Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/632

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628 WHITE. Billingsgate ward, desirous of a still closer connexion with him, seized this opportunity of nominating him as a candidate for the vacant gown. This honour was politely declined by Sir Peter, who at the same time made a present of 2001. to the ward. The zealots, however, would take no denial, and Sir Peter being declared duly elected, was obliged to pay a fine of 500l. to the Court of Aldermen, in order to be excused from serving. . Immediately after paying this high price for his popu larity, the gallant admiral revisited his native land, where an inflammatory fever put a period to his existence on the 29th of July, 1752, in the forty-ninth year of his age. An elegant monument of white marble, by Roubilliac, is erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey. Sir Peter was equally amiable as a man and gallant as a sailor. It has been remarked, that had he lived ten years longer, he would probably have taken the lead in those glorious achievements which distinguished the war from 1756 to 1762. PETER WHITE, Was a man eminent for instructing youth; as Ware informs us, he was usually styled “The lucky, or the happy school-master.” He was born in Waterford, but received his education at Oxford, where he was elected a fellow of Oriel college in 1551, and took his degree of master of arts in 1555. Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth he returned to his native country, and applied himself to the scholastic profession. He was promoted to the deanery of Waterford, from which he was ejected some time after wards, because he would not conform to the established religion. He continued, however, in the scholastic line, and had the credit of having under his tuition the cele brated Richard Stanyhurst, Peter Lombard, and several other youths who became eminent for learning. He lived to the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but the time of his decease is unknown.