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fit up a chapel within the limits of the college. I 1687, by virtue of letters patent from king James, he set up a press, for the avowed purpose of printing books against the reformed religion. The patent specifies the names of the books (many of which were written by his friend Abraham Woodhead), and exempts him from any penalties to which he might be subject by the statutes against popery. The number of copies to be published of each work is limited to 20,000 within the year. He procured also other letters. patent, by which he, and some fellows of his college, were excused from attending the public service of the church. Under this authority he opened his new chapel for mass. This, says Smith, he did by seizing "the lower half of a side of the quadrangle, next adjoining to the college chapel, by which he deprived us of two low rooms, their studies and their bed-chambers: and after all the partitions were removed, it was some way or other consecrated, as we suppose, to divine services: for they had mass there every day, and sermons at least in the afternoon on the Lord's days." He also procured a mandate from the king to sequester the revenue of a fellowship towards the maintenance of his priest. He put up a statue of James II. over the inside of the gate, and when the king came to Oxford, he entertained him at vespers in this new chapel.

When the revolution took place, all this vanished; the statue was taken down, and the chapel restored to the form of rooms as before; and Walker, conscious that he had gone farther than any person in his situation, and that not only contrary to the laws of the land, but the statutes of the university, both general and particular, meditated his escape. In Dec. 1688, he set out along with Andrew Pulton, a Jesuit, and others, intending to go to France; but hearing that the populace in the county of Kent were collected to seize all the papists that endeavoured to leave the kingdom, he came back, and was apprehended at Feversham, whence he was conveyed to London, and imprisoned in the Tower. In the mean time, in February 1689, his place was declared vacant at Oxford, on account of his being a papist, and was filled up by Mr. Ferrer, the senior fellow.

After lying in prison till 1689, he was brought by habeas corpus to Westminster-hall, and sued for bail, but instead of obtaining it, he was brought to the bar of the House of Commons, and charged with the following offences: 1.

For changing his religion. 2. For seducing others to it; and 3. For keeping a mass-house in the university of Oxford. His defence was more artful than honourable to his candour. "I cannot say that I ever altered my religion, or that my principles do now wholly agree with those of the church of Rome. Mr. Anderson was my governor and director, and from him in my youth I learned those principles which I have since avowed. If they were popish, I have not changed my religion; and they will not be found to be wholly agreeable with the doctrine of the Roman catholic church. 2. I never seduced others to the Romish religion. All my books and precepts tend only to make men good moralists and good Christians; nor did I ever interest myself in persuading any body to this or that party. This will be plain to every body that reads my books of "The Life of Christ," my book "Of Education," my book of "Benefits," &c. &c." These arguments, if they may be so called, being delivered, he was, in Jan. 1690, brought again from the Tower to the bar of the king's bench, and having given bail, was set at liberty; but in May following he was excepted out of the act of pardon of William and Mary.

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After this he appears to have gone abroad for some time, but returned to England, and lived a retired life, principally snpported by one of his old scholars, the celebrated Dr. Radcliffe, who, although averse to his principles, had a sincere regard for him, and took him into his house. died Jan. 21, 1699, and was buried at Pancras churchyard, at the expence of Dr. Radcliffe, who caused a stone to be placed over his grave, with the initials of his name, O. W. in a cypher, to which are added the words " per bonam famam atque infamiam," which are the Vulgate reading of a clause in 2 Corinthians vi. 3.

It seems generally acknowledged that Mr. Walker was a man of very considerable abilities and learning, but his conduct on the accession of James II. lost him the respect of the university, and of the public at large. By his own confession he had led a long life of conscious hypocrisy for the sake of a very few years of open profession of his principles; and his subserviency to the will of his bigotted monarch, when contrasted with the noble stand made by the president and fellows of the neighbouring college, Magdalen, must have sunk his reputation very much.

Among Mr. Walker's published works, the best is "The

Greek and Roman History, illustrated by coins and medals," Lond. 1692, 8vo. His other works are, 1. "A brief account of ancient Church Government," ibid. 1662, 4to. 2. "Of Education, especially of young gentlemen," Oxford, 1678, 12mo; reprinted a fourth time, 1683. 3. "Artis rationis, libri tres," ibid. 1673. 4. "A paraphrase and annotations upon the epistles of St. Paul to the Romans, Corinthians, and Hebrews," ibid. 1674. This has been attributed to Dr. Fell. 5. The Life of king Alfred, in Latin, from the English of sir John Spelman, 1678, fol. a magnificent publication. 6. "God's Benefits to Mankind," ibid. 1680, 410. 7. "Description of Greenland," &c. for Pitt's Atlas. 8. "Some instructions concerning the art of Oratory," ibid. 1682, 8vo, 2d edit. 9." An historical narration of the Life and Death of Christ," ibid. 1685, 4to, the sale of which was prohibited by the vice-chancellor of Oxford, on account of many passages in it which savoured of popery. 10. "Some instructions in the Art of Grammar," Lond. 1691, 8vo.'

1 Biog. Brit.-Ath. Ox. vol. II.—Smith's Hist, of University college, p. 254. -Lysons's Environs, vol. III.-Gent. Mag, vols. LVI and LXVII.—Malone's Dryden, vol. I. p. 422,

INDEX.

Those marked thus * are new.

Those marked † are re-written, with additions.

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