W E N 



let it difcharges itfelf into the fea. There are feveral iflands 

 in this lake. In the year 1744, the diet refolved to make 

 the pafTage from the Wenner lake and the Gotha Elbe to 

 Gotheborg, and from thence to Orebro, navigable. See 

 Canal of Trolhatta. 



WENNERSBORG, a town of Sweden, in Well 

 Gothland, at the fouth-weft extremity of Wenner lake. 

 This town was once a fortrefs, but at prefent an open 

 town. It is the ftaple for all the iron fent from the province 

 of Warmeland to Gotheborg ; 15 miles E. of Uddevalla. 

 N. lat. 58° 26'. E. long. 12° 9'. 



WENOOA-ETTE. See Otakootaia. 



WENSBECK, a river of England, which rifes in 

 Northumberland, paffes by Morpeth, and runs into the 

 German fea, N. lat. 35° 13'. 



WENSYSSEL, a town of North Jutland, anciently 

 the fee of a bifhop, removed to Aalborg ; 18 miles N.W. 

 of Aalborg. 



WENT, a river of England, in the county of York, 

 which runs into the Don. 



WENTHUSEN, a town of Weftphalia, inthebifhop- 

 ric of Hildeftieim ; 5 miles E. of Hildefheim. 



WENTSCHEN, a river of Pruflia, which forms a 

 communication between lake Spirding and lake Wentfchen. 

 — Alfo, a lake of Pruflia ; 20 miles S.E. of Bartenftein. 



WENTSUM, a river of Norfolk, which runs into the 

 Yare, below Norwich. 



WENTWORTH, Thomas, in Biography, Earl of 

 Strafford, was born at London in 1593, and having finilhed 

 his education at St. John's college, Cambridge, travelled 

 abroad, and continued more than a year in France. Soon 

 after his return he was knighted, and married the eldell daugh- 

 ter of Francis Clifford, earl of Cumberland. By the death 

 of his father in 1614, he became pofFeifed of a patrimony 

 of 6000/. a year, which was confiderably incumbered by a 

 provifion for feven brothers and four fitters, with the title of 

 a baronet. Upon his entrance into public life he was nomi- 

 nated Cuftos Rotulorum of the Weft Riding of Yorkfliire. 

 In 1 62 1 he was returned as a member of parliament 

 for the county of York, and during two feflions con- 

 dufted himfelf with circumfpeftion and moderation. In op- 

 pofition to the king's affumption of unwarrantable authori- 

 ty, and of his aflertion that the privileges of the commons 

 were enjoyed merely by his permiflion, Wentworth urged 

 the houfe explicitly to declare that thefe privileges were their 

 right by inheritance. In 1622 he loft his wife, and in 1625 

 contradled a fecond marriage with a daughter of Holies, 

 earl of Clare, a young lady diftinguifhed for beauty and ac- 

 comphfhments ; and in this year he was returned for his 

 county to the firft parliament of Charles I. At this time 

 he was a zealous oppofcr of the arbitrary meafures that 

 marked the commencement of this unfortunate reign ; but 

 as he was deemed a perfon of confiderable importance and in- 

 fluence, the minifter thought proper to make efforts for con- 

 ciliating his attachment and fupport. As he was prevented 

 from obtaining a feat in the new parliament which was con- 

 voked, by being nominated fheriff in his county, he filently 

 fubmitted to this arbitrary aft, and took no part in the con- 

 tention that fubfifted between the court and the houfe of 

 commons. Buckingham, the tenure of whofe power was 

 becoming precarious, made overtures to Wentworth, and 

 though they parted upon the beft terms after a conference, he 

 received a mandate for refigning the office of Cuftos Rotu- 

 lorum to fir John Savile, whom he had fucceeded on his dif- 

 miffion. This conduft on the part of the favourite was at- 

 tended with fome aggravating circumftances, and very much 

 incenfed him ; but he ftill expreffed fentiments of un- 



Vol. XXXVIII. 



