Cowrie, a genus of shells belonging to the order of vermes testacea. See Concho-

LOGY Index.

This genus is called cypra and venerea from its being peculiarly dedicated to Venus, who is said to have endowed a shell of this genus with the powers of a remora, so as to impede the course of the ship which was sent by Periander tyrant of Corinth, with orders to emasculate the young nobility of Corcyra.

Cypress. See Cupressus, Botany Index.

Cyprianus, Thascius-Cæcilius, a principal father of the Christian church, was born at Carthage in Africa, at the latter end of the second or beginning of the third century. We know nothing more of his parents than that they were Heathens; and he himself continued such till the last 12 years of his life. He applied himself early to the study of oratory; and some of the ancients, particularly Lactantius, inform us, that he taught rhetoric in Carthage with the highest applause. Cyprian's conversion is fixed by Pearson to the year 246; and was at Carthage, where, as St Jerome observes, he had often employed his rhetoric in the defence of paganism. It was brought about by one Cæcilius, a priest of the church of Carthage, whose name Cyprian afterwards took; and between whom there ever after subsisted so close a friendship, that Cæcilius at his death committed to Cyprian the care of his family. Cyprian was also a married man himself; but as soon as he was converted to the faith, he resolved upon state of continence, which was thought a high degree of piety, as not being yet become general. Being now a Christian, he was to give the usual proof of the sincerity of his conversion; and that was by writing against Paganism and in defence of Christianity. With this view he composed his piece De Gratia Dei, or "concerning the grace of God," which he addressed to Donatus. It is a work of the same nature with the Apologetic of Tertullian, and the Octavius of Minutius Felix. He next composed a piece De Idolorum Vanitate, or "upon the vanity of idols." Cyprian's behaviour, both before and after his baptism, was so highly pleasing to the bishop of Carthage, that he ordained him a priest a few months after. It was rather irregular to ordain a man thus in his very noviciate; but Cyprian was so extraordinary a person, and thought capable of doing such singular service to the church, that it seemed allowable in this case to dispense a little with the form and discipline of it. For besides his known talents as a secular man, he had acquired a high reputation of sanctity since his conversion; having not only separated himself from his wife, as we have observed before, which in those days was thought an extraordinary act of piety, but also configned over all his goods to the poor, and given himself up entirely to the things of God. It was on this account no doubt, too, that when the bishop of Carthage died the year after, that is, in the year 248, none was judged so proper to succeed him as Cyprian. The quiet and repose which the Christians had enjoyed during the last 40 years, had, it seems, greatly corrupted their manners; and therefore Cyprian's first care, after his advancement to the bishopric, was to correct disorders and reform abuses. Luxury was prevalent among them; and many of their women were not so strict CYP

Cyprinus as they should be, especially in the article of drels.

This occasioned him to draw up his piece De habitu virginum, or "concerning the drels of young women," in which, besides what he says on that particular head, he inculcates many lessons of modesty and sobriety. In the year 249, the emperor Decius began to issue out very severe edicts against the Christians, which particularly affected those upon the coast of Africa; and in the beginning of 250, the Heathens, in the circus and amphitheatre of Carthage, inflicted loudly upon Cyprian's being thrown to the lions: a common method of destroying the primitive Christians. Cyprian upon this withdrew from the church at Carthage, and fled into retirement, to avoid the fury of the persecutions. He wrote, in the place of his retreat, pious and instructive letters to those who had been his hearers; and also to the libellatici, a name by which those philanthropic Christians were called, who procured certificates of the Heathen magistrates, to show that they had complied with the emperor's orders in sacrificing to idols. At his return to Carthage, he held several councils on the repentance of those who had fallen during this persecution, and other points of discipline; he opposed the schemes of Novatus, and Novatianus; and contended for the rebaptizing of those who had been baptized by heretics. At last he died a martyr in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus, in 258. Cyprian wrote 81 letters, and several treatises. The best edition of his works are those of Pamphilus in 1683; of Rigaltius in 1648; and of Oxford in 1682. His works have all been translated into English by Dr. Marshall.