Deming, Philander, An
American
humor.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v29 - BIographical Dictionary
Included in his
many publications are: (The Pre-Columbian
Discovery of America by the Northmen (1869);
(The Moabite Stone) (1870); and (The Rector
of Roxburgh,' a novel, under the pen-name of
«William Hickling ” (1873). He became pres-
ident (1884) of the first branch of the White
Cross Society," of which he was the organizer.
De Coster, Charles Théodore Henri (dė
kos'ter). A Belgian poet (1827-79); born at
Munich. His first poetical composition was
( The Owls' Mirror); then followed (Flemish
Legends) (1856); Brabant Stories) (1861), a
spirited description of lowly life ; (The Wed-
ding Tour) (1872); and the little comedy
Jenny) (1865).
Decourcelle, Pierre (dė kör-sel'). A French
dramatist ; born at Paris, Jan. 25, 1856. His first
work was the five-act drama, (The Ace of
Clubs, written for Sara Bernhardt; it had an
extraordinary success. Then followed a suc-
cession of comedies, dramas, comic-opera li-
bretti, and dramatizations of popular novels,
written by him individually or in collaboration
with other authors; among them : (The Ama-
zon' (1885); Madame Cartridge); (The Abbé
Constantin (founded on Halévy's story) ; (The
Man with the Broken Ear) (after About).
He wrote also a sensational novel, « The Gray
Hat) (1887), and "Fanfan) (1889), both of which
were received with great popular favor.
Dedekind, Friedrich (ded'é-kind). A Ger-
man poet (1525-98); born at Neustadt on the
Leine. His principal work is (Grobianus)
(1549), a satire in Latin distichs against drunk-
enness and obscenity; it had wide circulation,
and was translated into German, Dutch, and
English. He wrote two dramas having a re-
ligious polemic end in view : (The Christian
Knight) and (The Converted Papist.
Deems, Charles Force. An American clergy-
man and writer; born in Baltimore, Md. , Dec.
4, 1820; died in New York city, Nov. 18, 1893.
From 1866 to his death he was pastor of the
Church of the Strangers of New York city,
and was widely noted as editor and author.
Included in his publications are : (Triumph of
Peace and Other Poems) (1840); (The Light
of the Nations) (1870); Weights and Wings
(1872); (Chips and Chunks for Every Fire-
side); and My Septuagint' (1892).
Deffand, Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, Mar-
quise du (def-fän'). A French wit and letter-
writer, mistress of a most brilliant salon ; born
in Burgundy, 1697 ; died at Paris, Sept. 24,
1780. Her correspondence with Horace Wal-
pole was published in 1780, with d'Alembert
and other great Frenchmen in 1809 (2 vols. ),
with Voltaire in 1810 (4 vols. ), with the Duchess
de Choiseul and others in 1859 (3 vols. ). *
Defoe, Daniel. The author of "Robinson
Crusoe); born in St. Giles Parish, Cripplegate,
1000 or 1601; died near London, 1731. His
works comprise political tracts, verse, polemic
writings, economic and social pamphlets, ro-
mances, histories, and biographies. Among
them are : (The Storm (1704); Apparition of
Mrs. Veal) (1706); “Robinson Crusoe' (1719);
(Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
(1719); (King of Pirates) (1719); Duncan
Campbell (1720); Mr. Campbell's Pacquet
(1720); Memoirs of a Cavalier) (1720); (Cap-
tain Singleton) (1720); (Moll Flanders) (1722);
Journal of the Plague Year) (1722); Car-
touche) (1722); Colonel Jacque) (1722); (The
Highland Rogue' (1723); (The Fortunate Mis-
tress) (1724); Narrative of Murders at Calais)
(1724); (John Sheppard) (1724); (Account of
Jonathan Wild? (1725); and other romances.
His pamphlets include : Essay upon Projects
(1698); 'Shortest Way with Dissenters) (1702);
and Political History of the Devil' (1726). *
De Fontaine, Felix. An American journal-
ist; born in Boston, Mass. , 1832; died in Co-
lumbus, S. C. , Dec. II, 1896. The first statement
given to the North, of the attack on Fort Sum-
ter, was written by him; and he was corre-
spondent of the Charleston Courier from the
principal battle-fields during the Civil War.
Subsequently he came to New York city, and
was connected with the Herald most of the
time until his death. He was the author of
'Cyclopædia of the Best Thoughts of Charles
Dickens); “Gleanings from a Confederate
>
## p. 137 (#153) ############################################
DE FOREST - DELÉRY
137
(
31
t.
Army Note-Book); and Birds of a Feather
Flock Together. '
De Forest, John William. An American
novelist, born in Humphreysville (near Sey-
mour), Conn. , March 31, 1826. Without enter-
ing college he passed many years in inde-
pendent study and foreign travel, becoming a
proficient in several languages; entered the
army as captain at the outbreak of the Civil
War, and rose to major; and since 1850 has
been a fertile writer of essays, short stories,
and novels for the leading magazines, taking
prominent rank among American novelists.
Among his works are: “History of the Indians
of Connecticut) (1853); (Oriental Acquaint-
ance) (1856); “Witching Times) (1856); (Euro-
pean Acquaintance (1858); (Seacliff) (1859);
Miss Ravenel's Conversion) (1867); (Over-
land (1871); Kate Beaumont) (1872); (The
Wetherell Affair (1873); (Honest John Vane)
(1875); Justine Vane) (1875); Playing the
Mischief (1876); “Irene Vane) (1877); “Irene,
the Missionary) (1879); “The Oddest of Court.
ships; or, The Bloody Chasm) (1881).
De Gubernatis. See Gubernatis.
De Kay, Charles. An American poet, grand-
son of Joseph Rodman Drake; born in Wash-
ington, D. C. , July 25, 1848. His poems are
mostly founded on themes from Oriental, clas-
sical, and literary history. Among his works
are : (The Bohemian (1878); Hesperus and
Other Poems) (1880); “The Vision of Nimrod )
(1881); (The Vision of Esther) (1882); (The
Love Poems of Louis Barnaval, Edited (and
written] by Charles De Kay) (1883); and many
occasional poems. His prose includes: Life
and Works of Antoine Louis Barye, Sculptor)
(1889); and (The Family Life of Heinrich
Heine) (1892), a translation.
Dekker, Eduard Douwes (dek'er). A Dutch
novelist (1820-87), pseudonym “Multatuli");
born at Amsterdam. He spent several years
in government service in the Dutch East Indies.
His story (Max Havelaar) (1860) is a shocking
accusation of wrongs and scandals against the
Dutch administration of Java. He later pub-
lished many satirical works on social, political,
and philosophical questions, among them a
volume of admirable Parables); a novel, (The
Blessed Virgin'; a drama; and (The School
of Princes. ' *
Dekker, Thomas. An English dramatist;
born in London, about 1570; died some time
after 1637. He wrote a great number of plays,
but only a few of them were published, among
them the two comedies (The Shoemaker's Holi-
day) and (Old Fortunatus); they are both
specimens of whatever is best and most genuine
in English humor, and the second in particular
abounds in passages of consummate poetic
beauty. Of other writings of his we have (The
Wonderful Year,' a pamphlet describing graph-
ically the horrors of the plague; an amusing
tract, (The Bachelor's Banquet,' a satire on hen-
pecked husbands; and many other fugitive
pieces lashing the vices and follies of the age.
He also collaborated with other dramatists. *
De Lancey, Edward Floyd. An American
historical writer; born in Mamaroneck, N. Y. ,
Oct. 23, 1821. He is author of Documentary
History of New York) (1851); (The Cap-
ture of Fort Washington the Result of Trea-
son) (1877); and (Origin and History of
Manors in the Province of New York) (1886).
