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 CORNELISZ

375

CORNELIUS

'Sophonisbe" (1663), "Othon" (1664), "Ag&ilas" [1666), "Attila" (1667). "Tite et B^rtnice" (1670), 'Pulcherie" (1672), "Surena" (1674), which, in spite of a few sparks of genius, show too well the de- jline of a once powerful playwright. Besides his plays Corneille wrote in prose " Discours sur I'art iramatique et examens" (1660), and contributed several poems to the "Guirlandc de Julie".

Corneille was a true Cliristian. For years he served as churchwarden of the church of Saint-Sau- veur in Rouen, and discharged his duties most relig- iously. Towards the end of his life he sold the house in which he was born to give a dowry to his laughter, who entered tlic (Jrder of Saint Dominic. tn all his dramas he constantly pursued a lofty ideal, showing men "as they should be", and representing characters whose heroism, sense of duty, and readi- ness to self-sacrifice contain lessons of highest moral- ity. The standard text of Corneille's works is the edition of Martv-Laveaux (2 vols., Paris, 1862-68).

PicoT, La bibliograpliie cnmilicnnc (Paris, 1876); Tasche- BKAV, Histoire de la vie ct des ouvraf/m de Pierre Corneille (Paris. 1855); Sainte-Becve, PortraiLi UUeraires (1829), I; NiSARD, Histoire de la litlcrature fran-;aise (1844), II; Gdizot, Corneille et son temps (1852); GoDEFROY, Lexique compare de la langtie de Cnmeille (Paris, 1862); Faguet, Le dix-septidme- giecle (ISSO); B rc n kti r: re in La grande encyc., s. v.; Idem, Les epoque-^ du thtdire fran^ais: Petit i>e Julle\tlle. Histoire de la langue et de la litterature iran^aise (Paris, 1897), IV, 863-945.

Louis N. Del.4.m.\rre.

Cornelisz, J.\cob, also called Jacob van Amster- dam nr van Oostzann. and at times confoundetl with a Walter van Assen, a Dutch painter of the first third of the sixteenth century. -N'otliing certain is known regarding the life of Cornolisz nor of his relations to other artists. He wa.s one of the last painters of the Netherlands who showed no traces of Italian influ- ence; however, his pupil, Jan van Score], is regarded as the first "Romanist". In composition Cornelisz was natural and expressed agreeable feeling in the manner of the old Flemish school; his colours are rich and warm; his backgrounds display an attractive landscaife. But besides mistakes in drawing, an ugly realism often detracts from his work. Pictures are e-xtant which it is certain he painted in the years 1506-30. A small yet attractive altar-piece in Berlin represents in the foreground the Madonna and Child with angels plajnng mu.sical instruments, while the background shows a landseaoe; on the wings are depicted St. Augustine, St. Barbara, and the donor; the outer sides of the wings show St. Anne and St. Elizabeth. An altar-piece in the Belvedere at Vienna, reiire.senting St. Jerome, is full of force, variety, and religions feeling. St. Jerome is drawing a thorn out of the foot of a lion: the landscape in the back- gr<)\md shows scenes from the life of the saint; on the outsiile of the doors is the Ma,ss of St. Gregory. One of the most important works of Cornelisz is the "Tri- umph of Religion", or the "Adoration of the Trinity", at Ca.ssel. .\t Antwerp there is an altar-piece of the Virgin with angels; another, representing the Cruci- fixion, is at Cologne. A "Xativity" at Naples and an "Adoration of the Magi" at Verona are carefully executed paintings. Both Berlin and the archiepisco- pal museum at Antwerp jiossess canvases representing the .\doration of the .Magi; a painting of the same subject is in private possession at The Hague. The figure of Christ and the drapery of Mary Magdalen are not pleasing in a picture at Cas.sel of the Risen Christ, painted by Cornelisz in his earliest period. Another canvas of a later date shows Saul and the Witch of Endor.

