He early became a
follower of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spen-
cer, and has written scientific essays in a
light, picturesque, and attractive style.
follower of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spen-
cer, and has written scientific essays in a
light, picturesque, and attractive style.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v29 - BIographical Dictionary
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. 21, 1821.
His chief works have been : (Ten Discourses
on Orthodoxy) (2d ed. , 1889); Hebrew Men
and Times) (2d ed. , 1879); (Outline of Christ-
ian History) (1884); (Our Liberal Movement
in Theology) (1889); Positive Religion, Es-
says, Fragments, and Hints) (1891). He was
editor of the well-known Allen and Greenough
series of Latin classics, and of the Unitarian
Review ; senior editor of the History of Uni-
tarianism. He had parishes at Jamaica Plain,
Mass. , Washington, D. C. , and Bangor, Me. ;
and lectured for several years on ecclesiastical
history in Harvard University.
:
(
>
## p. 15 (#31) ##############################################
ALLEN – ALMQUIST
15
(
Allen, Karl Ferdinand. A Danish histo-
rian; born at Copenhagen, April 23, 1811; died
there, Dec. 27, 1871. He became professor of
history and northern archæology at the Uni-
versity of Copenhagen in 1862. His principal
works, Handbook of the History of the
Fatherland) (1840), very democratic in tone,
and History of the Three Northern King-
doms) (1864-72), produced a marked impres-
sion, as did also minor writings relating to
Schleswig.
Allen, Paul. An American miscellaneous
writer and journalist ; born at Providence, R. I. ,
Feb. 15, 1775; died at Baltimore, Aug. 18,
1826. He studied law originally, but became
a journalist, and edited newspapers in Phila-
delphia and Baltimore. He wrote: Poems)
(1801); Lewis and Clark's Travels) (1814);
"Life of Alexander I. (1818), etc.
Allen, William. An American preacher and
miscellaneous writer ; born at Pittsfield, Mass. ,
Jan. 2, 1784; died at Northampton, Mass. , July
16, 1868. He became president of Dartmouth
University in 1817 ; was president of Bowdoin
College, 1820–39. Of numerous works, both in
prose and verse, the best known is (American
Biographical and Historical Dictionary) (3d
ed. , 1857).
Allen, Willis Boyd. An American writer;
born in Maine in 1855. Besides a collection
of verse, entitled 'In the Morning,' he has
written a large number of works for young
people, among which are : (The Red Mountain
of Alaska); Pine Cones) (1885); (Silver Rags)
(1886); (Kelp' (1888); (The Mammoth Hunters. )
Allibone, Samuel Austin (al'i-bon). An
American bibliographer; born at Philadelphia,
April 17, 1816; died at Lucerne, Switzerland,
Sept. 2, 1889. He was at one time librarian
of the Lenox Library, New York. He was
the author of a 'Dictionary of English Litera-
ture, and British and American Authors' (3 vols. ,
1854-71; Supplement by Dr. John Foster Kirk,
2 vols. , 1891); (Poetical Quotations ); Prose
Quotations, etc. It took twenty years to write
the Dictionary, which is familiar in libraries
the world over wherever English is spoken.
Allies, Jabez. An English antiquary and
one of the earliest writers on folklore ; born at
Sulsley, Worcestershire, Oct. 22, 1787 ; died at
Cheltenham, Jan. 29, 1856. He devoted nearly
his entire life to the study of Roman and
Saxon antiquities in Worcestershire, the re-
sults being embodied in his monumental work,
(The Ancient British, Roman, and Saxon An-
tiquities and Folklore of Worcestershire (1852).
Allingham, William. An Irish poet; born
at Ballyshannon, March 19, 1828; died at
Hampstead, near London, Nov. 18, 1889. Hav-
ing for some years been an officer in the
Customs, he became assistant editor of Fraser's
Magazine in 1871 and succeeded Froude as
editor in 1874, when he also married Helen
Paterson, the illustrator and water-color artist.
