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“Gogol, Nikolai Vassilievitch. Bornin the government of Pultowa, March31 (N.S.), 1809, died at Moscow, March4 (N.S.), 1852. A Russian novelistand dramatist. He was educated in apublic gymnasium at Pultowa, andsubsequently in the lyceum, then newlyestablished, at Niejinsk. In 1831 hewas appointed teacher of history at thePatriotic Institution, a place which heexchanged in 1834 for the professorshipof history in the University of StPetersburg. This he resigned at the endof a year and devoted himself entirelyto literature. In 1836 Gogol leftRussia. He lived most of the time inRome. In 1837 he wrote ‘DeadSouls.’ In 1840 he went to Russia fora short period in order to superintendthe publication of the first volume of‘Dead Souls,’ and then returned toItaly. In 1846 he returned to Russiaand fell into a state of fanatical mysticism.One of his last acts was toburn the manuscript of the concludingportion of ‘Dead Souls,’ which heconsidered harmful. He also wrote‘The Mantle,’ ‘Evenings at theFarm,’ ‘St Petersburg Stories,’ ‘TarasBulba,’ a tale of the Cossacks, ‘TheRevizor,’ a comedy, etc.”—From TheCentury Cyclopædia of Names.