W R 1 



of iir Watkin Williams Wynn, bart. The road runs 

 through an avenue of trees of uncommon growth, in a 

 ftraight line for a mile, to a fpacious lawn, on which ilands 

 the houfe. Erefted at different periods, and in different 

 ftyles of architefture, Wynnftay-hall is more diftinguiftied 

 for fize and irregularity than for beauty of architeclure. 

 The new parts erefted by the firft baronet, although only a 

 portion of the defign, form a plain, fubftantial, comfortable 

 place of refidence ; the older parts are chiefly appropriated 

 to menial purpofes. The interior comprehends fome fpa- 

 cious apartments, in which are a few valuable portraits, 

 particularly one by Vandyke of fir Richard Wynn, who 

 attended Charles I. on his romantic matrimonial adventure 

 to Spain. Adjoining to tlie houfe is a fmall building, 

 formerly ufed as a theatre. The park, from the ancient 

 intrenchment Wat's Dyke which traverfes it, was formerly 

 called Wat-ftay ; but when the heirefs married fir John 

 Wynn, who inclofed the grounds in 1678 with a llone-wall, 

 the name was changed to its prefent appellation. The 

 grounds are not greatly diverfified, but they are well 

 wooded, and favourably fituated for profpefts. On an 

 eminence ftands a fluted ftone column, 100 feet high, on a 

 plinth 16 feet fquare, acccflible to the fummit by an internal 

 flair-cafe. It was ereftcd in memory of the late baronet by 

 his mother, with this fimple but eloquent infcription ; 

 " Filio Optimo mater eheu ! fuperlles." Near the park 

 the river Dee winds through Nant-y-Bele, or the dingle of 

 the Marten, a place of great natural romantic beauty. 

 Caer-ddin in this parifh, commonly called Garthen, is a ftrong 

 Britifh poll on a lofty hill, at no great diftance from Offa's 

 Dyke. It is formed by a rampart and ditch, in fome parts 

 double, and the inner confiiling of u thick wall. The area, 

 containing about four acres, exhibits veftiges of ancient 

 buildings. — Beauties of England and Wales, Denbighshire, 

 by the Rev. J. Evsns, 8vo. I^ondon, 18 1 2. 



WRIETZEN. See Brietzek. 



WRIGHT, Edward, in Biography, an Englifli mathe- 

 matician, tlourifhed in the latter part of the 1 6th and 

 beginning of the 17th century. Of his private hiftory little 

 is known, except fome few particulars that may be coUefted 

 from the Latin memoirs of his life, preferved among the 

 annals of Gonvile and Caius college in Cambridge. This 

 y?ar {1615) ditd, it is faid, at London, Edward Wright, 

 of Garvelloii in Norfolk, formerly a fellow of this college, 

 ranch rcfp?£led for the integrity and fimplicity of his man- 

 ners, and alfo famous for his (kill in the mathematical 

 fciences. He was the firlt undertaker of the difficult but 

 ufeful work, by which a little river is brought from the 

 town of Ware, in a new canal, to fupply the city of London 

 with water ; but by the tricks of others he v.'as prevented 

 from completing it. Nor was he inferior to the moft in- 

 genious mechanic in the conftruftion of inftruments, either 

 of brafs or of any other matter. He, it is faid, taught 

 lodocus Hondius the method of conftrufting his geo- 

 graphical charts, though Hondius concealed his name, that 

 he might arrogate to himfelf the honour of the invention. 