His graceful poems excel in descriptions of
Irish scenery and life; some of them were
illustrated by Rossetti, Kate Greenaway, and
other distinguished artists. Prominent among
his works is Lawrence Bloomfield in Ireland)
(1864), a narrative poem on contemporary Irish
life.
Allmers, Hermann (äl'mers). A German
poet; born at Rechtenfleth, near Bremen, Feb.
II, 1821.
He wrote: (Book of the Marshes)
(1857), a faithful portrayal of nature and men
in his native country; Poems) (1860); Ro.
man Sauntering Days) (1869), subtle delinea-
tions of Italian life; (Electra) (1872), a drama,
continuing and concluding the plot of Goethe's
(Iphigenia.
Allston, Washington. An eminent American
painter, poet, and romancer; born at Wacca-
maw, S. C. , Nov. 5, 1779; died in Cambridge,
Mass. , July 9, 1843. He graduated at Harvard
in 1800; studied at the Royal Academy, Lon-
don, and in Rome, and returned to Boston in
1809. He is the author of: (The Sylph of the
Seasons and Other Poems) (1813); Monaldi,
a romance (1841), and (Lectures on Art and
Poems) (1850). See his (Life) by Flagg.
Almeida, Nicolao Tolentino de (äl-mā'ē-dä).
A Portuguese poet (1741-181), noted for his
satires, ridiculing the manners of his day. One
of them, on the ex-Minister Pombal, procured
for him a position as secretary in the Ministry
of the Interior. (Poetical Works) (Lisbon,
1802; new ed. , 1861).
Almeida-Garrett, João Baptista de Silva
Leitão de (äl-mā'ē-dä gär-ret'). A distin-
guished Portuguese poet, dramatist, and pol.
itician; born in Oporto, Feb. 4, 1799; died in
Lisbon, Dec. 10, 1854. He studied law at Coim.
bra, and joining the democratic movement in
1820, became minister of public instruction when
scarcely twenty-one, but on the restoration in
1823 was banished and went to England. He
subsequently returned, and experienced many
vicissitudes owing to his political activity. As
a man of letters he endeavored to free Por-
tuguese poetry from the shackles of pseudo-
classicism and to inspire it with new life by
basing it on national forms and traditions.
His efforts were also directed towards the
creation of a purely national drama. His prin-
cipal works are: (Catão, a tragedy (1820),
among the best in Portuguese literature; (Ca-
mões, a romantic epic (1825), glorifying the
life and death of Portugal's greatest poet;
(Dona Branca, a satirical epic (1826), scour-
ging monasticism; (Adozinda, a lyrical epic
(1828); (Bernal Francez, a cycle of romances
(1829); (Auto de Gil Vicente) (1838), pro-
nounced the first purely Portuguese drama;
(O Arco de Sant' Anna, a historical novel
(1846); (Romancerio,' a collection of Portu-
guese ballads (3 vols. , 1851-53).
Almquist, Karl Jonas Ludvig (älm'kvist).
A notable Swedish poet, novelist, and miscel-
laneous writer ; born in Stockholm, Nov. 28,
1793; died in Bremen, Sept. 26, 1866. A writer
of great versatility, author of a series of
## p. 16 (#32) ##############################################
16
ALPUCHE - AMES
.
educational works, treatises on the mental, moral,
and political sciences, on philology, religion,
mathematics, philosophy, and national econ-
omy, etc. , of novels and tales, dramas, poems,
lyric and epical. (The Book of the Rose, a
collection of dramatic and lyric pieces, is his
best known work. It's All Right) and (The
Palace, novels, “Araminta May) and (Skäll.
nora's Will, tales, are also popular. *
Alpuche, Wenceslao (äl-pö'che). A Mexican
poet (1804-41). His first poems, published
when he was little more than a youth, brought
him great popularity. The best among his
works are: (Hidalgo) and the odes: 'Inde.
pendence) and (The Return from Exile.