Deland, Ellen Douglass. An American
writer of juvenile works; born in New York
in 1860. She has published: (Oakleigh'; 'In
the Old Herrick House); (Malvern. '
Deland, Margaret Wade ( Campbell).
An American poet and novelist; born in Alle-
gheny, Pa. , Feb. 23, 1857. She is now a resi-
dent of Boston. Her fame rests mainly upon
her theological polemic novel John Ward,
Preacher) (1888), which has been very widely
read. Among her other well-known works are :
(The Story of a Child); Mr. Tommy Dove
and Other Stories ); Philip and his Wife);
Florida Days, a collection of sketches of
travel ; and (Sydney. Her most popular poems
are contained in the volume entitled “The
Old Garden and Other Verses.
Delaporte, Michel (dė-lä-port'). A French
playwright (1806-72); born in Paris. He wrote
a long series of vaudevilles, many of them in
collaboration with others. Of pieces of his
own composition may be named (The House-
wife! (1851), «Toinette and her Carbineer)
(1856), as the most successful. In association
with Varin he wrote: (A Hercules and a
Pretty Woman (1861); (Ah, 'Tis Pleasant to
Love); (The Gillyflower Woman (1869).
Delavigne, Jean François Casimir (de-lä-
vēn'). A French lyric poet and dramatist
(1793-1843); born at Havre. He struck a patri-
otic and popular chord in his (Messenian Odes)
(1818), satires directed against the monarchy
of the Restoration. His historical dramas and
tragedies are numerous; among them are:
(Louis XI. "; "The Sicilian Vespers); (Marino
Faliero); Don John of Austria. His plays
are no longer seen on the stage. *
De Leon, Edwin. An American prose-writer;
born in Columbia, S. C. , 1828; died in New
York city, 1891. From 1854 to 1862 he was
engaged in editorial work; from 1862 to 1870
held the office of United States consul-general
and diplomatic agent at Cairo, Egypt. His
published works include: Thirty Years of
my Life on Three Continents); (The Khedive's
Egypt,' a novel ; (Askaros Kassis, the Captain';
and (Under the Star and Under the Crescent. '
Deléry, François Charles (dė-lā're). An
American prose-writer; born in St. Charles
Parish, La. , Jan. 28, 1815; died in Bay St.
Louis, Miss. , June 12, 1880. His works were
written in French, and include: Essay on
Liberty) (1847); "Studies of the Passions)
(1849); (King Cotton); and Confederates and
Federals) (1864).
je
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138
DELITZSCH - DE MILLE
a
Delitzsch, Franz. A German theologian;
born in Leipzig, Feb. 23. 1813; died there,
March 4, 1890. In 1867 he became professor
of theology at Leipzig. Among his numerous
devotional and theological works may be men-
tioned: (History of Jewish Poetry) (1836);
(The House of God' (1848); (A Day in Caper-
naum (1871); and the well-known translation
of the New Testament into Hebrew (1st ed.
1877, 2d ed. 1886).
Delmar, Alexander. An American political
economist; born in New York city, Aug. 9,
1836. He established the Social Science Re.
view and was its editor 1864-66. He is the
author of (Gold Money and Paper Money)
(1862); “Essays on Political Economy) (1865);
(Letter on the Finances) (1868); (History of
Money in Ancient Countries) (1884); (The
Science of Money); (The National-Banking
System'; and (Statistical Almanac.
Delmonte, Felix Maria (del-môn'te). A
Dominican lawyer and poet; born in Santo
Domingo city, Dominican Republic, about 1810.
Has been many times a member of the Do-
minican Congress. He is the author of "Las
Vérgenes de Galindo,' a historical tale in verse;
(El Mendigo,' a drama;'Ozama,' a drama; and
many lyrical poems.
Delmonte y Tejada, Antonio (del-môn'te ē
tė-yä'dä). A Dominican historian; born in
Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, in
1783; died in 1861. He is the author of 'His-
toria de Santo Domingo) (3 vols. ), a history
of the island from its discovery.
Deloney, Thomas. An English ballad writer
and pamphleteer; born in London (? ), about
1543; died there (? ), about 1600. He turned
all current topics, from the Armada to a
murder, into racy ballads and snatches, some
happy, others execrable, all popular; the
(Strange Histories) (1607) comprising most of
the good ones, while in (The Gentle Craft)
(1597), a eulogy of shoemakers, we have a
specimen of his pamphlets.
De Long, George Washington. An Amer-
ican Arctic explorer, and officer in the United
States navy; born in New York city, Aug. 22,
1844; died in Siberia, Oct. 30, 1881. Graduat-
ing from the Naval Academy in 1865, he reached
the grade of lieutenant-commander, and per-
ished of cold and exposure while in command
of the Jeannette Expedition in 1879-81. His
journals have been published, entitled (The
Voyage of the Jeannette (1883); and the story
of the search for the survivors is told in Mel-
ville's 'In the Lena Delta) (1884).
Delord, Taxile (de-lôr'). A French historian,
journalist, and topical prose-writer; born in
Avignon, Nov. 25, 1815; died in Paris, May 16,
1877. He was successful politically, and edited
important Parisian journals, his permanent
work being contained in Physiology of the
Parisian Woman) (1841); (History of the Sec-
ond Empire) (1868–75); and Literary Morn-
ings) (1860).
Delpit, Albert (del-pe') A French novelist
and dramatist (1849-93); born in New Orleans.
When quite young he assisted the elder Dumas
in editing the journals Le Mousquetaire and
Le D'Artagnan. After the war with Germany,
in which he served as a volunteer, he won aca.
demic prizes with a volume of poems, “The
Invasion'; and the poem (Repentance, or the
Country Parish Priest's Story. ' He had little
success with his dramas t:ll (Coralie's Son)
(1879) gained the highest recognition both from
the reading public and theatre-goers. (Odette's
Marriage) obtained him a pronounced success
in high society. He wrote also “Cruel Loves);
(As in Life); and other plays.
Delvau, Alfred (del-võ'). A French Revolu-
tionary prose-writer; born in Paris, 1825: died
there, May 3, 1867. A History of the Revolu-
tion of February) (1850), and (Henri Murger
and Bohemianism) (1866), sufficiently denote
the range of his partisan, but more than medi-
ocre, capacities.
Delwig, Anton Antonovich, Baron (del’vig).
A Russian lyrist (1798-1831 ); born in Moscow.
He was a schoolfellow and lifelong friend of
Pushkin. He held government office, but his
St. Petersburg house was the rallying-place
of the literary world, especially of the younger
set,- Pushkin, Glinka, Baratinsky, Vlasemsky.
Among his poetical compositions those written
in the tone of the popular ballad are the best,
and some of them are in great favor.
Demeter, Dimitrija (dem'é-ter). A Croa.
tian dramatist and poet; born at Agram, July
21, 1811 ; died there, June 24, 1872. His princi-
pal dramas are : (Love and Duty); Blood-
Revenge); and the tragedy (Teuta. ' He wrote
a lyro-epic poem, “The Battlefield of Grobnik,'
and several stories. He translated several for-
eign dramatic works into Croatian.
