William Wotton

He was the son of the Rev. Henry Wotton and was born in his father's parish of Wrentham, Suffolk . He was not yet ten years old when he was sent to Katharine Hall, Cambridge , having by this time a good knowledge of Latin , Greek and Hebrew . He obtained a fellowship at St John's College , and was elected an F.R.S. in 1687 .

Wotton is chiefly remembered for his share in the controversy about the respective merits of ancient and modern learning. In his ''Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learning'' ( 1694 , and again 1697 ) he took the part of the moderns, although in a fair and judicial spirit, and was attacked by Swift in ''The Battle of the Books'' and '' A Tale Of A Tub ''. During some of his later years Wotton resided in Wales and gave himself to the study of Celtic , making a translation of the Laws of Hywel Dda , which was published after his death ( 1730 ). Having taken holy orders, he was a Prebend of Salisbury from 1705 until his death at Buxted , Essex , on 13 February 1727 .

Wotton wrote a ''History of Rome'' ( 1701 ) and ''Miscellaneous Discoveries relating to the Traditions and Usages of the Scribes and Pharisees'' ( 1718 ).

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William Wotton