the celebrated publisher, at Basle in 1540. The last, which is by far the best edition, is entitled "Autonii Codri Urcei Opera quæ extant omnia, sine dubio non vulgarem utilitatem allatura Grammaticen, Dialecticen, Rhetoricen et Physica profitentibus, in utriusque enim Linguæ Græcæ et Latinæ Auctoribus loca hactenus non intellecta explicantur, mirabili ingenii judiciique acumine." These works, which are now very rare, consist principally of orations, letters, and poems.—R. M., A.
URE, Andrew, a well-known modern chemist, was born at Glasgow in 1778. He studied at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and graduated as M.D. in 1801, and became professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in the Andersonian university of Glasgow. He took a very active part in the movement for establishing an observatory at Glasgow, and on its completion in 1809 was attached to it as astronomer. In 1818 he communicated to the Royal Society of London a very valuable paper entitled "Experimental Researches on the leading doctrines of Caloric." In 1821 appeared his "Dictionary of Chemistry." The same year he published a treatise on the ultimate analysis of organic matter. In 1822 he issued an English version of Berthollet's celebrated work on dyeing. In 1829 he published his "System of Geology," one of the last works in which the Noachian deluge is put forward as a principal agent in producing geological changes. The following year he removed to London, and in 1834 was appointed analytical chemist to the board of customs. In 1835 he published his "Philosophy of Manufactures," and the next year his "Cotton Manufactures of Great Britain." In 1839 appeared his last and most important work, "Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures." The most of these works are certainly not records of original research, but the information contained in them cannot have been collected without immense labour. At the time of its appearance the "Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures" stood unrivalled. In analytical chemistry, especially as applied to practical and commercial purposes and the detection of adulterations. Dr. Ure was for a long time deservedly considered a very high authority. He showed great ingenuity in devising and improving volumetrical methods of analysis, which, if not sufficiently accurate for scientific purposes, are yet on account of the speed with which they may be executed indispensable for commercial testing. Dr. Ure's tables of the actual amount of sulphuric, nitric, and muriatic adds, ammonia, and alcohol found in the more or less dilute commercial samples at different specific gravities, have been of great value to consumers. He died in 1857.—J. W. S.
URFE, Honoré d', a celebrated writer of romance, born at Marseilles in 1567. He was educated in his native city, and also at the Jesuits' college of Tournon. After an unhappy marriage with his brother's divorced wife, he left her and retired to Piedmont, where he composed his principal work, the celebrated romance, entitled "L'Astrée." At one time this work was read throughout Europe as the first book of the kind, and was, probably, relished by some readers from the notion that it contained an account of some of the gallantries of Henry IV. For fifty or sixty years "L'Astrée "furnished popular plots for the stage, and subjects for the painter and engraver. It is now entirely forgotten. His other works are—"La Sirene," a poem; "Epîtres morales;" "La Savoysiade," and some sonnets. Urfé died at his house, near Nice, in 1625.—W. J. P.
URIES, Garard van, a Dutch philosophical writer, was born at Utrecht on the 15th August, 1648. He was educated in his native town, and afterwards devoted himself to the study of theology and philosophy. In 1671 he obtained permission to open a school of philosophy, but on the French taking possession of Utrecht in the following year, he went to Leyden, where he remained till 1674, when he returned to his native city, and again became a teacher of philosophy. The rest of his life was spent in this capacity. He died, honoured and regretted, on the 1st of December, 1705. His writings are—"Exercitationes rationales de Deo, divinisque perfectionibus, una cum dissertationibus de infinito," Utrecht, 1685; another edition with two additional dissertations appeared in 1695—"De Natura Dei et humanæ mentis determinationes pneumatologicæ," &c., Utrecht, 1687; an edition of the physiology of Daniel Voet, to which he added two dissertations, one, De Lumine, and the other, De Lunicolis, Utrecht, 1688; "Dissertatio historico-philosophica de Renati Cartesii meditationibus à Petro Gassendo compagnatis," Utrecht, 1891; "Narrator Confutans;" "Cartesius Vindicatus," &c.—R. M., A.
