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DUC which might have entailed serious consequences on one who could not stand on family privileges, he was obliged to return home. As soon as his wild deeds were forgotten, he went back to Paris, and haunted the cafes frequented by literary wits, where he rendered himself conspicuous by his animal spirits and roystering manners. His first works were light stories, which, being graphic pictures of manners, obtained considerable popularity. Duclos afterwards published his "History of the Reign of Louis XI.," by which he gave proof, that under external levity, he possessed solid qualities. This was followed by other historical pieces, chiefly dealing with the secret memoirs of the reigns of Louis XIV. and XV. He became historiographer to the king, and perpetual secretary of the Academy.—J. F. C.  * DUCLOS, P. L., a French naturalist, well known for his writings on the mollusca. His papers are principally published in the Annales de Science Naturelle, and in the Magazin de Zoologie. He has devoted much attention to the species of the genus Purpura, which yield the Tyrian purple.—E. L.  DUCQ,, a Dutch painter, pupil and successful imitator of Paul Potter, to whom Ducq's works are often erroneously attributed. He was born at the Hague in 1636. After having reached a certain proficiency in his art, he entered military service and became a captain; but having given undoubted and sufficient proofs of his valour as a soldier, he returned to painting once more, and is even said to have become director of the academy of his native city. He is supposed to have died about 1695.—R. M.  DUCQ,, a distinguished Belgian painter of modern times, born at Ledeghem in 1792; died at Bruges in 1829. Son of a village barber, he rose to honour, wealth, and fame by means of his indefatigable studies and exquisite taste. Ducq was painter to the king of Holland, director of the academy of his native town, and a member of many others.—R. M.  DUCROS,, a Swiss artist, born at Lausanne in 1745. Having dedicated himself especially to engravings, he joined Volpato in the publication of some views of Rome and its environs. The success of this work was followed by that of many more of the same kind, chiefly published in Italy. Died in 1810.—R. M.  * DUDEVANT,, Baronne, better known by her nom de plume,, was born in 1804. This eloquent lady has written so much about herself, that the particulars of her singular life ought apparently to render the biographer's duty very easy. Besides some ten volumes of personal memoirs, there are little books of travel, and souvenirs, and anecdotes, and scenes innumerable in her many novels, all illustrative of her life, adventures, and character. It is an embarras de richesses. A great warrior or statesman, traveller or diplomatist, even if gifted with equal powers of description, could hardly find materials for the twenty and odd volumes of matter which this lady thinks necessary for the explanation, vindication, and assertion of irregularities, which, if quite innocent of deformity, had no need of such foldings and twistings of dazzling drapery, more gorgeous, however, than graceful. The history of George Sand begins with no vulgar heading of birth and education. Without going back so far as the flood, it yet dates from a period very much prior to the time chosen by Tristram Shandy, and with the same view too, that of accounting for eccentricities by circumstances over which the author could not possibly have had any control. If her maternal ancestry—from the lady who took the left hand of Augustus, king of Poland, as her daughter did that of Marshal Saxe, and so on, down to her immediate progenitors—did practically carry out those free matrimonial principles which it is George Sand's mission to enforce, the loose genealogical tree is only held up in philosophic explanation of the latest and richest production of fruit. What could unions of heroes with fascinating artists produce, if not a heroine with an artist's impassioned taste? Twenty volumes are hardly too much to devote to so important a theorem, considering the entertainment afforded by the variety of pleasant illustrations. Brought up in the chateau of Nohant in Berri, the future George Sand acquired at fifteen those accomplishments which, at a later period, enabled her to adopt male habits and the costume of a man; that is to say, she learned to handle sword and gun, as well as to dance and ride. At the same time she devoured all the books that came in her way. Her mind, there can be no doubt, was open to all immediate impressions, and, under proper guidance, might have been the finest intellect of the age. When sent to the English convent she proved her keen sensibility to higher objects by becoming intensely devout. Hastened too soon away, she was given in marriage to the Baron Dudevant, a person described to be of harsh manners. Her own fortune was very considerable, amounting, in English money, to £20,000. After two children were born, a son and daughter, the parents quarrelled. The husband believed he had good grounds for jealousy; certain it is that the lady, after they parted, took up her abode in Paris with a young law student, and adopted, partly perhaps for the sake of baffling pursuit, the costume of a man. She at first tried to support herself as an artist, having some turn for painting; for at this period she does not seem even to have suspected the profusion of literary powers which were soon to astonish and delight the world. It was at the suggestion of a newspaper editor, who was struck by some articles of criticism, that she wrote "Indiana," which was at once hailed as a chef d'œuvre. This was rapidly followed by "Valentine" and by "Lelia." Success certainly wrought no moral miracle. The popular author seemed rather to think that genius had a right to claim exemption from ordinary rules. So fine a mind and so exquisitely organized a nature could not rest satisfied with a questionable position. People of more capacity than conduct generally invent principles to suit their behaviour, while they fancy they blind the world into the belief that their conduct is the result of regulating rules. George Sand's motives for reviling the institution of marriage were, however, too transparent to deceive anybody, and that they do not deceive herself may be proved by her twenty volumes of apology. In 1836 Madame Dudevant instituted proceedings against her husband for the recovery of her dowry, and, gaining her suit, became sole mistress of the château of Nohant, which formed part of her marriage portion. The troubles of a law-suit did not for a moment impede her literary labours, for between 1835 and 1837 she gave to the world "Leone-Leoni;" "Jacques;" "Simon;" "Mauprat;" "La Dernière Aldini;" "Les Maitres Mosaïtes;" "Pauline;" and "Un Hiver à Majorque." In 1840 she threw herself into the revolution, taking part with the red republicans. To her pen is attributed the most startling of those circulars which bore the signature of Ledru Rollin. Since that unhappy period Madame Dudevant has passed her life chiefly in her country abode; and here again comes another convincing proof of how much the thoughts and conduct of this extraordinary woman have been dependent on immediate circumstances. There have issued from this abode stories descriptive of the peasantry, their habits and manners, of a purity, sweetness, and tenderness almost inconceivable from the hand that could have penned "Leone-Leoni." Her daily habits too are in perfect keeping with these incomparable idylls, for she is the Lady Bountiful of the neighbourhood. Even as regards the objectionable productions of former times, the style is of almost unrivalled beauty; scenes the most impassioned and sensual, and of inherent coarseness, are described in words the most clear and limpid. Her exaggerations are never those of language.—J. F. C.  DUDITH,, a celebrated Hungarian prelate, was born at Buda in 1533. Out of respect to his uncle, the bishop of Veitzen, by whom he was educated, he took the name of Sbardellet. After travelling in England and Holland he was admitted a member of the council of the Emperor Ferdinand II., who also raised him to the bishopric of Tina. Deputed to the council of Trent in the name of the emperor and of all the Hungarian clergy, he spoke with great eloquence against the abuses of the papal court, pleaded for granting the cup to the laity, and reasoned powerfully against the celibacy of the clergy and the non-residence of bishops. For this he was, at the request of the pope, recalled by Ferdinand, who, however, rewarded him for his conduct with the bishopric of Chonat, and afterwards with that of the Five Churches. On the death of Ferdinand he was sent by Maximilian II. into Poland, where he was privately married to Reyna Strazzi, maid of honour to the queen. Upon this he resigned his bishopric, and was excommunicated, and even condemned to the flames as a heretic, by the pope. Dudith at length openly professed the reformed faith, and settled at Breslau in Silesia, where he died in 1589. Modern Socinians have claimed him as a convert to their doctrines, but not, it would seem, upon sufficient grounds. He was a voluminous writer.—R. M., A. 