ALE 



the firft century. To tliia volume are annexed 2S valualilc 

 and much efteemcd diflcitations, upon fucli points as h;ne 

 been the iubjeiils of difpute in hilloiy, chronology, criticifm, 

 t)r doCbine. The liiliory of the fccoiid century was pub- 

 liflied in 1677 in two vohimes, and to it arc fubjoincd three 

 dilTcrtations againll M. Duiilc with regard to failing, lent, 

 confirmation, and the ufe of the fathers ; and another difler- 

 tation concerning the time of celebrating Eaiter ; and he alfo 

 treats of the verfion of the Septuagint, &c. &c. The third 

 century was publifliedin 1678 ; and in three diflertations he 

 has collected what relates to the life, manners, ordination, 

 fall, errors, and defenders of St. Cyprian. The hilloi-y of the 

 fourth century, compiled in three volumes, and containing 

 45 differtations, was printed at Paris in 1679. In the three 

 following years he publiflied his hiftory of the 5th, 6th, 

 7th, 8th, 9th and loth centuries ; and that of the i ith and 

 1 2th centuries iu 1683 ; and in thefe volumes there arefeve- 

 ral excellent diflfertations. His fentimentson the fubjedlsof 

 fome of thefe diflertations cxpofed him to the refentment of 

 the court of Rome, which ifliied out a decree againll his 

 writings in 1684. Neverthelefs, he publilhed in the fame 

 year, in three volumes, the hillory of the 1 3tli and 14th cen- 

 turies, in which he continued to defend the rights of kings 

 againll the pretenfions of that court, though he vindicates 

 thofe princes who employed fire and fword againll the Al- 

 bigenfes. He at lall completed this work in 1686, by pub- 

 liihing four volumes, containing the hillory of the 15th and 

 ) 6th centuries. The hiftory of the Council of Trent occu- 

 pies the greateft part of the laft volume. Of this voluminous 

 work, containing many curious particulars, there have been 

 many editions. In 1689 he publiflied a work of the fame 

 kind upon the Old Teilament, in fix volumes in Bvo. which 

 extends from the creation of the world to the birth of 

 Chrift, and which period he has divided into fix ages. From 

 1678 to 1680 he alfo publifhed leveral other diflertations. In 

 1689 our author publilhed his " Theologia Dogmatica ct 

 Moralis fecundum Ordinem Catechifmi Concilii Tridenlini, 

 in quinque libros tributa," r. e. " Pofitivc and moral Divi- 

 nity, according to the order of the Catechifm of the Coun- 

 cil of Trent, in five books ;" printed at Paris in ten vo- 

 lumes in 8vo. and at Venice in 1698. But another volume 

 having been added in 1 701 , this work was printed at Paris, in 

 two volumes in folio, in 1703, with acolleftion of Latin let- 

 ters. He alfo pubUflied, in 1 704, Commentaries on the four 

 Gofpels ; in 17 10, upon St. Paul's and the feven Canonical 

 Epillles ; and he alfo wrote a Commentary upon the Prophets 

 Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and Baruch, which was never printed : 

 and he likewife publiflied feveral other treatifes, which we 

 fliall not recite. His apphcation, as we may naturally con- 

 ceive, was intenfe ; and towards the latter part of his life he 

 was afflifted with the lofs of his fight, which he bore with 

 great calmnefs and refignation. He died in 1724, in the 

 86th year of his age. His piety, humility, and dilinterefted- 

 nefs rendered him the objedt of general eileem. Gen. Dift. 



Alexandfr, of Paris, a French poet, flouriflied in the 

 1 2th century, and was born at Bernai, in Normandy. He 

 removed to Paris, and became, in fome meafure, the founder 

 of French poetry. He adopted verfes of 1 2 fjllables, as bell 

 adapted to heroic fubjefts. His poem of " Alexander the 

 Great," was favourably received in the court of Phihp Au- 

 guthis : it is a fort of metrical verfion of a life of Alexander 

 then cuirent, intermixed w ith fafts alluding to the hillory of 

 France at that period. The fenfe of fome palfages is ftrong, 

 and the verfification harmonious. Some have fuppofed that 

 the name of Alexandrines, applied to fines of 12 fyllables, 

 has been taken from this work, in reference cither to its au- 

 thor or its objeft. Gen. Biog. 



