90 



WOLFGANG WOLKE. 



reproduce the conceptions of the poet, to conceive 

 his creations in their whole spirit, and even to 

 catch the tone of the time in which the scene is 

 laid. In 1804, he became attached to the Weimar 

 theatre, developed his talents in a constant inter- 

 course with Gothe and Schiller, subsequently went 

 to Berlin, and died in 1828. He early excelled in 

 tragedy, and subsequently played also in comedies. 

 He was himself a dramatic writer, and the author 

 of Caesaria, a comedy ; Duty for Duty, a melo- 

 drama ; the Dog of Auhry ; Preciosa, with music 

 by Weber, and other works. His wife, whom he 

 married in Weimar, and whose maiden name was 

 Malcolmi, is still living, and has sustained the re- 

 putation of a superior actress. 



WOLFGANG, ST, one of the early Christian 

 missionaries, was born in Suabia. He studied at 

 Wurzberg, under Stephen, a teacher from Italy, 

 \\i nt to Treves with the archbishop of that city in 

 956, and instructed children in Christianity. He 

 subsequently lived for some time with bishop 

 Bruno, of Cologne, brother of Otho I., emperor of 

 Germany, refused all the advantages which this 

 connexion offered, retired to a convent, was ordain- 

 ed a priest by St Udalrich, and, in 972, went to 

 preach the gospel to the Hungarians. In 974, he 

 was elected bishop of Ratisbon. He held the 

 bishopric during twenty years, and endeavoured to 

 sow the seeds of religion and knowledge among the 

 rude tribes with whom he lived. He died October 

 30, 994. The Catholic church celebrates his festi- 

 val on the anniversary of his death. There is a para- 

 phrase of the psalm called Miserere by St Wolfgang. 

 WOLFGANG, PRINCE OF ANHALT, was born in 

 1492, and began to reign at the age of sixteen years. 

 His court was at Cothen. In bodily strength and 

 dexterity, and chivalrous character, this prince had 

 hardly his equal. His temper was bold and lively. 

 In 1521, when Luther made his defence at Worms, 

 before the emperor and diet, Wolfgang became his 

 friend and disciple. During the persecutions of 

 the Protestants, he declared that he " should prefer 

 to clean boots, to leave his country and people, and 

 to go off on foot, rather than to become untrue to 

 the gospel." He was one of those who signed and 

 presented, in 1530, the Confession of Augsburg, at 

 the diet of Augsburg. When Charles V. and Fer- 

 dinand, at the instigation of the papal legates, en- 

 deavoured to oblige the Protestants by threats to 

 give up their preaching, and join in the forms of 

 the Roman Catholic worship, prince Wolfgang and 

 the margrave Gedrge stepped up to the emperor, 

 and firmly declared that " they would remain obe- 

 dient to the emperor if he would leave them undis- 

 turbed in the exercise of their religious faith ; but, 

 before they would disown God and his gospel, 

 they would submit to lose their heads." Wolf- 

 pang was one of the founders of the Smalkal- 

 dic league, and Luther used to call him, on account 

 of his many journeys for the promotion of peace, 

 the legate of God. Wolfgang was invited to Eisle- 

 l>en by count Mansfeld. Luther also repaired 

 thither, and died there, February 18, 1546. When 

 the war broke out, Wolfgang took part in the cam- 

 paign which ended with the battle of Miihlberg. 

 The emperor Charles V. now put him under the 

 ban of the empire, on January 12, 1547, when he 

 was at his castle in Bernburg, and gave his terri- 

 tories to one of his Spanish favourites. Wolfgang, 

 on receiving the news of his outlawry, mounted his 

 horse, and rode through the town towards the gate, 

 singing Luther's celebrated hymn, 



Einefette Burg fit tinier Gott 



( A rustic firm i our God). 



He then retired into the Hartz mountains. In 1552, 

 he was reinstated in all his rights. At the age of 

 seventy years, he resigned the government to his 

 cousins, but continued his care for schools ana 

 churches. He was the founder of the reformation 

 in Anhalt, being assisted by his learned and wise 

 cousin, George, who hud been consecrated bishop 

 by Luther and others, and hud often preached. 

 Wolfgang, for the last fifteen years of his life, kept 

 his coffin in his sleeping chamber, with the inscrip- 

 tion, " To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."' 

 (Phil, i, 21.) He died unmarried in 1566, and was 

 buried in Zerbst, in the church of St Bartholomew. 



WOLFL, JOSEPH, one of the most accomplished 

 piano-forte players of his age, was born at Salzburg, 

 in 1772, and was instructed by Mo/art and Haydn. 

 His uncommonly large and flexible hand was of 

 great assistance to him. Mozart was much attached 

 to him. At the age of eighteen years, he became 

 chapel-master to the Polish count Oginski. The 

 count lost his fortune when the Polish revolution 

 broke out, in 1794, and, in 1795, Wolfl went to 

 Vienna, and wrote several operas. In 1801, he 

 went to Paris, where he obtained universal ap- 

 plause, and wrote for the thfdtre comiqve an opera 

 called L' Amour romanesque. In 1805, he went to 

 England, where he died in 1812. The following 

 anecdote, from Gerber's Tonkunstlerlexikon, shows 

 bis great skill. Being about to give a concert in 

 Dresden, and the orchestra being assembled for re- 

 hearsal, there was no piano ready. At last one was 

 brought, but tuned half a tone too low. In order 

 not to detain the orchestra, he sat down to the in- 

 strument, and calmly played in C sharp the concert 

 which was written in the C key, with perfect pre- 

 cision, purity and readiness. He composed operet- 

 tas, concerts, and many other musical pieces. 



WOLFRAM; an ore of tungsten. See Tung- 

 sten. 



WOLFRAM VON ESCHENBACH. See 

 Eschenbach, and Wartlurg. 



WOLGA, OR VOLGA (the Russian w having 

 the sound of the English r) ; a river of Russia, 

 which has the longest course, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the Danube, the largest volume of water of 

 any river in Europe. It is upwards of 2600 miles 

 in length, and flows into the Caspian sea about fifty 

 miles below Astrachan, by more than sixty branches. 

 The Wolga rises in the government of Tver, from 

 a number of lakes ninety-five miles above the town 

 of Tver, at which place it is navigable. After re- 

 ceiving the Oka above Novgorod, and the Kama 

 below Kazan, it becomes a considerable stream. 

 During a great part of the year, it is shallow ; but 

 after the melting of the ice and snow in spring, its 

 waters swell so much about May and June, as to 

 overflow the banks. At this period, large vessels 

 can come up to Astrachan. The country on the 

 river is throughout fertile. By canals it is con- 

 nected with the Neva and the Northern Dwina, 

 thus affording a communication between the Cas- 

 pian and Baltic, and Caspian and White seas. The 

 river abounds in fish ; and upwards of 10,000 boats 

 are employed in the fishery. The common sturgeon 

 and the beluga (see Sturgeon) afford the caviar a-id 

 isinglass of commerce. Seals also ascend the river 

 from the Caspian sea, and are taken by the fisher- 

 men. 



WOLKE, CHRISTIAN HENRY, born in 1741, in 

 Jever, in Germany, studied at the universities of 



