250 A L C 
ALCHEMY, f. [of al, Arab, and Gr. ] That 
branch of chemi.ftry which had for its principal objects the 
tranfmutation of metals into gold ; the panacea, or uni¬ 
versal remedy; an aikaheff, or univerfal menftruura; an 
univerfal ferment; and many other things equally obfcure. 
AxchekVy, a kind of mixed metal ufedfor fpoons, and 
kitchen utenhls.—White alchemy is made of pan-brafs one 
pound, and arfenicum three ounces; or alchemy is made 
of copper and auripigmentum. Bacon. 
ALCJHORNEA,y. [from Mr. Stainfoy Alchorne, apo¬ 
thecary, of London.] In botany, a genus of the dioecia 
monadelphia clafs, or, according to Swartz, of the mona- 
delphia oclandria. The generic chara&ers are— 1 . Male. 
Calyx: perianthium three or five leaved; leaflets ovate, 
concave, equal, coloured, deciduous. Stamina: filaments 
eight, equal, fcarce longer than the calyx, (lightly connate 
at the bafe ; antherae ovate, upright. Piftillum: a rudi¬ 
ment. II. Female. Calyx: perianthium one-leafed, four 
or five toothed; teeth equal, fmall. Piftillum: germ 
twin, fuperior; fiyles two, very long, filiform; ftigmas 
fimple, acute. Pericarpium : capfule berried, two-feed- 
ed, two-celled, two-valved. Seeds: folitary, large, ob¬ 
long.— EJJ'entialCharacter. Male. Calyx,.three-five-leav¬ 
ed. Female. Calyx, five-toothed; ftyle, two-parted; 
capfule berried, dicoccous. 
There is but one fpecies, which is called alchornea la- 
tifolia. 
ALC 1 AT (Andrew), a great lawyer, who flouriflied in 
the fixteenth century, born at Milan. He mixed much of 
polite'learni'ng in the explication of the laws, and happily 
drove out the barbarity of language which till then had 
reigned in the ledlures and writings of lawyers ; for which 
Thuanus highly praifes him. He publifhed a great many 
law-books, and Lome notes upon Tacitus. His Emblems 
have been much admired, and mandated into French, Ita¬ 
lian, and Spanilh ; and feveral learned men have written 
commentaries on them. 
ALCIBIADES, an Athenian general. It was the fate 
of this great man to live at a time when his country was 
the fcenecf confufion. The Greeks, grown infolent from 
their conquefts in Perfia, turned their army againft each 
other, and banded together under the conduct of the two 
mod: opulent dates, Athens and Lacedaemon. Alcibia- 
des, in the midft of an expedition he had planned againft 
the enemy of his country, was recalled home to anfwer 
Lome charge of a private nature ; but, fearing the violence 
of his enemy, inftead of going to Athens, he offered his 
fervices at Sparta, where they were readily accepted. By 
his advice the Lacedaemonians made a league with Perfia, 
which gave a very favourable turn to their affairs. But 
his credit in the republic raifing jealoufies againft him, he 
privately reconciled himfelf to his country, and took again 
the command of an Athenian army. Here viftory, wait¬ 
ing as it were at his command, attended all his motions. 
The lofs of feven battles obliged the Spartans to fue for 
peace. He enjoyed his triumphs, however, only a fliort 
time at Athens. One unfuccefsful event made him again 
obnoxious to the malice of the citizens; and he found it 
expedient to retire from Athens. In his abfence the Spar¬ 
tans again took the lead, and at the fatal battle of Algos 
entirely fubdued the Athenian power. Aicibiades, though 
in exile, endeavoured to reftore the power of his country; 
of which the Spartans having intelligence, procured him 
to be affaffmated. He was a man of admirable accom- 
plifhments, but indifferently principled ; of great parts; 
and of an amazing verfatility of genius. 
ALCINO MOUNT, a fmall town of Tufcany, fituated 
on a mountain. In this neighbourhood is produced the 
mod exquifite wine in Italy, called Mufcatello di Mont 
Alcino; but the inhabitants are not allowed to fell a An¬ 
gle pipe of it, till the great-duke has iirft ordered what 
number he judges proper for his own ufe. 
