Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/714

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694 JOUY JOVIAN came known in 1673 by his "Jesus curing the Paralytic," and was professor and president of the academy of painting. In 1075 appeared his masterpiece, "Esther before Ahasuerus," comparing favorably with the works of Pous- sin and Lebrun. Several of his pictures are at Notre Dame and in the Louvre. His right hand being disabled shortly before his death, he painted with his left hand the " Magnificat " in the choir of Notre Dame. JOl'V, Victor Joseph Eticnne de, a French au- thor, born at Jouy, near Versailles, probably in 1764, died in St. Germain-en-Laye, Sept. 4, 1846. Having enlisted in the army when a boy, he went to South America, and afterward to India, where ho was introduced to Tip- poo Sahib. He participated in the first cam- paigns of the French revolution, reached the rank of major, and at the age of 33 was placed on the retired list. He now produced several light comedies, and in 1807 gained considerable reputation by La vestale, a lyric poem, set to music by Spontini ; this performance was re- warded three years later with one of the great decennial prizes. He composed the libretti for Spontini's Fernand Cortez (1807), Catel's Les 'bayaderes (1810), Cherubini's Les amazones and Les Aliencerrages (1812-'13), and Rossini's Moise (1827) and Guillaume Tell (1829). He also attempted tragedy. His Tippo-Sa'ib was performed in 1813 ; Sylla, for which Talma's acting, and especially his wonderful resem- blance to Napoleon, secured a remarkable suc- cess, in 1822 ; Selisaire in 1825 ; and Julien dans let Oaules in 1827. A series of his sketch- es was collected in 1812-'14 under the title of VHermite de la ehaussee cTAntin, which was compared with Addison's "Spectator." In 1815 he became a member of the French academy. Under the restoration he took an active part in politics, and his attacks brought the wrath of the government upon him and his friend Jay ; both were incarcerated for a few months, which considerably added to their popularity, and was the occasion of their pub- lishing Les hermites en prison (1823) and Les hermites en liberte (1824). After the revolution of July, 1830, he was appointed librarian at the Louvre by Louis Philippe, who granted him also in his later years an apartment in the chateau of St. Germain. He published his own (Euvres completes (27 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1823-'7). JOVELLAJiOS, Caspar Melehior de, a Spanish poet, born in Gijon, Jan. 5, 1744, died at Vega, Nov. 27, 1811. He was originally destined to the church, and received his first tonsure at the age of 18. But after having studied philoso- phy at the university of Oviedo, his friends in Madrid persuaded him to change, and he was appointed a magistrate of the criminal court of Seville in October, 1767. In 1774 he became judge of the game court, and four years later alcalde of the royal household and court at Madrid. The friend and protector of Cabar- rus, he shared in the persecutions visited upon the latter by Godoy. Cabarrus was cast into prison, and Jovellanos banished from court, under the pretext of a mission to explore the province of Asturias, and report upon the state of its natural resources. On the restoration of Cabarrus to Godoy's favor Jovellanos was recalled (1797), and appointed ambassador to Russia ; but before he had time to set out he was made minister of justice. But Godoy soon sent him once more to Asturias, and in 1801 had him dragged from his bed by night, hur- ried to Barcelona, and transported to Majorca, whence he did not return until after the down- fall of Charles IV. in 1808. He rejected a port- folio tendered him by Joseph Bonaparte, but represented his native province in the first central junta, and was its leading spirit in the darkest moments of his country's struggle for existence. When the junta was dissolved, on the approach of the French troops, he succeed- ed in reassembling the dispersed members, and prevailed upon them to yield their power to the regency. He then returned to Gijon, whence upon the occupation of the town by the French in 1811 he escaped to Vega. Distinguished alike as a patriot and a scholar, he materially aided Llorente in his endeavors for the intro- duction of such reforms into the tribunal of tho holy office as should insure the publicity of its proceedings, and strove sedulously for the re- form of the Spanish drama. His complete works (7 and 5 vols., Madrid), with a biography prefixed, comprise lyrical and didactic poems, epistles, odes, and other minor compositions in verse, both grave and gay ; a drama, El delin- cuente honrado, a discourse on the study of his- tory ; a paper on the agrarian law, &c. Jovel- lanos was versed in English literature, and translated the first book of " Paradise Lost." See Hemorias para la vida de Jovellanos, by Cean-Bermudez (12mo, Madrid, 1814). JOVIAN (FLAVIUS CLAUDIUS JOVIANUS), Ro- man emperor, died in February, 3G4, after a reign of seven months. The son of Varronia- nus, one of the greatest generals of his age, he was captain of the body guards of the emperor Julian, and participated in his fatal campaign against the Persians. After the death of Ju- lian, he was proclaimed emperor by the legions, and declared himself a Christian. His army was in the midst of a hostile country, from which his first care was to extricate it. But Sapor, the Persian monarch, so harassed his march with repeated attacks, that Jovian, to save his army from destruction, consented to an ignominious peace, which restored to the Persians several possessions formerly wrested from them, both E. and "W. of the Tigris. On reaching the Roman territory, the emperor caused an edict to be issued which abrogated Julian's edicts against the Christians, and re- stored the supremacy of their religion ; but he would not permit the pagans to be oppressed on account of their belief. On the way to Constantinople he arrived, Feb. 16, 364, at Da- dastana, an obscure village of Galatia, where he was found dead in his bed the next morn-