De Mille, Henry Churchill. An American
playwright; born in North Carolina, about 1853;
died at Pompton, N. J. , Feb. 10, 1893. He grad-
uated at Columbia College, and was by turns
preacher and school-teacher until 1882, when
he became examiner of plays at the Madison
Square Theatre, and later for a short time an
actor. His first successful play was the Main
Line, in which he collaborated with Charles
Barnard. In 1887, having become associated
with David Belasco, he wrote the well-known
society dramas: "The Wife) (1887); Lord
Chumley) (1888); (The Charity Ball' (1889);
(Men and Women) (1890). His last work was
a melodrama adapted from the German, en-
titled Lost Paradise, which was successfully
produced in 1892 and is still a favorite.
De Mille, James. A Canadian novelist;
born in St. John, N. B. , August 1837; died in
Halifax, N. S. , Jan. 28, 1880. Graduated at
Brown College (1854). He was professor of
classics in Acadia College (1860-65), and of
history and rhetoric in Dalhousie College, Hali-
fax, from 1865 until his death. Among his
publications are: (The Dodge Club) (1860);
## p. 139 (#155) ############################################
DEMING-DENNIE
139
:
it
(
--
1
1
"Cord and Creese) (1867); (A Comedy of Ter-
rors) (1872); «The Living Link) (1874); and
many books for boys, including (Treasures of
the Sea. ' A treatise of his on rhetoric was pub-
lished in 1878.
Deming, Philander, An American humor.
ous writer of dialect sketches. He was born
in 1829. His work is very original, and has
been published in 'Adirondack Stories);
(Tompkins and Other Folks. "
Demogeot, Jacques Claude (dem-7-zho'). A
French literary historian and poet; born at
Paris, July 5, 1808. He wrote a (Study on
Pliny the Younger); the prize essay Letters
and Men of Letters in the 19th Century);
"French Literature in the 17th Century, his
greatest work.
His poetical writings are a
drama, “Romeo and Juliet' (1852); New Paris,
consisting of epico-lyric descriptions; and (Sto-
ries and Talks in Verse (1860).
Demosthenes (dē-mos'the-nēz). An Athenian
orator; born about 384 B. C. ; died at Calauria,
322 B. C. Necessity drove him to take up the
business of writing pleas and defenses of suit-
ors and defendants in the law courts; after-
ward he appeared himself in the courts and
the assemblies, and became a foremost leader
of the party of independence against the de-
signs of Philip of Macedon. The Olynthiacs)
and the Philippics) were part of this war-
fare; and his greatest speech, 'On the Crown,'
was a vindication of his course. Sixty orations
ascribed to him are extant, but some of them
are spurious. *
Dempster, Charlotte Louisa Hawkins. An
Scotch novelist; born in Forfarshire, Scotland,
in 1835. She has traveled extensively, and is
at present a resident of Cannes, France. She
has been a frequent contributor to English peri-
odicals. Her first book was: (The Hôtel du
Petit St. Jean : A Gascon Story' (1869); the
second, Véra! (1872) established her repu-
tation. Her other works include : Essays'
(1872); "Iseulte) (1875); (Blue Roses) (1877);
"Within Sound of the Sea) (1878), a Scotch
story ; Ninette) (1888), an idyl of Provence.
Denham, Sir John. An English poet; born
in Dublin in 1615; died in London (? ), March
15 (? ), 1669. He figured at the court of Charles
II. , translated the Æneid? (1656 ? ), produced
the tragedy of (The Sophy) (1642), and in
'Cooper's Hill' (1642) rose above mediocrity.
Denis, Jean Ferdinand (den-e'). A French
explorer and historical writer; born in Paris,
France, Aug. 13. 1798; died Aug. 2, 1890. He was
an extensive traveler and a voluminous writer.
Among his works are: “History of Brazil'
(1821); Buenos Ayres and Paraguay) (2 vols. ,
1823). He is also the author of a series of
historical novels: (Ysmael-ben-Kaisar, or the
Discovery of the New World) (3 vols. , 1829).
Denison, Charles Wheeler. An American
poet and prose-writer ; born in New London,
Conn. , Nov. 11, 1809; died Nov. 14, 1881. He
published: (The American Village and Other
Poems) (1845); (Out at Sea,' poems (1867).
His prose works include (The Child Hunters)
(1867) and a series of biographies : (The Tan-
ner Boy) (Grant); (Winfield the Lawyer's
Son) (Hancock); and others.
Denison, John Ledyard. An American his-
torian; born in Stonington, Conn. , Sept. 19, 1826.
He published a "Pictorial History of the Wars
of the United States,' and edited an “Illustrated
History of the New World' in English and in
German.
Denison, Mary Andrew8). An American
novelist, wife of C. W. ; born in Cambridge,
Mass. , May 26, 1826. Assisted in editing the
Olive Branch, in which her husband was inter-
ested; also contributed to American and Eng.
lish periodicals. Her works include: Home
Pictures) (1853); (That Husband of Mine,' of
which it is said the sale reached 200,000 copies;
and “What One Boy can Do) (1885).
Denne, Henry. An English Puritan divine,
who Aourished in the seventeenth century and
was noted for his attacks upon the vices of
the clergy. He published «The Man of Sin)
(1645); (The Drag Net of the Kingdom of
Heaven) (1646); (Grace, Mercy, and Truth);
etc. His sermons and other works were pub-
lished in London, 1642-60.
Denne-Baron, Pierre Jacques René (dān.
bär-ôn). A French poet and essayist; born in
Paris, Sept. 6, 1780; died there, June 5, 1854.
He had much learning and a faultless taste ;
(Hero and Leander) (1806) and Poetic
Flowers) (1825) being delightful though not
great, while his (Dictionary of Conversation
is widely known.
Dennery or d'Ennery, Adolphe Philippe
(den-er-e'). A French dramatist ; born at Paris,
June 17, 1811. He has produced, either alone
or in collaboration, about 200 separate compo-
sitions. Among his own productions are the
dramas (My Daughter's Honor (1835); (The
Pearl of Savoy) (1842); (Mary Jane) (1845),
one of the strongest popular plays of our time:
(The Two Orphans) (1873); the comedies and
vaudevilles (The Change of Uniform (1836),
and Robber Paris) (1844); and the fairy spec-
tacles Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp
(1863), and “The Tribute of Zamora. '
Dennie, Joseph. An American journalist;
born in Boston, Aug. 30, 1768; died in Phila-
delphia, Jan. 7, 1812. Published (The Farrago!
(1795), essays on life and literature. From 1796
to 1798 edited with great success the Farmer's
Weekly Museum at Walpole, N. H. In this ap-
peared his essays signed “The Lay Preacher,"
whose droll and easy style made him popular.
In Philadelphia (1801), assisted by Asbury
Dickens, he founded the Portfolio, which he
edited till his death under the pen-name of
« Oliver Old-School. ” Two collections of his
writings have been published: The Lay
Preacher, or Short Sermons for Idle Readers)
(1796); and 'The Lay Preacher) (1817).
.
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## p. 140 (#156) ############################################
140
DENNIS - DERSHÁVIN
Dennis, John. An English dramatist and
critic (1657-1734); born in London. Of his
dramas none had much success or deserved it.
He was a savage critic, but he had some just
views of dramatic art and poetry, as is proved
by his (Three Letters on the Genius and Writ-
ings of Shakespeare) (1711). His fame is per-
petuated not by his own writings, but by the
satires and anecdotes of his enemies, Pope's
Dunciad' in particular. He invented a new
species of stage thunder; and the phrase
“stealing one's thunder” is due to his angry
outburst at some managers who used it in a
successful play when one of his had been
damned.
