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USU

1202

UZ

university of Leyden offered him a professorship, with a larger

salary than had ever been annexed to it; and Cardinal Richelieu invited him to France, with a promise of ample support. No wonder that one of his opponents, Fitzsimmons the Jesuit, styled him when yet in early life "acatholicorum doctissimus." The original name was Neville, and the name Usher is derived from the circumstance that the first of the family who came over to Ireland was usher to King John. Besides various editions of his separate works, there is a handsome collected edition in 16 vols., Dublin, 1841, with a life by the editor. Dr. Elrington; also Life and Letters by his chaplain. Dr. Parr, London, 1686.—J. E. USUARDUS, a French monk of the order of St. Benedict, who lived in the ninth century. He belonged to the order of St. Germain near Paris. Some historians say that he had been a disciple of Alcuin, but this is very doubtful. Dissatisfied with the martyrologies of Jerome and Bede, Usuardus undertook to write one more full and particular. In this labour he enjoyed the countenance of Charles the Bald. This book was published at Louvain in 1568, and, with omissions of what displeased the papists, at Antwerp in 1587.—R. M., A. UTENHEIM, Christopher von, Bishop of Basle, was descended from a noble Alsatian family. He became early in life a doctor of the canon law. He was afterwards a canon of the collegiate church of St. Thomas, Strasburg, and in 1473 was appointed rector of the university of Basle. There he was also received into the number of the canons of the cathedral, and intrusted with the charge of the custode (box in which the host is kept). He was besides vicar-general of the order of Clugny. On the death of Gaspard von Rheno in 1502, Utenheim was promoted to the bishopric of Basle. When he began to feel the infirmities of age, his canons gave him, with consent of the pope, Nicholas von Diespach for his coadjutor, in whose favour he ultimately resigned his bishopric. He then retired to Dellemont, his canons obliging him to accept an annual pension of two hundred florins. He died in 1527, about seventy-eight years of age. Utenheim was one of the best prelates of his age. He was a great enemy to the prevailing vices of the clergy, and despised everything like pomp, laziness, or pride. Much of his time, we are told, was spent in holy meditation and prayer. Erasmus counted him among his best friends, and corresponded freely with him on the most important subjects. It is said that one of his reasons for resigning his bishopric respected the religious controversies of the age. He was deeply perplexed as to how he should act—whether join the followers of Luther, or abide by the church in whose service he had spent his strength. Nor is it strange that he died in the communion of Rome. The Reformation was the cause of the young. Many old men whose opinions were evangelical hesitated to cast in their lot with the bolder spirit of youth, and among them Utenheim, whose doctrine may be learned from the inscription which he caused to be written on a window in the convent of the penitents at Basle—"Christophorus, Dei et apostolicæ sedis gratia episcopus Basileensis; spes mea crux Christi, gratiam non opera quæro, anno 1522."—R. M., A. UTINO, Leonard de Belluensis or Micensis, an Italian Dominican monk, was rector of a gymnasium at Bologna, chaplain to Eugene IV., and finally provincial of his order in Lombardy. He flourished about the middle of the fourteenth century. He was author of two series of sermons, which are said to be elaborate, learned, and ingenious, but characterized by the vicious taste of the times; a treatise "De Locis Communibus Prædicatorum," 1478; and another, "De Legibus." His sermons were among the first books that issued from the press, having been printed in the year 1446.—R. M., A. UTRECHT, Adrian van, an excellent Flemish painter of animals, fruit, still-life, &c., was born at Antwerp in 1599, and learned painting under Herman de Ryt. He was admitted a master into the Antwerp guild of painters in 1625, and in 1628 he married Constance, the daughter of W. van Nieulant the painter. She was known as a poetess, and bore her husband twelve children. The works of this painter are scarce in the northern collections of Europe. Many of his principal works were executed for the Spanish court, and are dispersed in Spain. He died at Antwerp in 1652-53.