fire-damp, which now fills the cylinder with a pretty strong light. As long as this explosive mixture of gas exists in contact with the lamp, so long it will give light; and when it is extinguished, which happens when the foul air constitutes as much as one third of the volume of the atmosphere, the air is no longer proper for respiration; for though animal life will continue when flame is extinguished, yet it is always with suffering. A coil of platinum wire being fixed above the wick of the lamp, within the gauze cylinder, the metal continues to glow long after the lamp is extinguished, and affords a sufficient light to enable the miner to make his escape. The effect of the safety lamp is supposed to depend on the cooling agency of the wire gauze, exerted on the portion of gas burning within the cylinder. Hence a lamp may be secure where there is no current of an explosive mixture to occasion its being strongly heated, and yet not safe when the current passes through it with great rapidity. But any atmosphere, however explosive, may be rendered harmless by increasing the cooling surface, which may be done either by diminishing the size of the apertures, or by increasing their depth, both of which are perfectly within the power of the manufacturer of the wire gauze.

DAN (perhaps from dominus, like the Spanish don, and the Italian donna, from domina); the old term of honor for men, as we now say master. It is used by Shakspeare, Prior, Spenser.

DAN (Hebrew; meaning judgment); one of the 12 patriarchs, the 5th son of Jacob. The Danites were one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

DANAË; daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. She was shut up by her father in a brazen tower, because an oracle had declared that a son of his daughter should put him to death. But Jupiter, inflamed with passion for the charming virgin, transformed himself into a golden shower, and descended through the apertures of the roof into her embraces. When Acrisius discovered that his daughter had become a mother, he exposed her, with her child, in a frail boat, to the violence of the waves. But the sea-goddesses, anxious for the preservation of the son of Jove, commanded the billows to waft the skiff safely to Seriphos, one of the Cyclades. Polydectes, or rather Dictys, the governor of the island, received her, and educated the child, which he named Perseus. (q. v.) DANAÏDES; the 50 daughters of Danaus,

who was a son of Belus, and, at first, lived in Libya, with his brother Ægyptus, who had 50 sons. In consequence of a quarrel with his brother, Danaiis, with his daughters, fled to Argos. The 50 sons of Ægyptus followed him thither, expressed a desire for a reconciliation, and asked the daughters of Danaus in marriage. He was obliged to consent to the proposal; but, as he put no confidence in his nephews, and had, moreover, been informed by an oracle, that one of his sons-in-law should slay him, he bound his daughters, by a solemn oath, to murder their husbands on their bridal night. They all kept their promise except Hypermnestra, who saved the life of her husband Lynceus. As a punishment for their crime, the daughters of Danaus, in the infernal world, were condemned perpetually to draw water in sieves. Of this tradition the ancients gave the following historical explanation:-The daughters of Danaiis were said to have discovered fountains in the dry country of Argolis, and constructed cisterns there."

DANCING. The disposition to rhythm and measured motion, is deeply implanted in human nature. As soon as man, in a rude state, wishes to express elevated feelings, whatever be their cause-joy, devotion, patriotism-he makes use of rhythm, or measured language, and the dance, or measured movements. This is the origin of the symbolical dance, which, among all nations, in the first stages of civilization, is used as an expression of excited feeling. The operation of the principle of imitation, which led to the invention of the drama, gave birth also to the imitative dance-the pantomime. Dancing, in the course of time, took the character of an art. Grace became one of its chief objects, and it was much cultivated as an elegant amusement in the intercourse of society, and an elegant spectacle in public entertainments. Its ancient character, however, of an expression of religious or patriotic feeling, gradually declined, as the progress of refinement and civilization produced its invariable effect of restraining the full expression of the feelings and emotions. This circumstance, added to the chastened and didactic character of the Christian religion, probably prevented the dance from being admitted among the rites of the Christian religion; but it has always been cultivated among Christians, as an agreeable amusement and elegant exhibition. As an amusement of social assemblages, the dance has sunk much below the character of an art. The polite assemblies of the

present day are too much crowded to leave room for graceful dancing, and, in England and the U. States, one kind of dance, being kept up during a whole evening, of course tends to produce tediousness. But national dances, as those of the Bohemian, Polish, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish peasantry, still retain the expression of joyous feeling, and often exhibit much imitative power.