Deotyma (dā-o-tē'mä), pseudonym of Jad-
viga Luszczevska. A Polish poet and story-
writer; born in Warsaw, October 1830. She
has long been celebrated for the power and
charm of her prose and versification; (At the
Parting Way) (1876) being a story of rare
merit, and The Pole in Song' (1859) con-
taining many of her finest stanzas.
Depew, Chauncey Mitchell. An American
lawyer; born in Peekskill, N. Y. , April 23, 1834.
He is president of the New York Central and
Hudson River R. R. Co. Noted as a political
orator and an after-dinner speaker. Published
(Orations and After-Dinner Speeches) (1890).
De Peyster, John Watts (de-pēs'ter). An
American miscellaneous writer; born in New
York city, March 9, 1821. He has contributed
much to periodicals, and written a vast num-
ber of monographs, often polemic,- one being
in defense of his Loyalist grandfather, second
in command at King's Mountain on the Brit-
ish side. He is author of: Life of Field
Marshal Torstenson (1855); (The Dutch at
the North Pole) (1857); Life of Baron Cohorn)
(1860); and (Personal and Military History of
General Philip Kearny) (1869).
De Puy, Henry Walter. An American mis-
cellaneous writer ; born in Pompey Hill, Onon-
daga County, N. Y. , in 1820; died Feb. 2, 1876.
He constantly contributed political articles to
the press; he wrote several popular poems,
and was the author of "Kossuth and his Gen.
erals, with a brief history of Hungary (1851);
Louis Napoleon and his Times, with a
memoir of the Bonaparte family (1853) ; (Three
Score Years and Beyond) (1873); and (Ethan
Allen and the Green Mountain Boys of 1876.
De Puy, William Harrison. An American
clergyman and writer; born in New York, 1821.
His works include: (Statistics of the Methodist
Episcopal Church'; (Home and Health); and
Home Economics,' a book of great popularity.
De Quincey, Thomas. A celebrated Eng.
lish author; born in Manchester, Aug. 15, 1785;
died Dec. 8, 1859. He was a very prolific
writer; but his works are mostly occasional
essays, and papers on historical, literary, and
miscellaneous topics. Besides collections of
these, his published works include: (Confes-
sions of an English Opium Eater) (1821); "Let-
ters to a Young Man Whose Education has
been Neglected' (1823); Logic of Political
Economy' (1844); (Klosterheim' (1839); etc. *
Derby, George Horatio. [“John Phænix. ”]
An American humorist; born in Dedham,
Mass. , April 3, 1823; died in New York, May
15, 1861. Graduated at West Point (1846), and
served in the army during the Mexican War
(1846-47). He wrote under the name "John
Phoenix » a series of sketches and burlesques,
entitled Phænixiana) (1855), and "The Squi-
bob Papers) (1859).
Derby, James Cephas. An American pub-
lisher of New York and San Francisco; born
1818; died 1892. He is the author of Fifty
Years among Authors, Books, and Publishers. )
Dernburg, Friedrich (dern'bürg). A Ger-
man journalist and descriptive writer ; born in
Mentz, Oct. 3, 1833. After a university course,
he rapidly acquired eminence in both journal-
ism and politics, being one of the companions
of the German Crown Prince (now Emperor)
in a trip to Rome, and later a well-known
personality at the Columbian Exposition. From
the White City' (1893), a series of World's
Fair sketches; In the Bonds of Guilt) (1894);
and “The Over Proud? (1889), afford typical
specimens of his fact and fiction.
De Rosny, Leon. A celebrated French Ori-
entalist; born at Loos, France, Aug. 5, 1837.
Professor of Japanese at the Special School of
Languages since 1868, and founder of the Inter-
national Congress of Orientalists. Among his
numerous works are : Asiatic Studies) (1864);
(The Origin of Language) (1869); Japanese
Anthology) (1871); A Grammar of the Chi-
nese Language (London, 1874); (Japanese Re.
ligion (1881); and various translations, pam-
phlets, and essays.
Déroulède, Paul (dé-rö-lād'). A French poet;
born at Paris, Sept. 2, 1846. His 'Soldier Songs
(1872) and Military Refrains) (1888) were
immensely popular, and won him the presi-
dency of the Patriotic League; an association
intensely hostile to Germans, and whose agi-
tation seemed likely to lead to a collision
with Germany, wherefore the poet was pre-
vailed upon to retire from the presidency.
He has written a drama of patriotism, (The
Hetman,' and the semi-religious drama (The
Moabitess. *
Derzhavin, Gavriil Románovich (der-sha'.
vin). A noted Russian poet; born at Kasan,
July 14, 1743; died on his estate in the gov-
ernment of Novgorod, July 21, 1816. He won
the favor of Catharine II. by his ode Feliza
(1782), and afterward rose to high office. His
last thirteen years were passed in retirement.
The characteristics of his poetry are originality
of conception, splendor of imagery, forcefulness
and mastery of language. His admiration for
Catharine II. inspired him with the true poetic
afflatus, though some of his poems are mere
strings of hollow phrases. He was nevertheless
a lover of truth, an honest, downright, hot-
## p. 141 (#157) ############################################
DE SANCTIS - DESMARETS DE SAINT-SORLIN
141
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tempered man. His best poem is the ode (God,'
which has been translated into all European
languages and into Japanese.
De Sanctis, Francesco (dė sänk'tis). An
Italian literary historian and critic (1818-83);
born at Morra. His revolutionary critical dis-
quisitions on the great poets gained him dis-
tinction. He was general secretary of the
department of public education in the revolu-
tionary government of 1848; after restoration
of the monarchy he spent three years in prison,
where he studied German literature, and trans-
lated parts of Goethe and Schiller and Hegel's
Logic. Afterward he was minister of educa-
tion, and professor in the University of Naples.
His most important works are a History of
Italian Literature) and (Critical Essays, the
latter a work of high authority.
Désaugiers, Marc Antoine Madeleine (dė-
sõ-zhā'). A noted French song-writer and
dramatist; born at Fréjus, Nov. 17, 1772; died
at Paris, Aug. 9, 1827. His life till 1797 was
full of adventure ; he was at one time a pris.
oner of the revolted blacks in San Domingo
and in momentary fear of death. Going on
the stage in Paris, in 1805, his parody of the
opera “Danaids) ("The Little Danaids') was
acted for 300 consecutive nights. His vaude-
villes were remarkably successful. As a light
song-writer he is second only, if indeed sec-
ond, to Béranger. Many of his songs will live
long; e. g. , (The Consolations of Old Age);
'The Picture of New Years. Many of them
are exquisite little gems of art; e. g. , (The
Market'; 'Sunday Pleasures ); (The Palais
Royal.
Desbordes-Valmore, Marceline (dā-bord".
väl-mor''). A French poet (1785-1859); born
at Douai. She made her debut at the age of
16 in comic opera, but shortly after quit the
stage. She wrote several volumes of poems :
Elegies and Romances); New Elegies and
Poems'; 'Tears); (Poor Flowers'; Bouquets
and Prayers'; and (Poems of Childhood. All
her poems are distinguished by great sweetness
and unaffected pathos. Her most perfect song
is perhaps If He had known. She wrote
also several stories.
Descartes, René (dā-kärt'). An illustrious
French philosopher; born at La Haye, Tou-
raine, March 31, 1596; died at Stockholm, Feb.
