685 



WELCKER, FRIEDRTCH GOTTLIEB. 



WELLESLEY, MARQUIS. 



586 



received the name of Weissens-Stiftung ' (Weisse'a Institute). Weisse 

 was married to a sister of the celebrated philosopher Plainer. 



CIIKISTIAN EnNST WEISSE, a son of Christian Felix, born 1760, 

 became professor of feudal law, and afterwards of criminal law, at 

 Leipzig. He died in 1832. He was a distinguished jurisconsult of 

 the old historical school, but he was unable to keep pace with the 

 ideas of the 19th century. His principal works are : 1, ' Qeschichte 

 der Kur-Siichsischen Staateu,' 4 vols. 8vo, Leipzig, 1802-6, the conti- 

 nuation of which is, 2, ' Neueste Qeschichte des Konigreichs Sachsen 

 seit dem Prager Friedeu bis auf unsere Zeiten,' 3 vols. 8vo, Leipzig, 

 1808-12. This is a good work, but written in a very dry style, and 

 often overcharged with details, which however make it very useful for 

 those who are investigating some parts of tho history of Saxony. 3, 

 ' Museum fiir Siichsische Qeschichte, Literatur, und Staats-Kunde,' 3 

 vols. 8vo, Leipzig, 1794-96 : the continuation of this work is, 4, 

 ' Neues Museum fiir Siichsische Gescbichte,' &c., 4 vols. 8vo, Freiberg, 

 1800-4, an excellent collection of documents and other materials for 

 the history of Saxony. 5, ' Lehrbuch des Sachsischen Staatsrechts,' 

 2 vols. 8vo, Leipzig, 1824-27 : this compendium is still considered the 

 best work on the constitution and the public law of Saxony, and con- 

 tinues a standard work even since the constitutional changes of 1831. 



CHRISTIAN HERMANN WEISSE, a son of Christian Ernst Weisse, 

 born in 1801, and professor of philosophy at Leipzig, obtained a dis- 

 tinguished rank among German philosophers by the publication of his 

 work ' System der Aesthetik als Wissenschaft von der Idee der Schon- 

 heit,' 2 vols. 8vo, Leipzig, 1830. 



* WELCKER, FRIEDRICH GOTTLIEB, a celebrated classical 

 archaeologist, was born on November 4, 1784, at Griinberg, in the 

 Grand Duchy of Hesse. After receiving an academical education at 

 Giessen, he visited Rome in 1806, where a residence of two years, and 

 an acquaintanceship with the archaeologist Zoega, fixed his future 

 pursuits. While in Rome he wrote an essay ' Uber die Hermaphro- 

 diten der alten Kunst,' which waa printed in the Heidelberg ' Studieu.' 

 In 1809, after his return to Germany, he was created professor extra- 

 oadinary of archaeology and Greek literature in the University of 

 Giessen, and in 1811 contributed materially to Zoega's ' Basreliefen 

 Roins." In 1S16 he removed to Gottingen as professor of the univer- 

 sity there, and in 1819 he was created professor of philology and 

 head librarian in the newly instituted university of Bonn to the ad- 

 vancement of which he has earnestly and successfully contributed. 

