Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/550

LEFT CHOP-STICKS 484 CHRESTIEN DE TBOYES a pianist. In 1835 he visited Germany, Leipsic, and other cities, and in the same year made a trip to England, which, while it lasted only 11 days, was sufficient to develop the germs of con- sumption. In 1837 he met George Sand who was then living separately from her husband. Chopin was at the time ill and she undertook to nurse him, and, in the years following, they lived in Paris, where they were both conspicuous in social and musical circles. A break in their relations came in 1847 as the result of a quarrel. Chopin continued to give concerts in spite of the fact that he continually grew weaker physically. He visited London again in 1848. He died in 1848,. Chopin is considered to be the creator'of a new style of writing for the piano, and his achievements as a com- poser entitle him to a foremost place among the masters of music. CHOP-STICKS, the Chinese substitute for a knife, fork, and spoon at meals, consisting of two smooth sticks of bam- boo, wood, or ivory, which are used for conveying food to the mouth with won- derful dexterity. CHORAZIN, one of the cities in which Christ's mighty works were done, but named only in his denunciation (Matt. xi: 21; Luke x: 13). CHORD, in music, the simultaneous and harmonious union of different sounds, at first intuitively recognized by the ear, and afterward reduced to a sci- ence by the invention of the laws or rules of Harmony (g.v.). In geometry, a chord is the straight line which joins the two extremities of the arc of a curve. The chord of a circular arc is obtained by multiplying the radius by twice the sine of half the angle which the arc subtends at the center. CHOREA, more fully Chorea Sancti Viti, St. Vitus' dance, a disorder of the nervous system characterized by a peculiar convulsive and irregular action of the voluntary muscles, especially those of the face and extremities. The name is derived from St. Vitus, who is said to have had the power of curing persons afflicted with that disease. CHORON, ALEXANDRE ETIEISTKTE (sho-ron'), a French musician; born in Caen, Oct. 21, 1772. He labored assid- uously to promote musical education in France, founding his famous "Conserva- tory" in 1818. He wrote many valuable text books on music. He died in Paris, June 29, 1834. CHOSEN. See KOREA. CHOSROES I., (choB'roz), or KHOSROU THE GREAT, King of Persia, succeeded Cabades, A. D. 551. He was fierce and cruel but possessed many good qualities, and encouraged the arts and sciences. He concluded a peace with the Romans, but afterward invaded their territories, and was repulsed by Belisa- rius. In the reign of Justinian II., he attacked the Romans again, but was de- feated by Tiberius. He died in 579. CHOSROES II., ascended the throne in 590, on the deposition of his father Hormidas, and is accused of having murdered him. His nobility conspired against him on account of his cruelties, and obliged him to flee to the Romans, who replaced him on the throne. He afterward carried his army into Judea, Syria, and Egypt, and made himself master of Carthage, but was defeated by the Emperor Heraclius, and thrown into prison by his son, where he died in 627. CHOTA NAGPORE, or CHUTIA NAGPUR, a division of British India, presidency of Bengal, divided into the districts of Lohardaga, Hazaribagh, Singbhum, and Manbhum; and nine feudatory states. Total area about 43,- 000 square miles. Pop. about 7,000,000. CHOUTEAU, A U G U S T E, and PIERRE, two American pioneers; born in New Orleans, La., in 1739, and in 1749, respectively. They were from their early youth fur traders and in 1763 set out to establish trading stations in the regions W. of the Mississippi. On this trip they founded the city of St. Louis, in 1764. Auguste died in St. Louis, Feb. 24, 1829, and Pierre, July 9, 1849. CHOWCHOW. See DoG. CHRESTIEN DE TROYES (krest- yen de trwa), the greatest of the early French romancers, flourished in the 12th century. Though he won high fame as a lyrist, his renown is based on his epic compositions, especially on his stories of King Arthur and the Round Table. His epic of "King Marcus and the Fair Ysault" is lost; but these remain: "Irec and Enid"; "Cliges"; "The Knight of La Charette"; "The Knight with the Lion"; "Perceval the Welshman." The last is his most considerable work, but it does not come from his hand alone, being continued and completed by Gau- tier de Denet and Menassier. In this piece are wrought into one story the leg- end of the Holy Grail and that of Ar- thur, which thereafter were not divorced. His language and the versification were models for troubadours and romancers for a long time; and from him the Ar- thurian poets to the end of the 13th cen-