Her
classical
learning and
scientific attainments made her an authority on
some of the most abstruse subjects.
scientific attainments made her an authority on
some of the most abstruse subjects.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v29 - BIographical Dictionary
His Complete
Works) (1857) are edited by Colton. *
Cleanthes (klē-an'thēs). A Greek philos.
opher; born at Assos, 331 B. C. ; died, 232
B. C. He was the founder of Stoicism. His
works are lost, with the exception of a "Hymn
to Zeus) and some few fragments. *
Clemens, Jeremiah. An American states.
man, lawyer, and novelist; born at Huntsville,
Ala. , Dec. 28, 1814; died there, May 21, 1865.
He was U. S. Senator from Alabama (1849-53).
He wrote: (Bernard Lisle) (1856); Mustang
Grey) (1858); “Tobias Wilson (1865); etc.
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. (« Mark
Twain. ) A distinguished American humor-
ist; born in Missouri, Nov. 30, 1835. His
works include: (The Jumping Frog) (1867);
(The Innocents Abroad? (1869); (Roughing
It) (1872); A Tramp Abroad) (1880); "The
Prince and the Pauper) (1882); Life on the
Mississippi) (1883); (The Gilded Age) (1874:
with Charles Dudley Warner); (Old Times
on the Mississippi'; Tom Sawyer'; (Huckle-
berry Finn); A Yankee at King Arthur's
Court); Pudd'nhead Wilson); (The Personal
Recollections of Joan of Arc); (Following the
Equator) (1897). *
Clemmer, Mrs. Mary. See Hudson, Mrs.
Mary (Clemmer) (Ames).
Clesse, Antoine (kles'ę). A Belgian popular
poet (1816-89); born at The Hague. To the
## p. 113 (#129) ############################################
CLEVELAND-COBDEN
113
armorer.
are:
day of his death he followed his trade of
His first ballad, (Godfrey de Bouil-
lon,' won for him a gold medal. His popular
songs (Beer) and (The Family Name) (mean-
ing Belgian, including Fleming, Walloon, etc. ),
came into great favor with the people. He
wrote also a comedy, (A Poet. Two volumes
of (Songs) (1866-88) contain all his popular
ballads, with the music.
Cleveland, Aaron. An American writer of
prose and verse; born in Haddam, Conn. , Feb.
3, 1744; died in New Haven, Conn. , Sept. 21,
1815. In 1763 was written his best poem, “The
Philosopher and Boy. ? In 1775 he published a
poem on “Slavery); also a number of fugitive
verses. He was the great-grandfather of Pres-
ident Cleveland.
Cleveland, Rose Elizabeth. An American
prose-writer, sister of Grover Cleveland; born
in Fayetteville, N. Y. , 1846. After the inaugu-
ration of her brother (1885) she became the
mistress of the White House," remaining there
until 1886. Miss Cleveland published a book
of essays and lectures entitled "George Eliot's
Poetry, and Other Studies) (1885); and “The
Long Run,' a novel (1886).
Clinch, Charles Powell. An American poet
and play-writer; born in New York city, Oct.
20, 1797 ; died there, Dec. 16, 1880. For many
years he was editorial writer, and literary and
dramatic critic, for the press; also writer of
many poems, theatrical addresses, and dramas.
Among the latter are: (The Spy); (The Ex-
pelled Collegiates); and (The First of May. )
Clinton, De Witt. A famous American law.
yer and statesman; born at Little Britain,
N. Y. , March 2, 1769; died at Albany, N. Y. ,
Feb. 11, 1828. He was United States Senator
from New York (1802); mayor of New York
city (1803-7, 1809-10, 1811-15); lieutenant-gov-
ernor (1811-13); candidate for President (1812);
governor (1817-23, 1825-28). He was the chief
originator of the Erie Canal (1817–25). Besides
purely political works, addresses, etc. , he wrote:
Antiquities of Western New York); (Natural
History and Internal Revenues of New York);
etc.
Clough, Arthur Hugh (kluf). An English
poet; born in Liverpool, Jan. 1, 1819; died at
Florence, Italy, Nov. 13, 1861. His works com-
prise : (The Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich [after-
wards Tober-na-Vuolich), a Long Vacation
Pastoral (1848); (Ambarvalia: Poems by
Thomas Burbidge and A. H. Clough) (1849);
Plutarch's Lives: the Translation called Dry-
den's Corrected (1859-64 and 1876); Poems
with Memoir' (by F. T. Palgrave) (1862);
"Poems and Prose Remains) (1869); and one
or two more. *
Clymer, Ella Dietz. An American poet;
born in New York, 185- She began her career
as an actress in 1872; in 1881 she abandoned
the stage. She has contributed to literature
three volumes of poems: (The Triumph of
Love) (1878); (The Triumph of Time) (1884);
and “The Triumph of Life) (1885). She was
one of the founders of the “Sorosis » Society,
and its president in 1889.
Coan, Titus (kõ'an). A noted American
missionary; born at Killingworth, Conn. , Feb.
1, 1801 ; died at Hilo, Hawaii, Dec. I, 1882.
After spending several months (1833-34) on a
dangerous exploring expedition in Patagonia,
he went to the Sandwich Islands (1835), oc-
cupying the Hilo station forty-seven years, and
in that time converting 14,000 natives. He
wrote: (Adventures in Patagonia' (1880); Life
in Hawaii' (1881).
Coan, Titus Munson. An American man
of letters and critic, son of Titus M. the elder;
born in the Sandwich Islands, 1836. He now
resides in New York. He has written (An
Ounce of Prevention); (Topics of the Time)
(edited).
Coates, Florence Earle (Mrs. Edward H. ).
An American poet; born 18—, and now resid-
ing in Philadelphia, Pa. She has made many
contributions to various magazines. Among
her uncollected poems
(Conscience);
(Song); (To France -- 1894'; Combatants);
(Survival);
Cobb, Joseph Beckham. An American
novelist and miscellaneous writer; born in
Georgia, 1819; died 1858. He wrote: (The
Creole) (1850), a novel; Mississippi Scenes)
(1851); (Leisure Labors) (1858).
Cobb, Sylvanus. An American novelist;
born in Waterville, Me. , 1823; died in Hyde
Park, Mass. , July 2, 1887. He was editor and
publisher of a periodical called the Rechabite.
Besides contributing to other publications, he
most prolific story-writer. His most
popular novels are: (The King's Talisman)
(1851); “The Patriot Cruiser) (1859); and Ben
Hamed) (1864).
Cobbe, Frances Power. An Irish writer on
religion and morals; born in Dublin, 1822.
She has written "Intuitive Morals) (1855);
(Religious Duty); Hours of Work and Play
(1867); Duties of Women'; (The Hopes of
the Human Race, Hereafter and Here); and
other important works. She has been praised
for her expositions of the views of Theodore
Parker.
Cobbett, William. An English essayist and
political writer; born in Farnham, March 9,
1762; died at Normandy Farm, near Farn-
ham, June 1835. The son of a farm hind, he
had no early advantages, but a great gift for
controversy; and he plunged warmly into the
social and economic and political discussions
of his day. He visited this country, and wrote
here for a time under the name of (Peter
Porcupine. He is at his best in his count-
less pamphlets, and in “The Political Proteus,
Legacy to Laborers, and Advice to Young
Men.
