a small principality of the north of Germany, deriving its name from a mountain castle, the ruins of which still exist. It is between $51^\circ 4'$ and $51^\circ 31'$ of north latitude, and between $8^\circ 26'$ and $9^\circ 7'$ east longitude; as regards the chief part of the territory; but a small portion of it, the Grafschaft, or county of Pyrmont, is detached from it, and lies between the Prussian and Hanoverian dominions. The entire extent is 480 square miles, or about 307,200 English acres. The whole of Waldeck is a mountainous and woody district, the soil generally is poor and and in the best years scarcely yielding sufficient for home consumption, although potatoes form a large part of the food of the labourers. It has no large rivers, but only small streams, which ultimately fall into the river Wye. In some parts there are large flocks of sheep, which have been improved by mixing with Spanish and Saxon rams, and now produce fine wool. The horned cattle yield abundance of butter and some cheese, which are the only products of the soil that are sent out of the country in exchange for the few foreign luxuries that are needed. The fogs abound with game of all kinds, and some of the wild animals, especially the wild hogs, are a great annoyance to the cultivators. The mountain-streams abound in fish, and throughout them are reported to be of excellent flavour. There are mines of iron and of copper worked, and the proceeds manufactured on the spots where they are drawn. Triangular quantity of iron is about 200 tons, that of copper not exceeding forty tons. There are salt springs, which provide the quantity needed of culinary salt; and there are some quarries of good marble. The countship of Pymont consists only of a single valley, surrounded on all sides with low hills, through which the river Emmer runs, and on its banks are some rich meadows and a few corn-fields. The mineral spring is the great attraction; and accommodations are well provided for the numerous guests that repair to it in search of health. The government of Waldeck is vested in the prince alone, though, on the ancient principle, the states at times assemble, and form a single chamber, at Asen, to make laws, but have little business to do. The capital of the principality is a town of 2060 inhabitants. Other towns are Pymont, with 4500, and Arolsen, with 130. The whole population is 54,000, scattered in ten small towns and 105 villages. They adhere to the Lutheran religion, with the exception of 800 catholics, 600 reformed, and 500 Jews, with a very few quakers. The revenues of the prince amount to about L40,000, of which L7000 arises from the water of Pymont, and the greater part of the remainder from his landed property; so the revenue is loaded with a heavy debt. At one period the military force was raised to 1700 men, but at present the contingent to the German confederation is 518 men.

VALDEGRAVE ISLANDS, two small rocky islands lying off the southern coast of New Holland. Captain Flinders names them under the title of the Investigator's Group. Leg. of the largest, 134. 44. E. Lat. 33. 35. S.

VALDENSES. See Valdenses.

VALDO. See Valdo.

VALES, a country situated in the south-west part of Britain, into which the ancient Britons retired from the persecution of the Saxons. Anciently it was of greater extent than it is at present, and comprehended all the country beyond the Severn; that is, besides the twelve counties included in it at present, those of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, which now are reckoned a part of England, were then inhabited by three different tribes of the Britons, namely the Silures, the Dimete, and the Ordovices. The Romans were never able to subdue them till the reign of Vespasian, when they were reduced by Julius Frontinus, who placed garrisons in their country to keep them in awe. Though the Saxons made themselves masters of all England, they never could get possession of Wales, except the counties of Monmouth and Hereford. About the year 870, Elfric king of Wales divided his territories among his sons; and the names of these divisions were, Deinia, or South Wales; Povesia, or Powis-Land; and Venedotia, or North Wales. Another division is afterwards mentioned in the records, viz. North Wales, South Wales, and West Wales; the last comprehending the counties of Monmouth and Hereford. The country derived the name of Wales, and the inhabitants that of Welsh, from the Saxons, who by those terms denote a country and people to which they are strangers; for the Welsh in their own language call their country Cymry, and their language Cymraeg. They continued under their own princes and laws from the above-mentioned period, and were never entirely subjected to the crown of England till the reign of Edward I., when Llewellyn ap Gryffith, prince of Wales, lost both his life and dominions. Edward, the better to secure his conquest, and to reconcile the Welsh to a foreign yoke, sent his queen to lie in at Caernarvon, where she was delivered of a prince; to whom the Welsh, on that account, more readily submitted. Ever since that time, the eldest sons of the kings of England have commonly been created princes of Wales, and as such enjoy certain revenues from that country.

Wales is bounded on all sides by the sea and the Severn, except on the east, where it joins to the counties of Chester, Salop, Hereford, and Monmouth. Its length, from the southernmost part of Glamorganshire to the extremity of Flintshire north, is computed at about 113 miles; and its breadth, from the river Wye east to St David's in Pembrokeshire west, is nearly of the same dimensions, being about ninety miles.

After the conquest of Wales by Edward I., very material alterations were made in their laws, so as to reduce them nearer to the English standard, especially in the forms of their judicial proceedings; but they still retained very much of their original polity, particularly their rule of inheritance, viz. that their lands were equally divided among all the issue male, and did not descend to the eldest son alone. By other subsequent statutes their provincial immunities were still further abridged; but the finishing stroke to their dependency was given by the statute 27 Henry VIII. c. 26, which at the same time gave the utmost advancement to their civil prosperity, by admitting them to a thorough communication of laws with the subjects of England. Thus were this brave people gradually conquered into the enjoyment of true liberty; being insensibly put upon the same footing and made fellow-citizens with their conquerors.

It is enacted by 27 Hen. VIII. 1. That the dominions of Wales shall be for ever united to the kingdom of England. 2. That all Welshmen born shall have the same liberties as other king's subjects. 3. That lands in Wales shall be inheritable according to the English tenures and rules of descent. 4. That the laws of England, and no other, shall be used in Wales; besides many other regulations of the police of this principality. And the 34th and 35th Hen. VIII. c. 26, confirms the same, adds further regulations, divides it into twelve shires, and in short reduces it to the same order in which it stands at this day; differing from the kingdom of England in only a few particulars. See ENGLAND.