CONSTANT CONSTANTINE. 



413 



and soon distinguished himself by several works upon 

 politics and revolutionary subjects, while he studied 

 the German language and literature. With equal 

 courage and sternness of purpose, he opposed anar- 

 chy and despotism. As a member of the cercle con- 

 stitutionnel, in 1797, he distinguished himself by the 

 fire of his orations. This caused his election to the 

 office of tribune, in which capacity he brought every 

 power into action, to maintain the equality of citizens, 

 the representative system, the freedom of the press, 

 and the regular administration of justice. He was 

 the principal cause of the election of Talleyrand to 

 the office of minister of foreign affairs, by the direc- 

 tory, in 1797. His speeches and writings rendered 

 him odious to the first consul, and he was, conse- 

 quently, dismissed from his station in 1802. Simi- 

 larity of sentiments connected him with madame de 

 Stael ; and with her he travelled through several 

 countries, till Napoleon permitted him to return to 

 Paris for a limited period. He then went to Got- 

 tingen, and employed himself principally in the 

 study of German literature, and in preparing a 

 work on the history of different modes of worship. 

 He again appeared at Paris in 1814, in the retinue of 

 the crown-prince of Sweden, and publicly showed 

 himself zealous for the cause of the Bourbons, par- 

 ticularly in March, 1815, by the violent articles 

 which he published in the Journal des Debats. Not- 

 withstanding this, however, he suffered himself to be 

 elected counsellor of state by Napoleon, and assisted 

 in forming the constitution of the Champ de Mai, 

 which he defended warmly in many writings. On 

 the return of the king, he went to Brussels. In 

 Nov., 1816, he was permitted to return to Paris. In 

 1819, he was elected a member of the chamber of 

 deputies. As an orator, he was one of the most clear 

 and eloquent defenders of the Charte, and of con- 

 stitutional principles ; but his voice was indistinct, 

 and his speech hasty ; nor had he that powerful ex- 

 pression which carries away the hearer. In general, 

 he wrote better than he spoke ; but no one knew 

 better how to take advantage of any opportunities 

 afforded by his opponents. He united to great 

 power of reasoning a fine irony, elegance of expres- 

 sion, and a pleasing style, so that, without over- 

 stepping the bounds of courtesy, he entirely discom- 

 fited his antagonists. He had, also, the art of justly 

 timing his enthusiasm. In his famous pamphlet Des 

 Motifs qui ont dicte le Nouveau Projet de Loi sur les 

 Elections (Paris, 1820), he considers the new law in 

 the light of a victory of 'the party of the old nobility, 

 not only over the liberals, but also over the interests 

 of the nation, the ministry, and the king personally. 

 He likewise gives vivid portraits of the duke Deca- 

 zes, and the duke de Richelieu. With this spirit, he 

 was always one of the leading characters of the op- 

 position ; but his resistance to the administration be- 

 came more violent and bitter since the laws of 1822, 

 which deprived the jury of the right to decide in cases 

 of offences against the press, and subjected periodicals 

 to the strict surveillance of the police. His works are 

 distinguished by perspicuity and liveliness of style, 

 richness of imagination, and often by depth of know- 

 ledge and acute observation, although mingled occa- 

 sionally with declamation, witticisms, and sophisms. 

 As early as 1796, he excited attention by his work 

 De la Force du Gouvernement actuel de la France, 

 &c. again, in 1797, by Des Reactions Politigues, 

 and Des Effets de la Terreur. In 1800, he wrote 

 Suiles de la Contre- Revolution de 1660 en Angleterre. 