Alsop, Richard (âl'sop). An American poet
and scholar; born at Middletown, Conn. , Jan.
23, 1761; died at Flatbush, L. I. , Aug. 20, 1815.
In conjunction with Theodore Dwight he
edited from 1791 to 1795 the Echo, a satirical
journal. Among his works are: (The Charms
of Fancy'; 'A Monody on the Death of Wash-
ington) (1800); and the translations entitled
(The Enchanted Lake of the Fairy Morgana)
(1808), and Molina's (Geographical, Natural,
and Civil History of Chili. ?
Altamirano, Ignacio Manuel (äl-tä-me-rä-'
no). A Mexican poet, orator, and journalist;
born in Guerrero, about 1835; died in Italy,
Feb. 1893. He wrote (Clemencia); Julia', etc.
He held political office, rose to the rank of
colonel in the army during the French invas.
ion, and was of pure Indian blood, said to
have been descended from the ancient Aztec
monarchs.
Altaroche, Marie Michel (ältä-rosh'). A
French poet and journalist (1811-84), studied
law in Paris, then turned to journalism and
in 1834-48 was editor-in-chief of the Charivari,
which owed to his witty articles a good deal
of its brilliant success. In 1850-52 he managed
several theatrical enterprises. His works in-
clude: Political Songs and Verses) (1835);
(Democratic Tales) (1837); Adventures of
Victor Augerol) (1838), an imitation of Lou-
vet's famous (Faublas) romance.
Alvarez do Oriente, Fernan (äl'vä- reth do
õ-ré-en-te). A Portuguese poet (1540-99) of
the school of Camoens. His life-work, Lusi-
tania Transformed, is a pastoral romance in
the manner of Sannazaro's (Arcadia,' com-
posed of prose and poetry and containing
elegies, sonnets, and idyls of such beauty as to
have caused some of them to be ascribed to
Camoens.
Alvin, Louis Joseph (al-van'). A Belgian
poet and art critic (1806–87); became secretary
(1830), then chief, of a department in the min-
istry of public instruction, member of the Bel-
gian Academy in 1845, and chief librarian of
the royal library in Brussels in 1850. Among
his works are: (Sardanapalus, a tragedy
(1834); “The Anonymous Pamphleteer,' a com-
edy (1835); (Re-Contemplations) (1856), a sa-
tirical imitation of the romantic style.
Alxinger, Johann Baptist von (älk'sing-er).
An Austrian poet (1755-97), especially esteemed
for his chivalrous epics in the manner of Wie.
land : Doolin von Mainz) (1787) and (Bliom-
beris) (1791).
Amalie, Marie Friederike Auguste (ä.
ma'lē-e). A German dramatist (1794-1870), who
wrote under the pseudonym Amalie Heiter. "
She was Duchess of Saxony, sister of King
John of Saxony. Comedies and dramas of sim-
ple conception, but careful delineation of char-
acter, and well adapted for the stage, have given
her eminence, among them :(The Uncle); “The
Prince's Fiancée); "Primogeniture); (The
Young Lady from the Country'; and (The
Agriculturist.
Ambros, August Wilhelm (am'bros). A no-
table Austrian writer on music; born at Mauth,
Bohemia, Nov. 17, 1816; died in Vienna, June
28, 1876. He was trained for the civil service
and served in it with distinction; but his apti-
tude for music, and particularly for the criti.
cism and literature of music, led him in another
direction, and he rose to eminence as the
author of «The Limits of Music and Poetry,'
besides numerous essays and studies connected
with art. His masterpiece, however, he left
unfinished : (The History of Music,' a work
which cost him many years of labor and which
he carried only to the fourth volume. He at.
tempted musical composition, but in it won no
popularity.
