Windsor, poor Knights of, a body of military pensioners who reside within the precincts of Windsor Castle

Witwould, Sir Wilful. Set Congreve’s The Way of the World

Wronghead, Sir Francis, Vanbrugh and Cibber’s The Provoked Husband

XIMENES, Cardinal, statesman, and regent (1436-1517)

ZADIG, the title-character of a novel by Voltaire, dealing with the fatalistic aspect of human life

Zephon, the cherub sent with Ithuriel by Gabriel to find out the whereabouts of Satan after his flight from hell

Zimri in Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel stands for the second Duke of Buckingham (for the original see 3 Kings xvi. 9)