iiiaie as the speech of tlic people. For the spe- cial traits of Aramaic, see Semitic Langiages.
Bibliography. Zimiiiem, Vergleicheiide Gram- niatih der seinitischen Sprachen (Berlin, 18'J8) ; the grammars of Biblical Aramaic by Kautzsch (1884), JIarti (1890), ami Strack (IS'JTj ; Ual- man, Grdminiitik dcs jii<lis(;)t-pul«isliiiii<chen Ara- iiidtisch (Leipzig, 18114) ; Levias. <!ruini>iar of the liuhjjlonkni Talmud (Cincinnati, 1!)00) ; Petcr- mann, Brcvis Lhujttfv i^amttrittnuv (jratinnatica (Leipzig, 1867); Xiildeke, Mdiidiiisclie liramma- iik (Halle, 1875) ; id.. Si/risclie (Iruinmatik (Leip- zig, 1898): id., (Irciiiunatik dcr iieusyrischen Hprache (Leipzig, 1SU8) ; Dnval, Graminaire sy- riciquc ( l^iris, 1881) : Maclean. Gmmmar of Ver- nacular Syriae (Cambridge. 1895) ; Ndldeke, Gram, dcr neu.si/n'schcu Hpraclic (l^ipzig, 1863).
ARAMAIC VER'SIONS. See Bible.
AR'AME'ANS. By Aranieans, or Sj'ro- Chaldeans, Keane (1890) denotes certain Semitic peoples of Syria, parts of Palestine, and the Lower Euphrates, while Brinton (1890) makes Aramean a subdivision of the more general Chal- dean, and Featherman (1881) uses it to include all the Semitic, Haniitic, and related peoples. As Arameans we n.ay reckon the ancient Baby- lonians (in so far as they were Semites), the Assyrians, the Syrians, or Western Arameans; the so-called Chaldeans, or Eastern Arameans, and the Samaritans (in part), besides some peoples of less importance. As a result of the vitality of Arabic, and the absorbing power of the people who carried it north, the Eastern Ara- maic is now reduced to the dialects of a few communities in Northern Mesopotamia, Kurdis- tan, and around Lake Urmi. The Western Aramaic is of interest, as it was probably the cvery-day speech of Palestine in the time of .Tesus, and used by him as the quotations in the New Testament show. Aramaic became the lan- guage of general intercourse in later Bal)ylonian and Assyrian times, and seems to have driven the Semitic dialects of that region out of popular r'se. See Syeiac Laxgu.ge; Semites.
AR'AMIN'TA. A favorite name among the Restoration dramatists, although never given by them to very prepossessing characters. Van- brugh. in The Confederacy, christens with it the wife of Moneytrap, a snolibisli creature with a weakness for titles, and Congreve gives it to the principal female character in his comedy of The Old Bachelor.
ARAMIS, a'r.n'mes'. Tlie least exaggerated and most sympathetic of Dumas's Three Musket- eers, whose mildness and modesty make him more pleasing to modern readers than his more self-assertive comp-inions. He finally enters the C'hurch as an ahhe.
ARAN, ar'an, South Lsles of. Three small islands situated at the entrance to Cialway Bay, otr the wcstei'n coast of Ireland. The principal and the most western of them is called Inishmore, and is seven miles long, and two miles broad. The nc,t is called Inishmaan.and the third, lying to the southeast, Inishere. Their total area is about eighteen square miles, and they all form the barony of Gore. The soil is for the most part sandy', and the only remarkable feature of the islands is the number of old relics found on them. The islands contained at one time about twenty cluirches and monasteries. There e.xist some remains of old fortresses, supposed to have been built in the First Century a.d. The main industry is fishing, and the principal village is Kilronan, on inishmore, with a population of 750,
ARANDA, a-riin'da, Don Pedro Pablo Abarac.v de Bolea, Count of (1718-99). A Spanish statesman, born in Saragossa, of a dis- tinguished Aragonese family. He at first fol- lowed a military career, and rose to the rank of general. In 1700 he was appointed by Charles III. ambassador to the court of Augustus III., King of Poland. In 1700 he was recalled to Madrid on account of its disturbed state, and became president of the Coimeil of Castile and lirime minister. He soon restored order in the capital, expelled the Jesuits from Spain, sup- pressed the banditti in the Sierra Morena, and promoted a liberal policy. In 1773 he was re- moved from his post through the influence of the clergy, and sent as ambassador to France, where he remained until 1787. In 1792 he was again made prime minister, but was soon de- posed again through the agency of Godoy, Duke of Alcudia, the Queen's favorite. .He remained inesident of the (Council of vState, which he had organized; but upon opposing the foreign policy of Clodoy he was banished to Aragon, where he died.
AR'ANE'IDA. An order of Arachnida. See Spiders.
ARANGO Y PARRENO, a-ran'go e pa-ra'- nyo, Francisco de ( 1705-1837 ) . A Cuban states- man. He was born at Havana, was admitted to the bar in 1789, and twice represented Cuba in the Cortes of Spain. It was through his exertions that the tobacco monopoly was done away with, and the ports of Cuba were opened to foreign trade. He is best known for his works treating of Cuban economies, many of which have been translated into other languages.
ARANJUEZ, a'ran-iiweth' (From Lat. Ara Joris, altar of Jupiter). A town in the Prov- ince of iladrid, Spain, situated on the left bank of the Tagus, 28 miles south-southeast of Ma- drid, in a beautifully wooded valley (Map: Spain, D 3). The town is built in the Dutch style and has broad and regular streets intersect- ing each other at right angles. It is famed for its palace and gardens. The place owes its exist- ence to an idiosyncrasy of Philip II. He erected a splendid palace where had been but a shooting villa, and for several months of the year Aran- juez became the seat of government. The place naturally acquired more or less importance from this circumstance, its population at one time reaching 20,000. The various sovereigns who occupied Aranjuez beautified it by erecting new structures or extending the gardens. Aranjuez is known historically for tbe treaty of alliance concluded here between France and Spain on April 12, 1772, and as the scene of the abdica- tion of Charles IV. on March 19, 1808. Pop., 1900, 11,172.
ARANSAS, a-r:'in'zns. Bat. An inlet of the Gidt of ilexico, on the coast of Texas, about 15 miles northeast of Corpus Christi Bay (Map: Texas, F 6). It has a length of about 18 miles, and its greatest width is about 8 miles. It is connected with the Gulf by a narrow channel, known as Aransas Pass. It has a sandy bar, which detracts from its commercial importance, and is protected by a lighthouse. On November
