Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/643

WILSON. against the Pcquot Iiidiiins of Connecticut (lli.'iti). and was aasociated with .John Eliot in his missionary laliors ainonfj I he Indians, lie pub- lished in Enyland, »S'»if //«/; lo Faith (1(125) and a poeiu, Famous Deliverances of the English Xatioii (1020) ; in America, a Latin poem to the memory of .John Harvard, and The Day breaking, if Xot the iS'i/H Wising, of the (lospel, relative to the Indians in New England (1047; new od., New York, 180.5).

WILSON,, the of Blackwood's Magazine (1785-1854). A Scottish writer, born May 18, 1785, at Paisley, and educated at Glasgow and Oxford. Inheriting fnnn his father an estate of £50,000, he purehased the property of Elleray overlooking Lake Windermere, where he settled as gentleman and poet. There, in the Lake District, he associated intimately with Wordsworth and came to know well De Quincey, Southey, and Coleridge. To this period belong two volumes of graceful verse — The Isle of Palms ( 1812) and The Cih/ of the Plague (1810). Having lost his fortune through a dishonest uncle, lie migrated to Edinburgh, where he took a memorable hand with J. G. Lockhart (q.v.) in the Blackwood's Magazine (q.v.) for October, 1817. Thereafter, till near his death, he was the leading writer for this famous Tory magazine, though he was never strictly its editor. In 1820 he was appointed professor of moral philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, defeating in the contest Sir William Hamilton. His only claim to the post was his rampant Toryism, then regarded as sufficient. Wilson nevertheless was an enthusiastic teacher and inspired his pupils, even if he had nothing very profound to impart to them. In 1822 he began in Blackwood's the symposium known as the Noctes Ambrosianae (q.v.). Here Wilson is seen at his best — his wit, humor, and pathos. The "Ettrick Shepherd," an idealized portrait of James Hogg (q.v.). is a masterly creation. The death of the 'Shepherd' in 1835 necessarily put an end to these delightful banquets. In the earlier days Wilson also contributed to Blaeku:ood's three good novels, afterwards published separately: Lights and Shadous of Heoftish Life (1822); The Trials of Margaret Lipuhay (1823) ; and The Foresters (1825). Later came the substantial essays on Homer, Spenser, and all manner of papers on contemporary writers and subjects. For 1834 the number reached fully 54 distinct contributions. In 1837 Wilson lost his -wife and never recovered from his grief. On resigning his professorship in 1851 he was granted a pension of £300 a year. He died in Edinburgh, April 3, 1854. In 1865 a statue was erected to his mem- ory in Princess Street Gardens. Consult his Works, edited by P. J. Ferrier (12 vols., Edinburgh, 1855-58) ; the Noctes Amhrosianw, edited by R. S. Mackenzie (5 vols., New York, 1854); Memoir by his daughter, M. W. Gordon (2 vols., Edinburgh, 1802) ; and for a good estimate, G. Saintsburv's Essays in English Literature (London. 1890).

WILSON, (1804-75). An English mis- sionary and Orientalist, born at Lauder, in Ber- wickshire. Educated at the University of Edin- burgh, he went in 1828 to Bombay as a mission- ary. His mastery of the languages of Western India, his command of the literature, the history, the faiths, and the social usages of the races of India, condjined with his energy, insight, and sympathy with native feeling, enabled Wilson to exercise a wide and powerful inlhience. His lin- guistic lal)ors, especially in Avestan. were espe- cially valuable. He was twice president of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and was vice-chancellor of the Bombay University. Among his writings other than those connected with his missionai-y work are: The Pursi Re- ligion (1843) ; The' Lands of the Bible (1847); The Hislorij of Itie Xui>i)re.^sion of Infanlicide in Western India (1855); and India Three Tliou- sand Years Ago (1858).

WILSON, (1837—). An American sohliir and military engineer, born in the District of Colund)ia. He graduated at West Point and was ap])oiiited brevet second lieutenant of artil- lery in 1800. He served throughout the Civil War, first in the artillery, after .Inly, 1802, in the toj)ographical engineers, and finally, after .March, lS(i3, in the corps of engineers :• earned the brevets of captain and major in the Regular Army for gallantry at Gaines's Mill an<l Malvern Hili, res]iectively ; attained the regular rank of captain (June, 1803), and the volunteer rank of lieuten- ant-colonel (May, 1864) ; and at the close of the war was brevetted colonel in the volunteer ser- vice and both lieutenant-colonel and colonel in the regular service for gallantry in the campaign against Mobile. After the war he was engaged on various important engineering works for the L^nited States Government, was assistant to the Chief of Engineers at Washington from 1882 to 1880, was in charge of the public buildings and grounds in the District of Columbia from June, 1885, to September, 1889, had charge of the com- pletion of the Washington Monument and of the building of other memorials and monuments, and in August, 18S0j became superintendent of the United States Military Academy. In March, 18fl5, he Avas promoted to the rank of colonel, and in February, 18fl7, was made Chief of Engi- neers, U.S.A., with the rank of brigadier-general. In April, 1901, he was retired from the service, at his own request.

WILSON, (1804-35). A Brit- ish author, born at Twcedmouth, Scotland. He settled at Berwick-on-Twced in 1832 as editor of the Berwick Advertiser. He wrote several poems and dramas of no value; but in 1834 began the pulilication in weekly numbers of The Tales of the Borders, wdiich brouglit him fame. He had published 48 numbers before his early death. The series was continued by other hands till 1874, and Wilson's tales were collected in 1854-55.

WILSON, (1714-82). An English landscape painter, born in Pinegas, Montgomeryshire. He began as a portrait painter and studied with Thomas Wright in London. Several of his portraits are at the Garrick Club and a group picture of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and their tutor is in the National Gallery. Soon after his arrival in Italy in 1759 lie changed to landscape painting. Upon his return to England he painted his famous "Niobe" for the Duke of Cumberland, of which there is a replica in the National Gallery. He was not appreciated at home as in Italy, and consequently had a continual struggle with poverty until he was appointed librarian to the Royal Academv in 1776.