W I T 
it was injurious to their trade and finances; and presented 
to the Orange party a favourable opportunity for advanc¬ 
ing prince William to the power and dignities possessed by 
his ancestors. Peace at length became absolutely necessary; 
and one of the articles concluded upon in 1654, and dic¬ 
tated by Cromwell, was the perpetual exclusion of the 
prince of Orange from the high offices formerly held by his 
family. This article was agreed to by the states of Holland 
alone, and when De Witt drew up a declaration for divulging 
it, some of the provinces censured it, and charged the anti- 
Orange party with having suggested it to Cromwell. The 
province of Holland, however, carried the point, and the ge¬ 
neral tranquillity was little disturbed. De Witt now directed 
his attention to the state of the finances, and succeeded in 
reducing the interest of the public debt, and persuading the 
people to acquiesce in this measure. The restoration of 
Charles II. was generally agreeable to the United States, and 
more especially to the Orange party: but the restored sove¬ 
reign soon declared his dissatisfaction with De Witt, because 
he had been hostile to the elevation of the house of Orange. 
From this time, the Dutch statesman favoured the politics 
of France more than those of England. At length a war 
took place between the Dutch and English in 1665 ; during 
the progress of which De Witt was often unpopular, though 
he was the main spring which kept in action the resources 
of the state, and remedied every calamity. Peace with Eng¬ 
land in 1667, developed the ambitious projects of Lewis 
XIV. in taking possession of the Spanish Netherlands; and 
the alarm which this measure produced in the United Pro¬ 
vinces gave occasion to the friends of the house of Orange, 
to propose the elevation of the young prince to the dignities 
which his family had possessed. De Witt, with a view of 
counteracting this purpose, obtained a resolution on the part 
of the states of Holland for separating the offices of captain- 
general and stadtholder, which resolution gave great offence 
to the other provinces, and rendered De Witt, with whom it 
was supposed to have originated, extremely unpopular. Sen¬ 
sible, however, of the dangers arising from French ambition, 
he concurred in the triple alliance between England, Sweden, 
and the United Provinces, concluded, in 1668, by himself 
and sir William Temple. 
The character of De Witt has been described in honour¬ 
able terms by sir William Temple, who knew him well, 
both in private life and in his public station. He speaks of 
him as a person of indefatigable application, of invincible 
resolution, of a sound and clear judgment, and of irre¬ 
proachable integrity, insomuch, that if he was blinded in 
any respect, it was in consequence of his passion for pro¬ 
moting what he thought the welfare of his country. He 
bears testimony to the pensionary’s knowledge of the inte¬ 
rests of foreign courts, though he did not make sufficient al¬ 
lowance for the treachery of princes, or rather their ministers, 
and was thus misled with regard to the ambitious views of 
France. If he had any wrong bias in his political conduct, 
it was that of an hereditary jealousy and dislike of the house 
of Orange, which led him in some cases to act rather as a 
party leader than an unprejudiced patriot. No man could 
be less influenced than De Witt by views of avarice or osten¬ 
tation. His manners and appearance were adapted to the 
ancient simplicity and frugality of his country, even in the 
height of his power. When his papers and private letters 
were submitted to a rigorous scrutiny after his death, nothing 
was discovered that could impeach his integrity. When one 
of the commissioners was asked what they had found in De 
Witt’s papers; “What (said he) could we have found— 
nothing but probity!” As a man of business, he was scru¬ 
pulously attentive to order and method; and when he was 
once asked, How he was able to transact such a multiplicity 
of affairs ? he replied, “ By doing only one thing at a time.” 
— Mod. TJn. Hist. Gen. Biog. 
WI'TTED, ad). Having wit: as, a quick wit fed boy. 
