fifty-six. He was buried in St. James's, Clerkenwell, with an inscription, in Strype's Survey. The following epitaph is of his own composition :

⚫ Lancashire gave me breath,
And Cambridge education;
Middlesex gave me death,

And this Church my humation ;
And Christ to me hath given
A place with him in Heaven.

Wood states him to have been a man of very diminutive. size, and accuses him of being "too credulous in many matters."

Weever's "Funeral Monuments" is a work of great information. It contains a variety of the most useful and entertaining matter, which must have cost the author much labour, but which he has not, as some say, executed with the greatest fidelity and diligence, being indeed very de ficient in point of accuracy, especially in the numeral letters and figures. The title of the work is, "Ancient Fvnerall Monvments within the Vnited Monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent, with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred, etc. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall observations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors, infallible records, lieger bookes, charters, rolls, old manuscripts, and the collections of iudicious antiquaries, etc.: composed by the studie and trauels of John Weever. Spe labor levis. London, printed by Thomas Harper, 1631. And are to be sold by Lawrence Sadler, at the signe of the Golden Lion in Little Britaine." Prefixed is an engraved title by Cecill: it contains pp. 871, exclusive of the dedication to king Charles, epistle to the reader, and index; and is illustrated with wood-cuts. The author dates his epistle "from my house in Clerkenwell-close, this 28th of May, 1631.” It appears that, had he lived, he intended to have published Modern Monumental Inscriptions, as a companion to his former work, of which a second edition appeared 1661, Lond. folio, with a head of Weever, and a third in 1766, 4to, with some improvements, by the rev. William Tooke, F. R. S. There are many of his original MSS. in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, and he is supposed to have been the author

of a "History of Christ in verse," noticed in the Censura Literaria.1

WEISSE (CHRISTIAN FELIX), a modern German poet and miscellaneous writer of great fame in his country, was a native of Saxony, where he was born in 1726. He appears to have devoted the principal part of his life to literary pursuits, particularly poetry, the drama, and the principles of education. He obtained the place of electoral receiver for the circle of Upper Saxony, which probably made his circumstances easy, while it did not interrupt his numerous dramatic and other compositions. He died at Leipsic, Dec. 15, 1804, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. He wrote a great many tragedies and comedies, the former of which are esteemed by his countrymen equal to those of Racine, and his comedies had great success, although the German critics give the preference to his comic operas. They also speak in the highest terms of his Anacreontic odes, his Amazonian songs, and his translation of Tyrtæus. He was a long time editor of the "Library of the Belles Lettres," a much esteemed German literary journal. He published also a periodical work from 1776 to 1782, called the "Friend of Children," collected afterwards into volumes, and consisting of many interesting articles calculated to promote a love of virtue and of instruction in young minds. In this he has had several imitators ; and Berquin's "Ami des enfans" is said to be little more than a translation or imitation of Weisse's work. He published also "The correspondence of the family of the Friend of children," in a periodical form, but which is said to be a new edition, in a more convenient shape, of his preceding work. 2

WELCHMAN (EDWARD), a learned English divine, was the son of John Welchman of Banbury in Oxfordshire. He was born about 1665, and became a commoner of Magdalen hall in 1679. He took his degree of bachelor of arts in April 1683, was admitted probationer fellow of Merton college in 1684, and master of arts in June 1688. After entering into holy orders, he was presented by the society of Merton college to the rectory of Lapworth, with which he held that of Solihull in Warwickshire. He be

1 Gough's Topography.--Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Gent. Mag. vols. LVIII. LXXVI. and LXXVII.-Warton's Hist. of Poetry.-Censura Literaria, vol. II.-Cole's MS. Athenæ in Brit. Mus.

came also archdeacon of Cardigan. He died May 28, One of his sons was afterwards reduced to keep an inn at Stratford on Avon *.

1739.

Mr. archdeacon Welchman's chief publication was his illustration of the thirty-nine articles, written originally in Latin, but afterwards translated from the sixth edition, under the title of "The Thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, illustrated with notes, &c." 8vo. Of this there have been many editions. He published also, 1. "A defence of the Church of England from the charge of schism and heresy, as laid against it by the vindicator of the deprived bishops (Mr. Henry Dodwell)," Lond. 1692, 4to. 2. "The Husbandman's Manual: directing him how to improve the several actions of his calling, and the most usual occurrences of his life, to the glory of God, and benefit of his soul," ibid. 1695, 8vo, written for the use of his parishioners in Lapworth. 3. "Dr. Clarke's Scripture doctrine of the Trinity examined," Oxon. 1714, 8vo. 4. "A conference with an Arian," &c. without his name, ibid. 1721, 8vo. Besides three occasional sermons, enumerated by Cooke, we may add an edition of Novatian's works, carefully corrected by our author, and published at Oxford in 1724, 8vo. 1

