lived in the time of Augustus. He distinguished himself as a writer of epigrams and scolia; and twelve of these little poems are extant in the "Anthologia Græca," which are characterised by great elegance and delicacy of feeling. (Fabricius, Biblioth. Græca, ii. 91; iv. 460.; Jacobs, Animadversiones in Anthol. Græc. iii. 2. p. 480.; Brunck, Analecta, ii. 129. n. 4.) L. S. ALPHE'US or ALPHEUS, father of the Apostle James, who is sometimes distinguished from the son of Zebedee as James the Less. J. C. M. ALPHE'US ('Aλonos), an ancient gem engraver, who cut together with Arethon, another ancient gem engraver, the heads of Germanicus and his wife Agrippina upon the same gem, face to face; and one of Caligula when young they were both preserved in the abbey of St. Germain des Prés at Paris. They are engraved on an enlarged scale in Bracci (plates 14. and 15.). Plate 16. in Bracci is an enlarged engraving of a gem by Alpheus alone; it represents an unknown triumph. And in Winckelmann's catalogue of Baron Stosch's collection at Florence of ancient gems (Description du Cabinet du Baron de Stosch) there is a description of one, of Achilles supporting the wounded Amazon queen Penthesilea, attributed to this artist. His name is cut on the gems as written above. (Bracci, Commentaria de antiquis Scalptoribus, or Memorie degli antichi Incisori, &c.) R. N. W. A'LPHIUS AVITUS, a Roman poet, about whom nothing is known beyond his name, which is attached to six verses in the “Anthologia Latina" (ii. ep. 267. ed. Burmann). These verses form part of a poem on the ancient story of the Faliscan schoolmaster who betrayed the boys intrusted to him to M. Furius Camillus. The age in which the poet lived is uncertain; but if, as Valesius and Vossius supposed, he is the same person with the Alfius Flavus of whom Seneca speaks as a wonder of eloquence even before he had reached the age of manhood, and who also wrote poems, he must have lived about the time of the reign of Tiberius. (Vossius, De Poetis Latinis, p. 38, &c.; Meyer, Anthologia Latina, i. ep. 125., and Annotat. p. 64.) L. S.

ALPHONSE, LOUIS, was born in 1743, at Bordeaux, where his father was an apothecary. He received his early education at the college of Guyenne, and at the age of sixteen commenced assisting his father, and in 1762 he went to Paris for the purpose of completing the study of his profession. Here he remained five years, and on returning to his native place he was admitted a member of the college of pharmacy, and also of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Bordeaux. On the breaking out of the revolution he took an active part, in the hope that a change in the government of his country would be

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for the best; but he was compelled to retire, and lived on a small property he had acquired at Dax in the province of Landes. Here he applied himself to agricultural pursuits, which, combined with his previous education, rendered him a very accomplished and scientific agriculturist. He returned to Bordeaux in 1799, and was the author of many memoirs and papers on various departments of pharmacy and chemistry, and the application of chemistry to agriculture. He was also distinguished as a partisan of the so-called science of Mesmerism. He appears, like many other medical men, both before and after his time, to have been struck with the remarkable phenomena presented by mesmerised individuals, and to have honestly pursued a subject which he thought might be made subservient to the good of society.

Besides several papers, essays, and discourses delivered before the various scientific bodies of Bordeaux, M. Lartigue in his éloge of Alphonse read before the Academy of Sciences at Bordeaux, mentions the following works, without however giving either the date or the place of their publication: 1. An Analysis of Waters from different sources in the city of Bordeaux, &c. and its environs. This work was drawn up with a view to ascertaining the influence of the different waters on the health of the inhabitants.

2. A work on Pharmacy, being an answer to some inquiries made by the Constituent Assembly. 3. A Memoir on Copper Coin. 4. A work upon the means of removing collections of filth, &c. from the city.

He died on the 2nd of February, 1820. (E'loge by M. Lartigue in the Transactions of the Academie Royale des Sciences de Bordeaux for 1820.) E. L.

