No More Learning

Adams, John. An eminent American
statesman and publicist ; second President of
the United States; born at Braintree (now
Quincy), Mass. , Oct. 19, 1735; died there, July
In the days preceding the outbreak
of the Revolution, he frequently defended in
the public prints the right of the colonies to
throw off the English yoke. His most im-
portant contribution to the literature of the
science of government is his Defence of the
Constitution and Government of the United
States) (1787). The Familiar Letters of John
Adams and his wife are of great value for the
history of the American Revolution. *
Adams, John Quincy. An American
statesman and publicist; sixth President of
the United States; born at Braintree, Mass. ,
July 11, 1767; died in Washington, D. C. , Feb.
21, 1848.
Before he reached the Presidency
he had served as his country's representative
in England, France, Prussia, and Holland ; in
his youth, too, he had accompanied his father,
John Adams, when he was American minister
at London. He was a frequent contributor to
the press, of articles on political topics. He
translated Wieland's (Oberon) into English
(1797); published Letters on Silesia) (1803).
The Diary of J. Q. Adams,) with his (Me-
moirs,' in 12 vols. , was published in 1874-77,
edited by his son.
Adams, Myron. An American clergyman
and writer, a native of New York State ; born
in 1841; died in December 1895. He was pas-
tor of a Congregational church in Rochester,
N. Y. His chief works are: (The Creation
of the Bible); (The Continuous Creation, an
Application of the Evolutionary Philosophy to
the Christian Religion.
Adams, Nehemiah. An American clergy-
man and author; born in Salem, Mass. , Feb.
19, 1806; died in Boston, Mass. , Oct. 6, 1878.
He will be chiefly remembered as the author
of a work entitled (A South Side View of
Slavery) (1854), which was severely criticized
by the antislavery
Among his other
publications are : (Under the Mizzenmast)
(1871); “Walks to Emmaüs) (1879); (Remarks
on Unitarian Belief); (Life of John Eliot.
Adams, Oscar Fay. An American com-
piler and miscellaneous writer of the present
day. Besides various compilations, including
a Dictionary of American Authors) (1897), he
has written : Dear Old Story-Tellers) (1889);
(The Story of Jane Austen's Life) (1891); (The
Presumption of Sex, and Other Papers) (1892).
Adams, Sarah Flower. An English hymn-
writer; born at Great Harlow, Essex, Feb. 22,
1805; died August 1848. In 1834 she was mar-
ried to William Bridges Adams, a noted in-
ventor. She was the author of Vivia Per-
petua, a dramatic poem (London, 1841); and
of many lyrics and hymns, the most popular
of which is Nearer, My God, to Thee)
(1860). *
Adams, William. A prominent American
clergyman and religious writer; born at Col-
chester, Conn. , Jan. 25, 1807; died at Orange
Mountain, N. J. , Aug. 31, 1880. He was long
pastor of the Madison Square Presbyterian
Church, New York, and was president of the
Union Theological Seminary in New York city
from 1873 to 1880. Among his publications
are : (In the World, not of the World) (1866);
(The Three Gardens) (1867); (Conversations of
Jesus Christ with Representative Men (1868).
Adams, William Davenport. An English
journalist and critic; born in 1851. He has
published: (A Dictionary of English Litera-
ture) (1878); “The Witty and Humorous Side
of the English Poets) (1880); By-Ways in
Bookland) (1888); (A Book of Burlesque)
(1891); (With Poet and Player) (1891).
Adams, William Taylor. See Optic, Oliver.
Addison, Joseph. A celebrated English
essayist and poet; born at Milston, Wiltshire,
May I, 1672; died in London, June 17, 1719.
