The wall was begun by Aurelian in 271 A

D., and was repaired by Honor i us, Theodoric, Belisarius, and later rulers: its circuit remains almost unaltered, and measures about 13 miles. Many stretches of the wall and several of the gates, particularly the Porta Pinciana, the Chiusa, Maggiore, Latina, San Sebastiano, and San Paolo, are highly picturesque. The masonry of the wall is for the most part of brick, interrupted occasionally by stonework. Some older pieces in opus reticula tum are incorporated. The exterior height is about 55 feet, and there are nearly 300 towers. Wall of China, Great. A wall begun by the emperor Tsin Chi-hwangti 214 B. c. (finished 204 B. c.) as a defense against northern tribes. It extends from Shanhai-kwan, lat. 40° N., long. 119° 50′ E., along the northern frontiers of Chihli, Shansi, Shensi, and Kansu, to about lat. 39° 50′ N., long. 99° E. Length, about 1,500 miles. Wall of Hadrian. See Hadrian's Wall . Wallon (vä-lôn ́), Henri Alexandre. Born at Valenciennes, Dec. 23, 1812. A French historian and politician. He was elected to the Legislative A embly in 1849, and to the National A embly in 1871, and was one of the chief founders of the constitution of 1875. He was minister of public instruction 1875-76. Among his works are "His to ire de l'esclavage dans l'anti quité" (1848), "Jeanne Darc" (1860), "La vie de Jésus" (1864), "La Terreur" (1873), "His to ire du tribunal révolutionnaire de Paris, etc." (1880-82), etc. Walloon Guard, The. A Spanish body-guard of Walloon troops, formed in 1703 and dis banded in 1822. Walloons (wo-lönz'). [From ML. Wallus , L. Gallus , a Gaul or Celt.] 1. A people found chiefly in southern and southeastern Belgium, also in the neighboring parts of France, and in a few places in Rhenish Pru ia near Malmedy. They are descended from the ancient Belge, mixed with Germanic and Roman elements. 2. In America, especially colonial New York, France. the Huguenot settlers from Artois in northern Malmedy. Wallsend (wâlz-end'). A town in North umber land, England, situated on the Tyne 4 miles east-northeast of Newcastle. It has important coalmines. It derives its name from its situation at the extremity of Hadrian's Wall. Population (1891), 11,620. Wall street. A street in the lower part of New York city, which extends from Broadway, opposite Trinity Church, to the East River: famous as a financial and speculative center. Walpole (wol'pol), Horace, fourth Earl of Orford. Born at London, Oct. 5, 1717: died there, March 2, 1797. An English author, third son of Sir Robert Walpole. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and traveled with Gray in France and Italy 1739-41, spending a year at Florence with Horace Mann, then British envoy. He entered Parliament, as a Liberal, in 1741. In 1747 he purchased the estate of Strawberry Hill (on the Thames, near Twickenham). He held, through the influence of his father, three sinecures, with the emoluments of which he enlarged the cottage at Strawberry Hill to a Gothic villa which he filled with a valuable collection of works of art. He became fourth earl of Orford in 1791. Among his works are "Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors of England" (1758), "Anecdotes of Painting in England" (1762-71), the romance "The Castle of Otranto" (1765), "Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of Richard III." (1768), "Memoirs of the Last Ten Years of the Reign of George II." (1822: edited by Lord Holland), “Memoirs of the Reign of George III." (1845: edited by Sir Denis Le March ant; with supplement in 1859, edited by Doran), and other memoirs, and "Letters" (edited by Cunning ham 1857-59). Walpole, Sir Robert, Earl of Orford. Born at Houghton, Norfolk, England, Aug. 26, 1676: died there; March 18, 1745. A noted English statesman. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge; entered Parliament in 1701; became a member of the council to Prince George in 1705, and secretary at war in 1708; and became one of the Whig leaders. He was treasurer of the navy and manager of the Sacheverell impeachment in 1710; was accused of corruption, expelled from Parliament, and sent to the Tower in 1712; was returned to Parliament in 1713; became paymaster-general in 1714; was prime minister (first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer) 1715-17; became paymaster-general in 1720; and was again prime minister (first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer) 1721–42. He was created earl of Orford in 1742. Walpurgis Night (väl-pör'gis nīt). [G. Walpur gis Nacht : so called with reference to the day of St. Walpurgis , Walburgis , or Walpurga , the name of an abbe who emigrated from England to Germany in the 8th century.] The night before the first of May. According to German popular superstition, on this night witches are said to