SELDEN, JOHN, an eminent lawyer and anti quarian, was born at Salvington, a hamlet in the parish of West Farring, near Worthing, in Sussex, Dec. 16, 1584. He received the rudiments of his education at the free school of Chichester, and at fourteen he entered at Hart or Hert Hall (since merged in Magdalen Hall), Oxford, where, although possessing great abilities, he did not particularly distinguish himself. He entered himself at Clif ford's Inn, 1602, for the study of law ; and in 16o4 removed to the Inner Temple for the completion of his legal studies. He acquired very early a taste for antiquarian research, in which department he afterwards became so eminent. He was, in fact, one of the most learned men of his age. He lived in stirring times, and was, almost inevitably, mixed up with the stormy politics of the period ; but he belonged to no extreme party, although a friend of liberty and of the popular cause. He died Nov. 3o, t654. His works are very numer ous and learned ; the following are those which require special notice here De Diis Syrir Syntagmata Duo, 1617, which contains a history of the idol deities mentioned in Scripture, and a summary of Syrian idolatry. 2. De Successione in bona Dginreti ad Leges Ebraorum, 1631. An im
proved edition of this work appeared in 1636, in cluding an additional treatise entitled : De Sweet sione in Pontifieatum Ebreeorum. Both these treatises were republished by the author, with additions, in 1638. Their titles sufficiently indicate their nature and objects. 3. De Yure Natural/ et Gentium juxta Diseiplinam Ebraorum,libri septem, 164o. In this work the author treats of the seven so-called precepts of Noah, and gives a digest of all the laws of the Jews, distinguishing those which belong to universal law from those which are merely national and local. 4. Uxor Ebraica ; seu de MOW: et Divortiis ex yure Civili, id est Divino et Talmudico Vrterum Ebraorzem, tres libri, 1646. Everything relating to marriage and divorce among the Jews will be found treated of here. 5. De Synedriis et Pnvfeduris yirridieis Veterum .Ebra orum, 1650. In this work, on which Selden spent twelve years, he sets forth everything recorded of the Sanhedrim or Juridical Courts of the Jews, with collateral notices of similar institutions in other countries (Johnson's Memoirs of Yohn Selden ; English Cyclopeedia, art. Selden ;' Gen. Hist. and Crit. Die. vol. ix. art. Selden').—I. J.