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very large, and has two confiderable fuburbs, called Anto- 

 kolla and Rudaifzka. In the old ruinous royal palace is 

 the arfenal, and the hall where the court of jullice is held ; 

 and ovcr-againft it is the magnificent church belonging to 

 the callle, which was built in the year 1386. The treafury 

 belonging to this church is very rich ; and it is alfo remark- 

 able for the elegant marble chapel of St. Cafimir, whofe 

 filver (brine is faid to weigh thirty quintals. There are 

 upwards of forty churches in this city, and among thefe are, 

 one Lutheran and one Calvinill church, a Jewilh fynagogue, 

 a Tartarian church, and a Greek church ; but all the rell are 

 Popifh churches. Not to mention the devailation which 

 Wilna formerly fuffcred from the Ruffians in the years 1610 

 and 1655, and from fire in 1737, it was deilroyed by a 

 dreadful conflagration in the year 1748, when 13 churches, 

 the Jewifh fynagogue, 25 palaces, 469 Hone edifices, con- 

 fifl;ing of private houfes, hofpitals, inns, baths, convents, 

 and mills, with 146 tradefmen's (hops, and difpenfaries, 

 befides a great number of granaries and warehoufes, were 

 confumed to afhes. In 1749 another fire happened by 

 lightning, which confumed 6 churches, the council-houfe, 

 8 palaces, and 277 other (lone buildings. The chapel 

 of St. Cafimir was alfo burned, and the lofs fudained by the 

 deftruftion of this edifice only amounted to a vafl (um. The 

 churches have been fince rebuilt at a very great expence, and 

 fome of them in a more elegant manner than before ; but 

 the city has not recovered its former grandeur. Wilna is 

 the fee of a biihop, founded in 1387. The univerfity was 

 founded in 1570. It gives name to a palatinate. In 1794 

 it was taken by the Ruffians, and with its territory annexed 

 to that empire ; 168 miles E. of K6nig(berg. N. lat. 54^ 

 36'. E. long. 25° 18'. 



WILRE, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Ourthe ; 4 miles E. of Fauquemont. 



WILS, a town of the county of Tyrol, on the borders 

 of Bavaria; 5 miles N.N. W. of Reutten. 



WILSCOW, a river of Brandenburg, which empties 

 itfelf into a large lake, communicating with the Rega, 4 

 miles S. of Treptow. 



WILSDEN, a town(hip of England, in the Weft 

 Riding of York(hire, near Halifax. 



WILSDRUF, or WiLSDORF, a town of Saxony, in 

 the margravate of Mei(ren ; 9 miles W. of Drefden. N. 

 lat. 51°. E.long. 13-8'. 



WILSELMAUR, a town of Auftria ; 3 miles W. of 

 Brugg. 



WILSNACH, a town of Brandenburg, in the Mark 

 of Prignitz. This town was anciently famous, there being 

 no lefs than three hofts wor(hipped at this place, which 

 hofts they fay, in 1383, remained untouched in the church 

 when it was burned down, and upon each of them was feen 

 a drop of blood. To thefe hofts numerous pilgrimages were 

 made from the remoteft countries ; by which means this 

 place rofe from a village to a fmall town. At length the 

 hofts were burned in the year 1552, by the Lutheran 

 preacher, Joachim Ellefeldt ; 8 miles S. of Perleberg. 



WILSON, Richard, in Biography, the moft eminent 

 landfcape-painter of the Engliih fchool, was the fon of a 

 clergyman, and was born at Pineges, in Montgomery (hire, 

 in 1 7 14. 



