(Born: 1747; Died: 1830) English antiquarian.

A man of letters, Weston was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, and became a fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, 1768-84, M.A., 1770, B.D., 1782. Worked as a tutor on the continent, 1771. Lived in Paris, 1791-92. Became rector at Mamhead, 1777-90 and Little Hempston, Devon, 1784-1823. F.R.S., 1792. F.S.A., 1794. Weston published travel notes, classical texts and annotations, notes on Shakespeare, scriptural discussions and translations from Arabic, Chinese and Persian.

Biographical references: Allibone, Dictionary of English Literature, 1859-71. • BBA: I 1152, 367-376. • DNB: 9, 372. • Watt, Bibliotheca Britannica, 1824. • WBI.

1. English, 1805 [Part 1].
Werneria; | or, | Short Characters | of Earths: | with | Notes according to the Improvements | of | Klaproth, Vauquelin, and Hauy. | [double rule] | By Terræ Filius. | [double rule] | Beena 'l ma, wa 'l teen.- Arabic Proverb. | Inter aquam et lutum, (nondum creatus mundus.) | [double rule] | London: | Printed by and for C. and R. Baldwin, New | Bridge-Street, and for W. Miller, | Albemarle-Street. | [rule] | 1805.

8°: π⁴ B-G⁸ H¹ I⁴; 57l.; [i]-viii, [1]-105, [1] p. Page size: 158 x 90 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-viii, "Preface."; [1]-92, Text.; [93]-98, "Additions."; [99]-105, "Index."; [1 pg], "In the Press, and soon will be published, Aphorisms, ..."

Rare. Part One. A truly unique publication, which like the work of Marbodea written centuries before, is set in a heroic verse rhyme. It follows a Wernerian theme, but incorporates the ideas of Klaproth, Vauquelin and Haüy. "The design of the writer, in publishing this small Tract on Earths, is to facilitate the knowledge of the science, and assist those who are desirous of studying it, with a step towards the kingdom of minerals. In doing this, the author makes an experiment which, should it succeed, may probably lead him from the Earths and Metals, and from the Metals to the Inflammables."- Preface. A second part was published in 1806 [which see below].

2. English, 1806 [Part 2].
Werneria, | (Part the Second) | or, | Short Characters | of | Earths | and | Minerals: | According to | Klaproth, Kirwan, Vauquelin, and | Hauy. | With | Tables of their Genera, Species, Primitive | Crystals, Specific Gravity, and | Component Parts. | [double rule] | By Terræ Filius Philagricola. | [double rule] | London: | Printed by and for C. and R. Baldwin, New | Bridge-Street, and for W. Miller, | Albemarle-Street. | [rule] | 1806.

8°: π¹ a² B-E⁸ *E¹ F-I⁴ K²; 53l.; [i]-[v], [1] errata, [1]-99, [1] blank p. Page size: 158 x 90 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-[v], "Preface."; [1 pg], Errata.; [1]-48, Text.; [49]-64, "Supplement to Part I. Or Short Characters of Earths. Published 1805."; 64 (i.e., 65), "Additions."; [66], Blank.; 67-91, "Tables of Minerals. Earths."; [92], Blank.; [93]-99, "Index of Minerals, and their Places."; [1 pg], Blank.

Rare. Part Two. Continues the format of the previous part, and rhymes more mineralogy. "The author of a Tract on Earths, with the title of Werneria in the year 1805, who borrowed his name from a Latin poet, hinted in his Preface an intention of proceeding from the earths to the metals, should the experiment he had tried, succeed, of recording the earths in verse, with a view to make them more easily remembered. The consequence is, that he proceeds to the metals in the same form of text, and notes."- Preface. The supplement contains descriptions of earths which were omitted from the previous part.

Bibliographical references: Hoover Collection: no. 881.

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