WEN 



changed loyalty. Neverthelefs he refufed to pay his con- 

 tribution to the forced loan impofed without the interven- 

 tion of parliament, and for his oppofition to the meafure 

 he was firft imprifoned in the Marfhalfea, and afterwards 

 confined to a range of two miles round the town of Dart- 

 ford. When a new parliament was fummoned, in 1628, 

 this reftriftion terminated, and he took his feat for York- 

 fhire. In this feafon of competition between the advocates 

 of an arbitrary and thofe of a limited monarchy, Wentworth 

 took a decided and confpicuous part with perfons of the 

 latter defcription, and was one of the moft aftive promoters 

 of the famous Petition of Right. By the meafures which 

 he then adopted and purfued, he fhewed that he was worthy 

 the purchafe of the crown, nor had he virtue fufficient to 

 withftand the temptations by which he was affailed. 

 Thefe were a peerage, and future promotion to the office 

 of prefident of the council of York, or court of the north. 

 He agreed to the propofed terms; and in July 1628 was 

 created baron Wentworth, Newmarfh, and Overfley, by a 

 patent gratifying his vanity by recognizing his claim to an 

 alliance with the blood-royal, through Margaret, grand- 

 mother of Henry VII, Soon after he was advanced to the 

 dignity of a vifcount, admitted to the privy -council, and on 

 the refignation of lord Scrope nominated lord-prefident of 

 the north, with enlarged jurifdiftion and powers, the exer- 

 cife of which afterwards exceeded or direftly violated the 

 common law, and overwhelmed the country with opprefTion 

 and arbitrary dominion. From this time Wentworth may 

 be regarded as a minifter and ftatefman, whofe influence at 

 court was in a little while freed from controul by the aflafTm- 

 ation of Buckingham, and in a popular affembly by the dif- 

 folution of parliament. Devoted to the faithful and diligent 

 fervice of the crown, he obtained the confidence and fup- 

 port of government ; and thus elevated, he manifefted a 

 haughtinefs and imperioufnefs of temper which augmented 

 the unpopularity refulting from a defertion of his former 

 principles and party. Having cultivated an intimate 

 friendfhip with archbifhop Laud, who had fucceeded Buck- 

 ingham in his influence over the king's mind, he was re- 

 commended by this prelate for the direftion of affairs in Ire- 

 land ; the pecuhar circumftances of which were thought to 

 require the vigour and decifion of Wentworth's charafter. 

 Accordingly his commifTion as lord-deputy of Ireland was 

 dated in 1632, though he did not remove to that country 

 till July in the foUownig year. The objefts which he pro- 

 pofed in the adminiftration of that kingdom were to render 

 the royal authority uncontrollable, to improve the revenues, 

 fo as to render them adequate to its own expenditure, and to 

 afford a furplus for the Englifh treafury, and upon the 

 whole, to derive from it every poffible advantage to the mo- 

 narchy. He ftipulated alfo for the uncontrolled exercife of 

 his own authority . Of the various meafures which he pur- 

 fued in his government of Ireland, our Hmits will not allow 

 us to give a minute and correft detail ; but for an account of 

 thefe we muft refer to the hiftory of that period. His talents 

 and induftry were unqueftionable, and he certainly improved 

 the ftate of the country in a variety of refpefts ; but in ac- 

 complifhing fome beneficial purpofes he was arbitrary and 

 tyrannical, and chargeable with fevere and vindiftive pro- 

 ceedings, which made him unpopular both there and in Eng- 

 land ; and which probably induced the king to mortify him 

 by refufing his requeft of an earldom. In 1636 he vifited the 

 Englifh court, and made a fpeech before the king and the 

 committee for Irifli affairs, in which he gave a minute detail 

 of his various meafures by which he liad promoted the 

 good of that kingdom and the intereft of his maieily, 

 artfully apologizing ^t the fame time for the infirmities of 

 Q q his 



