Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/510

* WESSEL. 434 WEST AFRICAN COLONIES. phus Agricola (qq.v.) were among his scholars. His later years were spent in monastic retire- ment. Wessel's friends, among whom were the Bishop of Utrecht, David oi Burgundy, brother to Charles the Bold, called him lux mundi, with reference to his evangelical •'iew^s, but his critics called him 'master of contradictions,' in allusion to his attitude to the Koman Catholic Church and to his mind, which held scholastic, mystic, and classical culture together with scientific knowledge in one consciousness without feeling the contradiction. He published but little, and almost all his writings were mere notes and sketches for lectures. His friends saved his manuscripts and sent them to Luther. who pub- lished a farrago of them (1.512), leaving out an essay on the Eucharist because it advocated Zwingli's view and not his own. Wessel's writings are aplioristic and no single idea stands out promi- nently. Consult: Muurling, Commentatio His- iorica-Theologica de Wesseli (Utrecht, 1831); id., De Wesseli Principns atque Tirtutibus (Amsterdam, 1840) ; Ullmann. Reformatoren vor der Reformation {Halle, 1847). WES'SEX (AS. Westseaxe, West Saxons). An Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It was situated in Southern Britain, extending from Watling Street to the Channel. In 495 the West Saxons, or CTCwissas, landed about where Southampton is now under the leadership of Cerdie and Cynric. After defeating the Britons in several battles, Cerdie became King of the conquered territory in 519. Further progress was checked for a time by a victory of the Britons in 520. After Cerdic's death, Cynric became ruler, and in 552 again took up the work of conquest. Under his son Ceawlin the kingdom was widely extended, but the King's own people finally rose against him, and he was defeated at Woddesbeorg or Wanborough in 592. For some time thereafter Wesse.x was of little importance. In the seventh century it be- came Christian and was often ruled by other kingdoms, notably Mercia. A new period began with Ine, who ruled from 688 to 726. He drove back the Mercians, and his laws are the earliest ones of the West Saxons we possess. After his death war was renewed with Mercia, which again asserted its overlordship successful- ly. The great period of Wessex history begins with Egbert (q.v.). In time he became the ruler of the whole of England, and Wessex henceforth had no independent history. Consult Green, A lihort tlififory of the English People, vol. i. (Lon- don, 1892). See Anglo-Saxons. WEST, Andrew Fleming (185,3—). An American Latinist, bom at Allegheny. Pa. He obtained his collegiate education at Princeton, from which he received his A.B. in 1874. In 1883 he became professor of Latin, and in 1901 dean of the Graduate School, in Princeton University. He wrote various articles on university educa- tion and was editor of Terence (1888). of The I'hilohihlon of Richard de Bury (1880), and of A Latin (Irammar (1902). WEST, Benjamin (1738-1820). An Ameri- can historical painter. He was born at Spring- field, Pa., October 10. 1738, of Quaker parentage. Strange stories are told of his youthful talent; how he made his own brushes, and gained his first knowledge of mixing colors from the In- diana. After some study with an artist named Williams lie set up as a portrait painter in Philadelphia at the age of eighteen. Later he removed to New York, and finally, in 17UU, went to Italy to study Miclielangelo. There he stood in high favor, and was in course of a year made honorary member of the academies of Florence, Bologna, and Parma. His stay of three years confirmed his natural tendency toward the grand style. On his arrival at London, where he permanently settled in 1703, he was well received and encouraged by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Hi.» fortune was made by "Agrippa Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus." for Drunimond. Arch- bishop of York, who olitained for him the royal patronage. In 1772 George III. appointed him historical painter, and in his "Death of General Wolfe" (Grosvenor Gallery, London) he dis- carded the convention of painting figures in a modern battle clothed in the costumes of the Greeks and Romans, though Sir .loshua Reynolds and the Archbishop of Y'ork tried to dis- suade hiiu from his intentions. Sir Joshua subsequently retracted his objections and ac- knowledged West's success, proclaiming the change as an epoch-making innovation. West was one of the founders of the Roj'al Academy and succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as its presi- dent in 1792. He produced over four hundred canvases of heroic size, but of rather common- place merit. His sense of composition is good, but his color flat and spiritless and his imagina- tive power not of the liighest order. His pic- tures may be seen in England at the National Gallery and at Hampton Court. In America, Philadelphia possesses "Christ Healing the Sick." "Penn's Treaty with the Indians," and "Death on the Pale Horse." and the Boston ]luseum his "Kingdom." Consult his Life bv Gait (London, 1820); Art Journal (1863); fuckerman. Book of the Artists (New Y'ork, 1867). WEST, Edward William (1824—). An English Pahlavi scholar, born in London. He was educated at home by his mother until he entered King's College, London, in 1839, from which he was graduated with honor in the engi- neering department. In 1844 he went to India as a civil engineer in connection with the railway system of the Bombay Presidency. He visited the cave temples, especially at Kanheri. and in 1848 began his studies of Pahlavi inscriptions and manuscript texts. In 1870 he retired from his engineer duties in India, returned to Europe, and led a student's life, devoting his time to editing, deciphering, and translating the most important works of Pahlavi literature. Among his w'orks are: The Book of the Mainyo-i-Khard (1871) ; The Book of Arduviruf and a Glossai-y (1872-74) ; Shikand-gilwanlk Vijar (1887) ; and five volumes of Patilavi Texts translated in Miiller, flacrcd Books of the East, vols, v., xviii., xxiv., xxxvii., xlvii. (Oxford, 1880-95). WEST, Rebkcca. The principal female char- acter in Ibsen's Rosmcrshohn, an adventuress who, from love of the clergy-man Rosmer, plays upon his wife's inherited tendency toward suicide until that unfortunate woman drowns herself. The character symbolizes the 'free-love' influence in modern society. WEST ArmCAN COLONIES. A name applied to the four British crown colonies of Gold Coast, Lagos, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.