WE13STER, LL.D. (ante). He published, 1783, in the Connecticut Courant, s series of papers signed Honorius, in defense of the soldiers' pay-bill; the same year his spelling-book. He traveled in the south to procure the enactment of state copy-right laws, the confederation not having the requisite power. The publication of the Ameri can Magazine iu New York, on which he sustained a heavy loss, he relinquished, 1789; returned to Hartford, and after some years' successful practice of law, established in New York, 1793, a daily newspaper, The Minerva, and a semi-weekly edition, the Her old, for the support of the national administration. These names were afterward changed to Commercial Advertiser and Hew York Spectator. In 1795 he wrote for his paper a series of able articles under the signature of Curtius in defense of Jay's treaty with England, concluded the previous year. In 1798 he terminated the editorial con nection with his journal and removed to New Haven; published, 1806, a Compendious Dictionary, and soon began the preparation of his American Dictionary of the English Language. In 1840 a second edition of 3,000 copies was issued in 2 vols. royal 8vo.
While preparing this work he removed to Amherst, Mass., where he united with others in founding Amherst college, and was for several years president of its board of trustees. He represented the town in the legislature. He had been a member of the Connecticut legislature, and a judge of one of the state courts. He returned to New Haven, 1822. A short time before his death, which occurred 1843, he revised the appendix to his dic tionary. A third edition, revised and enlarged by professor C. A. Goodrich, appeared, 1848; a fifth, greatly improved by professor Goodrich and president Porter, with ntunerous pictorial illustrations (1804); the sixth and last was issued, 1880. Of the Ele mentary Spelling-book more than 70,000,000 copies had been sold up to 1876. Besides the works named Dr. Webster published Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing his Education; The Prompter; History of Animals; A Collection of Papers on Political, Lit erary and Moral Subjects; The Holy Bible, with Amendments of the Language, a revision of the English version.