A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages and Nations Part 31

Tindal (Matthew), LL.D., English Deist, b. Beer-ferris, Devon, 1657. Educated at Oxford, and at first a High Churchman, he was induced to turn Romanist in the reign of James II., but returned to Protestantism and wrote The Rights of the Christian Church. This work was much attacked by the clergy, who even indicted the vendors. A defence which he published was ordered to be burnt by the House of Commons. In 1730 he published Christianity as Old as the Creation, to which no less than 150 answers were published. He died 16 Aug. 1733, and a second volume, which he left in MS., was destroyed by order of Gibson, Bishop of London.

Toland (John), Irish writer, b. Redcastle, near Londonderry, 30 Nov. 1669. Educated as a Catholic, he renounced that faith in early youth, went to Edinburgh University, where he became M.A. in 1690, and proceeded to Leyden, studying under Spanheim, and becoming a sceptic. He also studied at Oxford, reading deeply in the Bodleian Library, and became the correspondent of Le Clerc and Bayle. In 1696 he startled the orthodox with his Christianity not Mysterious, which was "presented" by the Grand Jury of Middles.e.x and condemned by the Lower House of Convocation. The work was also burnt at Dublin, Sept. 1697. He wrote a Life of Milton (1698), in which, mentioning Eikon Basilike, he referred to the "suppositious pieces under the name of Christ, his apostles and other great persons." For this he was denounced by Dr. Blackhall before Parliament. He replied with Amytor, in which he gives a catalogue of such pieces. He went abroad and was well received by the Queen of Prussia, to whom he wrote Letters to Serena (1704), which, says Lange, "handles the kernel of the whole question of Materialism." In 1709 he published Adeisidaenon and Origines Judaicae. In 1718 Nazarenus, on Jewish, Gentile and Mahommedan Christianity, in which he gave an account of the Gospel of Barnabus. He also wrote four pieces ent.i.tled Tetradymus and Pantheisticon, which described a society of Pantheists with a liturgy burlesquing that of the Catholics. Toland died with the calmness of a philosopher, at Putney, 11 March, 1722. Lange praises him highly.

Tollemache (Hon. Lionel Arthur), b. 1838, son of Baron Tollemache, a friend of C. Austin, of whom he has written. Wrote many articles in Fortnightly Review, reprinted (privately) as Stones of Stumbling, '84. Has also written Safe Studies, '84; Recollections of Pallison, '85; and Mr. Romanes's Catechism, '87.

Tone (Theobald Wolfe), Irish patriot, b. Dublin, 20 June, 1763. Educated at Trinity College in 1784, he obtained a scholars.h.i.+p in 1786, B.A. He founded the Society of United Irishmen, 1791. Kept relations with the French revolutionists, and in 1796 induced the French Directory to send an expedition against England. He was taken prisoner and committed suicide in prison, dying 19 Nov. 1798.

Topinard (Paul), M.D., French anthropologist, b. Isle-Adam 1830. Editor of the Revue d'Anthropologie, and author of a standard work on that subject published in the Library of Contemporary Science.

Toulmin (George Hoggart), M.D., of Wolverhampton. Author of The Antiquity and Duration of the World, 1785; The Eternity of the Universe, 1789; the last being republished in 1825.

Tournai (Simon de). See Simon.

Traina (Tommaso), Italian jurist. Author of a work on The Ethics of Herbert Spencer, Turin, 1881.

Travis (Henry), Dr., b. Scarborough, 1807. He interested himself in the socialistic aspect of co-operation, and became a friend and literary executor to Robert Owen. In '51-53 he edited Robert Owen's Journal. He also wrote on Effectual Reform, Free Will and Law, Moral Freedom and Causation, and A Manual of Social Science, and contributed to the National Reformer. Died 4 Feb. 1884.

Trelawny (Edward John), b. Cornwall, Nov. 1792. Became intimate in Italy with Sh.e.l.ley, whose body he recovered and cremated in August, 1822. He accompanied Byron on his Greek expedition, and married a daughter of a Greek chief. He wrote Adventures of a Younger Son, '31; and Records of Sh.e.l.ley, Byron, and the Author, '78. He died 13 Aug. 1881, and was cremated at Gotha, his ashes being afterwards placed beside those of Sh.e.l.ley. Trelawny was a vehement Pagan despising the creeds and conventions of society. Swinburne calls him "World-wide liberty's lifelong lover."

Trenchard (John), English Deist and political writer, b. Somersets.h.i.+re, 1669. He studied law, but abandoned it, and was appointed Commissioner of Forfeited Estates in Ireland. In conjunction with Gordon he wrote Cato's Letters on civil and religious liberty, and conducted The Independent Whig. He sat in the House of Commons as M.P. for Taunton; he also wrote the Natural History of Superst.i.tion, 1709; but La Contagion Sacree, attributed to him, is really by d'Holbach. Died 17 Dec. 1723.