He was educated at Oxford. He was Under-
Secretary of State in 1706, and in 1709 secre-
tary to Wharton, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,
where he formed a friendship with Swift. In
1716 he married the Countess of Warwick; in
1717 was appointed Secretary of State, but re-
signed in 1718. He wrote 41 original papers
in the Tatler, and 34 with Steele; 274 in the
Spectator, embodying his famous creation, the
character of Sir Roger de Coverley ; 51 essays
in the Guardian, which succeeded the Spec-
tator; 24 to a revived Spectator, and 2 to
Steele's Lover. His tragedy (Cato' was acted
at Drury Lane in 1713; although it is weak
and incongruous, it was greatly admired and
variously translated. Besides Latin poems, oc-
casional addresses, and political essays, the fol-
lowing works deserve mention : "Letter from
Italy, a poem (1703); (The Campaign,' a
poem on the battle of Blenheim (1704); (Re-
marks on Several Parts of Italy) (1705); (Fair
Rosamond,' an opera (1707). *
Ade, George. An American journalist and
author ; born in Illinois in 1866. He has pub-
lished: (Artie, a Story of the Streets and
Town'; 'Pink Marsh' (1897), a dialect story.


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6
ADELUNG -- AGASSIZ
Adelung, Johann Christoph (ä'de-löng). An
eminent German philologist and lexicographer ;
born at Spantekow, Aug. 8, 1732; died in
Dresden, Sept. 10, 1806. His life was devoted
to an exhaustive investigation of his native
language, which he traced to its remotest
origins with a patience and a thoroughness that
have remained unsurpassed, the principal result
being (A Grammatical and Critical Dictionary
of the High German Tongue. Science is
further indebted to him for (Mithridates, or
Universal Language Lore, in which all living
tongues are directly or indirectly represented ;
and for a series of text-books that are still
authoritative, and to all appearances will long
continue so.
Adenet Le Roi (äd-nā' lé-rwä'). French
troubadour of the 13th century, whose surname
is interpreted as meaning king (leader) of the
minstrels, which function he performed at the
court of Henri III. , Duke of Brabant. His
work consists of remodelings of three famous
Chansons de Gestes and of the romance of
adventure, Cleomades,' his last and most im-
portant effort.
Adler, Felix (ä'dler). An American lecturer
and scholar; born at Alzey, Germany, 1851.
The son of an eminent Jewish rabbi, he emi.
grated when young to the United States, where
and at Berlin and Heidelberg he was educated.
After being for some time professor at Cornell
University, he founded in New York (1876) the
Society of Ethical Culture, of which he is
lecturer. Similar societies have been estab-
lished elsewhere in the United States and in
other countries. He is an effective writer and
speaker. He has published : 'Creed and Deed)
(1878); (The Moral Instruction of Children)
(1892).
Adler, Hermann (ä'dler). A German writer;
born in Hanover, May 29, 1839. He has lived
most of his life in England, where he has held
many positions of high trust connected with
his race, having been since 1891 chief rabbi of
the British empire, and has been active in gen-
eral benevolence. Besides sermons, lectures,
etc. , he has written : ( The Jews in England);
( The Chief Rabbis of England); (Ibn Gabirol,
the Poet Philosopher, etc.
Adlersfeld, Eufemia von. See Ballestrem.
Adolphus, John. An English historical and
miscellaneous writer; born Aug. 7, 1768; died
July 16, 1845. He was admitted an attorney
in 1790, but after a few years abandoned his
profession and devoted himself to literature.
His principal work is a History of England
from the Accession of George III. to the
Conclusion of Peace in 1783' (1802).
Ælianus, Claudius (ē-li-ā'nus). A Roman
sophist who flourished in the first half of the
second century. Of his works, written in Greek,
three are extant: Peasants' Letters,' pur-
porting to be written by peasants in Attica;
(Various Histories, or narratives, in 14 books;
(Of the Nature of Animals,' anecdotes of ani.
mals. *
Æschines (es'ki-nēz). A great Athenian
orator (389-314 B. C. ), rival of Demosthenes.
