parliament from the twenty-third year of Edward I, but, by the reform act of 1832, is deprived of one of its members. The number of voters was previously about 210, the right of election having been in the corporation, and inhabitants paying scot and lot. Population, 2542.

WALLIS, John, a celebrated mathematician, born in 1616, at Ashford, in Kent, where his father was minister, was educated for the church at Emanuel college, Cambridge, and, having regularly taken his degrees, entered into holy orders, and, in 1641, became chaplain to a Yorkshire baronet. In 1643, he obtained a living in London, and, the following year, was one of the secretaries to the assembly of divines at Westminster. He was one of the first members of the scientific association which gave birth to the royal society, and, in 1649, was appointed, by the parliamentary visitors, Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford. In 1653, he published a grammar of the English tongue, written in Latin, for the use of foreigners. He was admitted to the degree of doctor of divinity in 1654, and, on the death of Langbaine, was chosen custos archivorum to the university. He was particularly skilful in the art of cryptography, or deciphering; and having by this means been enabled to render considerable service to the royal cause, he was, on the restoration of Charles II, very favorably received at court, and made one of the royal chaplains. In 1661, he was one of the divines appointed to review the book of Common Prayer; and, as he complied with the terms of the act of uniformity, he continued a steady conformist to the established church till his death. When the royal society was founded, in 1663, the name of doctor Wallis was included in the list of the earliest members; and he added much to the reputation of that body by his valuable contributions to the Philosophical Transactions. After a long life devoted to science and to the duties of his clerical profession, he died at Oxford, in 1703. Among his mathematical works, the most important are Arithmetica Infinitorum; Mathesis Universalis, sive Opus Arithmeticum; Mechanica, sive de Motu Tractatus geometricus; De Sectionibus Conicis Tractatus; and his Algebra. He also published some of the writings of Archimedes, Ptolemy, Aristarchus, and Porphyry. His works, including various treatises on theology, were published at Oxford, 1692-99 (3 vols., folio); and a volume of his sermons, printed from the original manuscripts, appeared in 1791.

WALLIS; the German name of the Valais. (See Valais.)

WALLOONS; the inhabitants of the district situated between the Scheldt and the Lys, to which belongs a part of the former French Flanders and the present French departments of the North and of the Channel (pas de Calais). In a more general sense, Walloons are the inhabitants of the former Henault, Namur, Luxemburg, Limburg, and of part of the former bishopric of Liege, who speak Walloon or old French, considered by some as a relic of the ancient Gallic language, mixed, however, with Spanish, German, &c. words. In the old geographical works we find a Walloon Flanders, and a Walloon Brabant. The name either comes from Wall (water or sea), as these tribes in Germany lived on the sea-coast, or from the old German word Wahle, which signifies a foreigner, especially an Italian (hence walnuts); and Wälschland, in German, signifies Italy. (In the same way the Polish word for foreigner is used to signify, particularly, a German.) The Walloon guards, which formerly constituted part of the Spanish household troops, were so called, because, as long as Spain was the mistress of the Netherlands, these guards were recruited from the Walloon part of Flanders. The Walloons, in the thirty years' war (q. v.), were distinguished for valor, and for their savage spirit.

WALMODEN, Louis, count of; Austrian lieutenant field-marshal, born in Vienna, in 1769, where his father, John Louis, earl of Walmoden, a natural son of George II, was British minister. He was at first in the Hanoverian, then in the Prussian, and at length entered the Austrian service, in which he distinguished himself from 1796. In the campaign of 1813, he was victorious over the French on the Görde. In 1817, when count Nugent entered the Neapolitan service, he took his place as commander of the Austrian troops in the kingdom of Naples.

