IMPROVISE, to speak extemporaneously, JENNER, EDWARD, an English physician, especially in verse. INCONVENIENT IGNORANCE, 181. INDIANS, The N. A., 299, 302, 382. INEXPUG NABLE, not to be subdued by force. INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE, 41, 46. INNOCENT. The original Latin is in'nocens, and simply means, doing no hurt or harm. See p. 384. INSTRUCTION. (Lat. in and struo, I furnish, set in order.) Compare this with the derivation of the word education. INTANGIBLE, that cannot be touched. INTEMPERANCE, want of moderation, not in drinking only, but in eating, and any kind of indulgence INTENSE (Lat. intendo, I stretch), strained, ardent, vehement, extreme in degree. IO'NA, a small but famous island of the Hebrides, once the seat of an abbey, 371. IRVING, WASHINGTON, an admirable Ameri can writer, born in the city of New York, Climate of the Catskill Mts., 111 ISRAEL. By this name is sometimes under- JA (pronounced ya, the a either as in father or water), an adverb in German, corresponding to our yes. JACKSON, ANDREW, President of the United States from 1829 to 1837, was born in S. Carolina, in 1767; died, 1845. He commanded at the battle of N. Orleans, where he displayed great military capacity. Extract from, 288. celebrated for having introduced, about JOHN LITTLEJOHN, a poem, 336. His JOVE (from Jovis, the genitive of Jupiter), the name of the supreme deity among the Romans. JUBAL is spoken of in the Bible (Gen. 4: 21) as "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." JUDAH, the name of the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; also of a tribe; and, finally, of a kingdom occupying the southern part of Palestine. The name Jew is derived from it. JULY is so named from Julius Cæsar, who reformed the calendar, so that this month stood, as it does now with us, the seventh in order. JUNE, the sixth month, so named, according to some, from Juno; others say, from Junius Brutus. JACOBIN. In French history, a political club, during the first revolution, bore this name, having taken it from holding their meetings in the hall of a suppressed Jacobin monastery. The members were the most sanguinary and violent of the revolutionists; and Jacobinism came to mean a factious and bloody radicalism. ANUARY, the first month of the year. By some the name is derived from Janus, a Roman divinity; by others, from janua, a gate. JEFFERSON, THOMAS, third President of the United States, was born in Virginia, in 1743, and died on the 4th July, 1826, simultaneously with John Adams, the second president. It was Jefferson whoJU'VE-NAL, one of the most caustic of the drew up the famous Declaration of Independence, 381. Extract from, 287. JEFFREY, FRANCIS, Lord, famous as a critic, b. in Scotland 1773, d. 1850. On the Steam-engine, 405. JUPITER, in mythology, the Latin name of the deity called by the Greeks Zeus: it is derived from that word, with the addition pater, father. See Jove. Roman satirists; and he may be called the last of the Roman poets. He died A. D. 128. KARR, ALPHONSE, a French writer, distin guished for his taste and knowledge in KEEN. The use of this word as a verb (as writer and an actor; born in Ireland, in The Abuse of Genius, by, 147. LABAUME (pronounced La-bom, the first a LA BRUYERE, JOHN DE, an eminent French LAMARTINE, ALPHONSE DE, distinguished as LARBOARD, the left side of a vessel, looking LARDNER, DR. D., 138. LARK, a name given to a genus of birds, of the eye, it still continues to charm the ear LATIN, the language spoken by the ancient LAUNCH OF THE SHIP, 143. LAUREL. The ancient laurel was a species LEAD. "The plunging lead," 191. An LE-AN'DER, a famous youth of Aby'dos, who LEIPSIC (Lip'sic), the largest commercial LE SAGE, Alain René, a celebrated French Gil Blas and the Archbishop, 340. LEYDEN, JOHN, a Scotch poet and scholar, LIEUTENANT This word is composed of LIFE-BOAT, THE, a poem, 89. LILY. "The lilies of France," 259. The lily, LILLIPUTIAN, diminutive; from Swift's satir- LINGARD, DR. JOHN, an English priest, au- LINGUIST (Lat. lingua, the tongue), a per LINNA US, or Linne, Charles von, the most LION AND SPANIEL, The, 139. On Expression in Reading, 155. the science, and also the art, of reasoning. Launch of the Ship, 143. LOUIS XIV. (pronounced Loo-ee), King of LOWERTZ. Pronounced Lo-vairtz'. LUNGS, Complaint of a pair, 360. Henry King, drowned in sailing from LYING. The proverb, p. 65, condenses into LYRICAL. A lyric, or a lyrical poem, was The Treasures by the Way, 423. M'CARTHY, D. F., a young Irish poet, 179. MACAULAY, THOMAS BABINGTON, distin- Death of Addison, 245. Progress of Civilization, 338. MACEDON (pronounced Mass'e-don), the MACKAY, CHARLES, 156, 336. MANITOU (pronounced Ma-nee'too), an In- MANOEUVRE. Pronounced ma-nu'-vůr. MAR'ATHON, a plain in Greece where a cele- MARCH, the first