Volume 2

The great historical, geographical, genealogical and poetical dictionary; being a curious miscellany of sacred and prophane history. Containing, in short, the lives and most remarkable actions of the patriarchs, judges, and kings of the Jews; of the apostles, fathers, and doctors of the church; of popes, cardinals, bishops, &c. ... Together with the establishment and progress both of religious and military orders, and the lives of their founders. As also, the fabulous history of the heathen gods and heroes. The description of empires, kingdoms, commonwealths, provinces, cities, towns, islands, mountains ... The whole being full of remarks and curious enquiries, for the illustration of several difficulties in theology, history, chronology and geography. Collected from the best historians, chronologers, and lexicographers ... but more especially out of Lewis Morery, D.D. his eighth edition corrected and enlarged by Monsieur Le Clerc; in two volumes in folio. To which are added, by way of supplement, inter-mix'd throughout the alphabet, the lives, most remarkable actions, and writings of several illustrious families of our English, Scotch and Irish nobility, and gentry, and most famous men of all professions, arts and sciences: as also, an exact description of these kingdoms; with the most considerable occurrences that have happened to this present time / [Louis Moréri].

  • Moréri, Louis, 1643-1680.
Date:
1701
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The great historical, geographical, genealogical and poetical dictionary; being a curious miscellany of sacred and prophane history. Containing, in short, the lives and most remarkable actions of the patriarchs, judges, and kings of the Jews; of the apostles, fathers, and doctors of the church; of popes, cardinals, bishops, &c. ... Together with the establishment and progress both of religious and military orders, and the lives of their founders. As also, the fabulous history of the heathen gods and heroes. The description of empires, kingdoms, commonwealths, provinces, cities, towns, islands, mountains ... The whole being full of remarks and curious enquiries, for the illustration of several difficulties in theology, history, chronology and geography. Collected from the best historians, chronologers, and lexicographers ... but more especially out of Lewis Morery, D.D. his eighth edition corrected and enlarged by Monsieur Le Clerc; in two volumes in folio. To which are added, by way of supplement, inter-mix'd throughout the alphabet, the lives, most remarkable actions, and writings of several illustrious families of our English, Scotch and Irish nobility, and gentry, and most famous men of all professions, arts and sciences: as also, an exact description of these kingdoms; with the most considerable occurrences that have happened to this present time / [Louis Moréri]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    W. THIS Letter is only ufed by the Germans, and thofe who imitate their Dialeft; as, the Englif, foe. whofe Languange is originally Saxon. WAIGATS, a Chanel or Streight be¬ tween the Country of Waigats and the Firm Land of Mofcovia, The Current of the Water lyes from Weft to Eaft, and it’s by this that the Seas of Mofcovy and Tartary join or communicate, The Hollanders difeovered this famous Streight in 1594, when they endeavour’d to find a Paffage to China by the North, and were ftop’d by the Ice. They landed in two Iflands, whereof they call one that is to the Eaft of this place, Staten Eyland, and the other to the Weft Maurice. They met with nothing in either but Rocks and Lakes, with great Numbers of Swans, wild Ducks, Falcons, foe. W A INFLEET, or Waynfeet, a Market Town in Lincoln- fine, in Lindfey Divifion, and Hundred of Candle (how, upon a Wafh in a Fenny Ground, which empties it felf into the Sea not far from hence-, made famous by giving Name and Birth to William of Waynfleet, Bifhop oiWinchefler, the Founder of Mag¬ dalen College in Oxon, and of a Free-School in this Town. It’s 102 Miles from London. WAKEFIELD, a Market Town in the Weft-Riding of Torkfhire, in Agbridge Hundred, upon the River Calder, over which it has a fair Stone Bridge. King Edward IV. adorn’d it with a ftately Chapel. It’s now a large Town, well built, of great