Cobden, Richard. A great English political
economist; born in Sussex, June 3, 1804; died
IBM
1
was
a
8
## p. 114 (#130) ############################################
114
CODEMO-COLERIDGE
a
at London, April 2, 1865. He was a manu-
facturer, but opposed his class ; led the Corn
Law agitation; and entered Parliament in 1841.
He visited this country in 1854. His (Political
Writings) (1867) and (Speeches on Questions
of Public Policy) (1870) are very notable in the
history of agitation.
Codemo, Luigia (ko-dā'mo). An Italian
novelist; born at Treviso, Sept. 5, 1828. She
made extensive travels (1838-50), and in 1851
became the wife of the Chevalier Karl von
Gerstenbrand. Her first work, Memoirs of a
Peasant) (1856), evinced a true insight into
lowly life; and in the numerous sketches and
tales that followed it, she showed a profound
sympathy with the common people. Her writ-
ings passed through several editions. Among
her works are: Miseries and Splendors of the
Poor); “The New Rich'; “A Lady of Heart.
Codman, John. A noted American sea-
captain and miscellaneous writer; born at
Dorchester, Mass. , 1814. He has written :
(Sailors' Life and Sailors’ Yarns) (1847); (The
Mormon Country) (1876); Round Trip by
Way of Panama, etc. ) (1879); (Winter Sketches
from the Saddle) (1888); etc.
Coffin, Charles Carleton. An American
novelist and lecturer; born in Boscawen, N. H. ,
July 26, 1823; died in Brookline, Mass. , March
2, 1896. He began life as a civil engineer;
afterward gave his attention to telegraphy. In
1851 he began to write for the Boston papers;
and during the Civil War and the Austro-
Prussian War of 1866 was war correspondent
for the Boston Journal, writing over the signa-
ture of «Carleton. His books include : Days
and Nights on the Battle-Field) (1864); (Our
New Way Round the World' (1869); (Story
of Liberty) (1878); "Life of Garfield (1883);
and “The Drum-Beat of the Nation (1887), the
first volume of a series.
Coffin, Robert Barry. An American jour-
nalist and miscellaneous writer; born in Hud-
son, N. Y. , July 21, 1826; died in Fordham,
N. Y. , June 10, 1886. He was on the staff of
the Home Journal of New York (1858), and
was also art critic of the Evening Post. His
humorous sketches, which have appeared in
many periodicals over the pen-name Barry
Gray,” have been extensively read. Among
his publications are: (My Married Life at Hill-
side) (1865); (Cakes and Ale at Woodbine)
(1868); and (The Home of Cooper) (1872).
Coffin, Robert Stevenson. An American
poet; born in Brunswick, Me. , July 14, 1797 ;
died in Rowley, Mass. , May 7, 1827. His first
contributions in verse to the periodicals were
over the signature of «The Boston Bard. ”
He published (The Oriental Harp: Poems of
the Boston Bard) (1826), in which are included
his most notable verses.
Coggeshall, William Turner. An Amer-
ican journalist; born in Lewistown, Pa. , Sept.
6, 1824; died in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 2, 1867,
From 1841 to 1866 he was editorially connected
with a number of newspapers, including the
Cincinnati Gazette, the Springfield Republican
(1862), and the Ohio State Journal (1865). He
was United States minister to Ecuador from
June 1866 until his death. His works include:
(Home Hits and Hints) (1859); Poets and
Poetry of the West) (1800); and “The Journeys
of Lincoln as President-Elect, and as President
Martyred) (1865).
Colardeau, Charles Pierre (kö-lär-do). A
French poet; born at Janville, 1732; died 1776.
He was elected to the French Academy in 1776,
having written «The Men of Prometheus) and
(Epistle to M. Duhamel.
Colban, Adolphine Marie (kolbän). А
Norwegian novelist (1814-84). Left a widow
without resources at 36, she went to Paris,
where a lady of quality sent to the printer some
of the widow's letters to her, entitling the col-
lection Letters of a Barbarian. Parisian soci-
ety was captivated, and the author decided to
exercise her newly discovered talent by writing
stories in her own language. Between 1809
and 1881 she published seven volumes of tales,
charming for their fine spiritual insight and their
warm human sympathy; they were nearly all
translated into German. Among them "Jeg
Lever) is perhaps the most noteworthy.
Colenso, John William. An English theo-
logian; born 1814; died 1883. He became
Bishop of Natal, South Africa, and wrote (The
Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Ex-
amined' (1862).
Coleridge, Hartley. An English poet and
literary critic (1796-1849), son of Samuel Taylor;
born at Bristol. From Oxford he went to
London, and there published some exquisite
sonnets in the London Magazine. He inherited
defects of character and will, and never realized
the promise of his great talents. His writings
in prose are Biographia Borealis) (1833); “The
Worthies of Yorkshire and Lancashire) (1836);
and a volume of (Essays and Marginalia. His
brother Derwent published a biography and his
poems (2 vols. , 1850).
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. An English poet
and philosopher; born at Ottery St. Mary, Dev-
onshire, Oct. 21, 1772; died July 25, 1834. The
authorities on the works of Coleridge are very
numerous and important. Among the many
titles under which his works were published,
the following are probably most noteworthy :
(Fall of Robespierre (1794), a play of which
he wrote the first act; Moral and Political
Lecture Delivered at Bristol (1795); (Con-
ciones ad populum (1795), being addresses to
the people; (The Plot Discovered) (1795), a
political pamphlet; Poems on Various Subjects)
(1796); (The Destiny of Nations) (1828), first
published in Southey's Joan of Arc); (Ode to
the Departing Year) (1796); (Fears in Solitude)
(1798); (Wallenstein (1800); (Remorse, a
Tragedy) (1813); (Christabel,' with (Kubla
Khan) and Pains of Sleep) (1816); Bio-
graphia Literaria) (1817); (Aids to Reflection)
## p. 115 (#131) ############################################
COLERIDGE-COLLINS
115
:
:
(1825); (Table Talk) (1835); “Confessions of
an Inquiring Spirit) (1840), the last two post-
humous. The Ancient Mariner) was first pub-
lished in 1798, in a volume of (Lyrical Ballads)
(with Wordsworth). *
Coleridge, Sara. An English poet, daughter
of Samuel Taylor; born at Greta Hall, near
Keswick, Dec. 22, 1802; died in London, May
3, 1852. The genius of her father seemed al-
most to have inspired her Phantasmion, a
ballad of fairyland.
Her classical learning and
scientific attainments made her an authority on
some of the most abstruse subjects.
Coles, Abraham. An American prose-writer
and poet; born in Scotch Plains, N. J. , Dec. 26,
1813; died in Monterey, Cal. , May 3, 1891. In
1835 he graduated from Jefferson Medical Col-
lege, Philadelphia. He has published thirteen
original translations of the celebrated hymn
Dies Iræ) (1859); (Old Gems in New Set-
tings) (1866); (The Microcosm); and (The
Light of the World) (1884). In 1871 Princeton
gave him the degree of LL. D.
