W I L 
W I L 
662 
1685, and in early life more than once made the tour of 
Europe, arquiring a knowledge of most modern languages. 
In 1715 he was appointed by archbishop Wake keeper of the 
Lambeth library, of which he made a catalogue, and for his 
three years’ labour in this way he was recompensed with 
several preferments, such as the rectories of Hadley and 
Monk’s Ely, the archdeaconry of Suffolk, and a canonry of 
Canterbury. Among his principal publications we may 
reckon “ Novum Testamentum Copticum, ” Oxon, 1716, 
4to.; an edition of “ Leges Saxonicae ecclesiasticse et ci- 
viles,” with many valuable additions, 1721, fol.;“Joan- 
nis Seldeni Opera omnia,” 1726, 3 vols. fol.; “ Pentateuchus 
Copticus,” 1731, 4to.; “Concilia Magnse Britanniae,” 4 vols. 
fol. 1736; and a learned preface to Bishop Tanner’s “ Britan- 
nico-Hibernica.” He married the eldest daughter of Thomas 
lord Fairfax, settled in Scotland, and died in 1745, in his 
60th year..—■ Nichols's Lit. Anecd. Gen. Biog. 
WILKINS (John), D. D., an English prelate, was born 
near Daventry, in Northamptonshire, in 1624, and finished 
his education at Magdalen-hall, Oxford, where he graduated 
M. A. He afterwards took orders, and became chaplain, 
first to lord Say, and then to Charles, count palatine of the 
Rhine. At the commencement of the civil war he joined 
the parliament, took the solemn league and covenant, and 
became warden of Wad ham college. In 1649 he graduated 
D. D., and in 1656 married the sister of Oliver Cromwell. 
In 1659 he was nominated head of Trinity college, Cam¬ 
bridge ; but being ejected on the restoration of king Charles 
II.. he became preacher to the society of Gray’s Inn, London, 
and rector of St. Lawrence, Jewry 5 about which time he 
was introduced into the Royal Society as fellow and one of 
the council, and advanced to the see of Chester. He was 
distinguished by his moderation, and was reproached on this 
account by his enemies, who represented him as wavering in 
his religious principles. His character is thus delineated by 
Dr. Burnet. “ He was a man of as great a mind, as true a 
judgement, as eminent virtues, and of as good a soul, as any 
I ever knew ; and though he married Cromwell’s 'sister, yet 
he made no other use of that alliance but to do good offices, 
and to cover the university of Oxford from the sourness of 
Owen and Goodwin. At Cambridge he joined with those 
who studied to propagate better thoughts, to take men off 
from being in parties, or from narrow notions, from super¬ 
stitious conceits, and fierceness about opinions. He was also 
a great observer and promoter of experimental philosophy, 
which was then a new thing, and much looked after. He 
was naturally ambitious, but was the wisest clergyman I ever 
knew. He was a lover of mankind, and delighted in doing 
good.” He also possessed, according to this historian, “ a 
courage which could stand against a current, and against all 
the reproaches with which ill-natured clergymen studied to 
reproach him.” His principal works are the following: viz. 
“ The Discovery of a New World; or, a Discourse tending 
to prove that it is probable there may be another habitable 
World in the Moon,” London, 1638, 4to., written when he 
was only twenty-four years of age; “ Discourse concerning 
the Possibility of a Passage to the World in the Moon;” 
“ Discourse concerning a new Planet, tending to prove that 
it is probable our Earth is one of the Planets,” ibid. 1640, 
8 vo.; “ Mercury; or, the Secret Messenger: shewing how 
a man may with privacy and speed communicate his thoughts 
to a friend at any distance,” ibid. 1641, 8 vo.; “Mathe¬ 
matical Magic; or, the Wonders that may be performed by 
Mechanical Geometry,” in two books, ibid. 1648 and 1680, 
8 vo. These latter five, composing his mathematical works, 
were printed at London in one volume, 8 vo. ] 708. “ Essay 
towards a real Character and a philosophical Language,” 
ibid. 1668, fob; “Of the Principles and Duties of Natural 
Religion,” two books, ibid. 1675, 8 vo. published by Dr. 
