noxoso coRTfca 



DOO, GEORGE THOMAS. 



spirit : tho man himself bud a rich vein of poetry, which 

 was rarrly concealed even when most laboriously encumbered, while 

 OHM of bis pieces, both for thought and even melody, aro absolute 

 MUM, Hi* fault, far from beiiig coldness, ii too mucb erotic fervour ; 

 be allow* hit imagination to run loose, at least in some of hi* poem" 

 written before adopting the ecclesiastical profession, iuto the most 

 prurient expressions; and in some of bii amatory piece*, the conceit 

 Und as a corrective to their excessive warmth. HU Batirvs, though 

 written in a measure inconceivably harsh, are modela of treugth and 

 energy. Their merit* were discovered by Pope, who (to UM his own 

 odd phraee) translated them into English, but in the process deprived 

 them of no (mail portion of their strength and freshness. 



,;>c'e principal theological works, besides sermons, are the 

 ' Pseudo-Martyr,' and a treatise against suicide, called ' Dia-thanatos.' 

 HU works, edited by the ReT. H. AUbrd, were published in 1S39 in 

 6 Tola, Svo. 



DONOSO COKTKS, JUAN, an eminent Spanish statesman and 

 author, was born in 1809, of wealthy parents, at the town of El Valle 

 in Ettnmadura. lie was so precocious that at the age of eleven be 

 studied logic at Salamanca, and had completed bis legal studies at Seville 

 long before he was competent to be admitted as advocate at the age of 

 twenty-four. He was known to a large circle of friends at Seville as 

 a promising poet, and an ode which he published on the nuptials of 

 King Ferdinand with Maria Christin.1 was particularly distinguished 

 among all those on the occasion. In 1832, when the temporary 

 revocation by Ferdinand of the decree for the succession of the 

 prcaent Queen Isabel [CALOUABDE] awakened the apprehensions of 

 the liberal party that all progress would be checked, a large number 

 of the principal young ineu of Madrid waited on Queen Christina to 

 offer her their lives in defence of the rights of her infant daughter, and 

 at their head was Donoso Cortes. From this time he was distinguished 

 by the favour of Queen Christina, and entered upon a political career 

 before he was of ago to enter on a legal one. A pamphlet however 

 which be composed under the title of a ' Memoir on the rights of 

 babel the Second,' was suppressed by the advice of his friends as cou- 

 taining ideas so ultra-liberal as to be certain to give offence. He w.ii 

 appointed in the same year to a post in the ministry of Grace and 

 Justice, and in the next published bis ' Considerations on Diplomacy 

 mill its Influence ou the Political and Social State of Europe, from the 

 time of the Revolution of July to that of the Quadruple Alliance.' 



In 1835 he was sent as a royal commissioner with General Rodil 

 to bring back to obedience bis native province of Estremadiira, and 

 acted with such success as to receive the grand cross of Carlos III. 

 and a higher official station ; but, dissitisfied with the turn that affain 

 were taking, be resigned bis post, and for some time occupied himself 

 in combating the party which supported the revolution of La Granja. 

 He foundi-d the newspaper ' El PUoto,' in which he was assisted by 

 Alcalii Oaliano [GAI.IANO], and was for some time editor of tho 

 Keviata de Madrid,' a review or rather magazine established on the 

 plan of the French ' Revue des deux Mondes,' his first article in which 

 was one of a srries on ' Spain since 1834.' He delivered in 1837 at 

 the Athetueum of Madrid, a series of lectures on the science of politics, 

 which attracted much attention. He was in Franco in 1840 at the 

 time of the expultion of Queen Christina, hastened to offer her bin 

 services on her arrival in that country, and is said to have been the 

 author of the manifesto which she issued from Marseille. lie after- 

 wards went to Madrid on a commission from her to defend her rights 

 against Espartero, but his efforts were unsuccessful. He then returned 

 to France and occupied himself with the composition of a ' History 

 of the Minority of Queen habel II.,' passages of which were published 

 in the ' Revista de Madrid,' and have received high applause from 

 Spanish critics. He returned to Spain in 1844 after the fall of 

 KnparUro, and was named plenipotentiary to invite Queen Christina 

 back to Madrid, when bis services were rewarded with the title of 

 Marquis de Valdrgamaa. His pen, which never ceased to be active, 

 was by this time active in an entirely different cause from that iu 

 which he had first won his laurels. From an nltra-libcral Donoso 

 Cortos bad become a Catholic conservative, and after Balmes, the most 

 distinguished literary advocate of Catholicism in Spain. He was 

 ambassador to Prussia at the time of the revolution in 1 848, and after- 

 wards ambassador to France, a country for which he always avowed 

 a strong partiality. It was while holding that post, and very soon 

 after ha had officiated as Spanish ambassador at the marriage of Louis 

 Napoleon with a Spanish consort, that he was seized with an attack 

 of pericarditis, which carried him off, after about a month's illness, on 

 UM 3rd of Msy 1853 at Paris. 



A select collection of his writings, ' Coleccion e*cogida de los escritos 

 del excalantisimo Senor Don Juan Donoso Cortes,' was published in 

 two volumes at Madrid in 1848. It comprises none of his poetry but 

 most of his political writings that wo have mentioned, and several of 

 bii articles from the reviews, which seem, like those of Maoaul.iy, to 

 be considered tho brightest ornament* of his literary coronet For 

 brilliancy of style they an remarkable nuinng the general flat 

 HpanUh composition, but for soundness of thought they aro not, wo 

 think, likely to acquire a high reputation in Kngland. One of them 

 on Piut IX., talks of the "singular privilege which I Uly enjoys in 

 conjunction with Spain of drawing towards itself tho atUntiuswof tho 

 civilised world," and go** on to affirm that " the nntioii . aln ayT koq. 



their eyes fixed by instinct on the Italian and the Spanish race." 

