Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/1146

COG of the French revolutionists, was born in 1754. He was originally a student of medicine, but abandoned that pursuit for the study of the law. On the breaking out of the Revolution he threw himself headlong into the current, and by his energy, violence, and great physical power, contributed greatly to direct the popular movements, he was executed 29th July, 1794.—J. T.  * COGALNICEANO,, one of the few representatives of the Rouman people in the world of letters, was born in 1806, and, adopting the profession of a teacher, obtained the professorship of natural history at Jassy. He left Wallachia in 1834, and travelled through Germany and part of France, in search of materials for his "History of Moldavia and Wallachia," published at Berlin in 1837, in French. Respecting the Tsiganis, or Bohemian slave population, their language and history, he has published some interesting memoirs. He was the founder of the Etoile du Danube, and when, on the establishment of the censorship; it ceased to appear at Jassy, he re-established it at Brussels, where it is still published in French. He also contributed to various other journals, and published a valuable collection of ancient chronicles, rescued from the recesses of monasteries. In 1857 M. Cogalniceano was elected deputy to the divan ad hoc, for Moldavia. He performed another signal service to his country by establishing a cloth factory at Niamgo, the sole one which Moldavia possesses.—F. M. W.  COGAN,, an English physician and philosophical writer, was born in Northamptonshire in 1736. He was first the pastor of a presbyterian congregation at Amsterdam. He then studied medicine at Leyden, and returning to London in conjunction with Dr. Harris, founded the Royal Humane Society. He subsequently returned to Holland, where he remained until the breaking out of the French revolution compelled him to withdraw to England, where he died in 1818. He was a voluminous writer on scientific and philosophical subjects.—J. T.  COGGESHALLE,, an English historian and cistercian monk, was born in the middle of the twelfth century, and died about 1228. He wrote a "Chronicle of the Holy Land," which, together with his "Chronicon Anglicanum," and "Libellus de Motibus Anglicanis sub Johanne Rege," were published by the fathers Martenne and Durand in the 5th volume of the Amplissima Collectio veterum Script., &c.—R. M., A.  COGSWELL,, D.D., an American clergyman and man of letters, born in Atkinson, New Hampshire, in 1787; graduated at Dartmouth college in 1811, and died in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in 1850. After leaving college, he taught an academy for two years, then studied theology, and was settled over the south parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, for fourteen years. In June, 1829, he resigned his pastoral charge, and was appointed general agent of the American Education Society; and three years afterwards he was elected secretary and director of this society. He resigned his office in the education society in 1841, and became professor of history in Dartmouth college, and shortly afterwards president and professor of theology in the theological seminary at Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He left a considerable number of works on practical religion.—F. B.  COHAUSEN,, a physician was born at Heidelsheim in 1665, and died at Munster in 1750. Cohausen wrote two satirical pieces against the use of tobacco, the first of which was entitled "Dissertatio satyrica physico-medico-moralis de pica nasi, sive Tabaci sternutatorii moderno abusu et noxa." His "Hermippus Redivivus," which was translated into English, promulgates a new mode of prolonging life.—R. M., A.  COHEN,, born at Amersfoort in the Low Countries, October, 1781; became first librarian of the Bibliotheque Sainte Geneviéve at Paris in 1824. His writings embrace romance, poetry, politics, and travels, and are of average merit. Foreign authors, and particularly English, are indebted to his pen for translations of their works into the French language. Besides translations from German and Swedish, he has rendered into French the novels of Maturin, Lady Morgan, Miss Porter, Bulwer, &c. He died in 1848.—J. F. C.  COHEN,, lived at Toledo in the thirteenth century. His work "Medrash Chochmah" (Investigation of Wisdom), still unedited, proves him to have been eminent as a philosopher and a mathematician, as a biblical scholar and a linguist. When quite a young man he corresponded with Frederick II., the illustrious emperor of Germany, on scientific subjects. He visited Tuscany and the Romagna, and there translated his work from the original Arabic into Hebrew, for the benefit of the studious among his co-religionists in Italy. (Rossi, Diz. Stor.)