Tillotson. Also, “ Sermons preached on several Occasions,” 
and some others. Life prefixed to his Philosophical and 
Mathematical Works. 
WILKINSON, a county of the United States, in the south¬ 
west part of Georgia. Population 2154, besides 318 slaves. 
WILKINSON, a county of the United States, in the 
south-west corner of Mississippi. Population 7275. Chief 
town, Woodville. 
WILKINSON, a fort of the United States, in Hancock 
county, Georgia, on the Oconee, a little below Milledgeviile. 
W1LKINSONVILLE, a town of the United States, in Ran¬ 
dolph county, Illinois, on the Ohio, about half way between 
Fort Massac and the mouth of the Ohio. 
WILKINSONVILLE, a post village of the United States, 
in Chesterfield county, Virginia. 
WILKINTHORPE, a hamlet of England, in the parish 
of Horsington, Somersetshire. 
WILKOWISZKEN, a town of Poland ; 31 miles east of 
Gumbinnen, with 1800 inhabitants, part of whom are Jews. 
WILL, s. [pilla, Saxon ; wide, Dutch; wilja, M. Goth, 
vox antiquissima, plurimisque linguis usitata. SereniusJ ]— 
That power by which we desire, and purpose; velleity.— 
What freedom the will naturally, under this corrupt state, 
hath, I do not consider. Hammond. —Choice; arbitrary 
determination. 
Will holds the scepter in the soul. 
And on the passions of the heart doth reign. Davies. 
Discretion; choice. — Go then the guilty at thy will 
chastize. Pope. —Command; direction.—At his first sight 
the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind 
bloweth. Eccles. —Disposition; inclination; desire. 
I make bold to press upon you with so little preparation.— 
You’re welcome; what’s your will ?■ Shakspeare. 
Power; government.—Deliver me not over unto the will 
of mine enemies. Psalms. — Divine determination. — I 
would give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren 
ground. The wills above be done; but I would fain die a 
dry death. Shakspeare. —Testament; disposition of a dying 
man’s effects. 
Another branch of their revenue still 
Remains, beyond their boundless right to kill, 
Their father yet alive, impower’d to make a will. Dryden. 
Goon-will. Favour; kindness. 
I’ll to the doctor, he hath my good-will. 
And none but he to marry with Nan Page. Shakspeare. 
Goon-will. Right intention.—Some preach Christ of 
envy, and some of good-will. Phil. — Inn-will. Malice; 
malignity. 
WILL with a whisp, s. [Ignis fatuus, Lat] Jack with 
a lanthorn. Will with the whisp is a luminous appearance 
of a round figure, in bigness like the flame of a candle; but 
sometimes broader, and like a bundle of twigs set on 
fire. It sometimes gives a brighter light than that of a. 
wax-candle; at other times more obscure, and of a purple 
colour. When viewed near at hand, it shines less than at a 
distance. They wander about in the air, not far from the 
surface of the earth; and are more frequent in places that are 
unctuous, mouldy, marshy, and abounding with reeds. They 
commonly appear in summer, and at the beginning of 
autumn, and are generally at the height of about six feet 
from the ground. Now they dilate themselves, and now 
contract. Now they go on like waves, and rain as it were 
sparks of fire; but they burn nothing. They follow those 
that run away, and fly from those that follow them. Some 
that have been catched were observed to consist of a shining, 
viscous, and gelatinous matter, like the spawn of frogs, not hot 
or burning, but only shining; so that the matter seems to be 
phosphorus, prepared and raised from putrified plants or 
carcasses by the heat of the sun; which is condensed by the 
cold of the evening, and then shines. Mnschenbroek. 
Will-a-wisp misleads night-faring clowns, 
O’er hills and sinking bogs. Gay. 
To WILL, v. a. [ wiljan, Gothic; pillan, Saxon; widen, 
Dutch.] To desire that any thing should he, or be done; or 
not be, or not be done.—To will, is to bend our souls to 
the having or doing of that which they see to be good. 
Hooker. 
Let 
