David Mallet, a Scottish author, born at Crieff, Perthshire, about 1700, died in London, April 21, 1705. His original name was Mai-loch, which he changed to Mallet in 1720 He was educated at Aberdeen, and settle, in London as a literary man. In 1733 he pub .shed a poem entitled -Verbal Criticism, which so pleased Pope that he introduced him to Boling-broke, who obtained for him the office of under secretary to Frederick, prince of Wales,withit salary of £200. From the Newcastle administration he got a pension, said to have been the reward of his attacks on Admiral Byng. Mis pen was always at the service of those who would pay for it, not sparing even his old friend Pop*? whom after his death, at the instigation of Bolingbroke, he assailed in his preface to that nobleman's "Idea of a Patriot King. ' Bolingbroke made him his literary executor, and the duchess of Marlborough left by her will the sum of £1,000 to Gover and Mallet jointlv, provided they drew up from the family papers a life of the great duke. Glover declined, but .Mallet accepted, and on pretence of being engaged upon the work received for the rest of his life a pension from the second duke. On his death, however, it was found that he had never written a line of it.

A collection of Mallet's works was published by himself (3 vols., 1750). A new edition of his songs and ballads, by Frederick Dinsdale, appeared in 1857.