 There u much that is as questionable on most of the subjects on which 

 he touches. 



DONOVAN, EDWARD, a writer on various departments of natural 

 history. One of his earliest publications was ' A Natural History of 

 British Insects,' 16 vols. Svo, commenced in 1792 and finished in Islti. 

 Although at the time this work wss published, especially the earlier 

 volumes, it was of gnat assistance in the study of entomology, it baa 

 been surpassed both in execution and matter by more recent works. 

 It will however always be an important work in the history of the 

 literature of entomology. In 1794 he published a little work on the 

 formation of museums of natural history, entitled ' Instructions for 

 Collecting and Preserving various Subjects in Natural History,' Svo, 

 London. From 1794 to 1797 he published at intervals four volumes 

 of a work containing drawings and descriptions of British birds, entitled 

 ' The Natural History of British Birds,' Svo. In 1703 be commenced 

 a series of illustrated works on the insects of Asia. These wore called 

 ' An Kpitome of the Insects of China,' 1798, 4 to, London ; ' Au Epitome 

 of the Natural History of the Insects of India,' 1800, 4to, London; 

 'An Epitome of tho Insects of Asia,' 1798-1805, 3 vols. 4 to, London. 

 These works bad an extensive sale, and did much for creating a tasto 

 for the study of general entomology. Iu 1S05 he published a work 

 entitled ' Descriptive Excursions through South Wales and Monmouth- 

 shire in the year 1804 and four preceding Summers,' 2 vols. Svo, 

 London. In 1823 he commenced a periodical work entitled 'The 

 Naturalist's Repository, or Monthly Miscellany of Exotic Natural 

 History.' Of this work three volumes appeared containing descriptions 

 and drawings of various animals from different parts of the world. 

 He also published 'An Ecssy on the Minute Parts of Plants in general' 

 Although constantly occupied on his various works, his profits from 

 them seem to have been small. So great was his dissatisfaction at the 

 small profits which he received from the publishers of his works, that 

 in 1S33 he published 'A Memorial respecting my Publications on 

 Natural History,' in which he endeavours to prove that, whilst he had 

 been ruined, those who sold his books had realised large sums. 



Science is not indebted to Donovan for any new discovery or 

 important generalisation; but the field which bii labours o<xu; i ! 

 was an important one, and his illustrated works have done much to 

 diffuse a knowledge of and engender a taste for tho study of n 

 history. Ho died on the 1st of February 



DOO, GEORGE THOMAS, though not the best known, U perhaps 

 the most eminent living English historical engraver. Liuc-cngfaviiig, 

 when executed by the conscientious artist without the assistance of 

 'prentice hands or mechanical appliances, is in any case a ulow 

 process. When the plates are of large size, and require in their 

 progress frequent comparison with the original pictures, years arc 

 consumed in their execution. Such have been the character of some 

 of Mr. Doo's works, and such is the natural explanation of his com- 

 paratively infrequent appearance before the public ; but besides this, 

 it has somehow happened in the present day that the taste for the 

 higher class of line-engravings has passed away, or greatly declined, 

 among English purchasers of modern prints ; and while the engravers 

 in mezzotint, and other showy but less elaborate and costly styl 

 ample patronage, the historical line-engravers have been left without 

 commissions, and some of the best of them have iu consequence, like 

 Mr. Doo, almost or quite abandoned the practice of their profession. 

 The works by which Mr. Doo is best knowu perhaps are his lar 

 finely-conceived plate of 'Knox preaching before the Lords of tho 

 Covenant,' after Wilkio ; his vigorous rendering of Kt:j 

 his elaborate and exquisitely-finished version of Eastlake's picture of 

 ' Italian Pilgrims coming iu Sight of Homo ;' the ' Portia and Bassano' 

 and 'Sterne and the Urisctto,' after Newton, prints in their day 

 universally popular ; the heads of women and children after Law 

 such as the ' Lady Meade,' the 'Calmeady Children,' aud the 'Child 

 with Flowers;' or, in a lower walk, the 'Fair forester' and the 

 ' Proffered Kiss,' after Wyatt ; and lastly, what is by far the best 

 portrait yet published of her majesty, the ' Queen,' after Parti-id-.'. 

 hut the lover of tho highest class of art will cherish as among the 

 choicest examples of modern Hue engraving, Mr. Doo's admirable 

 engravings evidently works of love from Uaffaellc's ' Messiah, 1 and 

 his 'Infant Christ bearing the Cross.' so true in drawing, exquisite in 

 tone, delicate in feeling ; and the ' Ecoe Homo ' of Correggio. As we 

 have indicated above, the style of Mr. Doo is of a rare order of merit. 

 He is always true to the original, yet there is always something 

 own in his rendering of it. His handling is firm, his lino free, spirited, 

 and masterly, entirely removed from conventionalism aud pedantry, 

 whilo thoroughly conscientious. He is in tone and tint harmonious, 

 yet clear and brilliant Everywhere he exhibits grandeur and largeness 

 of stylo combined with a refined and artistic feeling. 



Mr. Doo was born January 6, 1800, iu the parish of Christ Church, 

 Surrey. Ho has for some time pnst resided at Stanmorc, ami I'm- 



j the lost few years has painted iu oil numerous small, highly-!.' 

 and very characteristic portraits, chiefly of eminent naturalists : por- 

 traits by him of Bell, Brown, Yarrell, Latham, and Hi nl'n-y. 

 the Exhibition of tho Royal Academy iu 1865. From the 

 Academy Mr. Doo has received no mark of professional recognition. 



I His only English professional distinction ID the honorary one of 

 Historical Engraver to the Queen. He is an honorary member of tho 



