763 



STRATON. 



STRICKLAND, HUGH EDWIN. 



764 



STRATON, the son of Arcesilaus, and a native of Lampsacus, a 

 Peripatetic, who about B.C. 286 undertook the charge of the Peripatetic 

 school after Theophrastus. He was the master of Ptolemy Phila- 

 delphus, and was well paid for his services. 



Respecting his doctrine only scattered hints can be gathered, as all 

 his works have perished. He differed from his master Aristotle on 

 certain points. He maintained that there was a principle of motion 

 destitute of intelligence inherent in all matter ; which principle causes 

 all composition and decomposition of bodies ; that the world, in conse- 

 quence, was not formed by an extramundane deity, nor by any intra- 

 mundane animating pervading intelligence ; but id was formed by the 

 innate force of matter, which momently creates and dissolves. He 

 was called Physicus, from his making physical matters his chief study. 

 A list of his works is given by Diogenes Laertius (' Straton '), and a 

 copy of the philosopher's testament. Eight persons of the name of 

 Straton are enumerated by Diogenes. 



(Diog. Laert., ' Straton ; ' Cicero, De Natura De,orum, i. 18 ; Brucker, 

 Instil. Hist. Phil.) 



* STRAUSS, DAVID FRIEDRICH, was bom at Ludwigsburg, 

 in Wurtemberg, on January 27, 1808, educated in the school of 

 his native town, then in the theological seminary at Blaubeuren, 

 and lastly in the Theological Institute at Tubingen. In 1830 

 he was appointed curate, and in 1831 professor's assistant in the 

 Seminary at Maulbronn, after which he proceeded to Berlin for six 

 months to study the Hegelian philosophy, and to hear Schleiermacher. 

 In 1832 he became under-teacher in the Theological Institute at 

 Tubingen, and delivered lectures on philosophy in the University. In 

 1835, he having been hitherto unknown in the literary world, ' Das 

 Leben Jesu, kritischbearbeitet ' (The Life of Jesus critically treated), 

 startled the world, as it contained an attempt to prove, with much 

 misdirected acuteness and subtlety, that the whole of the Evangelical 

 history was a series of myths founded to a considerable extent on the 

 Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, concocted in the first and 

