WALTON, BRIAN, D.D., was born in 1600 at Seamer, in the district of Cleaveland in Yorkshire ; in I 616 he was admitted a sizar of Magdalen Col lege, Cambridge, whence he removed to Peterhouse in 1618, and took his degree of M.A. in 1623. He left college for a curacy and mastership of a school in Suffolk ; but was soon after removed to London, where he was first assistant in the Church of All Hallows, Broad Street, and afterwards, in 1626, rector of St. Martins Orgar, with which he con joined the rectory of Sandon in Essex. In 1639 he commenced D.D. at Cambridge. Soon after this he was involved in the troubles which arose from the contest of king and parliament, was de prived of his preferment, and was obliged to take refuge in Oxford. Here he formed the plan of his great work, The London Polyg-lott, and here pro bably he made some preparations for it. It was not, however, till he returned to London that any active steps were taken towards carrying his de sign into effect. A prospectus of the work was issued in 1652 ; the assistance of the most eminent Oriental and Biblical scholars of the day was en gaged ; and in the fall of 1653 the printing was begun. The first volume appeared in September
1654, and the whole work was completed before the end of 1657. Of the merits.of this invaluable work it is needless here to speak [PoLvGLorr]. It remains an imperishable memorial of the learning, assiduity, and ability of the editor and his coadju. tors. After the Restoration, Walton was, in 166o, made bishop of Chester, an office which he filled only for a few months, his death occurring 29th November 1661. Besides the valuable Prolego mena to his great work, Walton wrote Introductio ad lectionem Linguar. Oriental. 1654-55, part of which was republished under the title of Di sser tatio de ling. Orient., Daventrix 1658. He replied also to some strictures of Dr. Owen on the Poly glott in his Considerator Consia'ered, etc., 1669, t82r.—W. L. A.