William Baxter (scholar) facts for kids

William Baxter (1650–1723) was a smart Welsh scholar. He was known for his knowledge of old languages and history. He wrote many important books during his lifetime.

William Baxter's Early Life and Career

William Baxter was born in 1650 in a place called Lanhigan in Shropshire, Wales. His uncle was a famous person named Richard Baxter.

When William was 18, he went to Harrow School. This was quite late for school back then. At that time, he only knew how to speak Welsh. He couldn't read or understand any other language. But he was a quick learner! He soon became very good at learning ancient languages like Latin and Greek.

William kept in touch with many important people of his time. He wrote many letters to them. He worked as a school teacher for most of his life. First, he taught at a boarding school in Tottenham High Cross. Later, he became the head teacher at the Mercers' School in London. He stayed there for more than 20 years. William Baxter passed away on May 31, 1723.

William Baxter's Important Books and Works

William Baxter wrote many books that helped people learn about old languages and history.

Latin Grammar Book

His first book was a Latin grammar guide. It was called De Analogia, sive arte Linguae Latinae Commentariolus. He published it in 1679. This book was for older students who wanted to learn advanced Latin.

Books on Ancient Poets

William Baxter became famous for his work on ancient poets.

• In 1695, he published a book about Anacreon. Anacreon was an ancient Greek poet. Baxter's book also included two poems by another famous Greek poet, Sappho. Some people thought his ideas in this book were a bit too bold. The book was printed again in 1710.
• In 1701, Baxter's book about Horace came out. Horace was a very important ancient Roman poet. Later, a scholar named J. M. Gesner used Baxter's book as a base for his own editions. Many people thought Baxter's Horace was excellent. A famous scholar named Robert Lowth even called it 'the best edition of Horace ever yet delivered to the world.'

Dictionaries of Old British History

Baxter also worked on books about the history of Britain.

• In 1719, he published a dictionary about old British things. It was called Glossarium Antiquitatum Britannicarum. This book helped people understand ancient British history and words.
• After he died, another scholar named Moses Williams published some of Baxter's unfinished work. This book was called Reliquiae Baxterianae. It was a dictionary of Roman history, but it only went up to the letter 'A'. It also included a short story about Baxter's own life.

Other Contributions

William Baxter was also interested in how the body works and other scientific topics. He wrote articles for important science magazines like the 'Philosophical Transactions' and Archaeologia. He also helped translate a book called Morals by the ancient Greek writer Plutarch in 1718.