[Comines, Philippe de], a French chronicler, born at Comines; was of Flemish origin; served under Charles the Bold, then under Louis XI. and Charles VIII.; author of "Memoires," in seven vols., of the reigns of these two monarchs, which give a clear and faithful picture of the time and the chief actors in it, but with the coolest indifference as to the moral elements at work, with him the end justifying the means, and success the measure of morality (1443-1509).
[Comitia], constitutional assemblies of the Roman citizens for electing magistrates, putting some question to the vote of the people, the declaration of war, &c.
[Comity of nations], the name given for the effect given in one country to the laws and institutions of another in dealing with a native of it.
[Commandite, Société en], partnership in a business by a supply of funds, but without a share in the management or incurring further liability.
[Commelin, Isaac], Dutch historian; wrote the "Lives of the Stadtholders William I. and Maurice" (1598-1676).
[Commentaries of Julius Cæsar], his memoirs of the Gallic and Civil Wars, reckoned the most perfect model of narration that in such circumstances was ever written, and a masterpiece.
[Committee of Public Safety], a committee of nine created by the French Convention, April 6, 1793, to concentrate the power of the executive, "the conscience of Marat, who could see salvation in one thing only, in the fall of 260,000 aristocrats' heads"; notable, therefore, for its excesses in that line; was not suppressed till Oct. 19, 1796, on the advent of the Directory to power.
[Com`modus, Lucius Aurelius], Roman emperor, son and successor of Marcus Aurelius; carefully trained, but on his father's death threw up the reins and gave himself over to every form of licentiousness; poison administered by his mistress Marcia being slow in operating, he was strangled to death by a hired athlete in 162.
[Common Law] is law established by usage and confirmed by judicial decision.
[Common-sense, Philosophy of], the philosophy which rests on the principle that the perceptions of the senses reflect things as they actually are irrespectively of them.