WALPOLE 



6131 



WALPOLE 



these can be made hereafter. The tree bears a 

 large, rouiid, oily nut, which, however, does not 

 keep well. From the bark of the tree and the 

 outer husks of the nuts is obtained a dark 

 brown dye, much used in darkening light-col- 

 ored woods. 



None of the walnut trees produces better 

 nuts than the Persian, or English, walnut. This 

 us brought from Persia to Southern 

 Kurope, and from there it was taken to Eng- 

 land and to America. The tree grows from 



Protein, 1 6,6 



Carbohydrates, 1 6.1 



Wat 



h, 1.4 



COMPOSITION OF THE WALNTT 

 The walnut contains Httle waste material. 

 ly two-thirds of it contains heat-producing 

 fats, hence it is a good winter food, in small 

 quantities. It is a greater heat producer than 

 almost all meats, averaging 3,180 calories per 

 pound. 



f to ninety feet in height, and bears large, 



iding branches. Its nuts are sweet and nu- 

 tritious when ripe, and when unripe they make 

 good pickles and ketchup. In California, espe- 



y, the English walnut is a valuable com- 



ree. Its wood is lighter than that of 



the black walnut, but is hard and fine-grained, 



and is used for much the same purposes as the 



other species. 



WALPOLE, wol'pohl, HORACE, Fourth Earl 

 of Orford (1717-1797), an English man of let- 

 ters, the son of Sir Robert Walpole. After 

 graduating from Eton and Cambridge he spent 

 several years in travel on the Continent, and 

 on his return in 1741 entered Parliament. He 



Mi'il his seat until 1768, though never pre- 

 t' mling to have any real interest in politic- 



home at Twickenham, which he christened 

 Strawberry Hill, was famous for the collection 

 of antiques which he had gathered there, and 

 was often visited by tourists. In 1764 he pub- 

 '" c Castle of Otranto, an exaggerated 

 tale of mystery, which became very popular 

 and was widely imitated. A tragedy on a simi- 

 1 ir theme, The Mysterious Mother, followed in 



next year, and was in its turn followed by 



oric Doubts on the Life and Reign of 

 Richard III. 



It is not on any of the above, however, that 

 Walpole's fame chiefly rests, but on his Let- 

 ters, which entitle him to a place among thr 

 foremost English letter writers. Though ho 

 could picture most entertainingly the society 

 of his day, he was by no means careful about 

 telling the truth, and the historic value of the 

 Letters is thus lessened. Walpole set up a pri- 

 vate printing press at Strawberry Hill and 

 printed editions of his own works. 



WALPOLE, SIR ROBERT, First Earl of Or- 

 ford (1676-1745), an English statesman, one of 

 the greatest finance ministers England ever had. 

 He was born at Houghton, studied at Eton and 

 at King's College, Cambridge, with a view to 

 entering the ministry, but began a political 

 career in 1701 with election to Parliament from 

 the family borough of Castle Rising. In the 

 next year he was returned from King's Lynn, 

 and speedily became known as a distinct force 

 in the ranks of the Whigs. In 1708 he was 

 made Secretary of War, but two years later 

 went out of office with his party and became a 

 leading member of the Opposition. His po- 

 litical enemies accused him of corruption and 

 succeeded in having him dismissed from th< 

 House and imprisoned in the Tower; but ilu 

 unfounded attack only increased his popul: 



When George I came to the throne in 1714. 

 Walpole's prospects brightened. As privy coun- 

 cilor, as paymaster-general of the forces and 

 as Chancellor of the Exchequer he gained th. 

 king's signal favor, and although out of < 

 again in 1717 he continued before the public 

 by reason of his opposition to the South Sea 

 Company. The bubble burst in 1721, and th* 

 country was brought to the verge of ruin; but 

 Walpole, again made Chancellor of the 

 chequer' and First Lord of the Treasury. 

 averted panic and reestablished sound fin ; 

 From that date until 1742 he was the real r 

 of the country, and exercised himself in main- 

 taining peace abroad and commercial pros- 

 perity at home. 



George I died in 1727, and Walpole's enemies 

 hoped that he would be dismissed, but George 

 II retained his father's minister, whose power 

 was not materially lessened until 1737. From 

 that time opposition to him and to his policies 

 grew steadily, and there were several times 

 when, had he been less determined to remain 

 in oilier . he would surely have felt forced to 

 resign. In February, 1742, he was raised to th. 

 peerage as Earl of Orford, and a few days later 

 resigned his office, though Georgr II 

 to consult him on all important questions. 



