rtook
the care and cost of his academical education.

He entered his name in St. John's college, at Cambridge, in 1682, in his
eighteenth year; and it may be reasonably supposed that he was
distinguished among his contemporaries. He became a bachelor, as is
usual, in four years[3]; and two years afterwards wrote the poem on the
Deity, which stands first in his volume.

It is the established practice of that college, to send every year to
the earl of Exeter some poems upon sacred subjects, in acknowledgment of
a benefaction enjoyed by them from the bounty of his ancestor. On this
occasion were those verses written, which, though nothing is said of
their success, seem to have recommended him to some notice; for his
praise of the countess's musick, and his lines on the famous picture of
Seneca, afford reason for imagining that he was more or less conversant
with that family.

The same year, 1688, he published the City Mouse and Country Mouse, to
ridicule Dryden's Hind and Panther, in conjunction with Mr. Montague.
There is a story[4] of great pain suffered, and of tears shed, on this
occasion, by Dryden, who thought it hard that "an old man should be so
treated by those to whom he had always been civil." By tales like these
is the envy, raised by superiour abilities, every day gratified: when
they are attacked, every one hopes to see them humbled; what is hoped is
readily believed; and what is believed is confidently told. Dryden had
been more accustomed to hostilities, than that such enemies should break
his quiet; and if we can suppose him vexed, it would be hard to deny him
sense enough to conceal his uneasiness.

The City Mouse and Country Mouse procured its authors more solid
advantages than the pleasure of fretting Dryden; for they were both
speedily preferred. Montague, indeed, obtained the first notice, with
some degree of discontent, as it seems, in Prior, who, probably, knew
that his own part of the performance was the best. He had not, however,
much reason to complain; for he came to London, and obtained such
notice, that, in 1691, he was sent to the congress at the Hague as
secretary to the embassy. In this assembly of princes and nobles, to
which Europe has, perhaps, scarcely seen any thing equal, was formed
the grand alliance against Lewis, which, at last, did not produce
effects proportionate to the magnificence of the transaction.

The conduct of Prior, in this splendid initiation into publick business