11, 1650. His works comprise : Discourse on
Method' (1637); Meditations in Elementary
Philosophy'; 'Philosophical Beginnings); (Di.
optrique); Meteors); (Geometry); "Letters
to the Princess Elizabeth'; and many contro-
versial amplifications of his doctrines, among
them (Treatise on the Passions) (1649). *
Deschamps, Eustache, called Morel. A
French poet ; born about 1330 at Vertus, Dept.
many publications are: (The Pre-Columbian
Discovery of America by the Northmen (1869);
(The Moabite Stone) (1870); and (The Rector
of Roxburgh,' a novel, under the pen-name of
«William Hickling ” (1873). He became pres-
ident (1884) of the first branch of the White
Cross Society," of which he was the organizer.
De Coster, Charles Théodore Henri (dė
kos'ter). A Belgian poet (1827-79); born at
Munich. His first poetical composition was
( The Owls' Mirror); then followed (Flemish
Legends) (1856); Brabant Stories) (1861), a
spirited description of lowly life ; (The Wed-
ding Tour) (1872); and the little comedy
Jenny) (1865).
Decourcelle, Pierre (dė kör-sel'). A French
dramatist ; born at Paris, Jan. 25, 1856. His first
work was the five-act drama, (The Ace of
Clubs, written for Sara Bernhardt; it had an
extraordinary success. Then followed a suc-
cession of comedies, dramas, comic-opera li-
bretti, and dramatizations of popular novels,
written by him individually or in collaboration
with other authors; among them : (The Ama-
zon' (1885); Madame Cartridge); (The Abbé
Constantin (founded on Halévy's story) ; (The
Man with the Broken Ear) (after About).
He wrote also a sensational novel, « The Gray
Hat) (1887), and "Fanfan) (1889), both of which
were received with great popular favor.
Dedekind, Friedrich (ded'é-kind). A Ger-
man poet (1525-98); born at Neustadt on the
Leine. His principal work is (Grobianus)
(1549), a satire in Latin distichs against drunk-
enness and obscenity; it had wide circulation,
and was translated into German, Dutch, and
English. He wrote two dramas having a re-
ligious polemic end in view : (The Christian
Knight) and (The Converted Papist.
Deems, Charles Force. An American clergy-
man and writer; born in Baltimore, Md. , Dec.
4, 1820; died in New York city, Nov. 18, 1893.
From 1866 to his death he was pastor of the
Church of the Strangers of New York city,
and was widely noted as editor and author.
Included in his publications are : (Triumph of
Peace and Other Poems) (1840); (The Light
of the Nations) (1870); Weights and Wings
(1872); (Chips and Chunks for Every Fire-
side); and My Septuagint' (1892).
Deffand, Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, Mar-
quise du (def-fän'). A French wit and letter-
writer, mistress of a most brilliant salon ; born
in Burgundy, 1697 ; died at Paris, Sept. 24,
1780. Her correspondence with Horace Wal-
pole was published in 1780, with d'Alembert
and other great Frenchmen in 1809 (2 vols. ),
with Voltaire in 1810 (4 vols. ), with the Duchess
de Choiseul and others in 1859 (3 vols. ). *
Defoe, Daniel. The author of "Robinson
Crusoe); born in St. Giles Parish, Cripplegate,
1000 or 1601; died near London, 1731. His
works comprise political tracts, verse, polemic
writings, economic and social pamphlets, ro-
mances, histories, and biographies. Among
them are : (The Storm (1704); Apparition of
Mrs. Veal) (1706); “Robinson Crusoe' (1719);
(Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
(1719); (King of Pirates) (1719); Duncan
Campbell (1720); Mr. Campbell's Pacquet
(1720); Memoirs of a Cavalier) (1720); (Cap-
tain Singleton) (1720); (Moll Flanders) (1722);
Journal of the Plague Year) (1722); Car-
touche) (1722); Colonel Jacque) (1722); (The
Highland Rogue' (1723); (The Fortunate Mis-
tress) (1724); Narrative of Murders at Calais)
(1724); (John Sheppard) (1724); (Account of
Jonathan Wild? (1725); and other romances.
His pamphlets include : Essay upon Projects
(1698); 'Shortest Way with Dissenters) (1702);
and Political History of the Devil' (1726). *
De Fontaine, Felix. An American journal-
ist; born in Boston, Mass. , 1832; died in Co-
lumbus, S. C. , Dec. II, 1896. The first statement
given to the North, of the attack on Fort Sum-
ter, was written by him; and he was corre-
spondent of the Charleston Courier from the
principal battle-fields during the Civil War.
Subsequently he came to New York city, and
was connected with the Herald most of the
time until his death. He was the author of
'Cyclopædia of the Best Thoughts of Charles
Dickens); “Gleanings from a Confederate
>
## p. 137 (#153) ############################################
DE FOREST - DELÉRY
137
(
31
t.
Army Note-Book); and Birds of a Feather
Flock Together. '
De Forest, John William. An American
novelist, born in Humphreysville (near Sey-
mour), Conn. , March 31, 1826. Without enter-
ing college he passed many years in inde-
pendent study and foreign travel, becoming a
proficient in several languages; entered the
army as captain at the outbreak of the Civil
War, and rose to major; and since 1850 has
been a fertile writer of essays, short stories,
and novels for the leading magazines, taking
prominent rank among American novelists.
Among his works are: “History of the Indians
of Connecticut) (1853); (Oriental Acquaint-
ance) (1856); “Witching Times) (1856); (Euro-
pean Acquaintance (1858); (Seacliff) (1859);
Miss Ravenel's Conversion) (1867); (Over-
land (1871); Kate Beaumont) (1872); (The
Wetherell Affair (1873); (Honest John Vane)
(1875); Justine Vane) (1875); Playing the
Mischief (1876); “Irene Vane) (1877); “Irene,
the Missionary) (1879); “The Oddest of Court.
ships; or, The Bloody Chasm) (1881).
De Gubernatis. See Gubernatis.
De Kay, Charles. An American poet, grand-
son of Joseph Rodman Drake; born in Wash-
ington, D. C. , July 25, 1848. His poems are
mostly founded on themes from Oriental, clas-
sical, and literary history. Among his works
are : (The Bohemian (1878); Hesperus and
Other Poems) (1880); “The Vision of Nimrod )
(1881); (The Vision of Esther) (1882); (The
Love Poems of Louis Barnaval, Edited (and
written] by Charles De Kay) (1883); and many
occasional poems. His prose includes: Life
and Works of Antoine Louis Barye, Sculptor)
(1889); and (The Family Life of Heinrich
Heine) (1892), a translation.
Dekker, Eduard Douwes (dek'er). A Dutch
novelist (1820-87), pseudonym “Multatuli");
born at Amsterdam. He spent several years
in government service in the Dutch East Indies.
His story (Max Havelaar) (1860) is a shocking
accusation of wrongs and scandals against the
Dutch administration of Java. He later pub-
lished many satirical works on social, political,
and philosophical questions, among them a
volume of admirable Parables); a novel, (The
Blessed Virgin'; a drama; and (The School
of Princes. ' *
Dekker, Thomas. An English dramatist;
born in London, about 1570; died some time
after 1637. He wrote a great number of plays,
but only a few of them were published, among
them the two comedies (The Shoemaker's Holi-
day) and (Old Fortunatus); they are both
specimens of whatever is best and most genuine
in English humor, and the second in particular
abounds in passages of consummate poetic
beauty. Of other writings of his we have (The
Wonderful Year,' a pamphlet describing graph-
ically the horrors of the plague; an amusing
tract, (The Bachelor's Banquet,' a satire on hen-
pecked husbands; and many other fugitive
pieces lashing the vices and follies of the age.
He also collaborated with other dramatists. *
De Lancey, Edward Floyd. An American
historical writer; born in Mamaroneck, N. Y. ,
Oct. 23, 1821. He is author of Documentary
History of New York) (1851); (The Cap-
ture of Fort Washington the Result of Trea-
son) (1877); and (Origin and History of
Manors in the Province of New York) (1886).