Trevelyan (Arthur), of Tyneholm, Tranent, N.B., a writer in the Reasoner and National Reformer. Published The Insanity of Mankind (Edinburgh, 1850), and some tracts. He was a Vice-President of the National Secular Society. Died at Tyneholm, 6 Feb. 1878.

Trezza (Gaetano), Italian writer, b. Verona, Dec. 1828. Was brought up and ordained a priest, and was an eloquent preacher. Study led him to resign the clerical profession. He has published Confessions of a Sceptic, '78; Critical Studies, '78; New Critical Studies, '81. He is Professor of Literature at the Inst.i.tute of High Studies, Florence. To the first number of the Revue Internationale '83, he contributed Les Dieux s'en vont. He also wrote Religion and Religions, '84; and a work on St. Paul. A study on Lucretius has reached its third edition, '87.

Tridon (Edme Marie, Gustave), French publicist, b. Chatillon sur Seine, Burgundy, 5 June, 1841. Educated by his parents who were rich, he became a doctor of law but never practised. In '64 he published in Le Journal des Ecoles, his remarkable study of revolutionary history Les Hebertistes. In May, '65 he founded with Blanqui, etc., Le Candide, the precursor of La Libre Pensee, '66, in both of which the doctrines of materialism were expounded. Delegated in '65 to the International Students Congress at Liege his speech was furiously denounced by Bishop Dupanloup; he got more than two years' imprisonment for articles in Le Candide and La Libre Pensee, and in Ste Pelagie contracted the malady which killed him. While in prison he wrote the greater part of his work Du Molochisme Juif, critical and philosophical studies of the Jewish religion, only published in '84. After 4 Sept. '70, he founded La Patrie en Danger. In Feb. '71 he was elected deputy to the Bordeaux a.s.sembly, but resigned after voting against declaration of peace. He then became a member of the Paris Commune, retiring after the collapse to Brussels where he died 29 Aug. 1871. He received the most splendid Freethinker's funeral witnessed in Belgium.

Truebner (Nicolas), publisher, b. Heidelberg, 17 June, 1817. After serving with Longman and Co., he set up in business, and distinguished himself by publis.h.i.+ng works on Freethought, religions, philosophy and Oriental literature. Died London, 30 March, 1884.

Truelove (Edward), English publisher, b. 29 Oct. 1809. Early in life he embraced the views of Robert Owen, and for nine years was secretary of the John Street Inst.i.tution. In '44 and '45 he threw in his lot with the New Harmony Community, Hamps.h.i.+re. In '52 he took a shop in the Strand, where he sold advanced literature. He published Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary and Romances, Paine's complete works, D'Holbach's System of Nature, and Taylor's Syntagma and Diegesis. In '58 he was prosecuted for publis.h.i.+ng a pamphlet on Tyrannicide, by W. E. Adams, but the prosecution was abandoned. In '78 he was, after two trials, sentenced to four months' imprisonment for publis.h.i.+ng R. D. Owen's Moral Physiology. Upon his release he was presented with a testimonial and purse of 200 sovereigns.

Trumbull (Matthew M.), American general, a native of London, b. 1826. About the age of twenty he went to America, served in the army in Mexico, and afterwards in the Civil War. General Grant made him Collector of Revenue for Iowa. He held that office eight years, and then visited England. In 1882 he went to Chicago, where he exerted himself on behalf of a fair trial for the Anarchists.

Tschirnhausen (Walthier Ehrenfried), German Count, b. 1651. He was a friend of Leibniz and Wolff, and in philosophy a follower of Spinoza, though he does not mention him. Died 1708.

Tucker (Benjamin R.), American writer, b. Dartmouth, Ma.s.s., 17 April, 1854. Edits Liberty, of Boston.

Turbiglio (Sebastiano), Italian philosopher, b. Chiusa, 7 July, 1842, author of a work on Spinoza and the Transformation of his Thoughts, 1875.

Turgenev (Ivan Sergyeevich), Russian novelist, b. Orel, 28 Oct. 1818. In his novels, Fathers and Sons and Virgin Soil he has depicted characters of the Nihilist movement. Died at Bougival, near Paris, 3 Sept. 1883.

Turner (William), a surgeon of Liverpool, who, under the name of William Hammon, published an Answer to Dr. Priestley's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever, 1782, in which he avows himself an Atheist.

Tuuk (t.i.tia, Van der), Dutch lady, b. Zandt, 27 Nov. 1854. Was converted to Freethought by reading Dekker, and is now one of the editors of De Dageraad.