 second centuries of the Christian era, and by degrees adopted by the 

 Christian community. This work, which produced a crowd of 

 adversaries, occasioned his dismissal from his situation at Tubingen, 

 and he accepted that of teacher in the Lyceum at Ludwigsburg, which 

 however he resigned in 1836, in order to become a private tutor at 

 Stuttgardt. While here he prepared a reply to his opponents in his 

 ' Streitschriften,' published in 1847 ; and in his ' Zwei friedlichen 

 Blatter ' (two friendly addresses), he sought to place his case in the 

 most favourable point of view. A still greater commotion was created 

 when he was appointed, by the Council of Education of Zurich, in 

 February 1839, Professor of Divinity and of Church History in the 

 University. The numerous public meetings which were held giving 

 voice to the popular dissatisfaction with this appointment, not only 

 compelled the dismissal of Strauss from hia office (to whom however, 

 as a compensation, a pension of a thousand francs was awarded), but 

 caused the overthrow of the administration. Restored again to his 

 literary activity, Strauss produced, in 1839, an Essay ' Uber Schleier- 

 macher und Daub,' as a preparation for his next most important work, 

 ' Die christliche Glaubenslehre, in ihrer geschichtlichen Entwickelung 

 und in ihrem Kampfe mit der modernen Wissenschaft' (The Doctrine 

 of Christian Faith, in its Historical Development and in its Contest 

 with Modern Science), published in two volumes in 184041 ; in 

 which the exegetic, the dogma-historical, the critical, and the dog- 

 matic elements are treated of in an original manner. After a con- 

 siderable interval Strauss produced ' Der Romantiker auf dem Throne 

 der Ciisaren, oder Julian der Abtriinnige' (The ancient Roman on 

 the Throne of the Caesars, or Julian the Apostate), which appeared in 



1847, and which, from its personal allusions to a living sovereign, 

 created a great sensation. In 1848 he was set up as a candidate by 

 his native town to represent it in the German parliament, but the 

 clerical party, who had no confidence in him, had sufficient influence 

 in the district to ensure his rejection ; but he published speeches 

 made by him on this occasion, in the same year, under the title of 

 'Sechs theologisch-politische Volksreden.' Ludwigsburg however 

 sent him as its representative to the Wurtemberg Diet, where he 

 very greatly disappointed his excited supporters by the conservative 

 tendency of his political opinions and votes. This dissatisfaction led 

 to an address conveying their displeasure, and he retired in December 



1848. He again returned to his literary pursuits, and in 1849 pub- 

 lished ' Schubarts Leben in seiner Briefen,' a life of Schubart, a poet, 

 and a countryman of his own, chiefly from Schubart's correspondence, 

 but which contains several essays by Strauss himself. ' Christian 

 Marklin, ein Lebena-und Characterbild aus der Gegenwart,' published 

 in 1851, is likewise a biographical work, in which he has introduced 

 many circumstances relating to himself. 



'STRICKLAND, MISS AGNES, was born in the early part of the 

 19th century, at Reydon Hall, near Southwold, in Suffolk. Her father 

 was Thomas Strickland, Esq., a descendant of the Stricklands of 

 Sizergh Hall, in Westmoreland. He had a family of eight children 

 (two sons and six daughters), of whom Agnes Strickland is the third 

 daughter. She became a writer at an early age, and has continued 

 her literary labours with great assiduity. After a few trials anony- 

 mously in periodicals, a small volume of ' Patriotic Songs, by Agnes 

 and Susanna Strickland,' was published, which was followed by 

 ' Worcester Field, or the Cavalier, a poem in Four Cantos, with Histo- 



rical Notes, by Agnes Strickland,' 12mo, without date. It is written 

 in the lyrical measures of Scott's ' Lay of the Last Minstrel.' This 

 poem was followed by ' Demetrius, a Tale of Modern Greece, in Three 

 Cantos, with other Poems,' 12 mo, 1833. 'Demetrius' is written in 

 the ten-syllable measure, rhymed, in the style of Lord Byron's 

 ' Corsair,' &c. Her next productions are in prose : ' The Pilgrims of 

 Walaingham, or Tales of the Middle Ages,' 3 vols. 12mo, 1835 ; 'Tales 

 and Stories from History,' 2 vols. 18mo, 1836 ; 'The Rival Crusoes,' 

 12mo; ' Alda, the British Captive,' 18mo, 1841; 'Historical Tales of 

 Illustrious British Children,' 12mo, 1847- In 1842 appeared ' Letters 

 of Mary, Queen of Scots, now first published from the Originals, 

 collected from various Sources, private as well as public ; with an 

 Historical Introduction and Notes, by Agnes Strickland,' 2 vols. 8vo. 

 A third volume was published, but the whole were afterwards incor- 

 porated, re-arranged, and published in 2 vols. in 1844. In 1850 she 

 published ' Historic Scenes and Poetic Fancies,' 8vo, a volume which 

 contains her earliest literary productions, together with several which 

 had never before appeared, written, as she states, " after the romance 

 of youthful fancy had been chastened and sobered down by the expe- 

 rience and the realities of life." Among the early poems iu this 

 volume is one on ' The Escape of Mary Beatrice and her Babe ' (wife 

 and son of James II.), of which she observes, that " the touching inci- 

 dent on which this poem was founded first suggested the idea that 

 Lives of the Queens of England would be found replete with seen* s 

 of more powerful interest than any work of fiction that could le 

 offered to the world." 