Deland, Ellen Douglass. An American
writer of juvenile works; born in New York
in 1860. She has published: (Oakleigh'; 'In
the Old Herrick House); (Malvern. '
Deland, Margaret Wade ( Campbell).
An American poet and novelist; born in Alle-
gheny, Pa. , Feb. 23, 1857. She is now a resi-
dent of Boston. Her fame rests mainly upon
her theological polemic novel John Ward,
Preacher) (1888), which has been very widely
read. Among her other well-known works are :
(The Story of a Child); Mr. Tommy Dove
and Other Stories ); Philip and his Wife);
Florida Days, a collection of sketches of
travel ; and (Sydney. Her most popular poems
are contained in the volume entitled “The
Old Garden and Other Verses.
Delaporte, Michel (dė-lä-port'). A French
playwright (1806-72); born in Paris. He wrote
a long series of vaudevilles, many of them in
collaboration with others. Of pieces of his
own composition may be named (The House-
wife! (1851), «Toinette and her Carbineer)
(1856), as the most successful. In association
with Varin he wrote: (A Hercules and a
Pretty Woman (1861); (Ah, 'Tis Pleasant to
Love); (The Gillyflower Woman (1869).
Delavigne, Jean François Casimir (de-lä-
vēn'). A French lyric poet and dramatist
(1793-1843); born at Havre. He struck a patri-
otic and popular chord in his (Messenian Odes)
(1818), satires directed against the monarchy
of the Restoration. His historical dramas and
tragedies are numerous; among them are:
(Louis XI. "; "The Sicilian Vespers); (Marino
Faliero); Don John of Austria. His plays
are no longer seen on the stage. *
De Leon, Edwin. An American prose-writer;
born in Columbia, S. C. , 1828; died in New
York city, 1891. From 1854 to 1862 he was
engaged in editorial work; from 1862 to 1870
held the office of United States consul-general
and diplomatic agent at Cairo, Egypt. His
published works include: Thirty Years of
my Life on Three Continents); (The Khedive's
Egypt,' a novel ; (Askaros Kassis, the Captain';
and (Under the Star and Under the Crescent. '
Deléry, François Charles (dė-lā're). An
American prose-writer; born in St. Charles
Parish, La. , Jan. 28, 1815; died in Bay St.
Louis, Miss. , June 12, 1880. His works were
written in French, and include: Essay on
Liberty) (1847); "Studies of the Passions)
(1849); (King Cotton); and Confederates and
Federals) (1864).
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138
DELITZSCH - DE MILLE
a
Delitzsch, Franz. A German theologian;
born in Leipzig, Feb. 23. 1813; died there,
March 4, 1890. In 1867 he became professor
of theology at Leipzig. Among his numerous
devotional and theological works may be men-
tioned: (History of Jewish Poetry) (1836);
(The House of God' (1848); (A Day in Caper-
naum (1871); and the well-known translation
of the New Testament into Hebrew (1st ed.
1877, 2d ed. 1886).
Delmar, Alexander. An American political
economist; born in New York city, Aug. 9,
1836. He established the Social Science Re.
view and was its editor 1864-66. He is the
author of (Gold Money and Paper Money)
(1862); “Essays on Political Economy) (1865);
(Letter on the Finances) (1868); (History of
Money in Ancient Countries) (1884); (The
Science of Money); (The National-Banking
System'; and (Statistical Almanac.
Delmonte, Felix Maria (del-môn'te). A
Dominican lawyer and poet; born in Santo
Domingo city, Dominican Republic, about 1810.
Has been many times a member of the Do-
minican Congress. He is the author of "Las
Vérgenes de Galindo,' a historical tale in verse;
(El Mendigo,' a drama;'Ozama,' a drama; and
many lyrical poems.
Delmonte y Tejada, Antonio (del-môn'te ē
tė-yä'dä). A Dominican historian; born in
Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, in
1783; died in 1861. He is the author of 'His-
toria de Santo Domingo) (3 vols. ), a history
of the island from its discovery.
Deloney, Thomas. An English ballad writer
and pamphleteer; born in London (? ), about
1543; died there (? ), about 1600. He turned
all current topics, from the Armada to a
murder, into racy ballads and snatches, some
happy, others execrable, all popular; the
(Strange Histories) (1607) comprising most of
the good ones, while in (The Gentle Craft)
(1597), a eulogy of shoemakers, we have a
specimen of his pamphlets.
De Long, George Washington. An Amer-
ican Arctic explorer, and officer in the United
States navy; born in New York city, Aug. 22,
1844; died in Siberia, Oct. 30, 1881. Graduat-
ing from the Naval Academy in 1865, he reached
the grade of lieutenant-commander, and per-
ished of cold and exposure while in command
of the Jeannette Expedition in 1879-81. His
journals have been published, entitled (The
Voyage of the Jeannette (1883); and the story
of the search for the survivors is told in Mel-
ville's 'In the Lena Delta) (1884).
Delord, Taxile (de-lôr'). A French historian,
journalist, and topical prose-writer; born in
Avignon, Nov. 25, 1815; died in Paris, May 16,
1877. He was successful politically, and edited
important Parisian journals, his permanent
work being contained in Physiology of the
Parisian Woman) (1841); (History of the Sec-
ond Empire) (1868–75); and Literary Morn-
ings) (1860).
Delpit, Albert (del-pe') A French novelist
and dramatist (1849-93); born in New Orleans.
When quite young he assisted the elder Dumas
in editing the journals Le Mousquetaire and
Le D'Artagnan. After the war with Germany,
in which he served as a volunteer, he won aca.
demic prizes with a volume of poems, “The
Invasion'; and the poem (Repentance, or the
Country Parish Priest's Story. ' He had little
success with his dramas t:ll (Coralie's Son)
(1879) gained the highest recognition both from
the reading public and theatre-goers. (Odette's
Marriage) obtained him a pronounced success
in high society. He wrote also “Cruel Loves);
(As in Life); and other plays.
Delvau, Alfred (del-võ'). A French Revolu-
tionary prose-writer; born in Paris, 1825: died
there, May 3, 1867. A History of the Revolu-
tion of February) (1850), and (Henri Murger
and Bohemianism) (1866), sufficiently denote
the range of his partisan, but more than medi-
ocre, capacities.
Delwig, Anton Antonovich, Baron (del’vig).
A Russian lyrist (1798-1831 ); born in Moscow.
He was a schoolfellow and lifelong friend of
Pushkin. He held government office, but his
St. Petersburg house was the rallying-place
of the literary world, especially of the younger
set,- Pushkin, Glinka, Baratinsky, Vlasemsky.
Among his poetical compositions those written
in the tone of the popular ballad are the best,
and some of them are in great favor.
Demeter, Dimitrija (dem'é-ter). A Croa.
tian dramatist and poet; born at Agram, July
21, 1811 ; died there, June 24, 1872. His princi-
pal dramas are : (Love and Duty); Blood-
Revenge); and the tragedy (Teuta. ' He wrote
a lyro-epic poem, “The Battlefield of Grobnik,'
and several stories. He translated several for-
eign dramatic works into Croatian.