 Of this adl; of injuftice, Wright complained in the Preface to 

 his " Treatife of the CorreAion of Errors in the Art of 

 Navigation," a work compofed with excellent judgment, 

 and after long experience, to the great advancement of naval 

 affairs. For his improvement of tiiis art he was appointed 

 mathematical le£lurcr to the Ealt India Company ; and he 

 read leftures, for which he was ailawcd a yearly ialary 

 of jo/. This office he difcharged with great reputation, 

 and much to the fatisfaftion of his hearers. He publifhed, 

 in Engli/b, a book on the doftrine of the fphere, and anotlie» 



3 



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concerning the conftruftion of fun-dials. He alfo prefixed 

 an ingenious preface to the learned Gilbert's book on the 

 load-ftone. By thefe and other writings he tranfmitted his 

 fame to the lateft pofterity. It is added, whilff he was a 

 fellow of this college, he was called forth to the public 

 bufinefs of the nation by the queen, about the year 1593, 

 or, according to other accounts, 1589. He was ordered 

 to attend the earl of Cumberland in fome maritime expedi- 

 tions ; of one of which he gave a faithful account, under the 

 form of a journal or ephemeris, prefixing to it an elegant 

 hy drographical chart of his own invention. His pofthumous 

 work, which was an Englifli tranflation of the book of 

 logarithms, then lately difcovered by lord Napier, a friend 

 of Mr. Wright, was publiflied foon after his death by his 

 fon Samuel Wright, a fcholar of the above-named college. 

 Death prevented the execution of feveral other defigns 

 which he had formed. Of him it may be truly faid, that 

 he itudied more to ferve the public than himfelf; and 

 though he was rich in fame and in the promifcs of the great, 

 he died poor, to the fcandal of an ungrateful age. To the 

 preceding extrafts from the memoirs above cited, we may 

 add, that Mr. Wright firft difcovered the true method of 

 dividing the meridian line, according to which Mercator's 

 charts are conftrudled (fee Chart), and upon which his 

 failing is founded. An account of it was fent from Cam- 

 bridge to Mr. Blondeville, who publiflied it among his ex- 

 ercifes in 1594; and in 1597 a demonftration of it was 

 given by the Rev. Mr. William Barlowe, in his " Na^i- 

 gator's Supply." In 1599 Mr. Wright publiflied "The 

 Correftion of certain Errors in Navigation," written many 

 years before, and fliewing the reafon of his divifion of the 

 meridian, the manner of conllrufting his table, and its ufes 

 in navigation, &c. &c. In 1610 he dedicated a fecond 

 edition to his royal pupil, prince Henry, with farther im- 

 provements, and an excellent method for determining the 

 magnitude of the earth. To his other works, comprehending 

 an account of his various dilcoveries, tabhs, and improved 

 inftruments for obfervation, we ftiall add his tratl on navi- 

 gation, entitled " The Havcn-finding Art." It is faid 

 that he conftrufted, for the uie of prince Henry, a large 

 fphere with curious movements, ferving by fpring-work 

 to exhibit the motions of the whole cek-ftial fphere, the par- 

 ticular fyftems of the fun and moon, iheit circular motions, 

 places, and poffibilitics of eclipfing each oth-r. (See 

 Orrery.) This fphere was overlooked in the time of the 

 civil wars, and found among dull and rubbifli in 1646 by 

 fir Jonas Moore, who was at the cxpence of reftoring it to 

 its original ftate, and depofited it at his own houfe in the 

 Tower, among other mathematical inftruments. Preface 

 to Robertfon's Navigation. Hutton's Math. Did. 



Wright, Richard, was a native of Liverpool, and 

 born about the year 1735. Ke was bred to the humble 

 occupation of a houfe and ihip painter, but exerted his 

 talents in painting fea views, and obtained for his encourage- 

 ment the premium offered in 1 764 by the fociety for the 

 encouragement of arts, &c. ; and in 1766 he gained another 

 premium of fifty guineas, for a pidlure which had the 

 greater credit of being moft beautifully engraved by Wool- 

 lett, and is known under the name of the " Fifhery." He 

 died about 1775. 



Wright, Joseph, one of our earlieft painters of cele- 

 brity in this age of reftoration of the art. He was born at 

 Derby in 1734, and thence obtained the name of Wright of 

 Derby, to diftinguifh him from R. Wright mentioned above. 

 He came to London to ftudy with Hudfon, but afterwards 

 eftabli/hed himfelf at his native place, and had very con- 



ftderable 



