ALFIKRI. VlTTORia 



ALFON'SO VI. 



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MBM*, ma v*uf ujiii v "-""- ~ . ' 



alMoato bis property. Ha tb*n *ntar*d the army, as all young noble- 

 mesi were bosnd to do, with the rank of ensign in provincial 

 HflsaasH. which in time of peace only assembled for a few days twice 



In *sV-~. **aMt> 



At the apt of 17 h* obtained th* king's leave to travel under the 

 ami of an g "g"* t ' Roman Catholic tutor. He went fint through 

 Italy, and, baring got rid o/ UM tator. next prooeeded to France, 

 where he we. introduced at UM levee of Look XV. at Versailles. 

 B* ws struck with - the Jopiter-like superciliousness of that 

 monarch, who stared at the parsons introduced to him without con- 

 dasemrting to say a word to them." Alfieri's prid* was evidently 

 hurt. From Franc* b* cam* to England, with which country he was 

 iJeased from th* fint. After spending in England the winter of 1768, 

 be DTGsnil over to Holland, which country be liked beat next to 

 Taassml Ha attributed th* advantage* of both to their institutions, 

 and UM long babit of rational freedom. His life was for several yean 

 after liitliii and dissipated. 



In 1773 be returned to Turin, and began to write gome scenes of a 

 drama on the subject of Cleopatra. This was his first essay in Italian 

 versification. In 1777- be went fint to Siena and then to Florence, 

 where be applied himsrlf seriously to dramatic composition. He there 

 also made the acquaintance of a lady who fixed his heart for ever. 

 This was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, called the Young 

 Pretender [ALBAM, COUNTESS or], at whose bouse most foreigners 

 Tisited. The lady afterwards separated from her husband, and retired 

 into a eonrent at Home. Alfieri continued attached to her, and 

 followed her to sereral places; at last, after her husband's death in 

 1788, it appaan that they were privately married, although the 

 marriage was never made public, and by some is doubted. 



In 1782 Alfieri had completed fourteen tragedies, ton of which were 

 printed at Siena. In 1785, the Countess of Albany having gone to 

 live in France, Alfieri also repaired thither, and resided fint at a villa 

 near Colmar, and afterwards in Paris, where he superintended the 

 edition of his tragedies by Didot. Soon after he published his other 

 mweeUancous works at KehL Alfieri and the countess were living 

 quietly at Paris, when the French revolution drove them away. 



Alfieri and bis companion hastened through Belgium and Germany 

 back to Florence, from which city he never stirred after. Here he 

 wrote his 'Misogallo/ a collection of satirical sonnets, letters, and 

 epigram*, in which he has embodied all his early prejudices and his 

 more recant feelings of dislike to the French people. At 46 years of 

 age be began studying Greek, and by his own unassisted application 

 ba was enabled in two yean to understand and translate the Greek 

 writers. He lived quietly at Florence, seeing nobody except the 

 countess and his old friend the Abbate Calnso, till 1808, when an 

 attack of th* gout, to which be was subject, added to his constant 

 application and an extremely sparing diet, terminated his life on the 

 Jctober, at the age of M. He expired without much pain, his 

 r?****' 1 **? 1 b if eriientiy worn out The Countess of Albany was 

 by his aide in his last moments. He was buried in the church of 

 ^ U 9^1 **" H**""* Putheon, where many yean before the 

 Bight of Michel Angelo mausoleum bad inspired him with a desire 

 tttarary fame. The Countess of Albany caused a fine monument 

 by Canon to ba erected to his memory. 



Wan gave to Italy th* first tragedies deserving the name. The 



W* are strictly preserved, the characten are few, the action one, 

 by-pUr or subordinate incidents ; and yet, notwithstanding all this 

 there b so much power in the sentiments, so much 

 the language, such a condensation of single passion, 

 mane* of on* of Alfieri's tragedies keeps the audience 

 Basil at least is UM effect they produce upon an Italian 



^ZlST*J\$fi *?**. * Alfi6ri>i P U y i * olhor " imp-rtrf 

 bil.Ucal colouring to UM language and the situations of 



.? iJT^SE!:'!^' ^ u " r ^^ * * 'y* p-"* 8 * p"^ve 



li^!!!. 1 ^ 8 ^***"^ U-rtson, give a>ecSiar and epic 

 * ~J P^- Tb* -Filippo' is considered as the next in 

 ,". "' " Ofk and Roman subjects. Two 

 ara^iaMa^irom Ua Uatory of Florae*. Alfieri's clasalo drama is very 

 T UM Fraucb (tag* ; it is chiefly distinguished by 



it* extreme simplicity, the absence of all superfluous declamation and 

 tedious narrative, and the exciting abruptness of his blank verse. This 

 arrangement of words, which has been called harsh, was by him 

 purposely studied, to supply the deficiencies of the measure. 



Alfieri a abhorrence of the excesses of the French during the fint 

 revolution, and of their subsequent servility under military despotism, 

 has caused some to imagine that be bad renounced all his liberal ideas 

 before bis death. Alfieri' s idea of liberty was inseparably connected 

 with that of order and security for persons and property, and he saw 

 the latter violated every day both in France and in Italy. His violent 

 temper led him sometimes into paradox and seeming contradictions ; 

 but ho was, upon the whole, an independent, candid, honest-hearted 

 writer, and his example and his precepts gave a temper to the Italian 

 mind which has not been lost. 



