KYANIZING, ki'fin-Teing, a process for preserving timber, cordage, etc., from the effects of dry-rot named from an inventor of the name of Kyan. It consists in immersing the material to be preserved in a solution of corrosive sublimate and water, in the proportion of one pound of the former to from 10 to 15 gallons of the latter, according to the strength required. The time during which timber must be allowed to remain in the solution depends upon its size and thickness. For boards and small timbers 24 hours are required for each inch of thick ness. This process is now almost entirely dis used, as wood is much better preserved by be ing saturated with creosote or coal-tar.
KYD, Thomas, English dramatist: b. Lon don, about 5 Nov. 1558; d. December• 1594. While one of the most important of the pre cursors of Shakespeare, Kyd's very name was scarcely known until the closing years of the 19th century. In 1773 Thomas Hawkins dis covered his name in connection with The Spanish Tragedy in Heywood's (Apologie for Actors.' Much concerning his troubled career has been unearthed by scholars within the last quarter-century. Kyd was entered at the Mer chant Taylors School late in 1565, where Ed mund Spenser was his school-fellow. Kyd re ceived no university training but after leaving the school above mentioned he entered his father's profession of scrivener. He was greatly influenced by Seneca and Lyly. As far as known at present Kyd brought out his 'The Spanish Tragedie containing the Lamentable End of Don Horatio and Bel-imperia; with the Pitiful Death of Old Hieronimo' in the period between 1584 and 1589. For over 60 years 'The Spanish Tragedy' was the most successful play on the English stage and long retained its great popularity. A prologue was added in 1592 entitled 'The First Part of Jero nimo, or The Warres of Portugal' (first printed in 1605). It is now believed on good ground that Kyd was the author of the original draft of the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Den mark, which was drawn upon extensively by Shakespeare. Another work of Kyd,
and Perseda> appears to have been written about 1588. In 1590 or thereabouts Kyd aban doned his career of playwright and entered the service of a lord who kept a troop of players. Boas thinks this lord was Robert Radcliffe, 5th earl of Sussex. Kyd dedicated his translation of Garnier's 'Cornelia> to the Countess in 1594. Other works of Kyd are 'The Householder's Philosophy' a translation from Tasso, and 'The Most Wicked and Secret Murdering of John Brewer, Goldsmith' (1592). Other works are lost with the exception of fragments. When Marlowe was arrested in 1593 for his lewd libels,'" some of Kyd's papers were found among his effects and the latter was also ar rested. When papers at his house were exam ined there was discovered one of °vile-heretical conceits denying the deity of Jesus Christ.* Kyd was tortured at Bridewell, but maintained his innocence and blamed Marlowe for his pre dicament. Released after a time, he was aban doned by his patron and died in destitute cir cumstances. Kyd's importance in the literature of his period lies not in any inherent excellencies of his verse but rather in the fact that he was a pioneer who exerted a marked influence on Ben Jonson, Fletcher and Shakespeare. Con sult the collected edition of Kyd's works with biography edited by F. S. Boas (Oxford 1901) ; Manly,. M., 'Specimens of Pre-Shakes pearean Drama) (Vol. II, Boston 1897); edition of 'The Spanish Tragedy' by Schick (in 'Tem ple Dramatists,' 1898) ; Sarrozin, 'Thomas Kyd and sein Kreis' (Berlin 1882) ; Ward, 'History of English Dramatic Literature' (Vol. II, London 1881).