As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 3, 1998.
                                                     Registration No. 333-_____
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

             Virginia                                          54-0414210
   (State or Other Jurisdiction                             (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or Organization)                        Identification Number)

              1501 North Hamilton Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
                               ------------------

                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
                        EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN OF
                  UNIVERSAL LEAF TOBACCO COMPANY, INCORPORATED
                       AND DESIGNATED AFFILIATED COMPANIES
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                          James M. White, III, Esquire
                          Secretary and General Counsel
                              Universal Corporation
                           1501 North Hamilton Street
                            Richmond, Virginia 23230
                                 (804) 359-9311
                      (Name, Address and Telephone Number,
                   Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
                                   -----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



==================================== ================== ===================== ===================== =================
                                                          Proposed Maximum      Proposed Maximum        Amount of
     Title of Securities to be         Amount to be      Offering Price per    Aggregate Offering     Registration
            Registered                Registered (1)         Share (2)                Price                Fee
- ------------------------------------ ------------------ --------------------- ---------------------- ----------------
                                                                                                 
Common Stock, no par value               1,000,000             $39.00              $39,000,000           $11,505

Rights to Purchase Series A Junior
  Participating Preferred Stock             (3)                 (3)                    (3)                 (3)

==================================== ================== ===================== ====================== ================


(1)      The  amount of Common  Stock  registered  hereunder  shall be deemed to
         include any additional  shares issuable as a result of any stock split,
         stock dividend or other change in the capitalization of the Registrant.
(2)      Pursuant to Rule 457(h),  the offering price is based on the average of
         the high ($39.31) and low ($38.69)  prices as reported on the composite
         tape of New York Stock Exchange listed issues on January 30, 1998.
(3)      The Rights to Purchase  Series A Junior  Participating  Preferred Stock
         will be attached  to and will trade with shares of the Common  Stock of
         the  Registrant.  Value  attributable  to such Rights,  if any, will be
         reflected  in the  market  price of the  shares  of  Common  Stock.  No
         additional registration fee is required.





                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         Pursuant  to General  Instruction  E to Form S-8,  the  contents of the
previous   Registration   Statement  on  Form  S-8  relating  to  the  Universal
Corporation  Employees'  Stock Purchase Plan of Universal Leaf Tobacco  Company,
Incorporated  and  Designated  Affiliated  Companies (the "Plan") filed with the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on January  16,  1991,  Registration  No.
33-38652, are incorporated herein by reference.

         The Plan  initially  authorized the issuance of up to 500,000 shares of
the  Registrant's  Common Stock.  On December 4, 1997, the Board of Directors
of the Registrant  authorized an additional  1,000,000 shares of Common Stock to
be offered and sold from time to time  pursuant to the Plan.  This  Registration
Statement covers the additional 1,000,000 shares authorized under the Plan.


Item 8.           Exhibits

         The following exhibits are filed on behalf of the Registrant as part of
this Registration Statement:

         4.1      Restated  Articles of  Incorporation  (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the  Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for
                  the fiscal year ended June 30, 1990, File No. 1-652).

         4.2      Bylaws  (incorporated  herein by reference to the Registrant's
                  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
                  1996, File No. 1- 652).

         4.3      Rights  Agreement,   dated  February  2,  1989,   between  the
                  Registrant   and   Sovran   Bank,   N.A.,   as  Rights   Agent
                  (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Form 8-A
                  Registration  Statement,  dated  February  9,  1989,  File No.
                  1-652).

         4.4      Amendment to Rights Agreement,  dated May 2, 1991, between the
                  Registrant   and   Sovran   Bank,   N.A.,   as  Rights   Agent
                  (incorporated  herein by reference to the Registrant's  Form 8
                  Amendment No. 1, dated May 7, 1991,  to Form 8-A  Registration
                  Statement, dated February 9, 1989, File No. 1-652).

         4.5      Amendment to Rights  Agreement,  dated July 17, 1992,  between
                  the  Registrant,  NationsBank,  N.A.,  as  Rights  Agent,  and
                  Wachovia Bank of North  Carolina,  N.A.,  as Successor  Rights
                  Agent  (incorporated  herein by reference to the  Registrant's
                  Form 8  Amendment  No. 2,  dated  July 17,  1992,  to Form 8-A
                  Registration  Statement,  dated  February  9,  1989,  File No.
                  1-652).

