For some time an official
in the royal treasury, he either resigned or
was dismissed in consequence of an annoying
lawsuit, and about 1608 went to Mexico.
in the royal treasury, he either resigned or
was dismissed in consequence of an annoying
lawsuit, and about 1608 went to Mexico.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v26 to v30 - Tur to Zor and Index
*
Alarcón y Mendoza, Don Juan Ruiz de
(ä-lär-kön ē mān-dö'thä). A noted Spanish
dramatist; born at Tasco, Mexico, about 1580
or 1590; died in Madrid, Aug. 4, 1639. Little
is known about his early life, but he came to
Spain in 1600 and became royal attorney in
Seville. From 1608 to 1611 he was in Mexico;
then he took up his residence in Madrid, where
he was
ppointed reporter of the royal council
of the Indies, about 1628. The last great dram-
atist of the old Spanish school, he may be
considered also as the creator of the so-called
character comedy. Elevated sentiment, har-
mony of verse, and correctness of language
distinguish his works, the principal of which
are : (The Weaver of Segovia); (Suspicious
Truth, the model for Corneille's Liar); (Walls
Have Ears); (The Proof of Promises); (The
Anti-Christ. Complete edition of his works
by Hartzenbusch (Madrid, 1866).
Albee, John. An American miscellaneous
writer; born at Bellingham, Mass. , 1833. His
best known works are: Prose Idyls); (St.
Aspenquid of Agamenticus) (1879), an In-
dian idyl ; (Literary Art) (1881), a conversa-
tion; Poems) (1883); New Castle, Historic
and Picturesque) (1884), descriptive of New
Castle or Great Island, on the coast of New
Hampshire, his place of residence.
Alberdingk-Thijm, Josephus Albertus (äl.
ber-dink-tim). A Dutch poet and art critic
(1820-89), brought up to be a merchant, and
for a time head of a publishing firm ; soon de-
voted himself entirely to art and literature, and
was appointed professor of art history at the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam in
1876. As a prose writer he excels in the his-
torical tale and literary sketch in narrative
style, of which his (Portraits of Joost van den
Vondel (1876) is a masterly specimen. Be-
sides this the Collected Tales in Prose (1879-
83, 3 vols. ) are noteworthy.
Albergati Capacelli, Francesco (äl-ber-gä'.
tē kä'pä-chel'lē). An Italian dramatist (1728-
1804). Of an old patrician family, he devoted
his time and fortune to the promotion of
dramatic art. Having killed his wife in a fit
of jealousy in 1785, he had to take refuge in
various cities, and only returned to his estate
at Zola after a number of years. He excelled
as a comedy writer. Voltaire was his ideal;
next to whom he esteemed Goldoni. His com-
edies (The Wise Friend) and (The Slander-
ous Gossip' hold the Italian stage to this day.
Albert, Paul (äl-băr'). A French literary
historian (1827-80); succeeded Loménie
professor of French Literature at the College
of France. His works include: (French Lit.
erature) (1872–82); Poets and Poetry) (1881);
(Moral and Literary Varieties) (1881).
Alberti, Konrad (äl-ber'tē), pseudonym of
Konrad Sittenfeld. A German novelist and
critic; born at Breslau, July 9, 1862. He is
an uncompromising exponent of the naturalist
school, and his occupation is that of dramatic
critic. His novels are: (Who Is the Stronger)
(1888); (The Old and the Young) (1889);
(Rosa of Hildesheim) (1895), an historical
romance.
Alberti, Leone Battista. An eminent Ital-
ian architect, philosopher, writer on art, and
poet; born in Venice, Feb. 18, 1404; died in
Rome, April 1472. He excelled simultaneously
in Latin comedy with his (Philodoxios, long
accepted as an ancient classic, in criticism with
>
as
## p. 10 (#26) ##############################################
ALBERTI — ALCUIN
Іо
i
his (On Painting,' in architectural theory with
his (Building Art,' and in theology and law
with his interesting and sensible essays; more-
ever, he painted well, designed and built many
noble structures, and penned some of the most
delightful Latin and Italian poetry in the fif-
teenth-century anthology.
Alberti, Luigi (äl-ber'tē). An Italian dram-
atist and poet; born in Florence, 1822. Of
his numerous comedies (collected, Florence,
1875), Peter the Workman) is considered the
best. A fantastic drama, Asmodeo) (1885),
gave rise to lively literary discussions on its
first performance in 1887.
Alberti, Sophie. See Verena.
Albertus Magnus (al-ber'tus mag'nus). ("Al-
bert the Great, Count von Bollstädt. ) A
famous German scholastic philosopher; born
at Lauingen, Suabia, 1193; died at Cologne,
Nov. 15, 1280. He became Bishop of Ratisbon
in 1260. One of the greatest scholars of his
age, he taught philosophy and theology at
Cologne and Paris, the celebrated Thomas
Aquinas being among his pupils. So great
was his knowledge that he was accounted a
magician by his contemporaries. He intro-
duced Aristotle's philosophy to the compre-
hension of his age. His works, which
constitute an encyclopædia of the learning of
the times, though treating chiefly of physical
science, fill twenty-one volumes. They ap-
peared in 1651.
Alberus, Erasmus (älber-ös). A German
poet and scholar (1500-53). He studied the-
ology in Wittenberg; was active as a teacher
and preacher in many places; a friend of Lu-
ther, and one of the stanchest champions of
the Reformation. His most noteworthy works
are : (The Book of Virtue and Wisdom (1550),
containing 49 rhymed fables with a strong
satirical element; (The Barefooted Friars' Owl-
glass and Alkoran (1542), a satire in prose,
with a preface by Luther.
Albery, James. An English dramatist;
born in 1832; died Aug. 16, 1889. He studied
architecture, but entered upon a commercial
He early devoted himself to play-
writing, but it was not until 1870 that he
achieved success with (The Two Roses. )
Among his other comedies are: Pink Dom-
inoes); (The Denhams'; and (Featherbrain.
Alcæus (al-sē'us). One of the foremost
Greek lyric poets; native of Mitylene; four-
ished in the sixth century B. C. Of his poems
we have only fragments; some were hymns to
the gods, others battle songs, still others were
in praise of liberty; very many
were love
songs of pronounced erotic character. He is
said to have been the literary model of Hor-
ness. He has also published a volume of lyric
poetry.
Alcázar, Baltasar de (äl-kä'thär). А
Spanish poet; born at Seville in 1530; died at
Ronda, Jan. 15, 1606. His light poems, not
very numerous, received Aattering notice from
Cervantes and others. He had, in his time,
many imitators, but few equals. His best
known poem is (The Jovial Supper. *
Alciphron (al'si-fron). A Greek rhetori-
cian who flourished in the second century of
the Christian era, and attained celebrity through
his series of more than a hundred imaginary
letters purporting to be written by the very
dregs of the Athenian population, including
courtesans and petty rogues. Their importance
in literature is due almost wholly to the insight
they afford into the social conditions and man-
ners and morals of the day. The letters from
the courtesans (hetairai) are based upon inci-
dents in Menander's lost plays, and the new
Attic comedy was likewise drawn upon for
material. *
Alcman (alk'man). One of the earliest and
greatest of Greek lyric poets, belonging to the
7th century B. C. He is supposed to have been
a native of Lydia, and to have been taken as
a slave to Sparta. Only small fragments of
his odes remain. He used the broad, homely
Doric dialect. His poems were love ditties,
hymns, pæans, processional chants, etc.
Alcott, Amos Bronson (âl’kot). An Ameri-
can philosophical writer and educator, one of
the founders of the transcendental school of
philosophy in New England; born at Wolcott,
Conn. , Nov. 29, 1799; died at Boston, March 4,
1888. From 1834-37 his private school in Bos-
ton, conducted on the plan of adapting the
instruction to the individuality of each pupil,
attracted attention. He was on terms of friend-
ship with Emerson, Hawthorne, Channing,
Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and many other
noted persons. After 1840 he lived in Concord,
Mass. , and was the projector and dean of the
Concord school of philosophy. Lectures on
speculative and practical subjects occupied his
later
years.
