in February 1732–3 was presented to the rectory of Depden. On 16 Dec. 1732, under the pseudonym of ‘Richard Hooker of the Inner Temple,’ he began to edit a periodical entitled ‘The Weekly Miscellany.’ Not being very successful, it was discontinued on 27 June 1741. From the number of religious essays it contained it became known as ‘Old Mother Hooker's Journal.’ It is chiefly memorable for the attacks made in its columns on William Warburton's ‘Divine Legation of Moses.’ Webster's contributions to the controversy were republished probably in 1739, under the title of ‘Remarks on the Divine Legation’ (London, 8vo). They earned him a place in the ‘Dunciad,’ Pope, in 1742, inserting a passage (bk. ii. l. 258) in which Webster was coupled with George Whitefield, who had also criticised Warburton (Pope, Works, ed. Elwin and Courthope, iv. 17, 333, ix. 205, 207).
In 1740, from materials furnished by a merchant in the trade, Webster published a pamphlet on the woollen manufactory, entitled ‘The Consequences of Trade to the Wealth and Strength of any Nation. By a Draper of London’ (London, 8vo). It had a large sale, and when the demand began to subside he penned a refutation of his own arguments, under the title ‘The Draper's Reply’ (London, 1741, 8vo), which went through several editions.
In July 1740 he was instituted to the vicarages of Ware and Thundridge in Hertfordshire, which he retained till his death, resigning his rectory and curacy. In later life he fell into great poverty, and after vainly petitioning the archbishops and bishops for charity, he opened his woes to the public in ‘A plain Narrative of Facts, or the Author's case fairly and candidly stated’ (London, 1758, 8vo). He died unmarried at Ware on 4 Dec. 1758. Christopher Smart [q. v.] addressed to him his seventh ode, complimenting him on his ‘Casuistical Essay on Anger and Forgiveness’ (London, 1750, 12mo). Webster was a voluminous writer. Among his works not already mentioned are: 1. ‘The Clergy's Right of Maintenance vindicated from Scripture and Reason,’ London, 1726, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1727. 2. ‘The Fitness of the Witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ considered,’ London, 1731, 8vo. 3. ‘The Credibility of the Resurrection of Christ,’ London, 1735, 8vo. 4. ‘A Complete History of Arianism from 306 to 1666. To which is added the History of Socinianism, translated from the French of the learned Fathers Maimbourg and Lamy,’ London, 1735, 2 vols. 4to. 5. ‘Tracts, consisting of Sermons, Discourses, and Letters,’ London, 1745, 8vo. 6. ‘A Vindication of his Majesty's Title to the Crown,’ London, 1747, 8vo. 7. ‘A Treatise on Places and Preferments,’ London, 1757, 8vo.
[Nichols's Anecdotes of Bowyer, 1782, pp. 83, 539–42; Venn's Biogr. Hist. of Gonville and Caius Coll. 1897, i. 427, 518; George III, his Court and Family, 1821, i. 99; Clutterbuck's History of Hertfordshire, iii. 280, 308; Davy's Suffolk Collections in Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 19166, pp. 269–73.]
WECKHERLIN, GEORG RUDOLPH (1584–1653), under-secretary of state in England, was born at Stuttgart on 15 Sept. 1584. He studied jurisprudence at the university of Tübingen, where he made many distinguished acquaintances, as attested by the inscriptions in his album, lately extant but now lost. He appears to have entered the diplomatic service shortly after leaving the university, and to have discharged numerous missions in Germany and France. He also, at some date between 1607 and 1614, spent three consecutive years in England, which he probably visited in the train of the Würtemberg ambassador, Von Büwinckhausen. In 1614 he was again at Würtemberg, where he became private secretary to the duke, and continued there until some period between 1620 and 1624. This residence at home, however, was interrupted by a visit to England in 1616, when, on 13 Sept., he married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Raworth of Dover. After April 1624 his correspondence, preserved in the state paper office, shows him to be discharging the duty of an under-secretary of state, and to have been regularly employed until 1641 in drafting, deciphering, and translating official correspondence. He accompanied Charles I in his expedition against the Scots, but continually complains of the unremunerativeness of his post, and upon the breaking out of the civil war he took part with the parliament. In February 1644 he was made ‘secretary for foreign tongues’ to the joint committee of the two kingdoms, with an annual salary of 288l. 13s. 6½d., equivalent to nearly 1,000l. at the present day. This position he held until 13 March 1649, when, upon the constitution of the council of state, he was displaced by Milton. No mention is made of him in the resolution of the council appointing Milton, and the cause of his removal or resignation was probably ill-health, as his death was reported in Germany, and his countryman Mylius shortly afterwards found him suffering from gout. On 11 March 1652 he was, notwithstanding, appointed, at a salary of 200l. a year, assistant to Milton, who was fast losing his sight. He was succeeded by Thurloe on 1 Dec. of
