Apocrypha (from the Greek, 'things concealed or spurious') is a term applied in the earliest churches to various sacred or professedly inspired writings, sometimes given to those whose authors were unknown, sometimes to those with a hidden meaning, and sometimes to those considered objectionable. The term is specially applied to the fourteen undermentioned books which were written during the two centuries preceding the birth of Christ. They were written, not in Hebrew, but in Greek, and the Jews never allowed them a place in their sacredcanon. They were incorporated into the Septuagint, and thence passed to the Vulgate. The Greek Church excluded them from the canon in 360 at the Council of Laodicea. The LatinChurch treated them with more favour, but it was not until 1546 that they were formally admitted into the canon of the Church of Rome by a decree of the Council of Trent. The Anglican Church says they may be read for example of life and instruction of manners, but that the church does not apply them to establish any doctrine. All other Protestant churches in Britain and America ignore them. The following fourteen books form the Apocrypha of the English Bible: - The first and second Books of Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the rest of the Book of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus, Baruch the Prophet, the Song of the Three Children, Susanna and the Elders, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasses, and the first and second Books of Maccabees.
Besides the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament there are many other books composed in the earlier ages of Christianity, and published under the names of Christ and his apostles, or of such immediate followers as from their character or means of intimate knowledge might give an apparent plausibility for such forgeries. These writings comprise: 1st, the Apocryphal Gospels, which treat of the history of Joseph and the Virgin before the birth of Christ, of the infancy of Jesus, and of the acts of Pilate; 2d, the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles; and 3d, the Apocryphal Apocalypses, none of which have obtained canonical recognition by any of the churches. Research Apocrypha
The Bengal quine or Bel or Belgae (Aegle marmelos) is an Indian tree, the fruit of which is not unlike an orange and is slightly aperient. A perfume and yellow dye are obtained from the rind, and a cement from the mucus of the seed. Research Bengal Quince
Charles IV (Charles le Bel, or Charles the Handsome) was a King of France. He was born in 1294 and died in 1328. He was the third son of Philippe Le Bel, and ascended the throne in 1322. He died in 1328, without male issue, and was the last of the direct line descended from Hugh Capet. Research Charles IV
Charles IV (Charles le Bel, or Charles the Handsome) was a King of France. He was born in 1294 and died in 1328. He was the third son of Philippe Le Bel, and ascended the throne in 1322. He died in 1328, without male issue, and was the last of the direct line descended from Hugh Capet. Research Charles IV
Albert I was Duke of Austria and Emperor of Germany. He was born in 1248 and died in 1298. The son of Rodolph of Hapsburg, on the death of his father in 1292 he claimed the empire, but his arrogant conduct drove the electors to choose Adolphus of Nassau emperor. Adolphus, after a reign of six years, having lost the regard of all the princes of the empire, Albert was elected to succeed him. A battle ensued near Gellheim, in which Adolphus fell by the hand of his adversary, who was elected and crowned. PopeBoniface VIII, however, refused to acknowledge him as emperor, and ordered the electoral princes to renounce their allegiance to him. On the other hand, Albert formed an alliance with Philip le Bel of France, and offered so determined and successful a resistance to the papal authority that Boniface was induced to withdraw his opposition, on condition that Albert would break with his French ally. During the subsequent years of his reign the emperor was engaged in unsuccessful wars with Holland, Hungary, Bohemia, and other states. His measures to still further strengthen his authority over the Swiss Forest Cantons of Unterwalden, Schwyz, and Uri drove the inhabitants into open revolt in January 1308. While on his way to crush the Swiss he was assassinated, at Aix-la-Ohapelle in 1298, by his nephew, John, Duke of Suabia, whose inheritance he had seized upon.
Rene Viviani was a French independent Socialist statesman. He was born in 1862 at Sidi-bel-Abbas, Algeria and died in 1925. After studying at the bar he entered Chambers as a deputy for Paris in 1893, was defeated in 1902 and regained his seat in 1906 and in the same year became minister of labour and public hygiene in the Clemenceau administration. He represented France at the first meeting of the League of Nations at Geneva in 1920. Research Rene Viviani
Tullio Serafin was an Italian conductor. He was born in 1878 and died in 1968. He studied in Milan and became a violinist in the orchestra at La Scala. In 1900 he made his debut as a conductor at Ferrara. In 1909 he was conducting at La Scala, later becoming a regular guest at Covent Garden, and from 1924 to 1934 he conducted at the New York Met, where he presented the first American performance of Turandot. He worked devotedly in the revival of belcanto, and was a major formative influence on Maria Callas, who said later: 'He taught me exactly the depth of music. Research Tullio Serafin
Abbreviations
Research Apocrypha