There is reason to suppose that the dance had a place among the religious rites of the Jews; to what extent, however, is not known, and some persons deny the fact altogether; but it appears pretty evident that this doubt is unfounded, and its admission may be easily explained by the origin which we have ascribed to dancing in general. With the Greeks and Romans, regulated movements, quick or slow, i. e., dancing, were introduced in most religious celebrations. The Greeks, developing the element of the beautiful in every branch of art, were also masters in the religious dance. In the exhibitions of the theatre, they united the dance with many other performances, and the dances of the ancients which commemorated the adventures of Achilles, Alexander, the loves of Venus and Mars, &c., are to be understood as pantomimic performances, the word saltare, with the Romans, having a very extensive meaning, and doxos, with the Greeks, including the mimic art in general. From the Romans, the dance was transmitted to the national theatre of the Italians. As early as the 16th century, several Italians (Rinaldo Corso, Fabric. Caroso, &c.) wrote on dancing. They and the French have cultivated the modern art of dancing to the degree of perfection in which we find it; so that the ballet of the Parisian opera was long considered the highest perfection of the art of dancing, and, in some respects, still is. There exist, at present, two different schools the Italian and French. That of the latter, who may be called, by way of eminence, the graceful nation, is the more perfect. Much is said against the modern French ballet, and, no doubt, it sometimes degenerates to a mere display of skill and agility, at the expense of grace and beauty, which ought always to remain the chief object of dancing; yet we consider the French ballet, as it exists at present, in a very perfect state, and no country has probably ever had a more finished theatrical dance, the foundation of which was laid by Beauchamp, under Louis XIV. This art owes still more to the famous Noverre (q. v.), whose writings on this sub

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ject much surpass those of D'Arbeau and Rameau. A general work on dancing, treating the religious and secular dances of the different nations, would be interesting. As regards the European dances, ancient and modern, and that of the Jews, the following works are some of the best: Bourdelot's Histoire de la Danse sacrée et profane, ses Progrès et ses Révolutions depuis son Origine, &c. (Paris, 1724, 12mo.), and Cahusac's Traité de la Danse anc. et moderne (Paris, 1753, 3 vols., 12mo.). For the dances of the Greeks and Romans, see also Potter's Archæologia Græca; Zeltner De Choreis vet. Judæorum Diss. (Altorf, 1726, 4to.), and Renz's work, De Religiosis Saltationibus vet. Judæorum (Leipsic, 1738, 4to.); Memoires sur les Danses Chinoises, in the Variétés littéraires (vol. 1 and 2); Lafiteau's Maurs des Sauvages (vol. 1). Since Noverre, few good treatises have been written, giving instructions on the art of dancing. We mention only the Essai sur la Danse antique et moderne (Paris, 1823, by mad. Elise Voiart), and Baron's Entretiens sur la Danse ancienne, moderne, religieuse, civile et théatrale (Paris, 1825). The only Christian sect, that has admitted dancing among its religious ceremonies, are the Shakers, so called.

DANCOURT, Florent Carton; a French actor and comic poet; born in 1661, at Fontainebleau, of a respectable family. At the age of 23, he became enamored of an actress, and left every other employment for the stage. Although he personated the first characters in high comedy, he succeeded best, as an author, in low comedy. He displayed much ingenuity and wit in introducing upon the stage amusing subjects of real occurrence in his time. Louis XIV was very fond of humorous pieces, and Dancourt often used to read his productions to the king before they were played. He left the theatre in 1718, and died in 1726. A good edition of his complete works appeared in 12 volumes, 12mo., 1760.

DANDELION. (See Leontodon.)

