X 1 M 



in his feveritics, he indulged them to the extreme of fclf- 

 mortification and penance. Having thus acquired a com- 

 plete maftery over his own pafTions, and poffefling political 

 talents in a very high degree, he was thought peculiarly 

 fitted to exercife dominion over others ; and accordingly 

 Ferdinand and Ifabella cntruiled him with a principal fliare 

 in the adminiftration. When a "trong party was formed 

 among the Caftilians to deprive Ferdinand of the authority 

 as regent, devolved upon him by the will of the queen, he 

 was deferted by every perfon of diilinftion except Ximenes 

 and two nobles ; and after he had reiigned it to the arch- 

 duke Philip, he again acquired it upon Philip's death in 

 1506, by the influence of Ximenes. In 1507 Ximenes was 

 created a cardinal by pope Julius II. ; and in the following 

 year he undertook theconquefl of Oran, and of other places 

 on the coait of Barbary, with an armament, the expeuce of 

 which he offered to defray out of his own revenues, and 

 he fucceeded in this enterprife. Such was Ferdinand's con- 

 fidence in the abihties and integrity of the cardinal, that 

 when he was dying in 1516, he appointed him regent of 

 Caftile until the arrival of his grandfor, Charles. Although 

 he was then in his 79th year, he took an aftive part in 

 fecuring the throne to Charles, though in his own judgment 

 he difapprovcd the king's conduft, who in his affumption of 

 power contended the declared opinion of the Cortes. With 

 no lefs firmnefs and inflexibility, he profccuted a plan for ex- 

 tending the royal authority, which the nobility had very 

 much circumfcribed. The meafures which he adopted for 

 this purpofe excited violent oppofition, but he perfifled, 

 an d ultimately fucceeded. During his adminiftration he 

 was alfo engaged in two foreign wars ; one for the preferva- 

 tion of the kingdom of Navarre, in v/hich he was fuccefsful, 

 and another againft Horuc BarbarofTa, who advanced him- 

 felf from the condition of a corfair to the fovereignty of 

 Algiers and Tunis, in which the Spaniards were totally de- 

 feated. When Charles was prevailed upon by Ximenes to 

 vifit Spain, the cardinal took a journey towards the coaft to 

 meet his majefty ; but being difabled to proceed by the 

 attack of a diforder, fuppofed to be the effeft of poifon, he 

 requefted an interview with the king ; but Charles having 

 conceived prejudices againft him, returned a cold anfwer, 

 with permiffion for his retirement to his diocefe, that he 

 might finifh his days in tranquillity. In a few hours after 

 the receipt of this letter, he expired November 15 17, at 

 the age of 80 years. 



Ximenes was held in high eftimation by his fuperftitious 

 countrymen, under a delufivc idea that he pofTefTed the gift 

 of prophecy, and a power of working miracles. But his 

 more unequivocal claims to their refpeft were founded 

 on his extraordinary talents and learning, his liberal pa- 

 tronage of literature, and the munificence of his public cha- 

 rities, to wliich he devoted the immenfe revenues of his arch- 

 bifhopric. At Alcala he built the magnificent college of 

 St. Ildefonfo, endowed with forty-fix profefforfliips, and 

 conduftcd under excellent regulations. Here he printed 

 the Complutenfian Polyglott, (fee Polyglott,) the 

 Mozarabic liturgy, and the theological works of Toftatus. 

 Here he alfo eftablifhed a fplendid monaftery for the 

 education of indigent females of quality, which ferved as a 

 model for that of St. Cyr, under Lewis IV. The granaries 

 which he conltrufted remained without decay for cerituries ; 

 and upon the whole he was juftified in declaring on his 

 death-bed, that to the belt of his knowledge he had not 

 mifapplied a crown of his revenue. Robinfon's Charles V. 

 vol. ii. 



Ximenes, in Geography, a town of Spain, in the province 

 of Leon ; 10 miles S. of Aftorga. 



8 



X 1 M 



XIMENESIA, in Botany, Cavan. Ic. v. 2. 60. Ait. 

