WILLIAM, Esq., a learned member of Lincoln's Inn, was born in 1666. In conjunction with Mr Peere Williams, Mr Melmoth was the publisher of Vernon's Reports, under an order of the court of chancery. He had once an intention of printing his own Reports; and a short time before his death advertised them at the end of those of his coadjutor Peere Williams, as then actually preparing for the press. They have, however, not yet made their appearance. But the performance for which he justly deserves to be held in perpetual remembrance is, "The Great Importance of a Religious Life;" concerning which it may be mentioned to the credit of the age, that notwithstanding many large editions had before been circulated, 42,000 copies of this useful treatise have been sold in the last 18 years. It is a somewhat singular circumstance, that the real author of this most admirable treatise should never before have been publicly known (it having been commonly attributed to the first earl of Egmont, and particularly by Mr Walpole in his Melo Catalogue); which is the more surprising, as the author is plainly pointed out in the following short character prefixed to the book itself: It may add weight, perhaps, to the reflections contained in the following pages, to inform the reader, that the author's life was one uniform exemplar of those precepts which, with so generous a zeal, and such an elegant and affecting simplicity of style, he endeavours to recommend to general practice. He left others to contend for modes of faith, and inflame themselves and the world with endless controversy: it was the wiser purpose of his more ennobled aim, to act up to those clear rules of conduct which revelation hath graciously prescribed. He possessed by temper every moral virtue; by religion every Christian grace. He had a humanity that melted at every distress; a charity which not only thought no evil, but suspected none. He exercised his profession with a skill and integrity which nothing could equal but the disinterested motive that animated his labours, or the amiable modesty which accompanied all his virtues. He employed his industry, not to gratify his own desires; no man indulged himself less: not to accumulate useless wealth; no man more disdained so unworthy a pursuit: it was for the decent advancement of his family, for the generous assistance of his friends, for the ready relief of the indigent. How often did he exert his distinguished abilities, yet refuse the reward of them, in defence of the widow, the fatherless, and him that had none to help him! In a word, few have ever passed a more useful, not one a more blameless life; and his whole time was employed either in doing good, or in meditating it. He died on the 6th day of April 1743, and lies buried under the cloister of Lincoln's Inn Chapel. MEM. PAT. OFT. MER. FIL. DIC." The son, by whom this character is drawn, is William Melmoth, Esq., the celebrated translator of Pliny and of Cicero's Letters; and author of those which pass under the name of Sir Thomas Fitzosborne.