r Bzowski, Abraham, one of the most voluminous writers of the seventeenth century, was born at Prosovitz in 1567. Losing his parents in early life, he was brought up by his grandmother, who sent him to study at Cracow, where he entered the order of Dominicans. From Cracow he went to Milan, where he taught philosophy, and afterwards to Bologna, where he read lectures on theological subjects. He soon afterwards returned to Poland, and was appointed principal of a Dominican college. A mandate of the pope, Paul V., summoned him to Rome, where he found apartments prepared for him in the Vatican, and the office of librarian of the Virginio dei Ursini at his disposal. While living in the papal palace, he was robbed, and his attendant murdered; and he soon after retired to the convent of Minerva, and there devoted himself entirely to literature for the remainder of his days. His death took place in 1637. Though he wrote an astonishing number of books, he is now chiefly remembered for his continuation of the Annals of Baronius. This work he took up from the year 1198—where Baronius left off. Nine volumes of it have been published; the first eight of which appeared at Cologne, 1616–1641, the last at Rome in 1672. C, THE third letter and second consonant of the alphabet, is pronounced like k before the vowels a, o, and u, and like s before e, i, and y. C is formed, according to Scaliger, from the κ of the Greeks, by retrenching the stem or upright line; though others derive it from the כ of the Hebrews, which has in effect the same form; only, that as the Hebrews read towards the left, and the Latins and other western nations towards the right, each turned the letter their own way. However, the C not being the same as to sound with the Hebrew כoph, כ, and it being certain that the Romans did not borrow their letters immediately from the Hebrews or other orientals, but from the Greeks, the derivation from the Greek κ is upon the whole the more probable. Indeed Montfaucon, in his Palæographia, gives some forms of the Greek κ which approach very near to that of our C; and Suidas calls the C the Roman καππα. Before the first Punic war C held the place which is now occupied by G, as appears from the Duilian Column, where we meet with acuain for aquam, lectionem for legionem, and exofcicnt for effigiant. The second sound of C resembles that of the Greek Σ; and many instances occur of ancient inscriptions in which Σ has the same form with our C. Grammarians are pretty generally agreed that the Romans pronounced their Q like our C, and their C like our K. Mabillon informs us that Charles the Great was the first who wrote his name with a C; whereas all his predecessors of the same name wrote it with a K; and the same difference is observable in their coins. As an abbreviation, C stands for Cainus, Carolus, Caesar, condemnato, &c., and CC represent consultibus. As a numeral, C signifies 100, CC 200, and so on. C, in Music, placed after the cleff, intimates that the music is in common time, which is either quick or slow as it is joined with allegro or adagio; but if alone, it is usually adagio. If the C be crossed or turned, the first requires the air to be played quick, and the last very quick.