WIRING WISTAR. 



81 



drawn through a horn with a hole in it. This wire 

 the Laplanders use in embroidering their clothes. 



WIRING. See Sturdy. 



WIRKSWORTH; a market town in Derby- 

 shire, England, 140 miles north-west by north, from 

 London. The inhabitants derive their chief sup- 

 port from the working of the lead-mines, but some 

 of them are also employed in the manufacture of 

 cotton ; and in the immediate vicinity are establish- 

 ments in which common ginghams are made, and 

 others for the production of hosiery, hats, tape, silk, 

 and for wool-combing. The mines and miners are 

 governed by ancient customs ; and all disputes and 

 offences are determined at the Barmote courts, 

 held twice a-year before the steward, in the moot- 

 hall, a handsome stone-building, erected in 1814, 

 by the Hon. Charles Bathurst, late chancellor of 

 the duchy. In this hall is deposited the ancient 

 brass dish, the standard from which those used for 

 measuring the ore are made, which must be brought 

 to be corrected by it, at least twice a-year, by all 

 the miners. The laws and regulations, by which 

 these courts are governed, are very similar to those 

 in force in the mining districts of the duchy of 

 Cornwall ; one remarkable custom is, that each 

 person has the privilege of digging and searching 

 for lead-ore in any part of the king's field, which, 

 with a few exceptions, comprehends the whole 

 wapentake : when a miner has discovered a new 

 vein of ore, he has a right to work it and erect 

 buildings necessary for that purpose, without mak- 

 ing any compensation to the owner of the land. 

 Population in 1831, 7754; in 1841, 78il. 



WIRTEMBERG. See Wwtemberg. 



WISBADEN, OR WIESBADEN, a town in the 

 duchy of Nassau, eight miles from Mentz, famous 

 for its baths, is pleasantly situated in a small plain, 

 prettily built, and provided with pleasant promen- 

 ades. Population 4600. Its springs attract yearly 

 from 3000 to 4000 strangers. Fourteen of them 

 are hot (temperature of the hottest, 151), and two 

 cold. The duke of Nassau has a castle here, with 

 a library of 27,000 volumes. The Romans were 

 acquainted with the springs of Wisbaden, under 

 the name of Aqua Mattiaca, or Mattiaci fontes ; 

 and the remains of works supposed to have been 

 constructed by Drusus are still visible here. 



WISBEACH; a market-town and seaport in 

 Cambridgeshire, ninety-four miles north by east from 

 London. Its name is supposed to have been deriv- 

 ed from Wise, the ancient name of the river Ouse, 

 and bee the Saxon, signifying a situation near the 

 confluence of two rivers. William the Conqueror 

 erected a castle here, which in 1236 was destroyed 

 by an inundation. Another structure was built on 

 the same site some years after by Bishop Morton, 

 and it became the episcopal palace of the bishops 

 of Ely. In the reign of Elizabeth it was used for 

 the confinement of state prisoners, and in the time 

 of the Commonwealth was purchased by Thurloe, 

 Oliver Cromwell's secretary. The town, consist- 

 ing of several well-built streets, and a handsome 

 circus erected in 1816, on the site of the ancient 

 castle, is situated on the river Nene, which is 

 crossed by a bridge. Here are also a theatre, an as- 

 sembly-room, a literary society, and two extensive 

 libraries, besides every convenience for salt-water 

 bathing. The trade of the port is very extensive, 

 particularly in corn and butter, besides coals, tim- 

 ber, and wine ; and a considerable number of ves- 

 sels, both British and foreign, are annually cleared 

 from hence ; in connexion with the commerce of 



VII 



Wisbeach is a custom-house, a part of which is 

 also used as a town-hall, a corn exchange, and a 

 convenient quay. Population in 1841, 85oO. 



WISCONSIN. See Ouisconsin. 



WISDOM, BOOK OF. See Sirach. 



WISHART, GEORGE, one of the first martyrs 

 to the Protestant religion in Scotland, was born in 

 the beginning of the sixteenth century, and appears 

 to have been early distinguished by his attachment 

 to the principles of the reformation, originating, it 

 is said, in his travels to Germany, where he became 

 acquainted with the opinions of Luther. Some ac- 

 counts assert that he was banished from his own 

 country for teaching the Greek Testament, and 

 that he subsequently resided for some years in the 

 university of Cambridge. In 1544, he returned to 

 Scotland, where he was received with the most ar- 

 dent good will, and began to preach against the 

 corruptions of the church of Rome, and the vices 

 of the clergy. This conduct exasperated cardinal 

 Beaton, and the priesthood under his influence, and 

 subjected the life of Wishart to more than one at- 

 tack, until, at last, he was arrested, and, in 1546, 

 put on his trial for obstinate heresy, before a con- 

 vocation of prelates and clergy, assembled for the 

 purpose in the cathedral. He was found guilty, 

 and condemned to the flames ; which sentence was 

 put into execution on the 28th March, in the castle 

 yard of St Andrews, with great pomp and ceremony. 

 Most accounts assert that the cardinal and clergy 

 attended ; and so much indignation was apprehended 

 on the part of the people, that the artillery of the 

 castle was pointed towards the place of execution. 

 ( See M'Crie s Life of Knox. See also Ty tier's 

 History of Scotland, where much new light is 

 thrown on the conduct of the early reformers, and 

 on the circumstances which led to the assassination 

 of cardinal Beaton). Wishart is said to have pre- 

 dicted, at the stake, the speedy and violent death 

 of the cardinal ; and it is now pretty clearly ascer- 

 tained, that he spoke less from the inspiration of 

 prophecy than from a secret knowledge of the con- 

 spiracy that had already been formed against that 

 dignitary's life. 



WISHTONWISH. See Marmot. 



WISMAR ; a town in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 

 capital of a district, on a bay of the Baltic, opposite 

 to the island of Poel, thirty miles west-south-west 

 of Rostock, thirty-three east of Liibeck; Ion. 11" 

 26' E. ; lat. 53 55' N. ; population, 10,000. It is 

 surrounded with a wall and moat, has a safe har- 

 bour, though not deep enough for large vessels. It 

 has a gymnasium, a public library, three hospitals, 

 three churches, some manufactures of woollens and 

 linens, and considerable shipping trade, particularly 

 in corn. It was formerly a Hanse town. In the 

 beginning of the seventeenth century, it was added 

 to the duchy of Schwerin, and, by the peace of 

 Westphalia, was ceded to Sweden. It has, since 

 then, been repeatedly besieged. In 1803, Wismar, 

 with its territory, was ceded to the duke of Meck- 

 lenburg-Schwerin, for tke sum of 1,200,000 dollars 

 banco. 



WISTAR, CASPAR, a distinguished physician, 

 was born in the year 1760. His father was a Ger- 

 man, from the Palatinate, who emigrated to Ame- 

 rica, and settled, as a glass manufacturer, in New 

 Jersey. He belonged to the society of Friends, of 

 which society doctor Wistar remained a member. 

 He was educated at the grammar school, established 

 by William Penn, in Philadelphia, and early deter- 

 mined to pursue the profession of physic. With 