ALE 



ALEXAsnER, DoM James, a BenediAine of the congrcr 

 gation of St. Maur, was a native of Orleans. He died ia 

 1734, at the age of 82 years, and left a treatife on " Ele- 

 mentary Clocks," in 8vo. Biog. Dicl. 



Alf.xandkr, Nicholas, a Benediclinc of the congrega- 

 tion of St. Maur, was born at Paris, and died at an ad« 

 vanccd age, at St. Denys, in 1728. He is known by two 

 ufeful works, viz. " Ph) fie and Surgery for the Poor," 

 Paris, i2Eno. 1738; containing a colleftion of fcleft and 

 cheap remedies for both internal and external ailments ; and 

 " A Botanical and Pharmaceutical Dictionary ;" in which 

 arc found the principal properties of fuch mineral, vegetable, 

 and animal fubllances as are ufed in medicine. He was de- 

 vout and charitable, and devoted his knowledge of medicine 

 and his property to the relief of the poor. Biog. DiA. 



Alexander de Saint Elpidio, fo called from a town 

 in Umbria, general of the Auguftine hermits, and arclibifliop 

 of Ravenna, lived at the beginning of the fourteenth century. 

 He was the author of a treatife " On the Jurifdiftion of the 

 Empire and the Authority of the Pope ;" written at the 

 requeftof John XXII. and printed at Rimini, in 1624. Cave 

 H. L. tom. ii. Append, p. 16. 



Alexander, William, an eminent poet and ftatctman, 

 the fon of Andrew Alexander of Menllrie in Scotland, was 

 born in 15S0: Having finiflicd his education, he travelled as 

 tutor, or rather companion, to the Duke of Argyle ; and 

 upon his return he lived in retirement, and finiflied his poetical 

 complaint of an unfuccefsful addrefs to his firfl miftrefs, 

 which he entitled, "Aurora." Having amufed himfelf fer 

 fome time with amorous verfes, he removed to the court of 

 King James VI. where he fuilained the charaftcr of a pri- 

 vate, but learned and accompHflied gentleman. In this more 

 public fituation he found leifure for exercifing his poetical 

 talents ; and he now direfted them to grave and moral fub- 

 jedls, with a view to the direftion of princes and rulers, in a 

 feries of tragedies, formed upon the Greek and Roman mo- 

 dels, at lead in their chorufles between the afts. One of 

 thefe, on the ftoiy of Darius, was publiflied at Edinburgh 

 in 1603. This tragedy, with three others, t/'c. Crocfus, the 

 Alexandraean, and Julius Caefar, were publiflied in 1607, un- 

 der the title of " The Monarchick Tragedies." Our author 

 wrote fome other poems of a political nature ; particularly 

 his " Parjcnefis" to prince Henr)', communicating important 

 and ufeful leflbns to an heir of royalty. He alfo wrote a fup- 

 plement to complete the third part of Sir Philip Sidney's 

 Romance, which was publiflied in 1613, when the author 

 was fworn one of the gentlemen-ufliers of the prefence to 

 Prince Charles. In 1614 he printed a poem, intitled, 

 " Dooms-day ;" and in this year he was knighjed by Iving 

 James, and made mailer of the requefts. At this time he com- 

 menced his political career ; and, having projefttd the feltle- 

 ment of a colony at Nova Scotia, iu America, he obtained a 

 grant of that country, by his Majefty's royal deed, in 162 i. 

 King Charles, on his acceflion, encouraged the fclieme, and 

 Sir W. Alexander publiflied a pamphlet, reciting the advan- 

 tages whicli would accrue from it to the nation. The author 

 was made lieutenant of Nova Scotia ; and an order of knights 

 baronet was founded in Scotland in the firfl year of the king's 

 reign, whofe aid was appropriated to this fettlement, on condi- 

 tion that each fliouldhave a portion of land affigned him in the 

 new plantaticni. Sir William had alio the privilege of coining 

 fmall copper-money. The defign, however, failed ; Sir Wil- 

 liam fold the whole country to the French for 5 or 6000I. 

 and in the conduft of the^vhole tranfaftion he incurred fome 

 degree of reproach. King Charles, however, continued to 

 favour him ; and convinced of his talents and fidelity, made 

 hiai fecretary of Hate for Scotland in 1626 ; and in 1630, a 



4 L 2 peer 