Colet, Louise Revoil (ko-lā'). A French
poet and novelist (1810-76). Four times be-
tween 1839 and 1855, poems of hers were
crowned by the French Academy. She was
a graceful lyrist, and often struck the chord
of deep passion with effect. Of her verses,
poured forth with marvelous facility, (The
Woman's Poem) is perhaps her best after the
four offered to the Academy. Among her nu-
merous novels, (Bruised Hearts) (2 vols. , 1843)
may be mentioned. She also wrote several nar.
ratives of travel.
Collé, Charles (ko-lā'). A French dramatist
(1709-83). For the Duke of Orleans's theatre
he composed several light comedies, (There's
Truth in Wine, (The Knave Gallant, etc. ,
full of lively dialogue and intensely comic sit-
uations. Of his sentimental pieces, Henri
IV. 's Hunting Party) is best known. As a
lyrist he holds a place next after Béranger
among French poets. His Historic Journal)
(3 vols. ) is for the most part a mass of calum-
nies against his contemporaries.
Collet, Jakobine Camilla (kol'let). A Nor-
wegian novelist; born at Christiansand, Jan. 23,
1813. Her works, in many of which she cham-
pions the political emancipation of women,
have had very wide circulation. Among them
are : (In the Long Nights); (A Bright Picture
in a Dark Frame); (Against the Current. )
Colletet, Guillaume (kol"ę-tā"). A French
poet; born at Paris in 1598; died in 1659. He
wrote a number of poems that are not with-
out merit, possessing as they do liveliness and
originality. Some of his epigrams are ingenious
and pungent. His best works are: (Banquet
of the Poets) (1646); (Selected Poems) (1656).
He was one of the five poets selected by
Richelieu to put his dramatic works in verse,
and was also one of the original members of
the French Academy.
Collier, Mrs. Ada (Langworthy). An Amer.
ican writer of verse; born in Iowa, 1843. Her
home is in Dubuque. Her principal work is
(Lilith, the Legend of the First Woman
(1885).
Collier, John Payne. An English critic and
antiquary; born in London, 1789; died Sept.
17, 1883. He is famed for his (Poetical De-
cameron) (1820); History of English Dra-
matic Poetry to the Time of Shakespeare, and
Annals of the Stage to the Restoration (1831);
and his edition of Shakespeare (1844).
Collier, Robert Laird. An American Uni-
tarian clergyman, religious writer, and essayist;
born at Salisbury, Md. , 1837; died 1890. Start-
ing in life as an itinerant Methodist preacher,
he held prominent Unitarian pulpits in Chicago
and Boston, and became noted as a preacher
and lecturer. In later life he was London cor-
respondent of the New York Herald. Besides
religious writings, he published: (Henry Irving,
a Sketch and a Criticism'; English Home
Life) (1885).
Collin, Heinrich Joseph von (kol'lin). An
Austrian dramatist and lyrist (1771-1811); born
at Vienna. He wrote several tragedies, mostly
on antique themes; of these, Regulus,' the
first of the series, is the best. His powerful
(Songs for the Militia(1809) give him a high
rank among the balladists of the war of liber-
ation. Of his historical ballads, (Kaiser Max
on the Walls of St. Martin's) is best known.
Collin d'Harleville, Jean François (kõl-an
därl-vēl'). A French dramatist (1755-1806).
He worked a genuine vein of comedy, yet
never slighted the moral side of conduct.
Notable among his works are (The Old Bach-
elor, his masterpiece, and (Castles in Spain. '
Collins, John. An English poet; born in
Bath, 1742; died at Birmingham, May 2, 1808.
He was a stay-maker turned actor; and his
poetic fame rests upon (Scripscrapologia,' a
collection of poems, among which (To-Morrow)
is especially readable.
Collins, Mortimer. An English novelist and
poet; born in Plymouth, June 29, 1827; died at
Knowl Hill, Berkshire, July 28, 1876. His "Idyls
and Rhymes, (Summer Songs, and (The
British Birds' are the efforts of an inspired
verse-maker. His novels : “Who Is the Heir ? )
(1865); (Sweet Anne Page) (1868); “The Ivory
Gate) (1869); (The Vivian Romance) (1870);
(The Marquis and Merchant) (1871); (Two
Plunges for a Pearl (1872); Blacksmith and
Scholar(1875); and others, are much admired.
Collins, William. An English poet; born
in Chichester, Dec. 25, 1721; died there, June 12,
1759. His melancholy temperament and poetic
musings marked him as a boy, as a youth at
Oxford, and even as a madman in the asylum
where he died. (The Passions,' with its grace
and vigor, its vivid and pliant dexterity of
touch"; the (Ode to Evening,' a mosaic of eu-
phonies; the Dirge in Cymbeline); and the
都
0
.
## p. 116 (#132) ############################################
116
COLLINS - COMENIUS
(Ode on the Death of Thomson,' chiefly per.
petuate his fame. *
Collins, William Wilkie. An English nov-
elist; born in London, Jan. 8, 1824; died there,
Sept. 23, 1889. He was a master of construct.
ive art and fascinating plot. His greatest
novels are admittedly (The Moonstone) (1868)
and "The Woman in White) (1860); next in
merit are (The New Magdalen) (1873) and
No Name) (1862). The others are : (Anto-
nina (2d ed. 1850); Basil) (1852); (The Dead
Secret! (1857); (Armadale) (1866); (Man and
Wife) (1870); Poor Miss Finch) (1872); “Miss
or Mrs. ? ) (1873); (The Law and the Lady)
(1875); (The Two Destinies) (1876); Heart
and Science) (1883); I Say No) (1884); (The
Legacy of Cain (1888); (Blind Love) (1889 :
completed by Walter Besant). He wrote also
a biography of his father, William Collins the
painter (1848). *
Collyer, Robert. An American clergyman
and prose-writer; born in Keighley, Yorkshire,
England, Dec. 8, 1823. He came to America
in 1849, being then a Wesleyan preacher and
a blacksmith; but became a Unitarian, and
preached some years in Chicago, where he
founded Unity Church in 1860. He was made
pastor of the Church of the Messiah, New York
city, September 1879, and is now pastor emeri.
tus. Included in his publications are: Nature
and Life) (1866); (The Life that Now Is)
(1871); A History of the Town and Parish
of Ilkley) (England, 1886, written in connec-
tion with Horsefall Turner) and (Lectures to
Young Men and Women) (1886).
Colman, George, the Elder. An English
dramatist; born in Florence, Italy, April 28,
1732; died in London, Aug. 14, 1794. Taste,
humor, and brilliancy are the leading qual-
ities of his work; (The Deuce Is in Him);
( New Brooms); (The Separate Maintenance);
and several other comedies, proclaiming him
a man of wit, a writer, and a playwright of rare
merits. *
Colman, George, the Younger. An English
dramatist and humorous poet; born in Lon-
don (? ), Oct. 21, 1762; died there, Oct. 17, 1836.
