ST JOHN 



SAINT-JUST 



house, post-office, city building, provincial lunatic 

 asylum, hospital, and a Roman Catholic cathedral. 

 St John returns three members to the House of 

 Commons ( two of them for the city and county 

 together), and six to the Provincial Legislature 

 (four for city and county). Adjoining St John, 

 and practically forming with it one city, is the 

 town of Portland. Pop. (1881) 26,127 (with Port- 

 land, 41,353); (1891)39,179. 

 St John. See ANTIGUA. 

 St John, HENRY. See BOLINGBROKE. 

 St John, KNIGHTS OF. See HOSPITALLERS. 

 St John's, (1) the capital of Newfoundland, 

 stands on the extreme east coast of the island, on 

 Avalon Peninsula, 1076 miles ENE. of Montreal 

 and 1730 \V. by S. of Cork in Ireland. It is thus 

 the nearest port in America to Europe ; and it 

 possesses a small but excellent harbour, which is 

 well fortified. Railways ran to Harbour Grace (84 

 miles) and Placentia (25 miles). The city, a great 

 part of which was burnt, 10th July 1892, has oil- 

 refineries, tanneries, shoe-factories, cabinet-works, 

 &c. Pop. (1891) 39,179. (2) Chief town of a 

 county in Quebec, on the Richelieu, opposite 

 the town of St Athanase, with which it is con- 

 nected by a bridge, and 27 miles by rail SE. of 

 Montreal. It contains a lunatic asylum, barracks, 

 potteries, foundries, sawmills, &c., and carries on a 

 considerable trade in lumber and grain. Pop. 4314. 

 St John's Bread. See CAROB. 

 St Johlisbury, capital of Caledonia county, 

 Vermont, on the Passumpsic River, and about 34 

 miles ENE. of Montpelier, with which it is con- 

 nected by rail. It manufactures agricultural imple- 

 ments, and scales and balances. Pop. ( 1890) 3857. 

 St Johnstoun. See PERTH. 

 St John's Wort (Hypericum), the typical 

 genus of plants of the natural order Hypericineie. 

 It is a numerous genus of herbs and shrubs widely 

 distributed, both in the New and the Old World, 



particularly abun- 

 dant in western 

 Asia, southern 

 Europe, and in 

 North America ; it 

 ccurs also within 

 I the tropics. The 

 f leaves are opposite 

 entire, without 

 stipnles, often 

 marked with gland- 

 ular dots of two 

 kinds, pellucid ones 

 which are very ap- 

 parent when the 

 leaves are held 

 against the light, 

 and black ones 

 which are usually 

 on the under side 

 of the leaves round 

 the edge, or some- 

 times on the flowers. 

 The flowers are 

 regular, with five 

 sepals, and five 

 petals, usually yel- 

 low. They abound 

 in a yellow resinous juice which is more or less 



Surgative and anthelmintic. The common St 

 ohn's Wort, an abundant native of Britain, 

 even when slightly bruised yields copiously a 

 yellow resinous juice, which, when rubbed be- 

 tween the fingers, emits a scent like lemons, 

 and stains the skin dark purple. The plant has 

 long been credited with powerful medicinal pro- 

 perties, but finds no place in the pharma- 



I*rge-flowered St John's Wort 

 (ffyperieum calycin urn ). 



cppreias, nor is it recognised by regular practi- 

 tioners. It has been used as a vulnerary, both 

 externally and internally, in chest complaints, 

 dysentery, haemorrhages, and jaundice. In France 

 and Germany the plant is ceremoniously gathered 

 on St John's Day by the common people as a charm 

 for evil spirits, storms, and thunder ; in North 

 Wales a similar custom still exists, and in Scot- 

 land it was formerly worn as a charm on the person 

 against all malignant influences. The leaves of 

 H. androscemum are called by the French touts 

 saine, hence the English name Tutsan; in both 

 countries they were formerly used to dress fresh 

 wounds. Other species of Hypericum have simi- 

 lar properties. There are several species, such 

 as a. calycinum (also called Aaron's Beard), 

 frequently cultivated in British gardens. 



St Joseph, a city of Missouri, capital of 

 Buchanan county, is on the left bank of the 

 Missouri River, 110 miles (68 by rail) above 

 Kansas City. Eight lines of railway centre here, 

 and the river is crossed by an iron railway and 

 foot bridge (1873), which has five spans, one a 

 pivot-draw span of 365 feet, and cost $1,500,000. 

 Here are the state asylum for the insane and St 

 Joseph College and other Roman Catholic institu- 

 tions ; the city was formerly a bishop's see. St 

 Joseph has large pork-packing establishments and 

 manufactories of stoves, ornamental and other 

 ironwork, guns, carriages and wagons, clothing, 

 furniture, brooms, beer, syrups, &c. Its wholesale 

 trade considerably exceeds $100,000,000 annually. 

 The first settler, an Indian trader, laid out the 

 town in 1843, and by 1851, when incorporated as a 

 city, it was famous as the starting-point for the 

 long journey across the plains. Pop. (1870) 19,565 ; 

 ( 1880) 32,431 ; ( 1890) 52,324 ; ( 1900) 102,979. It 

 suffered from a great fire in September 1893. 



Saint-Just, Louis ANTOINE LEON FLORELLE 

 DE, French Revolutionist, was born at Decize near 

 Nevers, 25th August 1767, and was educated by 

 the Oratorians at Soissons. He began the study 

 of law at Rheims, but early gave himself to letters, 

 and found his gospel in the writings of Rousseau. 

 At nineteen he set off for Paris, perhaps to avoid 

 taking orders, with some of his mother's plate and 

 other valuables, and was, at her request, imprisoned 

 for six months for selling these. Like most young 

 men of his age he was fired by the revolutionary 

 fever, which, added to the native enthusiasm of his 

 temperament, was yet to carry him far. He pub- 

 lished in 1789 a poor poem, L'Organt, a mere boyish 

 imitation of Voltaire s Pucelle, and in 1791 an essay 

 of a different promise, L'Esprit de la Revolution. 

 Next year he was returned fifth deputy for Aisne 

 to the Convention. He first attracted notice 

 by his fierce tirades against the king, and he 

 opened the memorable debate on the verdict in 

 his trial. ' Royalty,' said he, ' is in itself a crime. 

 Every king is a rebel and a usurper. We must 

 judge Louis, not as a citizen, but as an enemy ; 

 that is to sav, put him to death without forms 

 of process.' He soon became a devoted follower of 

 Robespierre, and by his influence was sent on 

 missions to the armies of the Rhine and the 

 Moselle, which his energy and enthusiasm, as well 

 as administrative ability, urged on to victory. 

 He made bombastic rhetorical speeches before the 

 Convention, but his slight youthful figure, mild 

 voice, large blue eyes, long black hair, and 

 singular beauty gave no promise of the intensity 

 and relentlessness of the fire that burned within 

 him. ' He carries his head like a Saint Sacra- 

 ment,' said Camille Desmoulins. ' And I,' retorted 

 Saint-Just, ' will make him carry his like a Saint 

 Denis ' a ferocious prophecy soon to be fulfilled. 

 Saint-Just began the attacks on Hebert which 



