Dr Francis), son of Dr Lewis Atterbury,

(a) Bacon, in his natural history, makes the following observations. "Sounds are meliorated by the intension of the sense, where the common sense is collected most to the particular sense of hearing, and the sight suspended. Therefore sounds are sweeter, as well as greater, in the night than in the day; and I suppose they are sweeter to blind men than to others: and it is manifest, that between sleeping and waking, when all the senses are bound and suspended, music is far sweeter than when one is fully waking." Atterbury, was born at Milton in Buckinghamshire, educated at Westminster; and from thence elected to Christ-Church in Oxford, where he distinguished himself early by his fine genius and turn for polite literature. The year he was made M.A. 1687, he exerted himself in the controversy with the Papists, vindicated Luther in the strongest manner, and shewed an uncommon fund of learning, enlivened with great vivacity: he was indeed seldom disengaged from literary disputes, either religious or political; and was thought to have had no considerable part in the famous controversy between Mr Boyle and Dr Bentley, about the genuineness of Phalaris's epistles. Q. Anne, upon her accession to the throne, appointed him her chaplain. In September following, he was presented to the deanship of Carlisle. A funeral sermon of his engaged him in a dispute with Mr Hoadly, afterward bishop of Winchester, concerning the advantages of virtue with regard to the present life. His Latin sermon to the clergy of London at Zion-College, upon Rom. xiii. 1, published by him in 1708, engaged him in another dispute with Hoadly about passive obedience. In 1710 he was supposed to have been very affilient to Dr Sacheverell. The same year he was chosen prolocutor in the convocation of the clergy of the province of Canterbury; and the management of affairs in the lower house was principally directed by him. In 1713 he was promoted to the see of Rochester; and had a considerable interest in the ministry at that time. During the rebellion in Scotland, when the Pretender's declaration was dispersed, the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops in and near London, had published a Declaration of their Abhorrence of the present Rebellion, and an Exhortation to the clergy and people to be zealous in the discharge of their duties to his Majesty King George; but the bishop of Rochester refused to sign it; and engaged bishop Smallridge in the same refusal, on account of some reflections it contained against the high-church party. He appeared generally among the protestors against the measures of the ministry under the king, and drew up the reasons of the protests with his own hand. In 1722 he was committed prisoner to the tower of London for high treason. What share he is said to have had in the conspiracy appears from the Report of the Secret Committee of the House of Commons; which occasioned a resolution in that house, March 11, 1723, 'That Francis lord bishop of Rochester was principally concerned in forming, directing, and carrying on, a wicked and detestable conspiracy, for invading these kingdoms with a foreign force, and for raising insurrections and a rebellion at home, in order to subvert our happy establishment in church and state, by placing a popish pretender on the throne.' In consequence of this, a bill was brought in to inflict pains and penalties upon him, which received the royal assent, May 27. To mitigate the sentence of banishment, his daughter was permitted to attend him. He softened the rigour of his exile by study, and conversation with men of letters. It is said he translated Virgil's Georgics into English, and wrote an Harmonia Evangelica. He also wrote a vindication of himself, bishop Smallridge, and Dr Aldrich, from a charge brought against them by Mr Oldmixon, of altering and interpolating the lord Clarendon's history of the rebellion. He died at Paris, Feb. 15th, 1731; and his body was brought to England, and interred in Westminster abbey. Though his character is differently represented by different parties, it is universally allowed that he had uncommon abilities, was a fine writer, and a most excellent preacher. His sermons are printed in four volumes 8vo.