A few years later he fell heir to his brother's little estate at Llanberis, North Wales, where he spent the last two years of his life. Wilson was the founder of landscape painting in England. Though he painted some of England's rivers and the niountains of Wales, the influence of his study under Italian skies is always present, as is also the manner of Claude Lorraine. His originality lay chiefly in his treatment of liglit, air, and color. His pictures usually contain distant hills and classic ruins beyond placid water, with a foreground of trees. 'The National Gallery con- tains three fine examples, several are in the Vernon collection, and two are in the Metro- politan Museum of New York City.
WILSON, Sir Kobert Thomas (1777-1849).
An English general and military writer; born in
London and educated at Westminster and at
Wincliester. When scarcely seventeen he served
with distinction as a volunteer under the Duke
of York in Belgium. He was appointed to com-
mand the small force of cavalry which served
under Sir Ralpli Abercromby in Egypt, and at
the conquest of the Cape of CJood Hope in 1806
he again commanded a small cavalry force. As
a member of the staff of Lord Hutchinson, he
was present at the battle of Eylau (q.v.), in
1807. Under Wellington he commanded a Span-
ish brigade at the battle of Talavera, in 1S09.
As British representative with the Russian army
in the campaign of 1812, Wilson fought against
the French in the battle of Smolensk, and
participated in several engagements during the
French retreat. At Lutzen (1813) he took com-
mand of the Prussian reserve, and at a crisis of
the battle succeeded in checking the enemy. At
Bautzen he also distinguished himself, and a day
or two after, the Emperor of Paissia presented
to him publicly the cross of the Order of Saint
George.
In 1841 he attained the rank of general; and from 1842 to 1849 he held the post of Governor of Gibraltar. In 1818-31 he sat in Parliament as a Liberal for Southwark. His publications in- clude: An Inquiry into the ililitarij Force of the British Empire (1804); Campaigns in Poland, uith Remarks on the Russian Army (1811) ; and a Sketch of the Military Poircr of Itussia (1817). His nophew, the Rev. Herbert Randolph, edited his i)rivate diaries (1861), and a Life (1863), biisod on autobiographical materials.
WILSON, Sir RoLMD Kny-et (1840—). An
English lawyer, born at Swaffham, Norfolk, and
educated at'Eton College and at King's College,
Candjridge. He became well known for his valu-
able treatises on legal subjects, especially Anglo-
Indian practice. Among his publications are:
.4 Short History of Modern English Law (1874) ;
An Introduction to the Study of Anglo-Muham-
madan Law (1894) ; and A Digest of Anylo-Mu-
huinmudun Law (1895).
WILSON, Thomas (c.1525-81). An English
statesman and philologist. He was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, became tutor to the sons of the Duke of Suffolk, left England in 1.5.53, and, ignoring Queen Mary's snnunons to return, was, probably :it her instigation, confined in the prison of the Inquisition on a charge of heresy till 1.555, when he escaped
through the action of an avenging mob breaking
open the prison and releasing the suspects. He
returned to England when Elizabeth came to the
throne, and became her private secretary in 1558.
He was made ambassador to the Netherlands in
1576; became a Secretary of State the next year,
and Dean of Durham in 1579. He wrote: The
liule of Reason, conteinynge the Arte of Logique
( 1551 ) ; The Arte of Rhetorique ( probably 1551 ) ,
one of the earliest English treatises on rhetoric;
Discourse uppon TJsurye (1572) ; and other works.
He translated a part of Demosthenes (1570).
WILSON, Thomas (1663-1755). An Engli=h
bishop. Iiorn at Burton, in Chesliire. and educated
at Trinity College, Dublin. He was appointed
chaplain to William, ninth Earl of Derby, and
tutor to his only son. In such esteem did Lord
Derby hold him that the next year he offered him
the rich living of Badsworth, which Wilson would
not accept because of his disapproval of non-resi-
dent rectors. Toward the end of 16!t7 Lord Derby
insisted upon his taking the Bishopric of Sodor
and Man, and he was consecrated early in 1698.
He was strict in discipline and is perhaps best
known for the unusual exercise of his rights as
head of the ecclesiastical courts. Between 1713
and 1736 this led him into frequent collisions
with the Governor, and in 1722 he was imprisoned
in Castle Rushen for two months. To repay for
this the King offered him the Bi.shopric of Exeter,
which he refused. Among his writings were:
The Principles and Duties of Christianity 1 1099) ;
A Short and Plain Instrvction for the Better Un-
derstanding of the Lord's Supper (1736) ; Essay
Toward an Instruction for the Indians (1740) ;
and Sacra Prii-ata (1781). Consult the Life by
Keble (Oxford, 1847-63) ; and Stubbs, History
of the University of Dublin (London, 1889).
WILSON, William (1801-60). An English
poet and publisher, born in Perthshire. At the
age of twenty-two he became editor of the Lit-
erary Olio at Dundee, and in 1826 removed to
Edinburgh, where he established himself in busi-
ness and was a member of the literary circle of
Christopher North. In 1832 he came to America
and became a bookseller and publisher at Pough-
keepsie. N. Y". He was the father of Gen.
James Grant Wilson. He was a lifelong con-
tributor of verse to the reviews of England and
America, but never published his poetry in book
form. A selection, edited by B. J. Lossing, ap-
peared, however, in 1869.
WILSON. William Dexter (1816-1900). An
American clergyman and philosopher, born in
Stoddard, N. H. He entered tlie theological de-
])artment of Harvard University in 1S35; was
ordained in the Protestant Episcopal Church in
1842; was made professor of history and of phi-
losophy in Geneva College (18.50), and of phi-
losophy in Cornell University (1868-86), and
emeritus professor at Cornell from 1886 to his
death. His leading works are: Elementary
Treatise on Logic (1856); Lectures on the
Psychology of Thought and Action (1871);
Text-hook of Logic (1872); First Principles of
Political Economy (1875); The Foundations of
Religions Belief (1883); Theories of Knowledge,
Historically Considered [^S'.)).
WILSON, William Lyne (1843-1900). An Americnn political leader and educator, born in dcllerson County. Va. He graduated at Columbian College at Washington, V). C. in I860; then studied for a year at the University of Virginia;
