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, John, the Christopher North 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, John (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, John M. (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, John Mackay (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, Richard (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.
