WHISTON, WILLIAM, was b. Dec. 9, 1667, at Norton, in Leicestershire, of which place his father was rector. His earlier education he received at home; subsequently, he he came the pupil of a Mr. Antrobus at Tamworth, and finally he went to Cambridge, where he greatly distinguished himself, chiefly as a student of mathematics. In 1690 he took his degree, and obtained a fellowship in 1693. The year after he became lain to Dr. More, bishop of Norwich; and in 1698, having been presented to the living of Lowestoft, in Suffolk, he was married to Miss Antrobus, the daughter of his old pre ceptor, his fellowship being thus forfeited. Meantime, in 1696, had appeared his Theory of the Earth, a work which, despite, or perhaps in virtue of, the oddity of certain of its speculations, procured him a considerable reputation. That his genuine claims as a man of science were considerable, is made clear by the fact that at 1703, by the express influence. of sir Isaac Newton, whose acquaintance he had made some years previously, he was appointed to succeed him in the Lucasian professorship at Cambridge. On re ceiving this appointment, he gave up his living, and again settled himself at the univer sity. In addition to the duties of his chair, he engaged in clerical work: and such was his success as a preacher, that he would probably have attained high position in the church, had not the development of his theological opinions led him into .Arian heresy —his frank and fearless avowal of which at once in his preaching and his writings led.; in 1710, to his expulsion from his professorship. and the university. In the same year appeared the most noted of his original writings, An historical Preface to Primitive Christianity Revived. His subsequent prosecution in the church courts forms a curi ously complicated chapter iu the history of such matters. The result was, that after five years of vexatious suspense, during which the proceedings swayed hither and thither in the strangest way, they proved in the end abortive, and Whiston was permitted to remain formally a member of the church of England. By many of the clergy, however,
much dissatisfaction was expressed; the famous Dr. Sacheverel in particular thundered from the pulpit against the delinquent, and refused to admit him to communion—an ex ample which was followed by others. It seems significant of the social stigma attached to him in the minds of the orthodox, that when Halley, in 1720, proposed him as a mem ber of the royal society, his old friend Newton successfully opposed his admission. Whiston himself, the most amusingly vain of men, remained indeed deeply convinced that Newton's conduct was dictated by jealousy of his superior scientific genius—a no tion in which he probably found not many to agree with him. Having no ostensible means of livelihood, Winston was frequently reduced to great straits; but lie had kind friends, who were ready to assist him at need. In the dissemination of his religious opinions he continued unwearied; his publications on tho subject were numerous; also, he occasionally delivered lectures; and he instituted a religions society, which had meet ings at his own house. He also busied himself much with scientific crotchets, chief among which was a scheme for calculating the longitude, of the success of which ho was assured. He died on Aug. 22, 1752, at the great age of 85. Of all his numerous works, a translation of Josephus was the only one which continued for a time to perpet uate the name of its author; and of this there have been several reprints. His memoir of his own life (published in his lifetime in 3 vols. 1749-50) is a curious specimen of self-portraiture, and conveys a very vivid image of this strange, whimsical, eccentric, but thoroughly honest and conscientious man.