Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish story-teller and poet. He was born in 1805 at Odense, Funen and died in 1875. He learned to read and write in a charity school, from which he was taken when only nine years old, and was put to work in a manufactory in order that his earnings might assist his widowed mother. In his leisure time he eagerly read national ballads, poetry, and plays, and wrote several tragedies full enough of sound and fury. In 1819 he went to Copenhagen, but failed in getting any of his plays accepted, and in securing an appointment at the theatre, having to content himself for some time with unsteady employment as a joiner. His abilities at last brought him under the notice of Councillor Collin, a man of considerable influence, who procured for him free entrance into a government school at Slagelse. From this school he was transferred to the university, and soon became favourably known by his poetic works.
Through the influence of Oehlenschlager and others he received a royal grant to enable him to travel, and in 1833 he visited Italy, his impressions of which he published in 1835 in The Improvvisatore - a work which rendered his fame European. The scene of his following novel, 0. T., was laid in Denmark, and in Only a Fiddler he described his own early struggles. In 1835 appeared the first volume of his Fairy Tales, of which successive volumes continued to be published year by year at Christmas, and which have been the most popular and wide-spread of his works. Among his other works are Picture-books without Pictures, A Poet's Bazaar - the result of a voyage in 1840 to the East - and a number of dramas. In 1845 he received an annuity from the government.
He visited England in 1848, and acquired such a command of the language that his next work, The Two Baronesses, was written in English. In 1855 he published an autobiography, under the title My Life's Romance, an English translation of which, published in 1871, contained additional chapters by the author, bringing the narrative to 1867. Among his later works we may mention, To Be or Not To Be published in 1857; Tales from Jutland published in 1859; The Ice Maiden published in 1863. Research Hans Christian Andersen
James Henry Leigh Hunt was an English poet and essayist. He was born in 1784 and died in 1859. He was educated at ChristchurchHospital, where he attained some distinction, entered the office of his brother, an attorney, and afterwards obtained a situation in the war office. In 1808, in conjunction with his brother John, he started the Examinernewspaper, which soon became prominent for the fearlessness with which public matters were discussed. Before long official resentment took shape in two prosecutions of the brothers, the second of which, occasioned by an article in the paper of the 22nd of March, 1812, reflecting on the character of the prince regent, resulted in the brothers being sentenced to pay a fine of 500 pounds sterling each, and to suffer two years' imprisonment. During his confinement James Hunt wrote several works, amongst which are the Feast of the Poets, the Descent of Liberty, and the Story of Rimini.
In 1818 appeared Foliage, a collection of original poems and translations from Homer, Theocritus, Bion, etc; and in 1819 the Indicator was started, a weekly journal on the model of the Spectator, which contained some of his best essays. In 1822 he went to Italy, having received an invitation from Byron and Shelley, and, in conjunction with the former, carried on a newspaper called the Liberal; but it proved unsuccessful.
On his return to England James Hunt published Recollections of LordByron and some of his Contemporaries (published in two volumes in 1828), which provoked somewhat the indignation of the noble poet's friends. Among his subsequent works may be mentioned, A legend of Florence, a play represented with some success at Covent Garden in 1840; Stories from the Italian Poets (published in two volumes in 1846); Men, Women, and Books (published in 1847); A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybia (published in 1847); the Town, its Memorable Characters and Events (published in 1848); Autobiography (published in three volumes in 1850); Table Talk (published in 1850).
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon (Madame Guyon) was a French mystic. She was born in 1648 at Montargis and died in 1717. At the age of sixteen she was married to Jacques Guyon, after whose death in 1676 the tendency to mystic enthusiasm which had characterized her younger years, again acquired ascendency, and she began the religious propagandism of her extreme views of self-abnegation, indifference to life and death, and even to future salvation or perdition. She became associated with some enthusiastic priests, abandoned her children and her goods, reserving a moderate annuity; and moved from place to place, making numerous proselytes.
