Greek orators. He wrote, besides, a work on the phraseology of the tragic poets, another on that of the comic poets, a third on words of ambiguous or uncertain meaning, and a fourth on false or corrupt expressions. He likewise published a collection of Greek proverbs in thirteen books, whence was borrowed the greater number of those contained in the collection of Zenobius. Didymus, it has been said, stands at the close of the period in which a comprehensive and independent study of Greek literature prevailed, and he himself must be regarded as the father of the scholiasts, who were satisfied with compiling or abridging the works of their predecessors.—R. M., A.
DIDYMUS, the Blind, was born at Alexandria in 308. According to Palladius, he was blind as early as his fourth year. He became one of the most learned men of his day. Such was his reputation for acquaintance with sacred literature, that he became head of the school of theology at Alexandria. After teaching fifty years he died in 395. Though an opponent of the Arians, he did not escape the charge of heresy, particularly that which was called the Origenistic heresy. He was, in truth, a faithful follower of his illustrious predecessor. Accordingly, the second Nicene synod condemned his sentiments. His writings were very numerous, relating for the most part to the interpretation of the scriptures.—S. D.
DIEBITSCH SABALKANSKI, Hans Karl Friedrich Anton, Count de, a celebrated Russian general, was born in 1785. His father was aid-de-camp to Frederick the Great, and entered his son in the corps of cadets in Berlin in 1797. On the death of Frederick, the elder Diebitsch entered the Russian service, in which he obtained an important command, and procured for his son a commission in the imperial guards. The youth rose rapidly in the army, and distinguished himself by his skill and courage in the campaigns of 1805, 1812, 1813, and 1814. After the battles of Eylau and Friedland, he was nominated captain in 1812; he attained the rank of major-general at Dresden, where he had two horses killed under him; and after the battle of Leipzig he was nominated lieutenant-general by the Emperor Alexander himself. It was in no small degree owing to his recommendation, that the allies continued their march on Paris. In 1820 Diebitsch was appointed head of the staff; and in 1829, when the war took place between Turkey and Russia, the Emperor Nicholas made him commander-in-chief of the Russian army. He gained great renown by the capture of Varna and the passage of the Balkan, and at the close of the campaign was rewarded for his services with the rank of field-marshal, and the title of Count Sabalkanski. In the following year when the Polish revolution broke out, Diebitsch took the field as commander of the Russian forces; but his career was prematurely cut short by the cholera which carried him off, June 10, 1831.—J. T.
DIEDERICHS, Johann Christian Wilhelm, a distinguished oriental scholar, was born at Pyrmont, Germany, in 1650. He studied at Jena and Göttingen, became Dr. Phil, and "privatdocent," or assistant professor, at the latter university, and, finally, went as professor of Oriental languages to Königsberg in Prussia, where he died on the 28th March, 1781. He wrote—"Spicilegium observationum quarumdam Arabico-Syrarum ad loca nonnulla V. T.;" "Hebrew Grammar for Beginners;" "Essays on subjects of the Old Testament;" and "The corporeal Beauty of Christ."—F. M.
* DIEFFENBACH, Lorenz, a German philologist, was born at Ostheim, grand duchy of Hassia, in 1806, and completed his education at the university of Giessen. After many wanderings and various employments, he retired to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, where he exclusively devotes himself to literary labours. Besides his learned works—"Über die romanischen Schriftsprachen;" "Celtica," 1839-42, 3 vols.; "Lexicon comparativum linguarum Indo-germanicarum," 1846-51, 2 vols., &c.—he has written a number of novels, tales, pamphlets in favour of religious reform, and even poetry.—K. E.
DIEGO de Yepes, a Spanish prelate and historian, born at Yepes, near Toledo, in 1531; died in 1614. He was confessor to Philip II., and wrote a history of the persecutions in England from the year 1570; also a life of St. Theresa.—F. M. W.