         4.6      Specimen  Common  Stock  Certificate  (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the  Registrant's  Form S-3,  dated  February 25,
                  1993, File No. 33-58764).

         5.1      Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins.*

         23.1     Consent of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins  (included in
                  Exhibit 5.1).

                                      II-1


         23.2     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.*

         24       Powers of Attorney (included on Signature Page).*

         --------------

         *Filed herewith


                                      II-2


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia, on this 30th
day of January, 1998.


                                        UNIVERSAL CORPORATION



                                        By: /s/ Henry H. Harrell
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Henry H. Harrell
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Each of the undersigned hereby appoints Henry H. Harrell and William L.
Taylor, either of whom may act individually, as attorneys-in-fact and agents for
the undersigned, with full power of substitution, for and in the name, place and
stead of the  undersigned,  to sign and file with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,  any and all amendments
(including  post-effective  amendments) to this Registration Statement, with any
exhibits  thereto,  and any other  documents to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pertaining to the registration of securities covered hereby,
with full  power and  authority  to do and  perform  any and all acts and things
whatsoever requisite or desirable.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this  Registration  Statement  has been signed by the  following  persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.




                  Signature                                      Title                               Date
                  ---------                                      -----                               ----


                                                                                          
           /s/ Henry H. Harrell                               Chairman and                     January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------             Chief Executive Officer
              Henry H. Harrell                       (Principal Executive Officer) 
                                                 


           /s/ Hartwell H. Roper                           Vice President and                  January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------             Chief Financial Officer
              Hartwell H. Roper                      (Principal Financial Officer)
                                                   


          /s/ William J. Coronado                              Controller                      January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------          (Principal Accounting Officer)
             William J. Coronado                    




           /s/ William W. Berry                                 Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
              William W. Berry



           /s/ Ronald E. Carrier                                Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
              Ronald E. Carrier



- -------------------------------------------                     Director                       January 30, 1998
           Lawrence S. Eagleburger



           /s/ Joseph C. Farrell                                Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
              Joseph C. Farrell



        /s/ Charles H. Foster, Jr.                              Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
           Charles H. Foster, Jr.



           /s/ Richard G. Holder                                Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
              Richard G. Holder



             /s/ Allen B. King                                  Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
                Allen B. King



          /s/ John D. Munford, II                               Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
             John D. Munford, II



          /s/ Hubert R. Stallard                                Director                       January 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------
             Hubert R. Stallard



- -------------------------------------------                     Director                       January 30, 1998
             Jeremiah H. Sheehan







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.                Document
- -----------                --------


4.1               Restated  Articles of  Incorporation  (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the  Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for
                  the fiscal year ended June 30, 1990, File No. 1-652).

4.2               Bylaws  (incorporated  herein by reference to the Registrant's
                  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
                  1996, File No. 1- 652).

4.3               Rights  Agreement,   dated  February  2,  1989,   between  the
                  Registrant   and   Sovran   Bank,   N.A.,   as  Rights   Agent
                  (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Form 8-A
                  Registration  Statement,  dated  February  9,  1989,  File No.
                  1-652).

4.4               Amendment to Rights Agreement,  dated May 2, 1991, between the
                  Registrant   and   Sovran   Bank,   N.A.,   as  Rights   Agent
                  (incorporated  herein by reference to the Registrant's  Form 8
                  Amendment No. 1, dated May 7, 1991,  to Form 8-A  Registration
                  Statement, dated February 9, 1989, File No. 1-652).

4.5               Amendment to Rights  Agreement,  dated July 17, 1992,  between
                  the  Registrant,  NationsBank,  N.A.,  as  Rights  Agent,  and
                  Wachovia Bank of North  Carolina,  N.A.,  as Successor  Rights
                  Agent  (incorporated  herein by reference to the  Registrant's
                  Form 8  Amendment  No. 2,  dated  July 17,  1992,  to Form 8-A
                  Registration Statement, dated February 9, 1989, File No.
                  1-652).

4.6               Specimen  Common  Stock  Certificate  (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the  Registrant's  Form S-3,  dated  February 25,
                  1993, File No. 33-58764).

5.1               Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins.*

23.1              Consent of Williams,  Mullen, Christian & Dobbins (included in
                  Exhibit 5.1).

23.2              Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.*

24                Powers of Attorney (included on Signature Page).*

- --------------

*Filed herewith