Part 129 (2/2)
CLAUDE, JEAN, a French Protestant controversial divine, a powerful antagonist of Bossuet and other Catholic writers, allowed only 24 hours to escape on the eve of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, though other Protestant ministers were allowed 15 days (1619-1687).
CLAUDE LORRAINE, a great landscape painter, born in Lorraine, of poor parents, and apprenticed to a pastry-cook; went as such to Rome; became servant and colour-grinder to Ta.s.si, who instructed him in his art; by a.s.siduous study of nature in all her aspects attained to fame; was eminent in his treatment of aerial perspective, and an artist whom it was Turner's ambition to rival; he was eminent as an etcher as well as a painter; Turner left one of his finest works to the English nation on condition that it should hang side by side of a masterpiece of Claude, which it now does; his pictures are found in every gallery in Europe, and a goodly number of them are to be met with in England; there are in the St. Petersburg gallery four pieces of exquisite workmans.h.i.+p, ent.i.tled ”Morning,” ”Noon,” ”Evening,” and ”Twilight” (1600-1682).
CLAUDIAN, a Latin epic poet of the 4th century, born in Alexandria, panegyrist of Stilicho on his victory over Alaric; a not unworthy successor of Catullus and Propertius, though his native tongue was Greek.
CLAUDIUS, APPIUS, a Roman decemvir and patrician in 451 B.C.; outraged Virginia, a beautiful plebeian damsel, whom her father, on discovering of the crime, killed with a knife s.n.a.t.c.hed from a butcher's stall, rousing thereby the popular rage against the decemvir, who was cast into prison, where he put an end to himself, 449 B.C.
CLAUDIUS, APPIUS, censor in 312-307 B.C.; wrought important changes in the Roman const.i.tution; set on foot the construction of the Appian Way and the Appian Aqueduct, named after him.
CLAUDIUS I, TIBERIUS DRUSUS, surnamed GERMANICUS, brother of Tiberius, emperor of Rome from 41 to 54, born at Lyons; after spending 50 years of his life in private, occupying himself in literary study, was, on the death of Caligula, raised very much against his wish by the soldiers to the imperial throne, a post which he filled with honour to himself and benefit to the State; but he was too much controlled by his wives, of whom he had in succession four, till the last of them, Agrippina, had him poisoned to make way for her son Nero.
CLAUDIUS II., surnamed GOTHICUS, Roman emperor from 268 to 270; an excellent prince and a good general; distinguished himself by his ability and courage against the Goths and other hordes of barbarians.
CLAUSEL, BERTRAND, marshal of France, born at Mirepoix; served under Napoleon in Holland, Italy, Austria, and Spain; was defeated at Salamanca, executing thereafter a masterly retreat; left France for America in 1815 on the fall of Napoleon, to whom he was devoted; returned in 1830, became commander-in-chief in Algeria, and ultimately governor (1772-1842).
CLAUSEWITZ, KARL VON, a Prussian general, born at Burg; distinguished himself against Napoleon in Russia in 1812; an authority on the art of war, on which he wrote a treatise in three volumes, ent.i.tled ”Vom Krieg” (1780-1831).
CLAUSIUS, RUDOLF, an eminent German physicist, born at Koslin, in Pomerania; professor of Natural Philosophy at Bonn; specially distinguished for his contributions to the science of thermo-dynamics, and the application of mathematical methods to the study, as also to electricity and the expansion of gases (1822-1888).
CLAVERHOUSE, JOHN GRAHAM OF, VISCOUNT DUNDEE, commenced life as a soldier in France and Holland; on his return to Scotland in 1677 was appointed by Charles II. to the command of a troop to suppress the Covenanters; was defeated at Drumclog 1679, but by the help of Monmouth had his revenge at Bothwell Brig; affected to support the Revolution, but intrigued in favour of the Stuarts; raised in Scotland a force in their behalf; was met at Killiecrankie by General Mackay, where he fell (1643-1689).
CLAVIeRE, Minister of Finance in France after Necker, born at Geneva; projector of the _Moniteur_; friend of Mirabeau; committed suicide in prison (1735-1793).
CLAVIJE'RO, a Jesuit missionary, born in Vera Cruz; laboured for 40 years as missionary in Mexico; on the suppression of his Order went to Italy, and wrote a valuable work on Mexico (1718-1793).
CLAVIGO, a drama by Goethe in five acts, the first work to which he put his name; was received with disfavour.
CLAVILEnO, Don Quixote's wooden horse.
CLAY, HENRY, an American statesman, born in Virginia; bred for the bar, and distinguished for his oratory; was for many years Speaker of the House of Representatives; was a supporter of war with Britain in 1812-15, and party to the treaty which ended it; was an advocate of protection; aspired three times unsuccessfully to the Presidency; his public career was a long one, and an honourable (1777-1852).
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