(William), a learned English bishop, in the beginning of the 18th century, was born in the year 1638, and educated in St John's college Cambridge, where he distinguished himself very early by his extensive learning, and particularly by his knowledge of the oriental languages. Upon the deprivation of Dr Thomas Ken, bishop of Bath and Wells, for not taking the oaths to the government in 1691, he refused the offer of that see, tho' he was then chaplain to King William and Queen Mary. In 1704 he was consecrated to the bishopric of St Asaph; in which high function he so behaved himself all along, and discharged it in so exemplary a manner, that he approved himself a truly primitive prelate. He died at his lodgings in the Cloisters in Westminster-abbey in 1707, aged 71. As his whole life was spent in acts of piety and charity, so he gave remarkable instances of both at his death, leaving the bulk of his estate for the propagation of the gospel, and promoting of Christian knowledge, at home as well as abroad. His Private Thoughts upon a Christian Life is a very popular, though in many points a very exceptionable, book. He wrote several other works on various subjects, particularly on the oriental tongues.