STANHOPE, George, an eminent divine, was born at Hertshorn in Derbyshire, in the year 1660. His father was rector of that parish, vicar of St. Margaret's at Leicester, and chaplain to the earls of Chesterfield and Clare. His grandfather, Dr. George Stanhope, was chaplain to James I.
and Charles I.; had the chancery of York, where he was also a canon residentiary, held a prebend, and was rector of Weldrake in that county. For his loyalty he was driven from his home with eleven children, and died in 1664. The son was sent to school, first at Uppingham in Rutland, then at Leicester; he was afterwards removed to Eton, and thence chosen to King's College in Cambridge, in the place of W. Cleaver. He took the degree of A.B. in 1681, and of A.M. in 1685; was elected one of the syndics for the university of Cambridge, in the business of Alban Francis, 1687; minister of Quoi near Cambridge, and vice-proctor, 1688. He was that year preferred to the rectory of Tring in Hertfordshire, which after some time he quitted. In 1689 he was presented to the vicarage of Lewisham in Kent by Lord Dartmouth, to whom he had been chaplain, as well as tutor to his son. He was also appointed chaplain to King William and Queen Mary, and continued to enjoy that honour under Queen Anne. He commenced D.D. July 5, 1697, performing all the exercises required to that degree publicly and with great applause. He was made vicar of Deptford in 1703; succeeded Dr. Hooper as dean of Canterbury the same year; and was thrice chosen prolocutor of the lower house of convocation. His uncommon diligence and industry, assisted by his excellent parts, enriched him with a large stock of polite, solid, and useful learning. His discourses from the pulpit were equally pleasing and profitable; a beautiful intermixture of the clearest reasoning with the purest diction, attended with all the graces of a just elocution. In him were happily united the good Christian, the solid divine, and the fine gentleman. His conversation was polite and delicate, grave without preciseness, facetious without levity. His piety was real and rational, his charity great and universal, fruitful in acts of mercy and in all good works. He died March 18, 1728, aged sixty-eight years; and was buried in the chancel of the church at Lewisham. The dean was twice married; first to Olivia Cotton, by whom he had one son and four daughters. His second lady, who was sister to Sir Charles Wager, survived him, dying October 1, 1738, aged about fifty-four. One of the dean's daughters was married to a son of Bishop Burnet. Dr. Moore, bishop of Ely, died the day before Queen Anne; who, it has been said, designed the dean for that see when it should become vacant. "The late Dean of Canterbury," says Dr. Felton, "is excellent in the whole. His thoughts and reasoning are bright and solid. His style is just, both for the purity of the language and for the strength and beauty of expression; but the periods are formed in so peculiar an order of the words, that it was an observation, nobody could pronounce them with the same grace and advantage as himself." His writings, which are considered as a treasure of piety and devotion, are, A Paraphrase and Comment upon the Epistles and Gospels. 1705, 4 vols. 8vo. Sermons at Boyle's Lectures. 1706, 4to. Fifteen Sermons. 1700, 8vo. Twelve Sermons on Several Occasions. 1727, 8vo. A Translation of Thomas à Kempis. 1696, 8vo. Epictetus's Morals, with Simplicius's Comment, and the Life of Epictetus. 1700, 8vo. Parson's Christian Directory. 1716, 8vo. Rochefoucault's Maxims. 1706, 8vo. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Richard Sare, bookseller, 1724; two editions 4to. Twenty Sermons, published singly between the years 1692 and 1724. Private Prayers for every Day in the Week, and for the several Parts of each Day; translated from the Greek Devotions of Bishop Andrews, with Additions, 1730. In his translations, it is well known, Dr. Stanhope did not confine himself to a strict and literal version; he took the liberty of paraphrasing, explaining, and improving upon his author, as will evidently appear (not to mention any other work) by the slightest perusal of St. Augustin's Meditations, and the Devotions of Bishop Andrews.