Only three of his (Orations have come down
to our time. He was specially brilliant in his
extemporaneous efforts. In his more studied
orations his great merit was the clearness and
fullness of the narrative part. *
Æschylus (es'ki-lus). The greatest of the
Greek dramatists; born at Eleusis, Attica, 525
B. C. ; died at Gela, Sicily, 456 B. C. Of his
very numerous works (72 or even 90 dramas),
seven tragedies only remain: The Suppli-
ants,' one of his earliest productions; (The
Persians, founded on the contemporary tri-
umph of Greece over the invading Persian
hosts; (The Seven against Thebes,' the only
extant member of a tetralogy, the other members
of which were (Laius, ((Edipus,' and (The
Sphinx. ) The grand tragedy, Prometheus
Bound, is the sole survivor of a trilogy, the
other two members of which were Prometheus
the Fire-Bearer) and (Prometheus Loosed. In
portrayal of grandeur of action and sublimity
of heroic character, the Prometheus) is almost
without an equal in the history of dramatic lit-
erature. The remaining three tragedies, 'Aga-
memnon, (Choephori,' and Eumenides,' are
specially precious, constituting the only com-
plete trilogy that is extant from any ancient
Greek tragic poet. *
Æsop (c'sop). A Greek fabulist who lived
in the 7th century B. C. According to tradi-
tion, he was a captive of war and for part
of his life a slave. Many of his fables have
been traced to Egyptian and Indian sources.
Socrates, during his imprisonment, put into
verse a portion of the Æsopian fables. A more
complete collection of them was by Babrius, a
Greek fabulist. In the lapse of time what
might be called the Æsopian canon was much
obscured, and spurious fables were incorporated
into it. *
Afzelius, Arvid August (äf-tsā'li-ös). A
Swedish writer and poet (1785-1871), esteemed
particularly for his researches in old Norse
history and literature; translated the poetical
Edda, and with Geijer edited a famous collec-
tion of old Swedish folksongs (Stockholm, 1814-
17, 3 vols. ). As a poet he is best known by his
(Romances.
Ágai, Adolf (ä'goy). A Hungarian humor-
ist; born 1836. Editor of Borzsem Jankó (John
Peppercorn), the best Hungarian comic paper.
His sketches from society, character draw-
ings of national types, and personal reminis-
cences, constitute a rare mine of witty ideas
and sound humor, clothed in brilliant lan-
guage.
Agassiz, Alexander (ä-gä-sē'). An Amer-
ican zoologist and geologist, son of J. L. R.
Agassiz; born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Dec.
17, 1835. He came to this country with his
father in 1849; graduated from Harvard in
1855; and received the degree of B. S. from
the Lawrence Scientific School in 1857. In
1859 he went to California as assistant on the


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AGASSIZ - AÏDÉ
7
:
United States Coast Survey. From 1860 to
1865 he was assistant curator of the Museum
of Comparative Zoology at Harvard Univer-
sity; and from 1866 to 1869, superintendent of
the Calumet and Hecla mines, Lake Superior.
On the death of his father in 1873, he was ap-
pointed curator of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology, holding that position until he resigned
in 1885. His chief works are : "List of Echino-
derms (1863); Exploration of Lake Titicaca)
(1875-76); (Three Cruises of the Blake, a Con-
tribution to American Thalassography) (1880).
Agassiz, Mrs. Elizabeth (Cary). An Ameri-
can scientific writer, wife of J. L. R. Agassiz;
born in Massachusetts in 1822. She is part
author, with Alexander Agassiz, of (Seaside
Studies in Natural History) (1865); (Marine
Animals of Massachusetts Bay) (1871). She
also wrote a life of her husband.
Agassiz, Jean Louis Rodolphe. An eminent
Swiss naturalist; born at Motier, Switzerland,
May 28, 1807; died at Cambridge, Mass. , Dec.
14, 1873. He studied medicine and comparative
anatomy in the universities of Zürich, Heidel-
berg, and Munich. He gave many years to
study of fossil fishes, and his first great work
bore that title (1834). His next special re-
searches were directed toward the explanation
of glaciers, and he published (Studies of Gla-
ciers) (1844). In 1846 he made a lecturing tour
of the United States, and in 1848 became pro-
fessor of geology at Harvard, and in 1859 cu-
rator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
His contributions to the development of the
facts and principles of natural science in his
special departments are very numerous and of
highest authority. Chief among his works writ-
ten in English are: Principles of Zoology);
(The Structure of Animal Life); (Scientific
Results of a Journey in Brazil. *
Agathias (a-gā'thi-as). A Greek poet and
historian; about 536-581. He collected a'Cycle)
of contemporary poems, in which were a few
of his own composition. We have still 101 of
his Epigrams, and the whole of his ( History)
of the years 553-558. *
Agathon (ag'a-thon). A Greek tragic poet
(418-402 B. C. ). He was a close friend of Eurip-
ides and of Plato; and the famous (Sympo-
sium of Plato immortalizes the banquet given
on the occasion of Agathon's dramatic triumph,
416 B. C.
Agoult, Countess d’. See Stern, Daniel.
Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius (a-grip'ä). A
German philosopher (1486-1535); born at Co-
logne. He was of all professions in turn,-
university professor, soldier, magistrate, physi-
cian, court historiographer to Charles V. His
most notable writings are : "Of the Nobleness
and Pre-eminence of the Female Sex); (Oc-
cult Philosophy); Uncertainty and Vanity of
the Sciences and Arts. )
Aguilar, Grace (ä-ge-lär'). An English
novelist ; born at Hackney, June 2, 1816; died
in Frankfort-on-the-Main, Sept. 16, 1847. She
was the daughter of Jewish parents of Spanish
origin. Her first books were in defense of the
Jewish religion : 'The Spirit of Judaism (1842);
(The Jewish Faith) (1846); and (Women of
Israel (1846). She is now best known by her
domestic and sentimental novels, only one of
which, (Home Influence' (1847), appeared in
her lifetime. Among others are: (The Vale
of Cedars) (1850) and (The Days of Bruce)
(1852). *
Aguilera, Ventura Ruiz (ä-ge-lā'rä). A
Spanish poet; born in Salamanca, Nov. 2, 1820;
died in Madrid, July 1, 1881. Studied but did not
practice medicine, afterwards went to Madrid,
where he pursued journalism, and later on be-
came director of the archaeological museum.
Among his works are: National Echoes);
(Elegies) (considered masterpieces and trans-
lated into nearly all European languages);
(The Book of the Fatherland) (1869); “Christ-
mas Legend) (1872); Complete Works (Ma-
drid, 1873).
Ahlgren, Ernst (äl'gren), pseudonym of
Victoria Benedictsson. A Swedish novelist
(1850-88): author of (From Schonen) (1884),
a collection of tales descriptive of native types;
(Money) (1885) and (Dame Marianne) (1887),
novels; Folk-Life) (1887), a collection of sto-
ries; and others. She ranks very high among
the recent female writers of Sweden.
Ahlquist, August Engelbert (äl'qvist). A
Finnish poet and philologist; born at Kuopio,
Aug. 7, 1826; died at Helsingfors, Nov. 20, 1889.
He was appointed professor of Finnish lan-
guage and literature at the University of Hel-
singfors in 1862.
His poems appeared under
the title ( Sparks) (4th ed. , 1881); besides which
he wrote several grammatical and philologi-
cal works, and translated Schiller and others
into Finnish.
Ahlwardt, Theodor Wilhelm (äl värt). A
German Orientalist ; born at Greifswald, July 4,
1828. He is the first living authority on old
Arabic poetry. His chief works are : (On the
Poetry and Poetics of the Arabians) (1856);
(The Divans of the Six Ancient Arabic Poets)
(1870).
Aicard, Jean (ā-kär').
A French poet;
born in Toulon, Feb. 4, 1848. His Poems of
Provence) (1874) and (The Child's Song)
(1876), were both crowned by the Academy.
Noteworthy among his other works
(Miette and Noré) (1880), an idyl in Provençal,
which caused him to be ranked with Mistral,
the modern troubadour; (On the Border of the
Desert! (1888), poems, enthusiastic traveling
impressions from Algiers; (Father Lebonnard
(1890), a drama; (The King of Camargue)
(1890), a novel of Provence.
Aïdé, Hamilton (ä-e-dā'). An English nov-
elist and poet; born in Paris, France, in 1830.
He was educated at Bonn, and became an
officer in the British army. His poems in-
clude: (Eleanore and Other Poems) (1856);
(The Romance of the Scarlet Leaf and Other
are :


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8
AIKIN - AKSÁKOF
(
;
Poems) (1865), and (Songs without Music)
(1882). Among a long list of novels are:
(Rita, an autobiography (1859); "Carr of Car-
lyon); (The Marstons) (1868); Poet and
Peer) (1880); (The Cliff Mystery) (1888);
(Voyage of Discovery, depicting American
society (1892).
