Consec. Bp. ter. Magdalen College, in Cambridge, of which he was some time masHe gave early proofs of the quickness and brilliancy of his parts, by an extemporary speech, spoken at a public act, when he was called upon to supply the place of the prevaricator,* who was ordered, by the vice-chancellor, to be pulled down for his scurrility. He afterward acquitted himself with honour in an unpremeditated sermon, preached, at the request of the vice-chancellor, before the university; the person whose turn it was to preach failing to perform his duty. He was celebrated for his eloquence in the pulpit; but his style was, in the former part of his life, too florid, and bordering, at least, upon affectation, a fault which he afterward corrected. He was a man of polite manners, uncommon learning, and of exemplary piety and charity. He died on the 26th of March, 1684. There are only four of his sermons in print, the most considerable of which is that which he preached at the funeral of Anne, countess of Pembroke, Dorset, and Montgomery. There runs through all his works a vein of the pedantry of the two former reigns. SETHUS WARDUS, episcopus Salisburiensis. Loggan sc. 1678; large h. sh. SETH WARD, &c. mezz. SETH WARD; an etching. (Claussin) Richardson. SETH WARD; in the " Oxford Almanack," 1738. His portrait, by Greenhill, is in the town-hall at Salisbury. Seth Ward was the first that brought mathematical learning into vogue in the university of Cambridge; where he lectured his pupils in the "Clavis Mathematica,” a well known work of the celebrated lated to Sa- Mr. Oughtred. He was followed by Dr. Barrow, who carried this lisbury Sept. branch of science to a great height. These able mathematicians were succeeded by Mr. Isaac Newton, who made such discoveries as perhaps no human capacity was ever equal to but his own.t Dr. Ward particularly excelled in astronomy, and was the first that 1667. * Called Terræ Filius, at Oxford. + Dr. John North, who succeeded Dr. Barrow in the mastership of Trinity College, used to say, that he believed Mr. Newton would have killed himself with study, if he had not wrought with his hands in making experiments." Life of Dr. John North, by R. North," p. 243. demonstratively proved the elliptical hypothesis, which is more plain and simple, and consequently more suitable to the analogy of nature, than any other. He succeeded Mr. John Greaves, as Savilian professor of astronomy at Oxford, and was, a little before the restoration, elected president of Trinity College, in that university; but was soon after forced to quit this preferment. He published several books of divinity; but the greatest part of his works are on mathematical subjects. See the "Athenæ Oxonienses." This very able man, whose character was exemplary as a prelate, died on the 6th of January, 1688-9. He was a close reasoner and an admirable speaker, having, in the House of Lords, been esteemed equal, at least, to the Earl of Shaftesbury. He was a great benefactor to both his bishoprics, as, by his interest, the deanery of Burien, in Cornwall,+ was annexed to the former, and the chancellorship of the Garter to the latter, for ever. He was polite, hospitable, and generous; and, in his lifetime, founded the college at Salisbury, for the reception and support of ministers' widows; and the sumptuous hospital at Buntingford, in Hertfordshire, the place of his nativity. His intimate friend, Dr. Walter Pope, the noted author of "The old Man's Wish," has given us a just and curious account of his life, interspersed with agreeable anecdotes of his friends. JOHN DOLBEN, lord-bishop of Rochester. J. Haysmans (Huysmans) p. Tompson exc. large h. sh. mezz. JOHN DOLBEN, &c. together with Bishop FELL * Glanvill's" Plus Ultra," p. 46. + The last dean of Burien was Dr. Thomas Wykes,‡ who had more wit than discretion, and was notorious for his puns, of which the following is recorded by Dr. Pope. When Charles I. was in Cornwall, in the time of the civil war, Dr. Wykes, being well mounted, was near his majesty: "The king spoke thus to him, "Doctor, you have a pretty nag under you: I pray, how old is he?" To which he, out of the abundance of the quibbles of his heart, returned this answer: "If it please your majesty, he is in the second year of his reign (rein)." The good king did not like this unmannerly jest, and gave him such an answer as he deserved, which was this: "Go; you are a fool." He was the last dean before the annexation of the deanery to the bishopric of Exeter. It has since been separated from that see. "Life of Seth Ward," p. 59. Consec. 25 Nov. 1666 and Dr. ALLESTRY. Lely p. Loggan exc. large h. sh. mezz. JOHN DOLBEN, &c. 4to. from an original picture. W. Richardson. There is a portrait of him at Christ Church. John Dolben, who distinguished himself by the early pregnancy of his parts at Westminster school, was, in 1640, elected a student of Christ Church, in Oxford. In the civil war, when that city was made a garrison for the king, he entered a volunteer into the royal army. He acquitted himself so well in his military capacity, that he was soon made an ensign, and at length advanced to the rank of a major. Upon the disbanding of the army, he again applied himself to his studies; and having entered into holy orders, he was, upon the restoration, preferred to a canonry of Christ Church. He was afterward made archdeacon of London, clerk of the closet to the king, and dean of Westminster. In 1666, he was advanced to the bishopric of Rochester, with which he held his deanery in commendam. He was a man of great generosity, candour, and benevolence, and was justly admired as a preacher. The people, as they afterward did in the reign of Anne, assembled in crowds to hear "Him of the western dome, whose weighty sense He was afterward translated to York, and died the 11th of * In the "History and Antiquities of Rochester, &c."