WALNUT (juglans). The walnuts differ from the hickories, in many respects, in the structure of their flowers and fruit; and the last have been formed into a distinct genus under the name of carya. (See Hickory.) The foliage and general habit of the trees are very similar, but a difference is again perceived in the properties of the wood. The true walnuts are easily recognised by the fruit, the outer rind being destitute of valves, and the external surface of the nut rugose and irregularly furrowed. The common European wal

nut, improperly called with us English walnut (J. regia), was discovered by Michaux the elder, growing wild in the province of Ghilan, which lies on the Caspian sea, between lat. 35° and 40°. It was introduced into Europe at a remote period, and is now common in the central parts of that continent, but flourishes most in Italy, Spain, and the south-western departments of France. It is a lofty and beautiful tree. The fruit, in the wild state, contains a small, hard nut, of inferior quality; but in the cultivated varieties, the nut is much larger, the shell becomes thin enough to be easily crushed by the fingers, and the kernel is very agreeably tasted. These nuts are highly esteemed, and are often served up at desserts, and form an article of commerce. The oil expressed from them is in general use as an article of diet, in those districts where the tree abounds, and serves a still more important purpose in the preparation of fine colors: it is preferred on account of the complete and rapid manner in which it dries, and the facility of obtaining it perfectly limpid, by diffusing it upon water in large shallow vases. In copper-plate printing at Paris, it is considered indispensably necessary for a fine impression, either in black or colors. By boiling the husks when beginning to decay, and the bark of the roots, a substantial dark-brown color is obtained, which is used by dyers for woollens, and also by cabinet-makers to stain other species of wood in imitation of walnut. The fruit, in a green state, before the shell hardens, is much used for pickling, and also as an adulteration of soy sauce. The leaves, strewed on the ground, annoy worms. Before mahogany was imported so abundantly into Europe, the wood was employed, almost exclusively, in cabinet-making, and is still in general use in the interior; and the furniture is far from being inelegant. It is preferred for the stocks of muskets, as it is lighter, in proportion to its strength and elasticity, than any other wood. Great quantities of wooden shoes are also made of it. Seven or eight varieties are cultivated. When propagated for timber, the nut is sown; but when fruit is the object, inarching from the branches of fruit-bearing trees is preferable. Budding has also been tried with success, and the buds succeed best when taken from the base of the annual shoots: ordinary-sized buds from the upper parts of such shoots generally fail. Trees that have not been grafted or budded, may be induced to produce blossoms by ringing the bark.

It is especially necessary to protect amputated limbs from the weather, by nicely adapting a covering of clay to the exposed surface, so as entirely to exclude the rain. This valuable tree would be a desirable accession to the U. States. Its timber is, indeed, inferior to our own black walnut, but the excellence of the fruit, and the decided superiority of the oil in the preparation of colors, strongly recommend it to American cultivators. It has succeeded perfectly in many parts of the country; but we are not aware that plantations on a large scale have been any where attempted. The black walnut (J. nigra) is found in most parts of the U. States, the extreme north and east excepted, and the low district of the Southern States, where its absence seems to be owing to the nature of the soil, which is either too sandy or too wet. It requires a deep and fertile soil, and in favorable situations the trunk often attains the diameter of six or seven feet. It is one of our largest trees, and yields to none in the majesty of its appearance. The nuts are sold in the markets of our principal cities, and are often served upon table. The shell is very hard, and the kernel is divided by firm woody partitions, but has a sweet and agreeable flavor, though inferior to the European. The wood is very strong and very tenacious, when thoroughly seasoned is not liable to warp and split, and remains sound a long time, even when exposed to the influence of heat and moisture: the grain is sufficiently fine to admit a fine polish, and it is, besides, secure from the attacks of worms. Kentucky and Ohio, it is split into shingles, and sometimes enters into the composition of the frames of houses, but is chiefly employed in cabinet-making wherever it abounds. By selecting pieces immediately below the first ramifications, the furniture is sometimes rendered extremely beautiful, from the accidental curlings of the grain; but, as the color soon changes to a dusky hue, wild cherry is frequently preferred. It is employed for the stocks of muskets, and is said to make excellent naves for wheels. Philadelphia, coffins are exclusively made of it. Black walnut is excellently adapted to certain uses in naval architecture, but should never be wrought till perfectly seasoned, when it is said to be more durable, though more brittle, than the white oak. In the ship-yards of Philadelphia, it is often used for knees and floor timber; but in the vessels built on the Ohio, it constitutes the principal part

