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* ERNE. 190 ERNST. Histories. Antiquities, and Traditions (Dublin, ERNESTI, gr-nes'tS, Johakn August (1707- 81 i. A German classical scholar. He was born at Tennstadt, in Thuringia, studied at Pforta, Wittenberg, and Leipzig. After having been ap- tor of l lie Thomas school in Leipzig in 1734, he turned his attention chiefly to classi- cal literature. In 1742 he became professor ex- traordinarius in the University of Leipzig; in rofessor of rhetoric; and in 1759 profes- sor of theology. Ernesti's wide training in phil- ology enabled him to inaugurate a new era in 1 1 interpretation, and he established a school . i New Testament exegesis, based on correcter principles of grammatical and historical inter- pretation than had prevailed, through his work Tnstitutio Interpretis Novi Testamenti ( 5th ed. by C. F. Amnion. 1809) ; translated by Moses Stuart under the title Elements of Interpretation (An- dover,1822; 4th ed. 1842). Cither theological works are his Anti-Sluratorius (1755), and Opu-scula Theologica ( 1792). As classical philologist he edited Xenophon's Memorabilia, Aristophanes's Clouds, Homer. Callimachus, Polybius, Tacitus, and Sue- tonius, but his greatest classical work was his edition of Cicero (5vols., Leipzig, 1737-39), last edition with Olavis Ciceroniana, Ilalle (1831). Consult: Ernesti. Memoria J. A. Ernesti ( 1781) ; van Voorst, Oratio <lc J. .1. Ernesti (1804); Allgemeine deutschi Biographie, vol. vi. (Leipzig, 1878). ERNST, ernst (1441-80). Elector of Saxony from I ti',1 to 1486. He was the eldest son of the Elector Frederick the Mild. At the age of four- teen he and his brother Albert were kidnaped (the famous Prinzenraub) by a revengeful but were speedily recovered. In 1404 he ■ led his father as Elector, but ruled jointly with his brother Albert till 1485. In that year they divided their paternal possessions, each as- suming full sovereignty over his part. Ernst ruled his territory well and increased it by pur- and conquest. The electoral dynasty re- mained with the Ernestine or elder branch till 1547, when it was transferred to the younger or Albertine line. Ernst died at Kolditz in I4SU. ■ led from Ernst are the present houses of Saxe-Weimar, Saxe Vltenburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe Coburg i totha. ERNST I., called the Pious (1001-75). Duke e-Gotha and Utenburg, and founder of the e of Goths II- on of John Duke of Weimar, a member of the Ernestine line. He in the Thirty dears' War under Gustavus Adolphus and his own brother, the famous Kern- hard of Weimar, and distinguished himself in the ■ d Nuremberg, Ltltzen, and Nordlingen. lie thi Peace of Prague in 1635, and thence- forth devoted himself to the administration of his Bj hi- wise and frugal management he raised his country from the economic and ' di i lation into which it had sunk during the long war. He fo tercd industry ! : tnanj schools and acad- Furthered the spread ol religious in- i i he mosl enlightem d read to Egypt and b ■ ■]■ rick, the eldest, continued the line of Gotha, while Bernhard teininget md I i ns( that Ifeld. Thi Ei ■ imei xl ind in 1824 with the death of Frederick IV. Consult: Philipp, Ernestus thi Pious (London, 1740) ; Beck, Ernst der Fromme (Weimar, 1805). ERNST II. (1745-1804). Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg. He was the second son of Duke Frederick III. and of Luise Dorothea of Mei- ningen. Upon the death of his father he at once entered upon a thorough reform of the govern- ment. Of a noble and charitable disposition, he gave large sums to benevolent institutions of every description. Although a near relative of King George III. of England, he refused the con- siderable sums offered by the latter for levies to be employed against the American Colonies. He was a liberal patron of all the sciences, and was the first to institute a measurement of an arc Of the meridian in Germany. He established the astronomical observatory near Gotha, and wrote anonymously astronomical works, including As- tronomische Tafeln (1799). ERNST I. (1784-1844). Duke of Saxe-Co- burg and Gotha. He succeeded his father in 1806. He fought against Napoleon in the war of 1800, and lost his dominions in consequence, but recovered them by the Peace of Tilsit ( 1807). He was forced to join the Confederation of the Rhine, and after the battle of Leipzig ranged himself on the side of the Allies, and was re- warded at the Congress of Vienna with the Principality of Lichtenberg. In 1826 Gotha came into his hands through failure of the reigning line. ERNST II., Augustus Chaeles John Leo- pold Alexander Edward (1818-93). Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and brother of Albert, Prince Consort of England. He was born at Coburg. After studying at Bonn and traveling extensively in Europe he entered the Saxon army. In 1844 he succeeded his father as Duke. Ernst enjoyed immense popularity owing to his habit of min- gling with the people in their pleasures, and thi-.. together with timely concessions, saved his terri- tory from revolution in 1848 and 1849. In the war against Denmark he won, as commander of a German corps, the battle of EckernfBrde. He favored a united Germany, but looked to Austria as the leader in the movement, and bitterly op- posed Bismarck. In the war between Austria and Prussia in 1800 he, however, sided with the latter, and he took part in the Franco-Prussian War. He was an excellent musician anil some of his operas, among them Santa Chiara (1854), Casilda (1855), and Diana run Solanges (1858), were notably successful in Germany. Under the title of 4.U8 meinem Leben wnd aus meiner /.<ii (1887-89) he published memoirs of intense in- terest. Consult Ohorn, //</;<);/ Ernst II. (Leip- zig. 1894). ERNST (1554-1612). Duke of Bavaria and Elector <d Cologne. Educated by the Jesuits, his entire life wa-. devoted to extending the counter- reformation in the live bishopries which he con trolled, namely Ereising, llihlesheim, Cologne. Liege, and Minister. In 1581! he was appointed Archbishop of Cologne, but was at constant feud with the city. He took an active part in the religious and political contests of the period, and was always a vigorous opponent of the Protes taut. Leagues. Consult .Ian-- en. Oeschichte il<s deutschen 1 olkes ( 15 vols., Freiburg. 1 ss 1 ) . ERNST, Adolf. See Stern, Adolf.