;" "The Life of Cowley;" "The Anſwer to Sorbiere;" "The Hiſtory of the Rye-houſe Plot;" "The Relation of his own Examination;" and a volume of "Sermons." Dr Johnson ſays, "I have heard it obſerved with great juſtneſs, that every book is of a different kind, and that each has its diſtinct and characteriſtical excellency."