WRAXALL, SIR NATHANIEL WILLIAM (1751-1831).—­Historical writer, b. at Bristol, was for a few years in the service of the East India Company, and thereafter employed on diplomatic missions, and sat for some years in the House of Commons.  In addition to a book of travels and some historical works relating to the French and other foreign Courts, he wrote Historical Memories of my own Time 1772-84, pub. in 1815.  The work was severely criticised by both political parties, and in particular by Macaulay; but W. made a reply which was considered to be on the whole successful.  A continuation bringing the narrative down to 1790 was pub. in 1836.  The Memoirs are valuable for the light they throw on the period, and especially for the portraits of public men which they give.

WRIGHT, THOMAS (1810-1877).—­Antiquary, b. near Ludlow, of Quaker parentage, was ed. at Camb.  His first work was a History of Essex (1831-36).  In 1836 he went to London, and adopted literature as a profession, devoting himself specially to archaeology, history, and biography.  He held office in various societies such as the “Camden,” “Percy,” and “Shakespeare,” and ed. many works for them.  In all he was the author of over 80 publications, of which some of the chief are The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon, Biographia Britannica Literaria, Queen Elizabeth and her Times, and History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England during the Middle Ages.  He was superintendent of the excavation of the Roman city at Wroxeter in 1859.

WYATT, SIR THOMAS (1503-1542).—­Poet, s. of Sir Henry W., a servant of Henry VII., and ed. at St. John’s Coll., Camb., came to Court and was frequently employed by Henry VIII. on diplomatic missions.  He is said to have been an admirer of Anne Boleyn before her marriage, and on her disgrace was thrown into the Tower for a short time.  In 1537 he was knighted, and two years later was against his will sent on a mission to the Emperor Charles V. On the death in 1540 of Thomas Cromwell, to whose party he belonged, W. was accused of misdemeanours during his embassy and again imprisoned in the Tower, where he wrote a defence which resulted in his release.  In 1542 he was sent to meet the Spanish Ambassador at Falmouth, and conduct him to London, but on the way caught a chill, of which he d. W. shares with the Earl of Surrey (q.v.) the honour of being the first real successor of Chaucer, and also of introducing the sonnet into England.  In addition to his sonnets, which are in a more correct form than those of Surrey, W. wrote many beautiful lyrics; in fact he may be regarded as the reviver of the lyrical spirit in English poetry which, making its appearance in the 13th century, had fallen into abeyance.  In the anthology known as Tottel’s Miscellany, first pub. in 1557, 96 pieces by W. appear along with 40 by Surrey, and others by different hands.  W. has less smoothness and sweetness than Surrey, but his form of the sonnet was much more difficult as well as more correct than that invented by the latter, and afterwards adopted by Shakespeare, and his lyrical gift is more marked.