Quedlinburg in 1744; died in 1777; a German naturalist, and son of the preceding. After studying medicine, he took his degree at the university of Göttingen. He then commenced his career by giving lectures on natural history and veterinary medicine, and was subsequently appointed professor of philosophy. Erxleben was the author of many publications on natural history; but by far the best, and the only one which retains a value, is his "Systema Regni Animalis, per classes, ordines, genera, species, varietates, cum synonymiâ et historiâ animalium:" Leipsic, 1777. Of this work, however, only one volume was published.—J. S.
ESAIAS of Egypt, a monk of that country, who lived in the latter half of the fourth century. He left a great number of writings, some of which have been published. His κεφάλαια περι ἀσκήσεω καὶ ἡσυχιας, is to be found in the Thesaurus Asceticus of Pierre Possin, Paris, 1684; and his Precepts in the Codex Regularum Monasticarum of Lucas Holstenius. Some of his orations have also appeared. Esaias wrote in Greek; and Assemanni, who quotes him in Arabic and also in Syriac, must either have translated himself or cited translations.—R. M., A.
ESCALANTE, Juan Antonio, a historical and genre painter, born at Cordova in 1630; died at Madrid in 1670. He was a pupil of F. Ricci, but in common with most of the other Spanish painters of his time, neglected every other study for that of the Venetian masters in general, and Tintoretto in particular. His illustrations of the life of St. Gerard, painted for the cloister of the barefooted Carmelites, when he was only twenty-four years of age, procured him considerable fame. His composition was rich and varied, but the expression of his heads was frequently weak.—R. M.
ESCHASSERIAUX, Joseph, Baron, was born near Saintes in 1753, and died in 1823. He had occupied civil offices of importance at Bordeaux, when the Revolution spread over the country. Commander of the national guard of his native place in 1789, departmental governor of Charente Inferieure in the following year, member of the legislative assembly in 1791, and of the convention in 1792, he became a prominent partisan of the Mountain, and subsequently sat in the committee of public safety. In the council of Five Hundred he prepared a number of measures on the social and financial interests of the republic; and in 1796 that assembly elected him to the office of secretary. At a later period he was employed in several diplomatic missions, and published several works literary and political.—W. B.
ESCHASSERIAUX, René, a younger brother of the preceding, born in 1754, was deputy from Charente-Inferieure to the national convention, of which he was chosen secretary in 1794. In the following year the electors of Saintes placed him in the council of Five Hundred, where he was intrusted with the custody and registration of the documents pertaining to the committee of legislation. The ability which he displayed, particularly in his remarkable "Report" on the necessity of adopting measures to supply horses for the cavalry, afterwards gave him a seat in the corps legislatif, and in other administrative councils, till his failing health compelled him to retire into private life. He died in 1831.—W. B.
ESCHENBACH, Wolfram von, the most eminent of the German minnesingers, was born in the second half of the twelfth century, of a noble family at Eschenbach, near Ansbach. He passed his life in chivalric pursuits, and for several years belonged to the court of the Landgrave Hermann of Thuringia, and took a prominent part in the celebrated Wartburg-krieg. He died about 1220, and was buried in Eschenbach cathedral. His epic poems, though partly imitated from French and Provençal originals, are distinguished by novelty and elegance of language, deep pathos, and a wide grasp of thought. His greatest works are—"Parcival"—composed at the Wartburg in 1254—"William of Orange," and "Titurel." They were translated into modern German by Simrock and San Marte (Schulz). The best edition is by Lachmann, Berlin, 1833.—K. E.
ESCHENBURG, Johann Joachim, a German man of letters, was born December 1, 1743, at Hamburg, and died February 29, 1820, at Brunswick, where since 1773 he had held the professorship of polite literature in the Carolinum. He enriched German literature with several translations from the English, especially in the field of æsthetics. His principal translation, however, was that of Shakspeare, which, though written in prose, was a decided improvement upon that of Wieland, and greatly contributed to popularize the great bard in Germany. Among Eschenburg's original productions, his "Theorie und Literatur der schönen Wissenschaften," his "Lehrbuch der Wissenchaftskunde," and his "Handbook of Classical Literature," are the most favourably known, and have been repeatedly reprinted. Eschenburg also edited the works of several old and modern German poets.—K. E.