WITTENBERG, a city of Prussian Saxony, in the go¬ 
vernment of Merseburg, on the Elbe. It is situated on a 
level and sandy spot, which, particularly since the shady 
walks around the town were cut down by the French, for 
WIT 703 
the purpose of defence, in the campaign of 1813, presents 
little variety or interest. The town isofan oblong form, con¬ 
sisting of one street, with suburbs widely spread, but defend¬ 
ed by a dyke from the inundations of the Elbe. Its works, 
formerly considerable, were allowed to fall gradually to de¬ 
cay, until reinstated by the French in 1813. It has some 
linen manufactories. Wittenberg is a place of some antiquity, 
having been, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the capital ot\ 
the electoral circle of Saxony. Its university, founded in 
1502, is memorable as the cradle of the reformation, Luther 
having been appointed professor of philosophy in 1508; and 
having here, from his academical chair, exposed the corrup¬ 
tions of the Catholic church. He, and his milder associate 
Meiancthon, are buried in the university church; and their 
tombs are pointed out by simple inscriptions. But so lately 
as October, 1821, a monumental colossal statue of Luther 
was erected in Wittenberg, with great solemnity. After 
Wittenberg ceased to be the residence of a court, it was 
found inadequate to the support of a university. The latter 
was annexed to that of Halle, and its place supplied by a 
gymnasium, or classical school. Since 1815, this town has 
been ceded to Prussia. It suffered considerably from the 
calamities of war, particularly in the contest of 1756; and in 
a comparatively recent attack by the Russians in January, 
1814; 69 miles north-north-west of Dresden, and 40 north- 
north-east of Leipsic. Population 5000. 
WITTENBERGE, a town of Prussia, on the Old Elbe, 
with 900 inhabitants ; 72 miles north-west of Berlin. 
W1TTENBURG, a town of Germany, with 1400 inhabi¬ 
tants ; 17 miles west of Schwerin. 
WITTENIIALL, or Willeniiall, a township of Eng¬ 
land, in Staffordshire. Population 3523. 
WITTENHAM, Little, a parish of England, in Berk¬ 
shire, near Wallingford. 
WITTENHAM, Long or West, another parish in the 
above county; 1 mile distant from the foregoing. Population 
404. 
WITTERING, a parish of England, in Northampton¬ 
shire, near Wandsford. 
WITTERING, East, a parish of England, in Sussex; 
6§ miles south-west of Chichester. 
WITTERING, West, another parish in the above coun¬ 
ty ; 1 mile distant from the foregoing. Population 483. 
WITTERSHAM, a parish of England, in Kent. Po¬ 
pulation 754. 
WITTERSHEIM, a small town of Prussian Westphalia; 
miles from Minden. 
WITTICH, a small town of the Prussian province of the 
Lower Rhine; 22 miles north-north-east of Treves. Popula¬ 
tion 1600. 
WITTICIIENAU, or Kulow, a town of Upper Lusatia, 
on the Black Elster; 32 miles north-east of Dresden. Po¬ 
pulation 1500. 
WITTICHENDORF, a village of Saxony, in Upper 
Lusatia. Population 900. 
WITTICISM, s. A mean attempt at wit. This word 
Dryden innovated. “ A mighty witticism, pardon a new 
word.” Dryden. —We have a libertine fooling even in his 
last agonies, with a witticism between his teeth, without 
any regard to sobriety and conscience. L'Estrange .— 
He is full of conceptions, points of epigram and witti¬ 
cisms, all which are below the dignity of heroick verse. 
Addison. 
WITTILY, adv. Ingeniously; cunningly; artfully. 
But is there any other beast that lives, 
Who his own harm so wittily contrives ? Dryden. 
With flight of imagination.—In conversation wittily plea¬ 
sant, pleasantly gamesome. Sidney. 
WTTTINESS, s. The quality of being witty.—No less 
deserveth his wittiness in devising, his pithiness in uttering, 
his pastoral rudeness and his moral wiseness. Spenser. 
WITTINGAU, or Trzebon, a town of Bohemia; 74 
miles south-by-east of Prague, and 13 east of Budweis. Po¬ 
pulation 2800. 
WITTINGEN, 