Aikin, Lucy. An English poet and histori-
cal writer (1781-1864); daughter of John Aikin
(1747-1822), a physician and author, from whom
she received a thorough classical education;
subsequently devoted herself to the study of
English history and literature. Her works in-
clude: Epistles on Women) (1810); Lori-
mer) (1814), a tale ; (Memoirs of the Court of
Elizabeth) (1818); (Memoirs of the Court of
James I. ) (1822); Memoirs of the Court and
Reign of Charles I. (1833); Life of Addison
(1843).
Aikman, William. An American religious
writer; born in Ireland in 1824. He was a
Presbyterian clergyman. Among his works
are: (The Moral Power of the Sea) (1864);
Life at Home) (1870); (A Bachelor's Talks
about Married Life) (1884).
Aimard, Gustave (ā-mär'). A French nov-
elist (1818-83). He came to America as a boy
and spent a number of years among the In-
dians; and afterwards traveled through Spain,
Turkey, and the Caucasus, and returned to Paris
in 1848. His stories, in imitation of Cooper's
Indian tales, although abounding in improba-
bilities, hold the attention of the reader:
(The Trappers of Arkansas) (1858); (The
Great Chief of the Aucas) (1858); (The Pi-
rates of the Prairie) (1859); (The White
Scalpers) (1873).
Aimwell, Walter. See Simonds, William.
Ainslie, Hew. A Scottish poet; born in the
parish of Dailly, Ayrshire, April 5, 1792; died
at Louisville, Kentucky, March II, 1878. He
emigrated to America when thirty, and is
remembered for the good verse in his (A Pil-
grimage to the Land of Burns) (1820), and for
various songs and ballads, the most popular
being (The Rover of Loch Ryan.
Ainsworth, William Francis. An English
naturalist and writer of travels; born at Exe-
ter, Nov. 9, 1807; died Nov. 27, 1896. He
accompanied Chesney's Euphrates expedition
as physician and naturalist, and was sent in
1838 by the Geographical Society and the
Society for the Diffusion of Christian Knowl.
edge, to make investigations in Asia Minor
and Kurdistan. His chief works are: (Re-
searches in Assyria, Babylonia, etc. (1838);
(Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Meso-
potamia, etc. (1842); (Travels in the Track
of the 10,000 Greeks) (1844); (Wanderings in
Every Clime) (1870); (A Personal Narrative
of the Euphrates Expedition) (2 vols. , 1888).
He was for a time proprietor and editor of the
New Monthly Magazine.
Ainsworth, illiam Harrison. Eng-
lish novelist; born in Manchester, Feb. 4. 1805;
died in Reigate, Jan. 3, 1882. Educated in
Manchester, he went to London, edited Bent-
ley's Magazine in 1840, Ainsworth's Maga-
zine 1842-53, and the New Monthly Magazine.
He wrote 250 novels and enjoyed enormous
popularity. His books are still read for their
vivacious narrative and powerful descriptions.
The most widely known among them is prob-
ably (Jack Sheppard) (1839). *
Aird, Thomas. A Scottish poet (1802-76);
studied in the University of Edinburgh, where
he formed an intimacy with Carlyle which was
maintained to his death. As a contributor to
Blackwood's Magazine he earned the good-
will and praise of Professor Wilson, became
editor of the Weekly Journal in 1832, and of
the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Herald
(Dumfries) in 1835, retiring from it in 1863
His principal works are : (Religious Charac.
teristics, a series of prose essays (1827);
(The Captive of Fez, a narrative poem
(1830); (The Old Bachelor in the Scottish Vil-
lage) (1846), a prose delineation of Scottish
character, which became very popular.
Airy, Sir George Biddell. A celebrated
English astronomer; born at Alnwick, North-
umberland, July 27, 1801; died Jan. 4, 1892.