* URQUHART, David, politician and author, was born in Cromarty in 1805. While a child he was much on the continent, on his return from which he studied at Oxford. He accompanied Lord Cochrane to Greece in 1827, and there formed his first practical acquaintance with the Eastern question. One of the earlier of his more notable works on the subject was his "Turkey and its Resources," 1833, in which he expounded his favourite thesis that Turkey had in it the elements of great national and social strength. Further and extensive travel in the East was undertaken by him, with the view of discovering and unmasking what he considered to be the aggressive designs of Russia. In 1835 he was appointed by Lord Palmerston secretary of embassy at Constantinople, and in the following year he commenced the publication of the Portfolio, devoted to the publication of secret state-papers chiefly bearing on the Eastern question (first series, 1836-37; second, 1843-45). Differences arose between himself and his chief, and he ceased to be secretary of embassy after a brief period, when he returned to England, and began his long and violent crusade against Lord Palmerston and Lord Palmerston's policy in Europe and in Asia, in the West and in the East. Among the more interesting of the works of his intermediate period is his "Spirit of the East," 1838, one of his objects in which is to bring out what he deems admirable and respect-worthy in the manners and customs of Mahometanism. In 1847, after several failures, he succeeded in entering parliament as member for Stafford, but was not re-elected in 1852. He strongly opposed in lectures and with his pen the Russian war of 1854, maintaining that Turkey, if left to herself, was able to cope with Russia, and that the assistance offered her by France and England was really given in the interest of Russia. Mr. Urquhart has peculiar views on parliamentary government, which he does not regard with an admiring eye, and for the cabinet he would wish to substitute the active rule of the sovereign, assisted by the privy council. The various "foreign affairs committees" scattered throughout the kingdom owe their existence to Mr. Urquhart, whose latest work of interest, "The Lebanon, a History and a Diary," was published in 1860. There is a tolerable memoir of him in the German Conversations Lexicon.—F. E.
URQUHART, Sir Thomas, of Cromarty, a learned and eccentric author, was descended from an old and influential family, long hereditary sheriffs of Cromarty, and was born in 1613. His mother was the daughter of Alexander, fourth Lord Elphinstone, high treasurer of Scotland. He was educated at King's college, Aberdeen, and afterwards travelled for some time on the continent, where he acquired great skill in various foreign languages. After his return to his native country, he became involved in the contest between Charles I. and the covenanters, and with difficulty made his escape to England in 1639, bearing despatches from the northern royalists to the king. In 1641 he received the honour of knighthood from Charles I. at Whitehall, and about the same period published a volume of epigrams, dedicated to the marquis of Hamilton. His father died in the following year, leaving his once extensive estate heavily encumbered, and during the remainder of his life the learned knight appears to have been exposed to great difficulties and mortifications from the conduct of his own and his father's creditors. He sought for consolation in the midst of his trials in literary and scientific pursuits, to which he must have devoted a large portion of his time. In 1649 he published "The Trissotetras, or a most exquisite table for resolving all manner of triangles," &c. Soon after, on the execution of Charles I., Sir Thomas took up arms against the victorious parliament, and was in consequence declared a rebel and a traitor. He served in the army which accompanied Charles II. to England in 1651, and with two of his brothers was taken prisoner at the battle of Worcester. While he was confined in the tower of London he published the "Pedigree of the Urquharts," in which he traces his descent both in the male and female line up to Adam and Eve; "The Jewel," a curious work, containing a rhapsodical vindication of the Scottish nation, interspersed with notices of the most eminent scholars and warriors who had flourished during the preceding half century; "Logopandecteision, or an introduction to the universal language;" and his excellent translation of the first three books of Rabelais, the best known of his works. He seems to have expected by the publication of "The Jewel" and the "Logopandecteision" to recover his personal freedom, and the unincumbered possession of his paternal estates; but his hopes were miserably disappointed. After an imprisonment of several years, however,