 The following essays are much esteemed : De 

 r Esprit de Conguete et de V Usurpation dans leiirs Rap- 

 ports avec la Civilisation Europeenne (1814) ; De la 

 Lilerte des Brochures, des Pamphlets et des Jour- 

 naux, sous le Rapport de flnteret du Gouvernement 



(1814) ; Reflexions sur les Constitutions, la Distribit-> 

 tion des Pouvoirs, et les Garanties dans une Monarchic 

 Constitutionnelle (1814) ; Observations sur le Discours 

 prononce par S. E. le Ministre de Flnterieur en 

 Favenr du Projet de Loi sur la Liberte de la Presse 

 (1814) ; De la Responsibilite des Ministres (1815) ; 

 Principes de Politique applicables a tous les Gouverne- 

 mens representatifs et particulierement a la Constitu- 

 tion actuelle de la France (1815) ; Principes du Droit 

 Public (1815) ; and de la Religion consideree dans sa 

 Source, ses Formes et ses Developpemens (Paris, 1824, 

 two vols.). Besides these works, he translated 

 Schiller's IVallenstein into French, and adapted it for 

 the stage. At the election of the chamber, in 1824. 

 he was again chosen deputy, and, after a long dis- 

 pute, at last acknowledged as a French citizen. He 

 died at Paris, Dec. 8, 1830. A brother of Benjamin 

 Jean Victor, baron of Constant de Rebecque, born 

 at Geneva, Sept. 22, 1773, lieutenant-general in the 

 service of the Netherlands, served in the French 

 army till 1792, and, after 1793, under the hereditary 

 prince of Orange, in the army of the allies : he en- 

 tered the British service in 1795, and the Prussian 

 service in 1798. The king of Prussia made him go- 

 vernor to the prince of Orange in 1805, whom he 

 accompanied in the campaign in Spain, in 1811. In 

 1814, he fought in the Netherlands, and distinguished 

 himself at the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, at Quatre- 

 bras, and Waterloo. 



CONSTANTIA; a village of the colony of the 

 cape of Good Hope, between Table bay and False 

 bay, five leagues from the cape. It is celebrated 

 for its wine, made from vines brought originally from 

 Persia and the Rhine ; 200 tons of this wine are an- 

 nually made. 



CONSTANTINE. CaiusFlavius Valerius Aure- 

 lius Claudius Constantine, surnamed the Great, son 

 of the emperor Constantius Chlorus and of his wife 

 Helena, was born A. D. 274. When Constantino's 

 father was associated in the government by Diocletian, 

 the son was retained at court as a hostage, but was. 

 educated with the greatest care. After Diocletian 

 and Maximian Hercules had laid down the reins of 

 government, Constantine fled to Britain, to his father, 

 to escape the machinations of Galerius. After the 

 death of his father, he was chosen emperor by the 

 soldiery, in the year 306. Galerius was very unwil- 

 ling to allow him the title of Augustus, and gave 

 him that of Ccesar only. Constantine, however, took 

 possession of the countries which had been subject to 

 his lather, viz. , Gaul, Spain, and Britain. He over- 

 came the Franks, who had formerly overrun the 

 territory of Gaul, made prisoners of two of their 

 leaders, followed them over the Rhine, surprised and 

 defeated them. He then directed his arms against 

 Maxentius, who had joined Maximian against him. 

 In the campaign in Italy, he saw, it is said, a flaming 

 cross in the heavens, beneath the sun, bearing the 

 inscription, " In hoc signo vinces" (Under this sign 

 thou shall conquer). In the following night, Christ 

 himself appeared to him, and commanded him to 

 take for his standard an imitation of the fiery cross 

 which he had seen. He accordingly caused a stand- 

 ard to be made in this form, which was called the 

 labarum. Some days after this (Oct. 27, 312), he 

 vanquished the army of Maxentius, under the walls 

 of Rome, and drove it into the Tiber. He then en- 

 tered the city in triumph, set at liberty all whom 

 Maxentius had unjustly imprisoned, and pardoned all 

 who had taken up arms against him. He was de- 

 clared by the senate, chief, Augustus, and pontifex 

 maximus. In the year 313, together with Licinius, 

 he published the memorable edict of toleration, in 

 favour of the Christians. By this, every one was al- 

 lowed to embrace the religion most agreeable to his 