ALPHONSÓ. [ALFONSO.] ALPHONSO DE CASTRO. [CASTRO.] ALPHONSUS ABULENSIS or TOSTATUS, is the Latinised name of Alfonso Tostado, one of the most eminent theologians of Spain, who was born at Madrigal in New Castile about 1400. His parents sent him to Salamanca to complete his studies, where he made such progress that he received his doctor's degree when he was only twentytwo years of age. He is said at that early age to have been equally well versed in civil and canon law, mathematics, geography, history, and principally in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. After obtaining the place of president in the college of St. Bartolomé, he was appointed maestre escuela or master to the cathedral of Salamanca, and subsequently gran referendario or master of the rolls to Juan II. of Castile. In 1440 he was sent to the council of Basle, where he greatly distinguished himself by his learning and his eloquence. When the council broke up, Alphonsus went into Italy, and whilst at Siena in 1443 maintained in the presence of Pope Eugenius IV. twenty-one theses, some of

taria, lib. i.) called him "Delicia Hispani- | arum. His father Paulus having renounced the see of Burgos during his absence in Italy, Alphonsus was nominated to it, and the appointment was confirmed by Pope Eugenius IV. Before returning to Spain, however, he was employed by the pope in bringing about a reconciliation between Albert II., emperor of Austria, and Ladislaus, king of Poland, who had quarrelled respecting the kingdom of Bohemia, to which both laid claim. Alphonsus a Sancta Maria died at Villasandin, a small town of his diocese, July 12. 1456, at the age of sixty. He was the author of several works, among which the following are best known:- 1. "Anacephalæosis, nempe Regum Hispanorum, Romanorum, Imperatorum, Summorum Pontificum: nec non Regum Francorum." This is a history of Spain from the earliest times to the year 1496. It was first printed at Granada, 1545, fol., together with the Latin Chronicles of Antonius Nebrissensis, Rodericus Toletanus, or Ximenes, and the Paralipomenon of Joannes Gerundensis. Andrew Schott published it next in the first volume of his "Hispania illustrata," Frankfort, fol. 2. "Doctrinal de Cavalleros" ("The Discipline of Knighthood"). Burgos, 1487, fol., and 1492, fol. It is a code of rules to be observed by all those wishing to deserve the honours of knighthood, and it was written at the request of the Count of Denia. 3. "Oracional, ó Tratado que contiene respuesta á algunas questiones," &c. (“ Prayer Book: or an Answer to several Questions"). 4. Contemplacion en Romance sobre un Psalmo de David" ("Meditations in Romance (or vernacular language of Spain) on a Psalm of David "). 5. "Declaracion de un Tratado de San Juan Chrysostomo ("Exposition of a Treatise by Joannes Chrysostomus "). This was written at the command of Juan II., and turns upon the maxim that

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no one receives harm save at his own hands." The last three works were printed together at Murcia in 1487, fol. 6. Super Canaria Insulis pro Rege Castellæ allegationes." In this work Alphonsus pleads the right of his king to the possession of the Canary Islands, which had been sold to the infant Dom Enrique, son of João I. of Portugal, by Bethancourt. This was never printed, and is preserved in manuscript in the library of the Vatican, No. 4151. The titles of his other works may be seen in the works of Nicolas Antonio and Chacon. (N. Antonius, Bib. Hist. Vet. ii. 261.; Ciaconius, Bibliotheca Scriptorum, &c. p. 95.; Garibay, Compendio Historial, &c. lib. lvi. cap. 23.; Gil Gonzalez Davila, Theatro Ecclesiastico de Burgos, lib. xvii. cap. 4.; Mariana, Hist. Gen. de España, lib. xxi. cap 6.) P. de G. ALPIN, one of the Scoto-Irish kings of Dalriada, or Western Scotland, and the last who reigned over that district before the

union of the Picts and Scots. He appears to have reigned for three (the less trustworthy chronicles say four) years, from 833 to 836. He seems to have been warlike, and was killed in a predatory incursion on the neighbouring Picts, between the rivers Doon and Ayr. (Chalmers's Caledonia, i. 300—303.; The Chronicles printed in O'Connor's Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores.) J. H. B.

