by the invitation of the Elector Frederick I., he went to Berlin to become astronomer royal, which post he held until his death. His second wife, Mary Margaret Winckelmann, became also distinguished as an astronomer. She was the daughter of the pastor of Panitzsch in Upper Lusatia, and was born on the 25th of February, 1670. Her father gave her a thoroughly scientific education, and inspired her with a zeal for astronomy, which induced her to accept Kirch in preference to younger and wealthier suitors. Like the second wife of Hevelius, she became her husband's best assistant in his observatory and study. After his death she continued to observe the stars, and to calculate ephemerides and publish almanacs, assisted by her daughters. She discovered a comet in 1702. She died at Berlin on the 29th of December, 1720.—W. J. M. R.
KIRCHER, Athanasius, commonly known as Father Kircher, a jesuit famous for the variety of his knowledge, the diversity of his speculations, and the multitude of his writings, was born near Fulda in 1601 or 1602. His early education was received at Fulda among the jesuits, whose order he entered in 1618 at Paderborn. Here he prosecuted his multifarious investigations till the dissolution of the college at Paderborn, after which he passed in succession to houses belonging to his order at Münster, Cologne, Coblentz, Mentz, Spires, and Würzburg. At Coblentz he was professor of Greek, and at Würzburg professor of mathematics, philosophy, and oriental languages. He left this post in 1631 in consequence of the advance of the army of Gustavus Adolphus, and retired to France, where he betook himself to Avignon, and continued till 1635. In that year he was appointed to a professorship at Vienna; but having been cast ashore in Italy by a storm when on his way from Marseilles, he went on to Rome, where he was mathematical professor for some years, and died in 1680. Kircher is properly regarded as one of the most active spirits, and one of the most versatile geniuses of his time. Everything seemed to come alike to him; and he wrote largely on such a number of subjects, that with all his errors we are astonished at his learning and talent. Most of his works are in Latin, and treat of natural philosophy and mathematics, of antiquity, history, philology, medicine, and almost everything else. In his scientific works he doubtless made known some important principles and new discoveries, for which his biographers have given him full credit. In his philological works, as everywhere else, he is learned and ingenious, often right by happy conjectures, and often wrong in his speculations. He greatly promoted Egyptian studies by his "Œdipus Ægyptiacus," 1652-55, which was preceded by his very important "Prodromus Coptus" in 1636, and his "Lingua Ægyptiaca restituta" in 1644. His "China, monumentis qua sacris qua profanis illustrata," is a very curious book, though very full of errors. The "Polygraphia," 1663, contains a project for a universal language. The "Latium," a work on ancient and modern Italy, is remarkable and valuable; as also is the "Mundus Subterraneus," and the "Arca Noe." Measured by the standard of his time, Kircher was a wonderful man, and notwithstanding his credulity and blunders, deserves the gratitude of all generations for his services to learning.—B. H. C.
KIRCHER, Conrad, author of a laborious concordance of the Septuagint, was born at Augsburg about the middle of the sixteenth century, and studied at the university of Tübingen, where he took his degree in arts. Having entered the Lutheran ministry, he was settled at Augsburg, but was expelled in 1586, along with other protestant ministers, who had opposed the catholic majority of the municipal council in their assumption of a right to appoint and remove the evangelical clergy of the city. He was then for some time a pastor at Raab in Hungary, and afterwards in different localities of Austria and Franconia. He was still living in 1620. His "Concordantiæ Veteris Testamenti Græcæ" appeared at Frankfort in 1607, 2 vols., 4to, and formed the basis of Trommius' Concordance, 2 vols., folio, published in 1718, which is still in use. He set forth the utility of such concordances of the original scriptures in a tract, "De Concordantiarum bibliorum usu in theologiæ," 4to, Wittenb. 1622; and his work, especially in the improved edition of Trommius, has been of great service to biblical scholars in the study both of Hebrew and New Testament Greek.—P. L.
