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periments on ignited Subftances," vol. Ixvi. Hutton'< 

 Math. Dift. 



WHITEKIRK, in Geography, a parifti and village of 

 Scotland, in the county of Haddington ; 4 miles S.E. of 

 North Berwick. 



WHITELAND, West. See West Whiteknd. 



WHITELICK, a town of the ftate of Kentucky; 13 

 miles S. of Stamford. 



WHITELOCK, BuLSTRODE, in Biography, a lawyer 

 and ftatefman, was born in London in the year 1605, and 

 finifhed his education as a gentleman-commoner of St. John's 

 college, Oxford. Being deftined for the profefTion of the 

 law, he purfued the ftudy of it under the direftion of his 

 father, fir James Whitelock, who was one of the juftices of 

 the King's Bench. As he had a tafte for the fine arts, he 

 was nominated as one of the chief managers of the royal 

 mafque prefented by the inns of court to Charles I. and his 

 queen in 1633, of which he has given a florid defcription. 

 He became foon diftinguifhed in his profcffion at the bar, 

 and was frequently confulted by Hampden, when he was 

 under profecution for refilling the impofition of Ihip-money. 

 In 1640 he was elefted as a rcprcfentative for Marlow in 

 the Long parliament ; and though his principles were favour, 

 able to the meafures which then engaged the public atten- 

 tion, he concurred with Selden and others in deprecating a 

 refort to arms ; but when the houfe had determined for war, 

 he accepted the poft of deputy -lieutenant for the counties of 

 Oxford and Buckingham, and appeared at the head of a 

 gallant company of horfe raifed among his neighbours. 

 Neverthelefs he was always averfe from a civil conteft ; and 

 in January 1642-3, he was one of the commiflioners ap- 

 pointed to treat of peace with the king at Oxford ; and in 

 1644 he was one of thofe who prefented to the king pro- 

 pofitions of peace agreed upon in parliament ; and the king's 

 anfwer was, at his majefty's requeft, drawn up by him and 

 Holies, for which they were accufed of high treafon by 

 parliament, but extricated themfelves with honour. As a 

 member of the aflembly at Weftminlter for fettling the form 

 of church government, he avowed himfelf in oppofition to 

 the divine right of prelbytery. He alfo oppofed the power 

 of excommunication alFumed by the Prcfbyterians ; being 

 always, like Selden, an enemy to violent exertions of church 

 power by any party ; and he was an invariable advocate of 

 legal rights, and an oppofer of arbitrary power, affumed or 

 exercifed in either houfe of parliament. When he became 

 fufpefted by the parliamentary leaders, he joined the army- 

 party, and oppofed the meafure of difbanding the troops, 

 which was propofed by fome of his former afTociates. 

 When it was determined to bring the king to trial, he was 

 nominated as one of the committee for drawing up the 

 charge ; but this was a bufinefs in which he did not choofe 

 to engage. However, he had no objeftion againft taking 

 an aftive part under the new government, and he was nomi- 

 nated in February 1648-9 one of the council of ftate. In 

 fome other inftances he incurred the charge of inconfiftency, 

 as he complied with meafures which he did not approve. 

 To Cromwell he was fo agreeable, that he was one of the 

 four members of parliament appointed to meet him after his 

 famoui viAory at Worccfter in 165 1. Whitelock avowed 

 himfelf Readily attached to monarchy, as a part of the ftate 

 which could not be difpenfed with, and as interwoven with 

 the laws of the country ; and he therefore fuggeft^ed, that 

 the late king's eldeft or fecoud fon ftiould be fent for, and 

 enter into terms for fecuring the liberties of the nation. 

 Upon the diflblution of parliament by Cromwell, though he 

 had previoufly refifted the attempts of the army to govern 

 without the parliament, he obfequioufiy performed the 



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fuittions of his office under the new fftabliftimcnt. The 

 ufurper, however, regarded him with diftruft, and would 

 rot admit him into his firft or little parliament. His com- 

 miflion of the feals was fiipcrfeded by the fupprcflion of the 

 court of chancery ; and he was therefore glad to be occupied 

 in a ftation which would not require his interference in party 

 conteiis, which was that of ambaflador from England to 

 queen Chriftina of Sweden. Upon his departure, Crom- 

 well affumed the title and authority of lord proteftor, and 

 iffued his inftrument of government, which Mr. Whitelock 

 had concurred in preparing, and which was afterwards 

 found by Cromwell incompatible with his ufurpation. 

 Having concluded an advantageous treaty with queen Chrif- 

 tina, who received him in November 1653 with diftinftion, 

 he returned to his own country, and rcfumed the office of 

 commiflioner of the great feal, upon the reftoration of the 

 court of chancery ; and he was returned as a reprefentative 

 for three counties in Cromwell's fecond parliament. Upon 

 Cromwell's regulation and limitation of the court of chan- 

 cery, he again refigned the cuftody of the ftal ; and as fome 

 compenfation for his lofs, he was appointed a commiffioner 

 of the treafury. He was free and faithful in giving falutary 

 advice to the Proteftor, and neverthelefs retained his confi- 

 dence. Declining the office of ambafTador to Sweden, which 

 was offered him, he afted as one of the commiffioncrs to treat 

 with the Swedifti ambafTador in England. He was returned 

 for Buckinghamfliire in Cromwell's third parliament, and 

 officiated for fome time as fpeaker. Although he would not 

 prefent to parliament the " Humble Petition and Advice," 

 which was intended to empower Cromwell to affume a higher 

 title than that of Proteftor, he was chairman of the com- 

 mittee for conferring with him about it ; and he concurred 

 in the requeft that he would adopt the royal title. White- 

 lock contrafted fo decidedly in Cromwell's intereft, that 

 he was one of thofe wlio were called by him to the upper 

 houfe ; but he declined being governor of Dunkirk, and 

 alfo the honour of being created a vifcount. During the 

 Ihort proteftorate of Richard, Whitelock aftcd as one of 

 the keepers of the great feal ; and when the army fet up a 

 repubhcan government, he was nominated one of the council 

 of ftate ; and as its prefident, he joined in all the meafures 

 that were adopted for upholding the tottering frame of go- 

 vernment, on the principle that if no legal authority was 

 acknowledged, the fword alone would probably govern. 

 When Monk propofed to reftore the remains of the Long 

 parliament, Whitelock took a commiffion from the com- 

 mittee of fafety for raifing a regiment of horfe, and urged 

 Lambert to march againil that leader. But the defign 

 failing, and the parliament meeting, he juft appeared in 

 purfuance of the fpeaker's fummons ; and as he had reafon 

 for fufpefting a defign to apprehend him, he returned to a 

 friend's houfe in the country, and fent the great feal by his 

 wife to the fpeaker ; — and thus terminated his public life. 

 Upon the Reftoration, he had the good fortune to efcape a 

 bill of pains and penalties in the houfe of commons, only by 

 the negative of a fmall majority. After having pafTed fifteen 

 years in retirement, chiefly at Chilton-park in Wiltfhire, he 

 there died in January 1676 ; leaving a numerous family, after 

 having been twice married. 



Poffefled of confiderable abilities, and of diftinguifhed 

 talents for bufinefs, he would have claimed a more general 

 and cordial refpeft, if he had not been a temporizer in his 

 public conduft. His principles of government appear, 

 however, to have been good, and in his temper he was averfe 

 from every kind of violence and injuftice. He was a well- 

 wifher to the law and conftitution, and fupported them as 

 far as it was confiftent with his intereft and fafety. In all 



pnvate 



