technic school in 1843-44. About this time he met a Madame Clotilde de Vaux, to whose influence he ascribes an entire reorganization of his existence by the establishment of the affections as authoritative over the understanding. Strangely instructive is the termination of Comte's philosophical history. The severely mathematical teacher of a rigid materialism, becomes the high priest of the religion of humanity, and announces himself as the type of the "regeneration of the affections," and the founder of a new worship. He substituted the adoration of an idealized humanity for that of God—the "Grand Etré" is declared to be the "aggregate of co-operative beings." Every noble man after death, becomes part of the Supreme Being, who is therefore not yet fully formed! The hope of a conscious immortality he denounces as selfish; but still holds forward the expectation of a subjective existence in the heart and intellect of others—an absorption into, and identification with, the "immense and eternal being, Humanity." Many things very ludicrous, many things very sad, may be quoted from the "Catechism of the Positive Religion;" but this last stage of the philosopher's career testifies wonderfully to the fact, that it is impossible for human nature to remain at rest apart from the religious life. The "Philosophic Positive," could not satisfy its own founder. Forced by his system into scepticism, he plunges into wildest speculative adorations that he might find, if it were possible, some object of reverence. He cannot bow himself down within the christian temple, but at the same time bow down he must. By himself man cannot live, and he creates an idol, when he cannot find a God. Auguste Comte died in September, 1857. The chief English versions of his works are, "The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte," freely translated and condensed by Harriet Martineau, 2 vols; Comte's "Philosophy of the Sciences," by G. H. Lewes; "The Catechism of Positive Religion," translated by Richard Congreve.—L. L. P.
COMYN, John, Archbishop of Dublin, was born in the twelfth century. The place of his birth is doubtful. Dempster asserts that he was born at Banff in Scotland, and was descended from the earls of Buchan, but he gives no authority for this statement, and the probability is that he was an Englishman. Being a favourite of Henry II., he was consecrated archbishop of Dublin in 1181 by Pope Lucius III., and took possession of his see in 1184. He assisted at the coronation of Richard I. In consequence of the enmity of Hamo de Valonis, lord-justice of Ireland, Comyn fled to France, and appealed to Innocent III., who remonstrated with John, and Comyn was finally restored to the favour of the king, and compensation was made to him for his losses. He built and endowed St. Patrick cathedral in Dublin in 1190, and repaired and enlarged that of Christ church. He was a man of learning, gravity, and eloquence, and a munificent benefactor to the church. He died in Dublin, 28th October, 1212, and was buried in Christ church. His constitutions and canons are still extant among the archives of that cathedral.—J. F. W.
COMYNS, Sir John, the author of the excellent "Digest of the English Law" named after him. Of this work, the first edition appeared in 1762-67 in five volumes folio, and to these a supplemental sixth was added in 1776. It was a posthumous publication, but the MSS., in law French, were left carefully prepared for the press by the author; and the editors, under the care of his nephew, also a lawyer, ably performed their task of translating it into English. Several subsequent editions appeared by Kyd, Rose, and Hammond, but they have disfigured the symmetry of the original work by inelegant patches. Two volumes of "Reports by Sir John Comyns" were published in 1744, also by his nephew. To both the "Book of Reports" and the first edition of the "Digest," the portrait of our author is prefixed. But few particulars are known of his private life. He attained the honours of judicature, and died, in the odour of learning and integrity, lord chief baron of the exchequer, 1740.—S. H. G.
CONANT, John, an English divine, born in Devonshire in 1608. In 1649 he was elected rector of Exeter college, Oxford, at which he had been educated. At the restoration he refused to comply with the act of uniformity, and was consequently deprived. He was afterwards ordained by Bishop Reynolds, whose daughter he had married, and became minister of St. Mary, Aldermanbury. In 1676 he was promoted to the archdeaconry of Norwich. Ten years after he lost his sight, and died in 1693. Conant, six volumes of whose sermons have been published, was a man of great piety and learning. Nil difficile Conanti—such was the learned pun, if we remember right, of a brother clergyman.—R. M., A.