Antiquity, and drives a good Clothing Trade. From Lon¬ don 133 Miles. WALA (Prince) Coufin to Charlemagne, and Abbot of Cor¬ bie. His Life was writ by Pafchafius Radbertus his Difciple, un¬ der borrow’d Names, becaufe there were feveral fecret impor¬ tant things relating to the Depofition of Lewis the Meek in 835, not fafe to be fpoken in that Emperor’s nor his Son Charles the Baldstime, when Pafchafius wrote. This Hiftory informs us, that Wala was married to the Daughter of William Duke of Sep- timania, and became General of Charlemagne’s Army 5 that he afterwards retired into the Monaftery of Corbie and left it again to take care of Lothaire’s Education, and to govern the Kingdom of Italy for him. Some think he had a hand in Depofing Lewis the Meek, and others hold he was very much againft it. Alla jf. Ordints. S.Benedifl. WALACHIA, orValaquia, a Principality of Europe, was formerly part of the antient Kingdom of Hungary. It lyes be¬ tween Bulgaria, Moldavia, Tranfylvania, and the modern Hun¬ gary. It is not very long fince it was divided into Great Vala- chi a or Cifalpina, the prefent Moldavia, and Little Valachia or Tranfalpina, the which is now only called Valachia. It has Mines of Gold, Horfes the moft efteemed of Europe, and a great number of Rivers. The chief Town is Tarvis or Tergowisk. The Prince, who takes the Name of Vaivode, that is, Chief of the Troops, is tributary to the Turk, and pays 120000 Livres a Year. Corban, a Greek by Religion, had Valachia from the Grand Signior in the 17th Age. See Valachia. WALCHEREN, or Walachia, an Ifland of the Low Coun¬ tries, in Zealand. Its principal Towns are Middlebourg, Flufh- ing, Cere, Armuide,foc. WALCHEREN, or the Hew Walcheren, an Ifland of Nor¬ thern America, otherwife called Tobago. WALDECK, a County of Germany, in the Landtgraviat of Heffe, rich in Corn and Wine, and Mines of Gold, Silver, Brafs, Quickfilver, Iron, Lead, Salt, and Allum. The Prince of this Name, who was Field-Marihal to theSrates-General,a Proteftant, and good Soldier,but not reckon’d very fuccefsful, diedin 1692. WALDEN, a Market Town of Vttlesfond Hundred in the North-Weft part of Ejfex, feated on an Afcent, water’d by the River Grant, amongft pleafant Fields of Saffron 5 whence it’s alfo called Saffron Walden. From London 3 5 Miles. WALDERSWICK, a Sea Town in the County of Suffolk, and Hundred of Blithing, near Southwould Bay, adorned with a remarkable, high, and fair Church. WALES, once a Kingdom, and now a Principality, is a Country on the Weft of England, bounded on all fides with the Sea, except on the Eaft, where it joins to England. Anti- endy it extended Eaftward as far as the Severn, till Off a the Great (King of Mercia, in the time of the Heptarchy ) drove the Welf out of the plain Countries beyond that River, to the Mountains •, where he caufed them to be fhut up, by making a Dike, called Off a’s Dike, which parted England from Wales. And a Law was afterwards made by Harold, that if any Welfh man was found with a Weapon on this fide of the Ditch, he Ihould have his Right-Hand cut off. This Dike reach’d about 100 Miles, from the Fall of the Wye into the Severn, not far from Chepflow, to Chefler, and is in many Places to be feen at this Day. This Country, by the Natives called Zambre, in Latin Cambria, or Cambro-Britannia, got the Name of Wales among us, from the Saxons Wallis ■ who,confiderihg the Welfh or Britains as de¬ fended from the antient Gauls, might call it fo inftead of Gal- lit, it being ufual with the Germans to ufe in fome Cafes a w where the French ufe a g or gu, as in the Words Warden and in French Gardien and Guerre. And that which makes the Thing moft probable, is, that Wales is to this Day called by the French Galles or le Pais de Galles. The antient Inhabi- tants hereof, in the time of the Romans, went chiefly under thele three Names, viy. the Siluris, Vi met a, and Or devices, who poneffed all that Traft which lyes on the Weft of the Severn. To this Country fled the antient Britains, driven out of their Native Seat (the Kingdom we live in) by the invading Saxons. Wales hath many goodly Rivers, the principal whereof are the Dee, Wye, Tivy, Tovy, Z>sf and Coirway. And as for Har- bours, no Country can boaft of a fafer and more capacious than that called Milford Haven in