Bourne (St. Mary on the Brook), now corrupted into Marylebone, or Marybone.

WATLING STREET.

The etymology of the name of this street has sufficiently exercised the ingenuity of our learned antiquaries. Perhaps the most natural solution is that given in the Gentleman's Magazine, February, 1796, where the writer derives it from the ancient British words gwaith, work, and len, legion; from which, gwaithlen, i.e., legion-work, came, he supposes, the modern Watling. Dr. Jamieson quotes Douglas and Henryson, that Watling Street denotes the Milky Way. "It has received," says he, "this designation, in the same manner as it was called by the Romans Via Lacted, from its fancied resemblance to a broad street, or causeway, being as it were paved with stars.”

WALBROOK.

This street derives its name from a stream so called, says Stow, "of running through and from the wall of the city." It has long been arched over and built on, so that its course is now hardly known.

WARWICK LANE.

Warwick Lane, Newgate Street, derives its name from a house belonging to the famous Earl of Warwick, afterwards called Warwick Inn.

WHITECHAPEL.

This locality derives its name from a convent of White Nuns (i. e., nuns who wore a white dress) that formerly stood here, and which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. After the suppression of the monasteries, a chapel remained there for many years, and which, coupled with the former circumstance, gave the locality its present name. In the centre of the market is a little dirty alley, called Harrow Alley. In this place, above 190 years ago, dwelt that prince of wits, and excellent man, Daniel Defoe: here he wrote that much read and excellent moral work, Robinson Crusoe, and here he wrote a memorable melancholy History of the Plague, of which he was an eyewitness.

WALWORTH.

This suburb (for it is now nothing more) was originally a Manor in Surrey. It is written "Walerode" in the Conqueror's Survey, and Walworth's Fields in the charter of Edward VI., granting the manor of Southwark to the City of London.

IRISH SOCIETY OF THE CORPORATION OF LONDON.

It is a curious fact, not generally known, that in the reign of James I. (1607), the greater part of six counties in the province of Ulster became vested in the crown, by an act of attainder of Shane O'Neil and other persons of dictinction, who had rebelled

against the state; and soon afterwards a project was suggested to the king, for establishing a Protestant colony on the forfeited estates, which was considered in council, approved, and published. In the year 1609, his majesty conceiving the City of London to be the body best able to undertake so important a work, made propositions for that purpose, which were considered at a conference held on the 30th of July, between the Earl of Salisbury, Lord High Treasurer, and the Lord Mayor, with some of the leading citizens: and after some further negotiation, articles of agreement were at length entered into, on the 28th of January, 1610, between the Lords of Council on behalf of the King, and the committees appointed by act of Common Council, on behalf of the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London, concerning a plantation in part of the province of Ulster. In pursuance of this agreement, the Corporation of London, with the assistance of the twelve principal companies, commenced the fulfilment of the conditions on their part; and having made great progress, the king, in the year 1613, granted a charter, by which a certain number of the citizens of London (all members of the Common Council, as their successors are at this day), were put in possession of the forfeited estates, and were ordained and constituted one body, corporate and politic, who should be called by the name of "The Society of the Governor and Assistants of London, of the New Plantation of Ulster" (now commonly called the Irish Society). Soon after obtaining the charter, all the lands granted by it were divided, by persons appointed for that service, into thirteen parts; of which one, consisting of the city of Londonderry, the town of Coleraine, &c., was retained by the governor and assistants; and one of the other twelve was assigned to each of the twelve companies who had assisted the corporation in the undertaking. The authority for this proceeding, was a license granted by the king for that purpose. In the reign of Charles I., the citizens having offended the king, the charter was in a most arbitrary manner annulled and cancelled by the Court of Chancery, but it was restored by Charles II.; and it is by this renewed charter, and renewed grants from the Irish Society, that the Twelve Companies hold.-Sturch's Pamphlet on the Condition of Ireland.

ROYAL ACADEMY.

An attempt had been made in 1759, to form an association of artists, and an exhibition of works of art, when a society was formed, and met in St. Martin's Lane, under the name of an Academy, and in the following year they had their first exhibition, under the sanction of the Society of Arts. The first effort was promising, and after a few exhibitions they were incorporated under the title of "The Society of Artists of Great Britain."

* Prior to this period it was called Derry.

The combination of a body of painters with a society embracing manufactures and commerce was not permanent; and three years after, i. e., 1769, the "Royal Academy" was established, and was so called in consequence of George III. being its founder. The Academy was constituted December 10, 1768, opened its first exhibition in Somerset House, May 1780, but removed from Somerset House, and opened its first exhibition in Trafalgar Square, May 1838.

SCOTS CORPORATION.

The origin of this corporation, says Maitland, is owing to James Kinnier, a Scotsman, and merchant of this city; who, after a long and dangerous illness, determined to give part of his estate toward the relief of the aged and necessitous poor of his own country, within the cities of London and Westminster. To which end, and for the more effectually settling what he intended to give for that purpose, he was advised by counsel to apply for a charter. This was granted in the reign of James I., and thus originated the "Scots Corporation."

CHARITY FOR THE RELIEF OF POOR WIDOWS AND SONS OF THE CLERGY.