His chief works are: (Orphic Say.
ings, contributed to the Dial (1840); (Tablets)
(1868); "Concord Days) (1872); (Table-Talk)
(1877); (Sonnets and Canzonets) (1882);
(Ralph Waldo Emerson, his Character and
Genius) (1882); New Connecticut' (1886).
Alcott, Louisa May. An American author,
daughter of the preceding; born in German
town, Pa. , Nov. 29, 1832; died in Boston, Mass. ,
March 6, 1888. She wrote at an early age;
her (Flower Fables) (1855) and “Moods) (1865,
revised ed. , 1881) made little impression; but
(Hospital Sketches) (1869), "Little Women)
(1868), "Little Men (1871), and many others
of like character and popularity, made her
famous.
Alcuin (al’kwin). An eminent English
scholar; born at or near York, about 735; died
at Tours, France, May 19, 804. One of the
career.
ace.
*
Alcantara-Chaves, Pedro Carlos de (äl.
kan'tä-rä сhä'ves). A Portuguese dramatist;
born in Lisbon in 1829. Among his best known
works are : (Garibaldi) and (Sin and Forgive-
## p. 11 (#27) ##############################################
ALDANA - ALECSANDRI
II
most learned men of his time, teacher and
intimate adviser of Charlemagne. Lives of
the Saints); (Poems on the Saints of the
Church at York,' and a treatise (On Gram-
mar,' are among his celebrated works. In Prof.
West's (Alcuin (1893) a full account of his
life and work is given. *
Aldana, Ramón (äl-dä'nä). A Mexican
poet (1832-82). Besides four dramas, among
which are (Honor and Happiness) and No-
bility of Heart, he produced lyric poems and
sonnets, and contributed many literary articles
to journals.
Alden, Henry Mills. An American editor,
poet, and prose writer; born at Mt. Tabor, Vt. ,
Nov. II, 1836. He was graduated at Williams
College and Andover Theological Seminary;
settled in New York in 1861, became man-
aging editor of Harper's Weekly in 1864, and
editor of Harper's Monthly Magazine in 1868,
which post he now holds. He has published :
(The Ancient Lady of Sorrow,' a poem (1872);
(God in His World) (1890); and (A Study of
Death) (1895). *
Alden, Isabella. An American writer of
juvenile books; born in New York in 1841.
She has written extensively under the name of
(Pansy," the series called the Pansy Books)
numbering about sixty titles.
Alden, Joseph. An American educator, edi.
tor, and writer of juvenile literature ; born at
Cairo, N. Y. , Jan. 4, 1807; died in New York
city, Aug. 30, 1885. During his career he was
professor of Latin, rhetoric, and political econ-
omy at Williams College, and of mental and
moral philosophy at Lafayette College. He
was president of Jefferson College, Cannons-
burg, Pa. , from 1857 to 1862, and principal
of the Normal School at Albany, N. Y. , from
1867 to 1881. He was also editor of the New
York Observer. Besides books for young peo-
ple he wrote : "Citizens' Manual); (Christian
Ethics (1866); 'Science of Government) (1866);
Elements of Intellectual Philosophy) (1866).
· Alden, William Livingston. An American
humorous writer and journalist ; born at Wil-
liamstown, Mass. , Oct. 9, 1837. He introduced
the sport of canoeing into the United States.
He was for a time United States consul-general
at Rome. Among his principal writings may be
named: (Domestic Explosives) (1877); “Shoot-
ing Stars) (1878); (The Canoe and the Flying
Proa) (1878); (Moral Pirates) (1880); (The
Comic Liar) (1882); (Cruise of the Ghost)
(1882); Life of Christopher Columbus) (1882);
(A New Robinson Crusoe) (1888); etc.
Aldrich, Anne Reeve. An American poet
and novelist; born in New York, April 25,
1866; died there, June 22, 1892. She was the
author of : (The Rose of Flame) (1889); (The
Feet of Love, a novel (1890); and (Songs
about Life, Love, and Death) (1892).
Aldrich, James. An American poet ; born
at Mattituck, L. I. , July 14, 1810; died in New
York, Sept. 9, 1856. Of his poems the best
known is (A Death-Bed,' to which Poe's
comment called particular attention.
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey. A distinguished
American poet, essayist, and writer of fiction;
born in Portsmouth, N. H. , Nov. II, 1836. He
spent his early youth in Louisiana, but at the
age of seventeen entered a mercantile house
in New York. Removing to Boston in 1866,
he became editor of Every Saturday, and in
1881 editor of the Atlantic Monthly. He has
become almost equally eminent as a prose
writer and poet. Among his prose works the
best known are: The Story of a Bad Boy)
(1870); Marjorie Daw and Other People)
(1873); (Prudence Palfrey) (1874); (The Queen
of Sheba,' a romance of travel (1877); (The
Stillwater Tragedy) (1880). Of his poems,
formerly published in separate collections, most
are included in (Complete Poems) (1882) and
(Household Edition) (1895). *
Aleandro, Girolamo, the Younger, (äl-ā-
än'dro). An Italian poet and antiquary; born
in Friuli, 1574; died in Rome, 1629. He was
distinguished for the accuracy of his taste in
literature. The (Tears of Penitence, a series
of tenderly conceived odes, was completed
when he was sixteen years old. A later work
is the (Penitential Psalms); but the most solid
memorial of his talent is a volume on (Ancient
Marble Tablets. )
Aleardi, Aleardo, Count (a-lā-är'dē). An
Italian poet and patriot; born near Verona,
Nov. 4. 1812; died there, July 17, 1878. He
studied first philosophy and natural science,
and then jurisprudence. His political prin-
ciples, as revealed in his poem (Arnaldo)
(1842), brought him under suspicion, and pub-
lic office under the (Austrian) government was
denied him. Others of his works are : Primal
Histories) (1857), a poem on the intellectual,
ethical, and social evolution of man; (An Hour
in My Youth, a piece inspired at once with
tenderest love of nature and intense devotion
to Italian independence; "Letters to Mary);
(Raffaele and the Fornarina'; ' The Maritime
Cities of Italy); and (A Political Ode, directed
against Pope Pius IX. (1862). *
Alecsandrescu, Grigoic (ä-lek-sän-dres'kö).
A Rumanian poet and statesman (1812-86).
After serving three years as an officer in the
army he became a writer and a politician. His
(Satires) and Fables) enjoyed wide popularity.
His poem “The Year 1840) was like a bugle
call, and aroused the enthusiasm of the Wal-
lachians and Servians to the highest pitch. His
collected works, Meditations, Elegies, Epistles,
Satires, and Fables,' were published at Bucha.
rest, 1863.
Alecsandri, Basile (ä-lek-sän'drē). A Ru-
manian poet (1821-90). He pursued literary
studies in Paris, 1834-39; edited a patriotic jour-
nal, Literary Dacia, at Bucharest; was after-
ward director of the French Theatre at Jassy, for
which he composed a series of comedies. He
excels in the description of natural scenery.
(
## p. 12 (#28) ##############################################
I 2
ALEMAN - ALFIERI
:
His war poems (1877-78) had a powerful influ-
ence on public opinion in the Danubian princi-
palities. Other works are a poem, (In Praise of
the Latin Race) (1874), and "Rumanian Folk-
Songs.
Alemãn, Matteo (ä-lā-män'). Spanish
novelist; born in Seville about 1550; died in
Mexico after 1609.
