Quag'mire, soft, wet land.

Qua-ter'ni-on, a set of four things.

Scym'e-tar or Cim'e-ter, a Turkish sword of a bent form.

Qui-e'tus, rest; death; that which silences Se-crete', to separate; to conceal.

claims.

Ra'pi-er, a light sword.

Sec'u-lar, worldly; temporal; occurring once in an age.

Re-ca-pit-u-la'tion, a summary of the chief Sed'i-ment, dregs; grounds; settlings.

heads of a discourse.

Re-cip'i-ent, one who receives.

Re-frac'to-ry, obstinate; disobedient.
Re-it'er-ate, to repeat again and again.

Se-di'tion, opposition to the government; rebellion.

Seeth'ing, boiling.

Sen-ten'tious, full of meaning; expressive.

Rel'e-van-cy, state of being applicable or per- Sep'ul-cher, a tomb.

Rem-i-nis'cence, remembrance; that which Ser'vile, slavish.
recalls to the mind.

Re-pug'nant, hostile; opposed.
Re-qui'tal, payment; recompense.

Res-ur-rec'tion, act of rising from the dead.
Ret'i-cence, keeping silence; abstinence from
speech.

Re-trib'u-to-ry, affording reward; making re-
payment, or a just return.
Rev'e-nue, annual rents; income.
Re-ver'ber-ate, to resound; to echo.
Rhap'so-dize, to utter wild, rambling thoughts

Or sentences.

Rhet'or-ic, the art of composition, or oratory. Rho-do-den'dron, a shrub bearing showy flowers.

Rhythm, measure; harmonious flow of lan-
guage.

Ro'se-ate, full of roses; of a rose color.
Ro'ta-ry, turning like a wheel.
Roun'de-lay, a kind of song or dance.
Rub'ble, fragments of.stone or rock.

Ru'nic, pertaining to the Runes, or inscriptions

of the ancient Norsemen.

Sham'bles, the place where butcher's meat is

sold.

Sheik, an Arabian chief.

Shin'gle, a collecton of stones worn smooth by
the action of water, as found on coasts.
Si'en-ite or Sy'en-ite, stone composed of
quartz, hornblende, and feldspar.
Si-er'ra (Spanish), a saw; mountain chain.
Sign'ior (seen' yur), a title of respect among the
Italians; Sir; Mr.

Sil'hou-ette (sil'oo-et), the outlines of an ob-
ject, filled in with black.

Si-lo'ah or Sil'o-a, name of a pool or fountain
in Jerusalem.

Si-lu'ri-an, relating to the Silures, a people of
Wales; hence applied to the geological stratum
found in that country.
Sim'i-le, a comparison.
Sim'mer, to boil gently.

Sim'per, to smile in an affected manner.
Sin'u-ous, bending in and out; winding.
So'journ, stay; temporary abode.
So-lil'o-quy, a talking to one's self.

Rus-tic'i-ty, state of being rustic; coarseness. Som'er-set, a leap heels over head.

Sa-line', containing salt.

Sa-li'va, spittle.

So-no'rous, loud sounding; giving a clear

sound.

Sanc'tu-a-ry, a sacred place; a church or al- Soph'is-try, false and deceitful reasoning.

tar; a place of refuge.

San'guin-a-ry, bloody; blood-thirsty; eager to shed blood.

Sans (French), without.

Sapphire, a precious stone of a blue color.

Sarce'net, a kind of thin silk, used for linings, ribbons, etc.

Sor'tie, a sudden sally of troops from a fortress
or entrenchment.

Spe'cious, apparently right; plausible.
Sta-tis'ti-cal, exactly stated and classified,
especially in numbers.
Stat'u-a-ry, a sculptor.

Sten-to'ri-an, extremely loud.

Sar-don'ic, forced (said of a laugh that is as- Ste-ril'i-ty, barrenness; unfruitfulness.

sumed to conceal pain).

Sat'ire, a poem ridiculing vice or folly.

Ster'to-rous, hoarsely breathing; snoring.
Stipend, salary; wages.

Sa'tyr, a deity of the woods, represented as half Stip'u-late, to bargain; to agree.

man and half goat.

Saul (Scotch), soul.

Sa-van'na, an extensive grassy plain. School'men, men taught in the schools of the middle ages, who disputed on nice points of logic and theology.

Stra'ta (plural of stratum), layers.
Strat'e-gy, science of military command; gen-
eralship.

Strat'i-fied, laid in strata, or layers.
Strin'gent, binding; strict; rigorous.
Stu-pen'dous, astonishing; wonderful.

Sub-ju-ga'tion, conquest; subjection.

