graphers, was not always the case with even theatre to which he continued to add new

monkish writers in the age in which he lived. -Biog. Universelle.

ALFARABI, an eminent Arabian philosopaer in the tenth century, a native of Farab, in Asia Minor. He wrote many treatises on the different parts of the Aristotelean philosophy, which were read not only among the Arabs, but by the eastern Jews, who then began to attend to the works of Aristotle. His treatise "De Intelligentiis" was published with the works of Avicenna, Venice, 1496; another, "De Causis," is in Aristotle's works, accompanied by a commentary by Averroes. His "Opuscula varia" were printed at Paris, 1638; and he obtained much reputation in his day by a species of Encyclopedia, the MS of which is in the Escurial, wherein he gives a brief definition of various branches of science and art. He died at Damascus in 950.-Biog. Univ.

ALFENUS VARUS (PUBLIUS) a celebrated Roman lawyer, born in the year of Rome 713. He became consul, and is mentioned by Horace, and with great approbation by Virgil. He first made those collections of the civil law which are termed digests; he is quoted by Aulus Gellius, but none of his works are extant.-Ibid.

tragedies. Alfieri beheld the opening of the Revolution with the feelings of a lover of liberty, and even strongly recorded them in an ode on the taking of the Bastile. The horrors produced by the melancholy reaction of centuries of bad government soon however drove him from France, leaving behind him property in the funds, furniture, paper, and books, all which were confiscated. From this time, with more resentment than philosophy, he always expressed the most decided antipathy to the French people, and even disavowed such of his early works as breathed the language of political freedom. At the age of forty-eight he began to study the Greek language, from which he made several translations, and dedicated himself so laboriously to literature, especially satire and the drama, as to produce a disorder of which he died at Florence on the 3d October 1803. He was interred in the church of St Croix in that capital, where his widow erected a splendid monument to his memory, executed by Canova, and had it placed between the tombs of Michael Angelo and Machiavel. Alfieri wrote the somewhat too flattering inscription for his own tomb, As also his life, published at Paris, 1809, and in English, at London, 1810. These memoirs, if somewhat too self-complacent, are not without interest, and show, like more recent instances, the mixed operation of early notions of rank, fortune, and self-consequence, on the principles and conduct of men of genius who are born to inherit them. The character of Alfieri was too strong and impulsive to be either philosophical or amiable; and his political opinions followed the bent of his temper, being hastily taken up and as hastily laid down. That mind, however, which can follow up a life of early dissipation by a steady determination to become distinguished in literature, with much of the preparatory attainment to acquire, is one of extraordinary energy; and such was that of Alfieri. His posthumous works were published at Florence in 1804, and his dramas have been translated both into French and English. His tragedies, the dramatis personæ of which are for the most part Greek and Roman, exhibit strength of conception and great occasional energy; but looking to nature, they aim too much at lofty expression and forcible thoughts. They have of late however excited considerable attention; and more than one dramatist has sought after comparative originality by the study of them.-Bing. Univ. Life by himself.

ALFIERI (VITTORIO) an Italian poet of a noble family, born at Asti in Piedmont, January 17, 1749. He was educated at Turin, where, with great strength of temper, he exhibited very little talent, and still less industry. At the age of sixteen he quitted his studies with the acquirement of no accomplishment but that of riding, and along with it an excessive attachment to horses. His next pursuit was travelling; and in the three or four succeeding years he visited nearly all the Christian countries of Europe. To England he repaired twice in the course of that period, and during the last visit of seven months, distinguished himself merely by affairs of gallantry. On his return to Turin, a passionate attachment to a lady of quality first turned his attention to literature and poetry; and after some imperfect attempts, he completed a tragedy called Cleopatra, which he procured to be acted at Turin in 1773, with a small piece by way of farce, also written by himself, which he named "The Poets." The partial success of these attempts opened a new existence to Alfieri, who with characteristic ardour immediately resolved as siduously to cultivate his own language and the Latin, to study the best authors in both, and to follow up dramatic composition upon certain principles invented by himself. The result of this determination was the production of fourteen dramas in the following seven born in London in 1587, who, after studying years, together with several pieces in prose a Louvain and residing at Rome, remained in and verse, a translation of Sallust, "A Trea- the English metropolis as a missionary from tise on Tyranny," "Ftruria Avenged," a poem the Society of Jesus for thirty years. He died in four cantos, and five odes on the American at St Omers in 1652, and left two books on