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of the frame. On the Wabash, canoes are made of it, which are highly esteemed for their strength and durability. Planks, two inches in thickness, are exported to England in small quantitics. The butternut (J. cinerea) is abundant in the Northern, and especially in the Western States. It is a much smaller tree than the preceding, rarely exceeding fifty feet in height, with a trunk ten or twelve inches in diameter. The fruit is elongated, covered externally with a viscid, adhesive substance; and the nut is hard, very rough externally, and deeply and irregularly furrowed. The nuts are sometimes brought to market. The wood is light, of a reddish hue, and possesses little strength, but lasts long, and is secure from worms. It is sometimes used in the construction of houses in the country, but never in cities. From its resistance to heat and moisture, it is esteemed for posts and rails, for troughs for the use of cattle, and is preferred to the red maple for corn-shovels and wooden dishes, as it is lighter and less liable to split. At Pittsburg, it is sometimes sawn into planks for the construction of small skiffs, which, on account of their lightness, are in request for descending the river. At Windsor, in Vermont, it is used for the panels of coaches and chaises, and is perfectly adapted to this purpose. The bark affords one of the best cathartics known, operating always with certainty, and without pain or irritation even in the most delicate constitutions: it is not, however, in general use except in the country. A dark-brown dye is also obtained from the bark, which is employed in the country for woollens; but that afforded by the black walnut is preferred. By piercing the trunk early in the spring, sugar may be obtained, but of inferior quality to maple sugar.

WALPOLE, Robert, earl of Orford, third son of Robert Walpole, esquire, was born at Houghton, his father's seat, in Norfolk, in 1676, and, in 1696, was admitted a scholar of King's college, Cambridge. In 1698, in consequence of the death of his elder surviving brother, he became heir to the family estate, on which he resigned his scholarship. He was then taken from college by his father, and, in the jovial life of a country gentleman, soon lost his inclination for literature. In 1700, he married the daughter of sir John Shorter, lord mayor of London, and, soon after, succeeded to his paternal estate by the death of his father. He was also returned representative for Castle Rising, and be

came an active member of the whig party. In 1702, he obtained his election for King's Lynn, which he also represented in several succeeding parliaments. In 1705, he was nominated one of the council to prince George of Denmark, as lord high admiral of England; in 1708 was appointed secretary at war, and, the following year, treasurer of the navy. In 1710, he was one of the parliamentary managers in the trial of Sacheverel; but, on the dissolution of the whig ministry, he was dismissed from all his employments, and, soon after, was voted, by the house of commons, guilty of a high breach of trust, and notorious corruption in his office of secretary at war; for which imputed offence he was expelled the house, and committed to the Tower of London. This severity, being a party proceeding, little affected his character; so that, in 1714, the borough of Lynn reëlected him; and he became a formidable opponent of the tory administration. On the accession of George I, a new whig ministry was formed; and Walpole, who had previously ingratiated himself with the family of Hanover, was appointed paymaster of the forces, treasurer of Chelsea hospital, and a privy counsellor. Being nominated chairman of the secret committee formed to inquire into charges against the late ministers, he drew up and moved the impeachment of lord Bolingbroke, the earl of Oxford, the duke of Ormond, and the earl of Strafford. In the subsequent year, 1715, he displayed so much energy and vigor in support of government during the rebellion, that he was raised to the important posts of first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. In the course of the two following years, a disunion took place in the cabinet on the question of supplies, to enable George I to vindicate his purchase of the duchies of Bremen and Verden against Charles XII of Sweden; and Mr. Walpole resigned. On the day of his resignation, he brought in the sinking fund bill, which he subsequently rendered nugatory by misapplication. In the next session, he became a strenuous opposer of measures which, had he been in place, he would as certainly have supported, and mainly contributed to the rejection, by the commons, of the peerage bill of 1719. He was the opposer, in 1720, of the South sea scheme for liquidating the national debt, on which subject he wrote a pamphlet. At length the earl of Sunderland, finding his ministry involved in great difficulties, made overtures to Walpole, who

