Chapter Warren to Water made Wine of W by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(3) Bramah (Joseph), a peasant’s son, occupied his spare time when a mere boy in making musical instruments, aided by the village blacksmith. At the age of 16, he hurt his ankle while ploughing, and employed his time while confined to the house in carving and making woodwares. In another forced leisure from a severe fall, he employed his time in contriving and making useful inventions, which ultimately led him to fame and fortune (1749–1814).

(4) Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while confined in Bedford jail (1628–1688). (See Prison Literature, p. 874.)

(5) Burritt (Elihu) made himself acquainted with ten languages while plying his trade as a village blacksmith (Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Spanish, Bohemian, Polish, Danish, Persian, Turkish, and Ethiopic). His father was a village cobbler, and Elihu had only six months’ education, and that at the school of his brother (1811–1879).

(6) Carey, the missionary and Oriental translator, learnt the rudiments of Eastern languages while employed in making and mending shoes (1761–1834).

(7) Clement (Joseph), son of a poor weaver, was brought up as a thatcher, but, by utilizing his waste moments in self-education and works of skill, he raised himself to a position of great note, giving employment to thirty workmen (1779–1844). (8) Cobbett learnt grammar in the waste time of his service as a common soldier (1762–1835).

(9) D’Aguesseau, the great French chancellor, observing that Mme. D’Aguesseau always delayed ten or twelve minutes before she came down to dinner, began and completed a learned book of three volumes (large quarto), solely during these “waste minutes.” This work went through several editions (1668–1751).

(10) Etty utilized indefatigably every spare moment he could pick up when a journeyman printer (1787–1849).

(11) Ferguson taught himself astronomy while tending sheep in the service of a Scotch farmer (1710–1776).

(12) Franklin (Benjamin), while working as a journeyman printer, produced his Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain (1706–1790).

(13) Miller (Hugh) taught himself geology while working as a mason (1802–1856).

(14) Paul worked as a tentmaker in intervals of travel and preaching.

This brief list must be considered only as a hint and heading for enlargement. Of course, Henry Cort, William Fairbairn, Fox of Derby, H. Maudslay, David Mushet, Murray of Leeds, J. Nasmyth, J. B. Neilson, Roberts of Manchester, Whitworth, and scores of others will occur to every reader. Indeed, genius for the most part owes its success to the utilization of waste time.

Wastle (William), pseudonym of John Gibson Lockhart, in Blackwood’s Magazine (1794–1854).

Wat Dreary, alias Brown Will, a highwayman in captain Macheath’s gang. Peachum says “he has an underhand way of disposing of the goods he stole,” and therefore he should allow him to remain a little longer “upon his good behaviour.”—Gay: The Beggar’s Opera, i. (1727).

Wat Tyler. (See Tyler, p. 1152.)

Wat’s Dyke, a dyke which runs from Flintshire to Beachley, at the mouth of the Wye. The space between Wat’s Dyke and Offa’s Dyke was accounted neutral ground, where Danes and Saxons might traffic with the British without molestation. The two dykes are in some places as much as three miles asunder, but in others they approach within 500 yards of each other.