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, Svo.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

*Whilst the coachman stopped to water his horses, my landlord, out of civility, came to pay his compliments to Dr. Greville, who knew the man to be a son of the learned Dr. Welchman, well known for his illustration of the thirty-nine articles: which piece of history, as he had not

66

much (literary) merit of his own to
boast of, mine host never failed to
acquaint his customers with. "Gen-
tlemen," he would say.
you have
doubtless heard of my father; he
made the thirty-nine articles." Spi-
ritual Quixote, Book XII. Chap. 10.

Ath. Ox vol. II. &c.

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." 8. "An Exposition of the Church Catechism." 9. "Prayers on common occasions," a sequel to the preceding. 10. "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 numerose 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.1

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 100l. due from Banbury; and

1 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 orduance, 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

1 Gent. Mag. vol. LIV.-Calamy.

to Dr. Garth, on the Duke's death." He addressed a poem to the countess of Warwick, on her marriage with Mr Addison; a poetical epistle to the duke of Chandos; and an ode to earl Cadogan, which was highly extolled by Dean Smedley. Sir Richard Steele was indebted to him for both the prologue and epilogue to "The Conscious Lovers," and Mr. Philips, for a complimentary poem on his tragedy of "Humfrey duke of Gloucester." In 1718, he wrote "The Triumvirate, or a letter in verse from Palemon to Celia, from Bath," which was considered as a satire against Mr. Pope. He wrote several other occasional pieces against this gentleman, who, in recompence for his enmity, thus mentioned him in his "Dunciad:"

"Flow, Welsted, flow! like thine inspirer, beer;

Though stale, not ripe; though thin, yet never clear;
So sweetly mawkish, and so smoothly dull;

Heady, not strong; o'erflowing, though not full."

In 1726 he published a comedy called "The Dissembled Wanton." In the notes on the "Dunciad," II. 207, it is invidiously said, "he wrote other things which we cannot remember." Smedley, in his Metamorphosis of Scriblerus, mentions one, the hymn of a gentleman to his Creator and there was another in praise either of a cellar or a garret. L. W. characterised in the "Bathos, or the Art of Sinking," as a didapper, and after as an eel, is said to be this person, by Dennis, Daily Journal of May 11, 1728. He was also characterised under the title of another animal, a mole, by the author of a simile, which was handed about at the same time, and which is preserved in the notes on the Dunciad.

In another note, it is maliciously recorded that he received at one time the sum of five hundred pounds for secret service, among the other excellent authors hired to write anonymously for the ministry. That sum did certainly pass through his bands; but it is now well known that it was for the use of sir Richard Steele. And in a piece, said, but falsely, to have been written by Mr. Welsted, called "The Characters of the Times," printed in 1728, 8vo, he is made to say of himself, that "he had, in his youth, raised so great expectations of his future genius, that there was a kind of struggle between the two

*Mr. Welsted, in 1726, lamented the death of a beloved child, in a poem called "A Hymn to the Creator,"

written by a gentleman on account of the death of his only daughter. See the Poem in Gent. Mag. vol. LX. p. 936.

universities, which should have the honour of his education; to compound this, he civilly became a member of both, and, after having passed some time at the one, he removed to the other. Thence he returned to town, where he became the darling expectation of all the polite writers, whose encouragement he acknowledged, in his occasional poems, in a manner that will make no small part of the fame of his protectors. It also appears from his works, that he was happy in the patronage of the most illustrious characters of the present age. Encouraged by such a combination in his favour, he published a book of poems, some in the Ovidian, some in the Horatian, manner; in both which the most exquisite judges pronounced be even rivalled his masters. His love-verses have rescued that way of writing from contempt. In translations he has given us the very soul and spirit of his authors. His odes, his epistles, his verses, his love-tales, all are the most perfect things in all poetry." If this pleasant representation of our author's abilities were just, it would seem no wonder, if the two universities should strive with each other for the honour of his education. Our author, however, does not appear to have been a mean poet; he had certainly, from nature, a good genius; but, after he came to town, he became a votary to pleasure; and the applauses of his friends, which taught him to overvalue his talents, perhaps slackened his diligence; and, by making him trust solely to nature, slight the assistance of art. Prefixed to the collection of his poems is "A Dissertation concerning the Perfection of the English language, the State of Poetry," &c.

Mr. Welsted married a daughter of Mr. Henry Purcell, who died in 1724; and by whom he had one daughter, who died at the age of eighteen, unmarried. His second wife, who survived him, was sister to sir Hoveden Walker, and to Mr. Walker, the defender of Londonderry. He had an official house in the Tower of London, where he died in 1747. His works were regularly collected in one octavo volume, and his fair fame as a man completely vindicated, by Mr. Nichols, in 1787. '

WELWOOD (JAMES), a Scotch physician and historian, was born near Edinburgh 1652, and educated at Glasgow; whence he went over to Holland with his parents,

1 Life and Works by Mr. Nichols.