Brief Lives, Vol. 2

Seth Ward (1617-1688/9).

<Birth and education.>

[1177]Seth Ward[CN], lord bishop of Sarum, was borne at Buntingford, a small market-towne in Hartfordshire, anno Domini 1618[1178], December the ..., (when the great blazing starre appeared). His father was an attorney there, and of a very honest repute.

At <16> yeares old he went to Sydney Colledge in Cambridge; he was servitor[XCVI.] to Dr. <Samuel> Ward (Master of the Colledge, and Professor of Divinity), who, being much taken with his ingenuity and industry, as also with his suavity of nature, quickly made him scholar of the howse, and after, fellowe. Though he was of his name, he was not at all akinne to him (which most men imagined because of the great kindnesse to him); but the consimility of their dispositions was a greater tye of friendship then that of blood, which signifies but little, as to that point.

<Mathematical studies.>

His father taught him common arithmetique, and his genius lay much to the mathematiques, which being naturall to him, he quickly and easily attained.

Sir Charles Scarborough, M.D. (then an ingeniose young student, and fellowe—quaere—of Caius Colledge in Cambridge), was his great acquaintance; both students in mathematiques; which the better to perfect, they went to Mr. Willam Oughtred, at Albury in Surrey, to be enformed by him in his Clavis Mathematica, which was then a booke of aenigmata. Mr. Oughtred treated them with exceeding humanity, being pleased at his heart when an ingeniose young man came to him that would ply his Algebra hard. When they returned to Cambridge, they read the Clavis Mathematica to their pupills, which was the first time that that booke was ever read in a[1179] university. Mr. Laurence Rooke, a good mathematician and algebrist, (and I thinke had also been Mr. Oughtred's disciple[1180]) was his great acquaintance. ☞ Mr. Rooke (I remember) did read (and that admirably well) on the sixth chapter of the Clavis Mathematica in Gresham Colledge.

<Ejected from Cambridge.>

Anno Domini 164<4>, at the breaking out of the civill warres, he was a prisoner, together with Dr. <Samuel> Ward, Dr. <Samuel> Collins, Sir Thomas Hatton, &c. for[1181] the king's cause, in St. John's Colledge in Cambridge, and was[1182] putt out of his fellowship at Sydney Colledge. Being gott out of prison, he was very civilly and kindly received by his friend and neighbour, Ralph Freeman, of Apsten, esq., a vertuous and hospitable gentleman, where he continued....

<Professor in Oxford.>

Anno Domini <1648> the Visitation of the Parliament was Oxford, and turned out a great many professors and fellowes. The Astronomy Reader (Dr.[1183] <John> Greaves) being sure to be ejected, Seth Ward, A.M. (living[1184] then with my lord Wenman, in Oxfordshire, and ... Greaves was unwilling to be turned out of his place, but desired to resigne it rather to some worthy person, wherupon Dr. Charles Scarborough and William Holder, D.D. recommended to ... Greaves, their common friend, Mr. Seth Ward) was invited to succeed him, and came from Mr. Freeman's to Oxford, had the Astronomy Professor's place, and lived at Wadham Colledge, where he conversed with the warden, Dr. John Wilkins.

<First ecclesiastical dignity.>

[1185]Anno Domini 165- (quaere), he had from B<rownrigg> bishop of Exon, the grant of the chantor's place of Exon, which then signified nothing.

<President of Trinity College, Oxford.>

Anno Domini 165<9> William Hawes, ...[1186], then president of Trinity Colledge in Oxford, having broken in his lunges a vein (which was not curable), Mr. Ward being very well acquainted and beloved in that colledge; by the consent of all the fellowes, William Hawes resigned up his presidentship to him, and dyed some few dayes after[CO]. Anno 1660, upon the restauration of King Charles II, Dr. Hannibal Potter (the president sequestred by the Parliamentary Visitors) re-enjoyed the presidentship again.

[1187]Dr. Seth Ward, now bishop of Sarum, when he was president of Trinity College, Oxon, did draw his geometricall schemes with black, red, yellow, green, and blew inke to avoid the perplexity of A, B, C, etc.

<His doctorate.>

[1188]I should have said that, anno 165<4>, he[1189] tooke his degree of doctor in Divinity, at the Act, at Oxford, at the same time with Dr. John Wallis.

<Church preferment.>

He then enjoyed his chanter's place at Excester, and, I thinke, was certainly minister of St. Laurence <Jewry> church (quaere) in London.

Anno Domini 166<1>, the deane of Exon dyed, and then it was his right to step-in next to the deanry.

<Becomes bishop of Exeter.>

Anno Domini 1663, the bishop of Exon dyed: Dr. Ward, the deane, was in Devonshire at that time, at ... (I thinke 'twas Taverstoke), at a visitation at ...,[XCVII.] where were a great number of the gentrey of the countrey. Deane Ward was very well knowne to the gentry, and his learning, prudence, and comity had wonne them[1190] all to be his friends. The newes of the death of the bishop being brought to them, who were all very merry and rejoycing with good entertainment, with great alacrity the gentlemen cryed all, uno uno[1191], 'Wee will have Mr. Deane[1192] to be our Bishop.' This was at that criticall time when the House of Commons were the king's darlings. The deane told them that for his part he had no interest or acquaintance at Court; but intimated to them how much the king esteemed the members of parliament (and a great many Parliament men were then there), and that his majestie would deny them nothing. 'If 'tis so, gentlemen' (sayd Mr. Deane), 'that you will needes have me to be your bishop, if some of you make your addresse to his majestie, 'twill be donne.'—With that they[XCVIII.] dranke the other glasse, a health to the king, and another to their wished-for bishop; had their horses presently made ready, putt foot in stirrup, and away they rode merrily to London; went to the king, and he immediately graunted them their request. This is the first time that ever a bishop was made by the House of Commons. Now, though envy cannot deny, that this worthy person was very well worthy any preferment could be conferred on him, yet the old bishops (e.g. Humphrey <Henchman>, bishop of London; John Cosins, bishop of Durham; etc.)[1193] were exceedingly disgruntled at it, to see a briske young bishop that could see through all their formall gravity, but 40 yeares old, not come in at the right dore but leape over the pale. It went to their very hearts. Well, bishop of Excester he was, to the great joy of all the diocese[1194]. Being bishop he had then free accesse to his majestie, who is a lover of ingenuity and a discerner of ingeniose men, and quickly tooke a liking to him.

