Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/1000

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
CAU
942
CAU

down before one some new and probably unnecessary symbol—demanding that his reader, before being benefited by his discovery, should acquire his new language! Strangely enough, verbosity often attends this kind of obscurity. How often and sadly he wearied the Academy by his everlasting repetitions concerning his famous "Coefficient of extinction," many men still living may tell! He became latterly, indeed, a very bore in the Academy. Not the less, however, are his writings a precious mine, from which many bright and unexpected treasures will assuredly yet be disinterred. Cauchy died in 1857. In private life he was all that could be desired—devoted and pure. In politics he had attached himself to the elder Bourbons, and considerations of self-interest never sullied his loyalty. He was naturally pious, and, through conviction as well as education, a sincere catholic.—J. P. N.

CAULAINCOURT, Armand Augustin Louis de, Duke of Vicenza, the celebrated French diplomatist to whom Napoleon, confided many of his most important negotiations, particularly with Russia, was born of noble parentage in the department of the Somme in 1772, and died in 1827. He had some experience in military matters, but none in diplomacy when, on the accession of the Czar Alexander, he was intrusted with an embassy to St. Petersburg. In this and many subsequent diplomatic charges, however, he exhibited so much address, as completely to gain the confidence of Napoleon, who lavished upon him both money and titles. To the intercession of Caulaincourt with Alexander, Napoleon owed not a little of the consideration with which his wishes were treated by the allied sovereigns on the occasion of his first abdication. Caulaincourt, after the fall of the empire, lived in retirement, persecuted by well meaning but probably misinformed partisans of the restored Bourbons, who endeavoured, in spite of his solemn refutation of the charge, to bring home to him the obloquy of having been concerned in the murder of the duc d'Enghien.—His brother, Auguste-Jean-Gabriel, an able general, served with distinction in the compaigns of the Rhine, in the Peninsula, and in Russia, where he was killed at the battle of Moskowa in 1812.—J. S., G.

CAULET, Etienne François de, bishop of Pamiers, was born in 1610. He was appointed to that office by Vincent de Paul, and vindicated the choice by his zeal in remedying the evils which the civil war had brought upon his diocese. He introduced various salutary reforms, and devoted a great part of his revenues to the relief of the poor, the aged, and the infirm. Along with the bishop of Aleth he espoused the cause of the Port Royal, in the contest between the Jansenists and Jesuits. He also boldly resisted the claims of the crown to dispose of ecclesiastical revenues during the vacancy of a see. He was in consequence deposed, and died about 1680.—Jean Caulet, his nephew, bishop of Grenoble, was the author of various treatises on ecclesiastical subjects.—J. T.

CAULFIELD. See Charlemont.

CAULFIELD, James, an English writer, born in 1764; died in 1826. He became an enthusiastic collector of rare prints and engravings, for the sale of which he opened a shop in 1780. Among his works are—"Lives and Portraits of Remarkable Persons;" "History of the Gunpowder Plot;" "Gallery of British Portraits;" "Cromwelliana;" "Chalcographiana, or the Printsellers Chronicle and Collector's Guide to the Knowledge and Value of Engraved British Portraits," &c.—J. B.

CAUMARTIN, Louis Lefevre de, a distinguished French statesman, born in 1552, was successively ambassador to Switzerland, councillor of state, and president of the grand council. Louis XIII. had such a high opinion of his talents and judgment, that he placed him at the head of the magistracy of the kingdom; but he died three months afterwards, in 1623.—His great-grandson, Louis Urbain, born in 1653, was educated by the celebrated Flechier, and was highly eulogized by Boileau. He held in succession various important public offices. It was at Caumartin's seat of St. Ange that Voltaire, who had addressed to him some complimentary verses, first conceived the plan of his Henriade.—J. T.

* CAUMONT, Arcisse de, a geologist and antiquary who has contributed more than any other living French author to the propagation of a taste for the study of archæology among his countrymen, born at Bayeux in 1802. He is the founder of the Linnæan Society of Normandy, and of the society for the conservation of works of art, and has written several archæological works of great merit.

