Federal Army, in 1861, and was killed in the Battle of
Great Bethel. His novels, for which he had failed to find a publisher,
appeared posthumously--_John Brent_, founded on his experiences in the
far West, _Edwin Brothertoft_, a story of the Revolution War, and _Cecil
Dreeme_. Other works were _The Canoe and Saddle_, and _Life in the Open
Air_. Though somewhat spasmodic and crude, his novels had freshness,
originality, and power, and with longer life and greater concentration he
might have risen high.

WITHER, GEORGE (1588-1667).--Poet, _b._ near Alton, Hampshire, was at
Oxf. for a short time, and then studied law at Lincoln's Inn. In 1613 he
_pub._ a bold and pungent satire, _Abuses Stript and Whipt_, with the
result that he was imprisoned for some months in the Marshalsea. While
there he wrote _The Shepheard's Hunting_, a pastoral. _Wither's Motto_,
_Nec Habeo, nec Careo, nec Curo_ (I have not, want not, care not) was
written in 1618, and in 1622 he _coll._ his poems as _Juvenilia_. The
same year he _pub._ a long poem, _Faire Virtue, the Mistress of
Philarete_, in which appears the famous lyric, "Shall I wasting in
despair." Though generally acting with the Puritans he took arms with
Charles I. against the Scotch in 1639; but on the outbreak of the Civil
War he was on the popular side, and raised a troop of horse. He was taken
prisoner by the Royalists, and is said to have owed his life to the
intercession of a fellow-poet, Sir John Denham. After the establishment
of the Commonwealth he was considerably enriched out of sequestrated
estates and other spoils of the defeated party; but on the Restoration
was obliged to surrender his gains, was impeached, and committed to the
Tower. In his later years he wrote many religious poems and hymns,
_coll._ as _Hallelujah_. Before his death his poems were already
forgotten, and he was referred to by Pope in _The Dunciad_ as "the
wretched Withers". He was, however, disinterred by Southey, Lamb, and
others, who drew attention to his poetical merits, and he has now an
established place among English poets, to which his freshness, fancy, and
delicacy of taste well entitle him.

WODROW, ROBERT (1679-1734).--Church historian, _s._ of James W., Prof. of
Divinity in Glasgow. Having completed his literary and theological
education there, he entered the ministry of the Church of Scotland, and
was ordained to the parish of Eastwood, Renfrewshire. Here he carried on
the great work of