month of the Roman year, MARS, the god of war among the ancient Romans. MARTYRDOM (Gr. martur, a witness), literally, the suffering of death on account of one's adherence to the truth. MARY STUART. See pp. 244, 247. MASSANIEL'LO, a poor fisherman of Naples, who, in 1647, headed a rebellion against the Spanish viceroy, became governor of Naples, and caused sixty of the principal palaces to be reduced to ashes. He was treacherously induced to lay down his arms, and was finally shot dead by four conspirators, formerly his friends. MATERIALIST, one who believes that all existence may be resolved into modifications of matter, independent of spirit. MATHEMATICS (Gr. mathesis, learning), the science which treats of whatever can be numbered or measured. MAUDLIN, stupid, fuddled. The derivation of this word is singular; it being a corruption of Magdalen, the penitent, who is generally drawn by painters with eyes red and swelled with weeping. MAUGRE (maw'ger), in spite of. MAY, the fifth month of our year, but the third of the Roman. The derivation of the name is uncertain. MAYER, BRANTZ, an American writer, formerly secretary of legation in Mexico, and author of an excellent work on that country, 205. MEDICINE (měd-de-sin). The Latin root is medeor, I heal. MEDITERRANEAN (Lat. medius, middle, and terra, land), enclosed or nearly enclosed with land; as the Mediterranean Sea, between Europe and Africa. The English translation may be Midland. MELODY (Gr. meli, honey, and ōde, song or tune), sweet song or sound. In music, it differs from harmony in being an arrangement of sounds for a single voice or instrument. MEMBER. The Latin root of this word is membrum, a limb of the animal body. MEMENTO MORI. Two Latin words, signifying be mindful of death. MENTOR, a wise friend and counsellor, so called from Mentor, the faithful adviser of Ulysses, who, during his absence at the siege of Troy, intrusted to him the care of his domestic affairs, and the education of his son Telemachus. MENTZ, a city of Germany, at the conflux of the Rhine and Maine. John Faust and John Guttenberg are believed to have invented printing here, about the year 1442. MERCURY, a Roman divinity of commerce and gain. His mercantile character is clear from his name, said to be formed from mercor, I traffic. In the Solar System, Mercury is the name of the planet nearest the sun. MERRICK, JAMES, an English divine and poet, b. 1720, d. 1766. His capital fable of the Chameleon (p. 413) has been superseded by nothing better of its kind. METAPHYSICS (Gr. meta, after, and phusis, nature), the science of mind or intelli gence. MEXICO, VALLEY of, 205. MICROSCOPE (Gr. mikros, little, and skopeo, I view), an optical instrument which enables us to see objects too minute to be seen by the naked eye, 406. MIDLAND SEA. See Mediterranean. MILKY WAY. See Galaxy. MILMAN, REV. HENRY HART, an English poet and historian, b. 1791. See p. 385. MILTON, JOHN, ranked with Shakspeare as the foremost of English poets, author of that immortal poem, Paradise Lost, was born in London in 1608, died 1674. An affection of the eyes, brought on by intense study, terminated in blindness, to which he makes touching allusions in his poems. Eulogy on, 146. Extracts from, 348, 410. MINISTER. In politics, a servant of the sovereign executive power in a state; generally speaking, the head of a department or branch of government. In G. Britain, the responsible head is called prime minister. MIRABEAU (pronounced meer-ah-bo^), the most eloquent of the political orators of France; b. 1749, d. 1791. His contemporaries speak of the effects of his eloquence as surprising and irresistible. Extracts from, 270. MISOCAP'NOS. From two Greek words, sig First Predictor of an Eclipse, 174. MITHRIDATES (Mithri-da'tēs), a King of Pontus, who, to evade designs against his life, accustomed himself to poisons, by the aid of antidotes. He was conquered by Pompey, 66 B. C. Seeing that death or captivity was inevitable, he took poison; but his constitution had been so inured to it, that it failed of effect, and he called in one of his men to despatch him by the sword. MOD'ICUM (Lat.), a pittance, a small quantity. Mor'ETY, the half of a thing. MON'AD (Gr., monas, unity, from mŏnos, alone), an indivisible particle; atom. MONDAY, the second day of the week, means literally moon-day, or the day of the moon. MONOPOLY (Gr. monos, alone, and poleo, I sell), the exclusive right of selling or possessing a thing. MONTGOMERY, JAMES, an English devotional poet, b. 1771. He is the author of "Leo. tures on Poetry." See p. 160. MONUMENT (Lat. meneo, I admonish), a memorial for perpetuating the remembrance of an event; a tomb or pillar. MOORE, THOMAS, an Irish poet and songwriter, b. 1780, d. 1852. He was a great master of elegant diction, and elaborated his productions highly. Adoration, 