She also published numerous works, snch as Le Cantique des Cantiques interprete selon le Sens Mystique (1685); Poesies Spirituelles (five volumes. 1685); Discours Chretiens et Spirituels (1716), etc. At last the Archbishop of Paris thought it necessary to take steps against the spread of Madame Guyon's mystical doctrines. Through his influence she was shut up in the convent of the Visitation, but afterwards released at the instigation of Madame Maintenon, who herself became for a time a convert to the new doctrines, and allowed Madame Guyon to preach in the seminary of St Oyr, where she made a convert and disciple of Penelon. A commission of ecclesiastics, chief amongst whom was Bossuet, now sat in judgment, and the doctrines of Madame Guyon were condemned in 1695. This led to her being imprisoned for some years, latterly in the Bastille, whence she was liberated in 1702. The rest of her life was spent in retirement and in works of charity. Research Jeannne-Marie Guyon
Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre was a French scientist. He was born in 1789 at Cormeilles department and died in 1851. He discovered the process of photography and invented the diorama. He was a scene-painter at Paris, and as early as 1814 had his attention directed by Nicephore Niepce to the subject of photographic pictures on metal. In 1829 they made a formal agreement to work out the invention together, but it was not until after Niepce's death, on July the 5th, 1833, that Daguerre succeeded in perfecting the process since called daguerreotype. The new process excited the greatest interest. Daguerre was made an officer iof the Legion of Honour, and an annuity of 6000 francs was settled on him, and one of 4000 on the son of Niepce. Research Louis Daguerre
Prince Alfred Ernest Albert Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the second son of Queen Victoria. He was born in 1844 at Windsor Castle and died in 1900. At the age of fourteen he joined the navy as naval cadet, and served on various foreign stations. In 1862 be declined the offer of the throne of Greece. On his majority he received 15,000 pounds a year from parliament, and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent, and Earl of Ulster. In 1867 he was appointed to the command of the frigateGalatea, in which he visited Australia, Japan, China, India, etc. In 1873 he received an additional annuity of 10,000 pounds, and next year he married the Grand-duchess Marie, only daughter of the Emperor of Russia. In 1882 he was made a vice-admiral, and subsequently held important commands. In 1893 he succeeded his uncle as ruler of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and resigned his annuity of 15,000 pounds. He had one son (who predeceased him) and four daughters. Research Prince Alfred
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet and philosopher. He was born in 1772 at Ottery St Mary in Devon and died in 1834. Sent to school at Christ's Church Hospital, to which he had obtained a representation, the young Samuel Coleridge took little interest in the ordinary sports of childhood, and was noted for a dreamy abstracted manner, though he made considerable progress in classical studies, and was known even at that early age as a devourer of metaphysical and theological works.
From Christ's Church he went with a scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he remained for two years, but without achieving much distinction. At this time, too, his ultra-radical and rationalistic opinions made the idea of academic preferment hopeless, and perhaps it was partly to escape the difficulties and perplexities gathering about his future that Samuel Coleridge suddenly quit Cambridge and enlisted in the 15th Dragoons. Rescued by his friends from this position, he took up his residence at Bristol with two congenial spirits, Robert Southey, who had just been obliged to quit Oxford for his Unitarian opinions, and Lovell, a young Quaker. The three conceived the project of emigrating to America, and establishing a pantisocracy as they termed it, or community in which all should be equal, on the banks of the Susquehanna. This scheme, however, never became anything more than a theory, and was finally disposed of when, in 1795, the three friends married three sisters, the Misses Pricket of Bristol.
Samuel Coleridge about this time started a periodical, the Watchman, which did not survived beyond the ninth number. In 1796 he took a cottage at Nether Stowey, in Somersetshire, where, soothed and supported by the companionship of Wordsworth, who came to reside at Allfoxden, he wrote much of his best poetry, in particular the Ancient Mariner and the first part of Christabel. While residing at Nether Stowey he used to officiate in a Unitarian chapel at Taunton, and in 1798 received an invitation to take the charge of a congregation of this denomination at Shrewsbury, where, however, he did nothing further than preach the probation sermon.
An annuity bestowed on him by some friends (the Wedgewoods) furnished him with the means of making a tour to Germany, where he studied at the University of Gottingen. In 1800 he returned to England and took up his residence beside Southey at Keswick, while Wordsworth lived at Grasmere in the same neighbourhood. From this fact, and a certain common vein in their poetry, arose the epithet of 'Lake School' applied to their works. About 1804 Coleridge went to Malta to re-establish his health, seriously impaired by opium-eating. In 1806 he returned to England, and after ten years of somewhat desultory literary work as lecturer, contributor to periodicals, etc, Samuel Coleridge in a sort took refuge from the world in the house of his friend Mr. Gillman at Highgate, London. Here he passed the rest of his days, holding weekly conversaziones in which he poured himself forth in eloquent monologues, being by general consent one of the most wonderful talkers of the time.
His views on religious and political subjects had now become mainly orthodox and conservative, and a great work on the Logos, which should reconcile reason and faith, was one of the dreams of his later years. But Samuel Coleridge had long been incapable of concentrating his energies on anything, and of the many years he spent in the leisure and quietness of Highgate nothing remains but the Table Talk and the fragmentary notes and criticism gathered together, and edited by his nephew, valuable enough of their kind, but less than might have been expected of Samuel Coleridge.
