WHITBRE AD -WHITE MOUNTAINS. 



37 



cation, in 1771, of the first volume of his History 

 of Manchester, including disquisitions relative to 

 the state of Britain under the dominion of the Ro- 

 mans. The same year appeared his Genuine His- 

 tory of the Britons asserted ; and this was followed 

 in 1775, by the second volume of his former work, 

 relating to the Saxon period of English history. 

 Having taken orders, he obtained, in 1778, the col- 

 lege living of Ruan Lanyhorne, in Cornwall. He 

 published, in 1783, a course of sermons on death, 

 judgment, heaven, and hell.; and, in 1787, appeared 

 his Mary Queen of Scots vindicated (3 vols., 8vo.) 

 which exhibits much research and zeal for the me- 

 mory of Mary. Among the latter productions of 

 his pen were The Course of Hannibal over the 

 Alps ascertained (2 vols., 8vo.) ; The Origin of 

 Arianism disclosed ; The Ancient Cathedral of 

 Cornwall historically surveyed (2 vols., 4to.) ; and 

 Gibbon's History reviewed (.1791, 8vo.) He was 

 a contributor to the English and Anti-Jacobin Re- 

 views, and the British Critic. His death took 

 place in October, 1808. 



WHITBREAD, SAMUEL, for several years a 

 leading member of the house of Commons, was the 

 son of an eminent brewer of the same name, to 

 whose extensive business he succeeded. He was 

 born in London, in 1758, and was educated at Eton, 

 whence he was removed to St John's college, Cam- 

 bridge ; after which he made the tour of Europe, 

 under the care of Mr Coxe. Soon after his return, 

 he married the daughter of Sir Charles (afterwards 

 earl) Grey, and, in 1790, was returned to the house 

 of Commons for the borough of Steyning ; but for 

 the greater part of his life, he represented the 

 town of Bedford, in which borough and county he 

 possessed a large landed property. He immediately 

 became an active member of the opposition headed 

 by Mr Fox, but distinguished himself by acting, on 

 many occasions, agreeably to his own views, inde- 

 pendently of his party. For many years, he was 

 esteemed one of the most shrewd and vigorous op- 

 ponents of the Pitt administration, and of the war 

 growing out of the French revolution. He was 

 also the conductor of the impeachment against lord 

 Melville, which, although terminating in the acquit- 

 tal, threw a shade over the close of that statesman's 

 life, and proved a source of extreme concern to the 

 premier. Of the political opinions of Mr Whit- 

 bread, those who study the history of the period 

 in which he acted a very conspicuous part in par- 

 liament, will judge by their own ; but few will be 

 disposed to deny him the praise of being, for many 

 years, a most able, useful, and active senator. The 

 close of his life was melancholy : an over-anxious 

 attention to business in general, but, more especially, 

 to the intricate concerns of Drury lane theatre, pro- 

 duced a temporary aberration of intellect, during 

 which, he suddenly terminated his own life, in 1815. 



WHITBY ; a seaport of England, in the north 

 riding of Yorkshire, situated at the mouth of the 

 Esk, on the German sea; 46 miles north-east of 

 York, 243 north of London. The Esk forms 

 the harbour, and divides the town into two near- 

 ly equal parts, connected by a draw-bridge, so 

 constructed as to admit ships of 500 tons to 

 pass. By the reform act of 1832, it was consti- 

 tuted a borough, returning one member to parlia- 

 ment. Whitby carries jon a great trade in coals, 

 and also exports various articles of provision, tal- 

 low, &c. ; and the alum works in the neighbour- 

 hood employ a great number of hands. Ship- 

 building is carried on here extensively. The im- 



mense mountain of alum rock, and the works for 

 preparing alum, are interesting objects. Popula- 

 tion, in 1821, 10,275; in 1841, 11,682. 



WHITBY, DANIEL, a learned divine, born in 

 1638 ; died in 1726. He was a fellow of Trinity 

 college, Oxford. Having distinguished himself by 

 his zeal in attacking the Catholic writers, he was 

 rewarded by Bishop Ward with a prebend in Salis- 

 bury cathedral. He took his doctor's degree, but 

 soon after incurred censure for a treatise entitled 

 the Protestant Reconciler. He continued his liter- 

 ary labours, and produced a Paraphrase and Com- 

 mentary on the New Testament (2 vols., folio) ; 

 and a treatise on the " Five points'' controverted 

 between the Arminians and Calvinists (8vo. 1710.) 

 Towards the close of his life, a complete revolution 

 took place in his literary opinions : he became an 

 Arian, and had a dispute on the subject with doc- 

 tor Waterland. He left a book called the Last 

 Thoughts of Doctor Whitby. 



WHITE. See Colours. 



WHITE, HENRY KIRKE ; a youthful poet of 

 distinguished ability, was born at Nottingham, 

 March 21, 1785. He was the son of a butcher, 

 and was intended for the same occupation ; but 

 the delicacy of his constitution, occasioned his des- 

 tination to be changed for the more sedentary em- 

 ployment of a stocking weaver. From his infancy, 

 he manifested an extraordinary love of learning, 

 and, at the age of fourteen, produced specimens of 

 poetry worthy of preservation. He was now re- 

 moved from the stocking-loom to be placed in an 

 attorney's office, and devoted his spare time to the 

 study of Latin and Greek. Increase of knowledge 

 inspired him with the desire to obtain more favour- 

 able opportunities for improving his talents ; and 

 the advantage of a university education, with the 

 prospect of entering the church, became the great 

 object of his ambition. At length, through the 

 generosity of Mr Wilberforce, and the exertions of 

 the reverend Charles Simeon, he was admitted a 

 student of St John's college, Cambridge. There 

 he applied himself to his studies with such unre- 

 mitting labour, that his health became deranged, 

 and he died Oct. 19, 1806, deeply lamented, both 

 on account of his virtues and his talents. He pub- 

 lished, in 1803, a poem called Clifton Grove ; and 

 after his death, his Remains, consisting of poems, 

 letters, and fragments, were edited by Robert 

 Southey (2 vols., 8vo). 



WHITE ANTS. See Termites. 



WHITE BEAR. See Bear. 



WHITE HORSE VALE; a vale in England, 

 in Berkshire, so called from the figure of a horse in 

 a galloping posture, cut in the side of a chalky hill, 

 as is supposed in memory of a great victory gained 

 by Alfred over the Danes in the year 871. The 

 villagers in the neighbourhood have a custom, from 

 time immemorial, of assembling about midsummer 

 for what they term " scouring the horse," when they 

 remove every weed or obstacle that may have ob- 

 structed his figure, and retire to spend the evening 

 in various rural sports. 



WHITE LEAD. See Ceruse. 



WHITE MOUNTAINS ; the highest mountains 

 in the United States east of the Mississipi, situat- 

 ed in the northern part of New Hampshire, nearly 

 in the centre of the county of Coos, and extending 

 about twenty miles from north-east to south-west, 

 being the most elevated summits of a long range 

 that extends much farther in a south-west direc- 

 tion. Their base is eight or ten miles broad. They 



