WILDSERVICE. s. (crat@gus, Lat.) A

plant.

WILE. s. (p.le, Saxon.) A deceit; a fraud; a trick; a stratagem (Roscommon).

WILFUL. a. (will and full.) 1. Stubborn; contumacious; perverse; inflexible (Proverbs). 2. Done or suffered by design (Dryden). WILFULLY.ad, 1. Obstinately; stubbornly (Tillotson). 2. By design; on purpose (Ham.). WILFULNESS. s. Obstinacy; stubbornness; perverseness (Hooker).

WILILY. ad. (from wily.) By stratagem; fraudulently (Joshua).

WILINESS. s. (from wily.) Cunning; guile (Howel).

WILKESBOROUGH, a town of Pennsylvania, capital of the county of Luzerne. It is situate on the N.E. branch of the Snsquehaunah, 118 miles N.W. of Philadelphia. Lon. 75. 59 W. Lat. 41. 13 N.

WILKINS (Dr. John), in biography, a very ingenious and learned English bishop and mathematician, was the son of a goldsmith at Oxford, and born in 1614. After being educated in Greek and Latin, in which he made a very quick progress, he was entered a student of New inn in that university, when he was but thirteen years of age; but after a short stay there, he was removed to Magdalen hall, where he took his degrees. Having entered into holy orders, he first became chaplain to William, lord Say, and afterwards to Charles, count palatine of the Rhine, with whom he continued for some time. Adhering to the parliament during the civil wars, they made him warden of Wadham college about the year 1648. In 1656 he married the sister of Oliver Cromwell, then lord protector of Eng. land, who granted him a dispensation to hold his wardenship, notwithstanding his marriage. In 1659, he was by Richard Cromwell made master of Trinity college in Cambridge; but ejected the year following, upon the restoration. He was then chosen preacher to the society of Gray's inn, and rector of St. Lawrence Jewry, London, upon the promotion of Dr. Seth Ward to the bishopric of Exeter. About this time he became a member of the Royal Society, was chosen of their council, and proved one of their most eminent members. He was afterwards made dean of Rippon, and in 1668 bishop of Chester; but died of the stone in 1672, at fifty-eight years of age.

Burnet writes, that he was a man of as great a mind, as true a judgment, as eminent virtues, and of as good a soul, as any he ever knew; that 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 superstitious 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 ambiti ous, but was the wisest clergyman I ever kuew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good."

Of his publications, which are all of them very ingenious and learned, and many of them particularly curious and entertaining, the first was in 1638, when he was only twenty-four years of age, viz. the Discovery of a New World; or, a Discourse to prove, that it is probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon; with a Discourse con cerning the Possibility of a Passage thither, In 1640, a Discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove that it is probable our Earth is one of the Planets. In 1841, Mercury; or, the secret and swift Messenger; shewing how a man may with privacy and speed communicate his thoughts to a friend at any distance; 8vo. In 1648, Mathematical Magic; or, the Wonders that may be performed by Mathematical Geometry; 8vo. All these pieces were published entire in one volume, 8vo. in 1708, under the title of, the Mathematical and Philosophical Works of the Right Rev. John Wilkins, &c. To this collection is also subjoined an abstract of a larger work, printed in 1668, folio, entitled, an Essay towards a real Character and a philosophical Language.

WILKOMIER, a town of Lithuania, in the palatinate of Wilna, seated on the Sweita, 45 miles N.W. of Wilna. Lon. 24. 54 E. Lat. 55. 19 N.

1

WILL. s. (pilla, Saxon; wille, 'Dutch.) 1. That power by which we desire and purs pose; velleity (Hooker). 2. Choice; arbitrary determination (Locke). 3. Discretion; choice (Pope). 4. Command; direction (Eccles.). 5. Disposition; inclination; desire (Shaks.). 6, Power; government (Locke).__7. Divine determination (Shakspeare). 8. Testament; disposition of a dying man's effects (Stephens). 9. Good-WILL. Favour; kindness (Shak.). 10. Good-WILL Right intention (Philemon). 11. Ill-WILL. Malice; malignity.