ESCHENMAYER, Karl Adolf, a German philosopher, born at Neuenburg (Wurtemberg) in 1768; died in 1854. He studied successively at Stuttgart and at Tübingen, where he took the degree of M.D. At the university of the latter place he taught philosophy and medicine from 1812 till 1836, when he retired to Kircheim to pass the remainder of his life in privacy. In his earlier works he followed in the footsteps of Schelling, but he soon fell into mysticism. His principal works are—"Die Philosophie in ihrem Uebergange zur Nichtphilosophie;" "System der Moralphilosophie;" "Psychologie in drei Theilen, &c.;" "Religionsphilosophie."—J. S., G.
* ESCHER, Johann Heinrich Alfred, a Swiss statesman, was born at Zurich in 1819, and was educated successively in his native town, at Berlin, and at Bonn. On his return to his native country he took a prominent part in political movements, and was one of those who brought about the expulsion of the jesuits in 1845, and the introduction of a liberal policy into the canton of Zurich. He was elected vice-president of the grand council in 1846, and president in 1847, and member of the council of regency in 1848. After the adoption of the new federal constitution, Escher was appointed vice-president of the assembly, and in 1849 he was elected president of the national council. He has taken an active part in promoting national education and other social improvements.—J. T.
ESCHINES. See Æschines.
* ESCHRICHT, Daniel Frederik, professor of physiology in the university of Copenhagen, was born in that city, 18th March, 1798. During 1821-22 he studied medicine at Frederick's hospital, and passed his medical and surgical examination. He has spent many years abroad at various times, and is member of many learned societies. He has held various offices in the medical university and hospital of Copenhagen. In 1830 he became professor extraordinary; 1831 member of the college of health; 1836, professor ordinarius; and 1853, statsraad. He has devoted great attention to comparative anatomy; has enriched the collections of the university; and, by his popular style, has succeeded in awakening an interest in the minds of his countrymen for many subjects in the realm of physiology. In 1833, in connection with J. F. Schouw and J. Collin, he succeeded in establishing the Danish Natural History Society. His published works are numerous and valuable. He has also contributed to the works of the Natural History Society.—M. H.
ESCHSCHOLTZ, Johann Friedrich, a distinguished German naturalist and traveller. He was born at Dorpat on the 1st of November, 1793. He studied medicine in the university of his native city; and in 1815 he was appointed, in conjunction with Chamisso, naturalist to the voyage of discovery under Otto von Kotzebue. In this voyage he made many valuable observations on the formation of the coral islands of the South Seas, and upon the structure of the lower forms of creatures inhabiting the ocean. He made a large collection of minerals, which are deposited in the museum of the university of Dorpat. He again accompanied Kotzebue on a second voyage in 1823. He gave an account of this expedition in his work entitled a "Voyage round the World," published in 1830. He was made professor of medicine in the university of Dorpat in 1818. Besides the work above mentioned, he published many papers. He died in 1831. The genus Eschscholzia, plants well known in British gardens, was named after him.—E. L.
ESCHYLUS. See Æschylus.
ESCLAVA, Antonio de, a Spanish author, born at Sanguesa, Arragon, about 1570. A tale of chivalry, entitled "The loves of Melan de Aglante with Bertha, and the birth of Roldan," is his principal work. There is also a collection of similar tales by him, entitled "Winter Evenings."—F. M. W.
ESCOBAR Y MENDOZA, Antonio de, a learned Spaniard, was born in 1589, and became a jesuit in his fifteenth year. He is said to have preached every Easter for fifty successive years. His first work, published at the age of nineteen, was a history of the Virgin, afterwards published in 1625, entitled "Nueva Jerusalem Maria," in which the life of the Virgin is divided according to the twelve precious stones that form the foundation