For some time an official
in the royal treasury, he either resigned or
was dismissed in consequence of an annoying
lawsuit, and about 1608 went to Mexico. His
fame rests on the satirical romance, (The Life
and Deeds of the Picaroon Guzman de Al-
farache, which, like its forerunner and model,
the (Lazarillo de Tormes) by Mendoza, is one
of the most famous representatives of the
“picaresque) novel. Its first part, under the
title of Watch-Tower of Human Life,' ap-
peared in 1599 in three editions, and up to
1605 attained to 26 more editions of over
50,000 copies. This immense success induced
a literary freebooter to publish a spurious sec-
ond part in 1603, which was followed by the
genuine in 1605. The work was translated
into every European language, and in 1623
even into Latin. The best edition of the ori-
ginal is in vol. iii. of Aribau's (Library of
Spanish Authors) (Madrid, 1846).
Alembert, Jean Baptiste le Rond d' (ä-
lon-bãr'). An eminent French philosopher,
mathematician, and man of letters ; born in
Paris, Nov. 16, 1717; died there, Oct. 9, 1783.
His treatises on mathematical and physical
problems brought him celebrity while yet
under middle age. For the great French (En-
cyclopedia! he wrote the admirable (Pre-
liminary Discourse) or introduction. Among
his works of more or less popular or literary
character may be named Literary and Phil-
osophical Miscellanies) and Elements of Phi-
losophy. *
Alencar, José Martinião de (ä-len-kär'). A
noted Brazilian novelist; born at Fortaleza,
May 1, 1829; died in Rio de Janeiro, Dec. 12,
1877. A lawyer by profession, he was also
active as a conservative politician, and in 1868–
69 was minister of justice. His novels, in the
style of Cooper, treat subjects from Brazilian
history, and city and country life, chiefly based
on Indian traditions, and contain masterly de-
scriptions of tropical nature.
Alexander, Archibald. An American theo-
logical and philosophical writer; born near
Lexington, Rockbridge county, Va. , April 17,
1772; died at Princeton, N. J. , Oct. 22, 1851.
He was a Presbyterian minister, president of
Hampden Sidney College, Virginia, and pro-
fessor at Princeton Theological Seminary. His
principal works were : (Evidences of Christian-
ity) (1823); ( Treatise on the Canon of the Old
and New Testaments) (1826); (Outlines of
Moral Science) (1852). Ile was a distinguished
preacher.
Alexander, Sir James Edward. A British
general and explorer; born in Scotland, 1803;
died April 2, 1885. He served in the East, in
Africa, and the Crimean war, and explored Cen-
tral Africa. He wrote : (Travels through Rus-
sia and the Crimea) (1830); 'Expedition of Dis-
covery into the Interior of Africa) (1838); etc.
Alexander, Mrs. , pseudonym of Annie
Hector. An Irish novelist; born in Dublin in
1825. She began to write at an early age, and
is a prolific and popular novelist. Her books
include: (The Wooing O't) (1873); Ralph
Wilton's Weird) (1875); Her Dearest Foe)
(1876); “The Freres) (1882); 'A Golden
Autumn) (1897); and (A Winning Hazard)
(1897).
Alexander, Mrs. Cecil Frances (Humphrey).
An Irish poet; born in County Wicklow in
1818; died in Londonderry, Oct. 12, 1895. She
was very active in religious and charitable
works. She is best known as a writer of
hymns and religious poems. Among the most
noted are the hymns (Roseate Hue of Early
Dawn' and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Her most famous poem is (The Burial of
Moses.
Alexander of Hales. A noted English phi.
losopher and theologian; born
at
Hales,
Gloucestershire; died in Paris, 1245. One of
the greatest of the schoolmen, he was among
the first to study Aristotle from the point of
view of the Arabic commentators. His chief
work was (The Sum of Theology) (1475). He
was called “The Irrefutable Doctor, (The
Doctor of Doctors,)) (The Fountain of Life. ”
Alexis, Wilibald (ä-lek'sis), pseudonym of
Wilhelm Häring. A notable German novelist;
born at Breslau, June 29, 1798; died at Arn-
stadt, Dec. 16, 1871. The writings of Sir Wal-
ter Scott made so profound an impression
upon his imagination that almost all his work
plainly shows the influence of the author of
(Waverley. His first important work, indeed,
-a romance, “Walladmor,' --- purported to be
a translation from Scott, as did his second,
(Avalon Castle. The finest products of his
genius are historical tales of Prussia, with
Frederick the Great as hero, and among them
"Cabanis) stands prominently forth. ( The
False Waldemar) and Peace is the First
Civic Duty) are also excellent novels. As a
poet he is pleasing and not infrequently im-
pressive, but his stanzas are wanting in true
originality. His popularity as a writer of
fiction was due to a capacity for presenting
the interesting phase of historical themes,
and to his fecundity of plot and incident; but
his best stories are marred by over-elaboration,
and by tricks of style.
Alfieri, Vittorio, Count (äl-fe-a'rē). A cele-
brated Italian dramatist; born at Asti in Pied-
mont, Jan. 17, 1749; died at Florence, Oct. 8, 1803.
He came into his vast paternal inheritance at
the age of 14; and two or three years afterward
began a series of travels which extended over
nearly all the European countries, returning to
Turin, 1772. He was the hero of many roman-
tic adventures, and his first bent toward literature
was given him by his desire to lessen the tedium
## p. 13 (#29) ##############################################
ALFONSO X. – ALISON
13
of illness for a lady of whom he was enamored.
His success determined his after career. He
elaborated the slender sketch of a dramatic
dialogue into a tragedy in five acts, Cleopa-
tra,' which was put on the stage in Turin, 1775.
Conscious of his imperfect acquaintance with
literature and the niceties of his native lan-
guage, he now began the study of Latin and
of the Tuscan dialect. At Florence he formed
an attachment for the Countess of Albany,
which ended only with his life. His tragedies,
(Cleopatra, Polinice, Antigone, Agide,
Bruto, and several others, are founded on
classic themes, and formed on the Hellenic
model. Saul, founded on Hebrew sacred
history, but elaborated according to the canons
of Grecian dramaturgy, was by far the most
popular of Alfieri's dramas. The Filippo
presents, in lineaments that could be drawn
only by the hand of a master, the sombre
character of Philip II. of Spain. He wrote in
all twenty-one tragedies and six comedies, and
composed many sonnets; among his odes are
five on (American Independence. His prose
works comprise an essay on (Tyranny, a vol-
ume of Essays on Literature and Govern-
ment, and Memoirs of his Life. *
Alfonso X. , the Wise. King of Leon and
Castile. A Spanish poet, historian, and
scholar (1252-84). Of his poetical composi-
tions many
are still extant; among them a
poem on (The Chase,' one on chemistry, some
love songs, and (Canticles of Saint Mary. '
He was a student of astronomy, and reformed
the Ptolemaic planetary tables, called after
him (Alfonsine Tables. From his hand we
have also a history of the Crusades, (The Great
Conquest Over Sea, and a (General Chron-
icle) of Spain; and he had commenced a
(Great and General History) of the world be-
fore his death. He was the first to codify the
laws of the kingdoms of Spain. He had all
accessible classic and Arabic works on phi-
losophy and the sciences translated into Cas-
tilian. *
Alford, Henry. An English poet and mis-
cellaneous writer, philologist, critic, artist, and
preacher; born in London, Oct. 7, 1810; died at
Canterbury, Jan. 12, 1871. He became dean of
Canterbury in 1856. An accomplished man, his
literary work attracted attention in several de-
partments. Besides sermons and university
lectures, he wrote: (The School of the Heart,
and Other Poems) (1835), his most popular
volume of verse; "The Queen's English)
(1866). He was best known by his celebrated
edition of the Greek New Testament (1844-52),
which, incorporating the results of German
Biblical scholarship, formed a landmark in
New Testament study in England and Amer-
ica. He was the first editor of the Contem-
porary Review.