 In 1826 however, and again in 1832 his political writings brought him 

 into suspicion, and he was tried for sedition and in both cases was 

 acquitted. Besides his political essays his writings have been very 

 numerous. Among them we may mention 'Zoega's Leben, Sammlung 

 seiner Briefe und Beurtheilung seiner Werke '(The Life of Zoega, with 

 a collection of his Letters, and a Criticism on his Works), 1810 ; the 

 'Komodien of Aristophanes,' 1810-11, a translation remarkable for its 

 closeness of the Frogs and the Clouds, which has unfortunately been 

 carried no farther. 'Fragmentis Alcmanis lyrici,' 1815; ' Hipponactis 

 et Ananii iambographorum fragmentum/ 1817; ' Philostratorum 

 imagines et Callistrati statuse/ 1825, in conjunction with Jacobi, and 

 1 Theognidis reliquiae,' 1826, all of which were favourably received by 

 the learned world; 'Uber eine Kretische Colonie in Theben, die 

 Gottin Europa und Kadmos' (On a Cretan colony in Thebes, the 

 Goddess Europa and Cadmus), 1824; 'Die Aeschyleische Trilogie 

 Prometheus xind die Kabirenweihe zu Lemnos ' (The Promethean 

 Trilogy of Jlschylus and the Consecration of the Cabiri at Lemnos), 

 1824. An attempted contradiction to his theory by G. Hermann gave 

 occasion to ' Nachtrag nebst einer Abfeandlung liber das Satyrspiel ' 

 (A Supplement, together with a dissertation on the Satyric Drama), 

 1826 ; ' Der epische Cyclus, oder die Homerischen Dichter ' (The epic 

 Cyclus, or the Homeric Poets), 1834 ; ' Die griechischen Tragodie 

 mit Riicksicht auf den epischen Cyclus ' (The Greek Tragedy in rela- 

 tion to the epic Cyclus), 1839. 'Kleino Schrifteu zur griechischen 

 Literaturgeschichte ' (Minor Writings on Grecian Literary History), 

 1844-45; and ' Alte Denkmaler ' in 5 vols., 1849-51. From 1834 in 

 conjunction with Niike, and since 1842 with Ritschl, he has conducted 

 the ' Rheinische Museum fiir Philologie,' to which he has contributed 

 richly, partly from the treasures of the art-museum at Bonn, which 

 through his efforts has been greatly increased, and the collection theroin 

 made of great importance. This collection he has described in the 

 'Neuester Zuwachs des akademischen kunstmuseums in Bonn.' 



* KARL THEODOR WELCKER, his brother, was born at Wilden in 

 Upper Hesse, on March 29, 1790, and has throughout his life led an 

 active political life. His political writings have been numerous and 

 effective, but having taken a liberal course he has been subjected to 

 several legal trials, in all of which he has been acquitted. Although suf- 

 ficiently energetic he has ever kept within the bounds of the law, and 

 as his integrity and patriotism have been generally acknowledged, his 

 liberal opinions did not prevent him from attaining the rank of a 

 counsellor of state of Baden. He took an active part in the National 

 Assembly in 1848, but withdrew from it, and from political affairs 

 generally, in 1849. la 1850, however, he was again elected a member 

 of the Baden Lower Chamber. 



WELDON, JOHN, one of our most eminent composers of cathedral 

 music, was born at Chichester, and studied his art under the famous 

 Henry Purcell. At an early age he became organist of New College, 

 Oxford ; in 1701 was appointed gentleman-extraordinary of the chapel- 



royal; in 1708 succeeded Dr. Blow as organist thereof; and seven 

 years after, when a second composer was added to the court establish- 

 ment, he was chosen to fill that situation which then was an active 

 and responsible one. He was a remarkable pluralist, for, while holding 

 all these offices, he was also organist of St. Bride's ; and George I., 

 having presented the parish of St. Martin -in-the-Fields with an organ, 

 Mr. Weldon, perhaps in compliment to the king, says Sir John 

 Hawkins, waa elected organist. " The reason that moved the king to 

 this act of munificence was (the same historian conjectures) a singular 

 one. The parish had chosen his majesty their churchwarden, and he 

 executed the office for two months ; but at the end thereof he grew 

 tired of it, as well ho might, and presented the parish with that noble 

 instrument which is now in the church." (' Hist.,' v. 60.) 



Weldon's compositions were chiefly for the church ; but ha assisted 

 in setting Congreve's masque, ' The Judgment of Paris,' to music, in 

 which is the air ' Let ambition fire thy mind,' a lovely melody, and 

 still fresh. This was introduced by Arne in ' Love in a Village,' and 

 is yet known to all as ' Hope, thou nurse of young desire.' Some of 

 his songs are to be found in the ' Mercurius Musicus,' and in other 

 collections now become rare. Among the number is ' From grave 

 lessons and restraint,' a very popular air, and as such remembered in 

 Hawkins's time, who has given it in his fifth volume. 



