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LEFT CYNANCHITM 236 CYPRUS of the Lowlands of Great Britain by the invasions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, and compelled to take refuge in the mountainous regions of Wales, Cornwall, and the N. W. of England. Wales may now be regarded as the chief seat of the Cymri. CYNANCHXJM, a genus of asclepta- dacese, of which some species have been used medicinally, as C. monspeliacuvi, as a violent purgative, the so-called montpellier scammony, and C. vincetori- cum, formerly in repute as an antidote to other poisons. The Indian C. exten- sum yields fiber, and C. ovalifolium of Penang, caoutchouc. CYNEWULF (kin'e-wulf), an Anglo- Saxon or early English poet, whose name we only know from its being given in runes in the poems attributed to him, viz., "Elene" (Helena), the legend of the discovery of the true cross; "Juli- ana," the story of the martyr of that name; and "Crist" (Christ), a long poem incomplete at the beginning. The name Cynewulf also occurs as the solu- tion of one of the metrical riddles in the Anglo-Saxon collection. Cynewulf prob- ably lived in the first half of the 8th century. CYNICS, a sect of philosophers among the Greeks, so called from their snarling humor, and their disregard of the con- ventional usages of society; the name being probably derived from the kyon, a dog. According to some authorities, however, cynic is formed from Cyne- sarges, the name of the gymnasium in which the founder expounded his sys- tem. He taught that the true dignity of man consists in wisdom, and wisdom in in- dependence of mind ; that pain and labor, and even infamy, are benefits; and that pleasure, on the contrary, is an evil. His doctrine of the supreme good is a life according to virtue, which consists in action. He condemned all civil in- stitutions, despised the ties of kin or country, and saw in wedlock no higher or better end than the propagation of the species. The most famous of the Cynics, besides their founder, were Diogenes of Sinope, Crates of Thebes with his wife Hipparchia, and Menip- pus. At length the sect became so dis- gusting from their impudence, dirty habits, and profligacy, that they ceased to be regarded with any respect, and passed into obscurity. The great merit of this system is that it paved the way forvfhe establishment of Stoicism. CYPRESS, a tree, Cupressns semper- vtrens, a tall evergreen conifer, indige- nous to Persia and the Levant, but planted all over the adjacent regions. The Greek word kyparissos has by some been derived from Kypros, the island of Cyprus, where it is abundant. It is planted, in the regions where it grows, in burial grounds, especially in those of the Mohammedans and of the Arme- nians. The Greeks made their coffins of its wood, and some Egyptian mummy chests are of the same material. It is used in Candia, Malta, and other places for building purposes, being very dur- able. The doors of St. Peter's at Rome are formed of it, and have lasted 1,100 years. Cabinet-makers and turners find it suitable for their respective crafts. In recent years it has gained favor in the United States for building purposes. CYPRIAN, ST., THAECIUS C^CI- LIUS (sip're-an). Bishop of Carthage, and one of the fathers of the Church. He was probably a native of Carthage, taught rhetoric there, and about 246, when nearly 50 years of age, was converted to the Christian faith. He adopted a rigidly ascetic manner of life, and was ap- pointed Bishop of Carthage in 248. When the persecution under Decius fell on the Churches, Cyprian ran away and concealed himself for nearly two years. He was_ then received as bishop again, but during the next persecution, under Valerianus, he was arrested and ban- ished. After a year he was recalled, but as he refused to make the required sac- rifice to the gods, he was put to death, 258. His works, consisting of letters and sermons, are of great importance for the insight they give into the be- liefs, modes of thought, and practices of the early Churches. CYPRUS, an island lying on the S. of Asia Minor, and the most easterly in the Mediterranean. Its greatest length is 145 miles, maximum breadth about 60 miles; area, 3,584 square miles. The chief features of its surface are two mountain ranges, both stretching E. and W., the one running close to the N. shore, and extending through the long N. E. horn or prolongation of the island, the other and more massive (Mount Olympus) occupying a great part of the S. of the island, and rising m Troodos to 6,590 feet. Between them is the bare and mostly uncultivated plain called Messaria. There is a deficiency of water. The climate is in general healthy. The mountains are covered with forests of excellent timber (now under govern- ment supervision), and the island is esteemed one of the richest and most ^^^ fertile in the Levant. Wheat, barley, cot- ton, tobacco, olives, raisins, and carobs are the most^ important vegetable prod- ucts. The wine is famous. Silk-worms