Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/710

704 LUCERNE LUCIAN of perpetual snow. This mountain group is situated S. "W. of the town of Lucerne, extend- ing along the borders of Lucerne and Unter- walden. The highest of the seven peaks of this group are the Oberhaupt and the Tomlis- horn, about 7,000 ft. high. The soil is fertile, and yields more corn than is needed for the population. The rearing of cattle, however, is the principal branch of industry. Fruit trees abound, and the vine is cultivated to some extent. There are also some manufactures of linen, cotton, and other goods, and some com- merce is carried on with Italy by the St. Gothard pass. The canton sends seven mem- bers to the national council of Switzerland. It early joined the Swiss confederation. After 1830 it belonged to the so-called " regenerated cantons," but its liberal constitution was over- thrown in 1841 by the ultramontane-popu- lar party, which led to the bringing in of the Jesuits in 1844, and the war of the Sonder- bund in 1847, Lucerne being the head and centre of the seven Catholic cantons. (See SWITZERLAND.) A new constitution was adopt- ed in March, 1863. According to it, the canton is divided into 25 electoral districts', which elect 100 members of the grand council for a term of four years. The grand council elects from its number a governing council (Eegie- rungsrath) of seven members, also for a term of four years. Its president is elected by the grand council for one year, and has the title of Schulthem or StattJialter. II. A city, capital of the canton, at the N. W. extremity of the lake of Lucerne, 40 m. E. by N. of Bern and 25 m. S. S. W. of Zurich ; pop. in 1870, 14,524. It is in sight of the snowy Alps of Schwytz, and 10 m. from Mount Rigi, is traversed by the river Reuss, and connected through the central Swiss railway with the principal towns of Switzerland. The town is surrounded by a circle of ancient watch towers, and is walled in on the land side. The chief curiosities of Lucerne are the bridges which span the Reuss, viz. : the MuUenbruclce, which is decorated with paintings nearly ob- literated of the " Dance of Death," the Reuss- ~brucke, and the Kapellbruclce. Against the timbers supporting the roof of the last are suspended nearly 80 pictures illustrative of the patron saints of the town and of Swiss his- tory. The Hoflrucke, the largest bridge, was removed in 1852, and a new bridge has been built over the river where it issues from the lake. Commerce and industry are not very extensive. In the northern suburbs of the city is the monument erected in 1821 in honor of the Swiss guards who fell in the defence of the Tuileries, Aug. 10, 1792, the model for which was designed by Thorwaldsen. III. Lake, a body of water bordering on the can- tons of Uri, Unterwalden, Schwytz, and Lu- cerne, and hence called Vierwaldstadter-See, "lake of the four forest cantons." It lies at a height of about 1,400 ft. above the level of the sea, and branches in different directions, its various bays being named after the chief places situated on them. The W. branch is thus called the lake of Lucerne in the narrower sense ; the bay of Alpnach is on the south, that of Kussnacht on the north, and Buochs stretches east and west ; while the bay of Uri constitutes the S. E. end of the lake. The to- tal length is about 25 m. ; the breadth varies greatly. Its scenery is superb. The patriotic (according to recent criticisms, legendary) deeds of William Tell took place on its shores. Perched on a cliff of the bay of Kussnacht is the ruined castle of New Hapsburg, and near it a fortress which belonged to the counts of Hapsburg, the progenitors of the imperial Austrian dynasty. The lake is visited by vio- lent gales, blowing at the same time from op- posite quarters in different parts of it. LUCHETTO DA GENOVA. See CAMBIASO. LUCIAN (Lat. Lucianus, Gr. A.oviaav6s ), a Greek author, born in Samosata, on the Euphrates, about A. D. 120, died in Egypt about 200. His parents being too poor to give him a learned education, he was apprenticed when about 14 years of age to his maternal uncle, a reputable sculptor in his native city. Receiving a severe flogging for an act of carelessness, he returned home, and devoted himself to the study of rhetoric and literature. He travelled for some time in Ionia, and having completed his studies began to practise as an advocate at Antioch ; but, meeting with no success, he was driven to writing speeches for others. He next visited the greater part of Greece, Italy, and Gaul, giving lectures in the cities. At Athens he made himself familiar with the Attic dialect, and cultivated an acquaintance with the phi- losopher Demonax. In Gaul he appears to have remained for several years, and here he chiefly gained his professional reputation, and made himself rich. On returning to his native country, he applied himself to writing, but still travelled occasionally, visiting Ionia and Achaia about 160 or 165, and Paphlagonia about 170. "While in Paphlagonia he planned various contrivances for exposing the impostures of the pseudo-prophet Alexander, who accord- ingly ordered the crew of the vessel in which Lucian was returning home to throw him over- board. From this fate he was saved only by the intervention of the captain, who had him conveyed out of the ship and set on shore. In his latter days he was appointed procurator of part of Egypt, and was in expectation of a proconsulship when he died. The works of Lucian are of a very miscellaneous character. The best known are his "Dialogues," com- positions exhibiting various degrees of merit, and every variety of style, from sober serious- ness to the broadest humor and buffoonery. They are in general directed against the gods, philosophers, and absurdities of paganism, which, according to Suidas, procured him the surname of the Blasphemer. In the " Sale of the Philosophers " the founders of the differ- ent sects are put up to auction, Mercury being