Twesten (Karl), German publicist and writer, b. Kiel, 22 April, 1820. Studied law, '38-41, in Berlin and Heidelberg, and became magistrate in Berlin and one of the founders of the National Liberal Party. Wrote on the religious, political, and social ideas of Asiatics and Egyptians (2 vols.), '72. Died Berlin, 14 Oct. 1870.

Tylor (Edward Burnet), D.C.L., F.R.S., English anthropologist, b. Camberwell, 2 Oct. 1832. He has devoted himself to the study of the races of mankind, and is the first living authority upon the subject. He has wrote Anahuac, or Mexico and the Mexicans, '61; Researches into the Early History of Mankind, '65; Primitive Culture; being researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom (2 vols.), '71. In this splendid work he traces religion to animism, the belief in spirits. He has also written an excellent handbook of Anthropology, an introduction to the Study of Man and Civilisation, '81; and contributed to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as to periodical literature. He is President of the Anthropological Society.

Tyndall (John), LL.D., F.R.S., Irish scientist, b. near Carlow, 1820. In '47 he became a teacher in Queenswood College (Hants), and afterwards went to Germany to study. In '56 he went to Switzerland with Professor Huxley, and they wrote a joint work on glaciers. He contributed to the Fortnightly Review, notably an article on Miracles and Special Providence, '66. In '72 he went on a lecturing tour in the United States, and two years later was president of the British a.s.sociation. His address at Belfast made a great stir, and has been published. In addition to other scientific works he has published popular Fragments of Science, which has gone through several editions.

Tyrell (Henry). See Church.

Tyssot de Patot (Simon), b. of French family in Delft, 1655. He became professor of mathematics at Deventer. Under the pen name of "Jacques Ma.s.se" he published Voyages and Adventures, Bordeaux, 1710, a work termed atheistic and scandalous by Reimmann. It was translated into English by S. Whatley, 1733, and has been attributed to Bayle.

Ueberweg (Friedrich), German philosopher, b. Leichlingen 22 Jan. 1826; studied at Gottingen and Berlin, and became Professor of Philosophy at Konigsberg, where he died 9 June, 1871. His chief work is a History of Philosophy. Lange cites Czolbe as saying "He was in every way distinctly an Atheist and Materialist."

Uhlich (Johann Jacob Marcus Lebericht), German religious reformer, b. Kothen 27 Feb. 1799. He studied at Halle and became a preacher. For his rationalistic views he was suspended in 1847, and founded the Free Congregation at Magdeburg. He wrote numerous brochures defending his opinions. His Religion of Common Sense has been translated and published in America. Died at Magdeburg, 23 March, 1872.

Ule (Otto), German scientific writer, b. Lossow 22 Jan. 1820. Studied at Halle and Berlin. In '52 he started the journal Die Natur, and wrote many works popularising science. Died at Halle 6 Aug. 1876.

Underwood (Benjamin F.). American lecturer and writer, b. New York 6 July, 1839. Has been a student and a soldier in the Civil War. He fought at Ball's Bluff, Virginia, 21 Oct. '61, was wounded and held prisoner in Richmond for nine months. In '81 he edited the Index in conjunction with Mr. Potter, and in '87 started The Open Court at Chicago. He has had numerous debates; those with the Rev. J. Marples and O. A. Burgess being published. He has also published Essays and Lectures, The Religion of Materialism, Influence of Christianity on Civilisation, etc. His sister, Sara A., has written Heroines of Freethought, New York, 1876.

Vacherot (Etienne), French writer, b. Langres, 29 July, 1809. In '39 he replaced Victor Cousin in the Chair of Philosophy at the Sorbonne. For his free opinions expressed in his Critical History of the School of Alexandria, a work in three vols. crowned by the Inst.i.tute, '46-51, he was much attacked by the clergy and at the Empire lost his position. He afterwards wrote Essays of Critical Philosophy, '64, and La Religion, '69.

Vacquerie (Auguste), French writer, b. Villequier, 1819. A friend of Victor Hugo. He has written many dramas and novels of merit, and was director of Le Rappel.

Vaillant (Edouard Marie), French publicist, b. Vierzon, 26 Jan. 1840. Educated at Paris and Germany. A friend of Tridon he took part in the Commune, and in '84 was elected Munc.i.p.al Councillor of Paris.

Vaira.s.se (Denis) d'Alais, French writer of the seventeenth century. He became both soldier and lawyer. Author of Histoire des Sevarambes, 1677; imaginary travels in which he introduced free opinions and satirised Christianity.