76. The Carrier-Pigeon, 137. The Banyan-Tree, 311. ern Africa, particularly of the States of Fez and Morocco. They are of Arabian origin, and strict Mahometans. Moor. The root of this word is the same as that of to meet. Moot-points are points to be mooted or debated ; dis'putable points. MORE RICHER (p. 372). The double comparison, often used in Shakspeare's time, is now regarded as ungrammatical. MORE, SIR THOMAS, a celebrated chancellor of England, who succeeded Cardinal Wolsey as lord high chancellor in 1530, and filled the office three years with scrupulous integrity. For his conscientious refusal to take the oath of supremacy in favor of that brutal and bloody-minded king, Henry VIII., he was beheaded, July 6, 1535, at the age of fifty-five. He was the author of the celebrated political romance of "Utopia." MOSES, the great legislator of the Hebrews, was born in Egypt about 1600 B. C. The moral law, embraced in the ten commandments, as given to him from Mount Sinai, continues to find its response in the inmost conscience and highest convictions of the pure in heart. MOULT, to shed the feathers. MOUNTFORD, WM., Extract from, 367. MULTIFORM, having various forms. Multi, in Lat., is the plural of multus, many. MULTIFA'RIOUS, having great diversity. MUN'DANE (Lat. mundus, the world), belonging to this world; earthly. MUNICIPAL, pertaining to a town, city or district; to a state or kingdom; municipality, the government of a city, or it may mean a district corresponding to a ward. MURAT (Murah'), Joachim, one of the brav est of Napoleon's generals; b. in France in 1771. Raised to the throne of Naples in 1808, subsequent reverses placed him in the power of a court-martial, by whose order he was shot, Oct. 13, 1815. MUSES. In the Greek and Roman mythology, nymphs or inferior divinities, supposed to preside over literature, science and the liberal arts. Originally these were supposed to be only three: Memory, Meditation and Song. Their number was ultimately extended to nine. See Amuse. MYSORE', a principality of South India, the Rajah of which is tributary to the British. MYTHOLOGY (Gr. muthos, fable, and logos, discourse). By the mythology of a people, we understand the collective body of its traditions respecting its gods and other fabulous preternatural beings. NAPO'LEON. See Bonaparte. NATURALIST, one versed in the science of nature, or of the laws impressed on bodies or beings by divine power. NEEDLE. The small pointed piece of steel, touched with a loadstone, used in the mariner's compass, is thus called. Mod ern science has explained the variation which surprised Columbus and his men. NEIGHBOR. The Saxon original simply means a boor, or countryman, living nigh; a nigh-boor. NEPTUNE, in Roman mythology, the deity who presided over the sea. NEWTON, SIR ISAAC, the greatest of English philosophers, was born in Lincolnshire, Dec. 25th, 1642; died 1727. His three great discoveries, of fluxions, the nature of light and colors, and the laws of gravitation, were conceived before the com pletion of his twenty-fourth year, By witnessing the fall of an apple in his garden, he was led into a train of reflection, which resulted in his theory of gravitation. He was a sincere Christian, as well as a profound mathematician. Certain passages in the prophecies of the Bible led him to infer that men would one day be able to travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Voltaire, the French scoffer, who did not believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, sneered at Newton for this, as a credulous "old dōtard." But who is the dotard now, when to travel fifty miles an hour on our railroads is a common achievement ! NICHT GUT. As nearly as the pronunciation of these words can be expressed in English, it is, neekht goot. See p. 181. NIEBUHR, BARTHOLD GEORGE, the historian of Rome, was born in Denmark, 1776; died 1830. Perseverance under Failure, 369. NIEMEN (Nemen), a river of Russian Po land. NIEPCI, a French artist, who preceded Da guerre in certain experiments, which were preliminary to the invention of the Da guerreotype. See p. 379. NILE, a large river of Africa, which flows through Nubia and Egypt; supposed to rise in the Mountains of the Moon; but its source has not yet been fixed with certainty. The proverb, p. 65, Fling him into the Nile, &c., is meant to charac terize those brave spirits who even from adversity extract something good; who are never so baffled by misfortune as not to make it surrender something for their benefit, if not to the body, to the soul. NODE (Lat. nodus, a knot), in Astronomy, the point where the orbit of a planet in tersects the ecliptic. NOR DID NOT. In English this use of a double negative is ungrammatical, except when an affirmative meaning is intended. In Shakspeare's time the rule was often unheeded. |