mitted to his sentence with perfect resignation; that freely and from his heart he forgave all the world. "I speak,' said he, "in the presence of Almighty God, before whom I stand there is not a displeasing thought that ariseth in me to any man.” He declared that, however bis actions might have been misinterpreted, his intentions had always been upright: that he loved parliaments, that he was devoted to the constitution and to the church of England: that he ever considered the interests of the king and people as inseparably united; and that, living or dying, the prosperity of his country was his fondest wish. But he expressed his fears, "that the omen was bad for the intended reförmation of the state, that it commenced with the shedding of innocent blood." Having bid a last adieu to his brother and friends who attended him, and having sent a blessing to his nearer relations who were absent, "And now," said he, "I have nigh done! One stroke will make my wife a widow, and my dear children fatherless, deprive my poor servants of their indulgent master, and separate me from my affectionate brother and all my friends. But let God be to you and them all in all." Going to disrobe, and prepare himself for the block, "I thank God," said he, "that I am no wise afraid of death, nor am daunted with any terrors; but do as cheerfully lay down my head at this time, as ever I did when going to repose." He then stretched out his hands as a signal to the executioner; and at one blow his head was severed from his body.

His execution took place May 12, 1641, in the fortyninth year of his age. Though his death, says Hume, was loudly demanded as a satisfaction to justice, and an atonement for the many violations of the constitution, it may be safely affirmed, that the sentence by which he fell was an enormity greater than the worst of those which his implacable enemies prosecuted with so much cruel industry." The people in their rage had totally mistaken the proper object of their resentment. All the necessities, or, more properly speaking, the difficulties with which the king had been induced to use violent expedients for raising supply, were the result of measures previous to Strafford's favour and if they arose from ill conduct, he at least was entirely innocent. Even those violent expedients themselves which occasioned the complaint that the constitution was subvert-` ed, had been, all of them, conducted, so far as appeared, without his counsel or assistance. And whatever his pri

vate advice might be, this salutary maxim he failed not, often, and publicly, to inculcate in the king's presence, that, if any inevitable necessity ever obliged the sovereign to violate the laws, this license ought to be practised with extreme reserve, and as soon as possible a just atonement be made to the constitution for any injury that it might sustain from such dangerous precedents. The first parliament fter the Restoration reversed the bill of attainder; and even a few weeks after Strafford's execution, this, very parliament remitted to his children the more severe consequences of his sentence, as if conscious of the violence with which the prosecution had been conducted.

Strafford's general character may be collected from the preceding sketch; but is more fully illustrated in his "Letters," published in 1739, 2 vols. folio; and in an interesting sequel, published lately by Dr. Whitaker, in the "Life and Correspondence of Sir George Radcliffe," 1810, 4to. A few particulars yet remain, gleaned by Dr. Birch from various authorities. Lord Strafford was extremely temperate in his diet, drinking, and recreations; but naturally very choleric, an infirmity which he endeavoured to controul, though upon sudden occasions it broke through all restraints. He was sincere and zealous in his friendships. Whitelocke assures us, that, "for natural parts and abilities, and for improvement of knowledge by experience in the greatest affairs, for wisdom, faithfulness, and gallantry of mind, he left few behind him, that might be ranked equal with him." Lord Clarendon acknowledges, indeed, that the earl, in his government of Ireland, had been compelled, by reason of state, to exercise many acts of power, and had indulged some to his own appetite and passion; and as he was a man of too high and severe a deportment, and too great a contemner of ceremony, to have many friends at court, so he could not but have enemies enough. But he was a man, continues that noble historian, of great parts and extraordinary endowments of nature, not unadorned with some addition of art and learning, though that again was more improved and illustrated by the other; for he had a readiness of conception, and sharpness of expression, which made his learning thought more than in truth it was. He was, no doubt, of great observation, and a piercing judgment, both in things and persons; but his too great skill in persons made him judge the worse of things; for it was his misfortune to live in 1

time wherein very few wise men were equally employed with him, and scarce any but the lord Coventry (whose trust was more confined) whose faculties and abilities were equal to his. So that, upon the matter, he relied wholly. upon himself; and discerning many defects in most men, he too much neglected what they said or did. Of all his passions pride was most predominant; which a moderate exercise of ill fortune might have corrected and reformed, and which the hand of heaven strangely punished by bringing his destruction upon him by two things that he most despised, the people, and sir Harry Vane. In a word, the epitaph, which Plutarch records, that Sylla wrote for himself, may not unfitly be applied to him, "that no man did ever exceed him, either in doing good to his friends, or in doing mischief to his enemies;" for his acts of both kinds were most notorious.1

WENTWORTH (THOMAS), the supposed author of a law work of great reputation and authority, was born in 1567, in Oxfordshire, of the family of the Wentworths, of Northamptonshire. He was entered of University college, Oxford, in 1584, and after remaining three years there, removed to Lincoln's Inn, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. In September 1607 he was elected recorder of Oxford, and in 1611 was Lent reader at Lincoln's Inn. He also sat in several parliaments in the reigns of James I. and Charles I. for the city of Oxford. Wood says that in parliament he shewed himself "a troublesome and factious person," and was more than once imprisoned. According to the same writer, he behaved so turbulently at Oxford, that he was discommoned with disgrace, but was afterwards restored. His restless spirit, however, returning, his friends advised him to retire, which he did to Henley. Some time after he went to London, and died in or near Lincoln's Inn, in Sept. 1627. Such is Wood's account. The work attributed to him is entitled "The office and duty of Executors," &c. which, according to Wood, was published in 1612, 8vo, and has been often reprinted; the last edition in 1774, revised, with additions by the late serjeant Wilson. But there seems reason to doubt whether Wentworth was the original writer, for it has been ascribed by several authors to judge Dodderidge.