Revolution. In the course of this time, Alfieri had obtained the hand of the widow of the last miserable Pretender, a princess of the house of Schomberg, usually called the countess of Albany (see ALBANY); and in her company he visited France, in order to print his

ALFORD (MICHAEL) an English Jesuit

ecclesiastical history, "Britannia illustrata," 4to, Antwerp, 1641, and "Annales Ecclesiastici Britannorum, Saxonum, Anglorum," ibid 4to.-Nicolson's Eng. Hist. Lib.

ALFRED (THE GREAT.) This AngloSaxon monarch, one of the most illusuious rulers on record, was the youngest son of Ethelwolf king of the West Saxons, and born at Wantage, Berks, A. D.849. At the early age of five years he was sent by his father with a large retinue to Rome, when he was confirmed, or, as some writers assert, royally anointed by pope Leo IV. Soon after his return he accompanied his father again to the same capital; and it is supposed that by this early travelling his dawning faculties received the favourable direction by which they were subsequently so admirably distinguished. Ethelwolf died when

them to surrender. Such were their numbers, that Alfred, with equal policy and humanity, sought to transform them into subjects, and gave them settlements in East Anglia and Northumberland, on condition of allegiance to him, and conversion to Christianity. The expedient succeeded; Alfred himself stood sponsor for Guthrum at the font; and, with the exception of one incursion up the Thames, the country was for a long time free from Danish ravages. On this happy re-establishment, Alfred exerted himself with all the energy of his ed successively by his elder sons Ethelbald, sures to defend his kingdom from future deEthelbert, and Ethelred, by the last of whom predations. He erected castles and fortresses Alfred was employed as his chief minister and in proper situations, formed a militia, and general. In 871 a Danish force, which had above all got together an armed fleet of one successfully invaded England in 866, under hundred sail of the ships of war of the period, the command of Hinguar and Hubba, marched which he manned partly with his own subjects, to Reading, and mastered both town and castle. and partly with Frisians. He also besieged Ethelred and Alfred immediately collected and recovered the city of London from the a force, which they led against the Danes, Danes, which he found in a miserable condiand obtained a victory, but were soon after tion, but repaired and maintained as a fortress. routed, in return, near Devizes, when Ethelred In 893, an interval of some years having

Alfred was in his tenth year, and was succeed-wise and persevering character to adopt mea

received a wound which terminated his existence, leaving to Alfred, then in his twentysecond year a crown in defence of which he was called into immediate action. His first conflict with his formidable enemies the Danes, at Wilton, was unsuccessful; but they subsequently agreed to a peace which they violated, and, in consequence of a great naval victory obtained by Alfred, came to terms a second time. The arrival of new hordes, however, so increased their number in Wiltshire, that the Saxons, in despair, could not be brought to make head against them; and Alfred himself, laying aside all marks of royalty, took shelter in the house of one of his own neatherds. While in this obscure retreat, a little adventure occurred to him of which most of our English historians take notice. The woman of the house having placed some cakes before the fire to toast, as Alfred was sitting by, trimming his bow and arrows, she took it for granted that he would attend to them. Intent on what he was doing, the King suffered the cakes to burn without observation, which so enraged the good woman, that she rated him soundly, and doubted not that he would be ready enough to eat what he was so little inclined to attend to. Soon after, collecting a few faithful followers, he took possession of the small isle of Athelney, formed by the confluence of the Tone and the Parrot, in Somersetshire, whence he sallied out occasionally with profound secresy, and beat off the unguarded quarters of the Danes in his neighbourhood. At length, understanding