[1196]His great friend and patrone, Dr. <Samuel> Ward, ...; quaere what preferment did Dr. <Seth> Ward give him in the Church?

<Translated to Salisbury.>

[1197]Anno 1667, Alexander Hyde, the bishop of Sarum, dyed, and then he was made bishop of Sarum, mense <Sept.>

<Personal characteristics.>

He is (without all manner of flattery) so prudent, learned, and good a man, that he honours his preferment as much as the preferment does him; and is such a one that cannot be advanced too high. My lord (Lucius) Falkland was wont to say that he never knew any one that a paire of lawne sleeves had not altered from himselfe, but only bishop Juxon; had he knowne this excellent prelate, he would have sayd he had knowne one more. As he is the pattern of humility and courtesie, so he knowes when to be severe and austere; and he is not one to be trampled or worked upon. He is a batchelour, and of a most magnificent and munificent mind.

He hath been a benefactor to the Royall Societie, (of which he was one of the first members and institutors[XCIX.]), gave them, Anno Domini ... li. He also gave a noble pendulum clock to the Royall Societie (which goes a weeke), to perpetuate[1198] the memory of his deare and learned friend, Mr. Laurence Rooke.

Quaere, was the bishop ever professor at Gresham College?

He gave anno 167-, ... li. towards the making of the river at Salisbury navigable to Christ Church. Anno 1679 he gave to Sydney Colledge a thousand pounds.

He haz perused all the records of the Church of Sarum, which, with long lyeing, had been conglutinated together; read them all over, and taken abridgements of them, which haz not been donne by any of his predecessors I beleeve for some hundreds of yeares.

He had an admirable habit of body (athletique, which was a fault), a handsome man, pleasant and sanguine; he did not desire to have his wisdome be judged by the gravity of his beard, but his prudence and ratiotination. This, methinkes, is strange to consider in him, that being a great student (and that of mathematiques and difficult knotty points, which does use to make men unfit for businesse), he is so cleare and ready, as no sollicitor is more adroit for looking after affaires.

Sicknes[1199].

[1200]The black malice of the dean[CP] of Sarum—he printed sarcasticall pamphletts against him—was the cause of his disturbd spirit, wherby at length he quite lost his memorie. For about a moneth before he dyed he tooke very little sustenance, but lived on the stock and died a skeleton. He deceased at his house at Knightsbridge neer London, on Sunday morning, January the sixth, 1688/9: the Gazetts and Newsletters were severally mistaken as to the day of his death.—This from Mr. Seth Ward, B.D.

<His burial.>

[1201]Seth, episcopus Sarum, is buried at Sarum as neer as may be to John Davenant, episcopus.

<His papers.>

[1202]I searcht all Seth, episcopus Sarum's, papers that were at his house at Knightsbridge where he dyed: of which I will give and bring you an account when I come to Oxon about the latter end of this moneth. I have taken care with his nephew and heir[1203] to looke over his papers in his study at Sarum. He tells me the custome is, when the bishop of Sarum dies, that 'the deane and chapter lock-up his studie and put a seale on it.' It was not opened lately, but when it is he will give me an account for you.

[1204]Scripsit:—

That there is a God—16mo: quaere nomen libri.

Vindiciae, 4to, Oxon.

... contra Thomam Hobbium, 8vo, Oxon.

Trigonometria, 4to, Oxon.

Astronomia geometrica, 4to, Oxon.

Severall sermons, wherof one was at the funerall of the duke of Albemarle, who was his great friend, and whose eies he closed.

[1205]Seth Ward, lord bishop of Salisbury, studied the common lawe, and I find this paper, which is his owne handwriting, amongst his scattered papers which I rescued from being used by the cooke since his death, which was destinated with other good papers and letters to be put under pies.

[1206]He writ a reply to Bullialdus, which might be about the bigness of his Astronomia Geometrica, which he lent to somebody (forgot), and is lost. In the bishop's study are several letters between Bullialdus and him, and between Hevelius and him.

<His foundation at Buntingford.>

[1207]At Buntingford, Hertfordshire[CQ]:—

[1684.

This hospitall was erected and endowed by Seth Ward, D.D., lord bishop of Salisbury and chancellor of the most noble order of the Garter, who was born in this towne within the parish of Aspden and educated in the free-schoole of Buntingford.]

The bishop's will not observed: the people there say so: cosen Freeman[1208] said <so>.

<Corrigendum.>

[1209]Seth Ward, episcopus Sarum:—Whereas I put downe in my memorandums, from his owne mouth, viz. that he said, occasionally, that 'he was borne when the great comet appeared' (that, I am sure, was in anno 1618); but his nephew, Seth Ward, treasurer of the church of Sarum and his executor, told me that the last sommer he searched in the register at Buntingford where he was born, and finds thus:—

'Seth Ward christned April 5, 1617.'