in Ireland in 1745, though lasting only a few months, has always been mentioned with distinguished praise. His "Letters" to his natural son are remarkable for their ease of style and their knowledge of society, but notoriously reprehensible for the principles of conduct which they inculcate. He died March 24, 1773.
CHESTERTON, CECIL EDWARD, an English author; born at Kensington, Nov. 12, 1879. He was educated at St. Paul's School and entered journalism in 1901. He wrote at first for the "Outlook" and later contributed to a large circle of magazines and journals. He tended toward radicalism in politics, and his energies were largely devoted to the exposure of corruption and inefficiency in public life. He founded the "New Witness" in 1912, and continued in the editorship until 1916. He served during the World War in the Highland Light Infantry. Among his publications are: "Gladstonian Ghosts" (1905); "Party and People" (1910); "The Prussian Hath Said in His Heart" (1914); and "The Perils of Peace" (1916). He died in 1920.
CHESTERTON, GILBERT KEITH, a British author and journalist; born at Kensington in 1874. He received his education at Slade School, and soon developed a marked bent for writing. He speedily became noted for his wit and his paradoxical style as well as for his wide range of information. Besides his contributions to periodicals he wrote many books, of which the most notable were: "Browning" (in English Men of Letters Series) (1904); "Heretics" (1905); "The Man Who Was Thursday" (1908); "The Ball and the Cross" (1910); "The Wisdom of Father Brown" (1914); "A Short History of England" (1917).
CHESTNUT, a genus of plants, order Cupuliferæ, allied to the beech. The common or Spanish chestnut (Castānea vesca) is a stately tree, with large, handsome, serrated, dark-green leaves. The fruit consists of two or more seeds enveloped in a prickly husk. Probably a native of Asia Minor, it has long been naturalized in Europe, and was perhaps introduced into Great Britain by the Romans. The tree grows freely in Great Britain, and may reach the age of many centuries. Its fruit ripens only in some cases, however, and the chestnuts eaten in Great Britain are mostly imported. Chestnuts form a staple article of food among the peasants of Spain and Italy. The timber of the tree was formerly more in use than it is now; it is inferior to that of the oak, though very similar to it in appearance, especially when old. Two American species of chestnuts, C. americāna and C. pumĭla (the latter a shrub), have edible fruits. The former is often regarded as identical with the European tree. The name of Cape Chestnut is given to a beautiful tree of the rue family, a native of Cape Colony. The Moreton Bay Chestnut is a leguminous tree of Australia, Castanospermum austrāle, with fruits resembling those of the chestnut. The water-chestnut is the water-caltrop, Trapa natans. The horse-chestnut is quite a different tree from the common chestnut.
CHEVALIER (she-vä-lyā′), an honorary title given, especially in the 18th century, to younger sons of French noble families. Both the Old and Young Pretender were called the Chevalier by their partisans. In a general way it is used with the same significance as Knight (q. v.).
CHEVALIER, ALBERT, a London comedian: born March 21, 1861. He appeared on the stage in public when only eight years old, and subsequently took part in plays with Mr. and Mrs, Kendal, John Hare, and other eminent players. His greatest success however, was achieved appearing singly in vaudeville houses and music halls, in the character of a London coster. His characterization of this product of the British metropolis was so amusing and true to life as to create a furore. He was the author of more than a hundred monologues, sketches, and plays.
CHEVY CHASE, the name of a celebrated British Border ballad, which is probably founded on some actual encounter which took place between its heroes, Percy and Douglas, although the incidents mentioned in it are not historical. There are two versions of the ballad bearing the name of "Chevy Chase," an older one, originally called "The Hunting of the Cheviot," and a more modern one. From the fact that the older version is mentioned in the "Complaynt of Scotland," written in 1548, it is clear that it was known in Scotland before that time. The age of the more modern version is believed to be not later than the reign of Charles II. This is the version which forms the subject of the critique by Addison in Nos. 70 and 74 of the "Spectator."
CHEYENNE, city, capital of the State of Wyoming, and county-seat of Laramie co.; on the Union Pacific, the Colorado and Southern, and Burlington Route railroads, 105 miles N. of Denver.
