a river of South Wales, which issuing out of Plinlimmon Hill, very near the source of the Severn, crosses the north-east corner of Radnorshire, giving name to the town of Rhyadergwy (Fall of the Wye), where it is precipitated in a cataract: then flowing between this county and Brecknockshire, it crosses Herefordshire, and dividing the counties of Gloucester and Monmouth, falls into the mouth of the Severn, below Chepstow. The romantic beauties of the Wye, which flows in a deep- Wye, deep bed, between lofty rocks clothed with hanging woods, and here and there crowned by ruined castles, have employed the descriptive powers of the pen and pencil.

Wye is also the name of a river in Derbyshire, which rises in the north-west part, above Buxton; and, flowing south-east, falls into the Derwent, below Bakewell.

name of a town in Kent, with a market on Thursday, seated on the Stour, 10 miles south of Canterbury, and 59 south-east of London. E. Long. 1. 4. N. Lat. 51. 10.

town of Switzerland, in a territory of the abbey of St Gallen, with a palace. It is built on an eminence, 16 miles south-south-west of Constance. E. Long. 9. 4. N. Lat. 47. 34.

X.

X, or x, is the 22d letter of our alphabet, and a double consonant. It was not used by the Hebrews or ancient Greeks; for, as it is a compound letter, the ancients, who used great simplicity in their writings, expressed this letter by its component letters c s. Neither have the Italians this letter, but express it by j. X begins no word in our language but such as are of Greek original; and is in few others but what are of Latin derivation; as perplex, reflexion, defluxion, &c. We often express this sound by single letters, as chs, in backs, necks; by ks, in books, breaks; by cc, in accets, accident; by ct, in action, unction, &c. The English and French pronounce it like cs or ks; the Spaniards like c before a, viz. Alexandro, as it were Aleacandro. In numerals it is prefixed 10, whence in old Roman manuscripts it is used for denarius; and as such seems to be made of two V's placed one over the other. When a dash is added over it, thus X, it signifies 10,000.