Ambrose, Saint (am'broz). One of the
fathers of the Latin Church ; born at Trèves,
Gaul, probably 340; died at Milan, April 4,
397. He became bishop of Milan in 374. His
writings include: (Of the Duties of the Clergy)
(in imitation of Cicero's (Of Duties '); Hex-
aemeron); hymns, etc. He is supposed to have
been the author of the style of singing known
as the (Ambrosian Chant. Works, Milan, 6
vols. , 1875-86.
Ambrosius, Johanna (äm-broʻzi-ös). A Ger-
man poet and story writer; born at Lengwe-
then, East Prussia, Aug. 3, 1854. Daughter of
an artisan, and married in 1874 to a peasant's
son by the name of Voigt, she led the hard
life of a peasant woman till in middle age
she wrote verses, which were published in a
weekly newspaper; their success led to the pub-
lication of other poems and stories of hers,
which have had extremely wide circulation. *
Ames, Charles Gordon. An American Uni-
tarian clergyman and writer; born at Dor-
chester, Mass. , Oct. 3, 1828. He has published
(George Eliot's Two Marriages) (1886); (As
Natural as Life); (Studies of the Inner King-
dom'; and is distinguished as a preacher.
Ames, Mrs. Eleanor Maria (Easterbrook).
An American writer; born in 1830. She is a
resident of Brooklyn, N. Y. Under the pseu-
donym of Eleanor Kirk) she wrote: (Up
Broadway and Its Sequel (1870); Informa-
tion for Authors) (1888); “Perpetual Youth.
Ames, Fisher. A famous American orator
and statesman; born at Dedham, Mass. , April
## p. 17 (#33) ##############################################
AMES - AMYOT
17
ram.
a
9, 1758; died there, July 4, 1808. Admitted to
the bar in 1781, he became a Member of Con-
gress in 1789, where he gained a national
reputation by his oratory. Two of his finest
efforts were in support of John Jay's treaty
with Great Britain, and a eulogy on Wash-
ington before the Massachusetts Legislature.
He was elected president of Harvard College
in 1804, but declined. A brilliant talker, he
was distinguished in conversation for wit and
imagination, while his character was spotless.
His works consist of orations, essays, and let-
ters, 2 vols. , 1854.
Ames, Mary Clemmer. An American writer;
born in Utica, N.
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. 21, 1821.
His chief works have been : (Ten Discourses
on Orthodoxy) (2d ed. , 1889); Hebrew Men
and Times) (2d ed. , 1879); (Outline of Christ-
ian History) (1884); (Our Liberal Movement
in Theology) (1889); Positive Religion, Es-
says, Fragments, and Hints) (1891). He was
editor of the well-known Allen and Greenough
series of Latin classics, and of the Unitarian
Review ; senior editor of the History of Uni-
tarianism. He had parishes at Jamaica Plain,
Mass. , Washington, D. C. , and Bangor, Me. ;
and lectured for several years on ecclesiastical
history in Harvard University.
:
(
>
## p. 15 (#31) ##############################################
ALLEN – ALMQUIST
15
(
Allen, Karl Ferdinand. A Danish histo-
rian; born at Copenhagen, April 23, 1811; died
there, Dec. 27, 1871. He became professor of
history and northern archæology at the Uni-
versity of Copenhagen in 1862. His principal
works, Handbook of the History of the
Fatherland) (1840), very democratic in tone,
and History of the Three Northern King-
doms) (1864-72), produced a marked impres-
sion, as did also minor writings relating to
Schleswig.
Allen, Paul. An American miscellaneous
writer and journalist ; born at Providence, R. I. ,
Feb. 15, 1775; died at Baltimore, Aug. 18,
1826. He studied law originally, but became
a journalist, and edited newspapers in Phila-
delphia and Baltimore. He wrote: Poems)
(1801); Lewis and Clark's Travels) (1814);
"Life of Alexander I. (1818), etc.
Allen, William. An American preacher and
miscellaneous writer ; born at Pittsfield, Mass. ,
Jan. 2, 1784; died at Northampton, Mass. , July
16, 1868. He became president of Dartmouth
University in 1817 ; was president of Bowdoin
College, 1820–39. Of numerous works, both in
prose and verse, the best known is (American
Biographical and Historical Dictionary) (3d
ed. , 1857).
