RACINE RADETZKY 163 a grammar school, with classical and math- ematical courses. In 1874-5 it had 18 in- structors, 180 students, of whom 135 were in the grammar school, and a library of 3,000 volumes. Four weekly newspapers are pub- lished, of which one is in the Bohemian lan- guage. There are 24 churches. Racine was first settled in 1834. The first post office was established in 1836; the first steamer entered the harbor in 1844. It was incorporated as a city in 1848. Its growth has been rapid. RACINE, Jean, a French dramatist, born at La Ferte-Milon, lle-de-France, Dec. 21, 1639, died in Paris, April 22, 1699. He studied at the college of Beauvais, at Port Royal, and at the college of Harcourt. He won the friend- ship of Boileau and Moliere and the good will of Louis XIV., who gave him a pension in 1660 for his ode on occasion of his marriage. His reputation as a dramatic poet of remark- able genius was firmly established in 1667 by his Andromaque, and in rapid succession ap- peared Les plaideurs, a comedy (1668), Britan- nicus (1669), Berenice (1670), Bajazet (1672), Mithridate (1673), Iphigenie en Aulide (1674), and Phedre (1677). The last, one of his master- pieces, was so coldly received, owing to the in- trigues of his enemies, that he ceased to write for the stage, and devoted himself exclusively to his duties as official historiographer of the reign of Louis XIV. At the suggestion of Mme. de Maintenon he wrote in 1689 Esther, a Bibli- cal drama, for the young ladies at the seminary of St. Cyr, where it was performed, and in 1691 Athalie, which was only recited, and not per- formed at the Theatre Francais until a much later period. Boileau regarded this as one of his finest productions, and it is still used in schools as a model of dramatic eloquence. In 1697 appeared his memoir on the unhappy con- dition of France, which he had written at the request of Mme. de Maintenon. Louis XIV. was displeased with it, and Racine's death is said to have been hastened by his grief on this account. He left some prose writings, which are marked by terseness, perspicuity, and elo- quence. The last quality is peculiarly striking in his speech before the academy on the recep- tion of Thomas Corneille (Jan. 2, 1685), when he paid a warm tribute to the genius of Cor- neille's illustrious brother. His miscellaneous poems also possess high merit. The most val- uable complete editions of his works are by Pierre Didot the elder (3 vols. fol., Paris, 1801- '5), richly illustrated and forming part of the magnificent Louvre editions ; by La Harpe (7 vols. 8vo, 1807) ; Geoffroy (7 vols., 1808) ; Aim6 Martin, with notes from the principal commentators (7 vols., 1820) ; and Mesnard (5 vols., 1865-'9), to be completed in 7 vols., and to form part of the new editions of Les grands ecrivains de la, France, under the direction of Adolphe Regnier. Racine's second son, Louis (1692-1763), wrote two didactic poems, La grace and La religion, remarkable, especially the latter, for elegance, but deficient in most other respects ; they are chiefly intended to vindicate the principles of Jansenism. His Memoires sur la me et les outrages de Jean Racine (2 vols., 1747) is a more valuable per- formance. Among his other works is a prose translation of Milton's " Paradise Lost." RADCLIFFE, Ann, an English novelist, born in London, July 9, 1764, died there, Feb. 7, 1823. Her maiden name was Ward. At the age of 22 she married Mr. William Radcliffe, a student of law, who afterward became editor and pro- prietor of " The English Chronicle," a weekly newspaper. Her first novel, " The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne" (1789), gave little indi- cation of her powers, though it had the wild and improbable plot and the unnatural char- acters which distinguish her later writings. "The Sicilian Romance" (1790) is much bet- ter, and the " Romance of the Forest" (1791) is sufficient to place her at the head of all wri- ters of melodramatic romance. " The Myste- ries of Udolpho" (1794) is generally regarded as her masterpiece. About the time this work was produced she made a tour through Germa- ny, and in 1795 published "Journey through Holland," &c., with some observations on the lake district of England. Her last novel, " The Italian," which deals with racks, tortures, dungeons, confessionals, monks, and inquisi- tors, appeared in 1797. After her death there were published " Gaston de Blondeville, a Ro- mance," " St. Alban's Abbey, a Metrical Tale," and some poems, together with a memoir by T. N. Talfourd (4 vols., 1826) ; and a collection of her poems appeared in 1834. RADCLIFFE, John, an English physician, born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1650, died at Car- shalton, near London, Nov. 1, 1714. He grad- uated at University college, Oxford, in 1669, studied medicine, and in 1675 began to practise in Oxford. In 1682 he received the degree of M. D., and in 1684 removed to London, where he soon acquired an extensive practice. He was appointed principal physician to the princess Anne in 1686, and in 1713 was elected to par- liament by the town of Buckingham. Many anecdotes are recorded of his wit and rudeness of speech, which sometimes verged upon bru- tality. He bequeathed nearly his whole for- tune to public uses, dividing it mostly between University college, Oxford, and the foundation at Oxford of a library with especial reference to medical science. This is known as the Rad- cliffe library. See " Life and Letters of Dr. Radcliffe," by W. Pittis (8vo, London, 1736). RADETZKY, Joseph Wenzel, count, an Austrian general, born at Trzebnitz, Bohemia, Nov. 2, 1766, died in Milan, Jan. 5, 1858. He was in active service from 1784, and in 1805 was made a major general. He contributed much to the victory at Aspern and Essling, May 21 and 22, 1809, and commanded the Austrian cavalry at the battle of Wagram, having been raised to the rank of lieutenant field marshal. After the peace he was made chief of the quartermaster general's staff, and councillor of the minister of
