Worcester

[ME. Worcester, Worceter, Wirceter, in an appointed distributer of stamps in 1813, Wycetir, etc., AS. Wig orc easter , Wigeraceaster , Wig race aster, Wihraceaster .] The capital of Worcesters hire, England, situated on the Severn in lat. 52° 12′ N., long. 2° 14′ W. It has manufactures of gloves, porcelain, Worcesters hire sauce, vine and settled at Rydal Mount; and traveled in Scotland in 1814 and 1832, and on the Continent in 1820 and 1837. He became poet laureate in 1843. His works include "An Evening Walk" (1793), "Descriptive Sketches" (1793), "Lyr ical Ballads" (this contains Cole ridge's "Ancient Mariner (1798), two volumes of poems (1807), "An E ay on the Re Words worth, William lations of Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal to each other" (1809), "The Excursion" (1814), new edition of poems (1815), "The White Doe of Rylstone" (1815), "Thanksgiving Ode" (1816), "Peter Bell" and "The Waggoner" (1819), "The River Duddon: a Series of Sonnets, etc." (1820), "Memorials of a Tour on the Continent" (1822), "Ecclesiastical (1835), "Sonnets," collected (1838), "The Borderers: a TraSketches" (1822), "Yarrow Revisited, and other Poems" finished 1805), etc. gedy" (1842: written about 1796), "The Prelude" (1850: Work (werk), Henry Clay. Born at Middle town, Conn., Oct. 1, 1832: died at Hartford, Conn., June 8,1884. An American song-writer. His songs include "Marching Through Georgia," "Nicodemus the Slave," "My Grandfather's Clock," "Lily Dale," etc. Working ton (wer'king-ton). A seaport in Cumber land, England, situated at the entrance of the Derwent into Solway Firth, 8 miles north of White haven. It has iron and steel manufactures and considerable trade. Population (1891), 23,522. Works and Days. [Gr. ̓́Εργα καὶ Ἡμέραι.] The chief poem of Hesiod: so named because it treats of the labors of the farmer, and the lucky and unlucky days for doing them. In the "Works and Days" there are really three parts, which may once have been distinct: an introductory poem addre ed to his brother Perses then the "Works" proper and then the "Days," or Calendar. Hesiod and his younger brother Perses had divided the property left by their father, but Perses had got the larger share, Hesiod says by bribing certain judges. Perses now lived in luxurious idlene , and presently threatened Hesiod with an other lawsuit. Hesiod reminds Perses and the corrupt judges that Justice, when wronged on earth, takes refuge with her father Zeus. Here we meet with the earliest fable in Greek literature, the "Hawk and the Nightingale." The hawk has the nightingale in his clutches, and in answer to the captive's complaint reminds her that "might is right." Here, too, the poet describes the "Five Ages" of the world the age of gold, of silver, of bronze, of heroes or demigods (put in, apparently, to make a place for the Homeric heroes), and of iron, in which the poet himself has the misfortune to live. From justice the theme changes to work. "Work, foolish Perses; work the work that the gods have set for men." A man who means to work should provide himself with a house, an ox, and household stuff, and that speedily, for delay fills no granaries. The cry of the crane is the signal for ploughing: the master must guide the plough, with many a prayer to Zeus and Demeter, while a slave follows and covers up the seed, "to give trouble to the birds." Jebb , Greek Lit., p. 42. Worksop (wėrk's op). A town in Nottingham, England, 16 miles east by south of Sheffield. Population (1891), 12,734. Worldly Wiseman (wėrld'li wiz'man), Mr. A character in Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progre ." World's Fairs. A series of international expositions, the most important of which were those held in London (1851 and 1862), Paris (1855, 1867, 1878, 1889, and 1900), Vienna (1873), Philadelphia (1876), and Chicago (1893). The first universal exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London, at the instigation of the Prince Con sort (May 1 to Oct. 11, 1851). The total number of visitors