DANDOLO, Henry, one of the most illustrious of the doges of Venice, was chosen to that office, in 1192, at the advanced age of 84. He had a defect of sight, approaching nearly to blindness; but neither that circumstance nor his age impaired the vigor of his administration, the events of his government being among the principal causes of the Venetian greatness. On the formation of the league for the fourth crusade, under Baldwin, earl of Flanders, Dandolo induced the senate to join in it, and by his policy the first hos

tilities of the armament were directed against Zara, which had revolted from Venice. On the storming of Constantinople, the aged doge, standing on the prow of his galley, with the great standard of St. Mark borne before him, commanded his men to run up to the walls, and was the first who leaped on shore. After various changes in the imperial throne, succeeded by a second siege, in which Constantinople was stormed and pillaged by the crusaders, the latter proceeded to the election of an emperor, and Dandolo was first nominated, although, in consequence of his age, and the incompatible character of doge, the choice ultimately fell on Baldwin. In the sharing of the imperial dominions, Venice obtained a full moiety, and Dandolo was solemnly invested with the title of despot of Romania. He ended his eventful life at Constantinople, in 1205 (if the records are to be trusted), at the advanced age of 97.

DANDOLO, Andrew, doge of Venice, and one of the earliest Italian historians, was born about 1310, and made doge in 1343. He carried on a war against the Turks with various success, and greatly extended Venetian commerce, by opening a trading connexion with Egypt. The jealousy entertained by the Genoese of this new trade produced a war between the two states, which gave rise to a correspondence between the doge and Petrarch, who exhorted him to peace. He died in September, 1354. To Andrew Dandolo is ascribed the compilation of the sixth book of Venetian statutes; but he is most distinguished for his Chronicle of Venice, which is written in Latin, and comprehends the history of the republic from its commencement to 1342. It is praised for its impartiality, and for its judicious use of authentic documents, and was first published by Muratori in his collection of original Italian writers of history. DANEGELT (from the Saxon gelt, money), an ancient annual tax of the AngloSaxons, to maintain forces to resist the Danes.

DANFORTH'S SPEEDER, in cotton machinery; a roving frame, in which the bobbins are not turned by the rotation of their axis, but by friction applied to their surface by small wooden cylinders, which revolve in contact with them. By this contrivance, the velocity of the surface of the bobbin will always be the same, whatever may be its growth from the accumulation of roving, so that the winding goes on at an equable rate. The speeder received its name from Mr. Danforth, of Massachusetts, the inventor.

DANIEL, the prophet, a contemporary of Ezekiel, was born of a distinguished Hebrew family. In his youth, B. C. 600, he was carried captive to Babylon, and educated in the Babylonish court, for the service of king Nebuchadnezzar. After three years, he entered into the service of this monarch, and discharged his employments with much credit to himself, and without violating his conscience. A decree of the king, which he could not conscientiously obey, occasioned his being thrown into the lions' den. Preserved by a miraculous Providence, he lived afterwards in happiness and honor. He was elevated to the office of governor and prime-minister in the court of the Persian king Darius. Cyrus finally gave him permission to return, with his people, to Palestine. Daniel was a man of high mental cultivation and strict virtue. Being well acquainted with the government and condition of all the great kingdoms then known in the world, and particularly favored by the Deity, he could foresee coming events with the greatest accuracy, and, for this reason, deservedly received the name of Nabi (prophet), although most of the Jews exclude him from the number of the prophets. His prophecy has come down to posterity, and is included in the Hebrew canon. Probably only the second part of it is by him. It is wholly symbolical, full of dreams and visions. The hand-writing on the wall of Belshazzar's palace was interpreted by Daniel.

DANIEL, Gabriel; one of the French historians, born at Rouen, in 1649. At the age of 18, he entered the Jesuits' college, instructed in several places with much success, and died in 1728. "He sought," as the German Bouterwek says of him, "in his history of his own country, which has earned him his reputation" (Histoire de France, of which many editions have appeared since 1713, particularly that of Paris, 1755-1757, in 17 vols., 4to.; also numerous abridgments, and a German translation, Nuremberg, 1756-65, 16 vols., 4to.), "to connect the flattery of the court, the nobility and the clergy with the duties of a historian." We often feel the want of profound research and historical fidelity in his work. He seems to have been destitute of the art of historical description. His thoughts on the proper mode of writing history, he has given to the world in the somewhat tedious introduction to his prolix narrative. His Histoire de la Milice Française is still known: less so is his Recueil des Ouvrages Philosophiques, Théologiques, Apologétiques, &c. (1724, 4to.),

which contains his Voyage du Monde de Descartes (first published separately, and translated into English and Italian)-a caustic satire on the opinions of this philosopher.

