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* CECIL. 389 CECILIA. CECIL, sfs'il or sis'!!. RicirARn (1784-1810). An En^'li>li evangelical diviiio of the Kstablished Clninli, born in I.ondon. He originally professed skeiitieal views, but in 1772 was converted, and from 1771! studied at tjueen's College, Oxford. In 1777 he was ordained priest, and in 1780 he became rector of Saint John's, l?e, 3 vols.), and contain, par- ticularly in Vol. IV., valuable contributions to the discussion of various religious questions. Consult Pratt, .4 .l/c»ioir of the Character of the Kev. R. Cecil. Vol. I. of the M'orks (London, 1811). CECIL, KoitERT. Earl of Salisbury (1563- Itilii). An English statesman, son of William Cecil. Lord Burghley. On the death of his father, having previouslj- held important olHees, he suc- ceeded to a position corresponding in a measure to what is now called the Premiership. On the accession of .James I., Cecil was confirmed in his ofliee, and in 1(50.5 created Earl of Salisbury. In 160S he was made Lord High Treasurer. Al- though of mean and deformed appearance, he was a man of immense energy and sagacity and the best English Minister of his time; but he was cold, selfish, and unscrupulous, and his connec- tion with the disgi'aee of Essex and Raleigh laid him open to great odium. He died Jlay 24, 1612. Consult fioldsniid (editor). The Secret Corre- spotiderice of l^ir R. Cecil with James TI. of Scotland (Edinburgh. 1766: reprint. 1887). CKCIL, William, Lord Burleigh or Burghley ( 1 .520- 1 .598 ) . One of England's foremost states- men, the son of Richard Cecil, master of the robes to Henry VIIL. He «as born at Bourn, September 13, 1520. He was educated at Grant- ham and Stamford grammar schools, and at Saint .John's College. Cambridge, where he dis- tinguished himself, especially in Greek. Before he could tjike his degree he was removed by his father, and entered as a law student at Gray's Inn. to prevent his marriage with Mary, the sister of Cheke. the Greek professor. William, however, married her two months after his ad- vent in London: but his happiness was short- lived, for she died on February 22. 1544. The following year (December 21. 1545) he married Mildred, daughter of Sir Anthony ('oo1<e. a union which increased his political influence. In 1547 he became Custos brevium in the Court of Com- mon Pleas, the reversion of which Henry VIIL had previously given him, and in 1548 was ap- pointed Secretary of State through the friend- ship of the Lord Protector, Somerset. He shared in Somerset's downfall and imprisonment: but two years later, by his wisdom and prudence, was reappointed Secretarj' of State by the Duke of Northumberland, Somerset's enemy. When Queen Mary ascended the throne Cecil, as a Prot- estant, resigned office, but maintained good rela- tions with the Roman Catholic party, and was one of the few eminent Protestants who escaped in purse and person during her reign. Owing to his freedom from persecmtion, he has been un- justly accu.sed of being a 'trimmer.' Cecil was cautious and politic, and averse to extremes in religion. The rejection of the bill w'hich the Roman Catholics introduced into Parliament, to confiscate the estates of Protestants, was main- ly due to him. Cecil was merciful and tolerant, as compared with the narrow Whitgift or the bigoted .ylnier: but he was not guiltless of the cruel religious persecutions which disgraced Elizabeth's reign. The use of the torture and the employment of spies are a dishonor to his memory. Prior to Mary's death. Cecil corre- sponded with Elizabeth, who recognized his capacity for government, and appointed him Sec- retiiry of State on her accession to the throne (Xovember 16, 1558). For forty years he was the originator and director of that policy which made Elizabeth's reign memorable, and although Elizabeth occasionally favored other courtiers, Cecil was the statesman whose judgment slie re- lied on in all matters of importance. His policy at home and abroad was shrewd, cautious, lib- eral, and comprchensiA-e, and the quality of prompt decision was also his. As a statesman he was above animosities and favoritism: his enemies never suffered and his friends profited nothing by his power. He was a man of clas- sical attainments and a voluminous writer. In 1564 Cambridge created him M.... and Oxford conferred the same honor in 1566. The Queen created him Baron Burleigh, Knight of the Garter, and Lord High Treasurer. He died August 15, 1598. Consult: Xares. Memoirs of Lord liurghleji (3 vols., London, 1828-31) : Hal- lam, Constitutional History. Vol. I., Chaps. III., IV. (London, 1876) ; Hume. Great Lord Bur- leigh (London. 1898); Charlton. Life (Stam- ford. 1847) ; Strype, Annals (Oxford, 1824) ; Murdin (editor). Collection of State Papers Left hy Cecil (London. 1759); Haynes (editor). Col- lection of State Papers Left by Cecil (London, 1740). CECIL, or GASCOYNE-CECIL, gas-koln', Robert Arthur Talbot Gascotxe. See Saxis- BUKY, Marquis of. CECILIA. The second of Frances Burney D'Arlilay's novels, dealing with domestic life. See D'Arblay, Madame. CECILIA, Saint. The patroness of music, who is said to have suffered martyrdom in a.d. 230. Her heathen parents, as we are told, be- longed to a nol)le Roman family, and betrothed their daughter, who had been converted to Chris- tianity, to a heathen youth named Valerian. This youth and his brother. Tiberius, became Christian converts, and suffered martyrdom. Cecilia, when commanded to sacrifice to" idols, firmly refused, and was condemned to death. Her persecutors, it is said, first threw her into a boiling bath, but on the following day they found her unhurt. The executioner next at- tempted to cut off her head, but wlien he did not succeed in three strokes he was obliged by the law to abandon the attempt. She lived "three days longer. As early as the Fifth Century there is mention of a church dedicated to her at Rome; and in 821, 'oy order of Pope Paschal, her bones were deposited there. .Saint Cecilia is regarded as the inventor of the organ and the patroness of church music. Her festival is cele- brated on Xovember 22d. Chaucer. Dryden. and Pope have cdelirated Saint Cecilia. ' and the painters Raphael. Domenichino. Carlo Doici, and others have represented her in fine pictures. Consult Gueranger, Sainte Ct'cile et la socicte