Dannock

An oat-cake. See BANNOCK. -In England, a thick, heavy, leathern glove, worn by a man employed in hedging, ditching, fencing, . Dan's Fork, in Mi ouri. See BLACK RIVER. Dansker, n. [Dan.] A Dane. Dans'ville, in Michigan, a post-village of Ingham co. Dansville, in New York, a thriving town of Livings ton co., in the grape region. Has important manufactures and a large trade. Pop. (1897) about 4,000. Dansville, in New York, a township of Steuben co. Dan'tan, JEAN PIERRE, a French sculptor, B. in Paris, 1800. He has produced many works of importance, but is chiefly celebrated for his statuettes, styled charges, in which any peculiarity in physiognomy or form is exaggerated; not to such a degree as to destroy the likene , but to render it more striking. D. 1869. Dante, [Contracted from DURANTE, ALIGHIERI, (dan'tai,) the foremost among Italian poets, and one of the greatest that the world has ever produced. B. in May, 1265, at Florence. His father, a jurist, died early, and the duty of educating the young boy devolved upon the mother, who was greatly a isted in this task by Brunet to Latini, the distinguished statesman, poet, and scholar. His first education he received at Florence, but he subsequently completed his studies at the universities of Bologna and Padua. At a later period, while in Paris, he applied himself to the study of theology. But his studies did not prevent him from serving his country in her hour of need, for he fought in the victorious battle of Campaldino against the A retines (1289), and took an active part in storming the fortre of Fig . 769. - DANTE, IN YOUTH. (From the famous picture by Giotto.) Caprona (1290). Having been twice entrusted with an emba y, he was chosen one of the prior i , or chief-magistrates of Florence, in 1300, when the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghi bel lines was at its height. D. espoused the cause of the Guelphs, or Imperialists, who, being the weakest numerically, were overcome in the struggle by the Ghi bel lines, or adherents of the Pope. All the Guelphic leaders were banished and their prop erty confiscated. D. shared their fate and left his natives city, never to return. For many years he was doomed to bear the sorrows and hardships of an exile. In 1304 he left Verona, and went to Paris. When the Emperor Henry VII. invaded Italy, D. returned to Verona, and employed his powerful pen to further the imperial cause. It was probably at this time (1310) that he wrote the work De Monarch i a . The fruitle siege of Florence, and the sudden death of the Emperor (1313) demolished his last hope, and he spent the remaining years of his life under the kind protection of Guido Novello da Volenta, in the city of Ravenna, where he D. Sept. 14, 1321. Many cities of Northern and central Italy claim the honor of having harbored D. within their walls. His remains were buried in a chapel of the Frati Minori, in Ravenna. They were, however, subsequently removed, and in 1865 were discovered in the Braccio forte Sepulchral Chapel of the same city. In 1830 only, a marble cenotaph was consecrated to his memory in the church of Santa Croce at Florence; and thus his native city rendered tardy justice to the manes of her greatest son. When about 9 years old, D. beheld, for the first time, Be at rice Portinari, then 8 years of age, and the love then eukindled in the heart of the tender boy remained forever the inspiration of his life. How pure and chaste this pa ion was, may be seen from the poet's first work, Vita Nuova , which consists of a collection of poems referring to his early love; each of these poems is accompanied by a history of its origin, and an accurate analysis. Be at rice was married to the cavaliere Simone de Bardi, but died at an early age. A few years after her death, D. married the daughter of an old and noble family, by whom he had six or seven children. In his work De Monarch i a he advocated the supremacy of the emperor in temporal, and that of the Pope in spiritual affairs. He wrote several other works in Latin, besides many canzones, sonnets, and lyrics in Italian; most of the latter were collected in his Convito. But his greatest work-one of the most sublime productions which has ever emanated from the genius of man-is La Divina Com media , a poem of world-wide fame, written while D. was a poor, wandering exile. It consists of three distinct poems, or acts: Inferno (Hell), the Purgatorio (Purgatory), and the Paradiso (Heaven). The poet, describing the fate of departed souls, places in hell and purgatory all those who were remarkable, either for their crimes or vices (especially those who were the authors of his misfortunes), and in paradise those who had done good and noble deeds on earth. In company with Virgil, the representative of human reason, he descends to the infernal regions, and there describes, in sublime verse, the various punishments of sinners; whilst in company of his lost love, Be at rice, the representative of revelation, and finally with St. Bernard, he views the glory of the celestial paradise. La Com media was the first poem ever written in the Italian language; prior to it, all books were composed in Latin. This great work has found in every country a host of translators and commentators. The best English translations of the complete poem are those of Cary, and of Long fellow. The translation of the Inferno by T. W. Parsons, is both faithful and elegant.