Alfred the Great. King of England,
translator of several works of antiquity into
the English tongue of his day (849-901). One
of his biographers credits him with having
translated into Saxon nearly the whole ex-
tant Latin literature: it is certain that he
did, himself, translate many of the monuments
of the Christian religion, as Gregory the
Great's Pastoral Care,' selections from the
writings of St. Augustine, and Boethius's (Con.
solations of Philosophy); he also translated
Bede's (Church History of the English
Nation. *
Algarotti Francesco, Count (äl-gä-rot-tē).
An Italian littérateur (1712-64). Frederick
the Great held him in high regard and made
him a count of Prussia. He was an accom-
plished critic of the arts of painting, sculpture,
and architecture. Among his works is (The
Plurality of Worlds) (1733), an exposition, for
ladies' use, of Newton's philosophy. He is at
his best in his letters, especially his (Poetical
Epistles) (1759).
Alger, Horatio. An American writer of
juvenile books; born at Revere, Mass. , Jan. 13,
1834. Graduated from Harvard in 1852, settled
in New York in 1866, and became interested in
the condition of self-supporting boys, described
in his series of more than fifty books, includ-
ing (Ragged Dick, (Tattered Tom,' Luck
and Pluck, which became very popular.
Other works : Nothing to Do: A Tilt at our
Best Society,' a poem (1857); Helen Ford,' a
novel ( 1860); a series of juvenile biographies
of Webster, Lincoln, Garfield, etc. ; and (The
Young Salesman (1896).
Alger, William Rounseville. An Ameri-
can Unitarian clergyman and miscellaneous
writer; born at Freetown, Mass. , Dec. 30,
1822. His chief works are: History of the
Doctrine of a Future Life) (1863); (Genius of
Solitude? (1865); and Friendships of Women)
(1867). He occupied pulpits in New York,
Denver, Boston, and San Francisco.
Alighieri. See Dante.
Alis, Hippolyte Percher (ä-le'). A French
novelist and journalist; born at Couleuvre,
Oct. 7, 1857. He has contributed to various
Paris journals, and is the author of several
naturalistic novels, among which are: Hara-
Kiri) (1882); (A Daughter of the Soil) (1885);
(Some Foolish People) (1889).
Alishan, Leon M. An Armenian poet and
historian; born in Constantinople, July 30,
1820. He studied in Venice, where he took
orders in 1840, and was appointed professor
in the College Raphael, of which he became
director in 1848. Having taken charge of the
Armenian college in Paris in 1858, he re-
turned to Venice in 1865 as director of Saint
Lazare. He is regarded by his countrymen
as their leading poet. Among his numerous
writings are: Poems Complete) (1857–67);
( Popular Songs of the Armenians) (1867);
(Historical Monographs) (1870); History and
Geography of Armenia) (1885), which was
seized and suppressed by the Turkish authorities.
Alison, Archibald. À Scottish writer; born
in Edinburgh, Nov. 13, 1757 ; died there, May
## p. 14 (#30) ##############################################
14
ALISON - ALLEN
17, 1839. The charm of his pulpit oratory
drew general attention to his published ser-
mons; and by his Essay on the Nature and
Principles of Taste) and kindred themes, he
won an acknowledged but inconspicuous posi-
tion in literature.
Alison, Sir Archibald. A Scottish histo.
rian, son of the above; born at Kenley, Shrop-
shire, Dec. 29, 1792; died at Glasgow, May 23,
1867. He studied at the University of Edin-
burgh, and was admitted to the bar in 1814.
His principal work is a History of Europe,
covering the period from 1789 to 1815, which
was received with remarkable favor, and trans-
lated into the leading languages of Europe,
and even into Arabic. The work contains a
vast amount of information and many inter-
esting descriptions; but is prolix in style, often
inaccurate, and so strongly partisan that it
has been said to have been designed to
prove that Providence was on the side of the
Tories. )
Allan, William, An American military
writer; born in Virginia in 1837; died in 1889.
During the Civil War he served as lieutenant-
colonel in the Confederate army. His works
are : (Jackson's Valley Campaign' (1862); Bat-
tle Fields of Virginia' (1867); Army of
Northern Virginia.
Allen, Alexander Viets Griswold. An
American ecclesiastical historian; born at Otis,
Mass. , May 4, 1841. Professor of ecclesiastical
history at the Episcopal Theological School,
Cambridge, Mass. He has written : (The Con-
tinuity of Christian Thought) (1883); (The
Greek Theology and the Renaissance of the
19th Century) (1884, the Bohlen lectures for
that year), and a Life of Jonathan Edwards )
(1889), besides revised articles, etc.
Allen, Elizabeth Akers. An American
poet; born (Elizabeth Chase) at Strong, Me. ,
Oct. 9, 1832. She was married in 1860 to Paul
Akers, the sculptor, who died in 1861, and in
1865 to E. M. Allen of New York. Her first
volume, Forest Buds,' appeared under the
pen-name of Florence Percy » (1855). Other
works: (The Silver Bridge and Other Poems)
(1866); a volume of Poems) (1866), which
contains (Rock Me to Sleep, Mother); (her
authorship of this popular ballad, once dis-
puted, is proved in the New York Times,
May 27, 1867;) (The High-Top Sweeting and
Other Poems) (1891).
Allen, Ethan. An American Revolutionary
hero; born at Litchfield, Conn. , Jan. 10, 1737;
died near Burlington, Vt. , Feb. 12, 1789. His
services in the war of independence, as colonel
of the Green Mountain Boys,” capturing
Fort Ticonderoga (in the name of the great
Jehovah and the Continental Congress, his
attack on Montreal, sufferings as a prisoner in
England, skillful diplomacy in behalf of Ver-
mont, etc. , are well known. He wrote an ac-
count of his captivity (1799), (A Vindication
of Vermont) (1784), and (Allen's Theology, or
the Oracles of Reason (1784), in which he
declared reason to be the only oracle of man.
Allen, Fred Hovey. An American clergy-
man and writer; born in New Hampshire in
1845. He has written the text of several pop-
ular art works, among which are included:
"Great Cathedrals of the World); Modern
German Masters) (1886); (The Doré Album';
(Discovery and Conquest of Peru'; Discov-
ery and Conquest of Mexico.
Allen, Grant (Charles Grant Blairfindie
Allen). An English naturalist, essayist, and
novelist; born in Kingston, Canada, Feb. 24,
1848. He graduated from Oxford, and was
professor at Queen's College, Jamaica, until
he settled in England. He early became a
follower of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spen-
cer, and has written scientific essays in a
light, picturesque, and attractive style. Since
1883 he has produced a large number of
novels, many of which are based on a psy-
chological theme. Probably the best among
them are : Babylon' (1885) and (The Devil's
Die) (1888). His latest is Under Sealed Or-
ders) (1896). *
Allen, James Lane. An American novelist;
born near Lexington, Ky. , in 1850. He gradu-
ated at Transylvania University, taught there
for a time, and became subsequently professor
of Latin and English in Bethany College.
His fame rests mainly upon his powerful
and popular novels of manners and people in
the blue-grass region and elsewhere, the best
known being (Summer in Arcady) (1896);
(The Choir Invisible (1897); (A Kentucky
Cardinal'; and Aftermath. *
Allen, Joel Asaph. An American natural.
ist; born at Springfield, Mass. , July 19, 1838.
From 1865 to 1869 he was a member of vari-
ous scientific expeditions to Brazil, the Rocky
Mountains, and Florida. In 1870 he was ap-
pointed assistant in ornithology at the Museum
of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass. ,
and in 1885 curator of ornithology and mam-
malogy in the American Museum of Natural
History in New York city. He is part author
with E. Coues of Monographs of North
American Rodentia) (1877); and has also pub-
lished among other works, History of North
American Pinnipeds) (1880).