 Hort. Kew. V. 5. 85, a genus which can by no means be 

 feparatedfromPALLASiA. (See that article, n. 3.) Nothing 

 can be more trifling as a generic, or even fpecific dittindlion, 

 than the difference between the fyngeneiious orders of 

 Polygamia-fuperflua, and P. frujlranea, of the Linnsean 

 fyllem, provided the form of the Jloreti be alike. The 

 Plflil, of which rudiments are found in feveral genera of the 

 latter, may occafionally become perfcft, as it does now and 

 then in HA'iantbus, and this overfets the dittind^ion. 



XIMENIA, owes its name to Plumier, who confecrates 

 this genus to the memory of the Rev. Father Francis 

 Ximenes, a Spanifh monk, one of the twelve Francifcan 

 friars who firil preached Chriftianity to the Mexicans. 

 Being well fliilled in the language of the country, he col- 

 lefted a great ftore of information concerning the properties 

 and medical ufes of the plants and animals of New Spain, 

 and efpecially of Mexico ; whence he compofed a work, j 

 printed in four books, at Mexico, in 1615, which is quoted ■ 

 with approbation by De Laet, in many parts of his owp 

 publication. It is fome confolation to find any of thei. 

 apoftles turning their minds to the fludy of their Maker'* ■ 

 works ; as we cannot fuppofe fuch to have been conta- ' 

 minated with that infernal fpirit, which renders the whole 

 hiftory of the Spaniards in America a foul reproach to 

 humanity, and to Chriftianity itfelf, fo proftituted or fo 

 mifunderftood ! — Plum. Nov. Gen. 6. t. 21. Jjinn. Gen. 

 190. Schreb. z'^'^. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 2. 338. Mart. 

 Mill. Dift. V. 4. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2. 352. .lufT. 259. 

 Lamarck lUuftr. t. 297. Poiret in Lam. Did. v. 8. 804. — 

 Clafs and order, OBandna Momgyn'ia. Nat. Ord. Aurantia, 

 Juff. 



Gen. Ch. Col. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, very fmall, 

 in four pointed, permanent fegments. Cor. Petals four, 

 oblong ; hairy internally ; their lower half ere£l, forming a 

 tube ; their upper part revolute. Stam. Filaments eight, 

 ereft, fhort ; anthers ereft, longer than the filaments. 

 Pijl. Germen fuperior, oblong ; flyle thread-fhaped, the 

 length of the ftamens ; ftigma obtufe. Peru. Drupa 

 nearly ovate. Seed. Nut folitary, roundifh. 



Efir. Ch. Calyx four-cleft. Petals four ; hairy inter- 

 nally ; revolute at the upper part. Drupa fuperior. Nut 

 folitary. 



Obf. Plumier's figure reprefents but three ^^/fl/j-. Lin- 

 nsEus has left a note, that his correfpondent AUamand found 

 but iewenjlamens. Swartz and Jacquin defcribe eight. 



I. X. americana. Thorny Ximenia. Linn. Sp. PI. 497. 

 Hort. Cliff. 483. Willd. n. I. Ait. n. I. Swartz Obf. 

 149. (X. multiflora ; Jacq. Amer. 106. t. 177. f. 31. 

 X. aculcata, flore villofo, frudlu luteo ; Plum. Ic. 260. 

 t. 261. f. I. Heymaflbli fpinofa ; Aubl. Guian. 324. 

 t. 125? and H. incrmis ; tbld. 325?) — Branches fpinous. 

 Leaves oblong. Stalks many- flowered. — Native of the 

 neighbourhood of Carthagena, as well as of Hifpaniola, 

 flowering in September and Odlober, and ripening fruit in 

 December. Jacquin. Of the rocky fnores of Hifpaniola, 

 flowering in July. Siuartz. We believe Liniisus never 

 faw any fpecimen of this, except in CUffort's herbarium. 

 That before us was given to the younger Linnjeus by fir 

 Jofeph Banks. Though Miller might have the plant at 

 Chelfea in 1759, it would now probably be vainly fought 

 for in any colleAion. TheJ!em is either fhrubby or arbo- 

 reous. Young tranches fpinous, round, ftriated. Leaves 

 two or three together, in alternate tufts, from buds of many 

 years' duration, ftalked, elliptic-oblong, obtufe with a minute 

 point, rarely emarginate, entire, fingle-ribbed, fmooth oi 

 both fides, about tv^io inches long. JFootJlalks quarter of .--.ii 



inch 