—T. T. <section end="1146H" /> <section begin="1146I" />COHEN,, was born at Meseritz, 23d December, 1771, and died at Hamburg in 1846, after a life spent in incessant literary activity. He wrote both in German and Hebrew; but his fame rests especially on the beauty of his Hebrew compositions. He combined an astonishing versatility with indefatigable industry. For the benefit of youth he wrote "Mishle Agur" (Fables in Verse); a catechism of the Jewish religion, "Chinuch Amunah;" a practical Hebrew grammar, "Thorath Lashon Ibrith;" he translated the whole of the Hebrew scriptures; composed Hebrew poems, and furnished the translation of them into German—"Matae Kedem al admath Zafon" (Eastern Plants on a Northern Soil); projected a history of the people of Israel from the Maccabees to the present time, in Hebrew, on the plan of Jost's German work (only the first volume, to the destruction of Jerusalem, is published); composed psalms on the life of David—"Mizmorim;" and attempted dramatic literature—"Amal va Thirzah, Naboth." His epic poem "Nir David" (The light of David), takes rank among the best productions of the neo-hebraic school. He was among the first to promote, through the medium of serials, the diffusion of general knowledge among those classes of his coreligionists whose reading had heretofore been too limited—"Achere Hameasef" (The Gleaner); "Bikure Ha-ittim" (The First Fruit of the Times). His memory is deservedly revered by all lovers of Hebrew literature.—T. T. <section end="1146I" /> <section begin="1146J" />COHEN,, a faithful historian and great physician, was born at Avignon in 1497, where his father had settled after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. His family originally resided at Cuença, and some time at Hueto in Spain. When Joseph was five years old his father removed to Genoa, but in 1516 the family were again compelled to change their abode. They went to Novi. Here Joseph was married; but from 1538 to 1550 he again resided at Genoa, where he practised medicine, until, on the 2d of April of the last-named year, a decree of banishment against all the Jews of Genoa (dictated, he states, by the jealousy of the Genoese traders), involved him in new troubles. He carried his profession with him to Volteggio, and hence to Costeileto in Montferrat, where he seems to have ended his days about 1575, in long-sought peace. He has become famous in Hebrew literature by two historical works—"Dibre Ha-yamim le-Malche Zarfat u-Malche beth Otman Ha-tugar" (Annals of the Kings of France and of the House of Othman the Turk); and "Emek Ha-baca" (Valley of Baca or Weeping), a narrative of the sufferings of the Jews in the author's times.—T. T. <section end="1146J" /> <section begin="1146K" />COHEN-ATTHAR, , an eminent Egyptian physician and writer on natural philosophy, born at Cairo about 1100. He was one of the best mathematicians of the Egyptian school; his reasoning is, however, totally at variance with mechanical ideas on any view of the problem to find the force which will support a body on an inclined plane. His principal work is entitled "Materia Medica," a rich mine of natural history, containing every Egyptian plant, and every insect and mineral, truthfully delineated after nature, with descriptive text in Arabic. The only copy which ever reached Europe is to be seen at the Bibliothéque Impériale de Paris, section des manuscrits arabes. Died in 1170.—Ch. T. <section end="1146K" /> <section begin="1146Zcontin" />CÖHORN,, Baron de, called the Dutch Vauban, was born of a family of Swedish extraction, at Leuwarden in Friesland in 1641. Inheriting from his father a decided taste for military studies, he joined the Dutch army at the age of sixteen. During the earlier part of his career as a soldier, he had little opportunity of engaging in actual service, and he appears to have devoted himself with ardour to the study of military engineering. When the war broke out in 1672 he took part in the defence of Maestricht; and the talent which he displayed there, together with his services in the battles of Senef, Cassel, St. Denis, and Fleurus, procured for him the rank of colonel. His ability as an engineer soon attracted the notice of government; and when peace was concluded, he was employed in repairing and completing the fortifications of the principal towns. In this he was actively engaged till the resumption of hostilities. In 1683 made his services necessary in the field. In all the subsequent campaigns he took a prominent part. At the siege of Namur in 1692, he found himself opposed by his great rival Vauban; and the professional skill of the two greatest engineers <section end="1146Zcontin" />