Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/705

 ORGAN MOUNTAINS is in the music hall, Boston, built by Walcker of Ludwigsburg ; it has four manuals, 89 stops, and 4,000 pipes. The other important organs in this country are by American builders, and are as follows: Trinity church, New York, built by Henry Erben; Plymouth church, Brooklyn, by E. and E. G. Hook ; St. George's, New York, by George Jardine and son ; Taber- nacle, Brooklyn, by the same; St. Bartholo- mew's, New York, by J. H. and 0. S. Odell; Temple Emanuel, New York, by Hall and La- bagh ; and Holy Trinity, New York, by H. L. Roosevelt. These organs have from 2,500 to 4,000 pipes and from 50 to 60 stops, and there- fore in point of size will be found equal to the average large organs of Europe. Some of them contain all the modern European and American improvements. One of the largest organs in America is in the Roman Catholic cathedral at Montreal, and was built by Mr. S. R. War- ren of that city. For further details respect- ing organs, see Lehrbuch der Orgelbaulcunst, by Prof. T. G. Topfer (4 vols., Weimar, 1855), and " The Organ, its History and Construction," by Rimbault and Hopkins (London, 1870). The Alexandre organ, so called, being con- structed substantially on the principle of the harmonium, will be considered with the latter under the head of REED INSTRUMENTS. In the barrel or hand organ, a bellows within the in- strument is worked by turning a winch, while by the same action, by means of an endless screw, a cylinder or drum is turned, on which the tunes are set in brass pins and staples, at such distances as required by the lengths and succession of the notes, as in the pins studding the cylinder of a musical box. The pins raise keys, which press down stickers, and open pal- lets or valves, admitting air to the pipes re- quired. The Apollonicon, built many years since in London, was a gigantic barrel organ, 24 ft. high and 30 ft. broad ; it could be played by three large cylinders, or by six performers on as many sets of keys. The tone was fine, and the effects grand and novel ; but the sub- stitution of mere mechanical action for the skill and taste of the living organist was justly deprecated, and the instrument has not come into vogue. The organolyricon is an extreme- ly complex instrument of French invention, much on the principle of the organ, but com- bining more distinctly a great variety of instru- ments and effects, in imitation of a tolerably full band or orchestra. ORGAN MOrariDTS. See BRAZIL, vol. iii., p. 218. ORIFLASIME (Lat. auriflamma), the banner of the Capetian kings of France. It was origi- nally that of the abbey of St. Denis, being used in religious ceremonies, and carried also by the counts of Vexin, in their capacity of pa- trons of the monastery, in the wars they waged for its protection. Philip I. of France having annexed Vexin to his dominions, the charge of carrying the oriflamme devolved upon himself and his successors. Louis VI. raised it for ORIGEN 691 the first time in 1124. It was disused after the defeat of Agincourt in 1415. It was of red or flame-colored silk, with two notches at its end, adorned with green silk tassels, and hanging from a gilded shaft. ORIGEN (Gr. 'SLpiyivr)s a father of the church, born as conjectured in Alexandria, Egypt, about 1 85, died probably in Tyre in 254. The surname of Adamantius was bestowed on him by early writers on account of his unwearied diligence and ascetic temper. His father, the martyr Leo- nides, was a teacher of eloquence ; and under his tuition and that of Clement of Alexandria, Origen was familiarized from childhood with the works of Plato and the Stoics, as well as with the Scriptures. In 202 Leonides suf- fered for the faith, and the confiscation of his property left the widow and seven orphans utterly destitute. Origen opened a school, in which he taught at first the ordinary elements of Greek literature, and then expounded the Christian faith to catechumens. But the pub- lic school of catechists attached to the cathe- dral church of Alexandria having been left without teachers in 202 by the flight of its founders, the bishop placed it under the di- rection of Origen. The new master confined himself to religious instruction. His father's fame and his own attracted a crowd of pupils, many of whom suffered imprisonment and mar- tyrdom. His school was closed by the magis- trates, and he was driven from the city. When permitted to return, he resumed his office of teacher, but resolved to lead a life of greater austerity than before. He declined all remu- neration for his labor, parted with his select library of pagan authors for a stipend of four oboli a day, slept upon the bare ground, wore only one garment and no shoes, and gave up all stimulating drinks. In 206, interpreting too literally the passage in Matt: xix. 12, he secretly emasculated himself, revealing the cir- cumstance only to the bishop Demetrius. About this time he went to Arabia at the request of a Roman governor. In 210 he avowed himself a pupil of the Neo-Platonist Ammonius Sac- cas, and about 211 visited Rome, where he was confirmed in his purpose of doing some great work for Biblical scholarship. Relin- quishing part of his duties to his assistant Heraclas, he devoted himself to the study of Hebrew, in which he soon became proficient. In 212 he converted the Yalentinian Am- brose, whose learning and wealth afterward enabled him to publish his commentaries on the Scriptures. About 219 he was summoned to Antioch to meet the emperor Elagabalus and Mammasa, and made such an impression by his learning and his accomplishments that the persecutions against the Christians de- clined. On his return to Alexandria, he en- larged the sphere of his teaching so as to make the study of all known philosophy a preparation for the scientific study of Chris- tian theology. Ambrose here not only as- sisted him in teaching, but purchased manu-