Burghley, and received his education at Magdalen-college, Oxford, under
the tuition of Dr. E. Drope. During the civil wars, he suffered with the
rest of his family, who maintained their loyalty to the unfortunate King
Charles I. Upon the restoration, our author was made a knight, and was
chosen one of the burgesses for Stockbridge in Hampshire, to serve
in the Parliament which began at Westminster 8th of May 1661; he was
quickly preferred to the place of auditor of the Exchequer, then worth
some thousand pounds per annum, and was reckoned one of King Charles's
creatures, whom he advanced, on account of his faithful services in
cajoling the Parliament for Money.

In the year 1679 he was chosen burgess for Castle-rising in Norfolk,
to serve in that Parliament which began at Westminster on the 17th
of October 1680. When the revolution was effected, and King William
ascended the throne, he was elected burgess again for Castle-rising, to
fit in the Parliament which began the 22d of January 1688, was made one
of the privy council, about the 16th of February took the usual oaths,
and commenced from that moment a violent persecutor of the Non-jurors,
and disclaimed all manner of conversation and intercourse with any of
that character. He is said to have been a man extremely positive, and a
pretender to a more general understanding than he really possessed. His
obstinacy and pride procured him many enemies, amongst whom the duke of
Buckingham was the first; who intended to have exposed Sir Robert under
the name of Bilboa in the Rehearsal; but the plague which then prevailed
occasioned the theatres to be shut up, and the people of fashion to quit
the town. In this interval he altered his resolution, and levelled his
ridicule at a much greater name, under that of Bayes.

Thomas Shadwell the poet, tho' a man of the same principles with Sir
Robert, concerning the revolution and state matters, was yet so angry