De Mille, Henry Churchill. An American
playwright; born in North Carolina, about 1853;
died at Pompton, N. J. , Feb. 10, 1893. He grad-
uated at Columbia College, and was by turns
preacher and school-teacher until 1882, when
he became examiner of plays at the Madison
Square Theatre, and later for a short time an
actor. His first successful play was the Main
Line, in which he collaborated with Charles
Barnard. In 1887, having become associated
with David Belasco, he wrote the well-known
society dramas: "The Wife) (1887); Lord
Chumley) (1888); (The Charity Ball' (1889);
(Men and Women) (1890). His last work was
a melodrama adapted from the German, en-
titled Lost Paradise, which was successfully
produced in 1892 and is still a favorite.
De Mille, James. A Canadian novelist;
born in St. John, N. B. , August 1837; died in
Halifax, N. S. , Jan. 28, 1880. Graduated at
Brown College (1854). He was professor of
classics in Acadia College (1860-65), and of
history and rhetoric in Dalhousie College, Hali-
fax, from 1865 until his death. Among his
publications are: (The Dodge Club) (1860);
## p. 139 (#155) ############################################
DEMING-DENNIE
139
:
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"Cord and Creese) (1867); (A Comedy of Ter-
rors) (1872); «The Living Link) (1874); and
many books for boys, including (Treasures of
the Sea. ' A treatise of his on rhetoric was pub-
lished in 1878.
Deming, Philander, An American humor.
ous writer of dialect sketches. He was born
in 1829. His work is very original, and has
been published in 'Adirondack Stories);
(Tompkins and Other Folks. "
Demogeot, Jacques Claude (dem-7-zho'). A
French literary historian and poet; born at
Paris, July 5, 1808. He wrote a (Study on
Pliny the Younger); the prize essay Letters
and Men of Letters in the 19th Century);
"French Literature in the 17th Century, his
greatest work.
His poetical writings are a
drama, “Romeo and Juliet' (1852); New Paris,
consisting of epico-lyric descriptions; and (Sto-
ries and Talks in Verse (1860).
Demosthenes (dē-mos'the-nēz). An Athenian
orator; born about 384 B. C. ; died at Calauria,
322 B. C. Necessity drove him to take up the
business of writing pleas and defenses of suit-
ors and defendants in the law courts; after-
ward he appeared himself in the courts and
the assemblies, and became a foremost leader
of the party of independence against the de-
signs of Philip of Macedon. The Olynthiacs)
and the Philippics) were part of this war-
fare; and his greatest speech, 'On the Crown,'
was a vindication of his course. Sixty orations
ascribed to him are extant, but some of them
are spurious. *
Dempster, Charlotte Louisa Hawkins. An
Scotch novelist; born in Forfarshire, Scotland,
in 1835. She has traveled extensively, and is
at present a resident of Cannes, France. She
has been a frequent contributor to English peri-
odicals. Her first book was: (The Hôtel du
Petit St. Jean : A Gascon Story' (1869); the
second, Véra! (1872) established her repu-
tation. Her other works include : Essays'
(1872); "Iseulte) (1875); (Blue Roses) (1877);
"Within Sound of the Sea) (1878), a Scotch
story ; Ninette) (1888), an idyl of Provence.
Denham, Sir John. An English poet; born
in Dublin in 1615; died in London (? ), March
15 (? ), 1669. He figured at the court of Charles
II. , translated the Æneid? (1656 ? ), produced
the tragedy of (The Sophy) (1642), and in
'Cooper's Hill' (1642) rose above mediocrity.
Denis, Jean Ferdinand (den-e'). A French
explorer and historical writer; born in Paris,
France, Aug. 13. 1798; died Aug. 2, 1890. He was
an extensive traveler and a voluminous writer.
Among his works are: “History of Brazil'
(1821); Buenos Ayres and Paraguay) (2 vols. ,
1823). He is also the author of a series of
historical novels: (Ysmael-ben-Kaisar, or the
Discovery of the New World) (3 vols. , 1829).
Denison, Charles Wheeler. An American
poet and prose-writer ; born in New London,
Conn. , Nov. 11, 1809; died Nov. 14, 1881. He
published: (The American Village and Other
Poems) (1845); (Out at Sea,' poems (1867).
His prose works include (The Child Hunters)
(1867) and a series of biographies : (The Tan-
ner Boy) (Grant); (Winfield the Lawyer's
Son) (Hancock); and others.
Denison, John Ledyard. An American his-
torian; born in Stonington, Conn. , Sept. 19, 1826.
He published a "Pictorial History of the Wars
of the United States,' and edited an “Illustrated
History of the New World' in English and in
German.
Denison, Mary Andrew8). An American
novelist, wife of C. W. ; born in Cambridge,
Mass. , May 26, 1826. Assisted in editing the
Olive Branch, in which her husband was inter-
ested; also contributed to American and Eng.
lish periodicals. Her works include: Home
Pictures) (1853); (That Husband of Mine,' of
which it is said the sale reached 200,000 copies;
and “What One Boy can Do) (1885).
Denne, Henry. An English Puritan divine,
who Aourished in the seventeenth century and
was noted for his attacks upon the vices of
the clergy. He published «The Man of Sin)
(1645); (The Drag Net of the Kingdom of
Heaven) (1646); (Grace, Mercy, and Truth);
etc. His sermons and other works were pub-
lished in London, 1642-60.
Denne-Baron, Pierre Jacques René (dān.
bär-ôn). A French poet and essayist; born in
Paris, Sept. 6, 1780; died there, June 5, 1854.
He had much learning and a faultless taste ;
(Hero and Leander) (1806) and Poetic
Flowers) (1825) being delightful though not
great, while his (Dictionary of Conversation
is widely known.
Dennery or d'Ennery, Adolphe Philippe
(den-er-e'). A French dramatist ; born at Paris,
June 17, 1811. He has produced, either alone
or in collaboration, about 200 separate compo-
sitions. Among his own productions are the
dramas (My Daughter's Honor (1835); (The
Pearl of Savoy) (1842); (Mary Jane) (1845),
one of the strongest popular plays of our time:
(The Two Orphans) (1873); the comedies and
vaudevilles (The Change of Uniform (1836),
and Robber Paris) (1844); and the fairy spec-
tacles Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp
(1863), and “The Tribute of Zamora. '
Dennie, Joseph. An American journalist;
born in Boston, Aug. 30, 1768; died in Phila-
delphia, Jan. 7, 1812. Published (The Farrago!
(1795), essays on life and literature. From 1796
to 1798 edited with great success the Farmer's
Weekly Museum at Walpole, N. H. In this ap-
peared his essays signed “The Lay Preacher,"
whose droll and easy style made him popular.
In Philadelphia (1801), assisted by Asbury
Dickens, he founded the Portfolio, which he
edited till his death under the pen-name of
« Oliver Old-School. ” Two collections of his
writings have been published: The Lay
Preacher, or Short Sermons for Idle Readers)
(1796); and 'The Lay Preacher) (1817).
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140
DENNIS - DERSHÁVIN
Dennis, John. An English dramatist and
critic (1657-1734); born in London. Of his
dramas none had much success or deserved it.
He was a savage critic, but he had some just
views of dramatic art and poetry, as is proved
by his (Three Letters on the Genius and Writ-
ings of Shakespeare) (1711). His fame is per-
petuated not by his own writings, but by the
satires and anecdotes of his enemies, Pope's
Dunciad' in particular. He invented a new
species of stage thunder; and the phrase
“stealing one's thunder” is due to his angry
outburst at some managers who used it in a
successful play when one of his had been
damned.
Deotyma (dā-o-tē'mä), pseudonym of Jad-
viga Luszczevska. A Polish poet and story-
writer; born in Warsaw, October 1830. She
has long been celebrated for the power and
charm of her prose and versification; (At the
Parting Way) (1876) being a story of rare
merit, and The Pole in Song' (1859) con-
taining many of her finest stanzas.
