CANTU, CESARE. 



CAPELL, EDWARD. 



fo 



Roooo Pennone,' the original architect of the edifice, says that there is 

 a work containing all Cantoni's designs for that purpose, but he does 

 Dot specify either its title or date. Wiebeking attributes the Arena 

 at Mantua to Cantoni, but it would seem erroneously, no mention 

 being made of it in the memoir of him by Lazzari, in Tipaldo's 

 ' Biografia,' &o., where he is said to have rejected flattering invitations 

 from St. Petersburg and Warsaw. He died March 3, 1818. Nagler, 

 who makes no mention of Simone, speaks of a Giuseppe Cantoni of 

 Forli as the architect of the amphitheatre at Mantua (which was 

 opened in 1821); therefore he is no doubt the person, meant by 

 Wiebeking. 



* CANTU, CESARE, an Italian historian, was born at Brescia in 

 1805. Educated at Sondrio in the Valtellina, he there at an early age 

 was appointed professor of the belles-lettres. Subsequently Be resided 

 at Como, and afterwards at Milan, which city he quitted at the revo- 

 lutionary epoch of 1S48, and proceeded to Piedmont, where he entered 

 with ardour into the proceedings of the liberal party. On the suppression 

 of the revolutionary movement Cantu returned to Milan, where he 

 has since devoted himself to his literary labours. M. Cantu is a very 

 prolific writer. The work by which he first became known was the 

 ' Ragionamenti sulla Storia Lombarda nel secolo XVII.,' Milan, 1842. 

 Certain liberal opinions in this work drew down upon him a government 

 prosecution, and he was condemned to a year's imprisonment. He 

 amused his prison hours by the composition of an historical novel, 

 ' Hargherita Pasterla." But big chief work, the result of many years of 

 diligent research, ia his ' Storia Universale,' 20 vols. 8vo, Torino, 1838- 

 46, many volumes of which have gone through several editions. It 

 is neat, clever, and spirited in style, and liberal in spirit; and though 

 not a work to be classed in the first rank of historic literature, is one 

 calculated to be of great service in Italy. It has been translated into 

 French by Messrs. Aroux and Leopardi. Cantu has published several 

 other works, including a ' History of Italian Literature,' an account of 

 contemporary Italian poets, a ' Storia di Cento Anni 1750-1850,' 3 vole. 

 8vo, Firenze, 1851. His 'Reformation in Europe' has been translated 

 into English by F. Prandi, London, 1847. Cautu has also written a 

 good deal of poetry as well as poetic criticism. (Nowelle Biographic 

 UniveneUe ; Canveriatiom-Lexikan.) 



CANUTE. The island of Britain, which, compared with more 

 northern countries was rich, fertile, and beautiful, was a constant 

 temptation to the inhabitants of the shores of the Baltic, and of the 

 countries now forming the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden. These 

 Northmen possessed a navy which enabled them to make descents 

 upon the coasts of all the countries bordering on the English seas. 

 Besides these predatory descents upon the coast they had frequently 

 lari;e armies in the field, and disputed with the native princes the 

 entire sovereignty of the southern portion of the island. ^They had 

 possessed themselves by right of conquest of much of the northern 

 coast of France, where they had a succession of princes, who became 

 at length, in the person of William the Norman (northman), sovereign 

 of England. 



Much of the history of the Anglo-Saxon kings is the history of their 

 contests with these formidable neighbours. The genius and military 

 talents of Alfred for a while saved the country from their oppressions ; 

 but when he waa dead, and was succeeded by a race of princes inferior 

 to himself, the nation became less able to make an effectual resistance. 

 Danes settled in many portions of the island, tribute was paid to them, 

 and finally in the person of Canute, one of the greatest men in the 

 line of this northern sovereignty, they accomplished that which they 

 bad so long desired the entire subjugation of the Anglo-Saxon people, 

 and the extinction for a time of the Anglo-Saxon sovereignty. 



