it his chief object. He was for some years a clerk in the navy office, and prosecuted his studies at his leisure hours with great eagerness, and had the assistance of a Dr. John Ker, who appears to have been originally a physician, as he took his degree of M. D. at Leyden, but kept an academy at Highgate, and afterwards in St. John's-square, Clerkenwell. Mr. Ward continued in the navy-office until 1710, when he resigned his situation, and opened a school in Tenter-alley, Moorfields, which he kept for many years, being more desirous, as he said, to converse even with boys upon subjects of literature, than to transact the ordinary affairs of life with men. In 1712, he became one of the earliest members of a society of gentlemen, who agreed to meet once a week, or as often as their affairs would permit, to prepare and read discourses, each in his turn, upon the civil law, and the law of nature and nations. In the prosecution of this laudable design, they went through the "Corpus Juris civilis," Grotius "De Jure belli et pacis," Puffendorff "De officio hominis et civis," and ended with Cicero "De Officiis." Some of the society were divines, and some lawyers; and as their affairs from time to time obliged any of them to leave the society, they were succeeded by others. But in order to preserve a perfect harmony and agreement among themselves, it was always a standing rule not to admit any new member, till he was first proposed by one of their number, and approved of by all the rest. This society, with some occasional interruptions, was kept up till Michaelmas-term 1742. Several of the members were afterwards persons of distinction both in church and state, and Mr. Ward continued highly esteemed among them while the society subsisted.

In 1712, he published a small piece in Latin, octavo, entitled "De ordine, sive de venusta et eleganti tum vocabulorum, tum membrorum sententiæ collocatione," &c. When Ainsworth was employed to compile an account of the antiquities collected by Mr. John Kemp, which he published under the title of "Monumenta Vetustatis Kempiana," Mr. Ward furnished him with the descriptions and explanations of several of the statues and lares, and with the essay "De vasis et lucernis, de amuletis, de annulis et fibulis," and the learned commentary "De asse et partibus ejus," which had been printed in 1719. About this time Mr. Ward was so eminent for his knowledge of polite

literature, as well as antiquities, that on Sept. 1, 1720, he was chosen professor of rhetoric in Gresham college, and, on Oct. 28 following, made his inaugural oration there, "De usu et dignitate artis dicendi." Gresham-college was then in existence, and the appointment to a professorship a matter of some consequence; but after the venerable building was pulled down, and the lecturers removed to a paltry room in the Royal Exchange, the public ceased to take any interest in them.

In 1723, he published a Latin translation of the eighth edition of Dr. Mead's celebrated "Discourse of the Plague," that author not approving of the translation of the first edition by Maittaire, which was never printed. In the same year Mr. Ward was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, of which he became a vice-president in 1752, and continued in that office until his death. In 1724, he subjoined to an edition of Vossius's "Elementa Rhetorica," printed at London, a treatise "De Ratione interpungendi," containing a system of clear and easy rules with regard to pointing, superior to what had before appeared on that subject. In 1726, when Dr. Middleton published his dissertation "De Medicorum apud veteres Romanos degentium conditione," Ward' answered it, at the suggestion of Mead, and a short controversy took place (See MIDDLETON), which has been already noticed. When Buckley was about to print his splendid edition of Thuanus, Mr. Ward translated his three letters to Dr. Mead into Latin. In 1732, at the request of the booksellers who were proprietors of Lily's grammar, he gave a very correct edition of it, and in the preface a curious history of that work. The same year he contributed to Horsley's "Britannia Romana" an "Essay on Peutinger's table, so far as it relates to Britain." He had also communicated many remarks to Horsley; and Ward's copy, now in the British Museum, contains many MS corrections and additions.

In Feb. 1735-6, Mr. Ward was chosen a member of the society of antiquaries, and in 1747, being proposed by Roger Gale, esq. one of the vice-presidents, was elected director on the resignation of Dr. Birch, who, from an inflammation in his eyes, had been prevented for some months from performing the business of it; and in 1753 he was appointed one of the vice-presidents, which office he held until his death. In 1736 he assisted Ainsworth in the publication of his Dictionary, and performed the same ser

vice to the subsequent editors, as long as he lived. In this same year he became a member of the Society for the encouragement of Learning, by printing valuable books at their own expence. During its existence, which, for various reasons, was not long, Mr. Ward had the care of the edition of Maximus Tyrius, to which he contributed the prefatory dedication; and in the preface to the edition of "Elian de animalibus," the editor Abraham Gronovius is full of acknowledgments to Mr. Ward for his assistance in that work. In Dec. 1740, his "Lives of the Professors of Gresham College" were published at London, in folio, a work which Dr. Birch justly pronounces a considerable addition to the literary history of our country *. Of this also there is a copy in the British museum, with considerable MS additions by the author.