WILL AND TESTAMENT, in law. Every person capable of binding himself by contract is capable of making a will.

Also a male infant of the age of 14 years and upwards, and female of 12 years and upwards, are capable of making a will respecting personal estates only.

But a married woman cannot make a will unless a power is reserved in a marriage settlement; but wherever personal property, however, is given to a married woman for her sole and separate use, she may dispose of it by will.

If a feme sole makes her will, and afterwards marries, such marriage is a legal revocation of the will.

Wills are of two kinds, written and verbal; the former are most usual and secure.

It is not absolutely necessary that a will should be witnessed; and a testament of chattles, written in the testator's own hand, though it should have neither the testator's name nor seal to it, nor witnesses present at his publica

tion, will be good, provided sufficient proof can be had that it is his hand-writing. Gilb. 260.

By stat. 29 Car. II. c. 3, all devises of lands, and tenements, shall not only be in writing, but shall also be signed by the party so devising the same, or by some other person in his presence, and by his express direction, and Shall be witnessed and subscribed in the presence of the person devising, by three or four credible witnesses, or else the devise would be entirely void, and the land will descend to the heir at law.

A will, even if made beyond sea, bequeath ing land in England, must be attested by three witnesses. 2 Pere Wms. 293.

A will, however, devising copyhold land, does not require to be witnessed: it is sufficient to declare the uses of a surrender of such copyhold land made to the use of the will. The party to whom the land is given becomes entitled to it by means of the surrender, and not by the will. 2 Atk. 37.

A codicil is a supplement to a will, or an addition made by the person making the same, annexed to, and to be taken as part of, the will itself, being for its explanation or alteration, to add something to, or take something from, the former disposition, and which may also be written or verbal, under the same restrictions as regard wills.

If two wills are found, and it does not appear which was the former or latter, both will be void; but if two codicils are found, and it cannot be ascertained which was the first, but the same thing is devised to two persons, both ought to divide; but where either wills or codicils have dates, the latter is considered as valid, and revokes the former. See ADMINISTRATOR, EXECUTOR, and LEGACY.

WILL WITH A WISP, or Jack with a lanthorn. See IGNIS FATUUS.

To WILL. v. a. (wilgan, Gothic; pillan, Saxon; willen, Dutch.) 1. To desire that any thing should be, or be done; or not be, or not be done (Hooker). 2. To be inclined or resolved to have (Shakspeare). 3. To command; to direct (Dryden). 4. It is one of the signs of the future tense.

WILLI and Vili, among the English Saxons, as viele at this day among the Germans, signified many. So Willielmus is the defender of many; Wilfred, peace to many (Gibson).

WILLIAM I. duke of Normandy, king of England, and one of the greatest generals of the eleventh century, was born at Falaise, and was the natural son of Robert, duke of Normandy, by Arlette, a furrier's daughter, After the death of Robert, which happened in 1035, William, who was his only son, succeeded him. His relations, however, disputed the succession, but being favoured by Henry I, king of France, he triumphed over them, defeated count d'Arques, took Maine, and carried the war into Anjou. Some time after he paid a visit to Edward the Confessor, who treated him with great respect,