elapsed, a Danish fleet, after ravaging the coast of France, disembarked a large force in Kent, which was checked by Alfred. He had then to turn his attention to the rebellious operations of his new subjects in East Anglia and Northumberland, who appeared suddenly with a fleet on the western coast. All these annoyances however were finally put down by the vigour and abilities of the king; and he closed the whole warfare by the capture of some Northumbrian Danes, who were ravaging in the west, and whom, after a legal trial at Winchester, he executed as pirates and enemies of civilized society. The remainder of the life of Alfred was peaceable; for such was now his high character, that the Danish settlers on the east and the north, on his approach, humbly submitted. The Welch also acknowledged his authority; and at the expense of fifty-six bat tles, in which he had been personally engaged by sea and land, he found himself undisputed king of the island as far as the frontiers of Scotland. Great and active however as Alfred appears in warlike exploits, as a legislator, a reformer of manners, and a promoter of learning and the arts, his exertions were still more extraordinary. Without entering into the controversy regarding the originality of many of his admirable institutions, or how far they were modifications of laws and usages common to the Saxon and German tribes, he undeniably embodied them into a system, and thereby, according to the antiquary Spelman, laid the foundation of the common law of Eng

that Odun earl of Devonshire had obtained a land. The institution of the trial by jury, atsignal victory over the Danish leader Hubba, and tributed to him, Sir William Blackstone contaken the famous magical standard of the raven, jectures that he only adopted and improved; he left his retreat, and proceeding towards and the same observation is extended by the camp of Guthrum, the Danish prince, in Whitaker and others to the division of the

country into shires, hundreds, and tithings, for purposes of judicature and police. It is certain however that the general survey of the kingdom, called the "Winchester Book," the origin of that of Domosday, was compiled by

the disguise of a harper, remained several days making his observations at leisure. He then summoned his nobles with their followers to a general rendezvous on the borders of Selwood Forest, and first defeating the enemy in battle he surrounded their camp and compelled the order of Alfred. Judicial administration

1

plish all these things, as the nicest distribution and his visit to England most likely led to his

of his time and his revenue was essential, he appears to have entered into the most strict arrangement for the employment of both. To crown his great public character, Alfred is described as one of the most mild and amiable of men in private life; of a temper serene and cheerful, affable, kind, and merciful; and although eminently pure in his own conduct and manners, not averse to society, or to innocent recreation. He was also personally well-favoured, possessing a handsome and vigorous by Frederic the Great, who bestowed on him roving Tartars, who sold him to the Turks, in whose language and religion he was educated. His skill in languages procured him at length the post of chief dragoman or interpreter to the court, while his leisure hours were employed in translating the Bible into the tongue of his adopted country. Dangerous as the avowal would have been, he had unquestion ably a strong bias towards the faith of his ancestors, and but for his death, which took place suddenly in 1675, would have abjured Mahometanism. The work by which he is principally known to Europeans is a very interesting account of the religious ceremonies, pilgrimages, &c. of the Turks. Of this treatise there is a Latin translation by Smith.Moreri.

the post of chamberlain, the order of merit, and the title of count; and he was afterwards very similarly entertained and noticed by Stanislaus king of Poland. In both these circles he was regarded as a man of letters, a wit, a philosopher, and one of the first connoisseurs of the day in the fine arts. He did much to reform the Italian opera, and wrote verses with sentiment and elegance. He died with philosophical composure at Pisa in 1764, where he erected a mausoleum for himself, on which he directed the inscription of the following words: "Hic Jacet Algarottus, sed non omnis"-" Here lies Algarotti; but not all of him;" an allusion to the vitality of his fame, obviously taken from the Non omnis moriar of Horace. His works are collected in four volumes 8vo, Leghorn, 1765. They are literary, critical, and philosophical, and display spirit and depth, but sometimes at the expense of nature and simplicity. They have been translated into French, English, and most of thirteen he became the prey of robbers, and was

the modern languages. Nouv. Dict. Hist.

ALI (BEY) a Greek, son of a Natolian priest, was born in 1728. By his valour and abilities he raised himself from the condition of a slave to supreme power in Egypt. At the age of