ALPINUS, PROSPER, a physician and botanist. He was born at Marostica, a little town in the state of Venice, on the 23d of November, 1553. On leaving school he received a commission in a regiment of soldiers in the employ of the state of Milan. His father, however, who was himself distinguished as a physician, wished his son Prosper to study medicine, and for this purpose he went to Padua in 1574. He soon distinguished himself here, and became a general favourite both with the students and professors, and was appointed to fill the posts of syndic and rectoris vicarius in the university. In 1578 he graduated both in medicine and philosophy, and shortly afterwards commenced the practice of his profession at Campo san Pietro, a little town in the district of Padua. During his studies he had contracted a taste for botany, and had commenced an investigation into the nature of the plants which produced the various medicines then used. He found, however, that this study required more accurate information than he could gain in the position he was then in. He accordingly accepted the offer of appointment as physician to George Emo or Hemi, the consul of the Venetian government at Cairo. He left Venice in 1580, and, according to Tomasini, returned from Egypt in 1586. During his residence in Egypt Alpinus lost no opportunity of prosecuting his researches with regard to the plants yielding the drugs employed in Europe. He made a journey along the banks of the Nile and visited Alexandria, and also the islands of the Grecian archipelago, especially Candia, and returned to his native country with a mass of information with regard to Egypt, which in variety, extent, and accuracy has seldom been equalled. On his return from Egypt he was invited by Andre Moria, prince de Melfi, and a general in the Spanish army, to become his physician, which post he accepted, and resided for some time at Genoa. The republic of Venice, which has been distinguished for its patronage of science, not willing to lose the services of so distinguished a citizen, invited Alpinus to accept the chair of botany at Padua. To this request he acceded, and was appointed professor of botany and demonstrator of plants at Padua in 1593. He received at first two hundred florins a year for these offices, which was shortly after raised to seven hundred and fifty.

One of the first works published by Alpinus on his return from Egypt was on the

It

balsams. Much of his energy was directed to this subject, and some of his biographers state that the principal reason of his going out to Egypt was to ascertain from what plant or plants the various balsams were obtained. The resinous and gummy exudations of plants that had the name of balsams and balms were in much greater repute amongst the older practitioners of medicine than those of the present day. This work of Alpinus was published at Venice in 1591, with the title De Balsamo Dialogus; in quo verissima Balsami Planta Opobalsami, Carpobalsami, et Kilobalsami Cognitio, plerisque antiquorum atque juniorum Medicorum occulta, nunc elucescit," 4to. It was reprinted with other editions of his works. A translation into French by Colin appeared at Lyon in 1619. From the description of Alpinus it is difficult to say what plant he thought produced the balsams he refers to; but Sprengel thinks it was probably a species of Amyris. Bertholin speaks of a plant of it growing in the garden of Alpinus at Padua after his death. His next work was on the plants of Egypt generally: "De Plantis Egypti," 4to. It was also published at Venice in 1591. It contains descriptions, with woodcuts, of about fifty plants, twenty-three of which had not been before described. In the same year he produced his work on the medicine of the Egyptians, "De Medicina Ægyptiorum Libri IV. Venetiis," 4to. contains an elaborate account of the state of medicine amongst the Egyptians, as well as of their habits, food, dress, and climate, with regard to the influence of these things on health. In this book is the first account published in Europe of the coffee-plant, with the mode of making the infusion or decoction which is now in so general use. gave descriptions of several acacias, of amomum, of the calamus aromaticus, cannabinum, cassia, and of the plants that entered into the composition of the Egyptian theriaca. The best edition of this work was published in 4to. at Paris in 1645, with the work of Jacob Brontius on Indian medicine, entitled "De Medicina Indorum." In 1612 he published a little work on the plant producing rhubarb, with the title "De Rhapontico Libellus. Patavii." These are the principal botanical works of Alpinus that were published during his lifetime; but he left materials for another work on exotic plants, which was edited by his son, Alpinus Alpinus, and published at Venice in 1628 with the title "De Plantis exoticis Libri duo," 4to. This book contains a preface written by Alpinus in 1612. Several of the plates are from drawings by the editor. This work has greater botanical merit than any of the works of Alpinus. It consists of descriptions and plates of plants from various parts of the world, and which he had mostly collected whilst at Cairo. A great number of plants

He also

were in this work made known to the world for the first time.

