ALBEMARLE SOUND ALBERT I. 



sanguinary than itself. Among others, a species of 

 testris is a dreadful enemy, and heats it, while on the 

 wing, until the A. disgorges its food, which the 

 other immediately seizes, or the blows are continued 

 until the huge bird expires, a victim to the ravenous 

 uppetite of its adversary. This fierce bird is com- 

 monly called the skua grill ; but it is improperly 

 termed gull, being more closely allied to the petrels 

 and A. in appearance ; in habits, it has some analogy 

 with the eagles. AVhen the A. is attacked by a 

 flock of gulls or other birds, while on the wing, it 

 has no other resource but that of suddenly dropping 

 upon the water. Under all circumstances, however, 

 the cowardice of this gigantic bird is equal to its 

 voracious gluttony. 



ALBEMARLE SOUND ; an inlet of the sea on the 

 -east coast of N. Carolina. It extends into the coun- 

 try sixty miles, and is from four to fifteen wide. It 

 may be considered as an estuary of the Roanoke and 

 Chowan rivers. It communicates with the Atlantic 

 ocean and Pamlico sound by small inlets, and with 

 Chesapeake bay by a canal cut through Dismal 

 swamp. 



ALBERONI, Giulio, cardinal, and minister of the 

 king of Spain, was the son of a gardener. He was 

 born in 1664, at Firenzuola, a village of Parma, and 

 educated for the church. His first office was that of 

 bell-ringer in the cathedral of Piacenza. Possessed 

 of uncommon talents, he soon became canon, chap- 

 lain, and favourite of the count Roncovieri, and 

 bishop of St Donnin. The duke of Parma sent him 

 as his minister to Madrid, where he gained the affec- 

 tion of Philip V. He rose, by cunning and intrigue, 

 to the station of prime minister ; became a cardinal ; 

 was all-powerful in Spain after the year 1715, and 

 endeavoured to restore it to its ancient splendour. 

 He reformed abuses, created a naval force, organized 

 the Spanish army on the model of the French, and 

 rendered the kingdom of Spain more powerful than 

 it had been since die time of Philip II. He formed 

 the great project of restoring to Spain her lost pos- 

 sessions in Italy, and he began with Sardinia and 

 Sicily. Even when the duke of Orleans, regent of 

 France, renounced the Spanish alliance to form a 

 connexion with England, the proud prelate did not 

 alter his system ; on the contrary, he threw off his 

 mask, attacked the emperor, and took Sardinia and 

 Sicily. After the Spanish fleet was destroyed by 

 the English in the Mediterranean, he entertained 

 the idea of stirring up a general war in Europe ; of 

 forming an alliance for this purpose with Peter the 

 Great and Charles XII. ; of involving Austria in a 

 war with Turkey, exciting an insurrection in Hun- 

 gary, and causing the duke of Orleans to be arrest- 

 ed by a court faction. But the scheme was discover- 

 ed. The duke, in connexion with England, de- 

 clared war against Spain, and explained, in a mani- 

 festo, the intrigues of the Italian cardinal. A French 

 army invaded Spain, and, although Alberoni en- 

 deavoured to cripple the power of France by foment- 

 ing disturbances within that kingdom, the Spanish 

 monarch became despondent, and concluded a peace, 

 the chief condition of which was the dismissal of the 

 cardinal. He received, Dec. 1720, orders to quit 

 Madrid within twenty-four hours, and the kingdom 

 within five days. He was now exposed to the ven- 

 geance of the powers of Europe, by all of whom he 

 was hated, and saw no country where he could abide. 

 He did not even dare to go to Rome, because he had 

 deceived the pope, Clement XI., in order to obtain 

 the rank of cardinal. While crossing the Pyrenees, 

 his carriage was attacked, one of his servants killed, 

 and he himself obliged to continue his .journey on 

 foot and in disguise. He wandered about a long 

 time under false names. 



territory of Genoa, at the request of the pope and 

 the king of Spain ; the Genoese, however, soon 

 dismissed him. The death of Clement put an end 

 to this persecution, and his successor, Innocent XIII., 

 restored him, in 1723, to all the rights and honours 

 of a cardinal. He died in 1752, at the age of eighty- 

 seven years. He left behind him the character of a 

 bold and versatile intriguer, rather than of a great 

 politician, although he certainly created a strong 

 temporary impulse in the Spanish monarchy, and 

 established many regulations which were favourable 

 to arts, agriculture, and commerce. The publica- 

 tion called his " Testament Politique," is of no 

 authority. 



ALBERT I., duke of Austria, and afterwards 

 emperor of Germany, was born in 1248, son of 

 Rodolph of Hapsburg (q. v.), who had, a short time 

 before his death, attempted to place the crown on 

 the head of his son. But the electors, tired of his 

 power, and emboldened by his age and infirmities, 

 refused his request, and indefinitely postponed the 

 election of a king of the Romans (this was the title 

 of the designated successor of the emperor). After 

 the death of Rodolph, A., who inherited only the 

 military qualities of his father, saw his hereditary 

 possessions, Austria and Stiria, rise up in rebellion 

 against him. He quelled by force this revolt, which 

 his avarice and severity liad excited; but success 

 increased his presumption. He wished to succeed 

 Rodolph in all his dignities, and, without waiting 

 for the decision of the diet, seized the insignia of the 

 empire. This act of violence induced the. electors 

 to choose Adolphus of Nassau emperor. The dis- 

 turbances which had broken out against him in 

 Switzerland, and a disease which deprived him of 

 an eye, made him more humble. He delivered up 

 the insignia, and took the oath of allegiance to the 

 new emperor. As soon as he had quelled the insur- 

 rection in Switzerland, he was involved in new 

 quarrels with his subjects in Austria and Stiria, 

 especially with the bishop of Salzburg, who, upon 

 the report of his death, had made an indursion into 

 his dominions. In the meantime, Adolphus, after a 

 reign of six years, had lost the regard of all the 

 princes of the empire. A. endeavoured to avail 

 himself of this change of feeling, and succeeded so 

 far, by assumed mildness, in deceiving the princes, 

 that they chose him emperor, after deposing Adol- 

 phus at the diet in 1298. Adolphus, however, 

 would not resign his high dignity, and force was 

 found necessary to remove him. The rivals met, 

 with their armies, near Gellheim, between Worms 

 and Spire. A. enticed Adolphus, by a feigned re- 

 treat, to follow him with his cavalry only. The 

 leaders engaged hand to hand, and Adolphus ex- 

 claimed to Ms adversary, " Thou shalt lose at once 

 thy crown and life." " Heaven will decide," was 

 the answer of A., striking him with his lance in the 

 face. Adolphus fell from his horse, and was des- 

 patched by the companions of his antagonist. The 

 last barrier had fallen between A. and the supreme 

 power, but he was conscious of having now an op- 

 portunity of displaying his magnanimity. He volun- 

 tarily resigned the crown conferred on him by the 

 last election, and, as he had anticipated, was re- 

 elected. His coronation took place at Aix la 

 Chapelle, in August, 1298; and he held his first 

 diet at Nuremberg, with the utmost splendour. But 

 a new storm was gathering over him. The pope, 

 Boniface VIII., denied the right of the electors to 

 dispose of the imperial dignity, declaring himself 

 the real emperor, and legitimate king of the Romans. 

 He accordingly summoned A. before him, to ask 



pardon, and submit to such penance as he should 

 He was arrested in the dictate; he forbade the princes to acknowledge 



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