W O L 



W O L 



Gloucefterdiire ; whence alfo that part of Leicefterlhire, 

 which lies northward beyond the Wrekin, is called the Wold 

 of Leicefterfhire. 



Wold, or Weld, among Dyers. See Weld. 



WOLDEGGE, or Woldeck, in Geography, a town of 

 the duchy of Mecklenburg; 13 miles S.E. of New Bran- 

 denburg. 



WOLDENBERG, a town of the New Mark of Bran- 

 denburp- ; 9 miles N.E. of Friedburg. N. lat. 53°. E. long. 



"5° 45^ 



WOLEIN. See MiRZlN. 



WOLESCHITZ, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of 

 Kaurzim ; 4 miles W.S.W. of Kaurzim. 



WOLF, Christian, in Biography, an eminent mathema- 

 tician and philofopher, was born at Breflau in 1679, and 

 well educated under able mafters in different branches of 

 literature and fcience. At the age of 21, he was entered 

 at the univerfity of Jena, which was then in high reputation ; 

 and quitting Jena in 1702, he profecuted his ftudies at 

 Leipfic, where, in the following year, he took his degree 

 of matter of arts, pubhihing on the occafion a dilTertation, 

 intitled " Philofophia praftica Univerfalis Mathematico 

 modo confcripta." In 1704 he publifhed another dilTertation, 

 on the differential and infinitefimal calculus. Having ftudied 

 theology as well as philofophy at Leipfic, he officiated as a 

 preacher ; and being invited to undertake the office of pallor 

 in a country village, he was advifed by Leibnitz to decline 

 it, and to purfue the ftudy of philolx)phy. As he com- 

 menced his literary career with great reputation, he was 

 propofed to be an affociate in the periodical work, intitled 

 " Afta Eruditorum ;" and in this conneftion he continued 

 for many years, employing his leifure hours in teaching 

 mathematics, logic, and natural philofophy. When the 

 Swedes made an incurfion into Saxony in the year 1706, he 

 quitted Leipfic, and removed to Berlin ; where a recom- 

 mendatory letter of Leibnitz procured for him from 

 Frederic I. the office of profeffor of mathematics at Halle. 