The fame of this composer is mainly built on his anthems ' In 

 Thee, Lord,' and 'Hear my crying,' of which Hawkins justly 

 observes, " it is difficult to say whether the melody or the harmony of 

 each be its greatest excellence." Dr. Burney speaks slightingly of 

 Weldon's powers; and it is probable that on this subject he was 

 either prejudiced, or imperfectly acquainted with the works he 

 criticised. Weldon died in 1736, and was succeeded in the chapel- 

 royal by Dr. Boyce. 



WELLESLEY, RICHARD COLLEY, MARQUIS WELLESLEY, 

 was the eldest child of Garrett, first Earl of Mornington, and of Anne, 

 Countess of Mornington, who was daughter of Arthur, first Viscount 

 DuDgannon. He was born in Grafton-street, Dublin, on the 20th of 

 June 1760. The Earl of Mornington died in 1781, before his son 

 came of age; the countess survived till 1831. 



The Earl of Mornington, a man of considerable general abilities, 

 and who is well remembered as a musical composer, paid great atten- 

 tion to the education of his family. The future Marquis Wellesley 

 was sent at an early age to Eton College, whither he was in due time 

 followed by his brothers the future Lord Maryborough, Arthur 

 Wellesley, afterwards Duke of Wellington, Lord Cowley, and the Rev. 

 Gerard Wellesley. All the brothers occupied a respectable place 

 among their schoolmates, but the eldest surpassed them, and even 

 stood high for classical attainments among the great body of his con- 

 temporaries, both at Eton and the university. 



The first act of the young Lord Mornington, on attaining his majo- 

 rity, was to assume the numerous pecuniary obligations of his father, 

 and place his estate under the management of his mother. Encouraged 

 by the reputation he had acquired with his teachers and schoolfellows, 

 he selected political pursuits as the means of starting him in a career 

 that might re-establish the shattered fortunes of the family. With 

 this view he took his seat in the Irish House of Lords as soon as he 

 had come of age, and continued a member of that body till the Union. 

 This proved however too narrow a theatre for his abilities or his ambi- 

 tion. He kept up the English connections which he had formed 

 during the time of his education, and having been returned a member 

 of the British House of Commons by the borough of Beeralston, 

 became a frequent visitor in London. 



The first opportunity he had of attracting substantial notice occurred 

 during the regency debates of 1789. The British Houses of Parlia- 

 ment, on the illness of George III., proposed that the Prince of Wales 

 should assume the office of regent subject to certain conditions or 

 restrictions. The Irish Legislature proposed that his powers should 

 be unrestricted. The Earl of Mornington strenuously supported 

 restrictions in the Irish House of Lords, maintaining that the full 

 powers of the crown should not be assumed by any one during 

 what might prove but a temporary indisposition of the king. These 

 views, which coincided exactly with those of George III., induced the 

 king, whose attention, after his recovery, had been called to the mino- 

 rities in the Irish Houses of Parliament, to take an interest in the 

 young statesman who found the toils of one legislative body too little 

 for his activity. At the next general election the Earl of Mornington 

 was returned for the borough of Windsor, sworn in a member of the 

 Irish privy council, and elected one of the knights of St. Patrick. 



He was soon after appointed one of the lords of the treasury, and 

 in 1793 he was sworn in a member of the British privy council. He 

 continued to make such steady progress in the favour of the king and 

 the confidence of the minister, that he was nominated to succeed 

 Lord Cornwallis in the government of British India. He was raised 

 at this time to the British peerage by the title of Baron Morniugton. 

 The marquisate which he subsequently received was merely an Irish 

 title. As a British peer he was never raised to a higher rank than 

 that of baron. 



Lord Mornington was appointed Governor-general of India on the 

 4th of October 1797 ; he reached the Ganges in May 1798, after touch- 

 ing at the Capo of Good Hope and the Isle of France by the way, 

 having some time before been preceded by his brother, Colonel Arthur 



