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character, courage, sagacity, and brilliant eloquence, fertile in resource, and indomitably resolute and persevering in carrying out his schemes, but inordinately ambitious, haughty, imperious, passionate, overbearing, cruel, and licentious. His own letters prove beyond a doubt that he had formed a vast and deeply meditated scheme for the subversion of the fundamental laws and liberties of his country. He distinctly saw in what manner alone this end could be obtained, and he pursued it with a directness, a vigour, and a sagacity, which, it has been justly said, "if he had not been pursuing an object pernicious to his country and his kind, would have justly entitled him to high admiration." "Great he surely was," says Hallam, "since that epithet can never be denied without paradox to so much comprehension of mind, such ardour and energy, such courage and eloquence— those commanding qualities of soul which, impressed upon his dark and stern countenance, struck his contemporaries with mingled awe and hate, and still live in the unfading colours of Vandyck." "Whoever names him," says Macaulay, "without thinking of those hard, dark features, ennobled by their expression into more than the majesty of an antique Jupiter—of that brow, that eye, that cheek, that lip—wherein as in a chronicle are written the events of many stormy and disastrous years high enterprise accomplished, frightful dangers braved, power unsparingly exercised, suffering unshrinkingly borne; of that fixed look so full of suavity, of mournful anxiety, of deep thought, of dauntless resolution, which seems at once to forebode and to defy a terrible fate as it lowers on us from the living canvas of Vandyck. Even at this day the haughty earl overawes posterity as he overawed his contemporaries, and excites the same interest, when arraigned before the tribunal of history, which he excited at the bar of the house of lords."—(Forster's Lives of Eminent British Statesmen, vol. ii.; Macaulay's Essays, vol. i.; Hallam's Constitutional History; The Earl of Strafford's Letters and Despatches, 2 vols.)—J. T.

WEN-WANG, the founder of the Chinese dynasty of Chow, was born, according to their chronology, about 1230 b.c. Like Confucius he traced his pedigree back to the semi-fabulous Emperor Hoang-ty. He succeeded his father Ki-ly as governor of Chow in 1185 b.c. By Ti-y, the last emperor but one of the Shâng dynasty, he was made commander-in-chief of the Chinese army; but Chow-sin, son and successor of Shâng, jealous of Wen-wâng's power and popularity, threw him into prison, 1145 b.c., where he remained three years. Whilst in confinement he wrote a commentary, "Keaou," on the lines of Fou-hi, which still exists, and is esteemed by the Chinese one of their chief classics. When released and restored to his dignities, Wen-wâng betook himself to his principality, reduced to obedience several subordinate chieftains, formed a powerful army, and became virtually independent, having obtained from the emperor the right to make war and peace. Chinese books dwell on his military qualities, the splendour of his court, his patronage of learning, his wisdom, clemency, and various virtues. He died about 1133 b.c. at the age of ninety-seven, having governed the Chow country for fifty years. His son Woo-wâng permitted the tyrant Chow-sin to reign for a few years, when he deposed him and became the first emperor of China of the Chow dynasty; but Wen-wâng is regarded by the Chinese as the actual founder of the dynasty. In course of time divine honours were decreed to Wen-wâng, and temples erected to his honour.—J. T—e.

WERDER, Dietrich von, a German poet, was born in 1584 at Werdershausen in Hesse. He was brought up in the court of the Landgrave Moritz of Hesse; then commanded a regiment of infantry; afterwards went to Cassel, where he was made privy counsellor and grand marshal of the court; and later, filled some diplomatic offices. But amidst all these occupations he found time for poetical composition. In 1626 he gave his countrymen a spirited version of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, under the title of "Glücklicher Heerzug in das heilige Land," which was several times reprinted. He also translated, 4to, 1632, the Orlando Furioso of Ariosto. His principal original poetry consists of a century of religious sonnets, "Von Krieg und Sieg Christi." He died December 18, 1657.—J. T—e.

WERDUM, Ulrich van, Dutch historian, was born in 1632 at Werdum in Friesland. Of a noble family, he was carefully educated, and afterwards spent several years in European travel. On his return he was nominated privy councillor for Friesland, and afterwards became vice-president of the chancellory, and of the chamber. He published several works in Latin on the administration of justice, and others of much value on the history of Friesland, and on the genealogies of the Friesland nobles. He died March 20, 1681.—J. T—e.