DANIEL, Samuel, an English historian and poet, contemporary with Shakspeare, was born 1562. He had an appointment at the court of queen Elizabeth, and also of Anne (wife of James I); but he commonly lived in the country, employed in literary pursuits. As a historical poet, he seems to have taken Lucan for his pattern. He employed his brilliant talents in writing an epic on the most remarkable occurrences in the history of his country. He bestowed much labor on the poem which describes, in eight books, the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster (History of the Civil Wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster, reprinted with the Rest of the poetical Works of this Author, and some Account of his Life, in Anderson's British Poets, vol. 4). The poetical value of this work, as of Lucan's, consists in a beautiful style. Daniel contributed much to the improvement of the poetical diction of England. His stanzas, formed with a careful attention to the Italian octave, have more dignity and euphony than most verses of this sort in English literature, in the first half of the 17th century. He is not wanting in rhetorical beauty and force. He was also the author of some poetical epistles, pastorals, 57 sonnets, and a few tragedies. The first seem to have excited much attention. During the reign of queen Elizabeth, he wrote a sketch of the history of England, till the time of Edward III-a work learned and clear, without ostentation, and containing useful and acute views. Daniel died in 1619.

DANISH LANGUAge, Literature AND ART. (See Denmark.)

DANISHMEND; a Turkish ecclesiastic of low rank; also a talisman.

DANNECKER, John Henry von; professor of sculpture at Stuttgard; one of the most eminent of modern sculptors. He was born at Stuttgard, Oct. 15, 1758, of poor parents: his father was a groom of the duke of Wirtemberg, and the son grew up without any other education than the condition of his parents would allow. He early exhibited a strong inclination for drawing, which he secretly indulged, and, being destitute of paper, covered the materials of a neighboring stone-cutter with his designs. Providence, however, unexpectedly afforded this remarkable genius an opportunity for rising from obscurity.

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On Easter-day, 1771, Dannecker's father came home, and mentioned that the duke would receive the children of his servants into his military school, and added, angrily, that he had cast his eyes on the boy. The child declared that he would go to the duke that very day; and, to prevent him, his father shut him up in a closet. Having collected the boys in the street before the apartment in which he was confined, he jumped out of the window, and, without hesitation, went with them straightway to the castle, where the Eierlesen a national feast of the people-had assembled the court. They addressed themselves to the servants with this request-"We should like to be received into the Charles's school." The duke was informed of their petition, and came immediately forth to examine the little band. He looked at them keenly, and, at length, took one after the other from the crowd, and placed him to the right of himself; finally, there remained only Dannecker with two others on the left. The poor boys believed themselves rejected, and Dannecker would willingly have sunk into the earth. But these three were, in fact, the selected ones, and the others were dismissed. After an examination of his talents, young Dannecker was destined to be an artist. In his 16th year, he obtained a prize for his Milo of Crotona. The composition of this Milo would not disgrace his ripened ability. In this academy, Dannecker formed an intimate friendship with Schiller, then one of the most distinguished scholars at that place, and to whom, in later days, he erected a monument. He left the academy at the same time with him in 1780, and was appointed statuary to the court, by the duke, with a yearly salary of 300 florins. Three years afterwards, he obtained permission to travel to Paris, yet without any further assistance than an increase of 100 florins to his salary during his second year in Paris. With this small provision, Dannecker, in 1783, travelled on foot to Paris. Love for his art enabled the young man to bear with content the severest privations, and the contemplation of splendid works of genius often caused him to forget his hunger. Dannecker found here, in the celebrated and honest Pajou, a valuable master. In 1785, he left Paris, and proceeded on foot to Rome. Here he became acquainted with Canova (born in 1757), who, at that time, was beginning to obtain distinction, and was employed on Ganganelli's monument. Canova soon conceived an affection for the German artist, was

