EDMUND (1462-1510), a celebrated lawyer and statesman in the reign of Henry VII., who with Sir Richard Empson, another lawyer of the same stamp, assisted in filling that rapacious monarch's coffers by arbitrary prosecutions of the people on old penal statutes. On the accession of Henry VIII., Dudley and Empson were attainted of high treason, and beheaded, Aug. 18, partly in order to pacify the clamours of the people for justice.

Dudley, John (1502-1553), Duke of Northumberland, son of the above, a statesman memorable in English history for the part he took in placing the crown on the head of his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey. Ambrose (1530-1589), his eldest son, was a brave general and able statesman under Queen Elizabeth, and received the appellation of "the good Earl of Warwick." Henry, the duke's second son, was killed at the siege of St Quentin. Robert, the third son, a man of bad character, was created Earl of Leicester, and became one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites. His fourth son was the unfortunate Lord Guildford Dudley, the husband of Lady Jane Grey. See England.

Dudley, Sir Robert, as he was called in England, and as he was styled abroad, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland, was the son of Robert above mentioned, by the Lady Douglas Sheffield, and was born at Sheen, Surrey, in 1573. On his father's death, in 1588, he succeeded to the greater part of the patrimonial estate; and being fond of navigation, he fitted out a small squadron at his own expense, with which he sailed to the river Orinoco, and took and destroyed nine sail of Spanish ships. In 1595 he attended the Earl of Essex and the lord high admiral of England in their expedition against the Spaniards; and for his gallant behaviour at the taking of Cadiz he received the honour of knighthood. He now endeavoured to prove the legitimacy of his birth, in order to be entitled to his hereditary honours. But being overpowered by the interest of the Countess Dowager of Leicester, he retired to the court of Florence, where he was well received; and on his refusal to return to England his whole estate was seized by King James I. and vested in the crown. At the court of Cosmo II. grand duke of Tuscany, he acquired considerable influence, and enjoyed distinguished honours. For improvements in shipping and manufactures which he projected, as well as for other services, the Emperor Ferdinand, in 1620, created him a duke of the holy Roman empire. He afterwards drained a vast tract of morass between Pisa and the sea, and raised Leghorn, which was then a mean and insignificant place, into a large and beautiful town, improving the haven, and by his influence drawing many English merchants to settle there. He was also a zealous patron of literature, and held a place in the republic of letters. His most celebrated work is his Del Arcano del Mare, Firenze, 1630, 1646, folio. This work, which has always been scarce, has now become extremely rare. There is a copy in the British Museum, dated 1661, called the second edition; but that which we have seen belongs to the Society of Writers to the Signet, Edinburgh. The work, which consists of a collection of tracts, comprehends a great number of projects for the improvement of navigation and commerce, with the charts and plans relating to the subject; all of them schemes which, considering the time when they were devised, are quite remarkable for the boldness and originality with which they are conceived, and the extent of scientific acquirements which they exhibit. Sir Robert Dudley died at his castle of Carbello, near Florence, in 1639.

parliamentary borough and market-town of Worcestershire (in a detached portion of it, surrounded by the county of Stafford), 8 miles W.N.W. of Birmingham. Pop. (1851) 37,962. Registered electors (1851-52), 912, returning one member to parliament. The town of Dudley is generally well-built, the houses are neat, and the streets clean and well paved. The parish church of St Thomas is a handsome modern Gothic structure, with a lofty spire. The other churches are St Edmund's, St James's, St John's, and St Andrew's; and there are also various dissenting places of worship. The free grammar-school, founded by Queen Elizabeth, has endowments of upwards of £1,300 a-year, and educates about 40 scholars; besides which there are several well-endowed charity and other schools. It has also a mechanic's institute, savings-bank, subscription library, dispensary, and various charitable institutions. Dudley is a principal seat of the iron trade, the vicinity furnishing abundant supplies of coal and iron-ore. The principal manufacture is iron-ware, including chain-cables, grates, fire-irons, and iron utensils generally; but nails constitute its staple production. It has also extensive glass-works. The numerous forges and furnaces in Dudley and the vicinity illuminate the sky by night in a remark- able manner. The limestone quarries around Dudley are very extensive, the excavations being carried more than a mile and a half under the hill on which the castle stands. The stratification of this district is highly interesting to the geologist, and the organic remains are very numerous. On a hill to the north are the remains of an ancient castle, founded about A.D. 700 by a Saxon prince named Dado, from whom the town is supposed to have taken its name. Near the castle are some remains of an ancient priory. In the vicinity of Dudley there are some chalybeate springs.

Market-day, Saturday.