CAURROY, François Eustache du, Sieur de Saint Frémin, a musician, was born at Gerberoy, near Beauvais, in 1549, and died at Paris, August 7, 1609. He was designed by his parents for the order of Malta, of which his brother was a commander. His inclination and his talent for music, however, were so great that the intention was given up, and he was allowed to devote himself to this art. He entered holy orders—at that time quite compatible with the profession of music—became canon of Ste. Chapelle in Paris, and prior of St. Aioul de Provence. About the beginning of 1569 he was appointed superintendent de la musique du roi, an office that was created for him, and which he held successively under Charles IX., Henri III., and Henri IV. The cardinal du Perron was his intimate friend, and not only supplied him with verses for music, but wrote the eulogistic epitaph inscribed on the monument erected to his memory by his successor, Nicholas Formé. He was called by his contemporaries "Le prince des professeurs de musique," a title that rather proves their admiration than his merit, since the same name was given to Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso, both greatly his superiors. He appears to have produced a large number of noels (songs for Christmas, mostly of an elaborate character), one of which is printed in Burney's History. His most reputed work is a "Missa pro defunctis" for five voices, which, until the beginning of the last century, was always performed at the obsequies of the kings of France. His published works are "Preces Ecclesiasticæ," in 1609; "Precum Ecclesiasticarum," in the same year; "Mélanges de Musique," published by his grandnephew, André Pitart, in 1610; and "Fantaisies," in three, four, five, and six parts, likewise in the year after his death. Besides these, there exist several compositions in manuscript; and he is said to have written some theoretical works which are unknown.—G. A. M.

CAUS, Solomon de, whose name is associated with the history of the steam-engine, was born in Normandy towards the end of the sixteenth century. From his childhood he showed great taste for mechanics and hydraulics. He first settled in England, where he was employed in the service of the prince of Wales; then in Germany, as engineer to the elector of Bavaria, who gave him the superintendence of his buildings and pleasure-gardens. Having spent the greater part of his life with this prince, he returned to France, where he died about 1630. He has left several works on subjects connected with mechanics, and in one of them he describes an engine for raising water by the pressure of steam. He proposes to introduce one end of a pipe below the surface of the water, and then by admitting steam to press upon the surrounding surface, to force the water up the pipe. It has been erroneously said that his opinions on the subject of steam power being considered those of a madman, Solomon de Cans spent the last years of his life in a lunatic asylum.—J. D. E.

CAUSSIN, Nicolas, a learned French jesuit, born in 1583. Through the influence of Cardinal Richelieu he was appointed confessor to Louis XIII., but he soon lost the favour of his patron, and nine months after his appointment was dismissed from office, and banished from Paris, because, as he alleged, he would not reveal some things he had learned from the king's confession, nor submit to the dictation of his superiors as to the mode in which he should direct the royal conscience. He died in 1651.—J. T.

* CAUSSIN de Perceval, Armand Pierre, son of J. J. Antoine, a distinguished writer on Oriental philology and history, born at Paris in 1795, passed some time among the Maronite christians of Syria, became dragoman at Aleppo, and, after his return to his native country, was appointed professor of Oriental languages in the college of France, and interpreter of Arabic to the ministry of war. Besides a grammar of Arabic and some translations of Arabic historical documents, he has published "Essais sur l'histoire des Arabes avant l'Islamisme, pendant l'epoque de Mahomet, et jusqu'à la reduction de toutes les tribus sous la loi musulmane," 1847.—J. S., G.

CAUSSIN de Perceval, J. J. Antoine, an oriental scholar, born at Montdidier in 1759; died in 1835. He was the pupil of Deshauterayes, whom he succeeded as professor of Arabic at the college of France in 1783. In 1787 he was appointed keeper of the manuscripts at the Bibliotheque Royale, and in 1803 he became a member of the Academy of Inscriptions. His works are a translation into French of the Argonautic expedition, by Valerius Flaccus; "A Sequel to the Thousand