shire. In 1757 he published his longest poem—"The Fleece." This absurd poem is in blank verse, and consists of three books. Its subject is British wool; considered with reference to its qualities, production, and manufacture:—
" The care of sheep, the labours of the loom,
And arts of trade I sing—"
such is the arma virumque cano of this lumbering pastoral. Dyer died the following year, leaving four children.—T. A.
DYMOND, Jonathan, author of an essay on the principles of morality, was born at Exeter in 1796. His father, who was a linen-draper in that city, and belonged to the Society of the Friends, taught his son the paternal business and the paternal creed; and this was the only teaching, beyond what he obtained in an elementary school, young Dymond ever received. By assiduous culture of his mental powers, however, during his leisure hours—principally those his habit of early rising rescued from sleep—he prepared himself for becoming the advocate of the views of the Society. In 1823 he published an "Inquiry into the accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity." Three years afterwards he was attacked by pulmonary disease, but continued notwithstanding to labour on in his philanthropic studies; and in 1828, the year of his death, had prepared for publication his "Essay on the Principles of Morality, and on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind." It was published in 1829, and was reviewed at great length by Southey in the Quarterly Review. The editor of an American edition of the work, thus speaks of Dymond and his work—"Whether we regard the soundness of his reasonings, the temper, candour, and wisdom of his conclusions, the elegance of his style, the felicity of his illustrations, or the singularly excellent spirit which pervades the whole, it is entitled to rank high in the highest class of ethical productions."—J. S., G.
DZATI, Aïwas, a Turkish poet, was born at Carasia, Mysia, in 891; died in 950. His father was a respectable shoemaker, but very poor. Bajazet II., who was one evening returning from the chase, having had that day the double fortune to kill a tiger and to ruin a christian, had the unusual fancy to do a good action; he ordered his attendants to bring to his august feet the poor cobbler's son, Aïwas. From that evening Dzati saw the dream of his youth gradually realized. A little more than a menial, a little less than a major domo, he became the confidant of the sultan, who extracted the principal part of his poetical talent for his use. Bajazet, who had acutely guessed that this genius was greedy in his nature, only asked for his diwans or erotic effusions in exchange for money, furs, and rich stuffs—and truly Dzati was well qualified to be a party to the bargain. The Sultan Selim I., in exchange for some "cassidehs" or odes, gave him the freehold of two villages, the rent of which amounted to 11,500 asjores. The confiscation of his estates almost ruined him, and he became by turns sexton, juggler, apothecary's boy, and a general poet to the public, which he supplied with a regular retail of songs and love effusions, adapted to every condition in life. Dzati's principal work is his "Diwan," containing one thousand six hundred ghaseles or erotic effusions, and four hundred cassidehs or odes, 2 vols., Constantinople, 1841.—Dzati's younger and latter days were embittered by delirium tremens and palsy, the result of intemperance.—Ch. T.
DZEHEBI, Schems Ed-din Abou abd Allah Mohamed ben Ahmed ben Osman al Miski al a Turkeman ad, a celebrated Arabian historian and biographer, was born at Damascus in 1275, and died there in 1347. The name of Dzehebi stands high among the explorers of eastern educational establishments. He visited the schools of Damascus, Baalbec, Neapolis, Aleppo, Cairo, Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, and Tripoli in Syria. He was appointed chief of the hafiz, that is, of the readers of the Koran at Damascus; and the opportunities which he enjoyed in this position, of acquainting himself with the most eminent theologians of his time, gave to his biographical productions an original value. His principal works are—"Jarikh al Islam" (Annals of Islamism); "Dowel al Islam" (Dynasties of Islamism); "Al Iber fi Khaber minaber" (Memoirs of the illustrious dead); "Jhabacat al hoffatz classes des haffitz" (Biographies of those who know the Koran by heart); "Jhabacat al Koran" (Biographies of the Koran readers); "Jedjirid fi Ismal Sonabet" (Names of the companions of Mahomet); "Mizam," &c., (Biography of those who have transmitted the acts and words of Mahomet); "Al Djenan" (The garden obituary of illustrious men).—Ch. T.