(The Iron Chest, John Bull (for which he
received an unprecedentedly large sum), and
(The Heir-at-Law, are most widely known
among his racy and rather noisy but most
laughable comedies. (Broad Grins) and (Poetic
Vagaries) are very amusing rhymes.
Colombi, Marchioness (kõ-lum'bē), pseu-
donym of Maria Torelli-Torriani. An Italian
novelist of to-day; born at Novara. Most note-
worthy among her stories is (In Risaia,' a
powerful description of the miseries of Italian
peasant life.
Colonna, Vittoria (ko-lon'nä). A poet of
Italy (1490-1547); born at Marino. Left a
widow in 1525 by the death of her husband,
the Marquis of Pescara, she lived thereafter in
retirement. She was the correspondent and
counselor of the foremost men of her time in
Italy, especially Michel Angelo. Her "Verses,'
celebrating the virtues of her deceased husband
and the beauties and consolations of religion,
were very highly esteemed by her contempo-
raries, and perhaps overpraised. Her (Corre-
spondence was published at Turin in 1888.
Colton, Walter. An American miscellaneous
writer; born in Rutland, Vt. , May 9, 1797; died
in Philadelphia, Pa. , Jan. 22, 1851. Became pro-
fessor of moral philosophy and belles-lettres at
Middletown Academy, Conn. (1825); in 1828–30
was editor of the American Spectator, Wash-
ington. In 1845 he went to California, and in
Monterey established the first newspaper of
the State, called the Californian. He wrote
many books of interest, including "A Visit to
Athens and Constantinople (1836) and (Three
Years in California' (1850). In 1851 Dr. Cheever
edited (The Sea and Sailor, Notes of France
and Italy, and Other Literary Remains, with a
biography of the author.
Columella, Lucius Junius Moderatus (kol-
u-mel'ä). A Latin author; born at Gades (? )
(Cadiz), and flourished in the first century.
His treatise Concerning Rustic Affairs) is a
very important work, showing the condition of
agriculture in Roman times.
Colvin, Sidney. An English critic; born in
Norwood, Surrey, June 18, 1845. He became
professor of fine arts at Cambridge in 1873.
His writings include (Children in Italian and
English Design (1872), and books on Landor,
Dürer, and other writers and artists.
Combe, George. A Scotch phrenologist;
born in Edinburgh, 1788; died 1858. He wrote
( The Constitution of Man Considered in Re-
lation to External Objects) (1828) and many
other works based upon phrenological science,
as well as a volume of American notes.
Combe, William. An English ne'er-do-weel
and fertile writer in prose and verse; born in
Bristol, 1741; died at Lambeth, June 19, 1823,
after 43 years within the rules of a debtor's
prison, and previous fortunes from officer to
cook. His (Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of
the Picturesque) was once very popular.
Comegys, Benjamin Bartis. An American
religious, ethical, and juvenile writer; born in
Delaware, 1819. He is a bank president in
Philadelphia. He has written: Tour round
my Library); How to Get On' (1885); "Old
Stories with New Lessons) (1888); etc.
Comenius, Johann Amos (ko-me'ni-us). A
noted Czech pedagogue and theologian, one of
the world's great educators; born at Nivnitz (? ),
Moravia, March 28, 1592; died at Amsterdam,
Nov. 15, 1670. In the (Gate of Languages
Unlocked) (Janua Linguarum Reserata), the
(World of Sense Depicted) (Orbis Pictus
Sensualium), and "Great Didactics, or the
Whole Art of Teaching Everything) (Didactica
Magna, seu Omnes Omnia Docendi Artificium),
he shows the prodigious scope of his learning
and his no less prodigious skill in the applica-
tion of it. *
>
## p. 117 (#133) ############################################
COMINES — CONGREVE
-
117
Comines, Philippe de (kõ-mēn'). A noted
French chronicler; born at Comines, about
1445; died at the château of Argenton, Oct. 17,
1510. He was the trusted counselor of Philip
the Good, Duke of Burgundy, of his son and
successor Charles the Bold, of Louis XI. , King
of France, and of his successor Charles VIII.
His Memoirs) supply the most trustworthy
material we have for the history of his age, and
the fullest : according to Hallam, they (almost
make an epoch in historical literature. ) He
analyzes the motives of kings and statesmen,
and notes the manners of the time. He had
a conception of a philosophy of history. In
the current of events he sees problems work-
ing out; and his study is to trace their solution
through the tangle of intrigue and personal
ambitions. The first six books of the Me-
moirs) were written between 1488 and 1494,
and the last two between 1497 and 1501; they
were first printed in 1524-25. *
Commodianus (kõ-mo-di-ā'nus). A Latin
Christian poet who lived in the third or fourth
century. He wrote (Instructions against the
Gods of the Gentiles,' an acrostic poem.
Comnena, Anna (kom-ne'na). A Byzantine
princess; born 1083; died 1148. She wrote
(The Alexiad, a life of her father Alexis,
Byzantine Emperor,- a work of importance.
Comte, Auguste (kônt). A noted French
philosopher, founder of the Positive Philoso-
phy; born at Montpellier, Jan. 19, 1798; died
at Paris, Sept. 5, 1857. In his view the prob-
lem for philosophy is to ascertain the positive
and verifiable basis of all knowledge, sci-
ence, and religion-of the whole intellectual,
moral, and religious world of man. In work-
ing out this problem, Comte studied the basis
of the State or civil society; and set forth his
conclusions in 'The Positive Polity. He bases
the law of morals or of conduct on the social
feeling” or Altruism. The central fact of re-
ligion and the one object of religious worship
is Humanity conceived as a personality. The
uttermost conclusions from such an idea of
religion were drawn by Comte, and he contem-
plated the constitution of a priesthood whose
authority, though of course not enforceable by
pains and penalties, was to have as wide a
reach as the authority of the popes in medi-
æval times. His Positive Philosophy,' «Posi-
tivist Catechism,' and Positive Polity,' have
been translated into English. *
Conant, Thomas Jefferson. An American
Baptist divine and Biblical scholar; born at
Brandon, Vt. , Dec. 13, 1802; died at Brooklyn,
N. Y. , April 30, 1891. He translated Gese-
nius's Hebrew Grammar (1839), and published
annotated versions of "Job) (1857); (Matthew)
(1860); 'The Book of Proverbs); (Isaiah);
(Historical Books of the Old Testament from
Joshua to Second Kings); etc.
Condillac, Étienne Bonnot de Mably de
(kôn-de-yäk'). A French philosopher; born
in Grenoble, Sept. 30, 1715; died at his estate
near Beaugency, Aug. 3, 1780. He founded an
international reputation upon (The Essay on
the Origin of Human Knowledge (or Sense Per-
ceptions) (1746); duly succeeded by the cele-
brated (Treatise on the Sensations) (1754), the
central standpoint of these and other works
being what is, philosophically speaking, sensa-
tionalism; a belief, that is, that what we know
we know only through the senses, and hence
our ideas of deity, love, the soul, etc. , are
largely modified forms of the objects that im-
press us in our daily material experience. These
standpoints were practically those of French
philosophy until the advent of Cousin.
Condorcet, Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas
Caritat, Marquis de (kor-dor'sā'). An illus-
trious French mathematician, philosopher, and
economist; born at Ribemont, Picardy, Sept.