Allen, Willis Boyd. An American writer;
born in Maine in 1855. Besides a collection
of verse, entitled 'In the Morning,' he has
written a large number of works for young
people, among which are : (The Red Mountain
of Alaska); Pine Cones) (1885); (Silver Rags)
(1886); (Kelp' (1888); (The Mammoth Hunters. )
Allibone, Samuel Austin (al'i-bon). An
American bibliographer; born at Philadelphia,
April 17, 1816; died at Lucerne, Switzerland,
Sept. 2, 1889. He was at one time librarian
of the Lenox Library, New York. He was
the author of a 'Dictionary of English Litera-
ture, and British and American Authors' (3 vols. ,
1854-71; Supplement by Dr. John Foster Kirk,
2 vols. , 1891); (Poetical Quotations ); Prose
Quotations, etc. It took twenty years to write
the Dictionary, which is familiar in libraries
the world over wherever English is spoken.
Allies, Jabez. An English antiquary and
one of the earliest writers on folklore ; born at
Sulsley, Worcestershire, Oct. 22, 1787 ; died at
Cheltenham, Jan. 29, 1856. He devoted nearly
his entire life to the study of Roman and
Saxon antiquities in Worcestershire, the re-
sults being embodied in his monumental work,
(The Ancient British, Roman, and Saxon An-
tiquities and Folklore of Worcestershire (1852).
Allingham, William. An Irish poet; born
at Ballyshannon, March 19, 1828; died at
Hampstead, near London, Nov. 18, 1889. Hav-
ing for some years been an officer in the
Customs, he became assistant editor of Fraser's
Magazine in 1871 and succeeded Froude as
editor in 1874, when he also married Helen
Paterson, the illustrator and water-color artist.
His graceful poems excel in descriptions of
Irish scenery and life; some of them were
illustrated by Rossetti, Kate Greenaway, and
other distinguished artists. Prominent among
his works is Lawrence Bloomfield in Ireland)
(1864), a narrative poem on contemporary Irish
life.
Allmers, Hermann (äl'mers). A German
poet; born at Rechtenfleth, near Bremen, Feb.
II, 1821.
He wrote: (Book of the Marshes)
(1857), a faithful portrayal of nature and men
in his native country; Poems) (1860); Ro.
man Sauntering Days) (1869), subtle delinea-
tions of Italian life; (Electra) (1872), a drama,
continuing and concluding the plot of Goethe's
(Iphigenia.
Allston, Washington. An eminent American
painter, poet, and romancer; born at Wacca-
maw, S. C. , Nov. 5, 1779; died in Cambridge,
Mass. , July 9, 1843. He graduated at Harvard
in 1800; studied at the Royal Academy, Lon-
don, and in Rome, and returned to Boston in
1809. He is the author of: (The Sylph of the
Seasons and Other Poems) (1813); Monaldi,
a romance (1841), and (Lectures on Art and
Poems) (1850). See his (Life) by Flagg.
Almeida, Nicolao Tolentino de (äl-mā'ē-dä).
A Portuguese poet (1741-181), noted for his
satires, ridiculing the manners of his day. One
of them, on the ex-Minister Pombal, procured
for him a position as secretary in the Ministry
of the Interior. (Poetical Works) (Lisbon,
1802; new ed. , 1861).
Almeida-Garrett, João Baptista de Silva
Leitão de (äl-mā'ē-dä gär-ret'). A distin-
guished Portuguese poet, dramatist, and pol.
itician; born in Oporto, Feb. 4, 1799; died in
Lisbon, Dec. 10, 1854. He studied law at Coim.
bra, and joining the democratic movement in
1820, became minister of public instruction when
scarcely twenty-one, but on the restoration in
1823 was banished and went to England. He
subsequently returned, and experienced many
vicissitudes owing to his political activity. As
a man of letters he endeavored to free Por-
tuguese poetry from the shackles of pseudo-
classicism and to inspire it with new life by
basing it on national forms and traditions.