Vale (Gilbert) author, b. London, 1788. He was intended for the church, but abandoned the profession and went to New York, where he edited the Citizen of the World and the Beacon. He published Fanaticism; its Source and Influence, N.Y. 1835, and a Life of Paine, '41. Died Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 Aug. 1866.

Valk (T. A. F. van der), Dutch Freethinker, who, after being a Christian missionary in Java, changed his opinions, and wrote in De Dageraad between 1860-70, using the pen name of "Thomas."

Valla (Lorenzo), Italian critic, b. Piacenza, 1415. Having hazarded some free opinions respecting Catholic doctrines, he was condemned to be burnt, but was saved by Alphonsus, King of Naples. Valla was then confined in a monastery, but Pope Nicholas V. called him to Rome and gave him a pension. He died there, 1 Aug. 1457.

Vallee (Geoffrey), French martyr, b. Orleans, 1556. He wrote La Beat.i.tude des Chrestiens ou le Fleo de la Foy, for which he was accused of blasphemy, and hanged on the Place de Greve, Paris, 9 Feb. 1574.

Valliss (Rudolph), German author of works on The Natural History of G.o.ds (Leip., 1875); The Eternity of the World, '75; Catechism of Human Duty, '76, etc.

Van Cauberg (Adolphe), Belgian advocate. One of the founders and president of the International Federation of Freethinkers. Died 1886.

Van Effen. See Effen.

Vanini (Lucilio, afterwards Julius Caesar), Italian philosopher and martyr, b. Taurisano (Otranto), 1585. At Rome and Padua he studied Averroism, entered the Carmelite order, and travelled in Switzerland, Germany, Holland and France making himself admired and respected by his rationalistic opinions. He returned to Italy in 1611, but the Inquisition was on his track and he took refuge at Venice. In 1612 he visited England, and in 1614 got lodged in the Tower. When released he went to Paris and published a Pantheistic work in Latin On the Admirable Secrets of Nature, the Queen and G.o.ddess of Mortals. It was condemned by the Sorbonne and burnt, and he fled to Toulouse in 1617; but there was no repose for Freethought. He was accused of instilling Atheism into his scholars, tried and condemned to have his tongue cut out, his body burned and his ashes scattered to the four winds. This was done 19 Feb. 1619. President Gramond, author of History of France under Louis XIII., writes "I saw him in the tumbril as they led him to execution, mocking the Cordelier who had been sent to exhort him to repentance, and insulting our Savior by these impious words. 'He sweated with fear and weakness, and I die undaunted.'"

Vapereau (Louis Gustave), French man of letters, b. Orleans 4 April, 1819. In '41 he became the secretary of Victor Cousin. He collaborated on the Dictionnaire des Sciences Philosophiques and the Liberte de Penser, but is best known by his useful Dictionnaire Universel des Contemporains. In '70 he was nominated prefect of Cantal, but on account of the violent attacks of the clericals was suspended in '73 and resumed his literary labors, compiling a Universal Dictionary of Writers, '76, and Elements of the History of French Literature, 1883-85.

Varnhagen von Ense (Earl August Ludwig Philipp), German author, b. Dusseldorf, 21 Feb. 1785. He studied medicine and philosophy, entered the Austrian and Russian armies, and served in the Prussian diplomatic service. He was an intimate friend of Alex. von Humboldt, and shared his Freethinking opinions. Died in Berlin, 10 Oct. 1858. He vividly depicts the men and events of his time in his Diary.

Vauvenargues (Luc de Clapiers), Marquis; French moralist, b. Aix, 6 Aug. 1715. At eighteen he entered the army, and left the service with ruined health in 1743. He published in 1746 an Introduction to the Knowledge of the Human Mind, followed by Reflections and Maxims, which was deservedly praised by his friend Voltaire. Died at Paris 28 May, 1747. His work, which though but mildly deistic, was rigorously suppressed, and was reprinted about 1770.

Velthuysen (Lambert), Dutch physician, b. Utrecht, 1622. He wrote many works on theology and philosophy in Latin. His works, De Officio Pastorum and De Idolatria et Superst.i.tione were proceeded against in 1668, but he was let off with a fine. Died 1685.

Venetianer (Moritz), German Pantheist, author of Der Allgeist, 1874, and a work on Schopenhauer as a Scholastic.

Vereschagin (Vasily), Russian painter, b. Novgorod, 1842. He studied at Paris under Gerome, took part in the Russo-Turkish war, and has travelled widely. The realistic and anti-religious conceptions of his Holy Family and Resurrection were the cause of their being withdrawn from the Vienna Exhibition in Oct. '85, by order of the archbishop. In his Autobiographical Sketches, translated into English, '87, he shows his free opinions.