philosopher, and the most learned man of | his day; but his career teaches the moral lesson that the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life. He held the office of High Chancellor, but showed himself morally unfit for it, 312 BAILLIE, Joanna, istinguished as a dramatic writer; b. in Scotland, 1765; d. 1850. First Voyage of Columbus, by, 191. BAJAZET, a warlike but tyrannical Sultan of Turkey, who succeeded to the throne in 1389, having strangled his rival brother. He died 1403. See p. 255. BANCROFT, Geo., extract from, 193. BANYAN. A very large tree of India.. It sends down roots from its branches, and those roots, striking into the ground, themselves become trunks. Lines on, by T. Moore, 311. BAR, to prevent, obstruct. BA'SHAN. In scriptural geography, the land east of the Jordan, and north of Gilead; celebrated for its rich soil and fat cattle, especially its breed of bulls. BASTILE (basteel'), a noted fortress in Paris, built in the fourteenth century, and destroyed by the populace in 1789. See p. 60. BAYONET, SO called from having been first made at Bayonne, in France. BAYS, the plural of bay, the laurel-tree; applied to a crown or garland bestowed on warlike or literary merit. BEADLE (from the root of to bid), a messenger; in England a parish officer, whose business is to punish petty offenders. B. C. These initials attached to dates signify "before Christ." BEGUINE. The Beguines were a class of women in Germany and the Netherlands, of pious and secluded habits, similar to the nuns, except that they took no vows. BELAY, a nautical term, meaning to fasten or make fast, as a rope. BELLIG'ERENT (from the Lat. bellum, war, and gero, I carry on), waging war. BELL. The derivation of this word is curious; it is from the Anglo-Saxon bellan, to bellow. BELVIDERE (from the Lat. bellus, fine, and video, I see). In Italy this name is given to the cupolas on palaces, from which a fine prospect may be had. It is also the name of a part of the Vatican (the ancient palace of the Popes in Rome), where the famous statue of Apollo, known under the name of Belvidere, is placed. This statue is believed to be the most perfect ever made. The artist's name is unknown. In Italian the word is pronounced in four syllables, Bel-ve-dā'-re. BENEFACTOR (from the L. bene, well, and factor, a doer), one who confers a benefit. BENGAL' (the a as in fall) is the most eastern province of Hindostan', lying on each side of the Ganges. BERESINA (Ber-e-ze'na), a river of Russia. The Passage of, by the French, 326. BESTIARY, one who fought with wild beasts at the ancient spectacles. BEAUTIFUL, The, a poem, 264. Ministry of the, 317. BILLETS, pieces of wood, cut with a bill, or beaked axe, so called from its resemblance to the bill of a bird. BIVOUAC (biv'wak). This word is derived from the Lat. bis, twice, and the German wache, a guard, and signified originally a guard to keep watch during the night. To bivouac is to remain as a guard all night, without tents or covering. The word is sometimes spelled with a final k. BLACKSTONE, Sir Wm., an eminent lawyer, b. at London 1723, d. 1780. His "Commentaries on the Laws of England" is still a legal text-book. BOATSWAIN (in seamen's language bō'sn), an officer on board of certain ships, who has charge of the rigging, boats, &c. BOARD of Health. The term board is ap plied to any body of individuals intrusted, for public or private purposes, with the management of any business or speculation. It is the province of the Board of Health in cities to provide against contagious diseases, &c. BODLEIAN. The library of Oxford, England, under this name, is so called from Sir Thomas Bodley, who died in 1612, and who did much for its foundation. BOMBAST. This word is of the same origin as bombasin, and once meant linen sewed together with flax between, to swell it out. Hence it was applied to a tumid, inflated style, in which sound predominates over sense. BONAPARTE, Napoleon, was born in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean, belonging to France, on the fifteenth August, 1769 He was at the military school of Brienne from 1779 to 1784, when he went to Paris. In 1786 he commenced his military career, which was the most wonderful of modern times. In 1804 he became Emperor of France. After remarkable reverses, he was defeated by the allied armies under Wellington, at Waterloo, June 18, 1815. He surrendered himself to an English squadron, and was brought to Plymouth, whence he was removed to St. Helena, a barren island in the Atlantic Ocean, where he died May 5th, 1821. An Early Riser, 226. Character of, by Lamartine, 393. Napoleon as a Student, 396. BONNIVARD, Francois de, b. 1496, d. 1570, was the prior of a convent near Geneva, in Switzerland, and one of the most strenuous supporters of the liberty of his coun try. He was