Allen, Joseph Henry. An American Uni-
tarian minister, educator, historian, and essay-
ist; born at Northboro, Mass. , Aug.
Alarcón y Mendoza, Don Juan Ruiz de
(ä-lär-kön ē mān-dö'thä). A noted Spanish
dramatist; born at Tasco, Mexico, about 1580
or 1590; died in Madrid, Aug. 4, 1639. Little
is known about his early life, but he came to
Spain in 1600 and became royal attorney in
Seville. From 1608 to 1611 he was in Mexico;
then he took up his residence in Madrid, where
he was
ppointed reporter of the royal council
of the Indies, about 1628. The last great dram-
atist of the old Spanish school, he may be
considered also as the creator of the so-called
character comedy. Elevated sentiment, har-
mony of verse, and correctness of language
distinguish his works, the principal of which
are : (The Weaver of Segovia); (Suspicious
Truth, the model for Corneille's Liar); (Walls
Have Ears); (The Proof of Promises); (The
Anti-Christ. Complete edition of his works
by Hartzenbusch (Madrid, 1866).
Albee, John. An American miscellaneous
writer; born at Bellingham, Mass. , 1833. His
best known works are: Prose Idyls); (St.
Aspenquid of Agamenticus) (1879), an In-
dian idyl ; (Literary Art) (1881), a conversa-
tion; Poems) (1883); New Castle, Historic
and Picturesque) (1884), descriptive of New
Castle or Great Island, on the coast of New
Hampshire, his place of residence.
Alberdingk-Thijm, Josephus Albertus (äl.
ber-dink-tim). A Dutch poet and art critic
(1820-89), brought up to be a merchant, and
for a time head of a publishing firm ; soon de-
voted himself entirely to art and literature, and
was appointed professor of art history at the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam in
1876. As a prose writer he excels in the his-
torical tale and literary sketch in narrative
style, of which his (Portraits of Joost van den
Vondel (1876) is a masterly specimen. Be-
sides this the Collected Tales in Prose (1879-
83, 3 vols. ) are noteworthy.
Albergati Capacelli, Francesco (äl-ber-gä'.
tē kä'pä-chel'lē). An Italian dramatist (1728-
1804). Of an old patrician family, he devoted
his time and fortune to the promotion of
dramatic art. Having killed his wife in a fit
of jealousy in 1785, he had to take refuge in
various cities, and only returned to his estate
at Zola after a number of years. He excelled
as a comedy writer. Voltaire was his ideal;
next to whom he esteemed Goldoni. His com-
edies (The Wise Friend) and (The Slander-
ous Gossip' hold the Italian stage to this day.
Albert, Paul (äl-băr'). A French literary
historian (1827-80); succeeded Loménie
professor of French Literature at the College
of France. His works include: (French Lit.
erature) (1872–82); Poets and Poetry) (1881);
(Moral and Literary Varieties) (1881).
Alberti, Konrad (äl-ber'tē), pseudonym of
Konrad Sittenfeld. A German novelist and
critic; born at Breslau, July 9, 1862. He is
an uncompromising exponent of the naturalist
school, and his occupation is that of dramatic
critic. His novels are: (Who Is the Stronger)
(1888); (The Old and the Young) (1889);
(Rosa of Hildesheim) (1895), an historical
romance.
Alberti, Leone Battista. An eminent Ital-
ian architect, philosopher, writer on art, and
poet; born in Venice, Feb. 18, 1404; died in
Rome, April 1472. He excelled simultaneously
in Latin comedy with his (Philodoxios, long
accepted as an ancient classic, in criticism with
>
as
## p. 10 (#26) ##############################################
ALBERTI — ALCUIN
Іо
i
his (On Painting,' in architectural theory with
his (Building Art,' and in theology and law
with his interesting and sensible essays; more-
ever, he painted well, designed and built many
noble structures, and penned some of the most
delightful Latin and Italian poetry in the fif-
teenth-century anthology.
Alberti, Luigi (äl-ber'tē). An Italian dram-
atist and poet; born in Florence, 1822. Of
his numerous comedies (collected, Florence,
1875), Peter the Workman) is considered the
best. A fantastic drama, Asmodeo) (1885),
gave rise to lively literary discussions on its
first performance in 1887.
Alberti, Sophie. See Verena.
Albertus Magnus (al-ber'tus mag'nus). ("Al-
bert the Great, Count von Bollstädt. ) A
famous German scholastic philosopher; born
at Lauingen, Suabia, 1193; died at Cologne,
Nov. 15, 1280. He became Bishop of Ratisbon
in 1260. One of the greatest scholars of his
age, he taught philosophy and theology at
Cologne and Paris, the celebrated Thomas
Aquinas being among his pupils. So great
was his knowledge that he was accounted a
magician by his contemporaries. He intro-
duced Aristotle's philosophy to the compre-
hension of his age. His works, which
constitute an encyclopædia of the learning of
the times, though treating chiefly of physical
science, fill twenty-one volumes. They ap-
peared in 1651.
Alberus, Erasmus (älber-ös). A German
poet and scholar (1500-53). He studied the-
ology in Wittenberg; was active as a teacher
and preacher in many places; a friend of Lu-
ther, and one of the stanchest champions of
the Reformation. His most noteworthy works
are : (The Book of Virtue and Wisdom (1550),
containing 49 rhymed fables with a strong
satirical element; (The Barefooted Friars' Owl-
glass and Alkoran (1542), a satire in prose,
with a preface by Luther.
Albery, James. An English dramatist;
born in 1832; died Aug. 16, 1889. He studied
architecture, but entered upon a commercial
He early devoted himself to play-
writing, but it was not until 1870 that he
achieved success with (The Two Roses. )
Among his other comedies are: Pink Dom-
inoes); (The Denhams'; and (Featherbrain.
Alcæus (al-sē'us). One of the foremost
Greek lyric poets; native of Mitylene; four-
ished in the sixth century B. C. Of his poems
we have only fragments; some were hymns to
the gods, others battle songs, still others were
in praise of liberty; very many
were love
songs of pronounced erotic character. He is
said to have been the literary model of Hor-
ness. He has also published a volume of lyric
poetry.
Alcázar, Baltasar de (äl-kä'thär). А
Spanish poet; born at Seville in 1530; died at
Ronda, Jan. 15, 1606. His light poems, not
very numerous, received Aattering notice from
Cervantes and others. He had, in his time,
many imitators, but few equals. His best
known poem is (The Jovial Supper. *
Alciphron (al'si-fron). A Greek rhetori-
cian who flourished in the second century of
the Christian era, and attained celebrity through
his series of more than a hundred imaginary
letters purporting to be written by the very
dregs of the Athenian population, including
courtesans and petty rogues. Their importance
in literature is due almost wholly to the insight
they afford into the social conditions and man-
ners and morals of the day. The letters from
the courtesans (hetairai) are based upon inci-
dents in Menander's lost plays, and the new
Attic comedy was likewise drawn upon for
material. *
Alcman (alk'man). One of the earliest and
greatest of Greek lyric poets, belonging to the
7th century B. C. He is supposed to have been
a native of Lydia, and to have been taken as
a slave to Sparta. Only small fragments of
his odes remain. He used the broad, homely
Doric dialect. His poems were love ditties,
hymns, pæans, processional chants, etc.
Alcott, Amos Bronson (âl’kot). An Ameri-
can philosophical writer and educator, one of
the founders of the transcendental school of
philosophy in New England; born at Wolcott,
Conn. , Nov. 29, 1799; died at Boston, March 4,
1888. From 1834-37 his private school in Bos-
ton, conducted on the plan of adapting the
instruction to the individuality of each pupil,
attracted attention. He was on terms of friend-
ship with Emerson, Hawthorne, Channing,
Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and many other
noted persons. After 1840 he lived in Concord,
Mass. , and was the projector and dean of the
Concord school of philosophy. Lectures on
speculative and practical subjects occupied his
later
years.