ALCINOUS, a king of the Phoenicians, in the ifland 
now called Corfu, was fon of Naufithous, and grandfon 
A L C 
of Neptune and Peribea. It is by his gardens this king 
has chiefly immortalized his memory. He received Ulyl- 
fes with much civility, when a (form had call him on his 
coaft. 
ALCMAER, a city of the United Provinces, fituated 
in North Holland, about four miles from the fea, fifteen 
from Haerlein, and eighteen from Amfterdam. It is a 
handfome city, and one of the cleaned in Holland. The 
ftreets and houfes are neat and regular, and the public 
buildings very beautiful. It had formerly two pariih- 
churches, dedicated to St. Matthew and St. Lawrence. 
The latter had fo high a tower, that it ferved for a fea* 
mark to the veffels that were in the open fea; but, in 1464, 
it tumbled down, and damaged the other church fo much, 
that they were both demoliftted in 1470, and one church 
was built in their dead, dedicated to the fame faints. The 
Spaniards, under the command of Frederic of Toledo, fon 
of the duke of Aiba, came to befiege it, after they had 
taken Haerlem, in 1573; but wern forced to raile the liege, 
after three months lying before it, as well on account of 
the infection of the air as the (lout refiftance of the inha¬ 
bitants and foldiers; even the women fignalizing them- 
felves bravely in its defence. It is recorded in the regifter 
of this city, that, in the year 1637, 120 tulips, with the 
oft-fets, fold at public auction for 90,000 florins; a Angle 
one of them, named the Viceroy, fold for 4203 guilders; 
and not only the name and price, but the weight, of thefe 
flowers, are particularly let down in the city regifters. 
The paffion of giving enormous prices for flowers and 
flower-roots, by which many were ruined, was come to 
fo great a height, that the ftates interfered, and put a ftop 
to it, by fevere penalties. The town has a very good trade 
in butter and cheefe, of which a vaft quantity is fold eve¬ 
ry year, and is elteemed the bell in Holland. Lat. 52. 28. 
N. Ion. 4. 26. E. 
ALCMAN, a lyric poet, who flouriflied in the twenty, 
feventh Olympiad. He was born at Sparta; and compo- 
fed feveral poems, of which only fome fragments are re¬ 
maining, quoted by Athenaeus and fome other ancient 
writers. He was very amorous; accounted the father of 
gallant poefy; and is faid to have been the firft that in¬ 
troduced the cuftom of finging love-foiigs in company. 
He is reported to have been one of the greateft eaters of 
his age; upon which Mr. Bayle remarks, that fuch a 
quality would have been extremely inconvenient, if poe¬ 
try had been at that time upon fuch a footing as it has been 
often lince, not able to procure the poet bread. He died 
of a difeaie fimilar to that of Philip II. king of Spain; 
for he was eaten up with lice. 
ALCMANIAN, f. in ancient lyric poetry, a kind of 
verfe confiding of two daftyles and two trochees; as,— 
Virgini\bus pue\rijque\ canto. The word is formed from 
Aleman, the name of an ancient Greek poet, in great ef- 
teem for his erotics or amorous compofitions. 
ALCMENA, the daughter of Eledtryo king of My- 
cenae, and wife of Amphitryon. Jupiter putting on the 
Ihape of her hulband, while he was abroad in the wars, 
begot Hercules upon her. Pie made that night as long as 
three ordinary ones. 
ALCOCK (John), dodlor of laws, and bifhop of Ely in 
the reign of king Henry VII. was born at Beverly, in 
Yorkfhire, and educated at Cambridge. He was firft 
made dean of Weftminfter, and afterwards appointed maf- 
ter of the rolls. In 1471, he was confecrated billiop of 
Rochefter; in 1476, he was tranflated to the fee of Wor- 
cefter; and, in i486, to that of Ely. Pie was a prelate of 
great learning and piety; and fo highly elteemed by king 
Plenry, that lie appointed him lord prelident of Wales, 
and afterwards lord chancellor of England. Alcock found¬ 
ed a fchool at Kingfton-npon-Hull, and built thefpacious 
hall belonging to the epifcopal palace at Ely. He was al- 
fo the founder of Jefus-college, in Cambridge, for amaf- 
ter, fix fellows* and as many fcholars. This houfe was 
formerly a nunnery, dedicated to St. Radigund ; and, as 
Godwin 