seized and imprisoned by the Duke of Savoy in the castle of Chillon, at the eastern extremity of the Lake of Geneva, where he remained from 1529 till 1536, when he was liberated by his countrymen. The traces left by his steps on the pavement of his cell are still seen. Account of, by A. Dumas, 142. BONUM, the Latin for good; summum bonum, the chief good. BONUS, a premium for a privilege. BOOKS. The inner bark of trees was onca used for writia g on. In England, many hundred years ago, people used to write upon the bark of the beech-tree, which they called boc. We have not changed the word much. See Library. Thoughts on Books, 397. BOOM (from the Danish bomme, a drum), to make a noise like the roar of the waves, or a distant gun. BOONS (from the Lat. bonus, or Fr. bon), a gift, a favor. BOULOGNE (Boo-lōn'), a seaport of France on the English Channel. BOUQUET (boo-ka'), a nosegay. Bow, the curved part of a ship forward. When it has this meaning it is pronounced so as to rhyme with cow. BOWRING, John, his translation of Derzhavin's ode, 153. True Courage, by, 242. BRAHMIN, the highest or priestly class, among the Hindoos. BRAVE MAN, The, translated from the German of Burger, 165. BRAZIER, an artificer in brass. BREWSTER, Sir David, an eminent philosopher of Scotland, b. 1781. He was the inventor of that optical toy, the Kaleidoscope. Barbarism of War, by, 303. BRIDEWELL, a house of correction for disorderly persons; so called from the palace near Bridget's well in London, which was turned into a work-house. BROOKE, Henry, The Lion, &c., by, 139. BROOKS, C. T., Translations by, 83, 412. BROUGHAM, Henry, Lord, distinguished as a statesman, man of letters, and philosopher; born in Scotland." He entered Parliament in 1810. On Science, by, 441. The Schoolmaster Abroad, by, 269. On the Pleasures of Science, 441. BROWNE, J. R., The Whale Chase, by, 400. BRUCE, Robert, one of the most heroic of the Scottish kings, and the deliverer of Scotland from the English yoke; b. 1274, d. 1329. BRUIN, a familiar name given to the bear, from the Fr. brun, brown. BRUTUS, Lucius Junius, known as the first Brutus, received his surname of Brutus, or brute, from feigning idiocy in order to escape the tyranny of Tarquin, a king of ancient Rome. Lucretia, a lady of great purity, having been grossly abused by Sextus Tarquin, Brutus threw off his pretended idiocy, and roused the Romans to expel their king and establish a republic. As consul, he afterwards sentenced his two sons to death for crimes against their country. See p. 308. Marcus Junius Brutus, celebrated by Shakspeare, was a descendant of the first Brutus, 350. BRYANT, Wm. Cullen, an eminent American poet, b. in Cummington, Mass., Nov. 3, 1794. Extracts from, 178, 205, 257, 338. BUFFON, born 1707, died 1788; a famous naturalist, the eloquence of whose style gave a charm to his scientific works. He was very methodical in his time; but there is not much to praise in his private char acter. 226. BUOY (from bois, the French for wood), a piece of wood floating on the water, to indicate shoals, &c. The adjective buoyant has the same origin. BURGER, Godfrey Augustus, b. 1748, d. 1794: a German poet, celebrated for his spirited ballads. The Brave Man, by, 165. BURKE, Edmund, a writer, orator, and statesman, of great eminence. Born in Ireland, 1780; died 1797. He was one of the greatest masters of English style; an amiable and religious man in private life, and exemplary in his domestic and social duties. See character of, by Hazlitt, and Grattan, 245, 246. Extracts from his Speeches, 146, 268, 269. the author of a History of the Reformation. 226. BURRINGTON, E. H., Lines by, 264. BURTON, W., Learning to Write, 87. BUSHMEN. A name given by the Dutch colonists to some roaming tribes akin to the Hottentots, in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope. They are of a dark copper complexion, and small in stature. So deep are they sunk in barbarism, as to be unacquainted even with the construction of huts or tents, 119. By and By. The proverb, p. 64, T 2, is directed against the habit of procrastination ; of putting off what ought be done at once till "by and by." BYRON, Lord George Gordon, an English nobleman, of great but misapplied talents. He was born in the year 1788, and died in Greece, in 1824. See p. 148. Ambition, by, 100. The Guilty Conscience, 258. A Storm on the Mountains, 333. CABINET, in politics, the governing council of a country; so called from the cabinet or apartment in which the Chief Magistrate transacts public business, and assembles his privy council. In the United States the members of the President's Cabinet are the Secretaries of State, of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, the Interior, the Postmaster General, and the Attorney General. CADI (in Arabic, a judge). The Turks style