wal . 
% 
both to himself and his father, Cliavles I. 
H(! was, therefore, confirmed in his places, 
also admitted one of the King’s chaplains 
in ordinary, and appointed one of the di- 
vines empowered to revise the B 9 ok of 
Common Prayer. He was a very useful 
member of the Royal Society, and kept up 
a literary corresponden ce with many learned 
men. 
In 1670, he published his “ Mechanica; 
sive de Motu,” quarto. In 1676, he gave 
an edition of “ Archimedis Syracusani Are- 
narius cf Dimensio Circuli and, in 1682, 
he published from the manuscripts, “ Clau- 
dii Ftolemaci OpusHarraonicum,”in Greek, 
vyith a Latin version and notes; to which 
he afterwards added, “ Appendix de vete- 
rum Harmonica ad hodiernam comparata,” 
&c. 
In 168,a, he published his “ History and 
Practice of Algebra,” in folio ; a woi k that 
is full of learned and useful matter. Be- 
sides the works above mentioned, he pub- 
lished many others, particularly his “ Arith- 
metic of Infinites,” a book of genius #nd 
good invention, and perhaps almost his 
only work that is sc, for he was much more 
distinguished for his industry and judgment, 
than for his geniusr Also a multitude of 
papers in the Philosophical Transactions, 
in almost every volume, from the first to 
the twenty-fifth volume. 
In 1697, the curators of the University 
press at Oxford thought it for the honour of 
the University to collect the Doctor’s, ma- 
thematical works, which had been printed 
separately, some in Latin, some in English', 
and published them all together in the Latin 
tongue, in three volumes, folio, 1699. 
Dr. Wallis died at Oxford the 28th of 
October, 1703, in the eighty eiglith year of 
his age, leaving behind him one son and two 
daughters. We are told, that he was of a 
vigorous constitution, and of a mind which 
was strong, calm, serene, and not easily 
ruffled or discomposed. He speaks of him- 
self, in his letter to Mr. Smith, in a strain 
which shows liim to have been a very cau- 
tious and prddent man, whatever his secret 
opinions and attachments might be. He 
concludes ; “ It hath been my endeavour all 
along, to act by mpderate principles, being 
willing, whatever side was uppermost, to 
promote any good design, for the true inte- 
rest of religion, of learniHg, and of the 
public good.” 
WALRUS. See Trichecus. 
WALTHERIA, in botany, so named in 
honour of Augustin Frederic Walther, Pro- 
WAil 
fessor qf Medicine at Leipsic, a genus of 
the Monadelpiiia Pentandria class and or- 
der. Natural order of Columnifera:. Ti- 
liaceae, Jussieu. Essential character : calyx 
double ; outer lateral three-leaved, decidu- 
ous; petals five; style one; capsule one- 
celled, two-valved, one-seeded. There are 
six species. 
WAPENTAKE (from the Saxon), the 
same witli what we call a hundred, and 
more especially used in the northern coun- 
tie,s beyond the river Trent. There have 
been several conjectures as to the original 
of the word ; one of whicli is, that an- 
ciently musters were made of the armour 
and weapons of the inhabitants of every 
hundred ; and from those that could not 
find sufficient pledges of their good ahear- 
ing, their weapons were taken away, and 
given to others ; whence, it is said, this word 
is derived. 
MVVJID (Dr. Seth), an Englisli prelate, 
chiefly famous for his knowledge in mathe- 
matics and astronomy, was the son of an 
attorney, an<l born at Buntingford, Hert- 
fordshire, in 1617 or 1618. From hence he 
was removed and placed a student in Sidney 
College, Cambridge, in 1632. Here he ap- 
plied with great vigour to his studies, par- 
ticularly to the mathematics, and was cho- 
sen fellow of his college. 
The civil war breaking out, Ward was 
involved, not a little in the consequences of 
it. He was ejected from his fellowship for 
refusing the covenant ; against which lie 
soon after joined, with several others, in 
drawing up that noted treatise, wliich was 
afterwards printed. Being now obliged to 
leave Cambridge, he resided for some time 
with certain friends about London, and at 
otlier times at Aid bury, in Surry, with the 
noted mathematician Oughtred, where he 
prosecuted his inatliematical studies. 
He had not been long in this family be- 
fore the visitation of the University of 0.x- 
ford began ; the effect of which was, that 
many leai’ned and eminent persons were 
turned out, and among them Mr. Greaves, 
the Savilian professor of astronomy. This 
gentleman laboured to procure Ward for his 
successor, whose abilities in his way were 
universally known and acknowledged ; and 
effected it ; Dr. Wallis succeeding to the 
geometry professorship at the same time. 
Mr. Ward then entered himself of Wadham 
College, for the sake of Dr. Wilkins, who 
was tile warden ; and he presently ap- 
plied himself to bring the astronomy lec- 
tures, which had long been neglected and ^ 