CONCA, Sebastiano Cavaliere: this celebrated painter was born at Gaeta in 1676. In the early part of his life he devoted himself to portrait painting; but at the age of forty, with his brother Giovanni, he established himself in Rome, and abandoning his brush for five years, worked hard again at the crayon, copying the antique and the best masters of the Roman schools. According to Lanzi, he possessed a fertile invention, great facility of execution, and a colour which enchanted by its lucidity, its contrasts, and its delicacy. Some of his works executed in Rome, won for him the notice of Clement XI., who gave him several of the public commissions. His best work is the "Pool of Siloam" at Siena. He etched a few plates himself, and many of his works have been engraved by Frey and others. He died at Naples in 1764.—W. T.
CONCANEN, Matthew, was born in Ireland in the end of the seventeenth century. At an early age he settled in London, and adopted the profession of the law. His education, wit, and agreeable manners recommended him to the favour of ministers, whom he actively supported by his pen, and took a prominent part in The Speculatist." The duke of Newcastle procured for him the lucrative post of attorney-general of Jamaica, which he filled for seventeen years. Returning to London on his way to Ireland, he fell into consumption, and died in 1749. Concanen wrote several poems of merit, and a comedy called "Wexford Wells." Having attacked Pope and Swift, the former elevated him to a place in the Dunciad, which Concanen did not deserve.
" Be thine my stationer, this magic gift,
Cook shall be Prior, and Concanen, Swift."
CONCINO, Concini, Marechal d'Ancre, was born in Tuscany, and in the year 1600 followed the queen of Henry IV. into France. He intrigued himself, with the aid of his wife's influence, into the highest fortune. His power, however, became so intolerable that Louis XIII. gave an order for his arrest, with permission to kill him on the spot in case of resistance. Accordingly Vitri, on his refusal to deliver up his sword, shot him dead with a pistol.—R. M., A.
CONDAMINE. See La Condamine.
CONDE, José Antonio, a distinguished Spanish scholar, was born in 1765 at Paralya, in the province of Cuença, and educated at the university of Alcala. Here he appears to have laid the foundation of those Arabic studies which seem to have been most unaccountably neglected in Spain, but of which he was destined to be the restorer. He relinquished the profession of the law for which he was destined, on obtaining an appointment in the royal library at Madrid, and henceforth devoted himself to literature. In 1799 he published a translation of the Description of Spain, by the Nubian geographer Al-Edriso. He was appointed, together with Cienfuegos and Navarrete, to the task of continuing the famous collection of early Castilian poetry made by Sanchez. On the invasion of the French, Conde, unlike most of the literary men of his time, took the part of the invader, and was appointed by Joseph Bonaparte, chief librarian of the Madrid library. When the French were expelled, Conde spent some years in forced seclusion in Paris, where he arranged the materials for his great work the "History of the Dominion of the Arabs in Spain," on which his reputation chiefly rests. Some time previous to 1818 he was allowed to return to Spain, but his unpatriotic conduct had deprived him of all claim to the countenance he had formerly enjoyed from men in power. He died in London in 1820. Only one volume of his work was published during his lifetime, the remainder being completed from his manuscripts by his friends. With some defects on the score of accuracy and clearness, it still remains the best work on the subject, and has been made available to the English reader in a translation by Mrs. Jonathan Forster.—F. M. W.
CONDÉ, Louis de Bourbon, Prince de, commonly called the Great Condé, born in Paris on the 7th September, 1621, was the fourth son of Henry II. de Bourbon, and Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency, prince and princess of Condé. During his father's lifetime he was known by the title of Duke d'Enghien. Three elder brothers having died in their infancy, he became, on his father's demise, prince of Condé. His only sister, some years his senior, was Anne Geneviêve de Bourbon, born in 1619, celebrated as the beautiful duchess of Longueville, and queen of the Fronde. His only surviving brother was Armand de Bourbon,