DIEL DU PARQUET, Jacques, governor of the French colonies in America, died at Saint-Pierre in 1658. He was nephew to D'Enambuc, and succeeded him in the government of Martinique. In spite of much unworthy treatment which he received, Diel du Parquet faithfully served the cause of France in the West Indian islands, and may be called the founder of her power in those regions. Engaged in frequent wars with the Caribs, he was one of the first who treated the Indians with moderation, and is in this respect entitled to the admiration of his countrymen.—R. M., A.
DIEMEN, Anthonie van, ninth governor-general of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, was born at Kuylenburg in 1595, and educated to commercial pursuits. Starting in business for himself, he failed; and to escape from his creditors, embarked under a false name for the East Indies as a naval cadet, a position in those days little above that of a common sailor. His skill in penmanship and accounts gradually promoted him, and he rose by successive stages to be, in 1631, governor of Batavia. His sagacity and energy restored the drooping trade of Java, and made the name of Holland command new respect in the East. His governorship was marked by the social, as well as political and commercial progress made under it in the Dutch East Indian possessions, and by the promotion of the voyages of discovery which have incidentally immortalized his name. Two regions of Australia—one on the north-eastern coast to the west of the Gulf of Carpentaria; the other the island at its south-western extremity—were named after him by their successive discoverers, Genit Thomas Pool, or rather his lieutenant Pietersen (1636) and Abel Tasman (1642), the name of the latter being sometimes given to the insular Van Diemen's Land, which is also known as Tasmania. Both Pool and Tasman were sent forth on their voyages of discovery by the governor, who wrested Ceylon and Malacca from the Portuguese. Appointed in 1636 governor-general of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, he undermined his constitution by over-work in that perilous climate, and not long before his death requested leave to resign. The Dutch East India Company entreated him to remain, and, when he declined, paid him the compliment of requesting that he would name his successor. The letter was still on its way when his death took place, but he had prudently anticipated its purport by naming a competent interim-governor. He died on the 19th of April, 1645, and his last words were, "Remember my wife." Holland cherishes his memory as that of one of her most famous worthies.—F. E.
DIEPENBECK, Abraham van, a painter of the Flemish school, was born at Bois-le-Duc in 1607; died in 1675 at Antwerp. After working some time as a painter on glass he became a pupil of Rubens, and subsequently studied in Italy. He passed some time in England, where he worked during the reign of Charles I. His style has many of the characteristics of that of Rubens; his grouping is clever, and his colouring is agreeable; but his drawing is often deficient. Many of his works have been engraved.—R. M.
DIES, Albrecht, a German landscape painter and engraver, born at Hanover in 1755. His father destined him to a scientific career, but nothing could withstand his inclination for painting and music. After a short apprenticeship under a master of little or no importance, he went to Düsseldorf, and then to Rome, where his delight in the works of Salvator Rosa changed his purpose of becoming a historical painter, and turned his attention to landscape. In this branch of art Dies won in a few years the esteem of all the artistic and cosmopolitan society of Rome. An untoward accident cut short his professional career when he was in his thirty-second year. He swallowed by mistake, while in Italy, a quantity of sugar of lead, from the effects of which, although at first apparently trifling, his constitution never rallied. He died in 1822.—R. M.
DIEST, Adrian van, a painter of the Dutch school, born at Haarlem in 1655; died in 1740. At the age of seventeen he had the boldness to come over to England, and try his luck here by himself. And, in fact, his talents as a landscape painter met with considerable success, and he was engaged by the duke of Bath to execute a series of views in the west of England, which he eventually completed with very great credit to himself and satisfaction to his employer. But this was Diest's only glimpse of good fortune. Neither here, nor in Holland, where he afterwards returned, did he ever cease for a moment fighting against all odds, and against all difficulties. His works are particularly remarkable for their harmony and transparency of colouring.—R. M.
* DIESTERWEG, Friedrich Adolf Wilhelm, a distinguished German educator, was born at Siegen, October 29, 1790, and studied in the universities of Herborn and Tübingen.
