D'Israeli
ISAAC (diz-rāli), an English essayist, compiler, and historian; father of Benjamin; born in Enfield in Middlesex, May, 1766. He was of Spanish-Jew stock, but left the Jewish communion. Rejecting a career or trade, he frequented the British Museum and compiled the "Curiosities of Literature," in 1791. The author presented the copyright to the publisher, but bought it back a few years later on its remarkable success; it is still republished. A series of like collections followed, with the same success: "Calamities of Authors," "Quarrels of Authors," "Miscellanies, Literary or Recollections." He wrote some unsuccessful romances; among them is "Mejnoun and Leila," probably the earliest Oriental romance in the language. His "Commentaries on the Life and Reign of Charles I." marked a distinct advance in the methods of historical research. He died Jan. 9, 1848.
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D'Orsay
ALFRED, COMTE, a French leader of fashion; born in Paris, Sept. 4, 1801. He entered the army at an early age, and was quartered at Valence in 1822, when he became acquainted with Lord and Lady Blessington, and renounced his military career for their society. In 1827 he married Lord Blessington's only daughter by a first marriage, but a separation followed, and Lord Blessington having died in Paris in 1829, D'Orsay returned to England with Lady Blessington, where they became the center of a highly distinguished circle. He displayed considerable artistic talent and taste, both as a painter and sculptor. Having shown kindness and hospitality to Louis Napoleon when an exile in London, D'Orsay after the coup d'état of 1852 was nominated Directeur des Beaux Arts, but he did not live to enjoy it. He died in Paris, Aug. 4, 1852.
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D'Ourches, Comte
French magnetist and necromancer, associated about 1850 with Baron de Guldenstubbé in the K attempt-successful only after six months of endeavourto establish in France spiritualistic circles such as were being formed at the time in America. After a time they were successful in obtaining such manifestations as raps, the vibration of piano-chords, and direct writing .
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Da Vinci
See LEONARDO DA VINCI.
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Dabney
CHARLES WILLIAM, an ; born in American scientist and educator 19, 1855. He Hampden-Sidney, Va., June -Sidney College was educated at Hampden Virginia, Berand at the Universities of he became lin, and Göttingen. In 1877 Henry and Professor of Chemistry in ap- Emory College, and in 1880 was North Carolina pointed state chemist of . the University of He was president of became presi- Tennessee 1887-1904 and in dent of the University of Cincinnati was Assist- 1904. From 1893 to 1896 he also ant Secretary of Agriculture. He and commissions, served on many boards scientic sowas a member of several cieties, and published numerous scientific works.
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Dabney
CHARLES WILLIAM, an American consular officer; born in Alex- He was andria, Va., March 19, 1794. consul in the Azores made United States 1. In numerals, for 500. Thus DC in 1826, and by his services to the people of the islands made his name a housedied in hold word among them. He Fayal, Azores, March 12, 1871.
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Dabo
LEON, an American mural in Detroit and landscape painter. Born 243 in 1869, he studied in France, Spain, and Italy. After executing some mural paintings for churches in New York he turned his attention to landscape painting, in which field he did nearly all his best work. His favorite subject was the Hudson, and the shores of Staten Island. Among his important creations were: "Nocturnal Fêtes on the Hudson," "Dawn beyond the Hudson," and "The Rocket." His work is represented in many public and private galleries both in the United States and abroad.
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Dachshund
a name adopted from the German, signifying "badger-dog." The dachshund common in Germany for many years, but was unknown in England until introduced by the late Prince Consort toward the middle of the 19th century; it then became very fashionable and popular. The dachshund is a small dog, weighing about 20 pounds, with short crooked forelegs, and an extremely long body, its head rather resembling that of a miniature bloodhound. Its strong, large paws en- DÆDALUS able it to dig rapidly. Its color should be black and tan, or brown.
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Dacia
a large tract of the Roman empire pire beyond nd the Danube; now comprising sing Moldavia, Wallachia, and portions of Transylvania and Hungary. Prior to Constantine the Great, the whole tract was divided into Trojan Dacia and Aurelian Dacia. The former, or Dacia proper, was situated N., the latter S., of the Danube. The country was inhabited by the Daci or Dacæ, a warlike nation of German origin, who, after a heroic resistance, continued for upward of 75 years, were finally conquered by Trajan (A. D. 105) whereupon the entire region became a Roman province. In 270-275 the Romans abandoned the country to the Goths. In 453, Ardaric, King of the Gepidæ, seized the country, and in 566 it was conquered by a colony of Scythians.
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Daddy-Long-Legs
an insect-like creature with exceedingly long, slender legs, closely related to the spider. Known also as harvestman and grandfather graybeard. The legs are very long and are bent up in the middle, so that the body sags down as though the legs were too weak to support it. When held by one leg the harvestman first points in this direction, then in that. Boys going after the cows catch a "daddy" to make him tell which way the cows have gone. He points first one way, then another, and is sure to hit on the right direction after a time. The daddy-long-legs has a disagreeable odor, but he lives on plant lice and is perfectly harmless. See Spider
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Daemonologie
by King James VI. and I. It is customary nowadays to sneer at the writings of this royal author, and as Horace Walpole remarks, his majesty really has more critics than readers; while it should be borne in mind that in his own day the king's books were greatly admired, winning the encomiums of Bacon, Izaak Walton, and numerous equally eminent men of letters. In general, however, it was Basilicon Doron which elicited their homage, and compared to this last the king's study of demonology is but a mediocre performance. Published in 1597, it is couched "in forme of ane dialogue," the speakers being Philomathes and Epistemon; and the former, being very incredulous as regards all kinds of magic, asks Epistemon to enlighten him. Thereupon many famous acts of witchcraft are adduced, but, when Philomathes requests to be told precisely why the black art should be considered iniquitous, his interlocutor fails conspicuously to give a satisfactory answer. He merely inveighs against the practice in question, and accordingly there is something distinctly trite in the subsequent pages, wherein Epistemon is represented as being converted to the other speaker's point of view, and declaring loudly that all sorcerers and the like ought to be put to death according to the Law of God, the civill and imperiall Law, and municipall Law of all Christian Nations." 66
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