sold by them to a subaltern officer of janissa

ALI, the son of Abu Taleb, uncle of Ma-ries, who reared and adopted him, and suc

homet. When the impostor assembled his kinsmen, and declared his prophetic mission, he asked which among them would be his vizier: "I am the man," exclaimed the youthful Ali, then of the age of fourteen; "whoever rises against thee, I will dash out his teeth, tear out his eyes, break his legs, rip up his belly; O prophet, I will be thy vizier over them." Ali kept his word; distinguished both by eloquence and valour, he became one of the main pillars of the new faith, and obtained the name of the "Lion of God, always victorious." He also received Fatima, the daughter of the prophet, in marriage, by whom he had children, during the life time of their grandfather. He was thus on every account deemed the successor of the prophet, but was notwithstanding preceded by Abubeker, Omar, and Othman; and even when recognized caliph after the death of the last of the three, he had to contend for the dignity with Moawiyah, and finally lost his life by assassination at Kufa, in the sixty-third year of his age There was something of grandeur in the primitive simplicity and fanatical heroism of the first followers of Mahomet, and Ali formed one of the most conspicuous examples of the conjunction. The Mahometan schism caused by the murder of Ali is well known; and his sect is called Shiites or heretics, by the Sonnites or orthodox. The Persians, a part of the Usbec Tartars, and some of the princes of India, remain followers of Ali to this day. From Ali a numerous posterity has descended, who alone are allowed to wear green turbans, in honour of their descent from the prophet. There is extant, among various writings attributed to Ali, a collection of a hundred maxims or sentences, which have been translated by Golius and Ockley.-D'Herbelot.

ALI (BEG) a man of extraordinary learning and attainments, considering the disadvantages under which he laboured. He is said to have been born in Poland, of Christian parents, but was kidnapped in his infancy by a horde of

ceeded in gaining his attachment. This he evinced on the murder of his patron by a Circassian named Ibrahim, on whom he retaliated the assassination with his own hand. The Porte sentencing him in consequence to lose his head, Ali avoided the execution of the firman by flight, first to Jerusalem, and subsequently to Jaffa. The well-known mutability of affairs and opinions in that quarter of the globe soon restored him not only to safety but to power. The Circassian faction was destroyed, and Ali obtained the reins of government, which he contrived for a while to render popular; his decisions and actions being marked by far greater humanity and equity than is the usual characteristic of Eastern despotism. In 1768, during the hostilities then raging between the Turks and the Russians, he dispatched an auxiliary force of 12,000 men to the aid of the Ottoman cause, but so little gratitude did his efforts excite, that his death was even at that moment determined upon in the divan. Gaining intimation of this resolution, Ali, as a measure at once of safety and revenge, declared open war against the Porte, and even marched his troops against the Grand Seignor's dominions in Syria and Arabia; but a Mameluke, to whom he had confided the command of them, by name Abou Dahab, revolting with many of the subordinate beys, in the hope of rising on the ruins of his master, Ali was again forced to fly from Cairo to Gaza. Here he succeeded in organizing a considerable army, which he led into action against his antagonists on the thirteenth of April 1773. Treachery and desertion, however, again pervaded his troops in the moment of battle; and Ali rushing in despair into the thickest of the fight, was at length cut down, after defending himself with a degree of desperate valour that has never perhaps been exceeded. Although disabled, he was not killed upon the spot, but died of the wounds he had received, about a week subsequent to the action, in the hands of his conquerors. He was possessed of a

strong mind and considerable genius, with more generosity of temper and less ferocity than are common among his compatriots. He was slain in the prime of manhood, having just attained his forty-fifth year. Volney's Syria.

liam Smith, formerly of University College, an 1 rector of Melsonby in Yorkshire. Mr Allan died in 1800.-Gent. Mag.

island of Scio in apted

ALISON (RICHARD) one of the ten composers who, by command of Elizabeth, adapted the Psalms to music. They were first published in 1594.-Biog. Dict. Mus.

ALKMAAR (HENRY D') a satirical poet of nity. He died in 1669 at the age of 83.

Germany, who flourished in the fifteenth century. His name acquired great reputation on account of a production entitled "The Fable of Reynard," though it has been doubted whether Nicholas Baumann, a native of Friesland, was not the real author of the poem sent into the world under this assumed appellation. Baumann died in 1503. The book, which is ingeniously put together, has since been edited by Coltshed.-Nouv. Dict. Hist.

ALLAIS (DENUS VAIRASSE D') author of a fictitious history of the Sevarambians, a political romance, published in 1677, and some other pieces which met with a success much inferior to that of the former He was born in Languedoc, at the place whence he took his surname. Coming to England in 1665 he entered the navy, and served in the fleet commanded by the duke of York, afterwards James II. He subsequently returned to his native country, and gained a livelihood by teaching the English language at Paris, where he died.

