The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Part 175

DUNKERS, a sect of Quakerist Baptists in the United States.

DUNKIRK (40), the most northern seaport and fortified town of France, on the Strait of Dover; has manufactures and considerable trade.

DUNNET HEAD, a rocky peninsula, the most northerly point in Scotland, the rocks from 100 to 600 ft. high.

DUNNOTTAR CASTLE, an old castle of the Keiths now in ruins, on the flat summit of a precipitous rock 1 m. S. of Stonehaven, Kincardines.h.i.+re, Scotland, and connected with the mainland by a neck of land called the "Fiddle Head"; famous in Scottish history as a State prison, and as the place of safe-keeping at a troubled period for the Scottish regalia, now in Edinburgh Castle.

DUNOIS, JEAN, a French patriot, called the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Orleans, born in Paris, natural son of Louis of Orleans, brother of Charles VI.; one of the national heroes of France; along with Joan of Arc, compelled the English to raise the siege of Orleans, and contributed powerfully, by his sword, to all but expel the English from France after the death of that heroine (1402-1468).

DUNS SCOTUS, JOHANNES, one of the most celebrated of the scholastics of the 14th century, whether he was native of England, Scotland, or Ireland is uncertain; entered the Franciscan order, and from his acuteness got the name of "Doctor Subtilis"; lectured at Oxford to crowds of auditors, and also at Paris; was the contemporary of Thomas Aquinas, and the head of an opposing school of Scotists, as against Thomists, as they were called; whereas Aquinas "proclaimed the Understanding as principle, he proclaimed the Will, from whose spontaneous exercise he derived all morality; with this separation of theory from practice and thought from thing (which accompanied it) philosophy became divided from theology, reason from faith; reason took a position above faith, above authority (in modern philosophy), and the religious consciousness broke with the traditional dogma (at the Reformation)."

DUNSTAN, ST., an English ecclesiastic, born at Glas...o...b..ry; a man of high birth and connection as well as varied accomplishments; began a religious life as a monk living in a cell by himself, and prevailed in single combat on one occasion with the devil; became abbot of Glas...o...b..ry, in which capacity he adopted the role of statesman, and arose to great authority during the reign of Edgar, becoming archbishop of Canterbury, ruling the nation with vigour and success, but with the death of Edgar his power declined, and he retired to Canterbury, where he died of grief and vexation; he is the patron saint of goldsmiths (924-988).

DUNTON, WATTS. See WATTS, THEODORE.

DUPANLOUP, a French prelate, bishop of Orleans, born at St. Felix, in Savoy; a singularly able and eloquent man; devoted himself to educational emanc.i.p.ation and reform; protested vigorously against papal infallibility; yielded at length, and stood up in defence of the Church (1802-1878).

DUPERRe, a French admiral, born at La Roch.e.l.le; contributed along with Marshal Bourmont to the taking of Algiers (1775-1846).

DUPERRON, cardinal, a Swiss by birth and a Calvinist by religious profession; went to Paris, turned papist, and rose to ecclesiastical eminence in France under Henry IV. (1556-1618).

DUPIN, ANDRe, French jurist and statesman; distinguished at the time of the revolution of the three days as a supporter of Louis Philippe, and of the house of Orleans after him (1783-1865).

DUPLEIX, JOSEPH, a French merchant, head of a factory at Chandernagore, who rose to be governor of the French settlements in India, and in the management of which he displayed conspicuous ability, defending them against the English and receiving the dignity of marquis; jealousy at home, however, led to his recall, and he was left to end his days in neglect and poverty, though he pled hard with the cabinet at Versailles to have respect to the sacrifices he made for his country (1697-1763).

DUPLESSIS, MORNAY, a soldier, diplomatist, and man of letters; a leader of the Huguenots, who, after the ma.s.sacre of St. Bartholomew, visited England, where he was received with favour by Elizabeth in 1575; entered the service of the King of Navarre, afterwards Henry IV. of France, but on Henry's reconciliation with the Church of Rome, retired into private life and devoted himself to literary pursuits; he was called the "Pope of the Huguenots"; _d_. 1623.

DUPONT, PIERRE, French song-writer; his songs, "Le Chant des Ouvriers" and "Les Boeufs," the delight of the young generation of 1848 (1820-1872).

DUPONT DE L'EURE, a French politician, born at Neubourg; filled several important offices in the successive periods of revolution in France; was distinguished for his integrity and patriotism, and made President of the Provisional Government in 1848 (1767-1855).

DUPONT DE NEMOURS, French political economist; took part in the Revolution; was opposed to the excesses of the Jacobin party, but escaped with his life; wrote a book ent.i.tled "Philosophie de l'Universe"

(1739-1817).

