Chapter “Ward to Warton of W by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

“Ward to Warton

“Ward, Artemus” (see Brown, C.F.).

Ward, Robert Plumer (1765-1846).—Novelist and politician, born in London, ed. at Oxford, and called to the Bar 1790, held various political offices, and wrote some books on the law of nations; also three novels, Tremaine, the Man of Refinement, full of prolix discussions; De Vere, or the Man of Independence, in which Canning is depicted under the character of Wentworth; and De Clifford, or the Constant Man.

Ward, William George (1812-1882).—Theologian, ed. at Winchester and Oxford, and came under the influence of J.H.Newman, Whose famous Tract No. XC. he defended, and whom he followed into the Church of Rome. In 1844 he publishedThe Ideal of a Christian Church from the Romanist point of view, whence his sobriquet of “Ideal Ward.” He was lecturer on Moral Philosophy at St.Edward’s College, Ware, and wrote various treatises on controversial theology.

Wardlaw, Elizabeth, Lady (1677-1727).—Poetess, daughter of Sir Charles Halkett of Pitfirrane, and wife of Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie, is believed, to have written the pseudo-ancient ballad of “Hardyknute.” The ballad of “Sir Patrick Spens” and others have also, but doubtfully, been attributed to her.

Warner, Susan (1819-1885).—writer of tales, born at New York, and wrote, under the name of “Elizabeth Wetherell”, a number of stories, of which The Wide, Wide World (1851) had an extraordinary popularity. Others were Queechy (1852), The Old Helmet (1863), and Melbourne House (1864). They have no particular literary merit or truth to nature, and are rather sentimental and “gushy”.

Warner, William (1558-1609).—Poet, born in London or Yorkshire, studied at Oxford, and was an attorney in London. In 1585 he published a collection of seven tales in prose entitled Pan his Syrinx, and in 1595 a translation of the Menœchmi of Plautus. His chief work was Albion’s England, published in 1586 in 13 books of fourteen-syllabled verse, and republished with 3 additional books in 1606. The title is thus explained in the dedication, “This our whole island anciently called Britain, but more anciently Albion, presently containing two kingdoms, England and Scotland, is cause…that to distinguish the former, whose only occurrants I abridge from our history, I entitle this my book Albion’s England”. For about 20 years it was one of the most popular poems of its size—it contains about 10,000 lines—ever written, and he and Spenser were called the Homer and Virgil of their age. They must, however, have appealed to quite different classes. The plain-spoken, jolly humour, homely, lively, direct tales, vigorous patriotic feeling, and rough-and-tumble metre of Warner’s muse, and its heterogeneous accumulation of material—history, tales, theology, antiquities—must have appealed to a lower and wider audience than Spenser’s charmed verse. The style is clear, spirited, and pointed, but, as has been said, “with all its force and vivacity…fancy at times, and graphic descriptive power, it is poetry with as little of high imagination in it as any that was ever written.” In his narratives Warner allowed himself great latitude of expression, which may partly account for the rapidity with which his book fell into oblivion.

Warren, Samuel (1807-1877).—Novelist, born in Denbighshire, son of a Nonconformist minister. After studying medicine at Edinburgh he took up law, and became a barrister, wrote several legal textbooks and in 1852 was made Recorder of Hull. He sat in the House of Commons for Midhurst 1856-59, and was a Master in Lunacy 1859-77. He was the author of Passages from the Diary of a late Physician, which appeared (1832-37) first in Blackwood’s Magazine, as did also Ten Thousand a Year (1839). Both attracted considerable attention, and were often reprinted and translated. His last novel, Now and Then, had little success. Warren entertained exaggerated ideas as to the importance of his place in literature.

Warton, Joseph (1722-1800).—Critic, elder son of the Rev. Thomas Warton, Professor of Poetry at Oxford, was ed. at Basingstoke School, (of which his fatherwas headmaster),Winchester, and Oxford He took orders, held various and became headmaster of Winchester College, and Prebendary of Winchester and of St.Paul’s. He published miscellaneous verses, 2 vols. of Odes (1744 and 1746), in which he displayed a then unusual feeling for nature, and revolted against the critical rules of Pope and his followers. He was a good classical scholar, and made an approved translation of the Eclogues and Georgics of