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W I D 



biograpKers fays, " broke forth into complete expanCon, 

 when the feafon for that great change was fully come." 

 Of his general charafter, it will be fufficient to fay, " that he 

 was confefledly learned for his age, and was an acute rea- 

 foner. In fhort, notwithftanding certain errors and imper- 

 feftions, he may be regarded as a perfon of extraordinary 

 merit and quahtications, who is entitled to honourable re- 

 membrance from every foe to ecclefiaftical tyranny and im- 

 pofture ;" and we may add that he advanced principles 

 which have not yet produced their full effed. 



The number of trafts he wrote and pubhfhcd, both in 

 Latin and Engli(h, is very confiderable. From two large 

 volumes of his works, entitled " Aletheia, /". e. Truth," and 

 a third under the title of " Trialogus," John Hufs is faid to 

 have derived mod of his doftrines. We have a full and 

 complete " Hiftory of the Life and Sufferings, and various 

 Writings of Wickhtfe," both printed and MS., publifhed in 

 8vo., at London, in the year 1720, by Mr. John Lewis; 

 who alfo pubU(hed,in 1731," Wickliffe'sEnglifh Tranfiation 

 of the New Teftament from the Latin Verfion, called the 

 Vulgate." This tranflation is enriched with a learned pre- 

 face by the editor, in which he enlarges upon the life, 

 aftions, and fufferings of this eminent reformer. Biog. 

 Brit. Mofh. Eccl. Hift. Neal's Hift. of the Puritans. 

 Gen. Biog. For an account of his diftingui(hing tenets, 

 and thofe of his followers, fee Wickliffists and Lol- 

 lards. 



WICOMICO, in Geography, a river which rifes in 

 the ftate of Delaware, enters the ftate of Maryland, and 

 paffes into Fifliing bay, on the eaft fide of the Chefapeak, 

 N. lat. 38° 16'. W. long. 75° 57'. 



WICOMOCO, a river of Virginia, which runs into the 

 Chefapeak, N. lat. 37° 55'. W. long. 76° 25'. 



WICQUEFORT, Abraham, in Biography, was born 

 at Amfterdam in 1598, and having left his own country for 

 France at an early age, he was nominated refident for the 

 eleftor of Brandenburg at the French court, and held the 

 office for thirty-two years. But being fufpefted by cardinal 

 Mazarin of communicating fecrets to his correfpondents in 

 Holland with regard to the amours of Lewis XIV., he 

 was ordered, in 1658, to leave the kingdom ; but in the 

 mean time he was arretted, and confined in the Baftille. 

 At length, in 1659, he was releafed and difmiffed. How- 

 ever, in three months the cardinal recalled him, and fettled 

 on him a penfion. On occafion of the war between France 

 and Holland in 1672, he returned to his own country, and 

 was protefted by John de Witt, who employed him in 

 writing a hiftory of Holland to his own time. In 1676 he 

 was arretted and condemned to perpetual imprifoiiment, 

 under an accnfation of carrying on a fecret correfpondence 

 with the enemies of the ilate ; and after having been confined 

 for three years, he made his efcape by the contrivance of 

 one of his daughters. He then fought refuge at tlie court 

 of Zell, from which he returned to Holland in 168 1, where 

 he lived without moleftation, but without recovering the 

 places of which he had been deprived. In the following 

 year, 1682, he died. The work on account of which 

 Wicquefort is bell known, is entitled " L'Ambafladeur et 

 fes Fondtions," firft^ printed at the Hague in 2 vols. 410. 

 168 1, and often reprinted. He holds in high eftimation the 

 privileges of the order to which he belonged, as we may 

 infer from his cenfure of Cromwell's fpirited aft of juttice 

 in executing the brother of the Portuguefe ambaffador for 

 a murder : neverthelefs he inculcates found morality with 

 regard to the conduA of diplomatifts in the countries to 

 which they are fent. His other works are, " Memoires 

 touchant les Ambaffadeurs et les Minittres ;" one volume of 



his " Hiftory of the Dutch Republic," which appeared in 

 French at the Hague in 1719, fol.; and tranflations into 

 French of the accounts of different embaffies, and alfo 

 of voyages and travels. Moreri. Gen. Biog. 



WICRANGLE, in Ornithology, an Englifh name for 

 themattagefs, or greater butcher-bird, the lanius cinereus major 

 of authors. 



WICRANTUM, m Natural Hyiory, a name given by 

 . the people of the Eaft Indies to certain foflile bodies, of the 

 nature of the pyrites, of the fize of peas, and formed into 

 varioufly angular figures. 



They look black and gloffy, and much of the nature of 

 blende, or mock-lead ; but when put into the fire, they 

 fhew us by their fmell that they contain fulphur. They 

 are found in the diamond-mines. 



The natives firft powder them ; and then mixing them 

 with the juices of certain plants, they dry them, and then 

 calcine them again. Thefe proceffes they repeat at leaft 

 fixty times ; but the firft calcinations are made with a mix- 

 ture of divers urines, as that of the horfe, the camel, the 

 cow, and the like. 



After this tedious preparation, they are given in coughs 

 and colds, and are faid to be a remedy even in confump- 

 tions. 



WICZENIECZ, in Geography, a town of Poland, in 

 Podolia ; 6 miles N.W. of Kaminiec. 



WIDAWA, a town of the duchy of Warfaw ; 22 

 miles S.W. of Siradia. 



WIDDAU, a river of Germany, which joins the 

 Rodau at Rotenburg, in the county of Verden. 

 WIDDY, in Agriculture. See Withy. 

 WIDE, is ufed in fome places to denote a fmall vale, 

 and alfo a wide piece of water, or pond. 



WiDE-EareJ, in the Manege, is applied to a horfe, when 

 the root, or lower part of his ear is placed too low, and the 

 ear itfelf is too large. The French ufe the term oreillard iot 

 fuch a horfe. 



Wide Bay, in Geography, a bay on the eaft coaft of 

 New Holland, between Double Ifland Point and Indian 

 Head. 



Wide Mouth Bay, a bay of England, on the N.W. 

 coaft of Cornwall. N. lat. 50° 46'. W. long. 5° 19'. 



WIDEKINDI, or Widichixdi, John, in Biographyt 

 a Swedifh hiftorian, was born in the province of Weftman- 

 land, about the year 1620, and itudied at Upfal, where he 

 delivered an oration in 1654, on occafion of queen Chrif- i 

 tina's acceftion to the throne ; and by her recommendation 

 he was appointed hiftoriographer of the kingdom. In 1676 

 he propofed printing his " Hiftory of Guftavus Adolphus," 

 and meafures were taken for this purpofe ; but he died at 

 Stockholm in 1678, before tiie work was executed. The 

 firft part of this hiftory was publittied in 1691, fol.; but as 

 it much offended both the Danes and Ruffians, it was fup- 

 preffed by the king's command. It is not known whether 

 he completed the work in MS,; but the part publifhed is 

 written in a dull, heavy ftyle, and it has been carelefsly 

 printed. The author, however, was a man of learning, 

 well acquainted with hiftory, and reckoned a good Latin 

 poet. He poffeffed an excellent library, and was much re- 

 fpefted by king Charles Guftavus, who called him his phi- 

 lofopher. The moft important of his works, a catalogue 

 of which is given in " Schefferi Svecia Litterata," is the 

 " Hiftory of the Ruffian War," written both in Latin and 

 Swedifh, 1672, 4to. Gen. Biog. 



WIDERDRIESS, in Geography, a town of the duchy 

 of Stiria ; 2 miles S. of Windifch Gratz. 



WIDJITZE, 