The dreamy and transcendental character of Samuel Coleridge's poetry eminently exhibits the man. In his best moments he has a fine sublimity of thought and expression not surpassed by Milton; but he is often turgid and verbose. As a critic, especially of William Shakespeare, Samuel Coleridge's work is of the highest rank, combining a comprehensive grasp of large critical principles and a singularly subtle insight into details.
Samuel Coleridge's poetical works include The Ancient Mariner, Christabel (incomplete), Remorse, a tragedy, Kubia Khan, a translation of Schiller's Wallenstein, etc; his prose works, Biographia Literaria, The Friend, The Statesman's Manual, Aids to Reflection, On the Constitution of Church and State, etc. Posthumously were published specimens of his Table Talk, Literary Remains, etc. Research Samuel Coleridge
Thomas Coram was a Dorset seaman. He was born in 1668 and died in 1751. He established the Foundling Hospital, which was chartered in 1739 and intended as a refuge for the numerous unwanted children of London. He spent all his money on charities, and towards the end of his life was reduced to poverty, when an annuity was raised for him by public subscription. Research Thomas Coram
Warren Hastings was the first governor-general of India. He was born in 1732 at Daylesford in Worcestershire and died in 1818. He was the grandson of the rector of Daylesford. He was educated at Westminster School, and in 1750 he set out for Bengal in the capacity of a writer in the service of the East India Company. When stationed at Cossimbazar he was taken prisoner by Surajah Dowlah on the capture of the place in 1756. Having made his escape, he served as a volunteer under Clive in 1757.
He was representative of the Company at Moorshedabad from 1758 to 1761. In the latter year he moved to Calcutta, having obtained a seat in the Bengal Council, but returned to England in 1764. As he lost the bulk of his means by unfortunate Indian investments, he again entered the Company's service, and sailed for India in 1769. In consequence of the misgovernment of the Nabob of Bengal the Company had deprived him of all real power, and now wished to have the country more directly under their control. Warren Hastings was its chief instrument in this undertaking, and in 1772 became president of the Supreme Council of Calcutta. Mohammed Reza Khan, the administrator of the revenues of Bengal, was now accused by an unprincipled character named Nuncomar of corruption and abuses of power. In this prosecution William Hastings acted as the tool of the Company. Mohammed and Shitab Roy, dewan of Behar (who had been similarly accused), were afterwards honourably acquitted, but meantime the reorganization desired by the Company had been carried out.
In 1773 the Company's powers were considerably modified by an act of parliament and William Hastings now received the title of Governor-general of India. As the majority of the Council disapproved of William Hastings' past policy, Nuncomar, his old ally, took advantage of the circumstance to accuse him of peculation in 1776. The accusations were favourably received by the Council, when Nuncomar was suddenly accused by a Calcuttamerchant of forgery, was tried, and executed - a fate which he undoubtedly deserved.
In 1776 the directors of the Company petitioned government for his removal from the Council, but William Hastings resigned, and a successor to him was appointed. In 1777 one of the members of the Council died, and William Hastings,having thus procured a casting vote, withdrew his resignation, and returned to office. He now displayed extraordinary resource in meeting dangerous movements on the part of the Mahrattas, the Nizam of the Deccan, and Hyder Ali of Mysore, and to procure the needful money was less than scrupulous in his treatment of the rulers of Benares and Oude. He thus gave good grounds for censure, and a motion for his recall was passed in the House of Commons.
Fox's India Bill was thrown out in 1783, but next year Pitt's bill, establishing the board of control, passed, and William Hastings resigned. He left India in 1785, and was impeached by Burke in 1786, being charged with acts of injustice and oppression, with maladministration, receiving of bribes, etc. This celebrated trial, in which Burke, Fox, and Sheridan thundered against him, began in 1788, and terminated in 1795 with his acquittal, but cost him his fortune.
The Company in 1796 settled on him an annuity of 4000 pounds a year, and lent him 50,000 pounds for eighteen years-free of interest. He passed the remainder of his life in retirement at Daylesford, which he purchased. Research Warren Hastings
An annuity is a contract in which a person pays a premium to an insurance company, usually in one lump sum, and in return receives periodic payments for an agreed period or for the rest of his life. An annuity has been described as the opposite of a life assurance as the policyholder pays the lump sum and the insurer makes the regular payments. Annuities are often purchased at a time of prosperity to convert capital into an income during old age. Research Annuity
Annuity tax was a tax levied by Charles I to provide stipends for ministers in Edinburgh and Montrose, it caused much disaffection and was abolished in 1860, and other provisions made for the purpose. These proved equally unpopular and their abolition was provided for by an act passed in 1870. Research Annuity Tax
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Abbreviations
Research Hans Christian Andersen