and took a tour with him through England. Some time after Edward the Confessor dying without issue, in 1065, appointed him his heir. On which William sent to demand the crown, and soon after landed at Pevensey, in Sussex, with a powerful army, and thence proceeling to Hastings, built a strong fort. Harold had placed himself on the throne, and now march. ed to oppose him, on which a bloody battle ensued, the 14th of October, 1066, in which William obtained a complete victory, though he had three horses killed under him, and lost a great number of his troops. On the side of the English, Harold was stain, with many of the nobility, and about sixty thousand soldiers. The Normans had besides the advantage of long bows, of the use of which the English were then ignorant. But, in spite of these, the English with their battle-axes kept so close together, that they remained invincible, till the Normans pretending to fly, brought them into disorder. Notwithstanding this victory, William could have little hopes of gaining the throne by right of conquest; he, therefore, gave out that he came to revenge the death of prince Alfred, brother to king Edward, to re store Robert archbishop of Canterbury to his see, and to obtain the crown as his right, on account of its being bequeathed to him by Edward the Confessor. He cannot, therefore, be properly said to obtain the crown by con quest, since these motives engaged many of the English in his favour. William was tall, broad set, and had great strength. His pas sions were violent, but he had much wisdom, and an equal share of dissimulation. He marched directly to London, but on the way was met by a large body of Kentish men, each with a bough, or branch of a tree in his hand. This army was headed by Stigand the archbishop, who made a speech to the conquerer, in which he boldly demanded the preservation of their liberties, and let him know that they were resolved rather to die than to part with their laws and live in bondage. William thought proper to grant their demands; he agreed to govern them by the laws of Edward the Confessor, and to suffer them to retaia their ancient customs. Upon his coronation at Westminster, he was sworn to govern by the laws of the realm; and though he afterwards introduced some new forms, he preserved tria's by juries and the borough law. He instituted the courts of Chancery and Exchequer; but at the same time disarmed his English subjects, and forbade their having any light in their houses after eight o'clock at night, when a bell was rung called curfew or coverfire, at the sound of which ali were obliged to put out ther fires and candles. He conquered several powers who invaded England, obliged the Scots to preserve the peace they had broken, compelled the Welsh to pay him tribute, re fused to pay homage to the pope, built the tower of London, and caused all public acts to be made in the Norman tongue. He op pressed the people by taxes, and caused all

England to be surveyed and rated, and had the men numbered, in a work called Domesday-book, which is still extant. He resolved to chastise the French, who invaded Normandy, and after that to reduce his son Robert; but Robert no sooner found that he was engaged with his father, than he dutifully submitted to him, notwithstanding his being victorious. Some time after William declared war against Philip I. king of France, laid waste the country, burnt Mantes, and ravaged it with fire and sword to the gates of Paris; but approaching too near the flames of Mantes, the heat of the fire, together with the warmth of the season, threw him into a fever, which being increased by a fall from his horse in his return to Roan, he died in a village near that city, the 9th of September, 1087, in the 64th year of his age, after a reign of fifty-four years in Normandy, and twenty-one in England. He was interred at Caen, in Normandy. WILLIAM II. surnamed Rufus, or Red, from the colour of his hair, was the second surviving son of William the Conqueror, and succeeded his father the 27th of September, 1087. He was then thirty years of age, and at the same time Robert, his elder brother, succeeded by his father's will to the duchy of Normandy; but he resolved to assert his right of primogeniture to the crown of England, and several of the Norman nobility espoused his cause. William, however, defeated a body of his troops in Kent, and soon after prevailed on him to conclude a peace. The two brothers then made war on Henry, their youngest bro. ther, whom they besieged in Mount St. Michael, where the king riding one morning unattended, fell in with a party of Henry's soldiers, and endeavoured to force his way through them, but was dismounted, and a soldier was going to dispatch him, when he saved his life by crying out, "Hold, fellow, I am the king of England." Upon this the man dropping his sword, raised the monarch from the ground, and received from him the honour of knighthood, and other favours. The brothers being now soon reconciled, William turned his arms against Scotland, and defeated the army of king Malcolm, who with his son were killed just before in an ambush laid by Mowbray, governor of Northumberland. But soon after, Mowbray finding that the king neglected to reward his services, joined with other noblemen to set the crown on the head of Stephen, grandson to William the Conquerer: upon which the king marched into Yorkshire, reduced Bamborough, took Mowbray prisoner, and put an end to the rebellion. But at length William hunting in the New Forest, was killed by an arrow shot by Walter Tyrrel, his particular favourite, who aiming at a deer, shot the king in the breast, on which he immediately expired, on the 2d of August, 1100, aged forty-four, after a reign of thirteen years. It is said so little respect was paid to his body, that it was conveyed in a coal-cart to Winchester.