In 1741 he translated into Latin the life of Dr. Arthur Johnston, for auditor Benson's edition of that poet's Latin version of the Psalms; and in 1750 he addressed a Latin letter to Dr. Wishart, principal of the university of Edinburgh, which was the year following added to the principal's edition of Volusenus, or Wilson, "De animi tranquillitate." This probably led to the degree of doctor of laws, which the university of Edinburgh conferred upon Mr. Ward the same year. On the establishment of the British museum in 1753, Dr. Ward was elected one of the trustees, in which office he was singularly useful by his assiduous attendance, advice, and assistance in the formation of that establishment, and the construction of rules for rendering it a public benefit, which it is, however, now in a much higher degree than in Dr. Ward's time.

In July 1754 he published a new edition of Camden's "Greek Grammar" for Westminster school. The last work published by himself was his "Four Essays upon the English Language," which appeared in June 1758.

He died in the eightieth year of his age, at his apartments at Gresham college, Oct. 31, 1758, and was interred in the dissenters' burying ground in Bunhill-fields. He had prepared for the press his "System of Oratory, delivered in a course of lectures publicly read at Gresham college," which was accordingly published in 1758, 2 vols.

* In the view of the college prefixed to this work, Ward paid a singular compliment to his friend Dr. Mead, by introducing him and his an

tagonist, Dr Woodward, in the gateway, at the moment Woodward is kneeling and laying his sword at the feet of Dr. Mead.

8vo. Another posthumous work was published in 1761, entitled "Dissertations upon several passages of the Sacred Scriptures," 8vo. On these Dr. Lardner published "Remarks," which he introduces with a high compliment to the learning and piety of the deceased author. A second volume was published in 1774. The papers written by him, and communicated to the Royal Society, are numerous and valuable. They occur from No. 412 to vol. XLIX. He also contributed some to the Society of Antiquaries. He communicated to Mr. Vertue an account of a mosaic pavement found in Littlecote Park, to accompany the engraving, and was the author of the dedication, preface, and notes to Pine's Horace. By the multitude and value of his works he attained great reputation, and, as we have seen, reached the highest literary honours.

As to his private character, Dr. Birch says that his piety was sincere and unaffected, and his profession as a Christian was that of a protestant dissenter, with a moderation and candour which recommended him to the esteem of those members of the established church who had the pleasure of his acquaintance or friendship. His modesty was equal to his learning, and his readiness to contribute to any work of literature was as distinguished as his abilities to do it. Dr. Lardner and Dr. Benson may be mentioned as acknowledging his assistance in their theological pursuits. 1

WARD (SAMUEL), master of Sidney-Sussex college, Cambridge, a learned divine of the seventeenth century, was born of a good family in the bishopric of Durham, at a place called Bishops-Middleham. He was first sent to Christ's college, Cambridge, where he became a scholar of the house, whence he was, on account of his extraordinary merit, elected into a fellowship at Emmanuel, and succeeded to the mastership of Sidney-Sussex college on Jan. 5, 1609. On April 29, 1615, he was installed archdeacon of Taunton, and was at that time D. D. and prebendary of Bath and Wells. On Feb. 11, 1617, he was promoted to a stall in the metropolitical church of York, where he had the prebend of Ampleford, which he kept to his death. In 1620 he was vice-chancellor of the university, and the year following was made lady Margaret's

1 Life, written by Dr. Birch, and published by Mr. Maty, 1766, 850.Nichols's Bowyer.

professor of divinity. In 1622 he was at Salisbury with bishop Davenant, his intimate and particular friend, with whom, together with bishops Hall and Carleton, he had been sent by king James to the synod of Dort in 1618, as persons best able to defend the doctrine of the Church of England, and to gain it credit and reputation among those to whom they were sent.

In 1624 he was rector of Much-Munden, in Hertfordshire. He is said also to have been chaplain extraordinary to the king, and to have served in convocation. As he was an enemy to Arminianism, and in other respects bore the character of a puritan, he was nominated one of the committee for religion which sat in the Jerusalem chamber in 1640, and also one of the assembly of divines, but never sat among them, which refusal soon brought on the severe persecution which he suffered. On the breaking out of the rebellion he added to his other offences against the usurping powers, that unpardonable one of joining with the other heads of houses in sending the college plate to the king. He was likewise in the convocation-house when all the members of the university there assembled, many of them men in years, were kept prisoners in the public schools in exceeding cold weather, till midnight, without food or fire, because they would not join in what the republican party required. After this, Dr. Ward was deprived of his mastership and professorship, and plundered and imprisoned both in his own and in St. John's college. During his confinement in St. John's he contracted a disease which is said to have put an end to his life, about six weeks after his enlargement; but there seems some mistake in the accounts of his death, which appears to have taken place Sept. 7, 1643, when he was in great want. He was buried in the chapel of Sidney-Sussex college. Of this house he had been an excellent governor, and an exact disciplinarian, and it flourished greatly under his administration. Four new fellowships were founded in his time, all the scholarships augmented, and a chapel and a new range of buildings erected. Dr. Ward was a man of great learning as well as piety, of both which are many proofs in his correspondence with archbishop Usher, appended to the life of that celebrated prelate. Fuller, in his quaint way, says he was "a Moses (not only for slowness of speech) but otherwise meekness of nature. Indeed, when in my private thoughts I have beheld him and doc