resumed his former post of paymaster of the forces. His reputation as a financier induced all eyes to be directed towards him on the occurrence of the unprece dented disasters arising from the bursting of the South sea bubble; and lord Sunderland being obliged to retire, on account of his being implicated in the affairs of that company, Walpole resumed his post of first lord of the treasury, and premier. He was indisputably a most serviceable minister to the house of Brunswick, and mainly contributed to the discomfiture of the plots and intrigues of the Jacobite party in favor of the Pretender. His general policy was principally characterized by the desire of preserving peace abroad, and avoiding subjects of contention at home. He was an able financier, and certainly exerted himself, with considerable success, to improve the trade and revenues of the country, although the introduction of the excise scheme forms a very dubious claim to applause. A pursuit of useful rather than of splendid objects, joined to a sincere zeal for the Protestant succession, formed the leading principles of his government; and the means which he employed were prudence, vigilance, and a degree of corruption not greater than what was practised by many of his predecessors, but more general and systematic. Walpole is the reputed author of the saying, that "All men have their price;" but his biographer, archdeacon Coxe, asserts that the words were "all those men," speaking of a particular body of his opponents. He was an artful rather than an eloquent speaker, and discerned, as if by intuition, the prevalent humor of the house, and pressed or receded accordingly. He was particularly clear in financial debates, and a most excellent and diligent man of business. In private life, he was distinguished by frankness of manners and a species of jovial good-nature; but his mirth was coarse, and his moral conduct assumed much of the easy license of rank and fashion. Letters he neither loved nor patronised, except the productions of subaltern writers in his praise or defence, whom he rewarded liberally. On the whole, without being an exalted character, he was an able minister. His ministry was finally shaken by the unpopularity of his exertions to maintain peace with Spain, in 1739, from which time the opposition to him gained ground, until, in 1742, he resigned, and was created earl of Orford. A parliamentary inquiry into his conduct was subsequently instituted; but,

after repeated fruitless attacks, all proceedings against him were dropped. His health soon after began to decline, owing to repeated attacks of the stone, which at length carried him off, March 18, 1745, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.-See Coxe's Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole (3 vols., 4to., 1798).-His brother Horatio (lord Walpole) was born in 1678. He filled several offices under government, and was an able diplomatist. He was raised to the peerage in 1756, and died the following year. He wrote several political tracts, and an answer to Bolingbroke's Letters on History. (See Coxe's Memoirs of Horatio Lord Walpole.)

WALPOLE, Horace, earl of Orford, third and youngest son of sir Robert Walpole, was born in 1718. He received his early education at Eton, whence he removed to King's college, Cambridge. He quitted the university without a degree, and, by the interest of his father, was nominated to three valuable sinecures, which he held to the time of his death. In 1739, he set out on a tour to the continent, accompa nied by the poet Gray, with whom he had a difference, and they parted, Walpole subsequently taking all the blame upon himself. He entered parliament in 1741, as member for Callington, and spoke spiritedly in opposition to a motion against his father, but was, in general, a very silent and inactive member. It was soon apparent that he was not destined for the paths of public life. With much vivacity and love of occupation, his chief delight was in the indulgence of literary curiosity, and a taste for antiquity and the fine arts. In 1747, he represented the borough of Castle Rising, and, in 1754 and 1761, that of King's Lynn, and always adhered to the whig principles in which he was educated; and his parliamentary conduct was uniformly correct and independent. In 1748, he purchased his small but celebrated villa at Twickenham (q. v.), called Strawberry kill, which it formed no small part of the business of his future life to render a miniature specimen of Gothic architecture, and a splendid collection of pieces of art, and relies of antiquity, many of them curious and valuable, and others of rather a trifling description. He first made himself known as a writer by some papers in the Worid, and a few poems in Dodsley's Collections. His first separate publication appeared in 1752, entitled Edes Walpoliana, being a description of his father's seat at Houghton. In 1757, he set up a printing-press at Strawberry hill, at which he printed