His efforts were also directed towards the
creation of a purely national drama. His prin-
cipal works are: (Catão, a tragedy (1820),
among the best in Portuguese literature; (Ca-
mões, a romantic epic (1825), glorifying the
life and death of Portugal's greatest poet;
(Dona Branca, a satirical epic (1826), scour-
ging monasticism; (Adozinda, a lyrical epic
(1828); (Bernal Francez, a cycle of romances
(1829); (Auto de Gil Vicente) (1838), pro-
nounced the first purely Portuguese drama;
(O Arco de Sant' Anna, a historical novel
(1846); (Romancerio,' a collection of Portu-
guese ballads (3 vols. , 1851-53).
Almquist, Karl Jonas Ludvig (älm'kvist).
A notable Swedish poet, novelist, and miscel-
laneous writer ; born in Stockholm, Nov. 28,
1793; died in Bremen, Sept. 26, 1866. A writer
of great versatility, author of a series of
## p. 16 (#32) ##############################################
16
ALPUCHE - AMES
.
educational works, treatises on the mental, moral,
and political sciences, on philology, religion,
mathematics, philosophy, and national econ-
omy, etc. , of novels and tales, dramas, poems,
lyric and epical. (The Book of the Rose, a
collection of dramatic and lyric pieces, is his
best known work. It's All Right) and (The
Palace, novels, “Araminta May) and (Skäll.
nora's Will, tales, are also popular. *
Alpuche, Wenceslao (äl-pö'che). A Mexican
poet (1804-41). His first poems, published
when he was little more than a youth, brought
him great popularity. The best among his
works are: (Hidalgo) and the odes: 'Inde.
pendence) and (The Return from Exile.
Alsop, Richard (âl'sop). An American poet
and scholar; born at Middletown, Conn. , Jan.
23, 1761; died at Flatbush, L. I. , Aug. 20, 1815.
In conjunction with Theodore Dwight he
edited from 1791 to 1795 the Echo, a satirical
journal. Among his works are: (The Charms
of Fancy'; 'A Monody on the Death of Wash-
ington) (1800); and the translations entitled
(The Enchanted Lake of the Fairy Morgana)
(1808), and Molina's (Geographical, Natural,
and Civil History of Chili. ?
Altamirano, Ignacio Manuel (äl-tä-me-rä-'
no). A Mexican poet, orator, and journalist;
born in Guerrero, about 1835; died in Italy,
Feb. 1893. He wrote (Clemencia); Julia', etc.
He held political office, rose to the rank of
colonel in the army during the French invas.
ion, and was of pure Indian blood, said to
have been descended from the ancient Aztec
monarchs.
Altaroche, Marie Michel (ältä-rosh'). A
French poet and journalist (1811-84), studied
law in Paris, then turned to journalism and
in 1834-48 was editor-in-chief of the Charivari,
which owed to his witty articles a good deal
of its brilliant success. In 1850-52 he managed
several theatrical enterprises. His works in-
clude: Political Songs and Verses) (1835);
(Democratic Tales) (1837); Adventures of
Victor Augerol) (1838), an imitation of Lou-
vet's famous (Faublas) romance.
Alvarez do Oriente, Fernan (äl'vä- reth do
õ-ré-en-te). A Portuguese poet (1540-99) of
the school of Camoens. His life-work, Lusi-
tania Transformed, is a pastoral romance in
the manner of Sannazaro's (Arcadia,' com-
posed of prose and poetry and containing
elegies, sonnets, and idyls of such beauty as to
have caused some of them to be ascribed to
Camoens.