His chief works are: (Orphic Say.
ings, contributed to the Dial (1840); (Tablets)
(1868); "Concord Days) (1872); (Table-Talk)
(1877); (Sonnets and Canzonets) (1882);
(Ralph Waldo Emerson, his Character and
Genius) (1882); New Connecticut' (1886).
Alcott, Louisa May. An American author,
daughter of the preceding; born in German
town, Pa. , Nov. 29, 1832; died in Boston, Mass. ,
March 6, 1888. She wrote at an early age;
her (Flower Fables) (1855) and “Moods) (1865,
revised ed. , 1881) made little impression; but
(Hospital Sketches) (1869), "Little Women)
(1868), "Little Men (1871), and many others
of like character and popularity, made her
famous.
Alcuin (al’kwin). An eminent English
scholar; born at or near York, about 735; died
at Tours, France, May 19, 804. One of the
career.
ace.
*
Alcantara-Chaves, Pedro Carlos de (äl.
kan'tä-rä сhä'ves). A Portuguese dramatist;
born in Lisbon in 1829. Among his best known
works are : (Garibaldi) and (Sin and Forgive-
## p. 11 (#27) ##############################################
ALDANA - ALECSANDRI
II
most learned men of his time, teacher and
intimate adviser of Charlemagne. Lives of
the Saints); (Poems on the Saints of the
Church at York,' and a treatise (On Gram-
mar,' are among his celebrated works. In Prof.
West's (Alcuin (1893) a full account of his
life and work is given. *
Aldana, Ramón (äl-dä'nä). A Mexican
poet (1832-82). Besides four dramas, among
which are (Honor and Happiness) and No-
bility of Heart, he produced lyric poems and
sonnets, and contributed many literary articles
to journals.
Alden, Henry Mills. An American editor,
poet, and prose writer; born at Mt. Tabor, Vt. ,
Nov. II, 1836. He was graduated at Williams
College and Andover Theological Seminary;
settled in New York in 1861, became man-
aging editor of Harper's Weekly in 1864, and
editor of Harper's Monthly Magazine in 1868,
which post he now holds. He has published :
(The Ancient Lady of Sorrow,' a poem (1872);
(God in His World) (1890); and (A Study of
Death) (1895). *
Alden, Isabella. An American writer of
juvenile books; born in New York in 1841.
She has written extensively under the name of
(Pansy," the series called the Pansy Books)
numbering about sixty titles.
Alden, Joseph. An American educator, edi.
tor, and writer of juvenile literature ; born at
Cairo, N. Y. , Jan. 4, 1807; died in New York
city, Aug. 30, 1885. During his career he was
professor of Latin, rhetoric, and political econ-
omy at Williams College, and of mental and
moral philosophy at Lafayette College. He
was president of Jefferson College, Cannons-
burg, Pa. , from 1857 to 1862, and principal
of the Normal School at Albany, N. Y. , from
1867 to 1881. He was also editor of the New
York Observer. Besides books for young peo-
ple he wrote : "Citizens' Manual); (Christian
Ethics (1866); 'Science of Government) (1866);
Elements of Intellectual Philosophy) (1866).
· Alden, William Livingston. An American
humorous writer and journalist ; born at Wil-
liamstown, Mass. , Oct. 9, 1837. He introduced
the sport of canoeing into the United States.
He was for a time United States consul-general
at Rome. Among his principal writings may be
named: (Domestic Explosives) (1877); “Shoot-
ing Stars) (1878); (The Canoe and the Flying
Proa) (1878); (Moral Pirates) (1880); (The
Comic Liar) (1882); (Cruise of the Ghost)
(1882); Life of Christopher Columbus) (1882);
(A New Robinson Crusoe) (1888); etc.
Aldrich, Anne Reeve. An American poet
and novelist; born in New York, April 25,
1866; died there, June 22, 1892. She was the
author of : (The Rose of Flame) (1889); (The
Feet of Love, a novel (1890); and (Songs
about Life, Love, and Death) (1892).
Aldrich, James. An American poet ; born
at Mattituck, L. I. , July 14, 1810; died in New
York, Sept. 9, 1856. Of his poems the best
known is (A Death-Bed,' to which Poe's
comment called particular attention.
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey. A distinguished
American poet, essayist, and writer of fiction;
born in Portsmouth, N. H. , Nov. II, 1836. He
spent his early youth in Louisiana, but at the
age of seventeen entered a mercantile house
in New York. Removing to Boston in 1866,
he became editor of Every Saturday, and in
1881 editor of the Atlantic Monthly. He has
become almost equally eminent as a prose
writer and poet. Among his prose works the
best known are: The Story of a Bad Boy)
(1870); Marjorie Daw and Other People)
(1873); (Prudence Palfrey) (1874); (The Queen
of Sheba,' a romance of travel (1877); (The
Stillwater Tragedy) (1880). Of his poems,
formerly published in separate collections, most
are included in (Complete Poems) (1882) and
(Household Edition) (1895). *
Aleandro, Girolamo, the Younger, (äl-ā-
än'dro). An Italian poet and antiquary; born
in Friuli, 1574; died in Rome, 1629. He was
distinguished for the accuracy of his taste in
literature. The (Tears of Penitence, a series
of tenderly conceived odes, was completed
when he was sixteen years old. A later work
is the (Penitential Psalms); but the most solid
memorial of his talent is a volume on (Ancient
Marble Tablets. )
Aleardi, Aleardo, Count (a-lā-är'dē). An
Italian poet and patriot; born near Verona,
Nov. 4. 1812; died there, July 17, 1878. He
studied first philosophy and natural science,
and then jurisprudence. His political prin-
ciples, as revealed in his poem (Arnaldo)
(1842), brought him under suspicion, and pub-
lic office under the (Austrian) government was
denied him. Others of his works are : Primal
Histories) (1857), a poem on the intellectual,
ethical, and social evolution of man; (An Hour
in My Youth, a piece inspired at once with
tenderest love of nature and intense devotion
to Italian independence; "Letters to Mary);
(Raffaele and the Fornarina'; ' The Maritime
Cities of Italy); and (A Political Ode, directed
against Pope Pius IX. (1862). *
Alecsandrescu, Grigoic (ä-lek-sän-dres'kö).
A Rumanian poet and statesman (1812-86).
After serving three years as an officer in the
army he became a writer and a politician. His
(Satires) and Fables) enjoyed wide popularity.
His poem “The Year 1840) was like a bugle
call, and aroused the enthusiasm of the Wal-
lachians and Servians to the highest pitch. His
collected works, Meditations, Elegies, Epistles,
Satires, and Fables,' were published at Bucha.
rest, 1863.
Alecsandri, Basile (ä-lek-sän'drē). A Ru-
manian poet (1821-90). He pursued literary
studies in Paris, 1834-39; edited a patriotic jour-
nal, Literary Dacia, at Bucharest; was after-
ward director of the French Theatre at Jassy, for
which he composed a series of comedies. He
excels in the description of natural scenery.
(
## p. 12 (#28) ##############################################
I 2
ALEMAN - ALFIERI
:
His war poems (1877-78) had a powerful influ-
ence on public opinion in the Danubian princi-
palities. Other works are a poem, (In Praise of
the Latin Race) (1874), and "Rumanian Folk-
Songs.
Alemãn, Matteo (ä-lā-män'). Spanish
novelist; born in Seville about 1550; died in
Mexico after 1609.