Thin then is the light in which we are to contemplate Canute : the 

 king by birth and inheritance of the people now known as Danes, 

 Normans, and Swedes, and aa the man who accomplished the work of 

 his father Sweyn in displacing the posterity of Egbert from the sove- 

 reignty of England. On the death of his father in 1014 the Danish 

 uruy proclaimed Canute king of England, but it was not till after the 

 death of Edmund in 1017 that he became sole king. He reigned about 

 twenty years (1017-1036), during which period the country was at 

 peace. England of all his possessions he chose for his usual residence. 

 He died at Shaftesbury, and was interred at Winchester, the usual 

 place of interment of the Saxon kings. In the first years of his reign 

 he was cruel, suspicious, and tyrannical ; but when he had removed all 

 who seemed to have a claim to the throne, he ruled with mildness, 

 and for the most part with justice. His attention to the observances 

 of religion, and his patronage of ecclesiastics, secured for him the 

 praise of the monkihh chroniclers; and in their writings, Canute, 

 successful in war, in peace appears humane, gentle, and religious. 

 William of Malmeshury says of him, tbat by his piety, justice, and 

 moderation, he gained the affection of his subjects, and an universal 

 esteem among foreigners. The well-known story of the rebuke which 

 he g tve to the flatt< ry of his courtiers makes his name and his virtue 

 more- familiar to tl.e Knglish nation than all the encomiums of our 

 chroniclers, or than his acts of piety in his journey to Rome and in 

 the foundation of the two monasteries of St. Bennet of Holme and 

 St. Edmund's Bury. 



The reigns of the two sons of Canute were short and disturbed. In 

 1041 the posterity of Egbert, in the person of Edward, son of King 

 Etheldred, regained the throne. This was Edward called the Confessor. 



His reign was harassed by the Danes under Sweyn, another son of 

 Canute. They alao disputed the sovereignty with Harold, the son of 

 Earl Godwin, who assumed the crown on the death of Edward ; and 

 Englaud might have suffered much longer from attempts of the 

 northern chiefs had it not fallen under the sway of the race of Norman 

 princes, who governed with a more vigorous hand than that of the 

 Anglo Saxon chiefs. 



CAPEFIGUE, BAPTISTS HONORE, RAYMOND, one of the 

 moat prolific living historians and periodical writers of France, was 

 born at Marseille in 1801. After finishing his academic course in 

 his native place, he entered upon the study of the law, and in order 

 to complete his legal studies he proceeded in 1821 to Paris. But there 

 he soon abandoned the law for politics ; became a writer for the 

 newspapers ; and obtained, in consequence of some of his articles 

 attracting the notice of the minister, a post in the Foreign Office, 

 which he held till 1848. His official situation however appears to 

 have interfered little with his literary labours. He waa for a time 

 editor of the ' Quotidienne,' and then became successively connected 

 either as editor or as a leading contributor with the ' Messager des 

 Chambres,' ' Le Temps,' ' Le Moniteur du Commerce,' ' Le Courier 

 Fran9ais,' ' La Chronique de Paris,' ' L'Europe Monarchique," ' La 

 Gazette de France," ' La Revolution de 1848,' and ' L' Assembles 

 Nationale ; ' besides writing, many elaborate articles for the ' Revue 

 des Deux Mondes.' These would seem to supply ample occupation 

 for the leisure of an official life, but M. Capefigue is at the same time 

 one of the most voluminous historical writers of the day. We will 

 not inflict upon our readers the fatigue of perusing a complete list of 

 his historical works ; it will suffice for us to state that they amount 

 in all to upwards of a hundred volumes, and to add the titles of some 

 of the most important : ' Essai sur les invasions des Normands dans 

 les Gaules,' 2 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1823; 'Histoire de Philippe-Auguste,' 

 4 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1827-29 ; ' Histoire constitutionelle et administrative 

 de la France depuis la mort de Philippe-Auguste ; premiere e"poque de 

 Louis VIII. jusqu'a la fin du regne de Louis XI.,' 4 vols. 8vo, 1831-33 ; 

 ' Histoire de la Keforme, de la Ligue, et du regne de Henri IV.,' 8 vols. 