ride on broomsticks, he-goats, etc., to some appointed rendezvous, especially the Brocken in the Harz Mountains, where they hold high festival with their master the devil. Walpurgis Night. A choral symphony by Mendel ohn, words by Goethe: produced in 1833, and in revised form in 1844. Walsall (wal's al). A parliamentary borough in Staff ords hire, England, 8 miles north-northwest of Birmingham. There are coal and lime works in the neighborhood, and iron, bra , etc., manufactures in the town. Population (1901), 86,430. Walsh (wolsh), William. Born 1663: died 1709. An English poet, a friend of Dryden and Pope. Wal singh am (wol's ing-am), Cape. A headland projecting into Davis Strait, Cumber land, British America, in lat. 66° N. Wal singh am, Sir Francis. Born at Chisel hurst, Kent, England, about 1536: died at London, April 6, 1590. A noted English statesman. He entered Parliament in 1559; was amba ador to France 1570-73; was made secretary of state in 1573; and was sent on an emba y to the Netherlands in 1578, to France in 1581, and to Scotland in 1583. He was a firm opponent of Mary Queen of Scots, and was one of the commi ioners on her trial. He was a patron of learning. Wamba Wal singh am, Thomas. Lived about 1440. An English historian and monk, author of a history of England (“Brevis Hist or i a") from Edward I. to Henry V., and a history of Normandy. Walter (wâl'ter), John. Born 1739: died at Tedding ton, Middle sex, Nov. 16, 1812. The first proprietor of the London "Times." In 1780 he bought Henry Johnson's two patents for "logography," the art of using entire words in printing. To introduce the invention he established "The London Daily Universal Register," Jan., 1785. The invention failed, but the paper became the London "Times," Jan. 1, 1788. His son John (1784-1847) succeeded him, and was in turn succeeded by his son John (1818-94). Walter, Master. The Hunchback in Sheridan Knowles's play of that name. He is the guardian of Julia, and is discovered to be her father. Walter of Coventry. One of the most renowned builders of the middle ages in England. In 1187 he probably had the entire direction of the construction of Chi chester cathedral (consecrated 1199). The palace and cloisters are attributed to him. He is highly praised by Matthew Paris. He built many edifices in the reigns of Henry II., Richard I., and John. Walter the Pennile . A French knight, leader of a band through Europe in 1096, forerunners of the early Crusaders. He was killed at the battle of Nicæa, 1097. Walters (wâl'tėrz), Lucy. Died 1683. A mistre of Charles II. of England, and mother by him of the Duke of Mon mouth. Waltham (wol'tham). A city in Middle sex County, Ma achusetts, 9 miles west by north of Boston. The American Watch Company here was the first to manufacture watches by machinery. Population (1900), 23,481. Waltham Abbey, or Waltham Holy Cro . A town in E ex, England, situated on the Lea 12 miles north of London. The abbey was founded by King Harold, who was buried in the church. The venerable nave, which has been restored and now serves as a parish church, is interesting as an example of the early woman style prior the conquest here are gunpowder-mills in the neighborhood. Population (1891), 6,066. Walthamstow (wol'tham-sto). Atown in E ex, England, 5 miles north of London. Population (1901), 95,125. Waltharius. A Latin poem by the monk Eckehard of St. Gall (10th century). It belongs to the German heroic cycle of poetry. Walther von der Vogelweide (väl'ter fon der fõ'gel-vi-de). Born probably in Austria (date unknown): died at Würzburg after 1227. A Middle High German lyric poet. He was of noble family, as his title "Herr" indicates, but poor. His youth was spent in Vienna, at the court of Duke Frederick the Catholic. After the death of his patron in 1198, he lived. the life of a wandering singer, and traveled through å great part of Germany and the countries adjoining. He was not only with the Babenberg princes in Austria, whither he subsequently returned, but also at the courts of Thu ring i a, Mei en, Bavaria, and Carinthia; and in turn was with the emperors Philip of Swabia, Otto IV., and Frederick II. By the last-named he was given a fief, it is supposed in Würzburg. His career as a poet began about 1187; the last poem which can be dated is a song in encouragement of the Crusade of Frederick II. in 1227. His poems are love-songs, political songs or "Sprüche," and religious songs, the last written in his later years. He is the principal minnesinger and the greatest lyric poet of medieval Germany. His poems have been often published: a late edition is that of Hermann Paul (Halle, 1882). Walton (wâl'ton), Izaak. Born at Stafford, England, Aug. 9, 1593: died at Winchester, England, Dec. 15, 1683. A noted English author, known as "the Father of Angling." He was a