WABASH A college for young men at Crawfordsville. ha, founded in 1832. It has no organic connection with any ecclesias tical body. but is closely affiliated with the Pres byterian Church. Students are admitted on ex amination or by certificate from accredited schools. All undergraduate courses lead to the degree of B.A. The master's degree is given for approved work three years after graduation, or on completion of one year's graduate work at the college. The college grounds consist of 40 acres in the heart of the city. valued, with the buildings, at $500.000. In 1903 the total at tendance was 200, the faculty numbered 14, and the library contained 40,000 volumes. The en dowment was $500,000.
WACE (e.1)00-c.1175). An Anglo-Norman poet. Ile was born on the island of Jersey, about I100. When a boy he was taken to Caen, in Normandy, where he learned Latin in prepara tion for the Church. He then studied 'a long time' at Paris, returning between 1130 and 1135 to Caen, where he became 'a clere lisant' in the royal chapel, and a man of letters to eke out his income. Promotion came to him in old age, when (apparently in 1169) Henry the Second made him a prebendary at Bayeux. As there is no trace of him after 1174, it may be inferred that he died in that or the next year. Waco was the author of two great poems. The first of them. the (kste des Bretons, or the Roman de Brut, was completed in 1155, and presented with a dedica tion to Queen Eleanor some time before 1160, It is a long poem, comprising snore than fifteen thousand lines in the prevailing octosyllabic couplet. The narrative begins with the settle ment of Britain by Brut, or Brutus, the great grandson of _Emits, and closes with Cadwalader, the last of the shadowy kings of Britain. The
poem is based mainly on the Latin History of the British Kings by Geoffrey of Monmouth (q.v.), but Waco bad at hand other Kymric traditions. He describes, for example, the round table, which was unknown to Lleoth.ey. The Brat was trans lated into English with changes and by Layamon (q.v.). Waee's second great poem, somewhat longer than the first. is the Roman do Ron, composed between 1160 and 1174. It is partly in Alexandrine verse and partly in octo syllabic couplets. After giving a summary of the history of the Norman kings and dukes from Henry the Second hack to Rolf, Wave reverses the order for a more detailed account. To an English reader the most interesting section is a description of the Norman Conquest, which seems to have been based upon the best traditions. But he never completed his chronicle, for old age was rapidly approaching and he became dis couraged on hearing that his patron had asked 14.noit de Sainte-More to write on the same theme. Belonging to W'ace's middle life art three minor poems: the Vic de St. Nicolas (edit ed by Delius, Bonn, 1850) ; the lie dr In l'ifrge ilurie (edited by Lnzarehe, Tours, 1859) ; and the lie dc lit. Marguerite (edited by .logy, Paris, 1S79). The /fru/ has been edited by Le Roux de Limey (flown, 1836-38), and the Roman de Von by Andresen (Ilt•ilbronn, 1877-79). For the life and work of Waco, consult Gaston Paris, Litterat are francuise au moyen fige ( Paris, 1888).