COMTE. 245 CONACHAR. quiiies, abandons all vain acareli after the causes and essences of tilings, and "restricts itself to the observation and elassilication of plienoniena, and to the discovery of the invariable relations of succession and similitude which things bear tc each other — in a v(jrd, to the discovery of the laws of phenomena." This last is the stage at which Conite conceived Europe to have ar- rived. Theology and metn]iliysics arc alleged to be in their dotage, and all the anarchy of mod- ern life to arise from the presence of these dis- turbing elements. To deliver us from their hurtful influence, Conitc employs the prineijdes of Positivism to organize a new social doctrine, which shall embrace the entire wants of man as an intellectual and emotional being. He thus aims at being the foundei", not only of a new philosophy, but also of a new religion, and even assumed the title of Fondatcur dc la rcJiyion de Vhuinanitc. See l'o.siTivisii ; and consult: Littre, August e Comic et la philosophic positive (Paris, 1877); Jfill, Comte and I'ositivism (London, 1865) ; Caird, The Social Philosophy aud Religion of Comte (Glasgow, 188.5) ; Gruber, August Comte. sein J^ehen und seine Lehre (Frei- burg. 1880) ; Robinet. Notice sur Vneuvre et sur la vie de Comte (Paris, 18r.O). The first volume of Fiske, Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy (Bos- ton, 1874), contains a thorough and noteworthy examination of Comte's system. COMTE, koxt, Pierre Charles ( 1825-95) . A French artist, born at Lyons. He was a pupil of Kobert Fleury, and for a long time imitated that master's loud but efl'ective coloring. His first picture of importance was the "Visit of Charles IX. to Coligny, Wounded Two Days Before Saint Bartholomew" (1851). His com- positions are almost (jutirely historical and are in many of the French museums. In the Cor- coran Gallery at Washington. D. C'.. there is ".i^ Scene at Fontainebleau" by him. His master- piece, "Henry III. and the Duke of Guise" (sec- ond-class medal, 1855). is in the Luxembourg. His later coloring is sober, but his drawing is vigorous, and his conception always just and elevated, if not essentially dramatic. COMTE DE BOURSOUELE, koxt de boor'- son'll', Le (Fr.. the Count of Boursoufle). A comedj' by Voltaire, produced in jiublic, post- humously, in 1862. It had been privately acted, however, at the Chateau dc Cirey in 1734, and again at the Chateau d'Anet in 1747. under the title of Quand est-cc r/u'on me 'marie? It was drawn from 'anliruiili's Relapse. COMTE DE PARIS, de pa're'. See Paris, Louis Philippe Alhert d'Orleans, Comte de. COMTE ORY, kox t6're'. Le (Fr.. the Count OrvK The title of an opera, the music of which is l>y Rossini and the libretto by Scribe and Delestre-Poirson (1828). Italian and French productions were given in London in 1829 and 1849 respectively. COMTESSE ' D'ESCARBAGNAS, kon'tes' de'skiir'ba'nyjis'. La ( Fr., the Coiuitess of Escar- bagnas). A comedy by Moli&re (1671). pursu- ing the satire on French country life which forms the subject of M. de Pouveeaugnac. CO'MTJS (Lnt.. from Gk. Kwuof, KOmos) . A character which appears on Greek vases of the end of the fifth centui-y B.C., and later as one of the companions of Dionysus, often as a satyr. Philostratus, in the third century a.d., describes Conms as a winged youth slumbering in a stand- ing attitude, his legs crossed, his countenance Hushed with wine, his head sunk >i])on his breast, his left hand feebly grasping a hunting-spear, his right an inverted torch. .Milton in his poem ha.s represented Conius as born from the loves of Bacchus and Circe, "much like his father, but his mother more;" a sorcerer, who gives to trav- elers a magic draught that changes the human face into liu: "brutal form of some wild beast," and, hilling from them their own foul disligure- nient, makes them forget all the purities of life, "to roll with pleasure in a sensual sty." COMYN, kum'in. A family which rose to great power and eminence in Scotland after the Norman Conquest. The name is also spelled Comin, Comines, or Cumin. — Robert de Comyn, the founder of the family, was probably from Flanders, and followed William the Conipieror to England. He was made Earl of Northumber- land in IOCS. In 10U9 he was .sent to reduce the provinces of the north. He seized Durham. but the people rose against him, and he perished in the flames of the bishop's palace. The family became most prominent in the thirteenth cen- tury. — William Comyn, who died in 12.33, ob- tained the earldom of Buchan bj- marriage. Walter, one of his sons by his first marriage, be- ' came Earl of Monteith. After the accession of Alexander 111. of Scotland, Walter practically ruled the kingdom till 1255. He died in 1258. — Alexander, Earl of I'uehan, his half-brother, by marrying a daughter of the Earl of Winches- ter, acquired, in 1270. the high office of Con- stable of Scotland, with great estates in Gallo- way, Fife, and the Lothians. He was the most powerful noble in Scotland, until his death, in 1289. Within a quarter of a centuiy, however, this great house suffered such utter misfortune that, in the words of a contemporary chronicle, j, "there was no memorial left of it in the land. save the orisons of the monks of Deer" (a mon- astery founded by William Comyn. Eaid of Buchan, in 1219). The Coniyns (lerished in the memorable revolution which placed Bruce on the throne of Scotland. Their chief, the Lord of Badenoch, was in 1291 an unsuccessful com- petitor for the crown, as a descendant, through King Donald Bane, of the old Celtic dynasty. His son. Red John Comyn, was one of the three w'ardens of Scotland, and distinguished himself by his gallant resistance to (he English. He fell under Bruce's dagger, before the altar of the Franciscan Friars at Dumfries, in 1306; and his kindred went down, one after another, in the struggle to avenge him. — .ToiiN Comyn, Earl of Buchan, was defeated by Bruce in a pitched battle near Inverury, in 130S. and his earldom was laid waste. He fled to England, and died in 1313. leaving no children. The possessions of the family, both in Scotland and England, were taken by the King, Consult Douglas, Peerage of Scotland {FAinhuTgh, G4). COW. An Italian preposition, meaning 'with.' much used in musical terms, as con spirlto. con brio. The form col, a contraction of con and il, means 'with the.' CONACHAR, kon'a-Kar. A character in Scott's novel The Fair Maid of Perth, a young Higlilander of the clan 'tjuhele' (Ray), in love with the Fair 'Maid, and for a time apprenticed to Simon the Glover, He suddenlv becomes chief