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serviceable to him in his studies, visited him often in his labors, and improved him by his remarks. Dannecker commenced his labors in marble at Rome, where he made a Ceres and a Bacchus. These statues procured his admission into the academies of Bologna and Milan. He returned to his country in 1790, after an abode of five years in Rome, and duke Charles made him professor of the fine arts in his academy. The first work which he completed for the patron of his youth, was a maiden mourning over a bird. He now labored principally upon sketches and designs for the duke. In 1796, he began again to work in marble, and, among other things, produced a Sappho (now in Monrepos); in 1797, two priestesses of plaster (at present in the Favorite, at Louisberg); and many studies. The elector Frederic II (afterwards king) now employed him upon a greater work Weeping Friendship leaning upon a Coffin-for the monument of his noble friend, the count Zeppelin. This he finished in marble, in 1804, and it was long the object of admiration, in the mausoleum of the count, in the park at Louisberg. While he was modelling this figure, the idea of his Ariadne suggested itself to his mind. He had, in 1797, executed a bust after nature, and as large as life, of his friend Schiller, during his residence in Stuttgard. He now prepared a second, of colossal size, of Carrara marble—an offering of love and grief to his deceased friend. This bust adorns the artist's study, and only casts in plaster have been given to the world, of which one adorns the library of the university of Göttingen. After many other works, he at length began, in marble, in 1809, his Ariadne riding upon a panther, as the bride of Bacchus; and, in 1816, this was sent to Mr. de Bethmann, at Frankfort. It is one of the most beautiful works of modern times. In 1812, the artist was again employed by king Frederic upon a new work. This was a Cupid, the design of which was furnished by the monarch. The head of the little god was to be inclined towards the earth, in a meditating embarrassment, with an empty quiver and an unstrung bow. But the artist threw into the piece a more ideal character. Under his chisel, it became a heavenly Cupid, represented at the moment when Psyche has let fall the heated oil upon his shoulder. General Murray, an Englishman, saw this exquisite specimen of sculpture, finished in marble, in 1814, and wished it to be repeated for himself. Instead of complying with this wish, Dan

necker offered to complete for him a pendant, and executed his Psyche, a pure being, intended to represent heavenly innocence. But the favorite subject of the artist, which for 8 years occupied his thoughts, is his Christ, for the idea of which he is indebted to an inspiring dream. This colossal statue was finished in 1824, and sent to St. Petersburg, to the empressmother of Russia, who made a present of it to the emperor Alexander. Dannecker wished, in this piece of art, to represent the Mediator between God and man. was afterwards employed, in 1825, upon a statue of the evangelist John, seven feet in height, for the royal chapel at Rothenberg. Dannecker labors, unweariedly, from morning to evening, with the activity of youth. The openness and simplicity of his character have gained him the love of all who know him, and his life has been so undisturbed, that Canova surnamed him il beato.

He

DANTE (properly, Durante Alighieri), one of the most distinguished men of whom history makes mention, was born in Florence, in 1265. Of the first years of this greatest and earliest of the modern poets of Italy, we know little more than that (as he himself tells us, in his Inferno, xv, 8th) he was a scholar of Brunetto Latini, a Florentine, distinguished as a poet, a scholar, and a politician. His very early love for Beatrice Portinari (who died in 1290) aroused his spirit, and afforded images and figures to his poetical mind, as long as it created. He studied philosophy at Florence, Bologna and Padua, and afterwards theology at Paris. He was also familiar with Latin literature, and wrote the language well for that time. While he cultivated his mind, he, at the same time, served his country as a soldier and a statesman. In 1289, he fought in the memorable battle at Campaldino against the Ghibelines of Arezzo, and, in 1290, at Caprona, against the Pisans. He went on several embassies from the Florentine republic to Rome, and to the courts of different sovereigns. In 1291, he married Gemma, the daughter of Manetto Donati, by whom he had several children. This marriage was not happy, and a separation finally ensued. In 1300, Dante was, unfortunately for himself, made one of the priors, or superior magistrates, of his native city. Florence was, at that time, divided between two parties-the Bianchi and Neri (the White and Black). The former, being the weaker, sought assistance from pope Boniface VIII; and the pope determined to send Charles of Valois, brother