JOHN, an eminent philosopher and divine, the son of Walter Wilkins, a goldsmith of Oxford, was born in 1614, at Fawsley, near Daventry in Northamptonshire, in the house of his maternal grandfather, John Dod, a non-conformist. After being trained in a private school at Oxford, he was entered of New Inn Hall in 1627, but was Wilkins soon afterwards removed to Magdalen Hall, where he took his degrees in arts. On receiving holy orders, he became chaplain to Lord Say, and afterwards to Charles Count Palatine of the Rhine. To the favour of this prince his knowledge of mathematics was a strong recommendation. At the age of twenty-four he published "The Discovery of a New World; or, a Discourse tending to prove that 'tis probable there may be another habitable World in the Moon; with a Discourse concerning the Possibility of a Passage thither." Lond. 1638, 8vo. This was followed by "A Discourse concerning a New Planet; tending to prove that it is probable our Earth is one of the Planets." Lond. 1640, 8vo. Both these works appeared without his name. He next produced "Mercury; or, the Secret and Swift Messenger; showing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance." Lond. 1641, 8vo. Another of his works bears the title of "Mathematical Magick; or, the Wonders that may be performed by Mechanical Geometry." Lond. 1648, 8vo.

These four tracts were long afterwards reprinted in a collection of his "Mathematical and Philosophical Works." Lond. 1703, 8vo. Lond. 1802, 2 vols. 8vo. The earliest of his theological works was his "Ecclesiastes; or, a Discourse of the Gift of Preaching, as it falls under the Rules of Art." Lond. 1646, 8vo. The ninth edition was printed in 1718. This publication was succeeded in 1649 by "A Discourse concerning the Beauty of Providence in all the Rugged Passages of it;" and in 1653 by "A Discourse concerning the Gift of Prayer."

On the commencement of the civil wars he adhered to the parliament, and took the solemn league and covenant. The committee for reforming the university appointed him warden of Wadham College. On the 12th of April 1648 he was created B.D., and was next day admitted to the office, for which his learning, as well as his talents and temper, eminently qualified him. Next year he was created D.D., and about the same period married Robina, the sister of Oliver Cromwell, and the widow of Dr French, canon of Christ Church. The Protector granted him a dispensation for retaining the wardenship, notwithstanding his marriage. In 1659, Richard Cromwell appointed him master of Trinity College, Cambridge; but he was ejected in the course of the following year. The Restoration did not, however, deprive Dr Wilkins of all hope of preferment. He soon afterwards became preacher at Gray's Inn, and rector of St Lawrence-Jewry. His next promotion was to the deanery of Ripon. It was about this period that he published the most remarkable of his works, "An Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language." Lond. 1668, fol. Of this essay a Latin version was completed by Ray, but was never published. During the same year, 1668, he was advanced to the bishopric of Chester; and his consecration sermon was preached by Dr Tillotson, who had married his step-daughter, Elizabeth French. The high preferment which he so well merited he did not long enjoy. Wilkins was the fourth bishop appointed to this see since the year 1660. His fatal disease was a suppression of urine, which was mistaken for the stone. He died at Dr Tillotson's house in Chancery Lane, London, on the 19th of November 1672, having only attained the age of fifty-eight. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr Lloyd, afterwards bishop of Worcester, who was himself a man of distinguished learning. His papers were left to the disposal of Tillotson, who prepared for the press his treatise "Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion," two books. Lond. 1675, 8vo. This work was very favourably received, and it reached a fifth edition in 1704. The same editor afterwards published a volume containing fifteen of William I.'s bishop's sermons. Lond. 1682, 8vo. In the preface he vindicated the character of this excellent prelate from some of the malignant aspersions to which it had been exposed. Wilkins was a man of a liberal and generous mind, and was as much distinguished by his amiable disposition as by his intellectual endowments.

WILLIAM I., commonly called "the Conqueror," was born in Normandy in 1027, and became king of England in October 14, 1066, and died at Rouen, from the effects of a fall from his horse, on the 9th September 1087. (See ENGLAND.)