17, 1743; died at Bourg-la-Reine, March 28,
1794.
Works) (1857) are edited by Colton. *
Cleanthes (klē-an'thēs). A Greek philos.
opher; born at Assos, 331 B. C. ; died, 232
B. C. He was the founder of Stoicism. His
works are lost, with the exception of a "Hymn
to Zeus) and some few fragments. *
Clemens, Jeremiah. An American states.
man, lawyer, and novelist; born at Huntsville,
Ala. , Dec. 28, 1814; died there, May 21, 1865.
He was U. S. Senator from Alabama (1849-53).
He wrote: (Bernard Lisle) (1856); Mustang
Grey) (1858); “Tobias Wilson (1865); etc.
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. (« Mark
Twain. ) A distinguished American humor-
ist; born in Missouri, Nov. 30, 1835. His
works include: (The Jumping Frog) (1867);
(The Innocents Abroad? (1869); (Roughing
It) (1872); A Tramp Abroad) (1880); "The
Prince and the Pauper) (1882); Life on the
Mississippi) (1883); (The Gilded Age) (1874:
with Charles Dudley Warner); (Old Times
on the Mississippi'; Tom Sawyer'; (Huckle-
berry Finn); A Yankee at King Arthur's
Court); Pudd'nhead Wilson); (The Personal
Recollections of Joan of Arc); (Following the
Equator) (1897). *
Clemmer, Mrs. Mary. See Hudson, Mrs.
Mary (Clemmer) (Ames).
Clesse, Antoine (kles'ę). A Belgian popular
poet (1816-89); born at The Hague. To the
## p. 113 (#129) ############################################
CLEVELAND-COBDEN
113
armorer.
are:
day of his death he followed his trade of
His first ballad, (Godfrey de Bouil-
lon,' won for him a gold medal. His popular
songs (Beer) and (The Family Name) (mean-
ing Belgian, including Fleming, Walloon, etc. ),
came into great favor with the people. He
wrote also a comedy, (A Poet. Two volumes
of (Songs) (1866-88) contain all his popular
ballads, with the music.
Cleveland, Aaron. An American writer of
prose and verse; born in Haddam, Conn. , Feb.
3, 1744; died in New Haven, Conn. , Sept. 21,
1815. In 1763 was written his best poem, “The
Philosopher and Boy. ? In 1775 he published a
poem on “Slavery); also a number of fugitive
verses. He was the great-grandfather of Pres-
ident Cleveland.
Cleveland, Rose Elizabeth. An American
prose-writer, sister of Grover Cleveland; born
in Fayetteville, N. Y. , 1846. After the inaugu-
ration of her brother (1885) she became the
mistress of the White House," remaining there
until 1886. Miss Cleveland published a book
of essays and lectures entitled "George Eliot's
Poetry, and Other Studies) (1885); and “The
Long Run,' a novel (1886).
Clinch, Charles Powell. An American poet
and play-writer; born in New York city, Oct.
20, 1797 ; died there, Dec. 16, 1880. For many
years he was editorial writer, and literary and
dramatic critic, for the press; also writer of
many poems, theatrical addresses, and dramas.
Among the latter are: (The Spy); (The Ex-
pelled Collegiates); and (The First of May. )
Clinton, De Witt. A famous American law.
yer and statesman; born at Little Britain,
N. Y. , March 2, 1769; died at Albany, N. Y. ,
Feb. 11, 1828. He was United States Senator
from New York (1802); mayor of New York
city (1803-7, 1809-10, 1811-15); lieutenant-gov-
ernor (1811-13); candidate for President (1812);
governor (1817-23, 1825-28). He was the chief
originator of the Erie Canal (1817–25). Besides
purely political works, addresses, etc. , he wrote:
Antiquities of Western New York); (Natural
History and Internal Revenues of New York);
etc.
Clough, Arthur Hugh (kluf). An English
poet; born in Liverpool, Jan. 1, 1819; died at
Florence, Italy, Nov. 13, 1861. His works com-
prise : (The Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich [after-
wards Tober-na-Vuolich), a Long Vacation
Pastoral (1848); (Ambarvalia: Poems by
Thomas Burbidge and A. H. Clough) (1849);
Plutarch's Lives: the Translation called Dry-
den's Corrected (1859-64 and 1876); Poems
with Memoir' (by F. T. Palgrave) (1862);
"Poems and Prose Remains) (1869); and one
or two more. *
Clymer, Ella Dietz. An American poet;
born in New York, 185- She began her career
as an actress in 1872; in 1881 she abandoned
the stage. She has contributed to literature
three volumes of poems: (The Triumph of
Love) (1878); (The Triumph of Time) (1884);
and “The Triumph of Life) (1885). She was
one of the founders of the “Sorosis » Society,
and its president in 1889.
Coan, Titus (kõ'an). A noted American
missionary; born at Killingworth, Conn. , Feb.
1, 1801 ; died at Hilo, Hawaii, Dec. I, 1882.
After spending several months (1833-34) on a
dangerous exploring expedition in Patagonia,
he went to the Sandwich Islands (1835), oc-
cupying the Hilo station forty-seven years, and
in that time converting 14,000 natives. He
wrote: (Adventures in Patagonia' (1880); Life
in Hawaii' (1881).
Coan, Titus Munson. An American man
of letters and critic, son of Titus M. the elder;
born in the Sandwich Islands, 1836. He now
resides in New York. He has written (An
Ounce of Prevention); (Topics of the Time)
(edited).
Coates, Florence Earle (Mrs. Edward H. ).
An American poet; born 18—, and now resid-
ing in Philadelphia, Pa. She has made many
contributions to various magazines. Among
her uncollected poems
(Conscience);
(Song); (To France -- 1894'; Combatants);
(Survival);
Cobb, Joseph Beckham. An American
novelist and miscellaneous writer; born in
Georgia, 1819; died 1858. He wrote: (The
Creole) (1850), a novel; Mississippi Scenes)
(1851); (Leisure Labors) (1858).
Cobb, Sylvanus. An American novelist;
born in Waterville, Me. , 1823; died in Hyde
Park, Mass. , July 2, 1887. He was editor and
publisher of a periodical called the Rechabite.
Besides contributing to other publications, he
most prolific story-writer. His most
popular novels are: (The King's Talisman)
(1851); “The Patriot Cruiser) (1859); and Ben
Hamed) (1864).
Cobbe, Frances Power. An Irish writer on
religion and morals; born in Dublin, 1822.
She has written "Intuitive Morals) (1855);
(Religious Duty); Hours of Work and Play
(1867); Duties of Women'; (The Hopes of
the Human Race, Hereafter and Here); and
other important works. She has been praised
for her expositions of the views of Theodore
Parker.
Cobbett, William. An English essayist and
political writer; born in Farnham, March 9,
1762; died at Normandy Farm, near Farn-
ham, June 1835. The son of a farm hind, he
had no early advantages, but a great gift for
controversy; and he plunged warmly into the
social and economic and political discussions
of his day. He visited this country, and wrote
here for a time under the name of (Peter
Porcupine. He is at his best in his count-
less pamphlets, and in “The Political Proteus,
Legacy to Laborers, and Advice to Young
Men.