Depew, Chauncey Mitchell. An American
lawyer; born in Peekskill, N. Y. , April 23, 1834.
He is president of the New York Central and
Hudson River R. R. Co. Noted as a political
orator and an after-dinner speaker. Published
(Orations and After-Dinner Speeches) (1890).
De Peyster, John Watts (de-pēs'ter). An
American miscellaneous writer; born in New
York city, March 9, 1821. He has contributed
much to periodicals, and written a vast num-
ber of monographs, often polemic,- one being
in defense of his Loyalist grandfather, second
in command at King's Mountain on the Brit-
ish side. He is author of: Life of Field
Marshal Torstenson (1855); (The Dutch at
the North Pole) (1857); Life of Baron Cohorn)
(1860); and (Personal and Military History of
General Philip Kearny) (1869).
De Puy, Henry Walter. An American mis-
cellaneous writer ; born in Pompey Hill, Onon-
daga County, N. Y. , in 1820; died Feb. 2, 1876.
He constantly contributed political articles to
the press; he wrote several popular poems,
and was the author of "Kossuth and his Gen.
erals, with a brief history of Hungary (1851);
Louis Napoleon and his Times, with a
memoir of the Bonaparte family (1853) ; (Three
Score Years and Beyond) (1873); and (Ethan
Allen and the Green Mountain Boys of 1876.
De Puy, William Harrison. An American
clergyman and writer; born in New York, 1821.
His works include: (Statistics of the Methodist
Episcopal Church'; (Home and Health); and
Home Economics,' a book of great popularity.
De Quincey, Thomas. A celebrated Eng.
lish author; born in Manchester, Aug. 15, 1785;
died Dec. 8, 1859. He was a very prolific
writer; but his works are mostly occasional
essays, and papers on historical, literary, and
miscellaneous topics. Besides collections of
these, his published works include: (Confes-
sions of an English Opium Eater) (1821); "Let-
ters to a Young Man Whose Education has
been Neglected' (1823); Logic of Political
Economy' (1844); (Klosterheim' (1839); etc. *
Derby, George Horatio. [“John Phænix. ”]
An American humorist; born in Dedham,
Mass. , April 3, 1823; died in New York, May
15, 1861. Graduated at West Point (1846), and
served in the army during the Mexican War
(1846-47). He wrote under the name "John
Phoenix » a series of sketches and burlesques,
entitled Phænixiana) (1855), and "The Squi-
bob Papers) (1859).
Derby, James Cephas. An American pub-
lisher of New York and San Francisco; born
1818; died 1892. He is the author of Fifty
Years among Authors, Books, and Publishers. )
Dernburg, Friedrich (dern'bürg). A Ger-
man journalist and descriptive writer ; born in
Mentz, Oct. 3, 1833. After a university course,
he rapidly acquired eminence in both journal-
ism and politics, being one of the companions
of the German Crown Prince (now Emperor)
in a trip to Rome, and later a well-known
personality at the Columbian Exposition. From
the White City' (1893), a series of World's
Fair sketches; In the Bonds of Guilt) (1894);
and “The Over Proud? (1889), afford typical
specimens of his fact and fiction.
De Rosny, Leon. A celebrated French Ori-
entalist; born at Loos, France, Aug. 5, 1837.
Professor of Japanese at the Special School of
Languages since 1868, and founder of the Inter-
national Congress of Orientalists. Among his
numerous works are : Asiatic Studies) (1864);
(The Origin of Language) (1869); Japanese
Anthology) (1871); A Grammar of the Chi-
nese Language (London, 1874); (Japanese Re.
ligion (1881); and various translations, pam-
phlets, and essays.
Déroulède, Paul (dé-rö-lād'). A French poet;
born at Paris, Sept. 2, 1846. His 'Soldier Songs
(1872) and Military Refrains) (1888) were
immensely popular, and won him the presi-
dency of the Patriotic League; an association
intensely hostile to Germans, and whose agi-
tation seemed likely to lead to a collision
with Germany, wherefore the poet was pre-
vailed upon to retire from the presidency.
He has written a drama of patriotism, (The
Hetman,' and the semi-religious drama (The
Moabitess. *
Derzhavin, Gavriil Románovich (der-sha'.
vin). A noted Russian poet; born at Kasan,
July 14, 1743; died on his estate in the gov-
ernment of Novgorod, July 21, 1816. He won
the favor of Catharine II. by his ode Feliza
(1782), and afterward rose to high office. His
last thirteen years were passed in retirement.
The characteristics of his poetry are originality
of conception, splendor of imagery, forcefulness
and mastery of language. His admiration for
Catharine II. inspired him with the true poetic
afflatus, though some of his poems are mere
strings of hollow phrases. He was nevertheless
a lover of truth, an honest, downright, hot-
## p. 141 (#157) ############################################
DE SANCTIS - DESMARETS DE SAINT-SORLIN
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tempered man. His best poem is the ode (God,'
which has been translated into all European
languages and into Japanese.
De Sanctis, Francesco (dė sänk'tis). An
Italian literary historian and critic (1818-83);
born at Morra. His revolutionary critical dis-
quisitions on the great poets gained him dis-
tinction. He was general secretary of the
department of public education in the revolu-
tionary government of 1848; after restoration
of the monarchy he spent three years in prison,
where he studied German literature, and trans-
lated parts of Goethe and Schiller and Hegel's
Logic. Afterward he was minister of educa-
tion, and professor in the University of Naples.
His most important works are a History of
Italian Literature) and (Critical Essays, the
latter a work of high authority.
Désaugiers, Marc Antoine Madeleine (dė-
sõ-zhā'). A noted French song-writer and
dramatist; born at Fréjus, Nov. 17, 1772; died
at Paris, Aug. 9, 1827. His life till 1797 was
full of adventure ; he was at one time a pris.
oner of the revolted blacks in San Domingo
and in momentary fear of death. Going on
the stage in Paris, in 1805, his parody of the
opera “Danaids) ("The Little Danaids') was
acted for 300 consecutive nights. His vaude-
villes were remarkably successful. As a light
song-writer he is second only, if indeed sec-
ond, to Béranger. Many of his songs will live
long; e. g. , (The Consolations of Old Age);
'The Picture of New Years. Many of them
are exquisite little gems of art; e. g. , (The
Market'; 'Sunday Pleasures ); (The Palais
Royal.
Desbordes-Valmore, Marceline (dā-bord".
väl-mor''). A French poet (1785-1859); born
at Douai. She made her debut at the age of
16 in comic opera, but shortly after quit the
stage. She wrote several volumes of poems :
Elegies and Romances); New Elegies and
Poems'; 'Tears); (Poor Flowers'; Bouquets
and Prayers'; and (Poems of Childhood. All
her poems are distinguished by great sweetness
and unaffected pathos. Her most perfect song
is perhaps If He had known. She wrote
also several stories.
Descartes, René (dā-kärt'). An illustrious
French philosopher; born at La Haye, Tou-
raine, March 31, 1596; died at Stockholm, Feb.
11, 1650. His works comprise : Discourse on
Method' (1637); Meditations in Elementary
Philosophy'; 'Philosophical Beginnings); (Di.
optrique); Meteors); (Geometry); "Letters
to the Princess Elizabeth'; and many contro-
versial amplifications of his doctrines, among
them (Treatise on the Passions) (1649). *
Deschamps, Eustache, called Morel. A
French poet ; born about 1330 at Vertus, Dept.