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Another posthumous work on the natural history of Egypt generally was published at Leyden in 1735. The manuscript had fallen into the hands of Ludovicus Campolongus, by whom it was sent to Bart. Le Clair, who appears to have published it. The title is Historia Egypti Naturalis Pars prima, qua continentur Rerum Ægyptiarum Libri IV., Opus postumum nunc primum ex Auctoris Autographo, diligentissime recognito, editum," 4to. It contains an account of the animals as well as plants and other remarkable natural productions of Egypt. It is illustrated with a great number of copperplates. With it was also published for the first time a dissertation on the laserpitium and the lotus of the Egyptians, with plates of these plants. To this volume are added several essays on the various works of Alpinus, by Vesling, who had himself visited Cairo, and was a successor of Alpinus in the chair of botany at Padua.

In addition to the preceding, Alpinus wrote two works on medicine. One, on the prognosis of the event of disease, was entitled "De præsagienda Vita et Morte Egrotantium, Libri VII. Venetiis, 1601,” 8vo. The matter of this work was principally derived from Hippocrates, and judiciously arranged. It was reprinted at Frankfort in 1621, under the title "Medicinalium Observationum," 8vo. Another edition (4to.) was published at Leyden in 1700, with a preface by Boerhaave, and again at Hamburg in 1734, with notes by Boerhaave and Gaubius, and the same at Venice in 1735. The second work was an attempt to establish the principles of the ancient sect of Methodists. It was entitled "De Medicina Methodica, Libri XIII., Venetiis, 1611," folio. It seems to have excited the least attention of any of his works. During the latter part of his life Alpinus was afflicted with deafness, and left a work in manuscript on that subject, but in too imperfect a state to publish. He died of a slow fever on the 6th of February, 1617. Tomasini seems to have fallen into an error, which he afterwards corrected, when he states that Alpinus died on his birth-day, the 23d of November, in 1616.

Alpinus was married twice: by his first wife he had four sons, the second of whom, Alpinus Alpinus, was successor to his father in the chair of botany at Padua, and edited his father's work on exotic plants. Alpinia, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Zingiberaceæ, was named in honour of Alpinus.

Among the remarkable men who appeared during the sixteenth century, in the dawn of the cultivation of natural science, Prosper Alpinus holds a high position. The same spirit which had led to the discovery of the New World actuated him in his researches in

Egypt; and although the science of botany is not indebted to him for principles, it was enriched by him with a large number of new facts on which its future progress depended. (Tomasini, Elogia Virorum Literis et Sapientia Illustrium, p. 301.; Niceron, Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire des Hommes Illustres, tome xi.; Adelung, Supplement to Jöcher's Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon; Haller, Bibliotheca Botanica; Haller, Bibliotheca Medicine Practica; Sprengel, Historia Rei Herbariæ.) E. L.

ALPO'EL, R. CHAJIM (NDÓN D"

"), a Levantine rabbi who lived about the early part of the seventeenth century. He was the author of a work called "Nopheth Tzuphim" ("The Dropping of Honeycombs") (Ps. xix. 11.), which is a cabbalistical exposition of various passages of the Hebrew Scriptures. It was printed at Constantinople A. M. 5402 (A. D. 1642). Wolff, in the first volume of his "Bibliotheca Hebræa," has inserted the author of the "Nopheth Tzuphim" under "Isaac Alpual;" but in the supplemental notice of this work in his fourth volume, he tells us that he was informed of the real name of the author by the learned rabbi Moses Chagis of Altona. (Wolfius, Biblioth. Hebr. i. 650. iv. 820.) C. P. H.