In 1851 appeared 'Lives of the Queens of England, from the 

 Norman Conquest, now first published from Official Records aud 

 other Authentic Documents, private as well as public, by Agnes 

 Strickland; a new edition, revised and greatly augmented, embellished 

 with Portraits of every Queen,' 8 vols. 8vo. The first volume was 

 published in 1840, and the following volumes, to the number of 

 twelve, were published in succession. New editions of each volume 

 were required, and the popularity of the work appears to be still 

 undiminished, since, at the sale of the copyrights of the late Mr. 

 Colburn, the publisher of the work, May 26, 1857, the copyright of 

 ' The Lives of the Queens of England ' was sold for 6000^. Though 

 the name of Elizabeth Strickland does not appear on the title-page, 

 she has been associated throughout with Agnes in the production of 

 this work, and also in that of the ' Lives of the Queens of Scotland 

 and English Princesses connected with the Regal Succession of Great 

 Britain,' 6 vols. 8vo, Edinburgh, 1850, &c. Though these works do 

 not satisfy the sterner requirements of the historical student, either 

 iu accuracy of statement or impartiality in the exhibition of character, 

 they are useful to the general reader, as well for the copious extracts 

 which they contain as iu pointing out sources of neglected information 

 and in directing him to trustworthy authorities previously not com- 

 monly known. 



* CATHERINE PARR STRICKLAND, having married Lieutenant Trail, 

 of the 21st Royal North British Fusileers, embarked with him for 

 Canada, where they still reside. After having been there some time 

 Mrs. Trail published in the ' Library of Entertaining Knowledge ' a 

 volume entitled ' The Backwoods of America, being Letters from the 

 Wife of an Emigrant Officer, illustrative of the Domestic Economy of 

 British America.' She has since published the ' Canadian Crusoes, a 

 Tale of the Rice-Lake Plains,' 18mo, London, 1852. 



* SUSANNA STRICKLAND, soon after her marriage with John Wedder- 

 burn Dunbar Moodie, of the Royal North British Fusileers, published 

 ' Enthusiasm, and other Poems, by Susanna Strickland (now Mrs. 

 Moodie),' 12mo, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. Moodie soon afterwards followed 

 Mr. and Mrs. Trail to Canada, and Mr. Moodie is now sheriff of the 

 county of Hastings, Canada West. Mrs. Moodie has published 

 ' Roughing it in the Bush, or Life in Canada," 2 vols. Svo, London, 



1852, and 'Life iu the Clearings versus the Bush,' 12mo, London, 



1853. She is also the authoress of 'Mark Hurdlestone ' and ' Flora 

 Lindsay,' two novels published in America and reprinted iu Euglaud. 



*JANE MARGARET STRICKLAND, another sister, has published ' Rome, 

 Regal and Republican : a Family History of Rome,' 2 vols. Svo, 1854. 



* MA JOB STRICKLAND, the elder of the two brothers of this family, emi- 

 grated to Canada in 1825, and has published ' Twenty-Seven Years in 

 Canada West, or the Experience of an Early Settler, by Major Strick- 

 land, C.M.,' 2 vols. Svo, London, 1853. Major Strickland paid a visit to 

 England in 1851, at which period his mother was living, as well as all 

 the family of eight children. The younger brother is commander of the 

 Scotia, East Indiaman; and another sister is married to the Rev. 

 Richard Gwyllym, incumbent of the parish of Ulverstone in Lanca- 

 shire, and rural dean of Furuess. 



STRICKLAND, HUGH EDWIN, was the grandson of Sir George 

 Strickland on his father's side, and of the celebrated Dr. Edmund 

 Cartwright on his mother's side. He was born at Righton, in the East 

 Riding of Yorkshire, on the 2nd of March 1811. After receiving a 

 careful private education he was placed as a pupil with Dr. Arnold, 

 then living at Laieham, previous to his appointment as head-master at 

 Rugby. After leaving Laieham Mr. Strickland was entered at Oriel 

 College, Oxford. Here the taste which he had acquired in the country 

 for natural history became systematically directed towards geology 

 under the teaching of Dr. Buckland. On leaving Oxford he went to 

 reside with his father at Tewkesbury, and here he studied with great 



