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 DROZ DRUIDS 269 ous editions, and was translated into English. In 1812 he published Moge de Montaigne, in 1815 Essai sur le "beau dans les arts, and in 1823 De la philosophic morale, ou des diffe- rents systemes sur la science de lame, which re- ceived the Monthyon prize, and paved the way to his admission to the French academy, La- martine being his competitor. In 1825 he wrote a book on the application of morals to philosophy and politics. He is also the author of an essay on political economy, and of a work on Christianity, which derives interest from the personal religious experiences added to the book, under the title of Aveux d'un pJiilo- sophe chretien, in which the author abandons his early theology and returns to the doctrines of the church of Rome. His most important work is his Histoire du regne de Louis XVL (3 vols., Paris, 1839-'42), with an introduc- tion on the history of France from Louis XIV. DROZ, Gustave, a French author, born in Paris, June 9, 1832. He studied at the col- leges of Stanislas and Henry IV., and received subsequently instruction in drawing and paint- ing at the school of fne arts. In 1864 he joined Marcellin in editing the journal La vie parisienne, and published in it a series of works, under the pseudonyme of Gustave Z., which passed through 20 editions within two years, as separate volumes entitled Monsieur, Madame et Bebe ; Entre nous ; and Le cahier lieu de Mile. Cibot. His style presents a strange mixture of malice, skepticism, and mirth, though he describes the miseries and sor- rows of life with great delicacy and deep feel- ing. He has since published Autour d>une wurce (1869) and Un paquet de lettres (1871). His works have been translated into English. DROZ. I. Pierre Jacqnet, a Swiss mechani- cian, born at La Chaux-de-Fond, July 28, 1721, died at Bienne, in the canton of Bern, Nov. 28, 1790. In the divinity school of Basel he pre- pared for the church, but on his return home his attention became directed to the manufac- ture of watches and clocks, for which his na- tive town is celebrated. He eventually per- fected the different parts of clockwork, and supplied common timepieces with a musical machinery which imitated a chime of bells and the sounds of the flute. He made many experiments for the purpose of effecting per- petual motion. His most ingenious contri- vance was a pendulum composed of two metals of unequal dilatability to counteract the effects of heat and cold. This was purchased by the king of Spain, who bestowed a pension upon the inventor. His most celebrated production was a writing automaton, which moved its fingers and hands, and formed letters. At the time of his death he was engaged upon the fab- rication of a new astronomical clock. II. Henri Loois Jacqnet, son of the preceding, born Oct. 13, 1752, died in Naples, Nov. 18, 1791. In 1774 he removed to Paris, and became cele- brated for his mechanical productions, espe- cially an automaton representing" a young lady playing on the harpischord, following the music with her eyes and the movements of her hands, and, when done playing, rising and bowing to the audience. The most fa- mous specimen of his inventive genius in this respect was a pair of artificial hands which he devised for La Rayniere, who had lost his hands during a hunting expedition. DRUIDS, an order of priests which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race. The name has been variously de- duced from the Saxon dry, a magician ; from the Greek fyvf, and the Celtic deru, an oak ; from the Irish drui or draui, a sacred person, &c.; but the most probable derivation seems to be that given by the abb6 Pierre de Chi- niac, who refers it to the old Celtic compound derouyd, from De, God, and rouyd, speaking, a participle of the verb rouyddim, to speak. The origin of the institution is no clearer than A Druid Priest. the etymology of the name. The druids did not allow their tenets and history to be com- mitted to writing, and the ancient Greek and Roman authors describe them only in the vaguest language. It seems to be generally conceded that they were of eastern origin, be- cause of the many and striking analogies be- tween what we are told of their belief and practices, and what we know to be character- istic of the oriental nations. At the time when this mysterious order became known more clearly to history, i. e., in the first century before and after Christ, they inhabited chiefly Gaul and the islands of Britain. In Gaul their principal seats were in the west and centre, in modern Brittany and along the Loire, while beyond the channel they were found in Wales and Ireland, and afterward in the island of Mona or Anglesea. According to