ALPRU'NUS, JOHANNES BAPTISTA, was physician to the Empress Eleonora, wife of Leopold L., and practised medicine at Vienna. His name deserves to be recorded for the courage with which he analysed in 1679 some of the matter taken from a plaguebubo. It yielded, he says, a very fœtid, acrid salt. His account of it was published in a work entitled "De Contagione Viennensi Experimentum medicum," Prague, 1680, 4to.; and in one of the editions of Dobrzensky's "Præservativum universale." (Alprunus, Experimentum.) J. P. ALPTEGHI'N, a Turkish slave of Ahmed Ibn Isma'íl, the second sultan of the race of Sámán. Having distinguished himself by his fidelity and his courage, and principally by his skill in jugglers' tricks,-which among an ignorant people passed for enchantment,

he was enfranchised by his master, and passed through several ranks in the army, until he became governor of Khorásán, under the reign of 'Abdu-l-malek Ibn Núh, the fifth sultan of that race; but having subsequently amassed prodigious wealth, and engaged a numerous train of followers in his service, he became eventually too powerful for his master. On the death of 'Abdu-l-malek in A. H. 350 (A. D. 961), the nobles of Bokhára sent a deputation into Khorásán to demand of Alpteghín which among the princes of the race of Sámán he considered worthiest of the succession. Alpteghín answered that Abú Saleh Mansúr, the son of the deceased sultan, was too young to take into his hands the government of the country, and that he

was of opinion that they should choose one of his uncles. Before, however, this answer reached Bokhára, the principal generals and nobles of the place had united their votes in favour of Mansúr, who was accordingly proclaimed sultan in the room of his deceased father. Fearing the resentment of the young sultan on this account, Alpteghín refused to obey the summons he received to repair to court; and breaking out soon after in open rebellion, withdrew towards Ghiznah (Ghuznee), accompanied by a body of three thousand of his Mamluks, with whose assistance he took possession of that city and the adjoining territory. Upon the receipt of this intelligence, Mansúr gave the government of Khorásán to Abú-l-huseyn Semjúr; but although that general twice sent an army to put down the rebellion of Alpteghín, the courage and the talent of that adventurer baffled all his attacks. Alpteghín maintained himself at Ghiznah until he died in A. H. 365 (A. D. 975-6), appointing as his successor his son-in-law, Subekteghín, who was the father of the celebrated Mahmúd the Ghaznevide. (Abú-l-fedá, Ann. Musl. sub. anno 350; Elmacin, Hist. Sarac. lib. iii. cap. v.; Price, Chronol. Retrospect of Moham. History, ii. cap. vii.; Ibnu-l-athír, 'Ibratu-l-awali, MS.; D'Herbelot, Bib. Or. voc. Alpteghín.")

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The

P. de G. ALQUIE, FRANÇOIS SAVINIEN D', a French miscellaneous writer of the seventeenth century. He seems to have been chiefly engaged in compilation and translation, and we know nothing of him but from the title-pages of some of his works. He translated into French the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher's book on China: his translation appeared at Amsterdam in folio, a. D. 1670. In the same year he published a description of France under the title of "Les Délices de la France," 12mo. Amsterdam, 1670. copy in the library of the British Museum bears this date a second edition, which in the Biographie Universelle, and in Quérard's "La France Littéraire," is called by mistake the first, seems to have been published in two vols. 12mo. 1699; and a third in three vols. 8vo. Leyden, 1728. This shows that the work was of some reputation in its day. 2. He published an account of the siege of Candia from the accounts of eye-witnesses: it was entitled "Les Mémoires du Voyage de Monsieur Le Marquis de Ville au Levant" (12mo. Amsterdam, 1671), and was chiefly taken from the memoirs of Giovanni Battista Rostagno. As in his preface he speaks of "all his other works," he had probably produced several of which we have no account. 3. He published also a translation of Puffendorf's work "De Statu Imperii Germanici." His translation, according to the Biographie Universelle and Quérard, appeared in 16mo. Amsterdam, 1799. 4." Le Voyage de Galilée, publié par D. S. A." 12mo. Paris, 1670, is