Page:Imperialdictiona02eadi Brandeis.pdf/1072

ISA the duke of Montpensier, son of Louis Philippe. Rumours were soon rife of an estrangement between Isabella and her husband, which the violence of party spirit has greatly exaggerated. The issue of this marriage has been the prince of Asturias, heir-apparent to the throne, born 28th November, 1847; the Infanta Isabella Francisca, born 20th December, 1851; the Infanta Maria, born 26th December, 1859; and an infant princess, born 4th June, 1861. In her private character Isabella is said to be sprightly and benevolent; but the condition of the country under her sway became year by year more unsatisfactory. The court was a hotbed of immorality and corruption. The legislature was weak. The whole policy of the government was arbitrary, insolent, and oppressive—reflecting the character of the selfish chiefs and the fanatical priests by whom its councils were guided. The restless intrigues of the queen-mother led to her banishment in 1854; and the causes just stated drove the daughter from the throne of Spain in October, 1868.—F. M. W.  ISABEY,, a distinguished French miniature painter, was born at Nancy, April 11, 1767. A pupil of Dumont and of David, he first attained celebrity by taking portraits in chalk; one in particular of the first consul, which was engraved by Ligné, acquiring extraordinary popularity. Turning to miniature his success was even more remarkable. Bonaparte when first consul had been on terms of intimacy with Isabey, and when he became emperor he continued his favour. Isabey received commissions to paint the emperor and most of the members of the imperial family; was appointed painter in ordinary and of ceremonies to the emperor, with apartments at the Tuileries; and was created chevalier of the legion of honour. Besides his numerous official portraits, Isabey painted several state pictures (usually on porcelain slabs), in which there were numerous figures, chiefly portraits, of miniature size. Such were the "First Consul reviewing the Army in the Court of the Tuileries," a work which from its novelty of form and brilliant execution created when exhibited a great sensation; the "Emperor surrounded by his Marshals;" the "Emperor Visiting the Factory of Oberkampf," &c. Isabey was now regarded as the first miniature painter in Europe, and his miniatures of the imperial court form as remarkable a series as those of Petitot of the court of Louis XIV. On the abdication of Napoleon I. Isabey accompanied the empress to Vienna, where he executed an elaborate drawing of one of the conferences at Vienna, exhibited in 1817; and a miniature of the son of Napoleon, which he presented to the emperor on his return from Elba. Under the restoration Isabey became director of the decorations of the opera. In 1817 he sent to the Salon a picture which he called "A Child Playing with Flowers," but the Parisians soon discovered in it the son of Napoleon holding up a forget-me-not. A journal which noticed the likeness received an official warning; and Isabey thought it prudent to accept an invitation to St. Petersburg. There he painted the portraits of the Emperor Alexander and the chief members of his court and family. On his return to Paris he painted the portrait of Louis XVIII., and thenceforward his career of success was uninterrupted. Isabey is said to have painted almost every sovereign, and a very large proportion of the most distinguished personages in Europe. His likenesses are regarded as faithful; with some mannerism his style is brilliant. He died, April 18, 1855.—J. T—e.  ISAMBERT,, a French lawyer and politician, born at Aunay, 30th November, 1792; died at Paris, 13th April, 1857. He studied at Chartres, then studied law at Paris where he assisted M. Gail in a course of Greek literature, constructing also the maps which were afterwards published in the great atlas of ancient geography. Called to the bar in 1818, he soon distinguished himself and laboured to modify the abuses of the Restoration. He was one of those liberal advocates who in recent times, and under recent stringent governments, have shed lustre on the French bar by maintaining the freedom of speech that elsewhere has disappeared. He defended Berton, Caron, Armand Carrel, and by a speech of extraordinary merit induced the court of appeal (cassation) to reverse the sentence pronounced on the four journals that had reported the case of the sergeants of Rochelle, guilty of conspiracy. His higher work was a movement in favour of the blacks in the French colonies. He undertook in France a labour similar to that of Wilberforce among ourselves, and his name is respected as one of the true advocates of enlightened liberty. For an article on arbitrary arrest he was apprehended and tried, but he fought the battle unflinchingly, and on appeal was acquitted. Amid all his labours he had time to publish a collection of all the laws and ordinances from 1st April, 1814, to 1827. After the revolution of 1830 he was elected deputy and held office in the cour de cassation, and in 1848 he was a member of the constituent assembly. The blacks of the French colonies had a medal struck in his honour, and sent condolences to his widow. He left several works, including a life of Justinian.