he might indulge without restraint his love of meditation and study. It was the reading of Shakspeare which first inspired his genius, for his early efforts were not marked with success. He neither translated nor, properly speaking, did he imitate Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello, notwithstanding that he retained the names, followed the outline of the plots, and even preserved whole scenes. What he seems to have done was to have thoroughly imbued his mind with the original, and to have then endeavoured to communicate the spirit of his mighty model, as well as could be effected through the frigid forms consecrated by Corneille, Racine, and Voltaire, and which no poet at the time dared to depart from. He, in fact, treated Shakspeare as others, without incurring blame, have treated the fathers of Greek tragedy, when they brought Clytemnestra on the stage, or pursued Œdipus with the Furies. He did not seek to improve Shakspeare, as has been falsely imputed to him, but to improve his own soul, by study of an author whose works he alone of his contemporaries was able to appreciate. Ducis in the same way imitated Euripides and Sophocles. That he was capable of independent effort is proved by his original tragedy of "Abufar," which was played with great success. Whatever question may be as to the genius of the man, there can be no doubt as to his character, which was simple and noble. Although living in most stirring times, he never took any part in politics. He died in 1816.—J. F. C.
DUCIS, Louis, a French historical painter, born in Paris in 1775; died in 1847. He was the nephew of Ducis the poet, who constantly assisted him with the soundest advices and suggestions. After a short military career, he entered David's studio, and from thence repaired to Italy, where he not only perfected himself, but also produced some of his best works—"The Sappho," and the "Pyramus and Thisbe," for instance. Many are the pictures he executed on his return to France, and several of them are to be found in the palaces of the Luxembourg, St. Cloud, and Versailles. Ducis' paintings are remarkable for good composition, freshness, and brightness of colour, but, above all, for carefulness of execution. The greater number of them have been engraved.—R. M.
DUCK, Arthur, an English civilian, was born at Heavytree, near Exeter, in 1580. He was entered of Exeter college, Oxford, at the age of fifteen; from that he removed to Hart Hall, and afterwards was elected fellow of All Souls. But finding that his inclinations led him to the study of civil law, he took his degree of doctor in that faculty. After returning from his travels, he was made chancellor of the diocese of Bath and Wells, afterwards chancellor of London, and at length master of the requests. He was chosen burgess for Minehead in Somersetshire in 1640, and when the civil war broke out became a great sufferer in the royal cause. Duck, at the request of the king, repaired to the Isle of Wight to assist in the treaty with the parliamentary commissioners. But the treaty could not be negotiated, and the lawyer went back to his residence at Chiswick, where he died in 1649. He wrote among other things an interesting book entitled "De Usu et Auctoritate Juris Civilis Romanorum in Dominiis Principum Christianorum." Dr. G. Langbaine greatly assisted him in this work.—R. M., A.
DUCK, Stephen, was born at Charlton in Wiltshire, and died in 1756. At the age of fourteen he was removed from a school where he had learned to read and write, to pursue the ordinary business of an agricultural labourer. He married early. A few books fell in his way, among them some odd volumes of the Spectator, of Shakspeare, and, what he treasured more than all, the Paradise Lost. Duck caught up a love of verse, and began himself to string rhymes together. His own occupations furnished the subject of one poem, which contains some not unpleasing passages—"The Thrasher's Labour." The clergyman of the parish in which he lived was pleased, and found the means for him of printing his poems. The volume was dedicated to the queen, who made the thrasher yeoman of the guards, and gave him a pension of thirty or of fifty pounds a year. The poor man's good luck provoked the spleen of Swift, who amused himself in ridiculing him in rhymes, which still preserve the thrasher's name. Among Duck's poems are imitations of Horace and Claudian. These were regarded as proving that he had Latin enough to enable him to take orders without any violation of clerical proprieties. He was given the living of Byfleet in Surrey, a benefice of considerable value. He was also appointed keeper of the queen's library at Richmond, and apartments given him, which were continued to a daughter of his after his death. In 1751 he was preacher at Kew chapel. Duck was a popular preacher. He finally became insane, and in a fit of mental depression drowned himself. His poems were published with a life of him by Spence, the author of Polymetis.—J. A., D.