to it was 6,039,195. The total attendance at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago (May 1 to Oct. 30, 1893) was 27,529,400; at the Paris Exposition (April 15 to Nov. 12, 1900) it was about 50,000,000. Wörlitz (ver'lits). A small town in Anhalt, Germany, 37 miles southeast of Magdeburg: famous for its ducal gardens and park, palace, Gothic house (with works of art), etc. Worms (võrms). [G. Worms , MHG. Wormz , Wormeze, Wormize , etc., OHG. Wormasza , Wor miz a , from L. Bor be to magus , Bor bito magus , Gr. Βορβητόμαγος, of Celtic origin.) A city in the province of Rhine-He e, grand duchy of He e, situated on the left bank of the Rhine, in lat. 49° 38′ N., long. 8° 22′ E. It is the center of a rich wine-producing region. Its cathedral was, begun in the 11th and finished in the 12th century. It is a fine example of Rhenish Romanesque. The dimensions are 423 by 87 feet; length of transepts, 120; height of nave, 105. The baptistery, on the south side of the cathedral, is of the 14th century. Worms was originally the Celtic town Bor be to magus: wast a Roman town until the 5th century: capital of the Burgundian kingdom, and famous from its connection with the German heroic cycle (Siegfried, Kriemhild, Brunhild, the Nibelungs); was one of the chief German cities in the middle ages; and from the time of Charles the Great was a frequent royal res i dence and the seat of diets. It was one of the chief places in the league of Rhenish cities; suffered severely in the Thirty Years' War; was burned by the French in 1689; remained a free imperial city until it was annexed by France in 1801 through the peace of Lunéville; and was ceded to He e-Darmstadt in 1815. (See Concordat of Worms.) Population (1890), 25,474. Worms. The German name Italy. of Bormio, Worms (vorms), Gustave. Bornat Paris, March 21, 1837. A noted French actor. His first succe was in Ru ia, where he played for ten years. He returned to Paris in 1875, and in 1877 appeared at the Comédie Française, and has since remained one of the chief exponents of the modern drama. Worms, Diet of. A diet, famous in the history of the Reformation, opened by the emperor Charles V. at Worms, Jan. 28, 1521. On March 6 IMG:content-1187.png:[blocks in formation] Luther was cited to appear before the diet, and he arrived Wrangel, Count Fried rich He in rich Ernst. in Worms on April 16. On April 17 and 18 he appeared before the diet, and on the latter day refused to defended his position. His determination was expre ed in the famous words: "Here I stand. I cannot do other wise.1 God help me. Amen." Province, Porringenui Pru ia, situated on the Rhine nine miles north-northwest of Cologne. A victory was Worringen (vor'ring-en). A town in the Rhine gained here, June 12, 1288, by the Duke of Brabant and allies over the Count of Gelder land. Worsaae (vor'sa-e), Jens Jacob Asmu en. Born at Veile, Jutland, March 14, 1821: died near Holbäk, Aug. 15, 1885, A Danish historian and antiquary. He was director of the Museum of Northern Antiquities, etc., at Copenhagen, from 1866, and minister of public worship 1874-75. Among his works are "Denmarks Oldtid" (1843: trans. in English as "Primeval Antiquities of Denmark"), "Minder om de Danske og Nordmändene i England, Skotland, og Irland" ("Account of the Danes in England, Scotland, and Ireland," 1851), "De Danskes Erobering af England og Norman diet" ("The Danish Conquest of England and Nor mandy," 1863), etc. Wörth (vert). A small town in Lower Alsace, situated on the Sauer 25 miles north of Strasburg. Wörth, Battle of, or Battle of Fröschweiler or Reichshofen. A victory gained near Wörth, Alsace, Aug. 6, 1870, by the Germans under the Crown Prince of Pru ia over the French under MacMahon. The German lo was about 10,000; the French lo , about 8,000, and 9,000 prisoners. Worth (werth), William Jenkins. Born at Hudson, N. Y., March 1, 1794: died at San Antonio, Texas, May 17, 1849. An American general. He entered the army in 1813; fought at the battle of Niagara in 1814, and was promoted