—R. N. W. UVAROFF, Sergius Semonovitch, Count, the enlightened minister of public instruction for Russia during the greater part of the reign of the Emperor Nicholas, was born in 1785. He received the better part of his education at Göttingen, and on his return home he speedily attained a subordinate office in the state as curator of the Academy of Sciences (1811). In 1818 he became the president of the academy. Four years later he entered the busier department of trade and manufactures, in which he was made a director. In 1832 he was raised to the post of minister of public instruction, where he remained till 1848. He exercised, during this long period, his official control over the school and the press in as liberal a manner as was possible under the eye of Nicholas. He greatly developed oriental studies, with a view to the preparation of a diplomatic corps for service in those parts of the world in which Russia ardently desires to extend her influence. He died 16th September, 1855.—R. H. UVEDALE, Robert, an English naturalist, flourished about the middle of the seventeenth century, and was a great friend of Plukenet. He lived at Enfield, where he cultivated a garden, which appears to have been rich in exotic productions. He published—"Genera Plantarum;" "Fungi Austriaci;" "Thesaurus Britannicus;" "Rosacearum Monographia;" &c.—J. H. B. UWINS, Thomas, R.A., a clever painter of fancy subjects, was born in London in 1782, and was brought up as an engraver. But he became a student of the Royal Academy, forsook engraving for water-colour painting, and was elected a member of the Old Water-colour Society in 1811. He paid a visit to the south of France in 1814, and then first took to oil painting; practising for some time as a portrait-painter in Edinburgh. In 1826 Uwins went to Italy, where he remained about five years; and after his return home he attracted considerable notice by a number of pictures, chiefly from life, at Naples, such as the "Saint Manufactory," "Taking the Veil," &c. He was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1839; appointed surveyor of the royal pictures in 1842; and keeper of the National gallery in 1847; the last post, however, he resigned in 1855. Uwins held also, for some years, the office of librarian to the Royal Academy. He died in 1857.—R. N. W. UXELLES, Nicholas de Ble, Marquis d', a marshal of France, was descended from an old Burgundian family, which in the thirteenth century produced a number of distinguished officers. He was born in 1652, and was destined by his parents for the ecclesiastical profession, but on the death of his elder brother, who fell in the expedition to Candia in 1669, he abandoned that career, and succeeded to the government of the town and citadel of Chalons, which had long been hereditary in his family. He made his first essay in arms at the siege of Besançon in 1674, and in the same year was appointed by the king to the command of the regiment of Dauphin-infantry left vacant by the death of his cousin, the marquis de Beringhen. Through the influence of his patron, the celebrated minister Louvois, the advancement of d'Uxelles was rapid. He was appointed brigadier, and shortly after major-general, and served in the campaigns in Flanders, at the sieges of Valenciennes, Cambray, Ghent, Ypres, and Luxembourg. He was raised to the rank of lieutenant-general in 1688, and while taking part in the siege of Philipsburg, under the dauphin, was severely wounded by a musket ball. When the French army was compelled to evacuate Germany, d'Uxelles was intrusted with the defence of Mayence against all the forces of the empire. He displayed great sagacity and foresight in his arrangements, and during the seven weeks in which he held the town against a powerful force, he made twenty-four sorties, and slew five thousand of the enemy. But his ammunition having failed, and no succour being sent, he was obliged to capitulate, 8th September, 1689. His brilliant defence of Mayence was most unjustly blamed at Paris, and the downfall of Louvois at this juncture involved him in the unpopularity of his patron. But his great merit was cordially acknowledged by Louis himself. In 1703 he was one of a batch of marshals created by the Grand Monarque, and in 1710 was appointed, along with the Cardinal de Polignac, to negotiate the treaty of Gertruydenberg. After the death of Louis the marshal was nominated president of the council of foreign affairs, and a member of the council of regency. He died in 1730, when the family became extinct.—J. T. UZ, Johann Peter, a German poet of mark, was born at Anspach, 3rd October, 1720. After completing his education at Halle, he entered the administrative service of his native town, whence, in 1763, he was translated to Nuremberg. He died at Anspach, 12th May, 1796. By his lyrical and didactic poems, particularly his "Theodicée," 1755, he has won for himself an honourable place in German literature.—K E.

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