 In 1709 he pubhfhed, in Latin, his treatife on " Aero- 

 nietry ;" and in the following year his " Elements of 

 Mathematics," in 4 vols, which have pafTed through feveral 

 editions. Having compofed a very ingenious elfay on the 

 intenfe cold of the enfuing winter, he was elefted a member 

 of the Royal Society of London, and foon after a member 

 of the Academy of Sciences at Berlin. In 171 1 he pub- 

 lifhed his tables of fines and tangents, and in the next year 

 his treatife on logic, in German, highly commended by 

 Formey, and tranflated into Latin, French, and other lan- 

 guages. The tirft two volumes of his large work on the 

 mathematics appeared in 17 13, and thefe were afterwards 

 followed by three more. By the advice of his friend 

 Leibnitz, he refufed an invitation from Peler the Great to 

 remove from Halle to Peter/burgh. On the death of 

 Leibnitz in 1726, Wolf drew up his life, which fupplied 

 Fontenelle with materials for his eloge. In 17 18 he pub- 

 lifhed " Meditations on God, the World, and the Human 

 Soul," which were reprinted in the followKng year. About 

 this time the reputation of Wolf and the jealoufy of his 

 rivals occafioned a literary conteft, which lafted for a confi- 

 derable time, and which was not very honourable to either 

 party. Wolf having delivered a differtation on his quitting 

 the pro-reftorate of Halle univerfity in 1 72 1, on which he 

 took occafion to compare his own principles with thofe 

 of Confucius and the Cliinefe, and having announced the 

 opinion winch he entertained on tlie doftrine of neceffity, 

 an outcry was raifed againft him, and he was reprefented by 

 his enemies as a miu whofe principles tended to atheifm, and 

 to corrupt the morals of the people. Notwilhftanding 



this malignant attack, he employed himfelf in publifhing 

 three volumes of experimental philofophy, and a volume of 

 dogmatical philofophy, "which he dedicated to the emperor 

 of Ruffia, and which the emperor caufed to be tranflated into 

 the Ruffian language, repeating to liim tlie rffers which had 

 before been made, in order to induce him to remove to 

 Petcrfburgh. The conteft that had been excited againft 

 him Hill continued ; and though he attempted to juftify 

 himfelf in a treatife on the fubjeft of fatahty, the king 

 was at length perfuaded that his principles were dangerous, 

 and ordered him, in November 1723, to quit his territories 

 in two days, under pain of death. Wolf immediately pro- 

 ceeded to Caffel, where he met with the king of Sweden, 

 who appointed him profeffor of mathematics at Marpurg, 

 an office which he had refufed fixteen years before. The 

 clergy of Halle purfued him with their enmity and oppofi- 

 lion to Marpurg ; but Wolf was fuffcred to remain in the 

 quiet enjoyment of his office during his refidence at that 

 place. Several Undents who attended him at Halle fol- 

 lowed him hither, and his leftures, which he commenced in 

 1724, were attended by pupils from all parts of Europe. 

 His mind being now undifturbed, he refumed his literary 

 labours, and publifhed his " Remarks on Metaphyfics," in 

 which he anfwered the principal objections againft his doc- 

 trine, and gained a decided viftory over his enemies. The 

 grounds of the cenfure that had been pafled on Wolf had 

 been every where canvafTed ; and almoft every German 

 univerfity was inflamed with difputes on the fubjeft of 

 liberty and neceffity, fo that the names of Wollian and 

 anti-Wolfian were every where heard. Wolf, having thus 

 vindicated his philofophy from reproach, received new invi- 

 tations from Peterfburgh and Leipfic ; but gratitude to his 

 proteftor induced him to remain in his fituation at Mar- 

 purg, which he found to be very agreeable, and to afford 

 him leifure for purfuing his fpeculations. After an interval 

 of nine years, the current of public opinion turned in fa- 

 vour of Wolf, and he now received numerous tokens of 

 refpeft from men of rank and learning ; and in 1733 he 

 was invited to fill, in the Academy of Sciences, one of the 

 eight places allotted to foreigners diftinguifhed in the 

 higheft branches of fcience. On tliis occafion, Reaumur 

 and he commenced an intimate friendfhip, which lafted till 

 the time of his death. The king of PrufTia was convinced 

 of Wolf's innocence, reverfed his fentence of exile, and 

 wifhed to repair the injury which he had fuftained. He 1 

 made tempting offers, both of title and money, to induce 

 him to return to Halle ; but he declined the acceptance of 

 them ; as he alfo refufed an invitation from George I. of . 

 England to accept a place in the new academy which he 

 had founded at Gottingen. The clergy of Halle made 

 fome other attempts to reproach and ruin him, but they 

 recoiled on his adverfaries. In the year 1740, he prefixed 

 to the firft volume of his " Droit Naturel, or Treatife on 

 the Law of Nature," a dedication to the hereditary prince 

 of Pruffia, afterwards Frederick the Great, which was ac- 

 knowledged by a very flattering letter. 



Frederick the Great, as foon as he afcended the throne, 

 recalled Wolf to Halle ; and with the permiffion of the 

 king of Sweden, he confented to accept the office of profeffor 

 of the law of nature and nations, and alfo of mathematics, 

 with a falary of 2000 crowns, and liberty to teach whatever 

 he thought proper. He obtained alfo the rank of privy- 

 counfellor, and was made firft vice-chancellor, and after- 

 wards chancellor of the univerfity. In 1 745 he was created 

 a baron by the eledlor of Bavaria. Wolf was now at the 

 height of his profperity. At more than 60 years of age he 

 refumed his labours, and completed his work on the law of 

 10 nature 



i 



