, descended from a very good family in the kingdom of Ireland, was born
, descended from a very
good family in the kingdom of Ireland, was born in the
city of Dublin, and received part of his education at Trinity college there, of which he afterwards became a fellow.
At his first coming to England he entered himself of the
Middle Temple, and was supposed to have had a very
considerable hand in the writing of a periodical paper,
called “Fog’s Journal,
” and afterwards to have been the
principal writer of another well-known paper, entitled
“Common Sense.
” All these papers give testimony of
strong' abilities, great depth of understanding, and clearness of reasoning. Dr. King was a considerable writer in
the latter, as were lords Chesterfield and Lyttelton. Our
author had large offers made him to write in defence of sir
Robert Walpole, but these he rejected: notwithstanding
which, at the great change in the ministry in 1742, he
was entirely neglected, as well as his fellow-labourer Amherst, who conducted “The Craftsman.
” Mr. Molloy,
however, having married a lady of fortune, was in circumstances which enabled him to treat the ingratitude of his
patriotic friends with the contempt it deserved. He lived
many years after this period, dying so lately as July 16,
1767. He was buried at Edmonton, July 20. He also
wrote three dramatic pieces, 1. “Perplexed Couple,
” The Coquet,
” Half-pay Officers,
”