 8vo, 1833-34 ; ' Richelieu, Mazarin, la Fronde, et le regne de Louis 

 XIV.,' 8 volg. 8vo, 1835-36 ; ' Lonia XIV., son gouvernement, et ses 

 relations diplomatiques avec 1'Europe,' 6 vols. 8vo, 1837-38 ; 'Hugues 

 Capet, et la troisieme race, jusqu'a Philippe-Auguste,' 10 vols. 8vo, 

 1839-41 ; ' Louis XV., et la socie'te' du dix-huitieme siecle," 4 vols. 8vo, 

 1842 ; ' Histoire de la Restoration, et dea causes qui ont amend la 

 chute de la branche ane;e des Bourbons," 4 vols. 1842; 'L'Europe 

 pendant le Consulat et 1'Empire,' 12 vola., 1839-41 ; ' Louis XVI., ses 

 relations diplomatiques avec 1'Europe," 4 vols., 1844 ; 'La Diplomatie 

 de France et de 1'Espagne, depuis I'ave'nement de la maison de Bourbon,' 

 8vo, 1846 ; ' Histoire authentique et secrete des Traites de 1815,' 

 1847 ; ' L'Europe depuis I'ave'nement de Louis Philippe,' 10 vols. 8vo, 

 1849; 'Les quatres premiers Siocles de 1'Eglise chre'tienne, 4 vols. 

 8vo, 1850-51 ; 'Trois Siecles de 1'Histoire de France,' 2 vols., 1851. 

 (Nouvclle Biographie Univertelle.) 



CAPEL, ARTHUR, LORD, was born at the commencement of the 

 17th century. He was returned as M.P. for Hertfordshire to the par- 

 liament which assembled Nov. 3, 1640. At first he seemed disposed to 

 adopt the principles held by the great majority of the members, but soon 

 changed his opinions, and devoted himself to the cause of Charles I., who 

 created him Baron Capel of Hadham in Hertfordshire. He assembled 

 troops in Wales and the adjoining counties, and in 1645, when Charles, 

 Prince of Wales, was named generalissimo, Lord Capel was directed by 

 the king, together with Sir Edward Hyde and Lord Colchester, to 

 accompany the prince to the western counties, and direct everything 

 in his name. In 1648 he joined the forces under Sir Charles Lucas in 

 Essex with a troop of cavaliers from Hertfordshire, and on the 12th of 

 June they marched together to Colchester, intending to remain there 

 only a day or two, and then advance into Suffolk and Norfolk ; but on 

 the 13th Fairfax appeared before the walls, and the town was imme- 

 diately invested. After two months of the most obstinate resistance, 

 they were compelled by famine and sedition to surrender uncondi- 

 tionally, August 27. Sir Charles Lucas, Sir George Lisle, aud Sir 

 Bernard Gaacoign, the three principal leaders, were immediately shot. 

 Lord Capel was conducted as a prisoner to Windsor Castle, and thence 

 conveyed to the Tower of London. He made his escape from the Tower, 

 but was soon retaken, and was condemned to be hanged, drawn, and 

 quartered. This severe sentence however was commuted, aud on the 

 9th of March 1649 he was beheaded in front of Westminster Hall. 

 His son ARTHUR, born in 1635, was created Earl of Essex by 

 Charles II. He was accused of being concerned in the Rye-House 

 Plot, and was sent prisoner to the Tower, where he was found dead 

 some days afterwards, his throat having' been severed by a razor. 



CAPELL, EDWARD, was born in 1713, at Troston in Suffolk. He 

 was educated at Bury St. Edmunds, and spent the greater part of his 

 life at Hastings and in London, occupying himself almost exclusively 

 in studies relating- to the works of Shakspere. He was enabled to 

 command leisure lor such pursuits by the patronage of the Duke of 

 Grafton, who obtained for him the appointment of deputy-inspector 

 of plays. He died on the 24th of February 1781, at his chambers in 

 the Temple. As a commentator on Shakspere, Capelt is ranked much 

 more highly now than he was in his own times, but he is really useful 

 only as furnishing hints for others to work upon. There ia not more 