1 Biog. Brit.-Macdiarmid's Lives of British Statesmen. Strafford's Letters. -Life of Radcliffe.-Birch's Lives.-Hume's History.

Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Bridgman's Legal Bibliography.

WEPFER (JOHN JAMES), a celebrated physician, was born at Schaffhausen, Dec. 23, 1620. He studied at Strasburgh and Basle for eight years, and after having attended some of the learned medical professors of Italy for two more years, returned to Basle, and took his doctor's degree in July 1647. In practice he was so successful, that his advice was in great demand, not only through Swisserland, bat in the German courts. In 1675 the duke of Wirtemberg appointed him his physician, and some time afterwards the marquis of Dourlach, and the elector Palatine, bestowed the same title on him. His care and anxiety, in attending upon the duke of Wirtemberg in 1691, and upon the soldiers of the imperial army commanded by the duke, was of great prejudice to his own health, which was at last fatally injured by his attendance on the army of the emperor Leopold, in which an epidemic fever prevailed. He contracted an asthmatic disorder, ending in a dropsy, of which he died January 28, 1695. His works, most of which have been often reprinted, are highly valued for practical utility, abounding in accurate and judicious observation. Among these we may enumerate his, 1.“Observationes anatomicæ ex cadaveribus eorum quos sustulit Apoplexia;" this, after going through three editions, was published, at least twice, under the title of "Historia Apoplecticorum," Amst. 1710, 1724, 8vo. 2. "Observationes Medico-practice de affectibus capitis internis et externis," 1727, 4to, published by his grandsons, with his life, and a history of the disorder of which he died. This work was the result of fifty years observation. 1

WERENFELS (SAMUEL), an eminent protestant divine, was the grandson of John James Werenfels, a clergyman at Basil, who died November 17, 1655, leaving "Sermons" in German, and "Homilies on Ecclesiastes" in Latin. He was the son of Peter Werenfels, likewise an eminent protestant divine, born 1627, at Leichtal; who, after having been pastor of different churches, was appointed archdeacon of Basil in 1654, where he gave striking proofs of his piety and zeal during the pestilence which desolated the city of Basil in 1667 and 1668. His sermons, preached at that time from Psalm xci. have been printed. He was appointed professor of divinity in 1675, and died May 23, 1703, aged seventy-six, leaving a great number of valuable

Niceron, vol. XI.-Eloy Diet. Hist. de Medecine.

"Dissertations," some "Sermons," and other works. His son, the immediate subject of the present article, was born March 1, 1657, at Basil. He obtained a professorship of logic in 1684, and of Greek in the year following, and soon after set out on a literary journey through Holland and Germany, and then into France, with Burnet, afterwards bishop of Salisbury, and Frederick Battier. At his return to Basil he was appointed professor of rhetoric, and filled the different divinity chairs successively. He died in that city, June 1, 1740. His works have all been collected and printed in 2 vols. 4to; the most complete edition of them is that of Geneva and of Lausanne, 1739. They treat of philology, philosophy, and divinity, and are universally esteemed, particularly the tract "De Logomachiis Eruditorum." In the same collection are several poems, which show the author to have been a good poet as well as an able philosopher and learned divine. We have also a vol. 8vo, of his " Sermons," which are much admired.'

WESLEY (SAMUEL), an English divine, of whom some account may be acceptable, preparatory to that of his more celebrated son, was the son of a nonconformist minister, ejected in 1662. He was born about 1662. He was educated in nonconformist sentiments, which he soon relinquished, owing to the violent prejudices of some of his sect in favour of the murder of Charles I. He spent some time at a private academy, and at the age of sixteen walked to Oxford, and entered himself of Exeter college, as a servitor. He had at this time no more than two pounds sixteen shillings, nor any prospect of future supply but from his own exertions. But by industry, and probably by assisting his fellow students, he supported himself until he took his bachelor's degree, without any preferment or assistance from his friends, except five shillings. He now came to London, having increased his little stock to 10%. 15s, Here he was ordained deacon, and obtained a curacy, which he held one year, when he was appointed chaplain of the Fleet. In this situation he remained but a year, and returned to London, where he again served a curacy for two years, during which time he married and had a son. He now wrote several pieces which brought him into notice and esteem, and a small living was given him in the country, that, if we mistake not, of South

1 Chaufepie.-Moreri.