Guise, William

, an English divine, was born at Ablond’s or Abbey-load’s court, near Gloucester, in 1653, and entered in 1669 a commoner of Oriel-college, Oxford, which he changed for All souls, where he was chosen fellow a little before he took his first degree in arts, April 4, 1674. He commenced M. A. in 1677, and entered into orders; but marrying in 1680, he resigned his fellowship. However, he still continued at Oxford, and took a house in St. Michael’s parish, resolving not to leave the university, on account of his studies, which he prosecuted with | indefatigable industry, and soon became a great master of the oriental learning and languages. He translated into English, and illustrated with a commentary, Dr. Bernard’s work entitled “Misnae pars ordinis prim”! Zeraim Tituli septem,“1690, 4to, and a tract” De Victimis humanis,“8vo, and was preparing an edition of Abulfeda’s Geography, when he was seized with the small-pox, which carried him off' Sept. 3, 1684, aged only thirty-one. Thomas Smith gives him the title of” Vir longe eruditissimus,“and observes, that his death was a prodigious loss to the republic of letters; and the editors of the” Acta Eruditorum“style him a” person of great learning, and the immortal ornament of the university of Oxford." He was buried at St. Michael’s church in that city, where a monument was erected to his memory by his widow, with a Latin inscription. He left issue a son John, who, being bred to the army, raised himself to the highest posts there, and was well known in the military world, by the title of General Guise. He died in 1765, and bequeathed his large collection of paintings to Christ-church Oxford, where he was educated, and where they are now placed in the lower library. 1

1

Ath. Ox. vol. II.—Whiston’s ms notes on the first edit, of this Dictionary.