Soon after graduation from Trinity College,
Cambridge, he was appointed professor of as-
tronomy and director of the observatory. Here
he introduced improvements and inventions
that led to his selection as director of the
Greenwich Observatory. It was due to his
efforts that the observations taken at Green-
wich from 1750 to 1830 were compiled. Among
his works are : (Reduction of Observations of
the Moon (1837); (Sound and Atmospheric
Vibrations) (1871); (Treatise on Magnetism
(1871).
Akenside, Mark. An English poet; born
at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Nov. 9, 1721 ; died in
London, June 23, 1770. Studied at first theol-
ogy, then medicine in Edinburgh and in Ley.
den, where he took his degree, 1744. Having
practiced, not very successfully, at Northamp-
ton and later (1745-47) at Hampstead, he soon
after, through the aid of a friend, became
prosperous and eminent in London, and in
1761 was appointed physician to the queen.
His literary fame rests on the Pleasures of the
Imagination,' a didactic poem (1744, remodeled
and enlarged 1757 and 1765). *
Aksákof, Konstantin Sergeyevich (äk-sä'-
kof). A Russian poet and prose writer (1817-
60), son of the following. From 1846 he
was the leader of the Slavophile party, and
one of the most active contributors to all
periodicals of that tendency. Works: (The
Life of the Old Slavs in General and of the
Russians in Particular) (1852); Prince Lupo-
vickij,' a comedy (1857); (Oleg before Con-
stantinople,' a dramatic parody (1858);Lyrics.
Aksákof, Sergey Timofeyevich. A Russian
author (1791-1859), distinguished for a
charm of tion and warmth of feeling, espe-
cially apparent in his principal work, Family
)
rare


## p. 9 (#25) ###############################################

ALAMAN- ALBERTI
9
Chronicle and Reminiscences) (1856), a mas-
terly description of Russian family life; (The
Childhood of Bragoff, the Grandson (1858),
a sequel to the former.
Alaman, Lúcas (ä-lä-män'). A Mexican his-
torian and statesman; born at Guanajuato, Oct.
18, 1792; died in Mexico, June 2, 1853. He is
best known by his (History of the Mexican
Republic) (1844-49) and History of Mexico
(1849–52). He performed important political
services for Mexico, among others as Secretary
of the Interior, 1823-25; and established many
important public works, including the Mexi-
can Museum.
Alamanni, Luigi (ä-lä-män'nē). An Italian
poet; born in Florence, Oct. 28, 1495; died at
Amboise, France, April 18, 1556. At first in
great favor with Cardinal Giuliano de' Medici,
he became implicated in a conspiracy against
the life of his patron, 1522, and had to fee to
Venice and thence to France. On the expul-
sion of the Medici in 1527 he returned to Flor-
ence; but on their restoration in 1532 again
took refuge in France, where Francis I. and
Henry II. intrusted him with embassies to
Charles V. and the republic of Genoa. His
fame rests chiefly on the didactic poem on
agriculture, (Cultivation' (1533), one of the
best imitations of Virgil's (Georgics. )
Alanus ab Insulis (a-lā'nus ab in'sū-lis)
or Alain de Lille (ä-lan' dé lēl). A noted
French scholastic philosopher (1114-1203). Of
his voluminous theological writings the best
known is the treatise on (The Articles of the
Faith. His poem (Anti-Claudianus, or On the
Duties of a Good and Perfect Man) is one of
the most celebrated poetic compositions of the
Middle Ages.
Alarcon (y Ariza), Pedro Antonio de (ä-lär-
kõn'). A distinguished Spanish novelist, poet,
and politician; born in Guadix, March 10, 1833;
died at Valdemoro, near Madrid, July 19, 1891.
His critical contributions to papers, political
and literary, his description of the Moroccan
campaign, but especiaily his novels and short
stories, are among the best of their kind, and
present a picture of modern Spanish society
as true to life as it is variegated. His clever
essay "The Poet's Christmas) went through
over 100 editions. An imposing number of his
stories appeared under the collective titles
(Love and Friendship); National Tales);
Improbable Stories. Among them (The
Three-Cornered Hat) and (The Scandal) de-
serve special mention. *
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
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## 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.