WILLIAM III. of Nassau, prince of Orange, stadtholder of the United provinces, king of

England, &c. was the son of William of Nassau, prince of Orange, by Henrietta-Maria, the daughter of Charles I. king of England, and was born at the Hague, the 4th of Novenber, 1650. He was about twenty-two years of age when, in 1672, he was elected stadtholder, and declared general of the Dutch troops, in order to put a stop to the rapidity of the conquests made by Lewis XIV. In 1673, he took the strong town of Nacrden, and obliged the French to quit Utrecht, and several considerable places where they had garrisons. Soon after he engaged the French at Senef, where he gained great honour by his courage and conduct, and obtained a victory after a most bloody engagement. On the 17th of October, 1677, he embarked for England, and the 4th of November was married to the princess Mary, the eldest daughter of the duke of York, and the 29th of the same month departed from London with his princess, and landed at Terbyde. In August, 1678, he attacked and defeated the duke of Luxemburg in his quarters, near the abbey of St. Dennis. In the heat of the action he advanced so far, that he was in great danger of being killed. On the 29th of June, 1684, a treaty was signed at the Hague, which put an end to the war. James, duke of York, having ascended to the throne of England, after the death of his brother, Charles II. endeavouring to restore the popish religion, and to destroy the civil and religious liberties of the people, they naturally cast their eyes on the prince of Orange, and applied to him for deliverance, on which he landed at Torbay, the 5th of November, 1688, and was joyfully received by almost the whole nation. James now made his escape to France, and after his departure, the lords and commons agreed, after much dispute, that he had abdicated the throne, upon which the prince of Orange and the princess Mary were proclaimed king and queen the 13th of February, 1689, and erowned the 11th of April following. An attempt was then made by the opposite party to secure Scotland for James II. but on the 26th of May, 1689, the two armies meeting at Killic kranky, in the shire of Perth, lieutenantgeneral Mackay, who commanded for king William, obtained a complete victory, after which the whole island of Great Britain submitted to him. In the mean time Tyrconnel had disarmed great part of the protestants of Ireland, and formed an army of papists, amounting to thirty thousand foot and eight thousand horse, while the protestants in the north took up arms, and scizing on Kilmore, Coleraine, Inniskilling, and Londonderry, declared for king William and queen Mary. At this time, James landing at Kinsdale, the 12th of March, 1688-9, made his public entry into Dublin; he soon after put himself at the head of twenty thousand men, and was twice reinforced by the French, who each time joined him with 5000 men. He took Coleraine and Kilmore, and laid siege to Londonderry; but soon after returned to meet his parliament in

Dublin, where he passed an act to attaint two or three thousand Protestant lords, ladies, clergymen, and gentlemen, of high treason. In the mean time the siege of Londonderry was vigorously carried on. The garrison of Inniskilling, at the same time, did wonders; particularly the day before the siege of Derry was raised, they advanced near twenty miles to meet about 6000 Irish, and defeated them, killing near 3000, though they themselves were not above 2000, and had not above 20 killed and 50 wounded. In August the duke of Schomberg arrived in Ireland with 10,000 men, took Carrickfergus in four days, and performed other acts of bravery and conduct. In June, 1690, king William landed in Ireland with a gallant army, and on the 1st of July fought the memorable battle of the Boyne, in which he gained a complete victory over the French and Irish, and obliged king James to retire to Dublin, and make all the haste he could back to France. King William also proceeded to Dublin, and thence to England. The next year the English, under the brave general Ginkle, made themselves masters of Ballimore, with incredible bravery passed the Shannon amidst the fire of the enemy, and took Athlone, and the 12th of July fought the glorious battle of Aghrim, wherein 4000 Irish, and their general St. Ruth, were slain, and all their tents, arms, &c. taken. After this entire defcat, Galway surrendered, and Limerick capitulated and thus an end was put to the war in Ireland. About this time king William formed a grand alliance against Louis XIV. and commanded the allied armies in several battles in Flanders; till at length the French acknowledged him king of England, by the treaty of Ryswick, concluded in 1697. Being thrown from his horse, his collar-bone was dislocated, and he died the 8th of March 1702, in the 14th year of his reign, and the 52d of his age, and was interred next to his queen, who had died before him, in Henry VII.'s chapel. He Jeft no issue.