their inferior judges Cadi. CA'LYX, a Greek word, signifying a cup. It is the name given by botanists to the outermost of the enveloping organs of a flower. CALABRIA, the southern part of the kingdom of Naples; traversed throughout by the Apennine Mountains. • Adventure in Calabria, 305. CAMERA Obscura, or Dark Chamber, is an optical apparatus, by which the images of external objects are thrown on a white s face, and represented in a vivid maner in their proper colors, shapes, &c. CAMILLA, in ancient mythology, one of the swift-footed servants of Diana, accustomed to the chase and to war. CAMPAGNA (kam-pan'-ya, the a pronounced like a in father), a term applied to the low lands of the Tiber about Rome in Italy. The word simply means a flat, open country. The Roman Campagna is quite unhealthy at certain seasons. CAMPBELL, Thomas, a great lyrical poet (see Lyrical), was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1777; died 1844. He wrote his fine poem of "The Pleasures of Hope" when only twenty-two years of age. Fr. "Pleasures of Hope," 309, 412, 310. Lord Ullin's Daughter, 276. CANAAN (Ca'nan), all that tract of land, on each side of the Jordan in Palestine, which God gave for an inheritance to the children of Israel. CANA'RIES, thirteen islands in the Atlantic Ocean, about sixty miles from the west coast of North Africa; known to the ancients as the Fortunate Isles. They were re-discovered in 1402, and seized by the Spaniards in 1420, who planted vines there. The canary-bird is a native of these isles. CANDOR, from the Latin word candere, to be white, to shine, to glitter; hence sincerity, purity. The word candle is of the same genealogy. CANDLES, candlestick. See Candor. CANNIBAL, a person that devours human flesh. The word is probably of Indian origin. CANNING, George, a highly accomplished orator and writer, born in London in 1770, died in 1827. See p. 270. CAPACITY (from the L. capio, I hold, or take), the power of containing or taking. CAPE (from the L. caput, the head), a point or head of land projecting from the mainland into a sea or lake. CARICATURE (from the Italian caricare, to charge, to load), a distorted, exaggerated likeness of any thing or person. CARLYLE, Thomas, an eccentric writer, born in Scotland in 1796. His style, at first simple and eloquent, latterly became affected and grotesque, though often vigor ous. The Sword and Press, by, 255. CARNIVAL (from two Latin words, carni and vale, meaning, farewell to flesh), a festival celebrated with merriment and revelry in Roman Catholic countries, during the week before Lent. CARNIVOROUS, feeding on flesh. CARRIER-PIGEON, The, a poem by Moore, 137. The carrier-pigeon flies at an elevated pitch, in order to surmount every obstacle between her and the place to which the is destined. CASHIER Fr. casser, to break), to dismiss from service. CASTLE-BUILDING, forming visionary projeets; building "castles in the air," 71. CASTLE of Indolence, the title of a celeorated poem by Thomson, written in the manner of Spenser, and containing many obsolete words. CASS, LEWIS, On Labor, 427. CATACOMBS (from the Greek words, kata, down, and kumbos, a hollow), a cave for the burial of the dead. CATILINE, a Roman of great tålents, but dis solute habits. He conspired against his country, and was denounced by Cicero in his most celebrated oration. CATSKILL Mountains are in the vicinity of Catskill, Green county, N. Y., on the Hudson. They received their name from the great number of catamounts formerly killed there, 111. CAVERN by the Sea, The, 183. CECILIA. There are several saints of this name in the Catholic church. The most celebrated, who has been erroneously regarded as the inventress of the organ, suffered martyrdom A. D. 220. How Cecilia came to be the patron-saint of music is not agreed. Ode on Cecilia's Day, 416. CENIS, Mount, a mountain of the Alps in Savoy. It is eight thousand six hundred and seventy feet above the level of the sea. CENTURY (from the Latin centum, a hundred), in a general sense, anything consisting of a hundred parts; a period of a hundred years. CHALMERS, Thomas, a celebrated Scotch divine, born 1780, died 1847. Planets and Heavenly Bodies, 224. Kindness to Brute Animals, 195. CHANNING, Wm. Ellery, a celebrated Ameri can clergyman and writer, born at Newport, R. I., 1780; died 1842. On the Teacher's Calling, 186. CHATHAM, Wm. Pitt, Earl of (or Lord), was one of the greatest orators and statesmen of England, and a stanch friend of the American colonies in their difficulties with the British government. He was born 1708, died 1778. Described by Hazlitt, Grattan, 245, 6. On Taxing America, 267. CHA-ME'-LEON, a species of lizard, found in Asia and Africa. It has the remarkable power of changing its color, producing a succession of rich and varied tints over the whole body. On this