DUPUIS, CHARLES FRANcOIS, a French savant; was a member of the Convention of the Council of the Five Hundred, and President of the Legislative Body during the Revolution period; devoted himself to the study of astronomy in connection with mythology, the result of which was published in his work in 12 vols., ent.i.tled "Origine de tous les Cultes, ou la Religion Universelle"; he advocated the unity of the astronomical and religious myths of all nations (1742-1809).

DUPUY, M. CHARLES, French statesman, born at Puy; elected to the Chamber in 1885; became Premier in 1893 and in 1894; was in office when Dreyfus was condemned and degraded, and resigned in 1895; _b_. 1851.

DUPUYTREN, BARON, a celebrated French surgeon, born at Pierre-Buffiere; he was a man of firm nerve, signally sure and skilful as an operator, and contributed greatly, both by his inventions and discoveries, to the progress of surgery; a museum of pathological anatomy, in which he made important discoveries, bears his name (1777-1835).

DUQUESNE, ABRAHAM, MARQUIS, an ill.u.s.trious naval officer of France, born at Dieppe; distinguished himself in many a naval engagement, and did much to enhance the naval glory of the country; among other achievements plucked the laurels from the brow of his great rival, De Ruyter, by, in 1676, defeating the combined fleets of Spain and Holland under his command; Louis XIV. offered him a marshal's baton if he would abjure Calvinism, but he declined; he was the only one of the Huguenots excepted from proscription in the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, but his last days were saddened by the banishment of his children (1610-1688).

DURA DEN, a glen near Cupar-Fife, famous for the number of ganoid fossil fishes entombed in its sandstone.

DURANCE, a tributary of the Rhone, which, after a rapid course of 180 m., falls into that river by its left bank 3 m. below Avignon.

DURAND, an Indian officer; served in the Afghan and Sikh Wars, and became Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab (1828-1871).

DURANDAL, the miraculous sword of Orlando, with which he could cleave mountains at a blow.

DURBAN (27), the port of Natal, largest town in the colony, with a land-locked harbour.

DURBAR, a ceremonious State reception in India.

DuRER, ALBERT, the great early German painter and engraver, born at Nurnberg, son of a goldsmith, a good man, who brought him up to his own profession, but he preferred painting, for which he early exhibited a special apt.i.tude, and his father bound him apprentice for three years to the chief artist in the place, at the expiry of which he travelled in Germany and other parts; in 1506 he visited Venice, where he met Bellini, and painted several pictures; proceeded thence to Bologna, and was introduced to Raphael; his fame spread widely, and on his return he was appointed court-painter by the Emperor Maximilian, an office he held under Charles V.; he was of the Reformed faith, and a friend of Melanchthon as well as an admirer of Luther, on whose incarceration in Wartburg he uttered a long lament; he was a prince of painters, his drawing and colouring perfect, and the inventor of etching, in which he was matchless; he carved in wood, ivory, stone, and metal; was an author as well as an artist, and wrote, among other works, an epoch-making treatise on proportion in the human figure; "it could not be better done"

was his quiet, confident reply as a sure workman to a carper on one occasion (1471-1528).

D'URFEY, TOM, a facetious poet; author of comedies and songs; a great favourite of Charles II. and his court; of comedies he wrote some 30, which are all now discarded for their licentiousness, and a curious book of sonnets, ent.i.tled "Pills to Purge Melancholy"; came to poverty in the end of his days; Addison pled on his behalf, and hoped that "as he had made the world merry, the world would make him easy" (1628-1723).

DURGa, in the Hindu mythology the consort of Siva.

DURHAM (15), an ancient city on the Wear, with a n.o.ble cathedral and a castle, once the residence of the bishop, now a university seat, in the heart of a county of the same name (1,106), rich in coal-fields, and with numerous busy manufacturing towns.

DURHAM, ADMIRAL, entered the navy in 1777; was officer on the watch when the _Royal George_ went down off Spithead, and the only one with Captain Waghorn who escaped; served as acting-lieutenant of a s.h.i.+p under Lord Howe at the relief of Gibraltar, and commanded the _Defence_, a s.h.i.+p of 74 guns, at the battle of Trafalgar (1763-1815).

DURHAM, JOHN G. L., EARL OF, an English statesman, born in Durham Co.; a zealous Liberal and reformer, and a member of the Reform Government under Earl Grey, which he contributed much to inaugurate; was amba.s.sador in St. Petersburg, and was sent governor-general to Canada in 1839, but owing to some misunderstanding took the extraordinary step of ultroneously returning within the year (1792-1840).