Pembroke fare. The Inhabitants being the Off-fpring of the antient Britains, are look’d upon as Men 01 honeft Principles, but much inclined to Choler. Always very troublefom to the Englifi during their Subjection to them, leldom keeping themfelves within the Bounds of true Allegi¬ ance, till the Reign of Henry VII. who being born in this Coun¬ try, calmed their reftlefs Spirits, being pleafed to fee them- lelves under a King of their own Nation. A People, faid Hen- rd lb 'n a Letter he wrote to Emanuel Emperor of Conftantino- ple, fo adventurous, that naked they dare encounter with armed Men, ready to fpend their Blood for their Country, and pawn their Life for Praife. ’ •- y The Truth is, that fince their Incorpo rating with the Englifi, they have fhewed themfelves very hear¬ ty and affeftionate Subjedts of the State, and as ready to defend their Laws, Liberties, and Religion, as the beft of their Fellow-' Subjefts. Their Language is the old Britifh, the leaft mix’d with foreign Words of any in Europe -, but, by reafonof its ma¬ ny Confonants and Guttural Letters, not very pleafing to the Ear, nor much regarded by other Nations. But, as Barren as this Country is, it has yielded fome Men of good note : And (to pafs by Merlin, who lived at the latter end of the 5th Cen¬ tury, of whom ftrange Things are reported ) here was born Gil- das, for his great Knowledge firnamed Sapiens, or the Wife, Geofrey of Monmouth who lived in the 12th Century, Giraldus Cambrenfis, and of latter Times Sir John Price the Antiquary Qwen the Epigrammatift. Formerly this Country was divided into three principal Parts, viz. North-Wales, Powis-Land, and South-Wales, each of them under its own Princes. The firft: I’emg the moft barren and unfruitful part of Wales, contained the Counties of Merioneth and Caernarvan, the Ifle of Anglefey and the greateft part of Denbigh and Flint Shires. Powis-Land a more fruitful part, contained the Counties of Montgomery Radnor, all Shropfiire beyond the Severn, and the reft of Denbigh and Flint Shires. South-Wales, the greateft and moft: fruitful part of the three, comprehended the Counties of Mon¬ mouth, Glamorgan, Caermarthen, Cardigan, and Brecknock. But fince Monmouth fine and all Shropfiire were taken out of Wales and reckoned as part of England, the whole Country has only been divided into two Parts, to wit, North-Wales and South- Wales ; and each of them fubdivided into fix Counties, viz Flint fine, Denbighfine, Caernarvan fire, Merionethshire, Montgo- meryfme, and the Ifle of Anglefey in North-WalesCardigan- fine, Radnorfine, Brecknockfine, Glamorganfire, Caermarthen- ftre, and Pembrokefire, in South-Wales. So that the length of the Whole from North to South, may be reckoned 120 Miles j from Eaft to Weft 80, where it is broadeft. Thefe 12 Shires are again contrarted or fubdivided into four Circuits, for the Adminiftration of Juftice. The firft of which contains the Counties of Montgomery, Flint, and Denbigh • the fecond, thofe of Caernarvan, Anglefey, and Merioneth ■, the third, thofe oil Caermarthen, Cardigan, and Pembroke • the fourth, thofe of Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor. For the Church-Govern¬ ment, the whole Country is divided into thefe four Bifhopricks, of St. David, s, Landaff, St.Afaph, and Bangor-, all four belonging, to the Province of Canterbury. In thefe 12 Shires there are reckoned ioid Pariflies; amongft which, 4 Cities, 55 Market- Towns, and 41 Caftles of the old Erection. The Cities (fays Heylin) fmall, poor, and inconfiderable. The Market-Towns thofe efpecialiy on the Marches and Out-parts of the Country* both fair and ftrong as being not only built for Commerce and Trade but fortified with Walls and Caftles to keep in the Welfh, and were fo employed, till the Incorporating of Wales with England took away all Occafion for Hoftilities. As for the In¬ land Caftles, the very Ruins of them are now brought to Ruin, partly by the Force of Time, but chiefly by the Policy of the Kings of England, who would not fuffer any Places of Strength to remain in a Country almoft inacceffible, and amongft Men apt to take all the Advantages which offered. When, upon the Saxon Invafion, the Natives were forced to make this Country their Place of Retreat (at leaft the main Body of them) then was