Cobden, Richard. A great English political
economist; born in Sussex, June 3, 1804; died
IBM
1
was
a
8
## p. 114 (#130) ############################################
114
CODEMO-COLERIDGE
a
at London, April 2, 1865. He was a manu-
facturer, but opposed his class ; led the Corn
Law agitation; and entered Parliament in 1841.
He visited this country in 1854. His (Political
Writings) (1867) and (Speeches on Questions
of Public Policy) (1870) are very notable in the
history of agitation.
Codemo, Luigia (ko-dā'mo). An Italian
novelist; born at Treviso, Sept. 5, 1828. She
made extensive travels (1838-50), and in 1851
became the wife of the Chevalier Karl von
Gerstenbrand. Her first work, Memoirs of a
Peasant) (1856), evinced a true insight into
lowly life; and in the numerous sketches and
tales that followed it, she showed a profound
sympathy with the common people. Her writ-
ings passed through several editions. Among
her works are: Miseries and Splendors of the
Poor); “The New Rich'; “A Lady of Heart.
Codman, John. A noted American sea-
captain and miscellaneous writer; born at
Dorchester, Mass. , 1814. He has written :
(Sailors' Life and Sailors’ Yarns) (1847); (The
Mormon Country) (1876); Round Trip by
Way of Panama, etc. ) (1879); (Winter Sketches
from the Saddle) (1888); etc.
Coffin, Charles Carleton. An American
novelist and lecturer; born in Boscawen, N. H. ,
July 26, 1823; died in Brookline, Mass. , March
2, 1896. He began life as a civil engineer;
afterward gave his attention to telegraphy. In
1851 he began to write for the Boston papers;
and during the Civil War and the Austro-
Prussian War of 1866 was war correspondent
for the Boston Journal, writing over the signa-
ture of «Carleton. His books include : Days
and Nights on the Battle-Field) (1864); (Our
New Way Round the World' (1869); (Story
of Liberty) (1878); "Life of Garfield (1883);
and “The Drum-Beat of the Nation (1887), the
first volume of a series.
Coffin, Robert Barry. An American jour-
nalist and miscellaneous writer; born in Hud-
son, N. Y. , July 21, 1826; died in Fordham,
N. Y. , June 10, 1886. He was on the staff of
the Home Journal of New York (1858), and
was also art critic of the Evening Post. His
humorous sketches, which have appeared in
many periodicals over the pen-name Barry
Gray,” have been extensively read. Among
his publications are: (My Married Life at Hill-
side) (1865); (Cakes and Ale at Woodbine)
(1868); and (The Home of Cooper) (1872).
Coffin, Robert Stevenson. An American
poet; born in Brunswick, Me. , July 14, 1797 ;
died in Rowley, Mass. , May 7, 1827. His first
contributions in verse to the periodicals were
over the signature of «The Boston Bard. ”
He published (The Oriental Harp: Poems of
the Boston Bard) (1826), in which are included
his most notable verses.
Coggeshall, William Turner. An Amer-
ican journalist; born in Lewistown, Pa. , Sept.
6, 1824; died in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 2, 1867,
From 1841 to 1866 he was editorially connected
with a number of newspapers, including the
Cincinnati Gazette, the Springfield Republican
(1862), and the Ohio State Journal (1865). He
was United States minister to Ecuador from
June 1866 until his death. His works include:
(Home Hits and Hints) (1859); Poets and
Poetry of the West) (1800); and “The Journeys
of Lincoln as President-Elect, and as President
Martyred) (1865).
Colardeau, Charles Pierre (kö-lär-do). A
French poet; born at Janville, 1732; died 1776.
He was elected to the French Academy in 1776,
having written «The Men of Prometheus) and
(Epistle to M. Duhamel.
Colban, Adolphine Marie (kolbän). А
Norwegian novelist (1814-84). Left a widow
without resources at 36, she went to Paris,
where a lady of quality sent to the printer some
of the widow's letters to her, entitling the col-
lection Letters of a Barbarian. Parisian soci-
ety was captivated, and the author decided to
exercise her newly discovered talent by writing
stories in her own language. Between 1809
and 1881 she published seven volumes of tales,
charming for their fine spiritual insight and their
warm human sympathy; they were nearly all
translated into German. Among them "Jeg
Lever) is perhaps the most noteworthy.
Colenso, John William. An English theo-
logian; born 1814; died 1883. He became
Bishop of Natal, South Africa, and wrote (The
Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Ex-
amined' (1862).
Coleridge, Hartley. An English poet and
literary critic (1796-1849), son of Samuel Taylor;
born at Bristol. From Oxford he went to
London, and there published some exquisite
sonnets in the London Magazine. He inherited
defects of character and will, and never realized
the promise of his great talents. His writings
in prose are Biographia Borealis) (1833); “The
Worthies of Yorkshire and Lancashire) (1836);
and a volume of (Essays and Marginalia. His
brother Derwent published a biography and his
poems (2 vols. , 1850).
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. An English poet
and philosopher; born at Ottery St. Mary, Dev-
onshire, Oct. 21, 1772; died July 25, 1834. The
authorities on the works of Coleridge are very
numerous and important. Among the many
titles under which his works were published,
the following are probably most noteworthy :
(Fall of Robespierre (1794), a play of which
he wrote the first act; Moral and Political
Lecture Delivered at Bristol (1795); (Con-
ciones ad populum (1795), being addresses to
the people; (The Plot Discovered) (1795), a
political pamphlet; Poems on Various Subjects)
(1796); (The Destiny of Nations) (1828), first
published in Southey's Joan of Arc); (Ode to
the Departing Year) (1796); (Fears in Solitude)
(1798); (Wallenstein (1800); (Remorse, a
Tragedy) (1813); (Christabel,' with (Kubla
Khan) and Pains of Sleep) (1816); Bio-
graphia Literaria) (1817); (Aids to Reflection)
## p. 115 (#131) ############################################
COLERIDGE-COLLINS
115
:
:
(1825); (Table Talk) (1835); “Confessions of
an Inquiring Spirit) (1840), the last two post-
humous. The Ancient Mariner) was first pub-
lished in 1798, in a volume of (Lyrical Ballads)
(with Wordsworth). *
Coleridge, Sara. An English poet, daughter
of Samuel Taylor; born at Greta Hall, near
Keswick, Dec. 22, 1802; died in London, May
3, 1852. The genius of her father seemed al-
most to have inspired her Phantasmion, a
ballad of fairyland.
Her classical learning and
scientific attainments made her an authority on
some of the most abstruse subjects.
Coles, Abraham. An American prose-writer
and poet; born in Scotch Plains, N. J. , Dec. 26,
1813; died in Monterey, Cal. , May 3, 1891. In
1835 he graduated from Jefferson Medical Col-
lege, Philadelphia. He has published thirteen
original translations of the celebrated hymn
Dies Iræ) (1859); (Old Gems in New Set-
tings) (1866); (The Microcosm); and (The
Light of the World) (1884). In 1871 Princeton
gave him the degree of LL. D.
