1781 he published a volume on 'The History of the Legal Polity of the Roman State; and of the rise, progress, and extent of the Roman Laws,' The work, which displays both learning and acuteness, was not completed, the remainder of his manuscripts being committed to the flames during his last illness. He died at his house in Doctors' Commons on 8 Nov. 1791, and was buried in Mortimer church, Berkshire, where there is a mural monument in the chancel to his memory. He is said to have been 'a better scholar than writer, and a better writer than pleader.' He took a special interest in music and the fine arts. By Sherwin the engraver, in recognition of peculiar obligations, he was presented with a painting of Leonidas taking leave of his wife and infant son, the only original work of this engraver of which there is any record.
[Gent. Mag. liii. 667-70, lxi. 632-4, 1068, lxviii. 517, 753-4; Coote's English Civilians, 125-6; Chalmers's Biog. Dict. v. 194-5.]
BEVERIDGE, WILLIAM (1637–1708), bishop of St. Asaph, son of the Rev. William Beveridge, B.D., was born early in 1636-7, and was baptised on 21 Feb. at Barrow, Leicestershire, of which place his grandfather, further, and elder brother John were successively vicars Nichols, Hist. of Leicestershire, iii. part i. pp. 77-8). He was first taught by his learned father. He was next sent to the New Free School at Oakham, Rutland, where William Cave [q. v.] was his school-fellow. Here he remained two years. On 24 May 1663 he was admitted a sizar in St. John's College, Cambridge, with Bullingham as his tutor. Dr. Anthony Tuckney was then head of the college, and took a special interest in young Beveridge. Beveridge specially devoted himself to the learned languages, including the oriental. In his twenty-first year he published a Latin treatise on the 'Excellency and Use of the Oriental Tongues, especially Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Samaritan, together with a Grammar of the Syriac Language,' 1658, 2nd ed. 1664. It was a somewhat too ambitious task, and is crudely executed. In 1666 he proceeded B. A., and in 1660 M.A. On 3 Jan. 1660-1 he was ordained deacon by Dr. Robert Saunderson, bishop of Lincoln (Biog. Brit. ii. 782, 1st ed.) By special favour he was ordained priest on the 3lst of the same month. Dr. Gilbert Sheldon at the same time collated him to the vicarage of Yealing (or Ealing), Middlesex (Kennett, Biog. Coll. lii. 392; Lansdowne MS. 987). His 'Private Thoughts' reveal the awe with which he entered on his duties as a clergyman. He resolved beforehand, by the grace of God, to feed the flock over which God shall set him with wholesome food, neither starving them by idleness, poisoning them with error, nor puffing them up with impertinences' (Resolution V.) For twelve years he remained in this living. The charge was not onerous, and left him leisure for learned pursuits. The fruits of his reading during this period appeared in his 'Institutiones Chronologicæ,' 1669. In 1672 he published at Oxford his great 'Συνοδυκόν,' a collection of the apostolic canons and decrees of the councils received by the Greek church, together with the canonical epistles of the fathers. These two huge folios of Greek and Latin are a monumental evidence of the compiler's erudition, although, not content with reproduction of an accurate text, he claimed apostolic origin and sanction for what were long post-apostolic. His 'Vindication of his Collection of the Canons' (1679), in answer to an anonymous Latin attack (as it is now known) by Matthieu de Larroque of Rouen, demonstrates that he lacked the instinct of the genuine scholar as distinguished from the merely largely-read man. It is to be regretted that this 'Vindication' has been reproduced in the Anglo-catholic collection of the bishop's works. Hartwell Home more judiciously excluded it.
In 1672 he was presented by the lord mayor and aldermen to the living of St. Peter's, Cornhill. Thereupon he resigned Ealing. He had daily service in his church and the Lord's Supper every Sunday. On 22 Dec. 1674 he was collated to the prebend of Chiswick in St. Paul's, London. In 1679 he proceeded D.D. On 3 Nov. 1681 he was appointed archdeacon of Colchester (Kennett, Biog. Coll. liii. 292). He personally visited every parish, and made himself the friend and adviser of every clergyman (Biog. Brit. ii. and note b). On 27 Nov. 1681 he preached a sermon on the 'Excellency and Usefulness of the Common Prayer.' It rapidly went through four editions. In 1683 he preached another popular sermon on the anniversary of the great fire of 1666. On 5 Nov. 1684 he was made prebendary of Canterbury in succession to Du Moulin. In 1687-8 he joined with Dr. Horneck and others in forming religious societies for 'reformation of manners (Woodward, Account of the Rise and Progress of the Religious Societies). In 1689 he became president of Sion College.
Beveridge, who was not in advance of his age, stood aloof from the scheme of comprehension of 1668, first projected by the Lord keeper of the great seal (Sir Orlando Bridgman). Bishop Wilkins and Lord Chief-justice