DUCKWORTH, Sir John Thomas, Bart., a distinguished English admiral, was the son of the rector of Fulmer in Bucks, and was born in 1747. He entered the navy in 1759, and attained the rank of lieutenant in 1770. He served in the Princess Royal, the flagship of Admiral Byron, during his cruise in the West Indies, and his encounter with the French, under count d'Estaing. He was nominated post-captain in 1780. On the breaking out of hostilities with France in 1793, Captain Duckworth was appointed first to the Orion, of seventy-four guns, and then to the Queen, a ship of the same force, which joined the channel fleet under Lord Howe. He distinguished himself by his skill and bravery in the famous battle in 1794, which lasted three days, and terminated in the total defeat of the French fleet. Captain Duckworth was one of the officers who received the thanks of parliament for their share in this splendid victory. He served afterwards in the West Indies in 1795, and greatly distinguished himself under Lord St. Vincent at the capture of Minorca in 1798. In the following year he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral; and in 1800 he took the Swedish and Danish settlements in the West Indies, and was rewarded with the order of the bath. He was shortly after appointed to the Jamaica station, and in 1804 became vice-admiral of the blue. In 1806 he defeated the French fleet sent to succour St. Domingo, and captured four of their ships. For this brilliant success he received a vote of thanks from both houses of parliament; the freedom of the city of London, with a sword valued at two hundred guineas; and a similar gift from the assembly of Jamaica, which cost one thousand guineas. In 1807 he was despatched to the Mediterranean to watch the movements of the Turks, whom it was the object of the British government to draw into hostilities with France. The admiral passed the straits of the Dardanelles with a squadron of seven sail of the line, exclusive of frigates and bombs, and anchored within eight miles of Constantinople, which he threatened to burn if his demands were not complied with. He wasted precious time, however, in useless negotiations, and the Turks, aided by the French, employed the interval thus unwisely afforded them in strengthening the formidable batteries of the Dardanelles. Admiral Duckworth's position soon became perilous, and he was obliged to withdraw. He suffered considerable loss in repassing the straits, and the mainmast of the Windsor Castle was cut in two by a granite ball, weighing eight hundred pounds, which was fired from one of the castles. In 1810 Admiral Duckworth was appointed to the Newfoundland station, where he remained four years. In 1812 he was chosen to represent New Romney in parliament. In the following year he was created a baronet, and in 1816 was appointed to the Plymouth station. He died in 1817.—J. T.
DUCLERQ, Jacques, born in 1420; died some time after 1467. He was, by the accident of his marriage with the daughter of a squire of the duke of Orleans, and his own relationship with some persons in the interest of Charles VII., favourably circumstanced to write a narrative of his own times. He inherited from his father some property; and having fixed his abode in the city of Arras, he there wrote his "Chronicle." It begins with the year 1448, and reaches to the death of Philippe le Bon, duke of Burgundy, in July, 1467. The "Chronicle" contains many facts, not found elsewhere, but the style is dry, hard, and colourless. The first edition of the entire work was Reiffenberg's, Brussels, 1823. It is printed also in the Pantheon litteraire.—J. A., D.
DUCLOS, Charles Pineau, born in 1704 at Dinan in Brittany. He died in 1772. Like many other eminent persons, he owed to a remarkable mother his literary eminence. His father dying when he was only two years old, his mother who kept a shop resolved upon giving the boy a good education, calculated to develop the talents she was shrewd enough to discover. The aristocracy of the place saw with astonishment the audacity of the poor widow, who dared to educate her son like a gentleman—a very shocking liberty, as it was then regarded. While at college in the capital, Duclos proved himself worthy of keeping company with the sons of nobles, by defying the sober rules of propriety, but, getting into scrapes