WELLS (EDWARD), a learned English divine, of whom we are sorry our materials are so scanty, was admitted a scholar at Westminster school in 1680, and was thence elected to Christ-church, Oxford, in 1686, where he proceeded M. A. in 1693, and B. and D. D. in 1704. He was a tutor in his college, and among others had under his care, the celebrated antiquary Browne Willis, who presented him to the rectory of Blechley in Buckinghamshire, where his nephew, Edward Wells, was his curate. Dr. Wells also obtained the rectory of Cottesbach in Leicestershire in 1717, and died in August 1727. Among Dr. Wells's useful publications are, 1. "An historical Geography of the Old and New Testament, illustrated with maps and chro

8.

nological tables," 4 vols. 8vo. 2. "The young gentleman's course of Mathematics," 3 vols. 8vo. 3. "An historical Geography of the New Testament," 8vo. 4. "Arithmetic and Geometry," 3 vols. 8vo. 5. "A paraphrase, with annotations on all the books of the Old and New Testament," 6 vols. 4to. 6. "An help for the right understanding of the several divine laws and, covenants," 8vo. 7. "Controversial Treatises against the Dissenters." "An Exposition of the Church Catechism." 9. "Prayers on common occasions," a sequel to the preceding. "Harmonia Grammaticalis; or a view of the agreement between the Latin and Greek tongues, as to the declining of words," &c. 11. "A Letter to a friend concerning the great sin of taking God's name in vain.” 12. "Elementa Arithmeticæ numerosa et speciosa." He published also some other tracts on subjects of practical religion, particularly specified in our authority; and was the editor of a good edition of "Dionysius's Geography," Gr. and Lat. Oxford, 1706. He was esteemed one of the most accurate geographers of his time.'

WELLS, or WELLES (SAMUEL), a nonconformist divine, the son of Mr. William Wells, of St. Peter's East, in Oxford, was born there August 18, 1614, and brought up in Magdalen, college, but is not mentioned by Wood, He commenced M.'A. in 1636; married Mrs. Dorothy Doyley, of Auborn in Wilts, 1637, being the twenty-second year of his age. He was ordained Dec. 23, 1638, at which time he kept a school in Wandsworth. He was assistant to Dr. Temple, at Battersea, in 1639. In the war-time, for their security, he removed his family into Fetter-lane, London, about 1644; and about that time was in the army, chaplain to Col. Essex. He was fixed minister at Remnam, in Berks, 1647, where his income is said to be 2007. per annum, but not above twenty families in the parish. He was invited to Banbury in Oxfordshire; accepted the offer, and settled there in 1649, though a place of less profit, namely, about 100l. per annum. His reason for leaving Remnam was, that he might do good to more souls. When the troubles were over, he had the presentation of Brinkworth, said to be about 300l. per annum, but declined it for the former reason. When the Bartholomew-Act displaced him, he remitted 100%. due from Banbury; and

Nichols's Hist. of Leicestershire.

afterwards would cheerfully profess, "that he had not one carking thought about the support of his family, though he had then ten children, and his wife big with another." The Five-Mile act removed him to Dedington, about five miles distant from Banbury, but as soon as the times would permit, he returned to Banbury, and there continued till his death. There Mr. (afterwards Dr.) White, of Kidderminster, the church minister, was very friendly and familiar with him, frequently paying each other visits; and one speech of his, when at Mr. Wells's, is still remembered, "Mr. Wells," said he, "I wonder how you do to live so comfortably. Methinks you, with your numerous family, live more plentifully on the providence of God than I can with the benefits of the parish." Mr Wells was of a cheerful disposition, and of a large and liberal heart to all, but especially to good uses. It was the expression of one who had often heard him preach, "That his auditory's ears were chained to his lips." As he used to hear Mr. White in public, so Mr. White, though secretly, went to hear him in private; and once, upon his taking leave, he was heard to say, "Well, I pray God to bless your labours in private, and mine in public." There is a small piece of Mr. Wells's printed; the title, "A Spirituall Remembrancer," sold by Cockrell. 1

WELSERUS. See VELSERUS.

WELSTED (LEONARD), a minor poet and miscellaneous writer, born at Abington in Northamptonshire in 1689, received the rudiments of his education in Westminsterschool, where he wrote the celebrated little poem called "Apple-Pie," which was universally attributed to Dr. King, and as such had been incorporated in his works. Very early in life Mr. Welsted obtained a place in the office of ordnance, by the interest of his friend the earl of Clare, to whom, in 1715, he addressed a small poem (which Jacob calls "a very good one") on his being created duke of Newcastle; and to whom, in 1724, he dedicated an octavo volume, under the title of "Epistles, Odes, &c. written on several subjects; with a translation of Longinus's Treatise on the Sublime." In 1717 he wrote "The Genius, on occasion of the duke of Marlborough's Apoplexy ;" an ode much commended by Steele, and so generally admired as to be attributed to Addison; and afterwards "An Epistle