WES 



WELWIN, or Welwyn. In 1811, the pari(h con- 

 tained 192 houfes, and lljoperfons; i)iz, 567 males, and 

 563 females. 



WEMYSS. In 181 1, the parifli contained 565 houfes, 

 and 3691 perfons ; vix. 1657 males, and 2034 females. 

 This parifh includes Buckhaven, E. and W. Coallowns, 

 Kirkland, Methil, E. and W. Wemyfs, and the reft of the 

 parifh, containing 116 males, and 117 females. 



WENDLING, J. Baptist, in Biography, an eminent 

 performer on the German flute, in the fervice of the eleftor 

 palatine at Manheim in 1772. 



Francis and Charles, brothers, performers on the violin, 

 and Mademoifelle Wendling, a finger, of the fame family, 

 were all mufical profeflbrs of great merit in the fame fervice 

 at the fame period. 



WENLOCK, Little. In 181 1, the parifh contained 

 178 houfes, and 941 inhabitants. 



WENT WORTH. In 181 1, this townfhip contained 

 226 houfes, and 1086 perfons; -viz. 542 males, and 544 

 females. 



WEREMOUTH, Monk's. In 181 1, this parifh, con- 

 fifting of live townfhips, viz. Felwell, Hylton, Monk- 

 Weremouth, Monk-Weremouth Shore, and Southwick, 

 contained 832 houfes, and 6504 perfons ; viz. 2837 males, 

 and 3667 females. The townfhip of Monk-Weremouth 

 contained 210 houfes, and 1091 perfons; ■zj/z. 457 males, 

 and 634 females : and that of Monk-Weremouth Shore 

 contained 458 houfes, and 4264 perfons ; viz. 1815 males, 

 and 2449 females. 



WESTBURY, in the county of Salop. In 181 1, the 

 townfhip contained 112 houfes, and 665 perfons ; viz. 348 

 males, and 317 females: and the pariib, comprehending 

 the chapelry of Minfterley, and the three townfhips of 

 Weftbury, Weftley, and Yockleton, contained 417 houfes, 

 and 2195 perfons ; viz. 11 24 males, and 1 07 1 females. 



WESTERLEY. Add— in Wafhington county, con- 

 taining 1921 inhabitants. 



WESTHAVEN, a town of Rutland county, in Ver- 

 mont, having 679 inhabitants. 



WESTMINSTER Abbey. Its happy conftruftion 

 for mufic at the commemoration of Handel in 1 784, 

 appeared to be fuch as not only to overfet all the pre- 

 diftions of ignorance and farcafm, but the conjeftures 

 of theory and experience. By fome it was preditled that 

 an orcheftra fo numerous could never be in tune ; but even 

 tuning to fo noble an organ was for once grand, and pro- 

 duAive of pleafing fenfations. By fome it was thought 

 that, from their number and diftance, they would never play 

 in time ; which, however, they did moll accurately, and 

 without the meafure being beaten in the ufual clumfy 

 manner. By others it was prophefied that the band would 

 be fo loud, that whoever heard this performance would 

 never hear again ; however the found of thefe multiplied 

 tones arrived as mild and benign at the ears of the audience 

 as they could from the feeble efforts of a few violins in a 

 common concert-room. And, laftly, that from the immenfe 

 fize of the building, no Jingle voice had the leaft chance of 

 being heard by thofe who had places remote from the 

 orcheftra ; but luckily this was fo far from being true, 

 that not a vocal breathing, however feeble by nature, or 

 foftened by art, was inaudible in any part of the wide- 

 extended fpace, through which it diffufed itfelf in all direc- 

 tions. 



There was, doubtlefs, great propriety in fainting their 

 majefties at their entrance with the Coronation Anthem, yet 

 we could not help wifhing that this performance, fo dif- 

 ferent from all others, had opened with fome piece in 



W H I 



which every voice and every inftrument might have been 

 heard at the fame mftant ; as fuch an effeft might thea 

 have been produced as can never be obtained by gradation. 

 Indeed the moft fudden and furprifmg effeft of this ftupen- 

 dous band was, perhaps, produced by fimultaneous tuning ; 

 as all the ftringed-inftruments performed this tafli « double 

 corde, and thefe ftrings being all open, their force was 

 more than equal to that of two ftopt-ftrings upon two dif- 

 ferent inftruments. 



It is but juftice to Madame Mara, in fpeaking of the 

 efFefts of a fingle voice in this immenfe building, to record 

 that iTie had not only the power of conveying to the 

 remoteft corner of this expanded ftrufture, the fofteft 

 and moft artificial inflexions of her fweet and brilhant 

 voice, but of articulating every fyllable of the words with 

 fuch neatnefs, precifion, and purity, that it was rendered as 

 audible and inteUigible as it could poffibly have been in a 

 fmall theatre by mere declamation. 



The happy conftruftion of Weftminfter Abbey for che- 

 rifhing and preferving mufical tones, by a gentle augment- 

 ation without echo or repetition, was demonftrated by no 

 part of the commemoration performance more clearly than 

 in that of Mifs Abrams, whofe voice, though fweet, of 

 perfeft intonation, and good quality, was not regarded as 

 theatrical, but fuch as the Itahans denominate bella voce dt 

 camera, yet in the folo air, which fhe fung with her ufual 

 tafte and exprefTion, her voice was rendered more audible in 

 every part of that immenfe building, than it had ever been 

 in any concert -room in London. 



Giardini, envious of the powerful tone of Fifcher's haut- 

 bois, which could even rival that of his own violin with all 

 its force and fweetnefs, ufed to fay that Fifcher had an 

 impudence of tone, but it never produced a more full, rich, 

 and fweet effeft than in the folo parts of Handel's fourth 

 hautbois concerto, which he performed with fuch tafte and 

 propriety, as muft have convinced all thofe who heard him 

 that his excellence was not confined to his own very ori- 

 ginal and ingenious produftions. Indeed, one of the Com- 

 memoration wonders feems to have been the perfeft manner 

 with which the fweet and grateful tone of his fingle inftru- 

 ment filled the llupendous temple of our holy religion, in 

 the performance of this concerto. 



WEST PENN, in Geography, a townfhip of North- 

 ampton county, in Pennfylvania, having 947 inhabitants. 



WESTPHAL, in Biography, an eminent mufic mer- 

 chant of Hamburg, one of the greateft publifhers in Ger- 

 many during the middle of the laft century. 



WHERWELL, in Geography. In 181 1, Wherw&ll 

 with Weftover parilb, in the hundred of Wherwell, contained 

 113 houfes, and 543 perfons; viz. 277 males, and 266 

 females. 



WHIFF. Add — See Pleuronectes PunBatus. 



WHITE, John, in Biography, a Quaker, at whofe fhop 

 in Newgate-ftreet ladies were furnifhed with ftraw hats. 

 This worthy man was a great colleftor of ancient rarities, 

 as well as natural produtlions of the moft curious and 

 extraordinary kind ; no one of which, however, was more 

 remarkable than the obliging manner with which he allowed 

 them to be viewed by his friends and examined by ftrangers. 

 Among his old books and MSS. he was in poffeffion of a 

 very fcarce and valuable mufic-book, which once apper- 

 tained to Dr. Robert Fayrfax, an eminent Enghfh com- 

 pofer during the reigns of Henry VII. and Henry VIII. ; 

 it was afterwards in the poffeffion of general Fayrfax, and 

 upon his demife became a part of the Thorefby collection, 

 at the fale of which it was purchafed by honeft John 

 White. 



4Q 2 WHIT- 