WEREMBERT, a learned monk of the ninth century, was born at Coire in the Grisons, and was brother of Adalbert, a distinguished general of Charlemagne's. He studied under Ruban Maur at Fulda, and became, it is said, not only learned in grammar, theology, and history, but also skilled in poetry, music, and sculpture. He entered the monastery of St. Gall, where he died May 28, 844. He wrote commentaries on the books of Lamentations, the Proverbs, and Tobias; and others are ascribed to him on the Evangelists and the Apocalypse. He also wrote hymns, chants, and letters; a history of St. Gall; a "Liber de Musica;" and a rhymed treatise, "De Arte Metrorum," the only extant work of the kind of the ninth century.—J. T—e.

WERFF, Adrian Vander, a Dutch figure painter, remarkable for the elaborate finish of his works, was born at Kralinger-Ambacht in Holland in 1651, and learnt painting under Eglon Vanderneer. Vander Werff was long patronized by the elector palatine, John William, who ennobled him in 1703. He died at Rotterdam in 1722. The gallery at Munich, in which the old Düsseldorf collection is incorporated, contains some very remarkable specimens of the works of this painter. His pictures are chiefly from religious subjects, but he was fond of introducing the nude figure when admissible. One of the most remarkable features of Vander Werff's style is its elaboration of chiaroscuro in his treatment of the figure, but the finish is generally too uniform and minute. One of his last works, "Antiochus and Stratonice," in the Louvre, is signed Chr. Vr. Werff, fec, 1721, the Chr. standing for Chevalier.—R. N. W.

WERLHOF, Johann, an eminent German jurisconsult, was born March 12, 1660, at Helmstädt, and studied there, and at Strasburg, Geneva, and Paris. He was appointed professor of civil and criminal law at Helmstädt in 1696, and of general law in 1702; and aulic counsellor to the duke of Brunswick. He died April 25, 1711. He wrote a commentary on Grotius; on early ecclesiastical law; on the treaties of the seventeenth century, and left an unfinished history of Denmark.—J. T—e.

WERLHOF, Paul Gotlieb, a distinguished German physician, was born March 24, 1699, at Helmstädt; studied there, and settled at Hanover, where he became physician to George II. of England. He died July 26, 1767. Werlhof was one of the ablest physicians of his time, and an excellent teacher. He wrote a valuable Latin treatise on fevers, in which, by his lucid classification, he considerably advanced the knowledge of the subject; also essays, some of them in German, on the small-pox, &c. His medical works were published in a collected form in 3 vols. 4to in 1757. His letters were published by Engel—"Epistolæ Anecdotæ," 1784; his poems by Haller, 1756.—J. T—e.

WERLOSCHNIG, Johann Baptist von, an eminent Austrian physician who flourished in the early part of the eighteenth century, is memorable for the zeal with which he devoted himself to the care of the sick during the plague which devastated a large part of Germany in 1708-13, and the account he published of the pestilence—"Historia pestis quæ ab anno 1708 ad annum 1713, Transylvaniam, Hungariam, Pragam, et Ratisbonam aliasque conterminas provincias depopulabatur," 8vo, 1716, a work of great value in the history of plagues. The date of Werloschnid's death does not appear to be given.—J. T—e.

WERNECK, Franz, Baron von, a celebrated Austrian general, was born October 15, 1748, at Ludwigsberg in Wurtemberg, where his father was director of the ordnance. Young Werneck entered the Austrian army early, and served with distinction in the Turkish campaign, 1788-90. In 1793 and following years he held the rank of major-general in the army of Prince Coburg in the Netherlands, and exhibited great skill and courage. He commanded the right wing at the battle of Wetzlar, June 15, 1796; had a leading share in the affair at Amberg in the following August; and at Wurtzburg, September 3, where he decided the day by a brilliant charge at the head of the grenadiers and the cavalry reserves. In 1797 he was commander-in-chief of the army of the Lower Rhine; but being outnumbered and outmanœuvred by the French under Hoche, he was compelled to retreat in some disorder. For this he was condemned by his superiors and placed upon half-pay; nor was he permitted to return to active service till Austria had decided to resume operations against the French. Werneck received the command of a division under General Mack, who, fancying the French were