Having received from his father a good claffical education, 

 in the courfe of which he had evinced a decided difpofition 

 for drawing, he was fent to London at the age of 15, 

 and placed as a difciple with an obfcure portrait-painter, 

 named Wright. After a lapfe of fix years, he commenced 

 profeffor, and under the patronage of Dr. Hayter, bi(hop 

 of Norwich, he foon afterwards had the honour to paint 



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portraits of his prefent majefty and his brother, the late 

 duke of York ; both at that time under the tuition of the 

 bidiop. He continued to praiftife portrait-painting forae 

 time in London, but with no great fuccefs, and at length 

 went to Italy to cultivate his tafte. Even there he conti- 

 nued to praftife it. Hill unacquainted with the genuine bias 

 of his genius, although occafionally exercifing his talents 

 and employing his time in ftudies of landfcape. At Venice 

 Wilfon painted a portrait of the late Mr. Lock, of Nor- 

 bury-park, one of the moft creditable of his performances 

 in that branch of the art ; and it was there that accident 

 opened his eyes to his own pecuhar gratifications, and led 

 him into that path, by purfuing which he has obtained a 

 name among the worthieft in art. 



As a matter of relaxation and amufement, he had painted 

 a landfcape, which being feen by Zuccarelli, fo warmly ex- 

 cited that eminent artill's admiration, that he advifed Wilfon 

 to purfue that line of art exclufively. From this time it is 

 believed that he abandoned portraiture, and followed the ju- 

 dicious advice of a rival artift ; and foon after he left Venice 

 in company with Mr. Lock, and travelling flowly to Rome, 

 made numerous ftudies on the way, which are ftill preferved 

 at Norbury-park. On his arrival at Rome, the advice of 

 Zuccarelli was confirmed by Vernet and Mengs, both then in 

 high repute. So much were they delighted with Wilfon's 

 landfcapes, that they each offered to exchange a pifture 

 ■with him ; a propofal far too flattering for refufal. This 

 liberality, as commendable as it is unufual, was followed by 

 Vernet in the handfomeft manner, as he hung the pitlure by 

 the Engli(hman in his exhibition-room, and recommended 

 him to the particular attention of the cognofcenti. 



His progrefs in landfcape-painting muft have been very 

 rapid ; indeed it muft have had the charafter of being almoft. 

 intuitive, fince lie obtained a very great degree of reputation 

 during his ftay in Italy, and painted many pidlures there of 

 known celebrity. He travelled with the late earl of Dart- 

 mouth to Naples, and made a number of very fine drawings 

 for that nobleman, now preferved by his grandfon ; and for 

 him alfo he painted two pidures, one a very fine one, a view 

 of Rome, which has been beautifully engraved by Middi- 

 man. He was alfo employed by the late duke of Bridge- 

 water to paint a landfcape with the ftory of Niobe ; but his 

 grace had the bad tafte to employ Placido Conftanza to re- 

 paint the figures. To preierve his reputation, Wilfon 

 painted another of the fame fubjeft, and both are now in 

 England. He returned from Italy in 1755, and occupied 

 apartments over the north piazza of Covent-Garden. He 

 had merited, and here he alfo obtained celebrity, and for a 

 while employment. Many of his principal performances ap» 

 pear to have been painted about this time, moft of which are 

 known by the fine prints engraved from them by Woollett 

 and others ; in which the grandeur, breadth, and purity of 

 compofition in mafs and in line, contend for admiration with 

 the talents confpicuous in the engravings. 



Hitherto the life of Wilfon was honoured as his talents 

 defcrved ; the remainder of it exhibited a gradual declenfion, 

 not fo much of power as of patronage. 'Tis true he was 

 often too free in his pencil, and too much mannered in his 

 ftyle ; repeating himfelf, perhaps, till it became irkfome : 

 'tis faid, alfo, that he was not of the moft tradable 

 humour, and was low in his purfuits and BflTociations. 

 Whencefoever it arofe, he was doomed to undergo indif- 

 ference and negleft, and confequently the inconveniences of 

 lownefs of purfe. Sometimes he was employed to paint 

 views of gentlemen's feats, but probably the occupation 

 fuited the artift as little as the refult gratified the patron. 

 Wilfon's view of nature was far too broad for fuitable 



adaptation 