( Vita ill Vittorio Alfieri Ja Atti, terilta da Sao.) 



ALFONSO is the name of several kings of Spain and Portugal, and 

 of some kings of Naples and Sicily. This name is written by the 

 Spaniards, Ildefonso, Alphonso, Alfonso, and Alonso ; and by the 

 Portuguese, Affonso. We have chosen the form Alfonso, as being 

 that in most common use. 



ALFONSO I., surnamed the Catholic, was chosen King of Asturias 

 and Leon in 739. He waa the son-in-law of Pelayo, and a descendant 

 of King Leovigild. He wrested from the Moon Lara and Saldafia in 

 Castile, extended his empire over nearly one-fourth of Spain, and 

 inflicted a severe retribution on the descendants of the sanguinary 

 hordes of Tarik and Muza. Alfonso founded new churches in the 

 towns which he conquered, and rebuilt or repaired the old ; it is 

 owing to his zeal for religion, that the epithet of Catholic was given 

 him. He died in 757, and was succeeded by his son, Frucla I. 

 (Mariana, vii. 6.) 



ALFONSO II., called the Chaste, elected King of Asturias and 

 Leon in 791, was the nephew of Bermudo the Deacon. His reign 

 was a continual scene of warfare both against the Moors and agninst 

 his rebellious subjects. To this king is attributed the abolition of the 

 disgraceful tribute of a hundred maidens, which the Spaniards were 

 bound from the time of Mauregato to pay to the Moors. The amours 

 of his sister Donna Ximena with the Count of Soldana the wonderful 

 exploits of Bernardo del Carpio, who was the offspring of this love, 

 against the no less famous French hero Roland also belong to this 

 period. All this history however is considered by the best critics as 

 belonging to the region of fable and romance. Alfonso died about 

 the year 843 ; he was succeeded by Ramiro I., son of Bermudo the 

 Deacon. (Mariana, vil 8, 12.) 



ALFONSO III., surnamed El Magno (the Great), king of Asturias 

 and Leon, succeeded bis father Ordofio I. in 866, at the age of four- 

 teen. Successful against his rebellious subjects and his Christian 

 enemies in the beginning of his reign, Alfonso next turned his attention 

 to the Mohammedans, and in thirty years of continual warfare his 

 arms were always crowned with victory. He extended the boundaries 

 of his empire to the banks of the Uuadiona. But his son Garcia, 

 aided by the ever-rebellious barons, by his father-in-law the Count of 

 Castile, by his brother Ordofio, governor of Galicia, and even by his 

 own mother, attempted to dethrone the aged monarch. Alfonso suc- 

 ceeding in crushing the rebellion and taking his son prisoner; but 

 fearing the evils of a civil war, he called a junta in 010, and abdi- 

 cated the crown in favour of Garcia. After his abdication, he led the 

 troops of his son against the Moslems, and gained a brilliant victory, 

 shortly after which he died at Zamora, in 910. (Mariana, vii. 17-20.) 



ALFONSO IV., called El Mouge, the Monk, king of Leon, suc- 

 ceeded Fruela II. in 921. Six yean after his accession to the throne, 

 he abdicated in favour of his brother Ramiro, and retired to the 

 monastery of Sahagun. Within two years he attempted to regain his 

 kingdom, but was defeated by his brother, who consigned him to a 

 monastery, and sentenced him to the loss of his eyes. He died ten 

 years afterward?. (Mariana, viii. 5.) 



ALFONSO V. succeeded his father Bermudo on the throne of Leon 

 in 999, being only five yean of age. The government, during his 

 minority, was intrusted to a regency, which was a very eventful one. 

 During it, the great Al-Mansur was defeated, and this success led to 

 the conquest of Cordova. Alfonso V. rebuilt and repcopled the city 

 of Leon, and made some salutary laws iu the Cortes at Oviedo in 

 1020. He was killed at the siege of Viscu in 1028 ; his sou Ber- 

 mudo III. succeeded him. (Mariana, viii. 10, 11.) 



ALFONSO VI. was the son of Fernando I. He was crowned king 

 of Leon in 1066. Fernando had committed the same fault as his 

 father in dividing his states among bis children. He left Leon to 

 Alfonso, Castile to Sancho, Galicia to Garcia, aud the cities of Toro 

 and Zamora to Urraca and Elvira, his two daughters. Alfonso and 

 Sancho lived in peace with each other only two years. In 1068 

 Sancho invaded the states of his brother, took him prisoner after 

 some vicissitudes, and confined him iu the monastery of Sahagun, 

 from which he escaped, aud sought a refuge at the Moorish court of 

 Toledo. In 1072 Sancho was assassinated while besieging Zamora, 

 and Alfonso hastened from his exile to take possession of the vacant 

 throne. Asturias, Leon, and Castile acknowledged his authority. He 

 invited his brother Garcia to his court, and shut him up in the castle 

 f Luna, where he remained until his death, and Galicia was thus 

 added to the states of Alfonso. 