Waagen. Handbuchder deulaehen und niederlandischen Ma- lerachulen (.Slultgart, 1.S62). I; Sciimi[>t. Knnslehronik, XV; Bode. Kepirtnrium. l\\ SrilKlBI.RR, drmalde des Jakob Cor- nelisz von AnxMerdam in Jahrbneh der preiissiMchen Kuwttsamm- lunoen (18S2>; Frwtz. Gesclticltte der christlichen Malerei (Freiburg im Br., 1894). II.

G. GlETMANN.

Cornelius (KopujXios), a centurion of the Italic cohort, whose conversion at Cajsarea with his house- hold is related in Acts, x. The Roman name Cornelius would indicate that he was either a member of the distinguished jen-s Cornelia, or a descendant of one of its freedmen — most likely the latter. The cohort in which he was centurion was probably the Cohors II Italica civium Romanorum, which a recently discovered inscription proves to have been stationed in Syria be- fore A. D. 69. The description of Cornelius as "a re- ligious man, and fearing God . . . ., giving much alms to the people" [i. e. the Jews (ef. x. 22)]. .shows that he was one of those gentiles commonly, though incor- rectly, called proselytes of the gate, who worshipped the one true (iod and observed some of the prescrip- tions of the Mosaic Law, but who were not affiliated to the Jewish community by circumcision. He was certainly not a full proselyte (.\cts, x, 28, 34 sq.. 4.5; xi, 3). The baptism of Cornelius is an important event in the history of the Early Church. The gates of the Church, within which thus far only those who were circumcised and observed the Law of Moses had been admitted, were now thrown open to the uncir- cumci-sed Gentiles without the obligation of submit- ting to the Jewish ceremonial laws. The innovation was disaiiproved by the Jewish Christians at Jeru- salem (.\cts, xi, 2, 3) ; but when Peter had related his own and Cornelius's vision and how the Holy Ghost had come down upon the new converts, opposition ceased (.\cts, xi, 4-18) except on the part of a few extremists. The matter was finally settled at the Council of Jerusalem (.\cts. xv). According to one tradition Cornelius became Bishop of Csesarea; accord- ing to another, Bishop of Scejisis in Mysia.

Ramsay, Cornelius and the Italic Cohort in Expositor (1896), 194 sq ■ Acta SS., Feb., I. 279 sq.; Baromus. Annates ad an. 41, n. 2; P. G.. I, 1049; CXIV, 1287; P. L., XMII, 265. F. Bechtel.

Cornelius, Pope, Martyr (251 to 2.53). We may accept the statement of the Liberian catalogue that he reigned two years, three months, and ten days, for Lipsius. Lightfoot, and Harnack have shown that this list is a first-rate authority for this date. His predecessor, Fabian, was put to death by Deeius, 20 Januar}', 250. About the beginning of March, 251 the persecution slackened, owing to the absence of tlie emperor, against whom two rivals had arisen. It was possible to assemble sixteen bishops at Rome, and Cornelius was elected, though against his will (Cyprian, Ep. Iv, 24), "by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of almo.st all the clcrgj', by the vote of the people then present, by the consent of aged priests and of good men, at a time when no one had been made before him, when the place of Fabian, that is the place of Peter, and the step of the .sacer- dotal chair were vacant". "What fortitude in his aeceptiince of the episcopate, what strength of mind, what firmne.ss of faith, that he took his seat intrepid in the sacerdotal chair, at a time when the tyrant in liis hatred of bishops was making unspeakable threats. when he heard with far more patience that a rival prince was arising against him, than that a bishop of God was appointed at Rome" (ibid., 9). Is he not, asks .St. Cyprian, to be numbered among the glorioiis confessors" and martyrs who .sat so long .awaiting the sword or the cross or the stake and every other tor- ture?

A few weeks later the Roman priest Novatian made himself anti-pope, and the whole Christian world was convulsed by the .schism at Rome. But the adhesion of ,St. Cyprian .secured to Cornelius the hun- dred bishops of .\frica. and the influence of St. Diony- sius the Great, Bishop of Ale.\.andria, brought the E.ist within a few months to a right decision. In Italy itself the pope got together a synod of sixty bishops. (See Novati.^xism.) Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, seems to have wavered. Tliree letters to