WILLIAM II., improperly called "Rufus," instead of "Ruber," the ruddy faced, was the second surviving son of William the Conqueror, and was born in Normandy in 1056. He became king of England in 1087, and was killed by an arrow in the New Forest on the 2d August 1100. (See ENGLAND.)

WILLIAM III., Prince of Orange, belonged to the house of Nassau, and was by his mother nephew to Charles I., was born at the Hague in 1650, and ascended the throne of England in 1689. He died from the effects of a fall from his horse in 1703. (See BRITAIN.)

WILLIAM IV., usually known as "The Sailor King" of England, was the third son of George III., and was born in 1765. He adopted the navy as a profession, succeeded his brother George IV. as king of England in 1830, and died in 1837. (See BRITAIN.)

WILLIAM of Malmesbury. See MALMESBURY.

WILLIAM of Newburg (frequently erroneously called William of Newbury), a monk of a monastery in Yorkshire of that name, and author of a chronicle beginning with William I. and ending in 1197. He calls himself Gulielmus Parvus, from whence it is supposed his real name was Little. Pitts (p. 271) decries him as a "flatterer of grandees at court," but there seems no reason for such an assertion. The charge is probably based on the fact, that he justifies Henry II. in his attempts to make the clergy amenable to the common law in criminal cases. He appears to have been one of the earliest to protest against the history of Geoffrey of Monmouth, which he calls, with great reason, "ridicula figmenta." The Welsh historians, however, affirm that it was in consequence of his being disappointed in succeeding Geoffrey (who died in 1165) as bishop of St Asaph. Dr Wats, in the preface to his fine edition of Matthew Paris, prefers Newburg's style to that of the former. The best edition is that of Hearne, Oxford, 1719.

(A. A.)

WILLIAM of Warham, a celebrated churchman and statesman. The date of his birth is not known, but he was educated at New College, and presented to the living of Horwood in 1487, and seems to have acted as an advocate in the Court of Arches. In 1494 he was appointed Master of the Rolls, and in that year went as ambassador to Austria. In 1502 he was created Bishop of London, the Keeper of the Privy Seal, and Lord Chancellor; and in 1504 Archbishop of Canterbury. He seems to have strongly opposed the ill-fated marriage between Henry and Katherine of Arragon. On the accession of the king Wolsey was taken into favour, and exhibited his envy and opposition to Warham in every way he possibly could, till, on the promotion of the former to the dignity of cardinal and papal legate in 1515, the latter thought fit to resign the seals, which were eagerly grasped by his opponent: Warham having previously observed with sorrow to his friends—"See you not how this Wolsey is drunken with success." On the disgrace of the cardinal in 1529, the seals were

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1 A full account of this is to be found in the second volume of Grove's Life of Wolsey, and in the appendices to Strype's Ecclesiastical Memoirs. William of Waynflete, another distinguished ecclesiastic and statesman, whose name is variously stated to have been Patten, or Barbour. He is supposed to have been born at Waynflete, near Spalding in Lincolnshire, about the end of the fifteenth century. Fuller says his father was a knight. He was educated at New College, and made master of Winchester school, and in 1443 provost of Eton. On the death of Cardinal Beaufort, 1447, he was elected Bishop of Winchester. About this time the fearful civil wars of the Roses broke out; and although strictly adhering to the king's party, he appears to have used all his influence and exertions to restore peace to the kingdom. In 1456, after the first battle of St Albans had restored Henry to power, he made Waynflete chancellor. He however resigned the seals in 1460, a few days before the fatal battle of Northampton. He is said to have continued faithful to the deposed monarch, and to have visited him in his imprisonment, and to have been so much respected by Edward that he gave him a full pardon. He had devoted a large portion of his wealth to the completion of Eton; but he is better known as the founder of the magnificent college of St Mary Magdalen at Oxford, one of the glories of that beautiful city. He lived to see the chief desire of his heart, the union of the two great parties, and died in August 1486, just a year after the battle of Bosworth Field.