John, Duke of Buckinghamshire, an eminent statesman, poet, and wit of England, was born in 1649. He lost his father at nine years of age; and his mother having married again, the care of his education was left entirely to a governor, who did not greatly improve him in his studies. Finding that he was deficient in many parts of literature, he resolved to devote a certain number of hours every day to his studies, and thereby improve himself to the degree of learning which he afterwards attained. Though possessed of a good estate, he did not abandon himself to pleasure and indolence, but entered as a volunteer in the second Dutch war, and was in that famous naval engagement where the Duke of York commanded as admiral; upon which occasion his lordship behaved so gallantly, that he was appointed commander of the Royal Catherine. He afterwards made a campaign in the French service under M. de Turenne. As Tangier was in danger of being taken by the Moors, he offered to head the forces which were sent to defend it, and accordingly was appointed to command them. He was then Earl of Mulgrave, and one of the lords of the bed-chamber to Charles II. The Moors retired on the approach of his Majesty's forces; and the result of the expedition was the blowing up of Tangier. He continued in several great posts during the short reign of James II., till that unfortunate prince was dethroned. Lord Mulgrave, though he paid his respects to King William before he was advanced to the throne, yet did not ac- cept of any post in the government until some years afterwards. In the sixth year of William and Mary he was created Marquis of Normandy in the county of Lincoln. He was one of the most active and zealous opponents of the bill which took away Sir John Fenwick's life; and exerted the utmost vigour in carrying through the Treason Bill, and the bill for Triennial Parliaments. He enjoyed some considerable posts under King William, and possessed much of his favour and confidence. In 1702 he was sworn lord privy-seal; and in the same year was appointed one of the commissioners to treat of an union between England and Scotland. In 1703 he was created Duke of Normandy, and soon after Duke of Buckinghamshire. In 1711 he was made steward of her Majesty's household and president of the council. During Queen Anne's reign he was but once out of employment; and then he voluntarily resigned, being a confirmed Tory. Her Majesty offered to make him lord chancellor, but he declined the office. He was instrumental in the change of the ministry in 1710. A circumstance that reflects the highest honour on him, is the vigour with which he acted in favour of the unhappy Catalans, who were afterwards so inhumanly sacrificed. He died in 1721.

He was thrice married. By his two first wives he had no children; by his third, who was a daughter of King James by the Countess of Dorchester, and the widow of the Earl of Anglesey; he had besides other children, who died young, a son born in 1716, and who died at Rome in 1735, and put an end to the line of Sheffield. He was admired by the poets of his age; by Dryden, Pope, Prior, and Garth. His Essay on Poetry was applauded by Addison, and his Rehearsal is still read with pleasure. His writings were splendidly printed in 1723, in two volumes 4to, and have since been reprinted in 1729, in two volumes 8vo. The first contains his poems on various subjects; the second, his prose works, consisting of historical memoirs, speeches in Parliament, characters, dialogues, critical observations, essays, and letters. It may be proper to observe, that the edition of 1729 is castrated, some particulars relating to the revolution having given offence. Dr. Johnson remarks on Sheffield, that "criticism is no longer softened by his bounties or awed by his splendour, and being able to take a more steady view, discovers him to be a writer that sometimes glimmers but rarely shines, feebly laborious, and at best but pretty. His songs are upon common topics; he hopes and grieves, and repents and despairs, and rejoices, like any other maker of little stanzas; to be great he hardly tries; to be gay is hardly in his power. . . . His verses are often insipid, but his memoirs are lively and agreeable; he had the perspicuity and elegance of an historian, but not the fire and fancy of a poet." (Cunningham's edition of Johnson's Lives of the Poets, 1854.)