Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/334

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[J. P. Collier's English Dramatic Poetry, 2nd ed., 1879, ii. 480, iii. 415; his Bibliographical Catalogue, 1865, pp. 212–17; his Broadside Black-letter Ballads, privately printed, 1868, pp. 36–41, 91, 127; Huth's Ancient Ballads and Broadsides (Philobiblon Society edit.), 1867, xlvii. 123; Works of Thomas Nashe, ed. Grosart, iii. 123; Works of Gabriel Harvey, ed. Grosart, vol. ii.; Ballad Society Roxburghe Ballads, vol. vi. pts. xvii. xviii., in which Deloney's three Armada ballads and others are reprinted; Percy Society reprints of old ballads—Strange Histories, Garland of Good Will, and Jack of Newbery; W. C. Hazlitt's Handbook to Pop. Poet. and Dram. Lit. 1867, p. 152 et seq.; his Collections and Notes, 1876, p. 124; Transcript of the Registers of the Stationers' Company, ii. 495, 496, 498; Thomas Wright's Elizabeth and her Times, ii. 462; Stow's Survey, bk. v. p. 333, ed. 1720; Percy's Reliques, introd., xxxviii. 1876 ed.; Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, pp. 107, 770 where the ballads mentioned by Nashe are traced so far as known; Kempe's Nine Daies Wonder, sign. d 3.]

J. W. E.

DELORAINE, Earl of. [See Scot, Henry, 1676–1717.]

DELPINI, CARLO ANTONIO (d. 1828), pantomimist and manager, was born in Rome and was a pupil of Nicolini. About 1774 he was engaged by Garrick for Drury Lane. At this house, Covent Garden, and the Haymarket, he supplied the mechanical arrangements for many pantomimes in which he acted. The best known of these are ‘Robinson Crusoe,’ in which he played the hero to the Friday of Grimaldi, ‘Don Juan,’ and ‘The Deserter of Naples.’ The two latter pieces were given respectively on 12 Aug. 1787 and 1 Jan. 1788 at the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square, when that building was opened by Palmer. On 17 Feb. 1789 Delpini was severely hurt at the Haymarket, acting in the ‘Death of Captain Cook,’ a serious ballet from the French. Delpini was for a time stage manager at the Opera. He managed private theatricals, and made on his own account some ventures, giving once at the Pantheon a grand masquerade, called ‘La Fiera di Venezia,’ to George IV when prince regent, the tickets for which were sold at three guineas each. He also arranged entertainments at Brighton for George IV. In his late years he fell into poverty, and died 13 Feb. 1828 in Lancaster Court, Strand.

[Gent. Mag. for 1828; New Monthly Magazine, August 1828; Thespian Dict.]

J. K.

DELUC, JEAN ANDRÉ (1727–1817), geologist and meteorologist, was born at Geneva on 8 Feb. 1727. He came of a family which had resided in Geneva for about three centuries, having originally been natives of Lucca. Deluc was well educated by his father, François Deluc, and early showed a special bent for mathematics and natural science. François Deluc had published several writings in opposition to the doctrines of Mandeville and other rationalistic writers, and carefully trained his children in his own views. Deluc became a prominent merchant and politician in Geneva. In 1768 he headed a successful embassy to Paris, and two years later he was chosen a member of the council of two hundred. Scientific studies occupied his spare moments, and, in company with his brother Guillaume Antoine, he visited almost every tract of the Alps, forming extensive collections of rocks, minerals, &c., which he ultimately presented to his nephew, André Deluc, by whom they were largely augmented.

In 1773 the business house of which Deluc was the head failed, and he settled in England. He was warmly received, elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and soon afterwards appointed reader to Queen Charlotte, consort of George III, a post which he held until his death. It afforded him a competent income, with the opportunity to devote himself wholly to scientific research. Having to be in almost daily attendance on the queen, he took up his residence at Windsor. He is occasionally mentioned in Madame d'Arblay's ‘Diary.’ In 1798 Deluc obtained leave to make an extended tour on the continent. He visited France, Switzerland, Holland, and Germany, everywhere studying the rocks of those countries, and discussing their nature with local students of geology. At the university of Göttingen Deluc was elected honorary professor of geology in 1798; he was also made correspondent of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and received several similar honours. Returning to England in 1804, Deluc made an extended journey over Great Britain, diligently noting the geological phenomena he met with.

From this period until his death, 7 Nov. 1817, Deluc resided at Windsor. For the last few years of his life he was confined to his house by illness, but was still engaged in composition. His last illness was a painful and lingering one.

It is difficult now to estimate at its right value Deluc's work in geology. Cuvier thought highly of him. The great object of his work among the rocks was to reconcile science with the record in Genesis. He tried, like later writers, to show that the six ‘days’ correspond with six actual ‘periods’ of indefinite duration. His theory led him to argue that the existing continents are of no