Colet, Louise Revoil (ko-lā'). A French
poet and novelist (1810-76). Four times be-
tween 1839 and 1855, poems of hers were
crowned by the French Academy. She was
a graceful lyrist, and often struck the chord
of deep passion with effect. Of her verses,
poured forth with marvelous facility, (The
Woman's Poem) is perhaps her best after the
four offered to the Academy. Among her nu-
merous novels, (Bruised Hearts) (2 vols. , 1843)
may be mentioned. She also wrote several nar.
ratives of travel.
Collé, Charles (ko-lā'). A French dramatist
(1709-83). For the Duke of Orleans's theatre
he composed several light comedies, (There's
Truth in Wine, (The Knave Gallant, etc. ,
full of lively dialogue and intensely comic sit-
uations. Of his sentimental pieces, Henri
IV. 's Hunting Party) is best known. As a
lyrist he holds a place next after Béranger
among French poets. His Historic Journal)
(3 vols. ) is for the most part a mass of calum-
nies against his contemporaries.
Collet, Jakobine Camilla (kol'let). A Nor-
wegian novelist; born at Christiansand, Jan. 23,
1813. Her works, in many of which she cham-
pions the political emancipation of women,
have had very wide circulation. Among them
are : (In the Long Nights); (A Bright Picture
in a Dark Frame); (Against the Current. )
Colletet, Guillaume (kol"ę-tā"). A French
poet; born at Paris in 1598; died in 1659. He
wrote a number of poems that are not with-
out merit, possessing as they do liveliness and
originality. Some of his epigrams are ingenious
and pungent. His best works are: (Banquet
of the Poets) (1646); (Selected Poems) (1656).
He was one of the five poets selected by
Richelieu to put his dramatic works in verse,
and was also one of the original members of
the French Academy.
Collier, Mrs. Ada (Langworthy). An Amer.
ican writer of verse; born in Iowa, 1843. Her
home is in Dubuque. Her principal work is
(Lilith, the Legend of the First Woman
(1885).
Collier, John Payne. An English critic and
antiquary; born in London, 1789; died Sept.
17, 1883. He is famed for his (Poetical De-
cameron) (1820); History of English Dra-
matic Poetry to the Time of Shakespeare, and
Annals of the Stage to the Restoration (1831);
and his edition of Shakespeare (1844).
Collier, Robert Laird. An American Uni-
tarian clergyman, religious writer, and essayist;
born at Salisbury, Md. , 1837; died 1890. Start-
ing in life as an itinerant Methodist preacher,
he held prominent Unitarian pulpits in Chicago
and Boston, and became noted as a preacher
and lecturer. In later life he was London cor-
respondent of the New York Herald. Besides
religious writings, he published: (Henry Irving,
a Sketch and a Criticism'; English Home
Life) (1885).
Collin, Heinrich Joseph von (kol'lin). An
Austrian dramatist and lyrist (1771-1811); born
at Vienna. He wrote several tragedies, mostly
on antique themes; of these, Regulus,' the
first of the series, is the best. His powerful
(Songs for the Militia(1809) give him a high
rank among the balladists of the war of liber-
ation. Of his historical ballads, (Kaiser Max
on the Walls of St. Martin's) is best known.
Collin d'Harleville, Jean François (kõl-an
därl-vēl'). A French dramatist (1755-1806).
He worked a genuine vein of comedy, yet
never slighted the moral side of conduct.
Notable among his works are (The Old Bach-
elor, his masterpiece, and (Castles in Spain. '
Collins, John. An English poet; born in
Bath, 1742; died at Birmingham, May 2, 1808.
He was a stay-maker turned actor; and his
poetic fame rests upon (Scripscrapologia,' a
collection of poems, among which (To-Morrow)
is especially readable.
Collins, Mortimer. An English novelist and
poet; born in Plymouth, June 29, 1827; died at
Knowl Hill, Berkshire, July 28, 1876. His "Idyls
and Rhymes, (Summer Songs, and (The
British Birds' are the efforts of an inspired
verse-maker. His novels : “Who Is the Heir ? )
(1865); (Sweet Anne Page) (1868); “The Ivory
Gate) (1869); (The Vivian Romance) (1870);
(The Marquis and Merchant) (1871); (Two
Plunges for a Pearl (1872); Blacksmith and
Scholar(1875); and others, are much admired.
Collins, William. An English poet; born
in Chichester, Dec. 25, 1721; died there, June 12,
1759. His melancholy temperament and poetic
musings marked him as a boy, as a youth at
Oxford, and even as a madman in the asylum
where he died. (The Passions,' with its grace
and vigor, its vivid and pliant dexterity of
touch"; the (Ode to Evening,' a mosaic of eu-
phonies; the Dirge in Cymbeline); and the
都
0
.
## p. 116 (#132) ############################################
116
COLLINS - COMENIUS
(Ode on the Death of Thomson,' chiefly per.
petuate his fame. *
Collins, William Wilkie. An English nov-
elist; born in London, Jan. 8, 1824; died there,
Sept. 23, 1889. He was a master of construct.
ive art and fascinating plot. His greatest
novels are admittedly (The Moonstone) (1868)
and "The Woman in White) (1860); next in
merit are (The New Magdalen) (1873) and
No Name) (1862). The others are : (Anto-
nina (2d ed. 1850); Basil) (1852); (The Dead
Secret! (1857); (Armadale) (1866); (Man and
Wife) (1870); Poor Miss Finch) (1872); “Miss
or Mrs. ? ) (1873); (The Law and the Lady)
(1875); (The Two Destinies) (1876); Heart
and Science) (1883); I Say No) (1884); (The
Legacy of Cain (1888); (Blind Love) (1889 :
completed by Walter Besant). He wrote also
a biography of his father, William Collins the
painter (1848). *
Collyer, Robert. An American clergyman
and prose-writer; born in Keighley, Yorkshire,
England, Dec. 8, 1823. He came to America
in 1849, being then a Wesleyan preacher and
a blacksmith; but became a Unitarian, and
preached some years in Chicago, where he
founded Unity Church in 1860. He was made
pastor of the Church of the Messiah, New York
city, September 1879, and is now pastor emeri.
tus. Included in his publications are: Nature
and Life) (1866); (The Life that Now Is)
(1871); A History of the Town and Parish
of Ilkley) (England, 1886, written in connec-
tion with Horsefall Turner) and (Lectures to
Young Men and Women) (1886).
Colman, George, the Elder. An English
dramatist; born in Florence, Italy, April 28,
1732; died in London, Aug. 14, 1794. Taste,
humor, and brilliancy are the leading qual-
ities of his work; (The Deuce Is in Him);
( New Brooms); (The Separate Maintenance);
and several other comedies, proclaiming him
a man of wit, a writer, and a playwright of rare
merits. *
Colman, George, the Younger. An English
dramatist and humorous poet; born in Lon-
don (? ), Oct. 21, 1762; died there, Oct. 17, 1836.
(The Iron Chest, John Bull (for which he
received an unprecedentedly large sum), and
(The Heir-at-Law, are most widely known
among his racy and rather noisy but most
laughable comedies. (Broad Grins) and (Poetic
Vagaries) are very amusing rhymes.