WILLIAM (Fort). See CALCUTTA.

WILLIAM (Fort), a fort of Scotland, in the County of Inverness, at the extremity of Loch Linne, where that arm of the sea bends to the W. and forms Loch Eil. It is of a triangular figure, and 64 miles S. W. of Inverness.

WILLIAM HENRY, a town of Lower Canada, situate at the conflux of the Sorel with the St. Lawrence. It has a protestant and a Roman catholic church. The principal channel of intercourse with this country and the United States is through this town. It is 40 miles N.E. of Montreal, and 120 S.W. of Quebec. Lon. 73. 22 W. Lat. 45. 55 N. WILLIAMSBOROUGH, a town of N. Carolina, chief of Granville county, with a flourishing academy. It has a brisk trade with the back country, and stands on a creck that flows into the Roanoke, 50 miles W.N.W. of

Halifax.

WILLIAMSBURG, a town of Virginia, formerly the capital of that state. It is situate between two creeks; one flowing into James,

and the other into York river; and the distance of each landing place is about a mile from the town,The college of William aud Mary is fixed here; but since the removal of the seat of government, this and other public buildings are much decayed. It is 60 miles E.S.E. of Richmond. Lon. 77. 3 W. Lat. 37. 10 N.

WILLIAMSPORT, a town of Maryland, in Washington county, seated on the Potomac, at the mouth of Conegocheaque creek, six miles SW. of Elisabethtown, and 75 N.N.W. of Washington.

WILLIAMSTADT, a strong seaport of Dutch Brabant, built by William I, prince of Orange, in 1585. It is one of the keys of Holland, is well built, and has a good harbour. This place made a gallant defence, in 1793, against the French, who were obliged to raise the siege; but it surrendered to them in 1795. It stands on that part of the Mense called Butterfliet, 15 miles W.N.W. of Breda. Lon. 4. 30 E. Lat. 51, 39 N.

WILLICHIA, in botany, a genus of the class triandria, order monogynia. Calyx fourcleft; corol four-cleft; capsule two-celled, many-seeded. One species, a Mexican plant, with creeping, branched, hairy stem, alternate hairy leaves, beneath reddish; hairy calyx: flowers small, rosy.

WILLING. a. (from will.) 1. Inclined to any thing; consenting (Bentley). 2. Pleased; desirous (Milton). 3. Favourable; well dis posed to any thing (Exodus). 4. Ready; complying (Hooker). 5. Chosen (Milton). Õ. Spontaneous (Dryden). 7. Consenting (Mill.).

WILLINGLY. ad. (from willing.) 1. With one's own consent; without dislike; without reluctance (Milton), 2. By one's own desire (Addison), WILLINGNESŚ. s. (from willing,) Consent; freedom from reluctance; ready com pliance (Calamy).

WILLOW (Common). See SALIX.
WILLOW (Crack). See SALIX.
WILLOW (French). See EPILOBIUM.
WILLOW (Spiked). See SPIRA.
WILLOW (Sweet). See MYRTUS BRABAN-

TICA.

WILLOW (White). See SALIX. WILLOW-HERB. See LYSIMACHIA and

LYTHRUM.

WILLOW-HERB (Rosebay). See ROSEBAY WILLOW-HERB.

WILLOW-LEAVED OAK. See QUERCUS

PHELLOS.

WILLOW (Weeping). Sec BABYLONICA WILLUGHBEIA, in botany, a genus the class pentandria, order monogynia. Corol twisted, salver-shaped; stigma capitate; gourd one or two-celled. Two species, an erect tree and climbing shrub of Guiana.

WILLUGHBY (Francis), a celebrated natural historian, was the only son of sit Francis Willughby, knight. He was fond of study from his childhood, and held idleness in abhorrence; he being so great an economist with regard to his time, as not willing to lose