his preface how much he owed to Wilkins, and that the latter "was obliged to charge himself with the various occupations of metallurgist, engraver, founder, and printer." Pursuing his studies still further, Wilkins began to cultivate that great parent language which forms the real treasure-house of Eastern learning and science, and so successful were his efforts that he obtained the honoured title of "the father of Sanscrit literature." Such scholars as Sir William Jones bear high testimony to this branch of Wilkins' attainments. In 1784 the two conjointly established the Literary Society of Calcutta, and in 1785 there appeared from the pen of Wilkins a translation of the Bhagvatgita, one of the episodes of the Mahabharata, the great national poem of the Hindoos. Next year declining health obliged him to return to Europe, where, however, he still continued to labour zealously in his own peculiar field. In 1808 the greatest of his works, his "Sanscrit Grammar," was published. He had previously, in 1801, been appointed librarian to the East India Company, and in 1805 he became visitor and examiner of the students in the oriental departments at Haileybury and Addiscombe. The duties of these offices he assiduously performed until his death, which occurred when he had almost attained the age of eighty-seven, 13th May, 1836. Sir Charles Wilkins (he received the well-merited honour of knighthood) has left a name for ever illustrious in the annals of eastern scholarship.—J. J.
WILKINS, John, D.D., Bishop of Chester, was born at Fawsley, near Daventry, in 1614, in the house of his maternal grandfather, John Dod, who was a nonconformist of some note. His father was a citizen of Oxford, and he received his early as well as his university education in that city. He was a student first at New Inn hall, and afterwards at Magdalen hall, where he was for a time under the tuition of John Tombes, the noted baptist. He took his art degrees in 1631 and 1634, and was ordained soon after, when he became successively chaplain to Lord Say, Lord Berkeley, and Charles count palatine of the Rhine, who was then residing in England, he had early addicted himself to mathematical and physical studies, and it was his proficiency in these that chiefly recommended him to the count palatine. His early publications were all upon such subjects; and though now regarded as curiosities of literature for the chimerical ingenuity of much of their contents, they are interesting and valuable memorials of the state and progress of mathematical and experimental science in that age. His first work appeared in 1638 under the startling title of "Discovery of a New World; or a discourse tending to prove that it is probable that there may be another habitable world in the moon, with a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither." In 1640 he published a "Discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove that it is probable our earth is one of the planets." Both these works appeared anonymously, but were well known to be his. When the troubles of Charles I.'s reign began he sided with the parliament, and publicly professed himself of the presbyterian party by signing the Solemn League and Covenant. In 1648 the committee of parliament appointed to visit and reform the university of Oxford made him warden of Wadham college in room of the royalist John Pitt—a post which he adorned by the moderation of his conduct towards men of the opposite party, and by his enlightened zeal in promoting the cultivation of his favourite sciences. While resident in London as a chaplain, he had been extremely active in promoting those scientific meetings which ultimately led to the foundation of the Royal Society; and as warden of Wadham he continued to stimulate the study of experimental and mathematical science in the same way. In 1656 he married Robina, widow of Dr. French, a sister of Oliver Cromwell, a connection which exposed him to great odium in the eyes of the royalists; and in 1659 he owed to this alliance his nomination by Richard Cromwell to the mastership of Trinity college, Cambridge. In 1660 the Restoration unseated him from this high academic dignity, and for some time his fortunes were reduced to a low ebb. But he found a new patron ere long in the Society of Gray's inn, who made him their chaplain; and in 1662 having made up his mind to conform to the conditions of the act of uniformity, he was presented to the rectory of St. Lawrence, Jewry, which was in the gift of the crown. He took a prominent part in founding the Royal Society, was elected a member of its first counoil, and gave a new proof of his scientific genius by preparing an "Essay towards a real Character and a Philosophical Language," which he gave to the world in 1668. In the same year he was made bishop of Chester, after having been for some time dean of Ripon. In these high places of the church he gave a conspicuous example of ecclesiastical moderation and breadth of view, and he became one of the chief ornaments of the new party in the church which began to be known under the name of the latitudinarians. As such he is mentioned with high honour by Bishop Burnet in the History of his own Times. But he did not long enjoy his new honours; he died November 19, 1672, in the house of Dr. Tillotson in Chancery Lane, and was interred in the church of St. Lawrence, Jewry. Tillotson was his literary executor, and published in 1675 a treatise "Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion," which he found unfinished among his papers, and in 1682 a volume containing fifteen of his sermons. Wilkins was a distinguished preacher, and was one of the most successful examples of the new homiletic style which arose in the Church of England after the Restoration. But he had anticipated that epoch in the history of the English pulpit by a publication of his views on preaching, as early as 1646, in a work which went through several editions, "Ecclesiastes, or a discourse of the gift of preaching as it falls under the rules of art." Indeed on most of the subjects which engaged his truly original and suggestive mind he was a man much in advance of his own age, and it may be mentioned as a signal instance of this in the theological field, that there are not a few thoughts in his "Discourse on Natural Religion" which anticipated the masterly argument of the Analogy of Bishop Butler.—P. L.
WILKINS, William, R.A., was born at Norwich, August 31, 1778. His father was an architect and builder in that city, but subsequently removed to Cambridge. There the son matriculated at Caius college in 1796, and in 1800 graduated sixth wrangler. In 1801 he obtained a travelling bachelorship, and visited Italy and Greece. Having spent some years in studying the principal remains of classical architecture, he on his return home published, as the result of his investigations, "The Antiquities of Magna Grecia," folio, 1807. The same year he commenced professional practice, his first important commission being the construction of Downing college, Cambridge. The works were continued till 1821, when so much as was necessary for opening the college being completed, the remainder was left for a future day. The exterior is of the Grecian Doric order, without sculpture, and with the details of a very meagre and common-place description; the interior has little more arrangement than that rooms of certain proportions should accord with each other; and neither interior nor exterior shows any special adaptation to the purpose for which the building was erected. But it was built at a time when what was called pure, or severe, Greek design was fashionable, and, amazing as it now seems. Downing college was regarded as an architectural masterpiece. Whilst it was in course of erection the East India Company decided to build a new college at Haileybury, Hertfordshire, and thought they could not do better than employ the architect of Downing college; and he, in his turn, thought he could not do better than reproduce at Haileybury an almost mechanical copy of Downing. So well satisfied with his procedure were those interested in such matters, that in 1828, when the London university (now University college) was to be built, Wilkins was again called in. In this instance he made a new design, placing a cupola behind his portico. The building is still a fragment, and is therefore seen at a disadvantage: on the whole, it compares favourably with Downing college. In 1823 Wilkins was called in to make extensive alterations and additions to Trinity and Corpus Christi colleges, and in 1828 to King's college, Cambridge. In all these Wilkins worked in what he considered to be a Gothic style. His work is, of course, vehemently denounced by the Gothicists of the present day; and it must be confessed that it is not more accordant with the spirit of mediaeval Gothic architects, than his classical work is with that of the ancient Greeks. During the progress of these collegiate edifices, which extended over nearly his entire professional career, Wilkins had constructed a large number of private mansions; the Dublin Nelson pillar, 1808, and that at Yarmouth, 1817; the University Club-house, Pall Mall, 1825; St. George's hospital, Hyde Park Corner, 1826, &c. But his crowning performance was the National gallery, Trafalgar Square, 1832-38. The severity of the criticisms on this unfortunate structure was a source of intense mortification to him. This was increased by the reception accorded to the designs he submitted in competition for the new houses of parliament (1836), and he gave vent to his irritation in a pamphlet entitled "An