+ by an able hand, is the following character of him, taken from a manuscript of Sir William Trumbull, who drew this great and good man from the life. "He was an extraordinary comely person, though grown too fat; of an open countenance, a lively piercing eye, and majestic presence. He hated flattery; and guarded himself with all possible care against the least insinuation of any thing of that nature, how well soever he deserved. He had admirable natural parts, and great acquired ones; for whatever he read he made his own, and improved it. He had such a happy genius, and such an admirable elocution, that his extempore preaching was beyond, not only the most of other men's elaborate performances, but (I was going to say) even his own. I have been credibly informed, that in Westminster Abbey, a preacher falling ill after he had named his text, and proposed the heads of his intended discourse, the bishop went up into the pulpit, took the same text, followed the same method, + Printed at Rochester in 8vo. 1772. p. 176, 177. JOHANNES WILKINS, nuper episcopus Cestriensis. M. Beale p. Blooteling sc. large h. sh. JOHANNES WILKINS, &c. White sc. Before his 8vo. JOHANNES WILKINS, &c. Sturt sc. 8vo. prefixed to his "Art of Flying: JOHN WILKINS; in the " Oxford Almanack," 1738, 1739. 15 Nov. Dr. Wilkins, a man of a penetrating genius and enlarged under- Consec. standing, seems to have been born for the improvement of every 1668. kind of knowledge to which he applied himself. He was a very able naturalist and mathematician, and an excellent divine. He disdained to tread in the beaten track of philosophy, as his forefathers had done; but struck into the new road pointed out by the great Lord Bacon. Considerable discoveries were made by him and the ingenious persons who assembled at his lodgings in Oxford, before the incorporation of the Royal Society; which was prinand, I believe, discoursed much better on each head than the other would have done. In the judgment he made of other men, he always preferred the good temper of their minds above all other qualities they were masters of. I have had the honour to converse with many of the most eminent men at home and abroad, but I never yet met with any one that in all respects equalled him. He had a large and generous soul, and a courage that nothing was too hard for; when he was basely calumniated, he supported himself by the only true heroism, if I may so phrase it, I mean by exalted Christianity, and by turning all the slander of his enemies into the best use of studying and knowing himself, and keeping a constant guard and watch upon his words and actions; practising ever after (though hardly to be discovered, unless by nice and long observers) a strict course of life, and a constant mortification. Not any of the bishops' bench, I may say not all of them, had that interest and authority in the House of Lords which he had. He had easily mastered all the forms of proceeding. He had studied much of our laws, especially those of the parliament, and was not to be brow-beat or daunted by the arrogance or titles of any courtier or favourite. His presence of mind, and readiness of elocution, accompanied with good breeding and an inimitable wit, gave him a greater superiority than any other lord could pretend to from his dignity of office. In him we lost the greatest abilities, the usefulest conversation, the faithfulest friendship, and one who had a mind that practised the best virtues itself, and a wit that was best able to recommend them to others; as Dr. Spratt well expresses it in his life of Mr. Cowley." I make no apology for exceeding my usual length in this note; the character will best apologize for itself. Consec. chester, 4 Mar. 1674. * cipally contrived by Theodore Haak, Mr. Hartlib, and himself. His books on prayer and preaching, and especially his "Principles and Duties of Natural Religion," shew how able a divine he was. His "Essay towards a real Character and Philosophical Language,” is a masterpiece of invention,† yet has been laughed at together with his chimeras: but even these shew themselves to be the chimeras of a man of genius. He projected the impracticable" Art of Flying," when the nature of the air was but imperfectly known. That branch of philosophy was soon after much improved by the experiments of his friend Mr. Boyle. This excellent person whose character was truly exemplary, as well as extraordinary, died much lamented, the 19th Nov. 1672. PETRUS GUNNING, Eliensis episcopus. Loggan sc. large h. sh. PETER GUNNING; inscribed, "The Bishop of Ely." J. S. (mith) exc. small 4to. mezz. There is a portrait of him in the university library, and another in the library of St. John's College, in Cambridge. Peter Gunning, a man of quick and lively parts, and of uncommon elocution, was one of the most distinguished persons of his Translat. time in polemical divinity. He even carried the war into the enemy's from Chi- quarters, and not only attacked the Papists, but the sectaries of every denomination. As the Bible was the book which he principally studied, he was scarcely equalled as a textuary. He was also well read in the fathers and ecclesiastical historians, which his memory enabled him to quote upon every occasion. His zeal for his religion, which was grounded upon the knowledge of it, was indeed extraordinary; but it never carried him to the usual ex * See "Parl. Hist." xxi. p. 204, Notes. + The Index to this " Essay," by the famous Dr. William Lloyd, is also in its kind a masterpiece. Such was his attempt to shew the possibility of a voyage to the moon; to which the Dutchess of Newcastle§ made this objection: "Doctor, where am I to find a place for baiting at, in the way up to that planet?” Madam, said he, of all the people in the world, I never expected that question from you, who have built so many castles in the air, that you may lie every night at one of your own. See her character, Class IX. |