778 



QUERCITRON QUICK. 



females are not excluded from the succession to the 

 throne. 



QUERCITRON, in dyeing ; the internal bark of 

 the quercus nigra ; it yields its colour, which is 

 yellow, by infusion in water, and by the common 

 mordants gives a permanent dye. 



QUERETARO ; one of the states of the Mexi- 

 can confederacy, formed in 1824, of the old intend- 

 ency of the same name, which had been separated 

 from that of Mexico in 1816. It is bounded by the 

 states of S. Luis, Potosi,and Vera Cruz, on the north, 

 by that of Puebla on the east, by Mexico on the 

 south, and by Mechoacon and Guanaxuato on the 

 west ; square miles, 15,000 ; population, about I 

 60,000. It lies entirely on the central plateau of 

 Mexico, which is about 6000 feet above the sea. 

 The climate is temperate, and the productions are 

 maize, wheat, European fruits, &c. (See Mexico.) 

 Queretaro is one of the most manufacturing states 

 of the union. Its capital, of the same name, with 

 a population of 35,000, lies in a pleasant valley, 

 6500 feet above the level of the sea ; lat. 20 36' 

 N.; Ion, 100 10 7 W.; 112 miles north-west of the 

 city of Mexico. It is one of the handsomest cities 

 in Mexico, containing a magnificent cathedral, sev- 

 eral convents, hospitals, &c. :. the streets are well 

 laid out, and there are several fine squares. The 

 city is the seat of considerable manufacturing indus- 

 try. 



QUESN AY, FRANCIS, a French physician of some 

 eminence, but chiefly noted as a writer on political 

 economy, was born in 1694, and died at Paris in 

 1774. His father was a farmer, and he acquired 

 the rudiments of his profession under a country sur- 

 geon ; after which, going to the metropolis, he 

 became secretary to a society established for the 

 improvement of surgery. At length he took the 

 degree of M.D., and obtained the situation of phy- 

 sician to Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of 

 Louis XV., and through her interest became physi- 

 cian to the king. Amid the intrigues of a licen- 

 tious court, he observed a simplicity of manners and 

 apparent disinterestedness which formed a strong 

 contrast with the characters of those around him. 

 Towards the latter part of his life, he became the 

 founder of the political sect of the economists. 

 (See Physiocratic System, Political Economy, and 

 Laharpe's Cours de Litterature, 14th vol.) He was 

 the author of various surgical and medical works, 

 several articles in the Encyclopedic, and tracts on 

 politics, including a treatise on Physiocrasy, or the 

 Government most advantageous to the Human Race 

 (1768, 8vo.). 



QUESTORS ; ordinary magistrates (see Magis- 

 trates) among the Romans, who managed the pub- 

 lic treasury (esrarium), kept in the temple of Sat- 

 urn, and superintended the receipts and expendi- 

 tures of the public money. They were at first 

 appointed by the kings, afterwards by the consuls, 

 and after 307, A. U., by the people in the comitia 

 tributa. At first there were two questors, in 333, 

 A. U.; two others were added to assist the consuls 

 in war. The two first remained in the city. After 

 the Romans had conquered all Italy, four more 

 were added : under Sylla there were twenty: under 

 Caesar, forty. After this period their number was 

 arbitrary , but in Rome itself the number was always 

 two, who were called, by way of distinction, quaes- 

 tores urbani. The others were called quastores 

 provinciates, or militares. The questorship was 

 the lowest office of honour, and opened the way to 

 the senate ; but it was sometimes filled by consular 

 men. 



QUEVEDO-VILLEGAS, DON FRANCISCO DE, a 

 Spanish poet, was born at Madrid in 1580, and 



studied at Alcala de Henares. Besides the ancient 

 languages, his course of studies comprised theology, 

 medicine, and philosophy, as he was unwilling to 

 devote himself to any professional pursuit. He 

 combined extensive learning with much wit and 

 great originality. In consequence of a duel, in which 

 his adversary fell, he fled to Italy, where his ser- 

 vices gained him the confidence and friendship of 

 the duke of Ossuna. (q. v.) After having visited 

 Germany and France, Quevedo returned to Spain ; 

 and on account of his connexions with the duke, 

 then in disgrace, he was arrested and confined to 

 his estate, La Torre de Juan, for three years. To 

 restore his health, impaired by his confinement, he 

 travelled through Spain, and afterwards lived in 

 retirement on his estate, where he probably wrote 

 his poems published under the title of the Bachelor 

 of La Torre. Philip IV . conferred on him the place 

 of secretary, and, in 1634, Quevedo married the 

 sister of the archbishop of Abaraein. But at the 

 age of sixty-eight years, he was imprisoned for a 

 libel on the duke of Olivarez, which was imputed 

 to him without any proofs. He was released after 

 two years' confinement, but his health had suffered 

 much from his imprisonment. Being banished from 

 court, he retired to his estate, which had been re- 

 peatedly plundered while he was in prison, and 

 died at Villa Neuva de los Infantes, in 1645. His 

 works are various in their character. His humor- 

 ous productions are distinguished for playfulness, 

 wit, and invention. His prose works are mostly 

 effusions of humour and satire. His Visions (Sue- 

 nos) have been translated into most European lan- 

 guages (English, by L 'Estrange); his Vida de'. 

 Gran Tacano is a comic romance of the sort called 

 by the Spaniards picaresco. He also translated the 

 Enchiridion of Epictetus into Spanish. His works 

 were published at Brussels, in three volumes quarto, 

 in 1660 and in 1670, and have since been repeat- 

 edly reprinted. 



QUI VIVE (who lives?); the challenge of the 

 French sentries to those who approach their posts ; 

 equivalent to the English "Who goes there?" To be 

 on the out vive is to be on the alert, like a sentinel. 



QU1BERON ; a peninsula on the western coast 

 of France, in the department of the Morbihan, con- 

 taining the town of Quiberon (2000 inhabitants) and 

 several hamlets. June 27, 1795, a body of 1200 to 

 1500 emigres, under the command of the count 

 d'Hervilly, landed on this coast and took possession 

 of the peninsula. Their numbers were increased by 

 several thousand royalists ; but they were soon com- 

 pelled, by the advance of the republican forces un- 

 der Hoche (q. v.) to shut themselves up in the 

 peninsula, under the protection of fort Penthievre, 

 situated on its isthmus, and of the English squadron, 

 by which they had been brought over. Six thou- 

 sand Chouans (q. v.), with their wives and children 

 followed them thither. Hoche now besieged the 

 peninsula. July 16, d'Hervilly attempted a sortie, 

 in which he fell. On the 17th, a reinforcement of 

 emigres landed, under command of Sombreuil. On 

 the 21st, the fort was taken by the republicans, who 

 penetrated into the peninsula ; and on the 23d Som- 

 breuil surrendered, with 4000 men, after a brave 

 resistance. The young Sombreuil, (28 years old,) 

 whose father and brother perished under the guillo- 

 tine, during the revolution, and about 200 of the 

 royalists, were shot. In 1829, a chapel was erected 

 here, containing a marble monument to the memory 

 of the emigres who fell on this occasion. See 

 Sendee 



QUICK, OB QUICKSET HEDGE, among gar- 

 deners, denotes all live hedges of whatsoever sorts of 

 plants they are composed, to distinguish them from 



