(Dr Owen), was the son of his Majesty's baker, in Piccadilly; who buying a lottery ticket for him in his infancy, which happened to be drawn a prize of 500l. this sum was applied to educate him for the law. He accordingly entered in the Middle Temple; and seconded so well the views of his father, that he became a good scholar and an acute barrister. While he was waiting for opportunities to distinguish himself in his profession, he wrote a variety of pamphlets on temporary politics; and was afterwards distinguished by his accurate edition of The Statutes at Large, in 4to. He now obtained good business, though more as a chamber-counsellor in framing bills for parliament than as a pleader; but his close application to study, with the variety of works he engaged in as an author, so impaired his constitution, that after the last exertion of his abilities to defend the conduct of administration toward Mr Wilkes, by a pamphlet intitled, "The Case of the late election for the county of Middlesex considered," he was prevented from receiving the reward of a place in the Treasury, by dying in 1769, at about 46 years of age. Some time before his death, bishop Warburton engaged him to write his long promised Life of Alexander Pope; which, however, when executed, was very far from giving general satisfaction. The author attributed his ill success to the deficiency of his materials; while the public seemed rather to be of opinion that, as a lawyer, he ventured beyond his proper line, when he assumed the task of a critic in poetry.