INFANTE, INFANTA, the titles given respectively to the royal princes and princesses of Spain and Portugal.

INFERI, the name given by the Latins to the nether world and the gods of it.

INFERNO, the hell of Dante, represented as included in nine circles, of which the first six, constituting the uppermost hell, are occupied by those who cannot govern themselves yet have no mind to harm any one else, of which the seventh, constituting the mid-hell, is occupied by those who cannot govern their thoughts, and of which the eighth and ninth, constituting the nether hell, are occupied by those who have wilfully done harm to other people, those in the eighth in hot blood and those in the ninth or lowest in cold blood, the former in passion and the latter without passion, far down below the freezing-point.  See Ruskin’s “Fors Clavigera,” more fully, and by way of authority for this.

INFLECTION, the name given to the changes in the end of words to indicate relations, not so common in English—­being usually expressed among us by prepositions—­as in Latin, Greek, and other languages, but occurring in English as king’s, mine, ours, to indicate possession; inflection in nouns is called declension, and in verbs conjugation.

INFLUENZA, an epidemic disease, closely resembles, but is quite distinct from, cold in the head.  It is characterised by early and marked debility and depression; though usually of short duration, attacks must not be disregarded; fatal results often ensue on carelessness.  Convalescence is slow, and complications may ensue.  The cause of the malady is obscure; sporadic cases always occur, but from time to time great epidemics of this disease have travelled westward over the world.  Their movement seems to depend on atmospheric conditions, but is independent of the season of the year and often contrary to the direction of the wind.  Visitations occurred in Britain in 1837-38, 1847-48, and 1889-91.

INFRALAPSARIANS, those Calvinists who believe that election and predestination are subsequent to the Fall, while the Supralapsarians believe that these ordinations are as old as eternity.

INFUSORIA, a name given to certain classes of animalculae engendered in stagnant water infused with decaying organic matter.

INGELOW, JEAN, poetess and novelist, born at Boston, Lincolnshire, died at Kensington; her earliest work appeared anonymously, but a volume of verses under her name was successful in 1863; her poetry is chiefly religious and devotional; later she wrote for children; subsequently she turned to novels, and produced besides several others “Off the Skelligs” in 1872; she will be remembered for her ballad “High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire,” and a song “Supper at the Mill” (1820-1897).

INGEMANN, BERNHARD SEVERIN, a Danish poet and novelist; in the latter regard took Scott for his model, his subjects being historical; was a man of varied literary ability (1789-1862).