—P. E. D.  ISÆUS, the son of Diagoras, was born most probably at Chalcis in Eubœa, although some have maintained, from the fact of his having been taken when very young to Athens, that he was born in that city. The date of his birth is unknown, but it is certain that he flourished between 420 and 350. He was instructed in oratory and rhetoric by Lysias and Isocrates, and at last became himself a teacher of these arts at Athens, where Demosthenes is said to have attended his lectures, and it is even stated that he assisted that great orator in composing his speech against his guardians. Beyond these facts nothing is known of the life of Isæus; but his style was so remarkable for purity, force, and polish, that he was placed fifth amongst the Greek orators by the Alexandrian critics; whilst the division and arrangement of his subject and arguments were so artistic, that he was accused by some of his contemporaries of wilfully intending to deceive and mislead his hearers. Sixty-four orations have been attributed to Issus, and the titles and several fragments of fifty-six of these have come down to us. It is probable, however, that only fifty are genuine, out of which eleven are all that are now extant. These are all upon the subject of inheritance (in the law of which Isæus was eminently skilled), and have been published in various collections of the Greek orators. Isæus also wrote on rhetorical subjects, but all his works upon this branch of his art have perished. The best edition of the orations of Isæus is that of G. F. Schömann, 8vo., Greifswald, 1831; and a good English translation of them, with notes and a commentary, was published by Sir William Jones in 1794.—E. L—n.  ISCANUS,, or , an admirable Latin poet, the date of whose birth is unknown. His death took place about 1224. He is now almost exclusively known by his poetical version in Latin of the spurious work of Dares Phrygius "De Bello Trojano," in six books. This work appears to have been finished about the time when Henry II. made ready for the crusades. Joseph himself visited Syria with Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he dedicated his other great poem, the "Antiocheis." Of this latter fragments only are known to remain, although the manuscript of the whole has certainly existed in modern times. Joseph's "De Bello Trojano" was several times printed under the name of Cornelius Nepos. Several other works are ascribed to him. He is said to have become archbishop of Bordeaux, but no evidence of the fact has appeared, and it rests upon the unsupported authority of Bale and Pits. The "Bellum Trojanum" is a spirited production, remarkably pure and classical in style and diction.—B. H. C.  ISIDORE was a native of Alexandria, and flourished at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth centuries. He died about 440. He lived in a monastery near Pelusium, on one of the mouths of the Nile, as presbyter and abbot. Austere in his mode of life, and withdrawn from the noise of the world, he spent his time in reading and expounding the scriptures. He was a great friend of Chrysostom's, whom he defended against the patriarchs of Alexandria, Theophilus and Cyril. All his extant works are in the form of epistles, two thousand and thirteen in number, divided into five books. They are exegetical; and far more valuable in this respect than most commentaries of that age. Combining the qualities of the Alexandrian and Antiochian schools, they occupy a high exegetical place. Isidore was a prudent counsellor in ecclesiastical matters, a mild, earnest, spiritually-minded overseer of souls, and a skilful expounder of scripture. In censuring vice and defending the truth he feared no man.—S. D.  ISIDORE was born at Carthagena in Murcia in the sixth century. His father, Severianus, was prefect of the city; and his two brothers, Leander and Fulgentius, bishops of Seville and Carthagena respectively. On the death of the former he succeeded to the office in 600. As bishop he presided at the synods of Seville in 619 and Toledo in 633. When he felt the approach of death he divided all his property among the poor; and was taken into the church, where he prayed aloud for 