Tin-tin-nab-u-la'tion, tinkling, as of bells.

Sub-mer'gence, putting under water; inunda- Tis'sue, fabric; structure; composite substance. tion.

Sub-or-di-na'tion, inferiority of rank or dignity; subjection.

Sub-ser/vi-ent, promoting a particular end; subordina e.

Tit'u-lar, giving a name or title; relating to a. title.

Tra-di'tion, oral report from one generation to another.

Tran-scend'ent, surpassing; unequaled. Sub-ter-ra'ne-an, under the surface of the Tran'sept, the part of a church that projects

earth.

Sub'til-ty, thinness; craft; artifice.
Su-per-flu'i-ty, a greater quantity than is
needed; superabundance.
Su-per-in-cum'bent, lying or resting upon
something else.

Sur-charge', to overload.

Syl'van, pertaining to woods or forests.
Sym'me-try, a due proportion of parts; beauty.
Sym'pho-ny, harmony of sounds; a musical
composition for a full orchestra.

at right angles from the body.
Trans-i-to'ry, passing; fleeting; short-lived.
Trem'u-lous, trembling; quivering.
Trep-i-da'tion, a trembling from fear; alarm.
Tri-as'sic, pertaining to a geological stratum,
called the trias.

Trib-u-ni'cian, pertaining to tribunes.
Tri'col-or, the French flag of three colors;
any three-colored flag.

Tri'ton, a fabled sea deity of the ancient my-
thology.

Syn'a-gogue, a congregation of Jews; a Jew- Trit'u-rate, to reduce to powder by grinding ish church.

or rubbing.

Syn'o-nym, one of two or more words of a lan- Trou'ba-dour, a minstrel of the South of France,

guage which have the same meaning. Syn'the-sis, composition; putting together. Sy-rin'ga, a genus or family of plants. Sys'tem-a-tize, to reduce to a system;

methodize.

to

Tal'is-man, something used or worn to avert or repel evil; a charm.

during the Middle Ages.

Typ'i-cal, emblematic; figurative.

Ul'ti-mate, last; final.

Ul-tra-ma-rine', blue; a blue pigment.
U-lys-se'an, pertaining to Ulysses, a famous
Greek hero and king.

Un-al-loyed', pure; genuine; unmixed.

Tan'gi-ble, perceptible by the touch; substan- Un-bi'ased, impartial; not influenced by either tial.

party.

Tan'ta-lize, to tease or torment, by disappoint- Une'tion, ointment; act of anointing; fervor.

ing hope or expectation. Tap'root, the main root of a plant. Tat-too', a beating of the drum, as a military signal; marks made on the flesh by pricking in fluids of different colors.

Tech'ni-cal, pertaining to a particular art or profession.

U-nique' (-neek), single; unmatched.
Un-mit'i-ga-ted, not softened; unmodified.
Un-pre-med'i-tat-ed, unstudied; off-hand;

extemporaneous.

U-ten'sil, anything used; an implement; a
Vessel.

U'til-ize, to apply to a useful purpose.

Teens, the year of one's age having the termi- Vac-il-la'tion, act of wavering.

nation teen.

Te-mer'i-ty, rashness; recklessness.

Val-e-tu-di-na'ri-an, an invalid; a person seeking to recover health.

Ten'dril, shoot of a creeping plant, used for its Vas'sal, a dependant; a bondman; a tenant. support.

Te-o-cal'li, name of a Mexican temple; liter-
ally, house of God.

Ter-res'tri-al, pertaining to the earth; earthly.
Terse, concise; compact and elegant.

Vat'i-can, the palace of the Pope, at Rome.
Ve'he-ment, forcible; violent.
Ver'i-ta-ble, true; real; positive.
Ves'i-cle, a small bladder.
Vest'ure, a garment; clothing.

The-ol'o-gy, true doctrine relating to God; Vi'a-duct, a structure for carrying a railway divinity.

across a valley or river.

The'o-rem, a truth or proposition to be demon- Vi'a La'ta (Latin), a broad street.
strated.

The'o-ry, a doctrine or scheme; a speculation.
Ther-mom'e-ter, an instrument for measuring
the temperature of the air.
Throt'tle-valve, the valve used to regulate
the supply of steam in a steam-engine.

Vi'ce Ver'sa (Latin), the terms being exchanged.

Vi-cis'si-tudes, regular changes or alternations.

Vir'u-lence, activity in doing injury; extrcme malignity.

A DICTIONARY

OF SOME OF

THE MOST FAMILIAR OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN AUTHORS.