major; was superintendent at West Point after the war; became commander in the Seminole war in 1841, which he ended; and was second in command under Taylor at the opening of the Mexican war. He gained distinction by his storming of the bishop's palace at the battle of Monterey in 1846; was sent to join General Scott's army; was brevetted major-general; fought in the battles of Cerro Gordo, Perote, San Antonio, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, and took part in the occupation of the city of Mexico. Later he commanded in Texas. Worthies of England, History of the. A biographical work by Thomas Fuller, published after his death, in 1662. It is his masterpiece. Worthing (wer'Thing). A seaside resort in Su ex, England, situated on the English Channel 11 miles west of Brighton. Population (1891), 16,606. Wotton (wot'on), Sir Henry. Born at Bocton (Bought on) Malherbe, Kent, England, 1568: died at Eton, Dec., 1639. An English diplomatist and author. He was educated at Winchester and Ox. ford; and went on the Continent in 1590, where he remained for nearly nine years. In 1598 he became secretary to the Earl of E ex; and was special envoy from Tuscany to James VI. of Scotland; English amba ador to Venice, Germany, etc.; and in 1624 provost of Eton College. He wrote poems, various Latin pamphlets, "The Elements of Architecture," and "State of Christen dom." The "Reliquiæ Wottonianæ,' published in 1651, contains most of his works. IMG:content-1188.png:[ocr errors] Wotton, William. Born at Wrentham, Suffolk, England, Aug. 13, 1666: died at Buxted, E ex, Feb. 13, 1726. An English clergyman and scholar. He was educated at Cambridge, where he was admitted in his tenth year. He was a remarkable instance of precocity. When only twelve years old he was noted for his skill in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, three or four of the Eastern tongues, philosophy, mathematics, etc.; took his degree of B. A. in Jan., 1679, then knowing 12 languages; and became a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1685. He became chaplain to the Earl of Nottingham and rector of Middle ton Keynes, Bucking hams hire, in 1693, and prebendary of Salisbury in 1705. He is best known from his "Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learn ing" (1694). Would-be (wud'bē), Sir Politick and Lady. An amusingly important politician and his pedantic wife, in Jonson's "Volpone." Wouverman (wou'ver-män), or Wouvermans (-mänz), Philip. Bornat Haarlem, Netherlands (baptized May 24, 1619): died there, May 19,1668. A Dutch painter, famous for his battle-pieces, hunting-scenes, cavalry skirmishes, horses, etc. His works are in Dresden, Paris, The Hague, Munich, Vienna, etc. Among them are the "Coup de Pistolet" (Bucking ham Palace) and "The Watering-Place" (Old Pinakothek, Munich). Some of his works have been confounded with those of his brothers Pieter (1623-82?) and Jan (1629-66). Wrangel, or Wrangell (vräng'el), Baron Ferdinand von. Born at Pskoff, Ru ia, Dec. 29, 1796: died at Dorpat, June 6, 1870. A Ru ian vice-admiral and explorer. He accompanied an expedition round the world 1817–19; conducted an exploring expedition in the arctic regions 1820-24; and was chief of an expedition round the world 1825-27. Later he was governor of Ru ian America, and director of the Ru ian American Trading Company. He wrote an account of his expedition in Ru ian (1841). Extracts from his journal were published in German in 1839. 