Colombi, Marchioness (kõ-lum'bē), pseu-
donym of Maria Torelli-Torriani. An Italian
novelist of to-day; born at Novara. Most note-
worthy among her stories is (In Risaia,' a
powerful description of the miseries of Italian
peasant life.
Colonna, Vittoria (ko-lon'nä). A poet of
Italy (1490-1547); born at Marino. Left a
widow in 1525 by the death of her husband,
the Marquis of Pescara, she lived thereafter in
retirement. She was the correspondent and
counselor of the foremost men of her time in
Italy, especially Michel Angelo. Her "Verses,'
celebrating the virtues of her deceased husband
and the beauties and consolations of religion,
were very highly esteemed by her contempo-
raries, and perhaps overpraised. Her (Corre-
spondence was published at Turin in 1888.
Colton, Walter. An American miscellaneous
writer; born in Rutland, Vt. , May 9, 1797; died
in Philadelphia, Pa. , Jan. 22, 1851. Became pro-
fessor of moral philosophy and belles-lettres at
Middletown Academy, Conn. (1825); in 1828–30
was editor of the American Spectator, Wash-
ington. In 1845 he went to California, and in
Monterey established the first newspaper of
the State, called the Californian. He wrote
many books of interest, including "A Visit to
Athens and Constantinople (1836) and (Three
Years in California' (1850). In 1851 Dr. Cheever
edited (The Sea and Sailor, Notes of France
and Italy, and Other Literary Remains, with a
biography of the author.
Columella, Lucius Junius Moderatus (kol-
u-mel'ä). A Latin author; born at Gades (? )
(Cadiz), and flourished in the first century.
His treatise Concerning Rustic Affairs) is a
very important work, showing the condition of
agriculture in Roman times.
Colvin, Sidney. An English critic; born in
Norwood, Surrey, June 18, 1845. He became
professor of fine arts at Cambridge in 1873.
His writings include (Children in Italian and
English Design (1872), and books on Landor,
Dürer, and other writers and artists.
Combe, George. A Scotch phrenologist;
born in Edinburgh, 1788; died 1858. He wrote
( The Constitution of Man Considered in Re-
lation to External Objects) (1828) and many
other works based upon phrenological science,
as well as a volume of American notes.
Combe, William. An English ne'er-do-weel
and fertile writer in prose and verse; born in
Bristol, 1741; died at Lambeth, June 19, 1823,
after 43 years within the rules of a debtor's
prison, and previous fortunes from officer to
cook. His (Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of
the Picturesque) was once very popular.
Comegys, Benjamin Bartis. An American
religious, ethical, and juvenile writer; born in
Delaware, 1819. He is a bank president in
Philadelphia. He has written: Tour round
my Library); How to Get On' (1885); "Old
Stories with New Lessons) (1888); etc.
Comenius, Johann Amos (ko-me'ni-us). A
noted Czech pedagogue and theologian, one of
the world's great educators; born at Nivnitz (? ),
Moravia, March 28, 1592; died at Amsterdam,
Nov. 15, 1670. In the (Gate of Languages
Unlocked) (Janua Linguarum Reserata), the
(World of Sense Depicted) (Orbis Pictus
Sensualium), and "Great Didactics, or the
Whole Art of Teaching Everything) (Didactica
Magna, seu Omnes Omnia Docendi Artificium),
he shows the prodigious scope of his learning
and his no less prodigious skill in the applica-
tion of it. *
>
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117
Comines, Philippe de (kõ-mēn'). A noted
French chronicler; born at Comines, about
1445; died at the château of Argenton, Oct. 17,
1510. He was the trusted counselor of Philip
the Good, Duke of Burgundy, of his son and
successor Charles the Bold, of Louis XI. , King
of France, and of his successor Charles VIII.
His Memoirs) supply the most trustworthy
material we have for the history of his age, and
the fullest : according to Hallam, they (almost
make an epoch in historical literature. ) He
analyzes the motives of kings and statesmen,
and notes the manners of the time. He had
a conception of a philosophy of history. In
the current of events he sees problems work-
ing out; and his study is to trace their solution
through the tangle of intrigue and personal
ambitions. The first six books of the Me-
moirs) were written between 1488 and 1494,
and the last two between 1497 and 1501; they
were first printed in 1524-25. *
Commodianus (kõ-mo-di-ā'nus). A Latin
Christian poet who lived in the third or fourth
century. He wrote (Instructions against the
Gods of the Gentiles,' an acrostic poem.
Comnena, Anna (kom-ne'na). A Byzantine
princess; born 1083; died 1148. She wrote
(The Alexiad, a life of her father Alexis,
Byzantine Emperor,- a work of importance.
Comte, Auguste (kônt). A noted French
philosopher, founder of the Positive Philoso-
phy; born at Montpellier, Jan. 19, 1798; died
at Paris, Sept. 5, 1857. In his view the prob-
lem for philosophy is to ascertain the positive
and verifiable basis of all knowledge, sci-
ence, and religion-of the whole intellectual,
moral, and religious world of man. In work-
ing out this problem, Comte studied the basis
of the State or civil society; and set forth his
conclusions in 'The Positive Polity. He bases
the law of morals or of conduct on the social
feeling” or Altruism. The central fact of re-
ligion and the one object of religious worship
is Humanity conceived as a personality. The
uttermost conclusions from such an idea of
religion were drawn by Comte, and he contem-
plated the constitution of a priesthood whose
authority, though of course not enforceable by
pains and penalties, was to have as wide a
reach as the authority of the popes in medi-
æval times. His Positive Philosophy,' «Posi-
tivist Catechism,' and Positive Polity,' have
been translated into English. *
Conant, Thomas Jefferson. An American
Baptist divine and Biblical scholar; born at
Brandon, Vt. , Dec. 13, 1802; died at Brooklyn,
N. Y. , April 30, 1891. He translated Gese-
nius's Hebrew Grammar (1839), and published
annotated versions of "Job) (1857); (Matthew)
(1860); 'The Book of Proverbs); (Isaiah);
(Historical Books of the Old Testament from
Joshua to Second Kings); etc.
Condillac, Étienne Bonnot de Mably de
(kôn-de-yäk'). A French philosopher; born
in Grenoble, Sept. 30, 1715; died at his estate
near Beaugency, Aug. 3, 1780. He founded an
international reputation upon (The Essay on
the Origin of Human Knowledge (or Sense Per-
ceptions) (1746); duly succeeded by the cele-
brated (Treatise on the Sensations) (1754), the
central standpoint of these and other works
being what is, philosophically speaking, sensa-
tionalism; a belief, that is, that what we know
we know only through the senses, and hence
our ideas of deity, love, the soul, etc. , are
largely modified forms of the objects that im-
press us in our daily material experience. These
standpoints were practically those of French
philosophy until the advent of Cousin.
Condorcet, Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas
Caritat, Marquis de (kor-dor'sā'). An illus-
trious French mathematician, philosopher, and
economist; born at Ribemont, Picardy, Sept.
17, 1743; died at Bourg-la-Reine, March 28,
1794.