shopkeeper in London until the civil war, and is famous from his work "The Complete Angler" (1653: 5th ed., 1676, with continuation on fly-fishing by Cotton) (a bibliographical record of its numerous editions, phases, etc., was published by West wood in 1864). He also wrote lives of Donne, Wotton (with "Reliquiæ Wottonianse"), Hooker, Herbert, and Sanders on. Walton-on-Thames (wâl'ton-on-temz'). A small town in Surrey, England, situated on the Thames 17 miles southwest of London. Walton-on-the-Hill (-hil'). A town in Lancashire, England, 3 miles north of Liverpool. Population (1891), 40,304. Waltzeemüller. See Waldseemüller . Walvisch Bay. See Walfish Bay. Wamba (womʼbä or wämʼbä). A king of the Visigoths in Spain. He was present at the death-bed of the reigning king; was chosen his succe or unani- would declined thereof indend was by of officers the household that he should never leave the room "save as a dead man or as a king." He consented, and was crowned at Toledo on the nineteenth day after. Having been clothed in a monastic dre during a dangerous illne , according to a common superstition, he was afterward considered by a council incompetent to resume the crown, a judgment to which he submitted. Lived in the 7th century. Wamba. In Scott's novel "Ivanhoe," Cedric's thrall and jester. He risks his own life to save that of his master at the siege of Front de Bœufs castle. Wampanoag Wampanoag (wam-pa-no'ag). [Pl., also Wam panoags. The name means eastern land.] A tribe of North American Indians which once occupied the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, but also ruled the country east from that bay to the Atlantic, including the island of Martha's Vineyard, and to the lands of the Ma achusetts on the north. They were sometimes styled Pokanokets, from their main village. Their chief Ma a so it and his son "King Philip" are historic characters; and the war with the latter, beginning in 1675, was destructive to the colonists, but fatal to the tribes engaged. See Algonquian . Wan a maker (won'a-mā-ker), John. Born at Philadelphia, July 11, 1837. An American merchant, in Philadelphia, postmaster-general of the United States 1889-93. Wan-chow-fu (wän-chou'fö'), or Wen-chau. A treaty port in the province of Che-kiang, China, situated on the Gow, near the sea, in lat. 28° 1' N. Population (1896), estimated, 80,000. Wanda (won'dä). A legendary queen of Po land, said to have reigned about 700 A. D. Wandering Jew. A legendary character who, according to one version (that of Matthew Paris, dating from the 13th century), was a servant of Pilate, by name Cart a phil us (afterward baptized Joseph), and gave Christ a blow when he was led out of the palace to execution. According to a later version he was a cobbler, named Ahasuerus, who refused Christ permi ion to sit down and rest when he pa ed his house on the way to Golgotha. Both legends agree in the sentence pronounced by Christ on the offender, "Thou shalt wander on the earth till I return." A prey to remorse, he has since wandered from land to land without being able to find a grave. There are many later versions, and the story has been turned to account by numerous painters and novelists. He is introduced in Edgar Quinet's "Ahasuerus," and by Chami o, A. W. Schlegel, Lenau, H. C. Andersen, George Croly (in his novel "Salathiel"), Eugène Sue (in his novel "Le Juif Errant"), and others. He is reported to have appeared in different cities and countries at intervals: the last noted was in England in 1830. Gustave Doré illustrated the story in a series of woodcuts of great originality. There is also an older Italian story of a Jew, named Malchus, who struck Christ with an iron glove, and was condemned to whirl ceasele ly round an underground pillar until the last day. Wandering Jew, The. [F. Le Juif Errant .] A novel by Eugène Sue, published in 1844-45. Wandering Lovers, The. A play by Fletcher and Mas singer (?), licensed in 1623. Wandering Willie. A blind fiddler, whose real name is Willie Steens on, in Scott's "Red gauntlet." He is devoted to the Red gauntlet family. Wandewash (wän-de-wäsh'). Atown in southern India, in the neighborhood of Arcot. Near here, Jan., 1760, the British under Coote defeated the French under Lally. Wandot. See Wyandot . Wandsbeker Bote. See Claudius , Matthias . Wandsbek (vänds'bek). A town in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, Pru ia, 3 miles northeast of Hamburg. It was the residence of Claudius, the "Wandsbeker Bote." Population (1890), 20,571. Wands worth (wandz'werth). A municipal and parliamentary borough of London, situated on the Thames, 5 miles southwest of St. Paul's. Population of Board of Works district (1891), 156,931. Wantage (won'tāj). A town in Berks hire, England, 13 miles southwest of Oxford. It was the birthplace of Alfred the Great and of