-Ibid.

ALLAN (DAVID) a Scottish portrait and historical painter of the preceding century, born at Edinburgh. After a long study at Rome, where he was honourably distinguished, he was in 1780 appointed master of the academy established in Edinburgh for diffusing a knowledge of the principles of the fine arts. There are several engravings from his pictures, one of which, entitled the "Origin of Paint

ALLATIUS or ALLACCI (LEO) a Greek physican and man of letters, afterwards librarian of the Vatican at Rome, and a professor in the Greek college there. He was born in the the latter end of the sixteenth century, and attained to much eminence in polite literature as well as in polemical diviNothing could exceed the devotion of Allatius to the see of Rome. His talents were considerable and his learning extensive; but his endless digressions and the irrelevancy of many of his arguments to the subject matter on which he is treating, detract much from the value of his writings, which are numerous, and relate principally to theological questions and points of discipline. An anecdote is told of him rather beneath the dignity of a philosopher, that he used but one pen for upwards of 40 years, and shed tears when it at length became utterly unserviceable. Bayle alludes with some humour to Lis vacillating disposition and indecision of character, and relates that when the question was put to him by pope Alexander VII, why he declined taking holy orders? his reply was, that he refrained in order that he might not be precluded from marrying. "Why then do you not marry ?" was the rejoinder. "That I may not be prevented from taking orders," returned Allatius. The principal works of Allatius are-1. "De Libris ecclesiasticis Græcorum," Paris, 1645; 2. "De Ecclesiæ Occidentalis et Orientalis perpetua consensione," Cologne, 1648; 3. " De Templis Græcorum recentioribus," Cologne, 1645, 4to; 4. "Græciæ Orthodoxæ Scriptores," Rome, 1652 and 1657, 2 vols. 4to; 5. "Eustathius Antochenus in hexameron et de Engastrimytho," Lyons, 1624, 4to; 6. "Symmichta et symmiha, sive opuscolorum Græcorum ac La

ing, or the Corinthian Maid drawing the Sha-tinorum Vetustiorum ac recentiorum," Cologne,

dow of her Lover," is well known. Mr. Allan died in 1796, highly esteemed.-Supplement to Walpole's Painters.

ALLAN (GEORGE) a respectable attorney of Darlington in Yorkshire, distinguished by his pursuits and acquisitions as an antiquary. He had a printing-press in his own house, where he superintended the printing of many curious tracts, the first of which was "The Recommendatory Letter of Oliver Cromwell to William Lenthall, Esq. speaker of the House of Commons, for erecting a College and University at Durham," &c. 4to. Being possessed of twenty manuscript volumes, relating to the counties of Durham and Northumberland, bequeathed to him by the compiler, the Rev. Thomas Randale, he published an address to the public relative to the completion of a civil and ecclesiastical history of the county palatine of Durham; and when Mr Hutchinson carried this plan into execution, Mr Allan liberally communicated his MSS and advice. He also presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London twenty-six quarto volumes of MSS chiefly got together by the Rev. Wil

1653, fol; 7. "Apes Urbanæ," Rome, 1633, an account of all the learned men who flourished at Rome from 1630 to 1632; 8. "Dramaturgia," an alphabetical collection of all the Italian dramatic works of his time; 9. "Poeti antichi raccolti da Codici manuscriti della bibliotheca Vaticana e Barberina," Naples, 1661, 8vo, &c. Bayle. Moreri.

ALLEGRI (ALEXANDER) an Italian satirical and humorous poet, of the latter end of the sixteenth century. He was born at Florence, and served in the army, but afterwards became an ecclesiastic. His principal works in burlesque poetry are-" Rime piaceovoli," "Lettere di ser poi Pedante," and "Fantastica Vizioni di Parri da Pozzolatico." These productions are published together in a volume, which has become very scarce. Allegri left other poetry in the hands of his family, which has never been published, together with a tragedy called Idomeneus, and several Latin poems of considerable pretension in that species of composition.-Biog. Univ.

ALLEGRI, See CORREGIO.

ALLEGRI (GREGORIO) a celebra ed Ro