Gray's Odes, and various other works. From his own press also appeared, in 1758, the first edition of his Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors. This was followed by a collection of Fugitive Pieces, and, in 1761, by his Anecdotes of Painting in England (2 vols., 4to.), compiled from the papers of the artist George Vertue. Two more volumes were afterwards added; and the whole forms a valuable collection. In 1764, his friendship for general Conway drew from him a pamphlet on the dismissal of that officer from the army, on account of the vote which he gave on general warrants. In 1765, appeared his romantic fiction of the Castle of Otranto, the prolific parent of the Radcliffe romance, and a vast variety of similar fictions. Being at Paris in 1765, he composed a French letter to Rousseau, in the name of the king of Prussia, by way of exposing the vanity and self-consequence of that singular character, who acted on the occasion with his usual extravagance. Walpole was, however, scarcely excusable for this attack upon the morbid sensibility of a man who had given him no provocation; but his correspondence with Hume supplies a very extraordinary specimen of his aristocratical contempt for authors by profession. In 1767, he declined being again chosen to sit in parliament; soon after which appeared his Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard III. It is an acute and ingenious performance, but failed in convincing the public; and the brief, but conclusive investigation of it by Gibbon, in his miscellaneous works, has probably disposed of the question for ever. Mr. Walpole forgot his dignity so much in regard to this performance, as to expunge his name from the list of members of the antiquarian society, because two papers were read before them controverting part of his evidence. In 1768, he printed his Mysterious Mother-a very powerfully written tragedy, on a disagreeable subject, and one which altogether precludes it from the stage. About this time occurred the transaction with the unhappy Chatterton (q. v.), which subjected him to so much censure; but his fault, on this occasion, appears to have been mainly his general apathy towards literary men. He visited Paris in 1771 and 1775, and became much distinguished in the circle of the celebrated madame du Deffand, who particularly admired him. The principal incident of his advanced years was his accession to the earldom of Orford, by the death of his nephew-an

elevation which gave him more trouble than satisfaction, and which made no alteration in his mode of living or literary pursuits. His death, which was hastened by a hereditary gout, that had reduced him to a cripple, took place in March, 1797, in his seventy-ninth year. He bequeathed to Robert Berry, esquire, and his two daughters, all his printed and manuscript works, of which a collective edition was published in 1798 (5 vols., 4to.). The most valuable addition to what had formerly appeared consisted in his letters to a great variety of correspondents, written with great ease and vivacity, but occasionally exhibiting affectation and effort. He is certainly, however, one of the most lively and witty of letter-writers, but too frequently deemed his letters a grace and a favor accorded to his literary correspondents, which superseded the necessity of any thing more substantial. His Memoirs of the last ten Years of the Reign of George II (2 vols., 4to., 1822) are of the highest value for the domestic history of that period. In 1825, appeared his Letters to the Earl of Hereford, forming the ninth volume of a quarto edition of his works. See, also, the Walpoliana (2 vols., 18mo), and the Reminiscences of Horace Walpole (1826). His plan of life was formed upon a selfish principle of self-enjoyment. As an author, he ranks respectably among general writers.

WALPURGA, WALBURGA, or WALPURGis; a saint, born in England, sister of St. Willibald, first bishop of Eichstädt, in Germany, and niece of St. Boniface, the apostle of the Germans. She went, like her uncle and brother, to Germany as a missionary, and became, about the middle of the eighth century, abbess of a convent at Heidenheim, in Franconia. She must have been a learned woman, as she was considered the author of a Latin description of the Travels of St. Willibald. After her death (776 or 778), she received the honors of a saint, was believed to work many miracles, and chapels in honor of her were built in many places. From the circumstance that in German almanacs the name Walpurgis has been accidentally placed, sometimes alone, sometimes together with the names of the apostles Philip and James, against the first of May, the night previous to the first day of May, so famous, in German legends, for the assembling of the witches, has been called Walpurgis night. The first of May is an important day for the German cultivator: many contracts are made at this time; the labors of the field