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 ERISHNAGAR

702

ERZYCEI

Krishnagar, Diocese op (Kisiinagrensis). — The bountlarius of the Diocese of Ivrishnagar are: on the north, the Archdiocese of Calcutta and the Prefecture Apostohc of A,s5;ani; on the east, the Diocese of Dacca; on the south, the Bay of Beiigal and the Archdiocese of Calcutta; on the west, the Archdiocese of Calcutta. The diocese is divided from north-west to south-east by the Ganges, into two portions nearly equal in extent. Since the last delimitation of territory (1SS9) it com- prises five districts on the western side of the Ganges, viz. : Khulna, Jessore, Nadiya, Faridpur, and Murshida- bad; and six districts on the eastern side of the Ganges: Rajshahi, Bogra, Maldah, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Jal- paiguri, and the native State of Kuch Behar. The first five districts belong to the civil province of Ben- gal and the other six to the new province called East- ern Bengal and Assam. The population of the whole diocese, according to the latest census (1900), is over eighteen milhons. In 1855, .six districts of the Vicari- ate Apostolic of Western Bengal, viz.: Jessore, Nadiya, Murshidabad, Rajshahi, Bogra and Maldah, were pro- visionally united under the name of Central Bengal Mission; and, at the request of the Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal, three missionaries from the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Milan w-ere sent out to work in that mission. There were then scarcely a hundred Catholics in the whole mission. In the year 1870 the Central Bengal Mission was definitely separated from the Vicariate of Western Bengal; the provinces of Bhutan and Assam and a few other districts were added to it; and the mission was created a prefecture Apostolic (June, 1870), Father Marietti being the first prefect. On 1 September, 1886, it was constituted a diocese under the hierarchy, and Right Rev. Dr. F. Pozzi was consecrated first bishop, 13 February, 1887. In 1SS9 the provinces of Bhutan and Assam were de- tached from the Diocese of Krishnagar, and the dio- cese was reduced to its present territory. Bishop Pozzi died in October, 1905, and was succeeded by the present bishop, Dr. S. Taveggia, consecrated 4 Novem- ber, 1906.

The Catholics of the diocese (August, 1909) number 6247, besides 691 catechumens. With the exception of about four hundred Eurasians and Europeans, all the other Cathohcs are native converts. Working in the diocese at present are: one bishop; eleven mission- aries of the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Milan, residing in eight different stations; sixteen Sisters of Charity of Lovere (Italy), distributed in four different houses. There are thirteen churches and fifty mud- huts in the villages, which are used as places of wor- ship, as shelters for the visiting missionarj', and some- times also as schoolrooms. There are three orphanages for native boys and tliree for native girls, with over two hundred children entirel.v supported by the mission and under the direction of the Sisters of Charity. Scattered in several districts there are twenty-five mission schools attended by over five hundred chil- dren. Christian and pagan. The Sisters of Charity are also in charge of a pubhc hospital and three mission free dispensaries; and they also direct two homes for widows and catechumens, and a home for incurables.

The Madras Catholic Directory (Madras, 1909); Catholic Calendar (Calcutta, 1910).

F. RoccA.

EriSeTa^. See Crisium, Dioce.se of.

Eromer, Maktin, a distmguished Polish bishop and historian; b. at Biecz in Galicia in 1512; d. at Ileilsberg, Ermland (now East Prussia), on 23 March, 1589, He was the son of a substantial citizen who, desirous of a public career for his son, sent him to the University of Cracow where he obtained his degree in philosophy. Afterwards he studied theology at Bo- logna and at Rome. When he returned to Poland he was api)ointed secretary to (Jamrat, Bishop of Cracow, and shortly afterwards he was maile secretary to

Prince Sigismund August. The latter was so pleased with him that, when he afterwards ascended the Polish throne, he entrusted Kromer with man.y high official duties, and in order to enable him to receive promotion to even higher dignities the king elevated him in 1552 to the rank of a nol)leman. Kromer was charged with diplomatic missions to Vienna, Rome, and to the Council of Trent. In Poland he had com- plete charge of the national archives, arranged the. various documents and materials in systematic form, and in doing so devoted himself especially to the his- tory of his country. At the suggestion of the king he utilized the studies made in arranging these archives by writing his great historical work, " De origine et rebus gestis Polonorum" in thirty books, which was published at Basle in 1555, and treated of the history of Poland from the earliest times down to the year 1506. It was translated into German by Heinrich Pantaleon and also published at Basle in 1562, and was likewise translated on two different occasions into Polish and published at Cologne in 1589 and at Cracow in 1611. In this history Kromer showed himself a keen critic, with a graceful style and polished Latinity, .and he was particularly successful in setting forth clearly and lucidly the intricate political relations of Poland with the neighbouring states. It is to be re- gretted, however, that liis history ended without de- scribing the events of the very epoch which he knew so well from his own participation therein. Following this, he published at Cologne in 1577 his great geo- graphical and descriptive work, " Polonia, sive de situ, populis, moribus, magistratibus et republica regni Polonici", in two books, which still remains an im- portant source of information about contemporary Poland. It was translated into Polish by Kondrato- wicz and published at Wilna in 1853. He had even turned liis attention to music, for in 1534 he had pub- lished a volume at Cracow entitled "De musica figurata ". He took a very active part in opposing the spread of Protestantism in Poland. His various po- lemical writings, his sermons, and his catechism were all written in Polish and in a simple style devoted to the enlightenment of the people; they formed an energetic protest against the introduction of the new Lutheran and Calvinistic doctrines. In 1570 he was appointed by Cardinal (then Bishop) Stanislaus Hosius as coadjutor in the Diocese of Ermland, where to- gether with the latter he WTote popular works in ex- planation and defence of the Catholic Faith. After the death of Hosius in 1579 liromer was made Bishop of Ermland, and held that see until he died in 1589.

EicHHORN. Der ermhindische Bischof Martin Kromer (Brauns- berg, 186S); Walewski. iWartm Kromer (Warsaw, 1874); HlP- LER, Die deuischen Predigten und Katechesen der ermlitndischen Bischo/e Hosius und Kromer (Cologne, 1SS5).

Andrew J. Shipman.

Erzycki, Andrew, date of birth uncertain; d. in 1535. — A tj-pical humanistic poet, a most supple courtier for whom poetry was to be a source of renown antl profit, Krzj-cki was well-read in Latin poetry and knew the language to perfection. He wrote numerous epigrams, pointed and spirited in style and diction. His individuality was conspicuous; his talent, though not creative, and confined to imitations of the ancients, was by no means insignificant; his wit, mordant and at times coarse. His verses, whether laudatory or satirical, were mostly written to commemorate not- able occasions. In 1512, for instance, he celebrated in verse the marriage of King Sigismund I with Bar- bara Zapolya; Krzycki subsequently became chancellor to the youthful queen. When the king won the vic- tory of Orsza, he again wrote a poem, and sent verses purporting to be from the queen to her alisent husband after the model of Ovid's ''Epistohr Ilcroidum"; these, in a letter to Krzycki, Erasmus praisoil enthu- siastically. After Barl)ara's death he continued to be chancellor in the houscholil of Bona Sforza, Sigis-