Alvin, Louis Joseph (al-van'). A Belgian
poet and art critic (1806–87); became secretary
(1830), then chief, of a department in the min-
istry of public instruction, member of the Bel-
gian Academy in 1845, and chief librarian of
the royal library in Brussels in 1850. Among
his works are: (Sardanapalus, a tragedy
(1834); “The Anonymous Pamphleteer,' a com-
edy (1835); (Re-Contemplations) (1856), a sa-
tirical imitation of the romantic style.
Alxinger, Johann Baptist von (älk'sing-er).
An Austrian poet (1755-97), especially esteemed
for his chivalrous epics in the manner of Wie.
land : Doolin von Mainz) (1787) and (Bliom-
beris) (1791).
Amalie, Marie Friederike Auguste (ä.
ma'lē-e). A German dramatist (1794-1870), who
wrote under the pseudonym Amalie Heiter. "
She was Duchess of Saxony, sister of King
John of Saxony. Comedies and dramas of sim-
ple conception, but careful delineation of char-
acter, and well adapted for the stage, have given
her eminence, among them :(The Uncle); “The
Prince's Fiancée); "Primogeniture); (The
Young Lady from the Country'; and (The
Agriculturist.
Ambros, August Wilhelm (am'bros). A no-
table Austrian writer on music; born at Mauth,
Bohemia, Nov. 17, 1816; died in Vienna, June
28, 1876. He was trained for the civil service
and served in it with distinction; but his apti-
tude for music, and particularly for the criti.
cism and literature of music, led him in another
direction, and he rose to eminence as the
author of «The Limits of Music and Poetry,'
besides numerous essays and studies connected
with art. His masterpiece, however, he left
unfinished : (The History of Music,' a work
which cost him many years of labor and which
he carried only to the fourth volume. He at.
tempted musical composition, but in it won no
popularity.
Ambrose, Saint (am'broz). One of the
fathers of the Latin Church ; born at Trèves,
Gaul, probably 340; died at Milan, April 4,
397. He became bishop of Milan in 374. His
writings include: (Of the Duties of the Clergy)
(in imitation of Cicero's (Of Duties '); Hex-
aemeron); hymns, etc. He is supposed to have
been the author of the style of singing known
as the (Ambrosian Chant. Works, Milan, 6
vols. , 1875-86.
Ambrosius, Johanna (äm-broʻzi-ös). A Ger-
man poet and story writer; born at Lengwe-
then, East Prussia, Aug. 3, 1854. Daughter of
an artisan, and married in 1874 to a peasant's
son by the name of Voigt, she led the hard
life of a peasant woman till in middle age
she wrote verses, which were published in a
weekly newspaper; their success led to the pub-
lication of other poems and stories of hers,
which have had extremely wide circulation. *
Ames, Charles Gordon. An American Uni-
tarian clergyman and writer; born at Dor-
chester, Mass. , Oct. 3, 1828. He has published
(George Eliot's Two Marriages) (1886); (As
Natural as Life); (Studies of the Inner King-
dom'; and is distinguished as a preacher.
Ames, Mrs. Eleanor Maria (Easterbrook).
An American writer; born in 1830. She is a
resident of Brooklyn, N. Y. Under the pseu-
donym of Eleanor Kirk) she wrote: (Up
Broadway and Its Sequel (1870); Informa-
tion for Authors) (1888); “Perpetual Youth.
Ames, Fisher. A famous American orator
and statesman; born at Dedham, Mass. , April
## p. 17 (#33) ##############################################
AMES - AMYOT
17
ram.
a
9, 1758; died there, July 4, 1808. Admitted to
the bar in 1781, he became a Member of Con-
gress in 1789, where he gained a national
reputation by his oratory. Two of his finest
efforts were in support of John Jay's treaty
with Great Britain, and a eulogy on Wash-
ington before the Massachusetts Legislature.
He was elected president of Harvard College
in 1804, but declined. A brilliant talker, he
was distinguished in conversation for wit and
imagination, while his character was spotless.
His works consist of orations, essays, and let-
ters, 2 vols. , 1854.
Ames, Mary Clemmer. An American writer;
born in Utica, N.