By his majesty's (Charles II.) charter, bearing date 1st July, 1678, a body politic and corporate was constituted by the name of "The Governors of the Charity for the Relief of Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen," with license to possess any estate, not exceeding the value of £2000. Afterwards, upon the accession of Dr. Thomas Turner's gift, which amounted to about £18,000, the governors (December 16, 1714) obtained an augmentation of the said grant, by a license to possess the yearly value of £3000, over and above all charges and reprises; as also over and above the said £2000 per annum.

THE WILSONIAN FUND.

This useful fund originated from one Samuel Wilson of London, who bequeathed £20,000 to be lent out in small sums to industrious tradesmen. He died 1771.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

All arts and sciences began to revive and flourish at the Restoration, and the English tongue was exceedingly improved and refined. The "Royal Society" was established in 1663, by the King's Letters-Patent, for the improvement of philosophy, mathematics, physic, and all useful knowledge; of which the first promoters and members were Dr. Ward, Mr. Boyle, Lord Brounker, Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Wallis, Sir William Petty, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Willis, Dr. Bathurst, Sir Christopher Wren, and Mr. Rook.

Hume says, amidst the thick cloud of bigotry and ignorance which overspread the nation during the Commonwealth and Protectorship, there was a few sedate philosophers, who in the retirement of Oxford cultivated their reason, and established conferences for the mutual communication of their discoveries in physic and geometry. Wilkins, a clergyman, who had married Cromwell's sister, and was afterwards bishop of Chester, promoted these philosophical conversations. Immediately after the Restoration these men procured a patent, and having enlarged their number, were denominated the "Royal Society." But this patent was all they obtained from the king. Though he was a lover of the sciences, particularly chemistry and mechanics, he encouraged them by his example alone, not by his bounty. The Society held its first meetings in Gresham College; and, after the great fire, in Arundel House. The Society subsequently returned to Gresham College; but in 1710 removed to Crane Court, Fleet Street, and from thence, in 1782, to its present place of meeting in Somerset House.

ST. GEORGE'S FIELDS, &c.

After the dissolution of the monasteries and other religious houses, the mayor and citizens of London, taking into their consideration how commodious and convenient it would be unto the city, to have the Borough of Southwark annexed thereunto, and that the same borough was in the king's hands wholly, they became suitors unto Henry VIII., and unto the lords of his highness' privy council, for the obtaining of the same; which suit not being granted unto them, after the decease of Henry VIII. they renewed their suit unto Edward VI., and to the lords of the privy council, for the obtaining of the same borough. At length, after long suit, it pleased King Edward VI., by his letters-patent, bearing date of Westminster there, the 23rd day of April, in the fourth year of his reign, as well in consideration of the sum of £647: 2: 1, of lawful money of England, paid to his highness's use, by the mayor and citizens of London, as for divers other considerations him thereunto moving, to give and grant unto the said mayor and citizens of London, divers messuages, lands, and tenements, lying near the Borough of Southwarke, in the said letters-patent particularly expressed, which were sometimes the land of Charles, late duke of Suffolke, and of whom Henry VIII. did buy and purchase the same. But there was excepted out of the said grant, and reserved unto Edward VI., his heirs and successors, all that, his capital messuage or mansion-house, called Southwarke Palace, late of the said Duke of Suffolke, and all gardens and land to the same adjoining; and all that, his park in Southwarke, and all that, his messuage, and all edifices and ground called the Antelope there.

ETYMONS OF SEVERAL COUNTRIES, ISLANDS, SEAS, TOWNS,

PROVINCES, REMARKABLE PLACES, &c.

ATLANTIC OCEAN.

Atlantic, or Atlantic Ocean, derives its name from Mount Atlas, in Africa, and extends between the west continents of Africa and Europe, and the east continent of America. Its least breadth, from Guinea in Africa, to Brazil in South America, is 2,300 miles. On one side the equator, it is called the North Atlantic Ocean; on the other, the South Atlantic Ocean.

AZORES, OR WESTERN ISLANDS.

Azores, or Western Islands, a group of islands in the Atlantic, between 25 and 30 west longitude, and 37 and 40 north latitude, 795 miles west of Portugal. They are nine in number, viz., St. Maria, St. Michael, Terceira, St. George, Graciosa, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. They were discovered in 1430, by Joshua Vanderberg of Bruges, who in a voyage to Lisbon was driven thus far to the westward by stress of weather. Boasting of his discovery on his arrival at Lisbon, the Portuguese government fitted out an expedition and took possession of these Islands, and called them the Açores, from the number of hawks found among them. Açore, being the Portuguese for hawk.

ATHENS.

Minerva was worshipped by the Athenians before the age of Cecrops, in whose time Athens was founded, and its name taken from Minerva, whom the Greeks called Ann. It was proposed to call the city either by her name or that of Neptune, and as each had partisans, and the women had votes equal to the men, Cecrops called all the citizens together, both men and women; the suffrages were collected; and it was found that all the women had voted for Minerva, and all the men for Neptune; but the women exceeding the men by one voice, Athens was called after Minerva. A temple was dedicated to her in the city, with her statue in gold and ivory, thirty-nine feet high, executed by Phidias.

AMERICA.

So called from Americus Vesputius, who, having accompanied Ojeda, who in 1499 followed in the steps of Columbus, and having had a share in the direction of it himself, had published an account of it on his return. The country of which he was