273 



CLA.VIUS, CHRISTOPHER; 



CLAY, HENRY. 



only material objection to the correctness of his narrative is that the 

 reader is left to suppose that the disgrace in which Clavijo was plunged 

 was lasting. On the contrary, it appears by the 'Biblioteca de los 

 Autores Canarios,' that at all events as early as 1770 he was again in 

 favour with Grimaldi, who in recompence of his excellent essays on the 

 drama in the ' Pensador,' conferred on him the direction of the theatre 

 of the palace. In 1773 he was entrusted by the secretary of state 

 with the editorship of the 'Mercurio historico y politico,' one of the 

 newspapers of Madrid. He translated some plays from the French, 

 and published an original work bearing the title of ' El Tribunal de las 

 Damas' ('The Ladies' Tribunal'), which was pirated in four surreptitious 

 editions, the title probably exciting some curiosity. He was also 

 appointed secretary to the Cabinet of Natural History at Madrid, of 

 which he compiled a catalogue, and he published a translation of 

 Buffon. He died an old bachelor of eighty in 1S06. 



In addition to the tragedy of Gothe, which is still a stock play in 

 Germany, the story of Clavijo has thrice formed the subject of dramatic 

 treatment in France. ' Norac et Javolci" (an anagram of Caron and 

 Clavijo), by Marsollier des Vivetieres, was produced in 1780; 'Beau- 

 marchais en Espague,' an anonymous work, in 1804 ; and ' Clavijo, on 

 la Jeunesse de Beaumarchais,' by Dorat-Cubieres, in 1806. The quarrel 

 between two persons, both of whom were afterwards dramatic authors, 

 and one at least a manager, appears to have found singular favour in 

 the eyes of dramatists. 



It may be observed that the copy of the ' Pensador' iu the British 

 Museum is that which belonged to the German poet Tieck, and contains 

 a note by him to the effect that he obtained it from Baumgartner, for- 

 merly consul at Madrid, who received it from Clavijo himself, and 

 assured Tieck that the third number, which is in manuscript, is in 

 Clavijo's handwriting. 



CLA'VIUS, CHRISTOPHER, of Bamberg, entered into the order 

 of Jesuit-", and died at Rome February 5, 1612, aged seventy-five. He 

 wag selected by Gregory XIII. to superintend the reformation of the 

 Calendar, in which capacity he had to endure and reply to the attacks 

 of Moestlinus, Joseph Scaiiger, Yieta, and others of less note. As a 

 mathematical writer, Clavius is distinguished by the number of his 

 works, the frequejey with which they were reprinted, his rigid 

 adherence to the geometry of the ancients, and the general soundness 

 of his views. According to Riccioli ('Chronicon, Nov. Almag.'), the 

 most learned Germans resorted to Rome, that they might converse 

 with Claviu?, and several were accustomed to say that they would 

 rather be attacked by him than praised by others. As Clavius did 

 not possess any great original talent, his works are now of little con- 

 sequence, except to the mathematical historian. The following is the 

 list of those which have been mentioned by succeeding writers : 



1, In 'Sphaeram Johannis de Sacro-bosco Commentarius,' Rome, 

 1570, reprinted more than a dozen times : the last edition we can find 

 is that at Leyden, 1 61 S. 2, ' The Works of Euclid," with a commentary ; 

 Rome, 1574; Cologne, 1591; Frankfurt, 1607, &c. 3, 'Epitome 

 Arithmetics} Practictc,' Rome, 1583; Cologne, 1637, &e. 4, 'Edition 

 <A the Spherics of 'Ihecdosius, with a Table of Sines, Tangents, &c.,' 

 I'.ome, 1586. 5, 'A work on Gnomonico,' Rome, 1587; several times 

 reprinted. 6, ' Defence of the Calendar ngain-t Moestlinus,' Rome, 

 1588. 7, 'Fabrica et Uens, Ac.,' a work on Horology, Rome, 1586; 

 ' Constructio, &c.,' a second work, Louvain, 1595 ; ' Horol. Nov. Deacr., 

 &c.,'a third, Rome, 1599. 8, 'On the Astrolabe,' Rome, 1593, &c, 

 9, ' Refutation of J. Scaiiger on the Calendar,' Rome, 1595 ; Mayence, 

 1809. 10, ' Roman! Calendarii a Greg. XIII. Restituti Explicatio,' 

 Rome, 1603. This is to us the most important of the works of 

 Clavius : it contains the description of the reasons and methods 

 employed in the alteration of the calendar, with the answer to Vieta 

 aud others. 11, 'Elements of Algebra,' Rome, 1604. 12, 'Geometria 

 Practica,' Rome, 1604. 13, 'Refutation of George of Wirtemberg on 

 the Calendar,' Rome, 1610. We have taken the earliest editions 

 which we could find in any of the authors cited at the end. 



A complete edition of the works of Clavius was published at 

 Mayence in 1612. The account of the Calendar is in the fifth and last 

 volume. 



(Riccioli; Weidler; Blancanus; Lipenius; Bouillaud, Cat. Bill. 

 Thuan. ; Lalande ; Delambre.) 