peculiarity Merrick's admirable fable (see p. 413) i founded. CHAPMAN, a trafficker, a cheapener. CHAPS (chops), the mouth of a beast. CHAPTER (from the Lat. caput, a head), a division of a book or treatise; as Genesis contains fifty chapters. CHARLATAN, a quack; from an Italian word, meaning to prate. CHARLEMAGNE (Shăr-le-măn), King of the Franks, and subsequently Emperor of the West, was born 742, died 814. His name means Charles the Great. Although he did not know how to write, he was a friend to learning. See p. 395. CHARLES the Twelfth of Sweden; born 1682; killed by a cannon-ball, 1718. He was a military hero, who was lavish of human blood whenever his selfishness or ambition was to be gratified. CHICANERY (she-kan-er-y), trickery, by which a cause is delayed or perplexed. CHILLON (Shillong), 142. See Bonnivard. CHIROGRAPHY (kirog'rafy), the art of writing; from the Gr. cheir, the hand, and grapho, I write. CHOCK, a wedge used to secure anything with, or for anything to rest on. The long-boat, when it is stowed, rests on two large chocks. CHO'RUS, a number of singers; verses of a song, in which all present join. CHRISTENDOM, all the countries of the world, the people of which profess Christianity. to CHRISTIANITY, Obligations to, 313. CHRONOMETER (Gr. chronos, time, and metros, measure), an instrument measure time with great exactness. CHUм, a chamber-fellow. CICERO, the most famous of Roman orators; born 106 B. C., murdered by soldiers 43 B. C. Compared with Demosthenes, 243. INCINNATUS, a consul of ancient Rome; he was repeatedly taken from his plough and farm to assume the highest offices of the state. A society of American revolutionary officers took their name from him, calling themselves Cincinnati, whence the great city of Ohio has its CLIFF (now generally spelt clef), a character in music; from the L. clavis, a key. CODE. With the ancient Romans that part of the wood of a tree next to the bark was called codex; and the laws written on this wood, smeared with wax, took its name; whence is our word code, a collection of laws. COGNAC (kōn-yak), a French brandy. COLERIDGE, Samuel Taylor, an English poet and philosopher, b. 1770, d. 1843. Translation from Schiller, by, 343. COLOSSAL, gigantic, like a Colossus; an ancient statue of Apollo, which stood across the entrance of the harbor at Rhodes, being so called. It was of brass, one hundred and five feet high, so that ships could pass under its legs. COLOSSEUM (col-os-se'um), The, 386. COLLINS, Wm., an English poet, b. 1720, d. 1756. His odes, written when he was quite young, show great genius. Ode to the Passions, 402. COLUMBUS, Christopher, was born at Genoa, 1437; died 1506. See America. COMBUSTIBLE, capable of burning. COMET (from the Gr. kome, hair), a celes tial body, with a luminous train. COMMONS. In countries having kings and nobles, the common people, or their representatives, are thus called. COMPANION (from the Lat. commu'nis, common, and panis, bread), literally, one with whom we share bread. CONCAVE, hollow; opposed to convex, spherical. CONCIERGERIE (kon-se-airzh'-re), the name of a prison in Paris. CONCISE (from the Lat. conci'do, to cut down), brief, containing few words. CONCRETE (Lat. concres-ce-re, to grow together, to coalesce in one mass). As an adj., formed by coalition of separate particles in one body. In logic, existing in a subject; not abstract; as the white snow. As a noun, a compound, a mass formed by concretion. CONFUSED. As used by Heywood, p. 294, the accent is on the first syllable. In his day, usage had not settled the accent of a large class of English words. CONGREVE, WM., an English dramatist and poet, b. 1672, d. 1729. His reputation, very great in his day, has deservedly dwindled. The Preacher who Failed, &c., 286. CONJURE; when it means to call on solemnly (as on p. 372), the accent is on the last syllable; when it means to affect by magic, or to practise the arts of a conjurer, the accent is on the first syllable. CONSCIEN; derivation explained, 125. CONSTELLATION (from the Latin con, to- CONTRARY. This word should not be used COPSE (from the Gr. kopto, I fell, cut down), CORDUROY, a thick cotton stuff, corded or CORONACH (kor-o-nak), a wild expression of CORTEGE (kor-tā'zjh), a train, a retinue. COTTLE, JOSEPH, a publisher and author, of COULTER (kōl'ter), the sharp iron of a vate. COUP-DE-MAIN (koo-duhr-măng'), a bold COURAGE, from the Lat. cor, the heart- An Adventure in Calabria, 305. Extracts from, 177, 248, 311, 410, 414. Practical Charity, by, 257 CRAVEN, a coward; from to crave, because CRUCIFIX (from the Lat. cruci, to a cross, Affectation, by, 144. CURFEW (from the French couvre-feu, cover CURSES. The proverb (p. 64) simply means CYLINDER, a long, circular body, of uniform DAFFODILS (Gr. asphodelos), a species of The Daffodils, a poem, 70. |