For some time an official
in the royal treasury, he either resigned or
was dismissed in consequence of an annoying
lawsuit, and about 1608 went to Mexico. His
fame rests on the satirical romance, (The Life
and Deeds of the Picaroon Guzman de Al-
farache, which, like its forerunner and model,
the (Lazarillo de Tormes) by Mendoza, is one
of the most famous representatives of the
“picaresque) novel. Its first part, under the
title of Watch-Tower of Human Life,' ap-
peared in 1599 in three editions, and up to
1605 attained to 26 more editions of over
50,000 copies. This immense success induced
a literary freebooter to publish a spurious sec-
ond part in 1603, which was followed by the
genuine in 1605. The work was translated
into every European language, and in 1623
even into Latin. The best edition of the ori-
ginal is in vol. iii. of Aribau's (Library of
Spanish Authors) (Madrid, 1846).
Alembert, Jean Baptiste le Rond d' (ä-
lon-bãr'). An eminent French philosopher,
mathematician, and man of letters ; born in
Paris, Nov. 16, 1717; died there, Oct. 9, 1783.
His treatises on mathematical and physical
problems brought him celebrity while yet
under middle age. For the great French (En-
cyclopedia! he wrote the admirable (Pre-
liminary Discourse) or introduction. Among
his works of more or less popular or literary
character may be named Literary and Phil-
osophical Miscellanies) and Elements of Phi-
losophy. *
Alencar, José Martinião de (ä-len-kär'). A
noted Brazilian novelist; born at Fortaleza,
May 1, 1829; died in Rio de Janeiro, Dec. 12,
1877. A lawyer by profession, he was also
active as a conservative politician, and in 1868–
69 was minister of justice. His novels, in the
style of Cooper, treat subjects from Brazilian
history, and city and country life, chiefly based
on Indian traditions, and contain masterly de-
scriptions of tropical nature.
Alexander, Archibald. An American theo-
logical and philosophical writer; born near
Lexington, Rockbridge county, Va. , April 17,
1772; died at Princeton, N. J. , Oct. 22, 1851.
He was a Presbyterian minister, president of
Hampden Sidney College, Virginia, and pro-
fessor at Princeton Theological Seminary. His
principal works were : (Evidences of Christian-
ity) (1823); ( Treatise on the Canon of the Old
and New Testaments) (1826); (Outlines of
Moral Science) (1852). Ile was a distinguished
preacher.
Alexander, Sir James Edward. A British
general and explorer; born in Scotland, 1803;
died April 2, 1885. He served in the East, in
Africa, and the Crimean war, and explored Cen-
tral Africa. He wrote : (Travels through Rus-
sia and the Crimea) (1830); 'Expedition of Dis-
covery into the Interior of Africa) (1838); etc.
Alexander, Mrs. , pseudonym of Annie
Hector. An Irish novelist; born in Dublin in
1825. She began to write at an early age, and
is a prolific and popular novelist. Her books
include: (The Wooing O't) (1873); Ralph
Wilton's Weird) (1875); Her Dearest Foe)
(1876); “The Freres) (1882); 'A Golden
Autumn) (1897); and (A Winning Hazard)
(1897).
Alexander, Mrs. Cecil Frances (Humphrey).
An Irish poet; born in County Wicklow in
1818; died in Londonderry, Oct. 12, 1895. She
was very active in religious and charitable
works. She is best known as a writer of
hymns and religious poems. Among the most
noted are the hymns (Roseate Hue of Early
Dawn' and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Her most famous poem is (The Burial of
Moses.
Alexander of Hales. A noted English phi.
losopher and theologian; born
at
Hales,
Gloucestershire; died in Paris, 1245. One of
the greatest of the schoolmen, he was among
the first to study Aristotle from the point of
view of the Arabic commentators. His chief
work was (The Sum of Theology) (1475). He
was called “The Irrefutable Doctor, (The
Doctor of Doctors,)) (The Fountain of Life. ”
Alexis, Wilibald (ä-lek'sis), pseudonym of
Wilhelm Häring. A notable German novelist;
born at Breslau, June 29, 1798; died at Arn-
stadt, Dec. 16, 1871. The writings of Sir Wal-
ter Scott made so profound an impression
upon his imagination that almost all his work
plainly shows the influence of the author of
(Waverley. His first important work, indeed,
-a romance, “Walladmor,' --- purported to be
a translation from Scott, as did his second,
(Avalon Castle. The finest products of his
genius are historical tales of Prussia, with
Frederick the Great as hero, and among them
"Cabanis) stands prominently forth. ( The
False Waldemar) and Peace is the First
Civic Duty) are also excellent novels. As a
poet he is pleasing and not infrequently im-
pressive, but his stanzas are wanting in true
originality. His popularity as a writer of
fiction was due to a capacity for presenting
the interesting phase of historical themes,
and to his fecundity of plot and incident; but
his best stories are marred by over-elaboration,
and by tricks of style.
Alfieri, Vittorio, Count (äl-fe-a'rē). A cele-
brated Italian dramatist; born at Asti in Pied-
mont, Jan. 17, 1749; died at Florence, Oct. 8, 1803.
He came into his vast paternal inheritance at
the age of 14; and two or three years afterward
began a series of travels which extended over
nearly all the European countries, returning to
Turin, 1772. He was the hero of many roman-
tic adventures, and his first bent toward literature
was given him by his desire to lessen the tedium
## p. 13 (#29) ##############################################
ALFONSO X. – ALISON
13
of illness for a lady of whom he was enamored.
His success determined his after career. He
elaborated the slender sketch of a dramatic
dialogue into a tragedy in five acts, Cleopa-
tra,' which was put on the stage in Turin, 1775.
Conscious of his imperfect acquaintance with
literature and the niceties of his native lan-
guage, he now began the study of Latin and
of the Tuscan dialect. At Florence he formed
an attachment for the Countess of Albany,
which ended only with his life. His tragedies,
(Cleopatra, Polinice, Antigone, Agide,
Bruto, and several others, are founded on
classic themes, and formed on the Hellenic
model. Saul, founded on Hebrew sacred
history, but elaborated according to the canons
of Grecian dramaturgy, was by far the most
popular of Alfieri's dramas. The Filippo
presents, in lineaments that could be drawn
only by the hand of a master, the sombre
character of Philip II. of Spain. He wrote in
all twenty-one tragedies and six comedies, and
composed many sonnets; among his odes are
five on (American Independence. His prose
works comprise an essay on (Tyranny, a vol-
ume of Essays on Literature and Govern-
ment, and Memoirs of his Life. *
Alfonso X. , the Wise. King of Leon and
Castile. A Spanish poet, historian, and
scholar (1252-84). Of his poetical composi-
tions many
are still extant; among them a
poem on (The Chase,' one on chemistry, some
love songs, and (Canticles of Saint Mary. '
He was a student of astronomy, and reformed
the Ptolemaic planetary tables, called after
him (Alfonsine Tables. From his hand we
have also a history of the Crusades, (The Great
Conquest Over Sea, and a (General Chron-
icle) of Spain; and he had commenced a
(Great and General History) of the world be-
fore his death. He was the first to codify the
laws of the kingdoms of Spain. He had all
accessible classic and Arabic works on phi-
losophy and the sciences translated into Cas-
tilian. *
Alford, Henry. An English poet and mis-
cellaneous writer, philologist, critic, artist, and
preacher; born in London, Oct. 7, 1810; died at
Canterbury, Jan. 12, 1871. He became dean of
Canterbury in 1856. An accomplished man, his
literary work attracted attention in several de-
partments. Besides sermons and university
lectures, he wrote: (The School of the Heart,
and Other Poems) (1835), his most popular
volume of verse; "The Queen's English)
(1866). He was best known by his celebrated
edition of the Greek New Testament (1844-52),
which, incorporating the results of German
Biblical scholarship, formed a landmark in
New Testament study in England and Amer-
ica. He was the first editor of the Contem-
porary Review.