In noting the nationalities in this Dictionary it has been found that some authors have lived and labored in more countries than one; that the birthplaces of some have not been the scenes of their literary successes; and that in a number of cases the places of birth are nowhere stated. In like manner, in the matter of dates, in some cases, especially in the earlier periods, uncertainty has been found among the best authorities; and in not a few, conflicts of opinion appear. In all such cases both matters of nationalities and dates-the weight of authority has been carefully weighed and the best attainable results given.

The following abbreviations have been used, together with a few others apparently too obvious to need pointing out, - the adjectives indicating departments of literary work:

Abbott, John S. C. A. 1805

Hist., and Fic.

Rel. and Fic. Aldrich, Thos. B. A. 1836

Biog.,

Fic. Alexander, A. A. 1772-1851. Rel. and Hist. Abercrombie, John. S. 1726-1806. Horti- Alexander, Jos. A. A. 1809-1860. Rel. cult. Alford, Henry. 1810-1871. Theol. and Poet. Abercrombie, John. S. 1781-1844. Med. Alger, Wm. R. A. 1823- Theol. and

and Meta.

Adams, Chas. F. A. 1807

Pol.

Adams, Hannah. A. 1755 1832. Rel.

Adams, John. A. 1735-1826. Pol.

Mis.
Alison, A. S. 1757-1839. Esth., Rel., and Biog.
Alison, Sir A. S. 1792-1067. Hist., Law, and
Pol.

Adams, John Q. A. 1767 - 1848. Pol., Rel., Allibone, S. A. A. 1816

Biog.

Ames, Fisher. A. 1758-1808. Pol.
Andrews, Prof. E. A. A. 1787-1858. Ed.
Angeil, Jos. K. A. 1794-1857. Law.
1797-1867. Ed.

Addison, Jos. E. 1672-1719. Ess., Poet., Anthon, Chas. A.

and Dram.

Agassiz, Louis J. R. A. 1807-1874. Sci.

and Trav.

Arbuthnot, John. E. 1675 1734. Phys. and Sat.

Aguilar, Grace. E. 1816 1847 Fic.
Ainsworth, Wm. H.
Akenside, Mark. E.
Alcott, Louisa M.
A.
Alden, Jos. A.. 1807-

A. 1782-1851. Sci. 1775-1817. Fic.

Benton, Thos. H. A. 1782-1858. Pol. and
Law.

S. 1813-1865. Poet., Berkeley, Geo. (Bishop of Cloyne). I. 1684-
Philos., Theol., and Poet.

Sci.

Audubon, John J.
Austen, Jane. E.
Aytoun, Wm. E.
Dram., and Biog.
Babbage, Chas. E. 1790-
Bachman, John. A. 1790-1874. Sci. and Rel.
Bacon, Francis (Viscount of St. Albans).
E. 1561 1626. Philos., Sci., Law, and Ess.
Bacon, Leonard. A. 1802-
Theol.,

Hist., and Ess.

1753

Biog. and Blacklock, Thos. S. 1721-1791. Poet.
Blackstone, Sir Wm. E. 1723-1780. Law.
Antiq. and Blair, Hugh. S. 1718-1800. Theol. and

Crit.

Ilist., Ess., Blair, Robert. S. 1699-1747. Poet.
Blessington, Countess of. I. 1789-1849.
Fic., Trav., and Mis.

Banim, John. I. 1800-1842. Fic. and Dramı.
Barbauld, Anna L. E. 1743-1825.

Biog., and Poet.

Ess.,

Bloomfield, Robert. E. 1766-1823. Poet.
Boker, Geo. H. A. 1824- Dram. and

Poet.

Bolingbroke, Henry St. John (Viscount).

Barham, R. H. E. 1788 1845. Poet.
Barlow, Joel. A. 1755 1812. Poet.
Barnes, A. A. 1798-1870. Rel.
Barrow, Isaac. E. 1630-1677. Sci. and Rel.
Barrow, Sir John. E. 1764-1848. Trav.
Baxter, R.
E. 1615-1691. Theol.
Bayly, Thos. H. E. 1797-1839. Fic., Poet., Bowditch, Nath'l.

and Dram.

Bayne, Peter. S. Ess. and Rel.

Fic. and Trav.

E. 1678-1751. Pol. and Hist.
Borrow, Geo. E. 1803 -
Boswell, Jas. S. 1740-1795. Biog.
Bouvier, John. A. 1787-1851. Law.
A. 1773-1838. Sci.
Bowles, Wm. L. E. 1762-1850. Poet., Esth.,

Rel., en 1 Biog.

Beattie, James. S. 1735-1803. Poet. and Bowring, Sir John. E. 1792-1872. Philol.,

Beckford, Wm. E. 1760-1844. Fic., Biog., Breckinridge, R. J.