284 A G N A G whom she read and maintained a series of theses on the most abstruse philosophical questions. President De Brosses has given an interesting account of one of those meetings, at which he was present, in his Lettres sur Vltalie (torn. i. p. 243); and a permanent record of Agnesi s share in them has been preserved in the Proposi- .tiones Philosophies, which her father caused to be published in 1738. These displays, being probably not altogether congenial to Maria, who was of a retiring disposition, ceased in her twentieth year, and it is even said that she had at that age a strong desire to enter a convent. Though the wish was not gratified, she lived from that time in a retirement almost conventual, avoiding all society, and devoting herself entirely to the study of mathematics. The most valuable result of her labours was the Instituzioni Analitiche ad Uso della Gioventu Italiana, which was pub lished at Milan in 1748. The first volume treats of the analysis of finite quantities, and the second of the analysis of infinitesimals. A French translation of the second volume, by D Antelmy, with additions by Bossut, appeared at Paris in 1775; and an English translation of the whole work by Colson, the Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge, was published after his death at the expense of Baron Maseres. The great merit of the work was universally recognised at the time of its publication ; and though in the long interval that elapsed before the English translation appeared the methods of analysis had been greatly improved, it was recognised by a writer in the Edinburgh Revieio (1803) as still the best introduction to the works of Euler and other mathematicians of the con- tinent. Madame Agnesi also wrote a commentary on the Conic Sections of the Marquis de 1 Hopital, which, though highly praised by those who saw it in manuscript, was never published. In 1750, on the illness of her father, she was appointed by Pope Benedict XIV. to occupy the -chair of mathematics and natural philosophy at Bologna. After the death of her father, in 1752, she carried out a long-cherished purpose by giving herself to the study of theology, and especially of the fathers. Another purpose, which seems also to have been long cherished, was now also fulfilled. After holding for some years the office of directress of the Hospice Trivulzio for Blue Nuns at Milan, she herself joined the sisterhood, and in this austere order ended her days (1799). AGNESI, MARIA TERESA, sister of the above (died 1780), was well known as a musician, having composed a number of cantatas, besides three operas Sophonisbe, Giro in Armenia, and Nitocri. AGNOET^E (from dyvoew, to be ignorant of), in Church History, a sect of ancient heretics who maintained that Christ s human nature did not become omniscient by its union with His divinity. Its founder was Themistius, a deacon of the Monophysites in Alexandria in the Gth cen tury. The sect was anathematised by Gregory the Great. AGNOLO, BACCIO D , wood-carver, sculptor, and archi tect, was born at Florence in 1460. The first was his original calling, and he attained considerable distinction in it before he turned his attention to architecture, which he went to Rome to study in 1530. He still carried on wood-carving, and his studio was the resort of the most celebrated artists of the day Michael Angelo, Sansovius, the brothers Sangallo, and others. On his return to Florence he devoted himself chiefly to architecture, and planned many of the finest palaces and villas of that city, such as the Villa Borghese and the Palais Bartolini. The latter was the first dwelling-house which had what had previously been confined to churches frontispieces of cohimns to the doors and windows. For introducing this fashion Agnolo incurred the ridicule of the Florentines; but it nevertheless established itself firmly. Another much-admired work of this architect is the campanile or bell-tower of the church Di Santo Spirito in Florence. He was also engaged to complete the drum of the cupola in the metropolitan church Di Santa Maria del Fiore ; but Michael Angelo found fault with his plans, and the work remains unexecuted to this day. He died in 1543, leaving three sons, archite ts, one of whom, Giuliano, completed his father s unfinished works. AGNONE, a town of South Italy, at the foot of Monte Capraro, 20 miles N.W. of Campobasso. It has 10,230 in habitants, chiefly employed in the manufacture of copper wares, for the excellence of which it is celebrated. AGNUS DEI, the figure of a lamb bearing a cross, symbolical of the Saviour as the "Lamb of God." The device occurs in mediaeval sculptures, but the name is especially given in the Church of Rome to a small cake made of the wax of the Easter candles, and impressed with this figure. Since the 9th century it has been custo mary for the popes to bless these cakes, and distribute them, on the Sunday after Easter, among the faithful, by whom they are highly prized as having the power to avert evil. In modern times the distribution has been limited to persons of distinction, and is made by the pope on his accession, and every seven years thereafter. AGNUS DEI is also the popular name for the anthem beginning with these words, which is said to have been introduced into the missal by Pope Sergius I. (G87-701). Based upon John i. 29, the Latin form is Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata, mundi, miserere nobis. In the celebration of the mass it is repeated three times before the commxmion, and it is also appended to many of the litanies. AGOBARD, a Frank, born in 779, became coadjutor to Leidrad, archbishop of Lyons, in 813, and on the death of the latter succeeded him in the see (816). He was one of the chief supporters of Lothaire and Pepin in their con spiracy against their father, Louis le Debonnaire, and was in consequence deposed by the council of Thionville (835). On making an apology for his conduct, and becoming reconciled to the emperor, he was reinstated in 837. Agobard s works, which were edited by Baluze in 1665 (2 vols. 8vo), show him to have been a man of clear intellect, strongly opposed to the superstitious notions of the time. He wrote against image-worship, the belief in witchcraft, the ascription of tempests to the influence of sorcerers, and trial by the ordeal of fire and water. In the adoptionist controversy Agobard took a prominent part on the orthodox side. He died at Saintonge in 840. AGONALIA, in Eoman Antiquity, festivals celebrated on the 9th January, 21st May, and llth December in each year, in honour of Janus, whom the Romans invoked before undertaking any affair of importance. Ovid, in his Fasti, i. 319-332, mentions various etymologies of the word. AGONIC LINES (from d privative, and ywvt a, an angle), the imaginary lines on the earth s surface w r here the magnetic needle indicates no declination or deviation from the terrestrial meridian that is, points to the true north and south. There are two great primary agonic lines, varying from time to time, the courses of which for the epochs 1787 (from Hansteen s Magnetismus d er Erde} and 1840 (by General Sir E. Sabine) are figured in Keith Johnston s Physical Atlas. AGONOTHETA, or AGONOTHETES (dywv and TI^/U), in Grecian Antiquity, was the president or superintendent of the sacred games. At first the person who instituted the games and defrayed the expenses was the Agonothetes ; but in the great public games, such as the Olympic, Pythian, <fec., these presidents were the representatives of different states, or were chosen from the people in whose country the games were celebrated. They received the several
titles of cu o-v/iv^Tai, /3pa/?UTCU ; uywi ap^at,