KIRCHMAIER, Thomas, called also Naogeorgus, a Lutheran divine and scholar, was born in 1511 at Straubingen in Bavaria. Probably he studied at Wittemberg, as he was well known to Luther and Melancthon, and was highly esteemed by the latter for his classical learning and skill in Latin poetry. He became pastor of Sulze in Thuringia, and afterwards in 1541 of Kahle in the same province; but, having fallen into some antinomian extravagances of doctrine, he was brought before the consistory of Weimar, and refusing to recant, was obliged to leave the dominions of the elector of Saxony. His talents found for him many appointments in other parts of Germany—at Augsburg, Stuttgart, Basle, and other places; but his erroneous teaching prevented him from retaining any of them long. He died in 1563 as pastor of Wisloch in the Palatinate. His writings were very numerous, embracing many translations of ancient classic authors, and many original Latin tragedies, odes, and epics; one of the latter was a book of Sacred Georgics—P. L.
KIRKALDY, William, of Grange, one of the bravest and most skilful soldiers of his age, was the eldest son of Sir James Kirkaldy, high treasurer to James V. of Scotland. At an early age he joined the protestant party in Scotland, and was one of the conspirators who assassinated Cardinal Beaton, and shut themselves up in the castle of St. Andrews. When that fortress was captured by the French, Kirkaldy was sent prisoner to France, but made his escape, and subsequently entered the French service, where he greatly distinguished himself. On his return to Scotland he took an active part in promoting the cause of the Reformation. In 1566 he joined the confederacy of the nobles against Bothwell, and it was to him that Queen Mary surrendered at Carberry hill. He pursued Bothwell to the coast of Norway, captured his ship, and had nearly taken him prisoner. At the battle of Langside his valour and skill contributed greatly to the victory gained by Regent Moray, who rewarded him for his important services by appointing him governor of Edinburgh castle. He was subsequently, however, gained over to the queen's cause by the subtle and versatile Lethington, and made the castle the general rendezvous of her partisans. The fortress was ultimately besieged in 1573 by the regent Morton, assisted by an English army under Sir William Drury. After performing prodigies of valour, Kirkaldy was compelled to surrender to the English general, who delivered him up to Morton. The cruel and vindictive regent, to his eternal disgrace, hanged his former associate, along with his brother Sir James and two Edinburgh goldsmiths, on the 3rd August, 1573.—J. T.
KIRKE, Percy, Colonel, an English military commander who figured conspicuously during the atrocities which disgraced the reign of James II. He was for several years governor of Tangier, where he rendered himself notorious for his cruelty, rapacity, and licentiousness. When Tangier was abandoned he returned to England, and took part in suppressing Monmouth's rebellion. His soldiers, who were ironically called Kirke's Lambs, were the most ferocious in the English army, and under his orders were guilty of the most frightful excesses in Somersetshire. He refused, however, to change his religion to please the king, declaring sarcastically that if he ever did abjure protestantism, he was bound by a promise to the emperor of Morocco to turn mussulman. After the landing of the prince of Orange, Kirke turned traitor to his old master, and deserted to the enemy. He was very unwisely appointed to command the forces sent to the relief of Londonderry in 1689, but delayed more than six weeks making an attempt to raise the siege. He was held in general and merited abhorrence.—J. T.
KIRKPATRICK, William, a colonel in the East India Company's service, who being employed in 1793 on a mission to Nepaul, collected information for the use of the Bengal government, which was published eighteen years later in a quarto volume, under the title of "An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul," 1811. A careful review of the work appeared in the Quarterly Review, vol. v. p. 303. The following year, on the 22nd of August, 1812, Colonel, then Major-general, Kirkpatrick died in his fifty-eighth year. Besides the work on Nepaul, he published a "Biography of Persian Poets" and a "Selection of the Letters of Tippoo Saib."—R. H.
KIRNBERGER, Johann Philip, a musician, was born at Saalfeld in Thuringia, April 24, 1721, and died at Berlin on the night of the 27th and 28th of July, 1783. He first learned music of J. B. Kellner, an organist, and in 1738 he studied the violin under the direction of Meil. He spent two years at Leipsic, commencing in 1739, where he took constant lessons on the organ and in composition from the illustrious Bach. Kirnberger went then to Poland where he held several successive appointments, the last of which was that of music director