1 This sentence is, perhaps, not authentic. Born at Stettin, April 13, 1784: died at Berlin, Nov. 1, 1877. A Pru ian field-marshal. He served in the Napoleonic wars; commanded in SchleswigHolstein and in Berlin in 1848; and commanded the army against Denmark in 1864. Wrangel, Count Karl Gustav. Born Dec. 13, 1613: died in Rügen, June 24, 1676. A Swedish field-marshal. He served in the army and navy in the Thirty Years' War; succeeded Tors tenson as commander in-chief; with Turenne defeated the Imperialists and Bavarians at Zus mars hausen May 17, 1648; commanded in the wars against Poland and Denmark; commanded against Brandenburg in 1674; and was defeated at Fehrbellin in 1675. Wrangell (rang'gel), Mount. A mountain in Alaska, northwest of Mount St. Elias. Height, not more than 17,500 feet (greater heights have been given). Wrangel Land, or Wrangell Land, or New Columbia (kō-lum'bi-ä). [Named for F. von Wrangel.] An island in the Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, about lat. 71°-72° N., long. 179°-180° W.: discovered by Kellet in 1849. Wrath (räth), Cape. The northwestern headland of Scotland, in lat. 58° 38′ N., long. 5o W. Born at Bristol, April 8, 1751: died at Dover, Nov. 7, 1831. An English historical writer. He went to Bombay, in the service of the East India Company, in 1769; remained in India till 1772; spent a number of years in travel; and entered Parliament in 1780. He was the author of "Memoirs of the Kings of France of the House of Valois, etc." (1777), "History of France" (1795), and several volumes of contemporary memoirs (among them "Historical Memoirs of My Own Time, 1772-1784, published in 1815). His own "Memoirs" were published Wraxall (rak's al), Sir Nathaniel William. in 1836. Wray, John. See Ray. Wrayburn (rā'bėrn), Eugene. Alight-hearted, sarcastic, flippant, clever young attorney, the rival of Bradley Headstone, and nearly murdered by him: a character in Charles Dickens's "Our Mutual Friend." He is afterward married to Lizzie Hexam. Wrede (vra'de), Prince Karl Philipp. Born at Heidelberg, April 29, 1767: died at Ellingen, Dec. 12, 1838. A Bavarian field-marshal. He served as major-general with the Austrians at Hohenlinden in 1800; commanded the Bavarian forces in alliance with the French in the campaigns of 1805, 1807, and 1809; took part in the conquest of Tyrol in 1809; served with distinction at Wagram in 1809; commanded the Bavarian contingent in the invasion of Ru ia in 1812; went over to the Allies in 1813; was defeated by the French at Hanau in 1813; took part in the battle of La Rothière in 1814; was distinguished at Rosny, Bar-sur-Aube, and Arcis-sur-Aube in 1814; took part in the Congre of Vienna 1814-15; and was generali imo of the Bavarian army in 1822. Wren (ren), Sir Christopher. Born at East Knoy Knoyle, Wilts hire, England, Oct. 20, 1632: died at Hampton Court, Feb. 25, 1723. A celebrated English architect. He was educated at Westminster School and at Wadham College, Oxford; and was made profe or of astronomy at Gresham College in 1657; Savilian profe or of astronomy at Oxford in 1660; and deputy surveyor-general of public works in 1661. He designed the fortifications of Tangier in 1663; was created president of the Royal Society in 1680; and designed St. Paul's Cathedral (which see). Among his other designs were the cloister and chapel of Brasenose College, Oxford (1656), and the central spire of Lich field Cathedral (1662-69). He was appointed on a committee for the survey of Old St. Paul's (1663); and designed Pembroke College Chapel, Cambridge (1663-65). He was surveyor at Green wich (1663-67), and designed the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford (1664-69). On Oct. 4, 1666, he was appointed on a committee with May, Pratt, and others, to survey the ruins of London after the fire, and to make plans for the reconstruction of the burned district; was appointed surveyor-general of all the royal works in 1669; and built Mary-le-Bow, Cheap side (1667-71), Temple Bar, Fleet street (which see), the "Monument," 202 feet high (1671-81), St. Bride, Fleet street (1671-80), St. Stephen's, Walbrook (1677-79), Drury Lane Theatre (which see), Royal Observatory, Green wich (1675), and Hampton Court Palace for King William III. (1690). He built the Royal Naval Hospital (1692-1716), giving his services without compen enlarged membership (Scottish) of Parliament (see West minster Palace , St. Stephen's Chapel ) ; in 1709-10 Marl borough House, Pall Mall; and in 1713 designed the towers of Westminster Abbey - largely, however, built under the supervision of his a istant.