Alfred the Great. King of England,
translator of several works of antiquity into
the English tongue of his day (849-901). One
of his biographers credits him with having
translated into Saxon nearly the whole ex-
tant Latin literature: it is certain that he
did, himself, translate many of the monuments
of the Christian religion, as Gregory the
Great's Pastoral Care,' selections from the
writings of St. Augustine, and Boethius's (Con.
solations of Philosophy); he also translated
Bede's (Church History of the English
Nation. *
Algarotti Francesco, Count (äl-gä-rot-tē).
An Italian littérateur (1712-64). Frederick
the Great held him in high regard and made
him a count of Prussia. He was an accom-
plished critic of the arts of painting, sculpture,
and architecture. Among his works is (The
Plurality of Worlds) (1733), an exposition, for
ladies' use, of Newton's philosophy. He is at
his best in his letters, especially his (Poetical
Epistles) (1759).
Alger, Horatio. An American writer of
juvenile books; born at Revere, Mass. , Jan. 13,
1834. Graduated from Harvard in 1852, settled
in New York in 1866, and became interested in
the condition of self-supporting boys, described
in his series of more than fifty books, includ-
ing (Ragged Dick, (Tattered Tom,' Luck
and Pluck, which became very popular.
Other works : Nothing to Do: A Tilt at our
Best Society,' a poem (1857); Helen Ford,' a
novel ( 1860); a series of juvenile biographies
of Webster, Lincoln, Garfield, etc. ; and (The
Young Salesman (1896).
Alger, William Rounseville. An Ameri-
can Unitarian clergyman and miscellaneous
writer; born at Freetown, Mass. , Dec. 30,
1822. His chief works are: History of the
Doctrine of a Future Life) (1863); (Genius of
Solitude? (1865); and Friendships of Women)
(1867). He occupied pulpits in New York,
Denver, Boston, and San Francisco.
Alighieri. See Dante.
Alis, Hippolyte Percher (ä-le'). A French
novelist and journalist; born at Couleuvre,
Oct. 7, 1857. He has contributed to various
Paris journals, and is the author of several
naturalistic novels, among which are: Hara-
Kiri) (1882); (A Daughter of the Soil) (1885);
(Some Foolish People) (1889).
Alishan, Leon M. An Armenian poet and
historian; born in Constantinople, July 30,
1820. He studied in Venice, where he took
orders in 1840, and was appointed professor
in the College Raphael, of which he became
director in 1848. Having taken charge of the
Armenian college in Paris in 1858, he re-
turned to Venice in 1865 as director of Saint
Lazare. He is regarded by his countrymen
as their leading poet. Among his numerous
writings are: Poems Complete) (1857–67);
( Popular Songs of the Armenians) (1867);
(Historical Monographs) (1870); History and
Geography of Armenia) (1885), which was
seized and suppressed by the Turkish authorities.
Alison, Archibald. À Scottish writer; born
in Edinburgh, Nov. 13, 1757 ; died there, May
## p. 14 (#30) ##############################################
14
ALISON - ALLEN
17, 1839. The charm of his pulpit oratory
drew general attention to his published ser-
mons; and by his Essay on the Nature and
Principles of Taste) and kindred themes, he
won an acknowledged but inconspicuous posi-
tion in literature.
Alison, Sir Archibald. A Scottish histo.
rian, son of the above; born at Kenley, Shrop-
shire, Dec. 29, 1792; died at Glasgow, May 23,
1867. He studied at the University of Edin-
burgh, and was admitted to the bar in 1814.
His principal work is a History of Europe,
covering the period from 1789 to 1815, which
was received with remarkable favor, and trans-
lated into the leading languages of Europe,
and even into Arabic. The work contains a
vast amount of information and many inter-
esting descriptions; but is prolix in style, often
inaccurate, and so strongly partisan that it
has been said to have been designed to
prove that Providence was on the side of the
Tories. )
Allan, William, An American military
writer; born in Virginia in 1837; died in 1889.
During the Civil War he served as lieutenant-
colonel in the Confederate army. His works
are : (Jackson's Valley Campaign' (1862); Bat-
tle Fields of Virginia' (1867); Army of
Northern Virginia.
Allen, Alexander Viets Griswold. An
American ecclesiastical historian; born at Otis,
Mass. , May 4, 1841. Professor of ecclesiastical
history at the Episcopal Theological School,
Cambridge, Mass. He has written : (The Con-
tinuity of Christian Thought) (1883); (The
Greek Theology and the Renaissance of the
19th Century) (1884, the Bohlen lectures for
that year), and a Life of Jonathan Edwards )
(1889), besides revised articles, etc.
Allen, Elizabeth Akers. An American
poet; born (Elizabeth Chase) at Strong, Me. ,
Oct. 9, 1832. She was married in 1860 to Paul
Akers, the sculptor, who died in 1861, and in
1865 to E. M. Allen of New York. Her first
volume, Forest Buds,' appeared under the
pen-name of Florence Percy » (1855). Other
works: (The Silver Bridge and Other Poems)
(1866); a volume of Poems) (1866), which
contains (Rock Me to Sleep, Mother); (her
authorship of this popular ballad, once dis-
puted, is proved in the New York Times,
May 27, 1867;) (The High-Top Sweeting and
Other Poems) (1891).
Allen, Ethan. An American Revolutionary
hero; born at Litchfield, Conn. , Jan. 10, 1737;
died near Burlington, Vt. , Feb. 12, 1789. His
services in the war of independence, as colonel
of the Green Mountain Boys,” capturing
Fort Ticonderoga (in the name of the great
Jehovah and the Continental Congress, his
attack on Montreal, sufferings as a prisoner in
England, skillful diplomacy in behalf of Ver-
mont, etc. , are well known. He wrote an ac-
count of his captivity (1799), (A Vindication
of Vermont) (1784), and (Allen's Theology, or
the Oracles of Reason (1784), in which he
declared reason to be the only oracle of man.
Allen, Fred Hovey. An American clergy-
man and writer; born in New Hampshire in
1845. He has written the text of several pop-
ular art works, among which are included:
"Great Cathedrals of the World); Modern
German Masters) (1886); (The Doré Album';
(Discovery and Conquest of Peru'; Discov-
ery and Conquest of Mexico.
Allen, Grant (Charles Grant Blairfindie
Allen). An English naturalist, essayist, and
novelist; born in Kingston, Canada, Feb. 24,
1848. He graduated from Oxford, and was
professor at Queen's College, Jamaica, until
he settled in England. He early became a
follower of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spen-
cer, and has written scientific essays in a
light, picturesque, and attractive style. Since
1883 he has produced a large number of
novels, many of which are based on a psy-
chological theme. Probably the best among
them are : Babylon' (1885) and (The Devil's
Die) (1888). His latest is Under Sealed Or-
ders) (1896). *
Allen, James Lane. An American novelist;
born near Lexington, Ky. , in 1850. He gradu-
ated at Transylvania University, taught there
for a time, and became subsequently professor
of Latin and English in Bethany College.
His fame rests mainly upon his powerful
and popular novels of manners and people in
the blue-grass region and elsewhere, the best
known being (Summer in Arcady) (1896);
(The Choir Invisible (1897); (A Kentucky
Cardinal'; and Aftermath. *
Allen, Joel Asaph. An American natural.
ist; born at Springfield, Mass. , July 19, 1838.
From 1865 to 1869 he was a member of vari-
ous scientific expeditions to Brazil, the Rocky
Mountains, and Florida. In 1870 he was ap-
pointed assistant in ornithology at the Museum
of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass. ,
and in 1885 curator of ornithology and mam-
malogy in the American Museum of Natural
History in New York city. He is part author
with E. Coues of Monographs of North
American Rodentia) (1877); and has also pub-
lished among other works, History of North
American Pinnipeds) (1880).
Allen, Joseph Henry. An American Uni-
tarian minister, educator, historian, and essay-
ist; born at Northboro, Mass. , Aug.