CLAY, HENRY, was born in Hanover county, Virginia, April 12, 

 177". He was the seventh son of a clergyman who died when Henry 

 was very young, leaving his widow and family but scantily provided 

 for. Having received a common school education, Henry obtained a 

 situation as copying clerk in the chancery court of Richmond. Here 

 lie probably received a certain amount of initiation in legal pro- 

 ceedings, so that, although he was nineteen years of age when he 

 formally commenced the study of the law, he was when only twenty 

 admitted to practise at the bar. The tide of migration was then 

 setting strongly westward, and the young advocate thought that the 

 fertile valleys of the west offered for him also a promising field ol 

 labour. He accordingly removed to Lexington in Kentucky, and there, 

 in October 1799, he fairly commenced his legnl career. As an advo- 

 cate he quickly achieved a marked success. Young Clay, it was soon 

 seen, not only possessed great natural ability_aixl doubled its value by 

 constant diligence, but had the more marketable talent of knowing 

 how to manage a jury. Yet though he found himself on the road to 

 fortune, his ambition was directed rather towards political than pro 



essional success. The convention for framing a constitution for tha 

 itate of Kentucky soon afforded him the opportunity hs desired of 

 aking a prominent part in political movements. His advocacy of a 

 irovieion for the gradual abolition of slavery entailed on him some 

 ^emporary unpopularity, but this was removed by his opposition to 

 measures which were regarded as an encroachment on the part of the 

 central government, and he was at the next election (1803) returned 

 ;o the state legislature. 



His political career was now fairly begun, and for nearly fifty years 

 lis life may be said to have been devoted to the service of his country. 

 His first election to Congress was iu 1808, but it was only for the 

 remaining portion of a term ; aud in 1 807 he was agaiu elected to the 

 ~eneral Assembly of Kentucky, of which hs was chose'n speaker ; an 

 office he held till he was in 1809 elected for an unexpired term of two 

 years to the senate of the United States. In 1811 he was sent as a 

 epresentative to Congress, and on the meeting of the House of 

 Representatives he received the very remarkable honour of being 

 elected speaker, though he was now for the first time a member of 

 the house. But his speeches in the senate, and his conduct as speaker 

 of the Kentucky Assembly, had established his reputation ; and so 

 well satisfied were the members with their choice, that he was five 

 times re-elected speaker. During this period he took a prominent 

 part in the great questions of the day, but especially distinguished 

 himself by his earnest denunciations of the English claims to right of 

 search and other maritime prerogatives; and as he was one of the 

 prime instigators to the war with England, so during its continuance 

 he remained one of its strongest advocates. He was in 1814 appointed, 

 avowedly iu consequence of -the leading part he had taken in the 

 discussions on the war, one of the commissioners to uegociate the 

 treaty of peace ; and for him is claimed the credit of having by his 

 adroitness obtained for America some advantageous concessions. In 

 France he was treated with much distinction, and on his return to 

 America he was at once re-elected to Congress. 



He now directed his energies to home legislation ; but when the 

 question of South American independence was mooted, Clay eagerly 

 urged its immediate recognition : he was already promulgating his 

 favourite idea of the eradication of every species of European authority 

 from the American continent. While engaged in a decided course of 

 opposition to the general policy of President Monroe, there were two 

 great measures which specially occupied his miud. One was the 

 establishment of a national system of internal improvements, which 

 the president opposed as unconstitutional, but which Clay successfully 

 vindicated from that objection ; the other was the return to a modified 

 protective system. Both of these measures were carried, and the suc- 

 cessful issue of his exertions placed Clay in the estimation of a large 

 portion of his countrymen in the very first rank of American states- 

 men. He was now looked to by many as the probable successor to 

 the presidential chair, and it was well understood that he himself 

 coveted that elevated post. That he might be in a better position to 

 bear the increased expenditure its acceptance would necessarily entail, 

 he resigned in 1819 his seat in Congress and returned to the active 

 pursuit of his profession, in which he promptly regained a highly 

 lucrative practice. But when the conventions began to consider the 

 claims of the candidates for the presidency, it was apparent that Clay 

 would not be chosen ; his name was therefore withdrawn, and he 

 returned in 1823 to the House of Representatives, by whom he was 

 immediately restored to his place as speaker. Three candidates went 

 to the vote for the presidency, but as neither could obtain the abso- 

 lute majority required by law, the election lay ultimately in Congress, 

 and there Clay exerted all his influence in favour "of Adams, who was 

 chosen ; and he in return appointed Clay secretary of state. This 

 office he held until 1827, and during his occupancy of it discharged 

 its duties with marked diligence and vigour. The independence of 

 the republics of Central as well as South America was promptly 

 recognised by him, and he exerted every nerve to further the dogma 

 of the annihilation of European influence in American affairs. His 

 conduct as secretary was the subject of virulent attacks by his political 

 opponents ; and on one occasion he was provoked to challenge Mr . 

 Randolph on account of some strong remarks iu the House of Repre- 

 sentatives : happily neither of the combatants was injured. Clay had 

 many years before, when speaker of the Kentucky House of Assembly 

 challenged and fought a political opponent who had expressed himself 

 with too much freedom in a debate. 



On the election of General Jackson in 1829, Clay retired for awhile 

 into private life, but in 1S31 he was elected to the United States 

 senate. In 1833 Clay was again an unsuccessful candidate for the 

 presidency. He had now to renew the struggle for his protective 

 tariff. The entire subject was re opened, and the country wa? agitated 

 from end to end. South and north were almost in open conflict. At 

 length Clay brought forth his ' Compromise bill : ' it was accepted by 

 both parties, and modified protection to national interests became the 

 established law of the United States. His subsequent tour through 

 the middle and eastern states was a continued triumph. Passed over 

 at the presidential election of 1836, at that of 1839 his claims were 

 again put forward ; but though his party was now in the ascendancy, 

 at their convention he was set aside by them for General Harrison, 

 who was accordingly elected. Clay remained a member of the senate 

 till 1842, when, finding that his strength was insufficient to sustain 



