HENLEY

henley, john (1692-1759), english clergyman, commonly known as "orator henley," was born on the 3rd of august 1692 at melton-mowbray, where his father was vicar. after attending the grammar schools of melton and oakham, he entered st john's college, cambridge, and while still an undergraduate he addressed in february 1712, under the pseudonym of peter de quir, a letter to the _spectator_ displaying no small wit and humour. after graduating b.a., he became assistant and then headmaster of the grammar school of his native town, uniting to these duties those of assistant curate. his abundant energy found still further expression in a poem entitled _esther, queen of persia_ (1714), and in the compilation of a grammar of ten languages entitled _the complete linguist_ (2 vols., london, 1719-1721). he then decided to go to london, where he obtained the appointment of assistant preacher in the chapels of ormond street and bloomsbury. in 1723 he was presented to the rectory of chelmondiston in suffolk; but residence being insisted on, he resigned both his appointments, and on the 3rd of july 1726 opened what he called an "oratory" in newport market, which he licensed under the toleration act. in 1729 he transferred the scene of his operations to lincoln's inn fields. into his services he introduced many peculiar alterations: he drew up a "primitive liturgy," in which he substituted for the nicene and athanasian creeds two creeds taken from the apostolical constitutions; for his "primitive eucharist" he made use of unleavened bread and mixed wine; he distributed at the price of one shilling medals of admission to his oratory, with the device of a sun rising to the meridian, with the motto _ad summa_, and the words _inveniam viam aut faciam_ below. but the most original element in the services was henley himself, who is described by pope in the _dunciad_ as "preacher at once and zany of his age." he possessed some oratorical ability and adopted a very theatrical style of elocution, "tuning his voice and balancing his hands"; and his addresses were a strange medley of solemnity and buffoonery, of clever wit and the wildest absurdity, of able and original disquisition and the worst artifices of the oratorical charlatan. his services were much frequented by the "free-thinkers," and he himself expressed his determination "to die a rational." besides his sunday sermons, he delivered wednesday lectures on social and political subjects; and he also projected a scheme for connecting with the "oratory" a university on quite a utopian plan. for some time he edited the _hyp doctor_, a weekly paper established in opposition to the _craftsman_, and for this service he enjoyed a pension of l100 a year from sir robert walpole. at first the orations of henley drew great crowds, but, although he never discontinued his services, his audience latterly dwindled almost entirely away. he died on the 13th of october 1759. henley is the subject of several of hogarth's prints. his life, professedly written by a. welstede, but in all probability by himself, was inserted by him in his _oratory transactions_. see j. b. nichols, _history of leicestershire_; i. disraeli, _calamities of authors_.